Extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) is an essential signaling molecule that is perceived in mammals by plasma membrane P2-type purinoceptors. Similar ATP receptors do not exist in plants, although extracellular ATP has been shown to play critical roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses. Here, we identify an ATP-insensitive Arabidopsis mutant, dorn1 (Does not Respond to Nucleotides 1), defective in lectin receptor kinase I.9 (Arabidopsis Information Resource accession code At5g60300). DORN1 binds ATP with high affinity (dissociation constant of 45.7 ± 3.1 nanomolar) and is required for ATP-induced calcium response, mitogen-activated protein kinase activation, and gene expression. Ectopic expression of DORN1 increased the plant response to physical wounding. We propose that DORN1 is essential for perception of extracellular ATP and likely plays a variety of roles in plant stress resistance.

Variants of UNC13A, a critical gene for synapse function, increase the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia1–3, two related neurodegenerative diseases defined by mislocalization of the RNA-binding protein TDP-434,5. Here we show that TDP-43 depletion induces robust inclusion of a cryptic exon in UNC13A, resulting in nonsense-mediated decay and loss of UNC13A protein. Two common intronic UNC13A polymorphisms strongly associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia risk overlap with TDP-43 binding sites. These polymorphisms potentiate cryptic exon inclusion, both in cultured cells and in brains and spinal cords from patients with these conditions. Our findings, which demonstrate a genetic link between loss of nuclear TDP-43 function and disease, reveal the mechanism by which UNC13A variants exacerbate the effects of decreased TDP-43 function. They further provide a promising therapeutic target for TDP-43 proteinopathies.

A novel cleavage of ␤-amyloid precursor protein (APP), referred to as ⑀-cleavage, occurs downstream of the ␥-cleavage and generates predominantly a C-terminal fragment (CTF␥) that begins at Val-50, according to amyloid ␤-protein (A␤) numbering. Whether this cleavage occurs independently of, or is coordinated with, ␥-cleavage is unknown. Using a cell-free system, we show here that, although A␤40 and CTF␥ 50 -99 were the predominant species produced by membranes prepared from cells overexpressing wild-type (wt) APP and wt presenilin (PS) 1 or 2, the production of CTF␥ 49 -99, which begins at Leu-49, was remarkably enhanced in membranes from cells overexpressing mutant (mt) APP or mtPS1/2 that increases the production of A␤42. Furthermore, a ␥-secretase inhibitor, which suppresses A␤40 production and paradoxically enhances A␤42 production at low concentrations, caused the proportion of CTF␥ 50 -99 to decrease and that of CTF␥ 49 -99 to increase significantly. These results strongly suggest a link between the production of A␤42 and CTF␥ 49 -99 and provide an important insight into the mechanisms of altered ␥-cleavage caused by mtAPP and mtPS1/2.Senile plaques, one of the neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD), 1 are composed primarily of amyloid ␤-protein (A␤) (1). Two major A␤ species consisting of 40 and 42 residues are generated mainly in neurons and constitutively secreted. A shorter one, A␤40, is predominant, and a longer one, A␤42, is a minor species (Ͻ10%) among secreted A␤ species. A␤ is produced from ␤-amyloid precursor protein (APP), through sequential cleavage by proteases referred to as ␤-and ␥-secretases. ␤-Secretase was identified as a type I membrane aspartic protease ␤-site APP-cleaving enzyme (BACE) (2), but the identity of ␥-secretase has remained unknown. ␥-Secretase cleaves APP in the middle of the transmembrane domain, releasing A␤ and its counterpart, C-terminal fragment ␥ of APP (CTF␥). Most recent studies have shown that ␥-secretase forms a large complex composed of presenilin (PS) 1 or 2, nicastrin, PEN-2, and APH-1, and the activity of ␥-secretase is now known to depend on these proteins (3-7).One of the A␤ species, A␤42, has a much higher aggregation potential (8, 9) and is believed to be initially deposited in senile plaques (10). It is reasonable to postulate that A␤42 accumulation in the brain is the very initial event in the development of AD including sporadic AD. Indeed, all mutations of PS1/2 and some mutations of APP that cause familial AD result in increased A␤42 production (11).Recently, we and other groups found that APP is cleaved by PS-dependent ␥-secretase, not only in the middle of the transmembrane domain (␥-cleavage) but also near the cytoplasmic membrane boundary (⑀-cleavage) (12-15). The major product of the latter process is a CTF␥ of APP that begins at Val-50. This cleavage site is a few residues inside the membrane from the cytoplasmic/membrane boundary and is similar to site 3 cleavage of Notch (16). Since production of CTF␥ is inhibited by a dominan...

BackgroundAuditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) is a form of hearing loss in which auditory signal transmission from the inner ear to the auditory nerve and brain stem is distorted, giving rise to speech perception difficulties beyond that expected for the observed degree of hearing loss. For many cases of ANSD, the underlying molecular pathology and the site of lesion remain unclear. The X-linked form of the condition, AUNX1, has been mapped to Xq23-q27.3, although the causative gene has yet to be identified.MethodsWe performed whole-exome sequencing on DNA samples from the AUNX1 family and another small phenotypically similar but unrelated ANSD family.ResultsWe identified two missense mutations in AIFM1 in these families: c.1352G>A (p.R451Q) in the AUNX1 family and c.1030C>T (p.L344F) in the second ANSD family. Mutation screening in a large cohort of 3 additional unrelated families and 93 sporadic cases with ANSD identified 9 more missense mutations in AIFM1. Bioinformatics analysis and expression studies support this gene as being causative of ANSD.ConclusionsVariants in AIFM1 gene are a common cause of familial and sporadic ANSD and provide insight into the expanded spectrum of AIFM1-associated diseases. The finding of cochlear nerve hypoplasia in some patients was AIFM1-related ANSD implies that MRI may be of value in localising the site of lesion and suggests that cochlea implantation in these patients may have limited success.

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