Mutations in FUS, an RNA processing protein, cause familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis type 6

Science. 2009 Feb 27;323(5918):1208-1211. doi: 10.1126/science.1165942.

Abstract

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that is familial in 10% of cases. We have identified a missense mutation in the gene encoding fused in sarcoma (FUS) in a British kindred, linked to ALS6. In a survey of 197 familial ALS index cases, we identified two further missense mutations in eight families. Postmortem analysis of three cases with FUS mutations showed FUS-immunoreactive cytoplasmic inclusions and predominantly lower motor neuron degeneration. Cellular expression studies revealed aberrant localization of mutant FUS protein. FUS is involved in the regulation of transcription and RNA splicing and transport, and it has functional homology to another ALS gene, TARDBP, which suggests that a common mechanism may underlie motor neuron degeneration.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Age of Onset
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / genetics*
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / metabolism
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / pathology
  • Animals
  • Brain / pathology
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • Cytoplasm / metabolism
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / analysis
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Inclusion Bodies / chemistry
  • Inclusion Bodies / ultrastructure
  • Male
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Motor Neurons / metabolism
  • Mutation, Missense*
  • Pedigree
  • RNA-Binding Protein FUS / analysis
  • RNA-Binding Protein FUS / genetics*
  • RNA-Binding Protein FUS / metabolism*
  • Rats
  • Spinal Cord / pathology
  • Transfection

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • RNA-Binding Protein FUS