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The aminoglycoside geneticin permits translational readthrough of the CTNS W138X nonsense mutation in fibroblasts from patients with nephropathic cystinosis

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Abstract

Background

Cystinosis is an ultrarare disorder caused by mutations of the cystinosin (CTNS) gene, encoding a cystine-selective efflux channel in the lysosomes of all cells of the body. Oral therapy with cysteamine reduces intralysosomal cystine accumulation and slows organ deterioration but cannot reverse renal Fanconi syndrome nor prevent the eventual need for renal transplantation. A definitive therapeutic remains elusive. About 15% of cystinosis patients worldwide carry one or more nonsense mutations that halt translation of the CTNS protein. Aminoglycosides such as geneticin (G418) can bind to the mammalian ribosome, relax translational fidelity, and permit readthrough of premature termination codons to produce full-length protein.

Methods

To ascertain whether aminoglycosides permit readthrough of the most common CTNS nonsense mutation, W138X, we studied the effect of G418 on patient fibroblasts.

Results

G418 treatment induced translational readthrough of CTNSW138X constructs transfected into HEK293 cells and expression of full-length endogenous CTNS protein in homozygous W138X fibroblasts.

Conclusions

Reduction in intracellular cystine indicates that the CTNS protein produced is functional as a cystine transporter. Interestingly, similar effects were seen even in W138X compound heterozygotes. These studies establish proof-of-principle for the potential of aminoglycosides to treat cystinosis and possibly other monogenic diseases caused by nonsense mutations.

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Funding

This work was supported by operating grants from the Cystinosis Research Foundation, the Kidney Foundation of Canada, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and an infrastructure grant from the Fonds de Recherche en Santé du Québec to the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. Emma Brasell was the recipient of a graduate studentship award from the Cystinosis Research Foundation. Dr. Paul Goodyer is the recipient of a James McGill Research Chair.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Emma J. Brasell & Paul Goodyer

  2. The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, 1001 Decarie Boulevard, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    LeeLee Chu, Reyhan El Kares, Jung Hwa Seo & Paul Goodyer

  3. L’Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France

    Robin Loesch

  4. Génome Québec, 630 Boulevard René-Lévesque, Montreal, Canada

    Diana M. Iglesias

  5. Department of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

    Paul Goodyer

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  1. Emma J. Brasell
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Contributions

EJB participated in the experimental design; performed the cell culture, qPCR, cell transfection, and intracellular half-cystine measurements; analyzed the results; and participated in the manuscript preparation.

LLC participated in the experimental design; performed the cell culture, qPCR, Western immunoblotting, plasmid construction, and intracellular half-cystine measurements; analyzed the results; and participated in the manuscript preparation.

REK participated in the experimental design.

JHS performed the cell transfection.

RL performed the cell culture.

DMI participated in the experimental design.

PG participated in the experimental design, data analysis, and manuscript preparation.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul Goodyer.

Ethics declarations

Ethics compliance

All primary cell lines used in this article were subject to IRB approval from the RI-MUHC REB (protocol: 2018-2922).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Electronic supplementary material

Suppl. Fig. 1.

Half-cystine in CTNSW138X/W138X fibroblasts after treatment with different concentrations of G418. Half-cystine was measured after 24-hour exposure to G418 (200ug/mL) and normalized to total cell protein in A. WG1012 (n = 1-6) and B. WG1986 (n = 2-3) CTNSW138X/W138X fibroblasts. (AI 1993 kb)

Suppl. Fig. 2.

Time course of half-cystine in a CTNSW138X/W138X fibroblast line after treatment with G418. Half-cystine was measured after exposure to G418 (200ug/mL) for 24-72 hours and normalized to total cell protein in WG1012 CTNSW138X/W138X fibroblasts (n = 1). (AI 1773 kb)

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Brasell, E.J., Chu, L., El Kares, R. et al. The aminoglycoside geneticin permits translational readthrough of the CTNS W138X nonsense mutation in fibroblasts from patients with nephropathic cystinosis. Pediatr Nephrol 34, 873–881 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-018-4094-0

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