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When Zolgensma became the world's first approved gene therapy for SMA, I was part of the…

Articles by Navneet K

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  • Cour Pharmaceuticals Development Co., Inc.

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Publications

  • Molecular chaperone Hsp110 rescues a vesicle transport defect produced by an ALS-associated mutant SOD1 protein in squid axoplasm

    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.

    Mutant human Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) is associated with motor neuron toxicity and death in an inherited form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS; Lou Gehrig disease). One aspect of toxicity in motor neurons involves diminished fast axonal transport, observed both in transgenic mice and, more recently, in axoplasm isolated from squid giant axons. The latter effect appears to be directly mediated by misfolded SOD1, whose addition activates phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and…

    Mutant human Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) is associated with motor neuron toxicity and death in an inherited form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS; Lou Gehrig disease). One aspect of toxicity in motor neurons involves diminished fast axonal transport, observed both in transgenic mice and, more recently, in axoplasm isolated from squid giant axons. The latter effect appears to be directly mediated by misfolded SOD1, whose addition activates phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and phosphorylation of kinesin. Here, we observe that several different oligomeric states of a fusion protein, comprising ALS-associated human G85R SOD1 joined with yellow fluorescent protein (G85R SOD1YFP), which produces ALS in transgenic mice, inhibited anterograde transport when added to squid axoplasm. Inhibition was blocked both by an apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1; MAPKKK) inhibitor and by a p38 inhibitor, indicating the transport defect is mediated through the MAPK cascade. In further incubations, we observed that addition of the mammalian molecular chaperone Hsc70, abundantly associated with G85R SOD1YFP in spinal cord of transgenic mice, exerted partial correction of the transport defect, associated with diminished phosphorylation of p38. Most striking, the addition of the molecular chaperone Hsp110, in a concentration substoichiometric to the mutant SOD1 protein, completely rescued both the transport defect and the phosphorylation of p38. Hsp110 has been demonstrated to act as a nucleotide exchange factor for Hsc70 and, more recently, to be able to cooperate with it to mediate protein disaggregation. We speculate that it can cooperate with endogenous squid Hsp(c)70 to mediate binding and/or disaggregation of mutant SOD1 protein, abrogating toxicity.

    Other authors
    • Yuyu Song
    • Maria Nagy
    • Weiming Ni
    • Wayne Fenton
    • Francesc Lopez-Giraldez
    • John D. Overton
    • Arthur L. Horwich
    • Scott Brady
    See publication
  • Recessive loss of function of the neuronal ubiquitin hydrolase UCHL1 leads to early-onset progressive neurodegeneration

    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.

    Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCHL1), a neuron-specific de-ubiquitinating enzyme, is one of the most abundant proteins in the brain. We describe three siblings from a consanguineous union with a previously unreported early-onset progressive neurodegenerative syndrome featuring childhood onset blindness, cerebellar ataxia, nystagmus, dorsal column dysfuction, and spasticity with upper motor neuron dysfunction. Through homozygosity mapping of the affected individuals followed by whole-exome…

    Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCHL1), a neuron-specific de-ubiquitinating enzyme, is one of the most abundant proteins in the brain. We describe three siblings from a consanguineous union with a previously unreported early-onset progressive neurodegenerative syndrome featuring childhood onset blindness, cerebellar ataxia, nystagmus, dorsal column dysfuction, and spasticity with upper motor neuron dysfunction. Through homozygosity mapping of the affected individuals followed by whole-exome sequencing of the index case, we identified a previously undescribed homozygous missense mutation within the ubiquitin binding domain of UCHL1 (UCHL1GLU7ALA), shared by all affected subjects. As demonstrated by isothermal titration calorimetry, purified UCHL1GLU7ALA, compared with WT, exhibited at least sevenfold reduced affinity for ubiquitin. In vitro, the mutation led to a near complete loss of UCHL1 hydrolase activity. The GLU7ALA variant is predicted to interfere with the substrate binding by restricting the proper positioning of the substrate for tunneling underneath the cross-over loop spanning the catalytic cleft of UCHL1. This interference with substrate binding, combined with near complete loss of hydrolase activity, resulted in a >100-fold reduction in the efficiency of UCHL1GLU7ALA relative to WT. These findings demonstrate a broad requirement of UCHL1 in the maintenance of the nervous system.

    Other authors
    • Kaya Bilguvar
    • Cigdem Ozkara
    • Beyhan Tuysuz
    • Mehmet Bakircioglu
    • Murim Choi
    • Sakir Delil
    • Ahmet O Caglayan
    • Richard P. Lifton
    • Arthur L. Horwich
    • Murat Gunel
    See publication
  • Chaperone action in protein folding and misfolding

    BIOCHEMISTRY AND CELL BIOLOGY-BIOCHIMIE ET BIOLOGIE CELLULAIRE

    Other authors
  • GroEL/GroES cycling: ATP binds to an open ring before substrate protein favoring protein binding and production of the native state.

    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.

    The GroEL/GroES reaction cycle involves steps of ATP and polypeptide binding to an open GroEL ring before the GroES encapsulation step that triggers productive folding in a sequestered chamber. The physiological order of addition of ATP and nonnative polypeptide, typically to the open trans ring of an asymmetrical GroEL/GroES/ADP complex, has been unknown, although there have been assumptions that polypeptide binds first, allowing subsequent ATP-mediated movement of the GroEL apical domains to…

    The GroEL/GroES reaction cycle involves steps of ATP and polypeptide binding to an open GroEL ring before the GroES encapsulation step that triggers productive folding in a sequestered chamber. The physiological order of addition of ATP and nonnative polypeptide, typically to the open trans ring of an asymmetrical GroEL/GroES/ADP complex, has been unknown, although there have been assumptions that polypeptide binds first, allowing subsequent ATP-mediated movement of the GroEL apical domains to exert an action of forceful unfolding on the nonnative polypeptide. Here, using fluorescence measurements, we show that the physiological order of addition is the opposite, involving rapid binding of ATP, accompanied by nearly as rapid apical domain movements, followed by slower binding of nonnative polypeptide. In order-of-addition experiments, approximately twice as much Rubisco activity was recovered when nonnative substrate protein was added after ATP compared with it being added before ATP, associated with twice as much Rubisco protein recovered with the chaperonin. Furthermore, the rate of Rubisco binding to an ATP-exposed ring was twice that observed in the absence of nucleotide. Finally, when both ATP and Rubisco were added simultaneously to a GroEL ring, simulating the physiological situation, the rate of Rubisco binding corresponded to that observed when ATP had been added first. We conclude that the physiological order, ATP binding before polypeptide, enables more efficient capture of nonnative substrate proteins, and thus allows greater recovery of the native state for any given round of the chaperonin cycle.

    Other authors
    See publication
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Projects

  • Ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) association with an early-onset progressive multi-system neurodegenerative syndrome.

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    Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCHL1) is one of the most abundant proteins in the brain. We describe 3 siblings from a consanguineous union with a previously unreported early neurodegeneration syndrome affecting the optic and cerebral cortical pyramidal systems, cerebellum and spinal cord. All share a previously undescribed homozygous mutation, UCHL1 E7A. Purified UCHL1 E7A exhibited nearly absent hydrolase activity and reduced affinity for ubiquitin. Contrary to a report that partial UCHL1…

    Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCHL1) is one of the most abundant proteins in the brain. We describe 3 siblings from a consanguineous union with a previously unreported early neurodegeneration syndrome affecting the optic and cerebral cortical pyramidal systems, cerebellum and spinal cord. All share a previously undescribed homozygous mutation, UCHL1 E7A. Purified UCHL1 E7A exhibited nearly absent hydrolase activity and reduced affinity for ubiquitin. Contrary to a report that partial UCHL1 deficiency is associated with Parkinson’s disease, neither UCHL1 E7A homozygotes nor heterozygotes developed Parkinsonian features. These findings demonstrate a broad requirement of UCHL1 in the maintenance of the nervous system.

    See project

Honors & Awards

  • Novartis Gene Therapies Platinum Tenacity Award

    Novartis Gene Therapies

  • AveXis Platinum Tenacity Award

    Novartis Gene Therapies

  • AveXis Gold Teamwork Award

    AveXis Inc.

  • AveXis Teamwork Award

    AveXis Inc

  • AveXis President Teamwork Award

    AveXis Inc

  • AveXis Platinum Tenacity Award

    AveXis Inc

  • Research Scientist Fellowship

    HHMI

  • PostDoctoral Fellowship

    Max Planck Society

  • Martin-Schmeisser Fellowship

    Dortmund University, Germany

  • International Max Planck Research School in Chemical Biology Fellowship

    Max Planck Society

  • Junior Research Fellowship

    Department of Science, India

Languages

  • English

    Native or bilingual proficiency

  • Hindi

    Native or bilingual proficiency

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