(18)FDG-microPET and MR DTI findings in Tor1a(+/-) heterozygous knock-out mice
Publication Date
2015
Journal Title
Neurobiology of Disease
Abstract
TorsinA is an important protein in brain development, and plays a role in the regulation of neurite outgrowth and synaptic function. Patients with the most common form of genetic dystonia carry a mutation (DYT1) in one copy of the Tor1a gene, a 3-bp deletion, causing removal of a single glutamic acid from torsinA. Previous imaging studies have shown that abnormal cerebellar metabolism and damaged cerebello-thalamo-cortical pathway contribute to the pathophysiology of DYT1 dystonia. However, how a mutation in one copy of the Tor1a gene causes these abnormalities is not known. We studied Tor1a heterozygous knock-out mice in vivo with FDG-PET and ex vivo with diffusion tensor imaging. We found metabolic abnormalities in cerebellum, caudate-putamen, globus pallidus, sensorimotor cortex and subthalamic nucleus. We also found that FA was increased in caudate-putamen, sensorimotor cortex and brainstem. We compared our findings with a previous imaging study of the Tor1a knock-in mice. Our study suggested that having only one normal copy of Tor1a gene may be responsible for the metabolic abnormalities observed; having a copy of mutant Tor1a, on the other hand, may be responsible for white matter pathway damages seen in DYT1 dystonia subjects. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved.
Volume Number
73
Pages
399-406
Document Type
Article
EPub Date
2014/12/03
Status
Faculty, Northwell Researcher
Facility
School of Medicine; Northwell Health
Primary Department
Molecular Medicine
Additional Departments
Neurology
PMID
DOI
10.1016/j.nbd.2014.10.020