Early MATR3 loss and distinct neurodegenerative molecular signatures precede the onset of neuropathology in motor neurons and Purkinje cells of MATR3 S85C knock-in mouse model of ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a motor neuron disease, leading to progressive muscle weakness and motor impairment. Growing evidence indicates that cerebellar Purkinje cells, which play a central role in motor coordination, are also affected in ALS. However, it is unclear whether the molecular events that initiate neurodegeneration in these ALS-relevant motor-controlling neurons are shared or distinct. Here, we used a MATR3 S85C knock-in (KI) mouse model of early-stage ALS with stage-specific motor phenotypes and selective vulnerability of motor neurons and Purkinje cells to decipher the molecular events underlying neurodegeneration in these two neuronal populations. We found that a profound reduction in detectable MATR3 S85C immunoreactivity (hereafter referred to as MATR3 loss) in both motor neurons and Purkinje cells precedes the onset of motor dysfunction and neuropathology, implicating MATR3 loss as the earliest detectable molecular event. Our bulk cerebellar RNA profiling and motor neuron-specific RNA profiling data at the onset of MATR3 loss revealed distinct molecular signatures. In the cerebellum, Ngfr expression emerged in Purkinje cells before the onset of neuronal loss and remained elevated throughout the disease course. This increase was accompanied by activation of the JNK-mediated cell death pathway. In the motor neurons, elevated Fgf21 and integrated stress response (ISR) gene expression were the first to be observed and persisted throughout disease progression, consistent with previous findings in SOD1 mouse models. Our findings provide mechanistic insights into the initiation of neurodegeneration in ALS-relevant motor-controlling neurons and implicate potential neuron type-specific targets for future therapeutics.