Opa1 Deficiency Leads to Diminished Mitochondrial Bioenergetics With Compensatory Increased Mitochondrial Motility
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2020 Jun 3;61(6):42. doi: 10.1167/iovs.61.6.42. ABSTRACT PURPOSE: Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are susceptible to mitochondrial deficits and also the major cell type affected in patients with mutations in the OPA1 gene in autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA). Here, we characterized mitochondria in RGCs in vitro from a heterozygous B6; C3-Opa1Q285STOP (Opa1+/-) […]
Comparison of Lamina Cribrosa Morphology in Normal Tension Glaucoma and Autosomal-Dominant Optic Atrophy
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2020 May 11;61(5):9. doi: 10.1167/iovs.61.5.9. ABSTRACT PURPOSE: To compare lamina cribrosa (LC) morphology in patients with normal tension glaucoma (NTG) and autosomal-dominant optic atrophy (ADOA). METHODS: This cross-sectional study matched 24 patients diagnosed with ADOA (24 eyes) by age and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness with 48 patients diagnosed with NTG […]
Synthesis of Dideoxy-octonic Acid and Cyclic and Acyclic Derivatives Thereof
Org Lett. 2020 May 1;22(9):3373-3376. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.0c00842. Epub 2020 Apr 13. ABSTRACT Oxidative cleavage of N-acetyl-neuraminic acid (Neu5Ac, 1) leads to the open chain octonic acid (ADOA, 2), which under various conditions is transformed into an acyclic acid or ester or into a six- or five-membered octonic acid lactone and lactam, respectively. All reactions proceed […]
A Perspective on Accelerated Aging Caused by the Genetic Deficiency of the Metabolic Protein, OPA1
Front Neurol. 2021 Apr 13;12:641259. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2021.641259. eCollection 2021. ABSTRACT Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy (ADOA) is an ophthalmological condition associated primarily with mutations in the OPA1 gene. It has variable onset, sometimes juvenile, but in other patients, the disease does not manifest until adult middle age despite the presence of a pathological mutation. Thus, individuals […]
OPA1 Modulates Mitochondrial Ca2+ Uptake Through ER-Mitochondria Coupling
Front Cell Dev Biol. 2022 Jan 3;9:774108. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2021.774108. eCollection 2021. ABSTRACT Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy (ADOA), a disease that causes blindness and other neurological disorders, is linked to OPA1 mutations. OPA1, dependent on its GTPase and GED domains, governs inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) fusion and cristae organization, which are central to oxidative metabolism. Mitochondrial […]
An aptamer-tethered DNA origami amplifier for sensitive and accurate imaging of intracellular microRNA
Nanoscale. 2022 Jan 27;14(4):1327-1332. doi: 10.1039/d1nr06399e. ABSTRACT Accurate detection and imaging of low-abundance microRNA (miRNA) in living cells are essential for the diagnosis and prognosis of diseases. Designing nanoprobes with resistance to enzyme degradation, effective cell-binding, and efficient signal amplification is crucial for in vivo imaging. In this study, we present an aptamer-tethered DNA origami […]
Mitochondrial Retinopathies
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Dec 25;23(1):210. doi: 10.3390/ijms23010210. ABSTRACT The retina is an exquisite target for defects of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) associated with mitochondrial impairment. Retinal involvement occurs in two ways, retinal dystrophy (retinitis pigmentosa) and subacute or chronic optic atrophy, which are the most common clinical entities. Both can present as isolated or […]
Omega-3 fatty acids promote neuroprotection, decreased apoptosis and reduced glial cell activation in the retina of a mouse model of OPA1-related autosomal dominant optic atrophy
Exp Eye Res. 2022 Feb;215:108901. doi: 10.1016/j.exer.2021.108901. Epub 2021 Dec 20. ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (ω3-PUFA) supplementation in a mouse model of OPA1-associated autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA). The blood level of arachidonic acid (AA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) served to adjust […]
Autosomal dominant optic atrophy: A novel treatment for OPA1 splice defects using U1 snRNA adaption
Mol Ther Nucleic Acids. 2021 Oct 21;26:1186-1197. doi: 10.1016/j.omtn.2021.10.019. eCollection 2021 Dec 3. ABSTRACT Autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA) is frequently caused by mutations in the optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) gene, with haploinsufficiency being the major genetic pathomechanism. Almost 30% of the OPA1-associated cases suffer from splice defects. We identified a novel OPA1 mutation, c.1065+5G>A, […]
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Inherited Optic Neuropathies-Disease Modeling and Therapeutic Development
J Neuroophthalmol. 2022 Mar 1;42(1):35-44. doi: 10.1097/WNO.0000000000001375. Epub 2021 Sep 30. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Inherited optic neuropathies (IONs) cause progressive irreversible visual loss in children and young adults. There are limited disease-modifying treatments, and most patients progress to become severely visually impaired, fulfilling the legal criteria for blind registration. The seminal discovery of the technique for […]