ePrints

NAD(P)HX dehydratase (NAXD) deficiency: a novel neurodegenerative disorder exacerbated by febrile illnesses

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Angela Pyle, Professor Robert Taylor

Downloads

Full text for this publication is not currently held within this repository. Alternative links are provided below where available.

Abstract

Physical stress, including high temperatures, may damage the central metabolic nicotinamide nucleotide cofactors [NAD(P)H], generating toxic derivatives [NAD(P)HX]. The highly conserved enzyme NAD(P)HX dehydratase (NAXD) is essential for intracellular repair of NAD(P)HX. Here we present a series of infants and children who suffered episodes of febrile illness-induced neurodegeneration or cardiac failure and early death. Whole-exome or whole-genome sequencing identified recessive NAXD variants in each case. Variants were predicted to be potentially deleterious through in silico analysis. Reverse-transcription PCR confirmed altered splicing in one case. Subject fibroblasts showed highly elevated concentrations of the damaged cofactors S-NADHX, R-NADHX and cyclic NADHX. NADHX accumulation was abrogated by lentiviral transduction of subject cells with wild-type NAXD. Subject fibroblasts and muscle biopsies showed impaired mitochondrial function, higher sensitivity to metabolic stress in media containing galactose and azide, but not glucose, and decreased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production. Recombinant NAXD protein harbouring two missense variants leading to the amino acid changes p.(Gly63Ser) and p.(Arg608Cys) were thermolabile and showed a decrease in Vmax and increase in KM for the ATP-dependent NADHX dehydratase activity. This is the first study to identify pathogenic variants in NAXD and to link deficient NADHX repair with mitochondrial dysfunction. The results show that NAXD deficiency can be classified as a metabolite repair disorder in which accumulation of damaged metabolites likely triggers devastating effects in tissues such as the brain and the heart, eventually leading to early childhood death.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Van Bergen NJ, Guo Y, Rankin J, Paczia N, Becker-Kettern J, Kremer LS, Pyle A, Conrotte J-F, Ellaway C, Procopis P, Prelog K, Homfray T, Baptista J, Baple E, Wakeling M, Massey S, Kay DP, Shukla A, Girisha KM, Lewis LES, Santra S, Power R, Daubeney P, Montoya J, Ruiz-Pesini E, Kovacs-Nagy R, Pritsch M, Ahting U, Thorburn DR, Prokisch H, Taylor RW, Christodoulou J, Linster CL, Ellard S, Hakonarson H

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Brain: A Journal of Neurology

Year: 2019

Volume: 142

Issue: 1

Pages: 50-58

Online publication date: 20/12/2018

Acceptance date: 16/10/2018

ISSN (print): 0006-8950

ISSN (electronic): 1460-2156

Publisher: Oxford University Press

URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awy310

DOI: 10.1093/brain/awy310

PubMed id: 30576410

Altmetrics

Share