Journal Article

DZNE-2025-01416

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Loss of the lysosomal protein CLN3 triggers c-Abl-dependent YAP1 pro-apoptotic signaling.

Domingues, N. ; Calcagni', A. ; Freire, S. ; Pires, J. ; Casqueiro, R. ; Salazar, I. L. ; Herz, N. J. ; Huynh, T. ; Wieciorek, K. ; Outeiro, T. F.DZNE* ; Girão, H. ; Milosevic, I. ; Ballabio, A. ; Raimundo, N.

2025
Nature Publishing Group UK [London]

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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1038/s44319-025-00613-3

Abstract: Batten disease is characterized by early-onset blindness, juvenile dementia and death within the second decade of life. The most common genetic cause are mutations in CLN3, encoding a lysosomal protein. Currently, no therapies targeting disease progression are available, largely because its molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. To understand how CLN3 loss affects cellular signaling, we generated human CLN3 knock-out cells (CLN3-KO) and performed RNA-seq analysis. Our multi-dimensional analysis reveals the transcriptional regulator YAP1 as a key factor in remodeling the transcriptome in CLN3-KO cells. YAP1-mediated pro-apoptotic signaling is also increased as a consequence of CLN3 functional loss in retinal pigment epithelia cells, and in the hippocampus and thalamus of Cln3Δ7/8 mice, an established model of Batten disease. Loss of CLN3 leads to DNA damage, activating the kinase c-Abl which phosphorylates YAP1, stimulating its pro-apoptotic signaling. This novel molecular mechanism underlying the loss of CLN3 in mammalian cells and tissues may pave a way for novel c-Abl-centric therapeutic strategies to target Batten disease.

Keyword(s): Animals (MeSH) ; YAP-Signaling Proteins (MeSH) ; Humans (MeSH) ; Signal Transduction (MeSH) ; Mice (MeSH) ; Apoptosis: genetics (MeSH) ; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing: metabolism (MeSH) ; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing: genetics (MeSH) ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-abl: metabolism (MeSH) ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-abl: genetics (MeSH) ; Membrane Glycoproteins: genetics (MeSH) ; Membrane Glycoproteins: metabolism (MeSH) ; Molecular Chaperones: genetics (MeSH) ; Molecular Chaperones: metabolism (MeSH) ; Neuronal Ceroid-Lipofuscinoses: genetics (MeSH) ; Neuronal Ceroid-Lipofuscinoses: metabolism (MeSH) ; Neuronal Ceroid-Lipofuscinoses: pathology (MeSH) ; Lysosomes: metabolism (MeSH) ; Mice, Knockout (MeSH) ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium: metabolism (MeSH) ; Disease Models, Animal (MeSH) ; Batten Disease ; DNA Damage ; Lysosome-Nucleus Communication ; Lysosomes ; YAP1 ; YAP-Signaling Proteins ; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; YAP1 protein, human ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-abl ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; Molecular Chaperones ; CLN3 protein, human ; Yap1 protein, mouse

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Epigenetics and Systems Medicine in Neurodegenerative Diseases (AG Fischer)

Research Program(s):

1. 352 - Disease Mechanisms (POF4-352) (POF4-352)

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