Publications by authors named "Brittany C S Ellis"
Article Synopsis
- This research focuses on the aggregation of dipeptide-repeat (DPR) proteins linked to familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/frontotemporal dementia (ALS/FTD), which are often not efficiently modeled in cell cultures.* -
- Using optogenetics, the study achieved controlled aggregation of poly-PR proteins in human motor neurons, revealing unique nuclear condensates that resemble TDP-43 anisosomes and indicating that RNA limits their growth.* -
- The findings suggest that poly-PR condensation and abnormal TDP-43 interaction may represent an early pathological event in ALS/FTD, potentially linking this process to broader neurodegenerative disease mechanisms.*
TDP-43 protein is dysregulated in several neurodegenerative diseases, which often have a multifactorial nature and may have extrinsic stressors as a "second hit." TDP-43 undergoes reversible nuclear condensation in stressed cells including neurons. Here, we demonstrate that stress-inducible nuclear TDP-43 condensates are RNA-depleted, non-liquid assemblies distinct from the known nuclear bodies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF