Embryonic motor neuron programming factors reactivate immature gene expression and suppress ALS pathologies in postnatal motor neurons

Abstract

Aging is a major risk factor in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other adult-onset neurodegenerative disorders. Whereas young neurons are capable of buffering disease-causing stresses, mature neurons lose this ability and degenerate over time. We hypothesized that the resilience of young motor neurons could be restored by reexpression of the embryonic motor neuron selector transcription factors ISL1 and LHX3. We found that viral reexpression of ISL1 and LHX3 selectively in postnatal motor neurons reactivates aspects of their youthful gene expression program and alleviates key disease-relevant phenotypes in the SOD1G93A mouse model of ALS. Our results suggest that redeployment of lineage-specific neuronal selector transcription factors can be an effective strategy to attenuate age-dependent phenotypes in neurodegenerative disease. Lowry et al. use embryonic motor neuron selector transcription factors to partially rejuvenate the gene expression profile of mature neurons, making them more resistant to an ALS model without compromising their normal function.