Cul-4 inhibition rescues spastin levels and reduces defects in hereditary spastic paraplegia models

Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) are degenerative motor neuron diseases characterized by progressive spasticity and weakness in the lower limbs. The most common form of HSP is due to SPG4 gene haploinsufficiency. SPG4 encodes the microtubule severing enzyme spastin. Although, there is no cure for SPG4-HSP, strategies to induce a spastin recovery are emerging as promising therapeutic approaches. Spastin protein levels are regulated by poly-ubiquitination and proteasomal-mediated degradation, in a neddylation-dependent manner. However, the molecular players involved in this regulation are unknown.Here, we show that the Cullin-4-RING E3 ubiquitin ligase complex (CRL4) regulates spastin stability. Inhibition of CRL4 increases spastin levels by preventing its poly-ubiquitination and subsequent degradation in spastin-proficient and in patient derived SPG4 haploinsufficient cells. To evaluate the role of CRL4 complex in spastin regulation in vivo, we developed a Drosophila melanogaster model of SPG4 haploinsufficiency which show alterations of synapse morphology and locomotor activity, recapitulating phenotypical defects observed in patients. Downregulation of the CRL4 complex, highly conserved in Drosophila, rescues spastin levels and the phenotypical defects observed in flies. As a proof of concept of possible pharmacological treatments, we demonstrate a recovery of spastin levels and amelioration of the SPG4-HSP-associated defects both in the fly model and in patient-derived cells by chemical inactivation of the CRL4 complex with NSC1892.Taken together, these findings show that CRL4 contributes to spastin stability regulation and that it is possible to induce spastin recovery and rescue of SPG4-HSP defects by blocking the CRL4-mediated spastin degradation.Restoring spastin protein levels could be beneficial for patients with hereditary spastic paraplegia. Sardina et al. identify a new druggable pathway regulating spastin stability, and show in preclinical models that inhibiting this pathway prevents spastin degradation, leading to higher spastin levels and reduced phenotypic defects.