Sensory-motor circuit is a therapeutic target for <i>dystonia musculorum</i> mice, a model of hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy 6.

Abstract

Mutations in Dystonin (<i>DST</i>), which encodes cytoskeletal linker proteins, cause hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy 6 (HSAN-VI) in humans and the <i>dystonia musculorum</i> (<i>dt</i>) phenotype in mice; however, the neuronal circuit underlying the HSAN-VI and <i>dt</i> phenotype is unresolved. <i>dt</i> mice exhibit dystonic movements accompanied by the simultaneous contraction of agonist and antagonist muscles and postnatal lethality. Here, we identified the sensory-motor circuit as a major causative neural circuit using a gene trap system that enables neural circuit-selective inactivation and restoration of <i>Dst</i> by Cre-mediated recombination. Sensory neuron-selective <i>Dst</i> deletion led to motor impairment, degeneration of proprioceptive sensory neurons, and disruption of the sensory-motor circuit. Restoration of <i>Dst</i> expression in sensory neurons using Cre driver mice or a single postnatal injection of Cre-expressing adeno-associated virus ameliorated sensory degeneration and improved abnormal movements. These findings demonstrate that the sensory-motor circuit is involved in the movement disorders in <i>dt</i> mice and that the sensory circuit is a therapeutic target for HSAN-VI.