Formation of intermediate filament protein aggregates with disparate effects in two transgenic mouse models lacking the neurofilament light subunit

Protein aggregates containing intermediate filaments (IFs) are a hallmark of degenerating spinal motor neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Recently, we reported that a deficiency in neurofilament light subunit (NF-L), a phenomenon associated with ALS, promoted the formation of IF inclusions with ensuing motor neuron death in transgenic mice overproducing peripherin, a type III IF protein detected in axonal inclusions of ALS patients. To further assess the role of NF-L in the formation of abnormal IF inclusions, we generated transgenic mice overexpressing human neurofilament heavy subunits (hNF-H) in a context of targeted disruption of the NF-L gene (hH; L-/- mice). The hH; L-/- mice exhibited motor dysfunction, and they developed nonfilamentous protein aggregates containing NF-H and peripherin proteins in the perikarya of spinal motor neurons. However, the perikaryal protein aggregates in the hH; L-/- mice did not provoke motor neuron death, unlike toxic IF inclusions induced by peripherin overexpression in NF-L null mice (Per; L-/- mice). Our results indicate that different types of IF protein aggregates with distinct properties may occur in a context of NF-L deficiency and that an axonal localization of such aggregates may be an important factor of toxicity.