CGG repeat RNA G-quadruplexes interact with FMRpolyG to cause neuronal dysfunction in fragile X-related tremor/ataxia syndrome

Fragile X-related tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by CGG triplet repeat expansions in FMR1, which elicit repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation and produce the toxic protein FMRpolyG. We show that FMRpolyG interacts with pathogenic CGG repeat-derived RNA G-quadruplexes (CGG-G4RNA), propagates cell to cell, and induces neuronal dysfunction. The FMRpolyG polyglycine domain has a prion-like property, preferentially binding to CGG-G4RNA. Treatment with 5-aminolevulinic acid, which is metabolized to protoporphyrin IX, inhibited RAN translation of FMRpolyG and CGG-G4RNA–induced FMRpolyG aggregation, ameliorating aberrant synaptic plasticity and behavior in FXTAS model mice. Thus, we present a novel therapeutic strategy to target G4RNA prionoids.