1
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Moors TE, Morella ML, Bertran-Cobo C, Geut H, Udayar V, Timmermans-Huisman E, Ingrassia AMT, Brevé JJP, Bol JGJM, Bonifati V, Jagasia R, van de Berg WDJ. Altered TFEB subcellular localization in nigral neurons of subjects with incidental, sporadic and GBA-related Lewy body diseases. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:67. [PMID: 38581586 PMCID: PMC10998821 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02707-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Transcription factor EB (TFEB) is a master regulator of genes involved in the maintenance of autophagic and lysosomal homeostasis, processes which have been implicated in the pathogenesis of GBA-related and sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). TFEB activation results in its translocation from the cytosol to the nucleus. Here, we investigated TFEB subcellular localization and its relation to intracellular alpha-synuclein (aSyn) accumulation in post-mortem human brain of individuals with either incidental Lewy body disease (iLBD), GBA-related PD/DLB (GBA-PD/DLB) or sporadic PD/DLB (sPD/DLB), compared to control subjects. We analyzed nigral dopaminergic neurons using high-resolution confocal and stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy and semi-quantitatively scored the TFEB subcellular localization patterns. We observed reduced nuclear TFEB immunoreactivity in PD/DLB patients compared to controls, both in sporadic and GBA-related cases, as well as in iLBD cases. Nuclear depletion of TFEB was more pronounced in neurons with Ser129-phosphorylated (pSer129) aSyn accumulation in all groups. Importantly, we observed previously-unidentified TFEB-immunopositive perinuclear clusters in human dopaminergic neurons, which localized at the Golgi apparatus. These TFEB clusters were more frequently observed and more severe in iLBD, sPD/DLB and GBA-PD/DLB compared to controls, particularly in pSer129 aSyn-positive neurons, but also in neurons lacking detectable aSyn accumulation. In aSyn-negative cells, cytoplasmic TFEB clusters were more frequently observed in GBA-PD/DLB and iLBD patients, and correlated with reduced GBA enzymatic activity as well as increased Braak LB stage. Altered TFEB distribution was accompanied by a reduction in overall mRNA expression levels of selected TFEB-regulated genes, indicating a possible early dysfunction of lysosomal regulation. Overall, we observed cytoplasmic TFEB retention and accumulation at the Golgi in cells without apparent pSer129 aSyn accumulation in iLBD and PD/DLB patients. This suggests potential TFEB impairment at the early stages of cellular disease and underscores TFEB as a promising therapeutic target for synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim E Moors
- Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Program Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Martino L Morella
- Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Program Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Cesc Bertran-Cobo
- Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Program Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hanneke Geut
- Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Program Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Vinod Udayar
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development; Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery and Translational Area, Roche Innovation Center, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Evelien Timmermans-Huisman
- Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Program Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Angela M T Ingrassia
- Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Program Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - John J P Brevé
- Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Program Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - John G J M Bol
- Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Program Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Vincenzo Bonifati
- Erasmus MC, Department of Clinical Genetics, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ravi Jagasia
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development; Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery and Translational Area, Roche Innovation Center, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Wilma D J van de Berg
- Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Program Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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2
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Alafuzoff I, Libard S. Ageing-Related Neurodegeneration and Cognitive Decline. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4065. [PMID: 38612875 PMCID: PMC11012171 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25074065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuropathological assessment was conducted on 1630 subjects, representing 5% of all the deceased that had been sent to the morgue of Uppsala University Hospital during a 15-year-long period. Among the 1630 subjects, 1610 were ≥41 years of age (range 41 to 102 years). Overall, hyperphosphorylated (HP) τ was observed in the brains of 98% of the 1610 subjects, and amyloid β-protein (Aβ) in the brains of 64%. The most common alteration observed was Alzheimer disease neuropathologic change (ADNC) (56%), followed by primary age-related tauopathy (PART) in 26% of the subjects. In 16% of the subjects, HPτ was limited to the locus coeruleus. In 14 subjects (<1%), no altered proteins were observed. In 3 subjects, only Aβ was observed, and in 17, HPτ was observed in a distribution other than that seen in ADNC/PART. The transactive DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP43) associated with limbic-predominant age-related TDP encephalopathy (LATE) was observed in 565 (35%) subjects and α-synuclein (αS) pathology, i.e., Lewy body disease (LBD) or multi system atrophy (MSA) was observed in the brains of 21% of the subjects. A total of 39% of subjects with ADNC, 59% of subjects with PART, and 81% of subjects with HPτ limited to the locus coeruleus lacked concomitant pathologies, i.e., LATE-NC or LBD-NC. Of the 293 (18% of the 1610 subjects) subjects with dementia, 81% exhibited a high or intermediate level of ADNC. In 84% of all individuals with dementia, various degrees of concomitant alterations were observed; i.e., MIXED-NC was a common cause of dementia. A high or intermediate level of PART was observed in 10 subjects with dementia (3%), i.e., tangle-predominant dementia. No subjects exhibited only vascular NC (VNC), but in 17 subjects, severe VNC might have contributed to cognitive decline. Age-related tau astrogliopathy (ARTAG) was observed in 37% of the 1610 subjects and in 53% of those with dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Alafuzoff
- Department of Pathology, Uppsala University Hospital, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden;
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 05 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sylwia Libard
- Department of Pathology, Uppsala University Hospital, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden;
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 05 Uppsala, Sweden
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3
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Nordengen K, Cappelletti C, Bahrami S, Frei O, Pihlstrøm L, Henriksen SP, Geut H, Rozemuller AJM, van de Berg WDJ, Andreassen OA, Toft M. Pleiotropy with sex-specific traits reveals genetic aspects of sex differences in Parkinson's disease. Brain 2024; 147:858-870. [PMID: 37671566 PMCID: PMC10907091 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder with a higher incidence in males than females. The causes for this sex difference are unknown. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified 90 Parkinson's disease risk loci, but the genetic studies have not found sex-specific differences in allele frequency on autosomal chromosomes or sex chromosomes. Genetic variants, however, could exert sex-specific effects on gene function and regulation of gene expression. To identify genetic loci that might have sex-specific effects, we studied pleiotropy between Parkinson's disease and sex-specific traits. Summary statistics from GWASs were acquired from large-scale consortia for Parkinson's disease (n cases = 13 708; n controls = 95 282), age at menarche (n = 368 888 females) and age at menopause (n = 69 360 females). We applied the conditional/conjunctional false discovery rate (FDR) method to identify shared loci between Parkinson's disease and these sex-specific traits. Next, we investigated sex-specific gene expression differences in the superior frontal cortex of both neuropathologically healthy individuals and Parkinson's disease patients (n cases = 61; n controls = 23). To provide biological insights to the genetic pleiotropy, we performed sex-specific expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analysis and sex-specific age-related differential expression analysis for genes mapped to Parkinson's disease risk loci. Through conditional/conjunctional FDR analysis we found 11 loci shared between Parkinson's disease and the sex-specific traits age at menarche and age at menopause. Gene-set and pathway analysis of the genes mapped to these loci highlighted the importance of the immune response in determining an increased disease incidence in the male population. Moreover, we highlighted a total of nine genes whose expression or age-related expression in the human brain is influenced by genetic variants in a sex-specific manner. With these analyses we demonstrated that the lack of clear sex-specific differences in allele frequencies for Parkinson's disease loci does not exclude a genetic contribution to differences in disease incidence. Moreover, further studies are needed to elucidate the role that the candidate genes identified here could have in determining a higher incidence of Parkinson's disease in the male population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaja Nordengen
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, 0424 Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, 0372 Oslo, Norway
| | - Chiara Cappelletti
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, 0424 Oslo, Norway
- Department of Mechanical, Electronics and Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Art and Design, OsloMet—Oslo Metropolitan University, 0130 Oslo, Norway
- Department of Research, Innovation and Education, Oslo University Hospital, 0424 Oslo, Norway
| | - Shahram Bahrami
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, 0372 Oslo, Norway
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway
| | - Oleksandr Frei
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, 0372 Oslo, Norway
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway
| | - Lasse Pihlstrøm
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, 0424 Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Hanneke Geut
- Section of Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, 1081 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Annemieke J M Rozemuller
- Department of Pathology, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, 1081 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wilma D J van de Berg
- Section of Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, 1081 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, 0372 Oslo, Norway
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway
| | - Mathias Toft
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, 0424 Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, 0372 Oslo, Norway
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4
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Bentivenga GM, Mammana A, Baiardi S, Rossi M, Ticca A, Magliocchetti F, Mastrangelo A, Poleggi A, Ladogana A, Capellari S, Parchi P. Performance of a seed amplification assay for misfolded alpha-synuclein in cerebrospinal fluid and brain tissue in relation to Lewy body disease stage and pathology burden. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:18. [PMID: 38240849 PMCID: PMC10799141 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02663-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
The development of in vitro seed amplification assays (SAA) detecting misfolded alpha-synuclein (αSyn) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and other tissues has provided a pathology-specific biomarker for Lewy body disease (LBD). However, αSyn SAA diagnostic performance in early pathological stages or low Lewy body (LB) pathology load has only been assessed in small cohorts. Moreover, the relationship between SAA kinetic parameters, the number of αSyn brain seeds and the LB pathology burden assessed by immunohistochemistry has never been systematically investigated. We tested 269 antemortem CSF samples and 138 serially diluted brain homogenates from patients with and without neuropathological evidence of LBD in different stages by the αSyn Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC) SAA. Moreover, we looked for LB pathology by αSyn immunohistochemistry in a consecutive series of 604 Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)-affected brains. αSyn CSF RT-QuIC showed 100% sensitivity in detecting LBD in limbic and neocortical stages. The assay sensitivity was significantly lower in patients in early stages (37.5% in Braak 1 and 2, 73.3% in Braak 3) or with focal pathology (50% in amygdala-predominant). The average number of CSF RT-QuIC positive replicates significantly correlated with LBD stage. Brain homogenate RT-QuIC showed higher sensitivity than immunohistochemistry for the detection of misfolded αSyn. In the latter, the kinetic parameter lag phase (time to reach the positive threshold) strongly correlated with the αSyn seed concentration in serial dilution experiments. Finally, incidental LBD prevalence was 8% in the CJD cohort. The present results indicate that (a) CSF RT-QuIC has high specificity and sufficient sensitivity to detect all patients with LB pathology at Braak stages > 3 and most of those at stage 3; (b) brain deposition of misfolded αSyn precedes the formation of LB and Lewy neurites; (c) αSyn SAA provides "quantitative" information regarding the LB pathology burden, with the lag phase and the number of positive replicates being the most promising variables to be used in the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Angela Mammana
- IRCCS, Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Simone Baiardi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Marcello Rossi
- IRCCS, Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alice Ticca
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Mastrangelo
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Anna Poleggi
- Department of Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Ladogana
- Department of Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Sabina Capellari
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- IRCCS, Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Piero Parchi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
- IRCCS, Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
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5
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van der Gaag BL, Deshayes NAC, Breve JJP, Bol JGJM, Jonker AJ, Hoozemans JJM, Courade JP, van de Berg WDJ. Distinct tau and alpha-synuclein molecular signatures in Alzheimer's disease with and without Lewy bodies and Parkinson's disease with dementia. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:14. [PMID: 38198008 PMCID: PMC10781859 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02657-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Alpha-synuclein (aSyn) pathology is present in approximately 50% of Alzheimer's disease (AD) cases at autopsy and might impact the age-of-onset and disease progression in AD. Here, we aimed to determine whether tau and aSyn profiles differ between AD cases with Lewy bodies (AD-LB), pure AD and Parkinson's disease with dementia (PDD) cases using epitope-, post-translational modification- (PTM) and isoform-specific tau and aSyn antibody panels spanning from the N- to C-terminus. We included the middle temporal gyrus (MTG) and amygdala (AMY) of clinically diagnosed and pathologically confirmed cases and performed dot blotting, western blotting and immunohistochemistry combined with quantitative and morphological analyses. All investigated phospho-tau (pTau) species, except pT181, were upregulated in AD-LB and AD cases compared to PDD and control cases, but no significant differences were observed between AD-LB and AD subjects. In addition, tau antibodies targeting the proline-rich regions and C-terminus showed preferential binding to AD-LB and AD brain homogenates. Antibodies targeting C-terminal aSyn epitopes and pS129 aSyn showed stronger binding to AD-LB and PDD cases compared to AD and control cases. Two pTau species (pS198 and pS396) were specifically detected in the soluble protein fractions of AD-LB and AD subjects, indicative of early involvement of these PTMs in the multimerization process of tau. Other phospho-variants for both tau (pT212/S214, pT231 and pS422) and aSyn (pS129) were only detected in the insoluble protein fraction of AD-LB/AD and AD-LB/PDD cases, respectively. aSyn load was higher in the AMY of AD-LB cases compared to PDD cases, suggesting aggravated aSyn pathology under the presence of AD pathology, while tau load was similar between AD-LB and AD cases. Co-localization of pTau and aSyn could be observed within astrocytes of AD-LB cases within the MTG. These findings highlight a unique pathological signature for AD-LB cases compared to pure AD and PDD cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bram L van der Gaag
- Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Program Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Natasja A C Deshayes
- Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - John J P Breve
- Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - John G J M Bol
- Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Allert J Jonker
- Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen J M Hoozemans
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Program Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Pathology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Wilma D J van de Berg
- Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Program Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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6
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Frigerio I, Bouwman MMA, Noordermeer RTGMM, Podobnik E, Popovic M, Timmermans E, Rozemuller AJM, van de Berg WDJ, Jonkman LE. Regional differences in synaptic degeneration are linked to alpha-synuclein burden and axonal damage in Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2024; 12:4. [PMID: 38173031 PMCID: PMC10765668 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01711-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Regional differences in synaptic degeneration may underlie differences in clinical presentation and neuropathological disease progression in Parkinson's Disease (PD) and Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Here, we mapped and quantified synaptic degeneration in cortical brain regions in PD, PD with dementia (PDD) and DLB, and assessed whether regional differences in synaptic loss are linked to axonal degeneration and neuropathological burden. We included a total of 47 brain donors, 9 PD, 12 PDD, 6 DLB and 20 non-neurological controls. Synaptophysin+ and SV2A+ puncta were quantified in eight cortical regions using a high throughput microscopy approach. Neurofilament light chain (NfL) immunoreactivity, Lewy body (LB) density, phosphorylated-tau and amyloid-β load were also quantified. Group differences in synaptic density, and associations with neuropathological markers and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scores, were investigated using linear mixed models. We found significantly decreased synaptophysin and SV2A densities in the cortex of PD, PDD and DLB cases compared to controls. Specifically, synaptic density was decreased in cortical regions affected at Braak α-synuclein stage 5 in PD (middle temporal gyrus, anterior cingulate and insula), and was additionally decreased in cortical regions affected at Braak α-synuclein stage 4 in PDD and DLB compared to controls (entorhinal cortex, parahippocampal gyrus and fusiform gyrus). Synaptic loss associated with higher NfL immunoreactivity and LB density. Global synaptophysin loss associated with longer disease duration and higher CDR scores. Synaptic neurodegeneration occurred in temporal, cingulate and insular cortices in PD, as well as in parahippocampal regions in PDD and DLB. In addition, synaptic loss was linked to axonal damage and severe α-synuclein burden. These results, together with the association between synaptic loss and disease progression and cognitive impairment, indicate that regional synaptic loss may underlie clinical differences between PD and PDD/DLB. Our results might provide useful information for the interpretation of synaptic biomarkers in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Frigerio
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Maud M A Bouwman
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ruby T G M M Noordermeer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Ema Podobnik
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Marko Popovic
- Department Molecular cell biology & Immunology, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Evelien Timmermans
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Annemieke J M Rozemuller
- Department of Pathology, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Wilma D J van de Berg
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laura E Jonkman
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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7
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Mazzetti S, Giampietro F, Calogero AM, Isilgan HB, Gagliardi G, Rolando C, Cantele F, Ascagni M, Bramerio M, Giaccone G, Isaias IU, Pezzoli G, Cappelletti G. Linking acetylated α-Tubulin redistribution to α-Synuclein pathology in brain of Parkinson's disease patients. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2024; 10:2. [PMID: 38167511 PMCID: PMC10761989 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-023-00607-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Highly specialized microtubules in neurons are crucial to both health and disease of the nervous system, and their properties are strictly regulated by different post-translational modifications, including α-Tubulin acetylation. An imbalance in the levels of acetylated α-Tubulin has been reported in experimental models of Parkinson's disease (PD) whereas pharmacological or genetic modulation that leads to increased acetylated α-Tubulin successfully rescues axonal transport defects and inhibits α-Synuclein aggregation. However, the role of acetylation of α-Tubulin in the human nervous system is largely unknown as most studies are based on in vitro evidence. To capture the complexity of the pathological processes in vivo, we analysed post-mortem human brain of PD patients and control subjects. In the brain of PD patients at Braak stage 6, we found a redistribution of acetylated α-Tubulin, which accumulates in the neuronal cell bodies in subcortical structures but not in the cerebral cortex, and decreases in the axonal compartment, both in putamen bundles of fibres and in sudomotor fibres. High-resolution and 3D reconstruction analysis linked acetylated α-Tubulin redistribution to α-Synuclein oligomerization and to phosphorylated Ser 129 α-Synuclein, leading us to propose a model for Lewy body (LB) formation. Finally, in post-mortem human brain, we observed threadlike structures, resembling tunnelling nanotubes that contain α-Synuclein oligomers and are associated with acetylated α-Tubulin enriched neurons. In conclusion, we support the role of acetylated α-Tubulin in PD pathogenesis and LB formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samanta Mazzetti
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
- Fondazione Grigioni per il Morbo di Parkinson, Milan, Italy.
| | | | - Alessandra Maria Calogero
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Fondazione Grigioni per il Morbo di Parkinson, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Gloria Gagliardi
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Rolando
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Cantele
- Department of Chemistry, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Miriam Ascagni
- Unitech NOLIMITS, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Manuela Bramerio
- S. C. Divisione Oncologia Falck and S. C. Divisione Anatomia Patologica, Ospedale Niguarda Ca' Granda, Milan, Italy
| | - Giorgio Giaccone
- Unit of Neuropathology and Neurology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Ioannis Ugo Isaias
- Parkinson Institute, ASST G. Pini-CTO, Milan, Milan, Italy
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Würzburg and the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Gianni Pezzoli
- Fondazione Grigioni per il Morbo di Parkinson, Milan, Italy
| | - Graziella Cappelletti
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
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8
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Wiseman JA, Murray HC, Faull RLMF, Dragunow M, Turner CP, Dieriks BV, Curtis MA. Aggregate-prone brain regions in Parkinson's disease are rich in unique N-terminus α-synuclein conformers with high proteolysis susceptibility. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2024; 10:1. [PMID: 38167744 PMCID: PMC10762179 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-023-00614-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
In Parkinson's disease (PD), and other α-synucleinopathies, α-synuclein (α-Syn) aggregates form a myriad of conformational and truncational variants. Most antibodies used to detect and quantify α-Syn in the human brain target epitopes within the C-terminus (residues 96-140) of the 140 amino acid protein and may fail to capture the diversity of α-Syn variants present in PD. We sought to investigate the heterogeneity of α-Syn conformations and aggregation states in the PD human brain by labelling with multiple antibodies that detect epitopes along the entire length of α-Syn. We used multiplex immunohistochemistry to simultaneously immunolabel tissue sections with antibodies mapping the three structural domains of α-Syn. Discrete epitope-specific immunoreactivities were visualised and quantified in the olfactory bulb, medulla, substantia nigra, hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, middle temporal gyrus, and middle frontal gyrus of ten PD cases, and the middle temporal gyrus of 23 PD, and 24 neurologically normal cases. Distinct Lewy neurite and Lewy body aggregate morphologies were detected across all interrogated regions/cases. Lewy neurites were the most prominent in the olfactory bulb and hippocampus, while the substantia nigra, medulla and cortical regions showed a mixture of Lewy neurites and Lewy bodies. Importantly, unique N-terminus immunoreactivity revealed previously uncharacterised populations of (1) perinuclear, (2) glial (microglial and astrocytic), and (3) neuronal lysosomal α-Syn aggregates. These epitope-specific N-terminus immunoreactive aggregate populations were susceptible to proteolysis via time-dependent proteinase K digestion, suggesting a less stable oligomeric aggregation state. Our identification of unique N-terminus immunoreactive α-Syn aggregates adds to the emerging paradigm that α-Syn pathology is more abundant and complex in human brains with PD than previously realised. Our findings highlight that labelling multiple regions of the α-Syn protein is necessary to investigate the full spectrum of α-Syn pathology and prompt further investigation into the functional role of these N-terminus polymorphs.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Wiseman
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand.
| | - Helen C Murray
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand
| | - Richard L M F Faull
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand
| | - Michael Dragunow
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand
| | - Clinton P Turner
- LabPlus, Department of Anatomical Pathology, Te Whatu Ora, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Birger Victor Dieriks
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand
| | - Maurice A Curtis
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand.
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9
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Gentleman SM, Liu AKL. Neuropathological Assessment as an Endpoint in Clinical Trial Design. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2785:261-270. [PMID: 38427198 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3774-6_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Different neurodegenerative conditions can have complex, overlapping clinical presentations that make accurate diagnosis during life very challenging. For this reason, confirmation of the clinical diagnosis still requires postmortem verification. This is particularly relevant for clinical trials of novel therapeutics where it is important to ascertain what disease- and/or pathology-modifying effects the therapeutics have had. Furthermore, it is important to confirm that patients in the trial had the correct clinical diagnosis as this will have a major bearing on the interpretation of trial results. Here we present a simple protocol for pathological assessment of neurodegenerative changes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alan King Lun Liu
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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10
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Fukasawa N, Maeda M, Sugiyama Y, Fukuda T, Shimoda M. Distribution of proteinase K-resistant anti-α-synuclein immunoreactive axons in the cardiac plexus is unbiased to the left ventricular anterior wall. Pathol Int 2024; 74:1-12. [PMID: 38038140 DOI: 10.1111/pin.13389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Lewy body disease (LBD) is characterized by the appearance of Lewy neurites and Lewy bodies, which are predominantly composed of α-synuclein. Notably, the cardiac plexus (CP) is one of the main targets of LBD research. Although previous studies have reported obvious differences in the frequency of Lewy body pathology (LBP) in the CP, none of them have confirmed whether LBP preferably appears in any part of the CP. Thus, we aimed to clarify the emergence and/or propagation of LBP in the CP. In this study, 263 consecutive autopsy cases of patients aged ≥50 years were included, with one region per case selected from three myocardial perfusion areas (MPAs) and subjected to proteinase K and then immunohistochemically stained with anti-α-synuclein antibodies to assess LBP. We stained all three MPAs in 17 cases with low-density LBP and observed the actual distribution of LBP. LBP were identified in the CP in 20.2% (53/263) of patients. Moreover, we found that LBP may appear in only one region of MPAs, mainly in the young-old group (35.3% (6/17) of patients). These findings suggest that it is possible to underestimate LBP in the CP, especially in the young-old group, by restricting the search to only one of the three MPAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nei Fukasawa
- Department of Pathology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Miku Maeda
- Department of Pathology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Sugiyama
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Research Center for Medical Sciences, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Community Health and Primary Care, Center for Medical Education, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takahiro Fukuda
- Department of Pathology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Medical Center for Memory & Cognitive Disorders, Sasebo Chuo Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Masayuki Shimoda
- Department of Pathology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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11
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Vizcarra JC, Pearce TM, Dugger BN, Keiser MJ, Gearing M, Crary JF, Kiely EJ, Morris M, White B, Glass JD, Farrell K, Gutman DA. Toward a generalizable machine learning workflow for neurodegenerative disease staging with focus on neurofibrillary tangles. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:202. [PMID: 38110981 PMCID: PMC10726581 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01691-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Machine learning (ML) has increasingly been used to assist and expand current practices in neuropathology. However, generating large imaging datasets with quality labels is challenging in fields which demand high levels of expertise. Further complicating matters is the often seen disagreement between experts in neuropathology-related tasks, both at the case level and at a more granular level. Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) are a hallmark pathological feature of Alzheimer disease, and are associated with disease progression which warrants further investigation and granular quantification at a scale not currently accessible in routine human assessment. In this work, we first provide a baseline of annotator/rater agreement for the tasks of Braak NFT staging between experts and NFT detection using both experts and novices in neuropathology. We use a whole-slide-image (WSI) cohort of neuropathology cases from Emory University Hospital immunohistochemically stained for Tau. We develop a workflow for gathering annotations of the early stage formation of NFTs (Pre-NFTs) and mature intracellular (iNFTs) and show ML models can be trained to learn annotator nuances for the task of NFT detection in WSIs. We utilize a model-assisted-labeling approach and demonstrate ML models can be used to aid in labeling large datasets efficiently. We also show these models can be used to extract case-level features, which predict Braak NFT stages comparable to expert human raters, and do so at scale. This study provides a generalizable workflow for various pathology and related fields, and also provides a technique for accomplishing a high-level neuropathology task with limited human annotations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan C Vizcarra
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, 313 Ferst Dr NW, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Thomas M Pearce
- Department of Pathology, Division of Neuropathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Room S701 Scaife Hall 3550 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Brittany N Dugger
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California-Davis School of Medicine, 3400A Research Building III Sacramento, Davis, CA, 95817, USA
| | - Michael J Keiser
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, and Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California, 675 Nelson Rising Ln, Box 0518, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Marla Gearing
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, 12 Executive Park Dr NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, 1364 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - John F Crary
- Departments of Pathology, Neuroscience, and Artificial Intelligence and Human Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Neuropathology Brain Bank and Research Core, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Icahn Building 9th Floor, Room 20A, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Evan J Kiely
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, 1364 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Meaghan Morris
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Bartholomew White
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Jonathan D Glass
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, 12 Executive Park Dr NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, 1364 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Emory University School of Medicine, Whitehead Biomedical Research Building, 615 Michael Street, 5th Floor, Suite 500, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Kurt Farrell
- Departments of Pathology, Neuroscience, and Artificial Intelligence and Human Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Neuropathology Brain Bank and Research Core, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Icahn Building 9th Floor, L9-02C, 1425 Madison, Avenue, New York, NY, USA
| | - David A Gutman
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, 1364 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
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12
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Altay MF, Kumar ST, Burtscher J, Jagannath S, Strand C, Miki Y, Parkkinen L, Holton JL, Lashuel HA. Development and validation of an expanded antibody toolset that captures alpha-synuclein pathological diversity in Lewy body diseases. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2023; 9:161. [PMID: 38062007 PMCID: PMC10703845 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-023-00604-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The abnormal aggregation and accumulation of alpha-synuclein (aSyn) in the brain is a defining hallmark of synucleinopathies. Various aSyn conformations and post-translationally modified forms accumulate in pathological inclusions and vary in abundance among these disorders. Relying on antibodies that have not been assessed for their ability to detect the diverse forms of aSyn may lead to inaccurate estimations of aSyn pathology in human brains or disease models. To address this challenge, we developed and characterized an expanded antibody panel that targets different sequences and post-translational modifications along the length of aSyn, and that recognizes all monomeric, oligomeric, and fibrillar aSyn conformations. Next, we profiled aSyn pathology across sporadic and familial Lewy body diseases (LBDs) and reveal heterogeneous forms of aSyn pathology, rich in Serine 129 phosphorylation, Tyrosine 39 nitration and N- and C-terminal tyrosine phosphorylations, scattered both to neurons and glia. In addition, we show that aSyn can become hyperphosphorylated during processes of aggregation and inclusion maturation in neuronal and animal models of aSyn seeding and spreading. The validation pipeline we describe for these antibodies paves the way for systematic investigations into aSyn pathological diversity in the human brain, peripheral tissues, as well as in cellular and animal models of synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melek Firat Altay
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Human Genetics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Senthil T Kumar
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Burtscher
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Somanath Jagannath
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Catherine Strand
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, England
| | - Yasuo Miki
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, England
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Brain Science, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, 036-8562, Japan
| | - Laura Parkkinen
- Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Janice L Holton
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, England
| | - Hilal A Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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13
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Zilberter Y, Tabuena DR, Zilberter M. NOX-induced oxidative stress is a primary trigger of major neurodegenerative disorders. Prog Neurobiol 2023; 231:102539. [PMID: 37838279 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2023.102539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) causing cognitive impairment and dementia are difficult to treat due to the lack of understanding of primary initiating factors. Meanwhile, major sporadic NDDs share many risk factors and exhibit similar pathologies in their early stages, indicating the existence of common initiation pathways. Glucose hypometabolism associated with oxidative stress is one such primary, early and shared pathology, and a likely major cause of detrimental disease-associated cascades; targeting this common pathology may therefore be an effective preventative strategy for most sporadic NDDs. However, its exact cause and trigger remain unclear. Recent research suggests that early oxidative stress caused by NADPH oxidase (NOX) activation is a shared initiating mechanism among major sporadic NDDs and could prove to be the long-sought ubiquitous NDD trigger. We focus on two major NDDs - Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), as well as on acquired epilepsy which is an increasingly recognized comorbidity in NDDs. We also discuss available data suggesting the relevance of the proposed mechanisms to other NDDs. We delve into the commonalities among these NDDs in neuroinflammation and NOX involvement to identify potential therapeutic targets and gain a deeper understanding of the underlying causes of NDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri Zilberter
- Aix-Marseille Université, INSERM UMR1106, Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes, Marseille, France
| | - Dennis R Tabuena
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Misha Zilberter
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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14
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Tunold JA, Tan MMX, Koga S, Geut H, Rozemuller AJM, Valentino R, Sekiya H, Martin NB, Heckman MG, Bras J, Guerreiro R, Dickson DW, Toft M, van de Berg WDJ, Ross OA, Pihlstrøm L. Lysosomal polygenic risk is associated with the severity of neuropathology in Lewy body disease. Brain 2023; 146:4077-4087. [PMID: 37247383 PMCID: PMC10545498 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Intraneuronal accumulation of misfolded α-synuclein is the pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, often co-occurring with variable degrees of Alzheimer's disease related neuropathology. Genetic association studies have successfully identified common variants associated with disease risk and phenotypic traits in Lewy body disease, yet little is known about the genetic contribution to neuropathological heterogeneity. Using summary statistics from Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease genome-wide association studies, we calculated polygenic risk scores and investigated the relationship with Lewy, amyloid-β and tau pathology. Associations were nominated in neuropathologically defined samples with Lewy body disease from the Netherlands Brain Bank (n = 217) and followed up in an independent sample series from the Mayo Clinic Brain Bank (n = 394). We also generated stratified polygenic risk scores based on single-nucleotide polymorphisms annotated to eight functional pathways or cell types previously implicated in Parkinson's disease and assessed for association with Lewy pathology in subgroups with and without significant Alzheimer's disease co-pathology. In an ordinal logistic regression model, the Alzheimer's disease polygenic risk score was associated with concomitant amyloid-β and tau pathology in both cohorts. Moreover, both cohorts showed a significant association between lysosomal pathway polygenic risk and Lewy pathology, which was more consistent than the association with a general Parkinson's disease risk score and specific to the subset of samples without significant concomitant Alzheimer's disease related neuropathology. Our findings provide proof of principle that the specific risk alleles a patient carries for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease also influence key aspects of the underlying neuropathology in Lewy body disease. The interrelations between genetic architecture and neuropathology are complex, as our results implicate lysosomal risk loci specifically in the subset of samples without Alzheimer's disease co-pathology. Our findings hold promise that genetic profiling may help predict the vulnerability to specific neuropathologies in Lewy body disease, with potential relevance for the further development of precision medicine in these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon-Anders Tunold
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, 0424 Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, 0372 Oslo, Norway
| | - Manuela M X Tan
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, 0424 Oslo, Norway
| | - Shunsuke Koga
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Hanneke Geut
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Annemieke J M Rozemuller
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Pathology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Program Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam Neuroscience, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rebecca Valentino
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Hiroaki Sekiya
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Nicholas B Martin
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Michael G Heckman
- Division of Clinical Trials and Biostatistics, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Jose Bras
- Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
- Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Rita Guerreiro
- Department of Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
- Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Dennis W Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Mathias Toft
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, 0424 Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, 0372 Oslo, Norway
| | - Wilma D J van de Berg
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Program Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam Neuroscience, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Owen A Ross
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Lasse Pihlstrøm
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, 0424 Oslo, Norway
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15
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Lin CP, Knoop LEJ, Frigerio I, Bol JGJM, Rozemuller AJM, Berendse HW, Pouwels PJW, van de Berg WDJ, Jonkman LE. Nigral Pathology Contributes to Microstructural Integrity of Striatal and Frontal Tracts in Parkinson's Disease. Mov Disord 2023; 38:1655-1667. [PMID: 37347552 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Motor and cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with dopaminergic dysfunction that stems from substantia nigra (SN) degeneration and concomitant α-synuclein accumulation. Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can detect microstructural alterations of the SN and its tracts to (sub)cortical regions, but their pathological sensitivity is still poorly understood. OBJECTIVE To unravel the pathological substrate(s) underlying microstructural alterations of SN, and its tracts to the dorsal striatum and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in PD. METHODS Combining post-mortem in situ MRI and histopathology, T1-weighted and diffusion MRI, and neuropathological samples of nine PD, six PD with dementia (PDD), five dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and 10 control donors were collected. From diffusion MRI, mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) were derived from the SN, and tracts between the SN and caudate nucleus, putamen, and DLPFC. Phosphorylated-Ser129-α-synuclein and tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemistry was included to quantify nigral Lewy pathology and dopaminergic degeneration, respectively. RESULTS Compared to controls, PD and PDD/DLB showed increased MD of the SN and SN-DLPFC tract, as well as increased FA of the SN-caudate nucleus tract. Both PD and PDD/DLB showed nigral Lewy pathology and dopaminergic loss compared to controls. Increased MD of the SN and FA of SN-caudate nucleus tract were associated with SN dopaminergic loss. Whereas increased MD of the SN-DLPFC tract was associated with increased SN Lewy neurite load. CONCLUSIONS In PD and PDD/DLB, diffusion MRI captures microstructural alterations of the SN and tracts to the dorsal striatum and DLPFC, which differentially associates with SN dopaminergic degeneration and Lewy neurite pathology. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Pei Lin
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lydian E J Knoop
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Irene Frigerio
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - John G J M Bol
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Annemieke J M Rozemuller
- Department of Pathology, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Henk W Berendse
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurology, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Petra J W Pouwels
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wilma D J van de Berg
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laura E Jonkman
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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16
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Hart de Ruyter FJ, Morrema THJ, den Haan J, Gase G, Twisk JWR, de Boer JF, Scheltens P, Bouwman FH, Verbraak FD, Rozemuller AJM, Hoozemans JJM. α-Synuclein pathology in post-mortem retina and optic nerve is specific for α-synucleinopathies. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2023; 9:124. [PMID: 37640753 PMCID: PMC10462645 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-023-00570-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
There is increasing interest in studying retinal biomarkers for various neurodegenerative diseases. Specific protein aggregates associated with neurodegenerative diseases are present in the retina and could be visualised in a non-invasive way. This study aims to assess the specificity and sensitivity of retinal α-synuclein aggregates in neuropathologically characterised α-synucleinopathies, other neurodegenerative diseases and non-neurological controls. Post-mortem eyes (N = 99) were collected prospectively through the Netherlands Brain Bank from donors with Parkinson's disease (and dementia), dementia with Lewy bodies, multiple system atrophy, Alzheimer's disease, other neurodegenerative diseases and non-neurological controls. Multiple retinal and optic nerve cross-sections were immunostained with anti-α-synuclein antibodies (LB509, KM51, and anti-pSer129) and assessed for aggregates and inclusions. α-Synuclein was observed as Lewy neurites in the retina and oligodendroglial cytoplasmic inclusions in the optic nerve and was highly associated with Lewy body disease (P < 0.001) and multiple system atrophy (P = 0.001). In all multiple system atrophy cases, the optic nerve showed oligodendroglial cytoplasmic inclusions, while retinal Lewy neurites were absent, despite coincidental brain Lewy pathology. With high specificity (97%) and sensitivity (82%), retinal/optic nerve α-synuclein differentiates primary α-synucleinopathies from other cases and controls. α-Synuclein pathology occurs specifically in the retina and optic nerve of primary α-synucleinopathies as opposed to other neurodegenerative diseases-with and without α-synuclein co-pathology-and controls. The absence of retinal Lewy neurites in multiple system atrophy could contribute to the development of an in vivo retinal biomarker that discriminates between Lewy body disease and multiple system atrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederique J Hart de Ruyter
- Department of Pathology, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tjado H J Morrema
- Department of Pathology, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jurre den Haan
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gina Gase
- Department of Pathology, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jos W R Twisk
- Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes F de Boer
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and LaserLaB, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Philip Scheltens
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Femke H Bouwman
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Frank D Verbraak
- Department of Ophthalmology, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Annemieke J M Rozemuller
- Department of Pathology, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen J M Hoozemans
- Department of Pathology, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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17
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Cappelletti C, Henriksen SP, Geut H, Rozemuller AJM, van de Berg WDJ, Pihlstrøm L, Toft M. Transcriptomic profiling of Parkinson's disease brains reveals disease stage specific gene expression changes. Acta Neuropathol 2023; 146:227-244. [PMID: 37347276 PMCID: PMC10329075 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02597-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson´s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by both motor and non-motor symptoms. Aggravation of symptoms is mirrored by accumulation of protein aggregates mainly composed by alpha-synuclein in different brain regions, called Lewy bodies (LB). Previous studies have identified several molecular mechanisms as autophagy and inflammation playing a role in PD pathogenesis. Increased insights into mechanisms involved in early disease stages and driving the progression of the LB pathology are required for the development of disease-modifying strategies. Here, we aimed to elucidate disease stage-specific transcriptomic changes in brain tissue of well-characterized PD and control donors. We collected frontal cortex samples from 84 donors and sequenced both the coding and non-coding RNAs. We categorized our samples into groups based on their degree of LB pathology aiming to recapitulate a central aspect of disease progression. Using an analytical pipeline that corrected for sex, age at death, RNA quality, cell composition and unknown sources of variation, we found major disease stage-specific transcriptomic changes. Gene expression changes were most pronounced in donors at the disease stage when microscopic LB changes first occur in the sampled brain region. Additionally, we identified disease stage-specific enrichment of brain specific pathways and immune mechanisms. On the contrary, we showed that mitochondrial mechanisms are enriched throughout the disease course. Our data-driven approach also suggests a role for several poorly characterized lncRNAs in disease development and progression of PD. Finally, by combining genetic and epigenetic information, we highlighted two genes (MAP4K4 and PHYHIP) as candidate genes for future functional studies. Together our results indicate that transcriptomic dysregulation and associated functional changes are highly disease stage-specific, which has major implications for the study of neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Cappelletti
- Department of Mechanical, Electronics and Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Art and Design, OsloMet-Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Research, Innovation and Education, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Hanneke Geut
- Amsterdam UMC, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Netherlands Brain Bank, Netherlands Institute of Neurosciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Annemieke J M Rozemuller
- Department of Pathology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Wilma D J van de Berg
- Amsterdam UMC, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Lasse Pihlstrøm
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Mathias Toft
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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18
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Calogero AM, Basellini MJ, Isilgan HB, Longhena F, Bellucci A, Mazzetti S, Rolando C, Pezzoli G, Cappelletti G. Acetylated α-Tubulin and α-Synuclein: Physiological Interplay and Contribution to α-Synuclein Oligomerization. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12287. [PMID: 37569662 PMCID: PMC10418364 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence supports that altered α-tubulin acetylation occurs in Parkinson's disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the deposition of α-synuclein fibrillary aggregates within Lewy bodies and nigrostriatal neuron degeneration. Nevertheless, studies addressing the interplay between α-tubulin acetylation and α-synuclein are lacking. Here, we investigated the relationship between α-synuclein and microtubules in primary midbrain murine neurons and the substantia nigra of post-mortem human brains. Taking advantage of immunofluorescence and Proximity Ligation Assay (PLA), a method allowing us to visualize protein-protein interactions in situ, combined with confocal and super-resolution microscopy, we found that α-synuclein and acetylated α-tubulin colocalized and were in close proximity. Next, we employed an α-synuclein overexpressing cellular model and tested the role of α-tubulin acetylation in α-synuclein oligomer formation. We used the α-tubulin deacetylase HDAC6 inhibitor Tubacin to modulate α-tubulin acetylation, and we evaluated the presence of α-synuclein oligomers by PLA. We found that the increase in acetylated α-tubulin significantly induced α-synuclein oligomerization. In conclusion, we unraveled the link between acetylated α-tubulin and α-synuclein and demonstrated that α-tubulin acetylation could trigger the early step of α-synuclein aggregation. These data suggest that the proper regulation of α-tubulin acetylation might be considered a therapeutic strategy to take on PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Maria Calogero
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy; (M.J.B.); (H.B.I.); (S.M.); (C.R.)
- Fondazione Grigioni per il Morbo di Parkinson, 20125 Milan, Italy;
| | - Milo Jarno Basellini
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy; (M.J.B.); (H.B.I.); (S.M.); (C.R.)
| | - Huseyin Berkcan Isilgan
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy; (M.J.B.); (H.B.I.); (S.M.); (C.R.)
| | - Francesca Longhena
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy; (F.L.); (A.B.)
| | - Arianna Bellucci
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy; (F.L.); (A.B.)
| | - Samanta Mazzetti
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy; (M.J.B.); (H.B.I.); (S.M.); (C.R.)
- Fondazione Grigioni per il Morbo di Parkinson, 20125 Milan, Italy;
| | - Chiara Rolando
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy; (M.J.B.); (H.B.I.); (S.M.); (C.R.)
| | - Gianni Pezzoli
- Fondazione Grigioni per il Morbo di Parkinson, 20125 Milan, Italy;
- Parkinson Institute, ASST-Pini-CTO, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Graziella Cappelletti
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy; (M.J.B.); (H.B.I.); (S.M.); (C.R.)
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
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19
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Jellinger KA. Morphological characteristics differentiate dementia with Lewy bodies from Parkinson disease with and without dementia. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2023:10.1007/s00702-023-02660-3. [PMID: 37306790 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-023-02660-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson disease (PD) with and without dementia are entities of a spectrum of Lewy body diseases. About 26.3% of all PD patients develop dementia increasing up to 83%. Parkinson disease-dementia (PDD) and DLB share many clinical and morphological features that separate them from non-demented PD (PDND). Clinically distinguished by the temporal sequence of motor and cognitive symptoms, the pathology of PDD and DLB includes variable combinations of Lewy body (LB) and Alzheimer (AD) lesions, both being more severe in DLB, but much less frequent and less severe in PDND. The objective of this study was to investigate the morphological differences between these three groups. 290 patients with pathologically confirmed PD were reviewed. 190 of them had clinical dementia; 110 met the neuropathological criteria of PDD and 80 of DLB. The major demographic and clinical data were obtained from medical records. Neuropathology included semiquantitative assessment of LB and AD pathologies including cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). PDD patients were significantly older than PDND and DLB ones (83.9 vs 77.9 years, p < 0.05); the age of DLB patients was between them (80.0 years), while the disease duration was shortest in DLB. Brain weight was lowest in DLB, which showed higher Braak LB scores (mean 5.2 vs 4.2) and highest Braak tau stages (mean 5.2 vs 4.4 and 2.3, respectively). Thal Aβ phases were also highest in DLB (mean 4.1 vs 3.0 and 1.8, respectively). Major findings were frequency and degree of CAA, being highest in DLB (95% vs 50% and 24%, with scores 2.9 vs 0.7 and 0.3, respectively), whereas other small vessel lesions showed no significant differences. Striatal Aβ deposits also differentiated DLB from the other groups. This and other studies of larger cohorts of PD patients indicate that the association of CAA and cortical tau-but less-LB pathologies are associated with more severe cognitive decline and worse prognosis that distinguish DLB from PDD and PDND. The particular impact of both CAA and tau pathology supports the concept of a pathogenic continuum ranging from PDND to DLB + AD within the spectrum of age-related synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt A Jellinger
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, Alberichgasse 5/13, 1150, Vienna, Austria.
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20
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Conte C, Ingrassia A, Breve J, Bol JJ, Timmermans-Huisman E, van Dam AM, Beccari T, van de Berg WDJ. Toll-like Receptor 4 Is Upregulated in Parkinson's Disease Patients and Co-Localizes with pSer129αSyn: A Possible Link with the Pathology. Cells 2023; 12:1368. [PMID: 37408202 DOI: 10.3390/cells12101368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Growing evidence suggests a crucial role of neuroinflammation in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). Neuroinflammation is linked to the accumulation and aggregation of a-synuclein (αSyn), the primary pathological hallmark of PD. Toll-like receptors 4 (TLR4) can have implications in the development and progression of the pathology. In this study, we analyzed the expression of TLR4 in the substantia nigra (SN) and medial temporal gyrus (GTM) of well-characterized PD patients and age-matched controls. We also assessed the co-localization of TLR4 with pSer129 αSyn. Using qPCR, we observed an upregulation of TLR4 expression in the SN and GTM in PD patients compared to controls, which was accompanied by a reduction in αSyn expression likely due to the depletion of dopaminergic (DA) cells. Additionally, using immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy, we observed TLR4-positive staining and co-localization with pSer129-αSyn in Lewy bodies of DA neurons in the SN, as well as in pyramidal neurons in the GTM of PD donors. Furthermore, we observed a co-localization of TLR4 and Iba-1 in glial cells of both SN and GTM. Our findings provide evidence for the increased expression of TLR4 in the PD brain and suggest that the interaction between TLR4 and pSer129-αSyn could play a role in mediating the neuroinflammatory response in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmela Conte
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, 06100 Perugia, Italy
| | - Angela Ingrassia
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - John Breve
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - John J Bol
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Evelien Timmermans-Huisman
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anne-Marie van Dam
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tommaso Beccari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, 06100 Perugia, Italy
| | - Wilma D J van de Berg
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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21
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Schmitz M, Candelise N, Canaslan S, Altmeppen HC, Matschke J, Glatzel M, Younas N, Zafar S, Hermann P, Zerr I. α-Synuclein conformers reveal link to clinical heterogeneity of α-synucleinopathies. Transl Neurodegener 2023; 12:12. [PMID: 36915212 PMCID: PMC10012698 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-023-00342-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
α-Synucleinopathies, such as Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and multiple system atrophy, are a class of neurodegenerative diseases exhibiting intracellular inclusions of misfolded α-synuclein (αSyn), referred to as Lewy bodies or oligodendroglial cytoplasmic inclusions (Papp-Lantos bodies). Even though the specific cellular distribution of aggregated αSyn differs in PD and DLB patients, both groups show a significant pathological overlap, raising the discussion of whether PD and DLB are the same or different diseases. Besides clinical investigation, we will focus in addition on methodologies, such as protein seeding assays (real-time quaking-induced conversion), to discriminate between different types of α-synucleinopathies. This approach relies on the seeding conversion properties of misfolded αSyn, supporting the hypothesis that different conformers of misfolded αSyn may occur in different types of α-synucleinopathies. Understanding the pathological processes influencing the disease progression and phenotype, provoked by different αSyn conformers, will be important for a personalized medical treatment in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Schmitz
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for TSE, The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Georg-August-University, University Medicine Gottingen, Goettingen, Germany.
| | - Niccolò Candelise
- National Center for Drug Research and Evaluation, Institute Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Sezgi Canaslan
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for TSE, The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Georg-August-University, University Medicine Gottingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Hermann C Altmeppen
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jakob Matschke
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Markus Glatzel
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Neelam Younas
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for TSE, The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Georg-August-University, University Medicine Gottingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Saima Zafar
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for TSE, The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Georg-August-University, University Medicine Gottingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Peter Hermann
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for TSE, The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Georg-August-University, University Medicine Gottingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Inga Zerr
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for TSE, The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Georg-August-University, University Medicine Gottingen, Goettingen, Germany
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22
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Donadio V, Sturchio A, Rizzo G, Abu Rumeileh S, Liguori R, Espay AJ. Pathology vs pathogenesis: Rationale and pitfalls in the clinicopathology model of neurodegeneration. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2023; 192:35-55. [PMID: 36796947 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-85538-9.00001-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
In neurodegenerative disorders, the term pathology is often implicitly referred to as pathogenesis. Pathology has been conceived as a window into the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. This clinicopathologic framework posits that what can be identified and quantified in postmortem brain tissue can explain both premortem clinical manifestations and the cause of death, a forensic approach to understanding neurodegeneration. As the century-old clinicopathology framework has yielded little correlation between pathology and clinical features or neuronal loss, the relationship between proteins and degeneration is ripe for revisitation. There are indeed two synchronous consequences of protein aggregation in neurodegeneration: the loss of the soluble/normal proteins on one; the accrual of the insoluble/abnormal fraction of these proteins on the other. The omission of the first part in the protein aggregation process is an artifact of the early autopsy studies: soluble, normal proteins have disappeared, with only the remaining insoluble fraction amenable to quantification. We here review the collective evidence from human data suggesting that protein aggregates, known collectively as pathology, are the consequence of many biological, toxic, and infectious exposures, but may not explain alone the cause or pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Donadio
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, UOC Clinica Neurologica, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Andrea Sturchio
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Neuro Svenningsson, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; James J. and Joan A. Gardner Family Center for Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Giovanni Rizzo
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, UOC Clinica Neurologica, Bologna, Italy
| | - Samir Abu Rumeileh
- Department of Neurology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Rocco Liguori
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, UOC Clinica Neurologica, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alberto J Espay
- James J. and Joan A. Gardner Family Center for Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
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23
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Hart de Ruyter FJ, Morrema THJ, den Haan J, Twisk JWR, de Boer JF, Scheltens P, Boon BDC, Thal DR, Rozemuller AJ, Verbraak FD, Bouwman FH, Hoozemans JJM. Phosphorylated tau in the retina correlates with tau pathology in the brain in Alzheimer's disease and primary tauopathies. Acta Neuropathol 2023; 145:197-218. [PMID: 36480077 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-022-02525-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The retina is a potential source of biomarkers for the detection of neurodegenerative diseases. Accumulation of phosphorylated tau (p-tau) in the brain is a pathological feature characteristic for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and primary tauopathies. In this study the presence of p-tau in the retina in relation to tau pathology in the brain was assessed. Post-mortem eyes and brains were collected through the Netherlands Brain Bank from donors with AD (n = 17), primary tauopathies (n = 8), α-synucleinopathies (n = 13), other neurodegenerative diseases including non-tau frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) (n = 9), and controls (n = 15). Retina cross-sections were assessed by immunohistochemistry using antibodies directed against total tau (HT7), 3R and 4R tau isoforms (RD3, RD4), and phospho-epitopes Ser202/Thr205 (AT8), Thr217 (anti-T217), Thr212/Ser214 (AT100), Thr181 (AT270), Ser396 (anti-pS396) and Ser422 (anti-pS422). Retinal tau load was compared to p-tau Ser202/Thr205 and p-tau Thr217 load in various brain regions. Total tau, 3R and 4R tau isoforms were most prominently present in the inner plexiform layer (IPL) and outer plexiform layer (OPL) of the retina and were detected in all cases and controls as a diffuse and somatodendritic signal. Total tau, p-tau Ser202/Thr205 and p-tau Thr217 was observed in amacrine and horizontal cells of the inner nuclear layer (INL). Various antibodies directed against phospho-epitopes of tau showed immunoreactivity in the IPL, OPL, and INL. P-tau Ser202/Thr205 and Thr217 showed significant discrimination between AD and other tauopathies, and non-tauopathy cases including controls. Whilst immunopositivity was observed for p-tau Thr212/Ser214, Thr181 and Ser396, there were no group differences. P-tau Ser422 did not show any immunoreactivity in the retina. The presence of retinal p-tau Ser202/Thr205 and Thr217 correlated with Braak stage for NFTs and with the presence of p-tau Ser202/Thr205 in hippocampus and cortical brain regions. Depending on the phospho-epitope, p-tau in the retina is a potential biomarker for AD and primary tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederique J Hart de Ruyter
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Pathology, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Neurology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Tjado H J Morrema
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Pathology, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jurre den Haan
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Neurology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jos W R Twisk
- Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes F de Boer
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, LaserLaB, Physics and Astronomy, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Philip Scheltens
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Neurology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Baayla D C Boon
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Pathology, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Neurology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Mayo Clinic, Neuroscience, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Dietmar R Thal
- Laboratory for Neuropathology, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Leuven Brain Institute, O&N IV Herestraat 49, 3000, Louvain, Belgium
- Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Annemieke J Rozemuller
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Pathology, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Frank D Verbraak
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Ophthalmology, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Femke H Bouwman
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Neurology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen J M Hoozemans
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Pathology, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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24
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Frigerio I, Laansma MA, Lin CP, Hermans EJM, Bouwman MMA, Bol JGJM, Galis-de Graaf Y, Hepp DH, Rozemuller AJM, Barkhof F, van de Berg WDJ, Jonkman LE. Neurofilament light chain is increased in the parahippocampal cortex and associates with pathological hallmarks in Parkinson's disease dementia. Transl Neurodegener 2023; 12:3. [PMID: 36658627 PMCID: PMC9854202 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-022-00328-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increased neurofilament levels in biofluids are commonly used as a proxy for neurodegeneration in several neurodegenerative disorders. In this study, we aimed to investigate the distribution of neurofilaments in the cerebral cortex of Parkinson's disease (PD), PD with dementia (PDD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) donors, and its association with pathology load and MRI measures of atrophy and diffusivity. METHODS Using a within-subject post-mortem MRI-pathology approach, we included 9 PD, 12 PDD/DLB and 18 age-matched control donors. Cortical thickness and mean diffusivity (MD) metrics were extracted respectively from 3DT1 and DTI at 3T in-situ MRI. After autopsy, pathological hallmarks (pSer129-αSyn, p-tau and amyloid-β load) together with neurofilament light-chain (NfL) and phosphorylated-neurofilament medium- and heavy-chain (p-NfM/H) immunoreactivity were quantified in seven cortical regions, and studied in detail with confocal-laser scanning microscopy. The correlations between MRI and pathological measures were studied using linear mixed models. RESULTS Compared to controls, p-NfM/H immunoreactivity was increased in all cortical regions in PD and PDD/DLB, whereas NfL immunoreactivity was increased in the parahippocampal and entorhinal cortex in PDD/DLB. NfL-positive neurons showed degenerative morphological features and axonal fragmentation. The increased p-NfM/H correlated with p-tau load, and NfL correlated with pSer129-αSyn but more strongly with p-tau load in PDD/DLB. Lastly, neurofilament immunoreactivity correlated with cortical thinning in PD and with increased cortical MD in PDD/DLB. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, increased neurofilament immunoreactivity suggests underlying axonal injury and neurofilament accumulation in morphologically altered neurons with increased pathological burden. Importantly, we demonstrate that such neurofilament markers at least partly explain MRI measures that are associated with the neurodegenerative process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Frigerio
- Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Max A. Laansma
- grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, The Netherlands ,grid.484519.5Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Chen-Pei Lin
- grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, The Netherlands ,grid.484519.5Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands ,grid.484519.5Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Emma J. M. Hermans
- grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maud M. A. Bouwman
- grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, The Netherlands ,grid.484519.5Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands ,grid.484519.5Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - John G. J. M. Bol
- grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yvon Galis-de Graaf
- grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dagmar H. Hepp
- grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, The Netherlands ,grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Department of Neurology, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Annemieke J. M. Rozemuller
- grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Department of Pathology, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Frederik Barkhof
- grid.484519.5Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands ,grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands ,grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Institutes of Neurology and Healthcare Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Wilma D. J. van de Berg
- grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, The Netherlands ,grid.484519.5Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laura E. Jonkman
- grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, Amsterdam, The Netherlands ,grid.484519.5Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, The Netherlands ,grid.484519.5Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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25
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Fathy YY, Jonkman LE, Bol JJ, Timmermans E, Jonker AJ, Rozemuller AJM, van de Berg WDJ. Axonal degeneration in the anterior insular cortex is associated with Alzheimer's co-pathology in Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. Transl Neurodegener 2022; 11:52. [PMID: 36474289 PMCID: PMC9728006 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-022-00325-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Axons, crucial for impulse transmission and cellular trafficking, are thought to be primary targets of neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Axonal degeneration occurs early, preceeding and exceeding neuronal loss, and contributes to the spread of pathology, yet is poorly described outside the nigrostriatal circuitry. The insula, a cortical brain hub, was recently discovered to be highly vulnerable to pathology and plays a role in cognitive deficits in PD and DLB. The aim of this study was to evaluate morphological features as well as burden of proteinopathy and axonal degeneration in the anterior insular sub-regions in PD, PD with dementia (PDD), and DLB. METHODS α-Synuclein, phosphorylated (p-)tau, and amyloid-β pathology load were evaluated in the anterior insular (agranular and dysgranular) subregions of post-mortem human brains (n = 27). Axonal loss was evaluated using modified Bielschowsky silver staining and quantified using stereology. Cytoskeletal damage was comprehensively studied using immunofluorescent multi-labelling and 3D confocal laser-scanning microscopy. RESULTS Compared to PD and PDD, DLB showed significantly higher α-synuclein and p-tau pathology load, argyrophilic grains, and more severe axonal loss, particularly in the anterior agranular insula. Alternatively, the dysgranular insula showed a significantly higher load of amyloid-β pathology and its axonal density correlated with cognitive performance. p-Tau contributed most to axonal loss in the DLB group, was highest in the anterior agranular insula and significantly correlated with CDR global scores for dementia. Neurofilament and myelin showed degenerative changes including swellings, demyelination, and detachment of the axon-myelin unit. CONCLUSIONS Our results highlight the selective vulnerability of the anterior insular sub-regions to various converging pathologies, leading to impaired axonal integrity in PD, PDD and DLB, disrupting their functional properties and potentially contributing to cognitive, emotional, and autonomic deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmine Y. Fathy
- grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Amsterdam UMC, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije University Amsterdam, O
- 2 Life Sciences building, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, Netherlands ,grid.484519.5Amsterdam Neuroscience, Program Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, the Netherlands ,grid.5645.2000000040459992XDepartment of Neurology, Erasmus Medical Center, Postbus 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Laura E. Jonkman
- grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Amsterdam UMC, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije University Amsterdam, O
- 2 Life Sciences building, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, Netherlands ,grid.484519.5Amsterdam Neuroscience, Program Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - John J. Bol
- grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Amsterdam UMC, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije University Amsterdam, O
- 2 Life Sciences building, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, Netherlands ,grid.484519.5Amsterdam Neuroscience, Program Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Evelien Timmermans
- grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Amsterdam UMC, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije University Amsterdam, O
- 2 Life Sciences building, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, Netherlands ,grid.484519.5Amsterdam Neuroscience, Program Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Allert J. Jonker
- grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Amsterdam UMC, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije University Amsterdam, O
- 2 Life Sciences building, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, Netherlands ,grid.484519.5Amsterdam Neuroscience, Program Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Annemieke J. M. Rozemuller
- grid.484519.5Amsterdam Neuroscience, Program Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, the Netherlands ,grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Amsterdam UMC, Department of Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Wilma D. J. van de Berg
- grid.12380.380000 0004 1754 9227Amsterdam UMC, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije University Amsterdam, O
- 2 Life Sciences building, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, Netherlands ,grid.484519.5Amsterdam Neuroscience, Program Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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26
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Libard S, Giedraitis V, Kilander L, Ingelsson M, Alafuzoff I. Mixed Pathologies in a Subject with a Novel PSEN1 G206R Mutation. J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 90:1601-1614. [PMID: 36314207 PMCID: PMC9789486 DOI: 10.3233/jad-220655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are more than 300 presenilin-1 (PSEN1) mutations identified but a thorough postmortem neuropathological assessment of the mutation carriers is seldom performed. OBJECTIVE To assess neuropathological changes (NC) in a 73-year-old subject with the novel PSEN1 G206R mutation suffering from cognitive decline in over 20 years. To compare these findings with an age- and gender-matched subject with sporadic Alzheimer's disease (sAD). METHODS The brains were assessed macro- and microscopically and the proteinopathies were staged according to current recommendations. RESULTS The AD neuropathological change (ADNC) was more extensive in the mutation carrier, although both individuals reached a high level of ADNC. The transactive DNA binding protein 43 pathology was at the end-stage in the index subject, a finding not previously described in familial AD. This pathology was moderate in the sAD subject. The PSEN1 G206R subject displayed full-blown alpha-synuclein pathology, while this proteinopathy was absent in the sAD case. Additionally, the mutation carrier displayed pronounced neuroinflammation, not previously described in association with PSEN1 mutations. CONCLUSION Our findings are exceptional, as the PSEN1 G206R subject displayed an end-stage pathology of every common proteinopathy. It is unclear whether the observed alterations are caused by the mutation or are related to a cross-seeding mechanisms. The pronounced neuroinflammation in the index patient can be reactive to the extensive NC or a contributing factor to the proteinopathies. Thorough postmortem neuropathological and genetic assessment of subjects with familial AD is warranted, for further understanding of a dementing illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylwia Libard
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden,Department of Surgical Pathology, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Vilmantas Giedraitis
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences/Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lena Kilander
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences/Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Martin Ingelsson
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences/Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden,Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada,Department of Medicine and Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Irina Alafuzoff
- Department of Surgical Pathology, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
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27
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Salmon DP, Smirnov DS, Coughlin DG, Hamilton JM, Landy KM, Filoteo JV, Hiniker A, Hansen LA, Galasko D. Perception of Fragmented Letters by Patients With Pathologically Confirmed Dementia With Lewy Bodies or Alzheimer Disease. Neurology 2022; 99:e2034-e2043. [PMID: 36028327 PMCID: PMC9651460 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000201068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Patients with dementia with Lewy bodies perform worse than those with Alzheimer disease (AD) on tests of visual perception, but the clinical utility of these tests remains unknown because studies often had clinically diagnosed groups that may inadvertently cross-contaminate Lewy body disease (LBD) with pure AD pathology, used experimental tests not easily adaptable for clinical use, and had no way to examine relationships between the severity of LBD pathology and degree of cognitive impairment. Therefore, we sought to determine whether performance on a widely used clinical test of visuoperceptual ability effectively differentiates between patients with autopsy-confirmed LBD or AD and correlates with the severity of LBD pathology. METHODS Patients with mild to moderate dementia (n = 42) and cognitively healthy controls (n = 22) performed a Fragmented Letters Test in which they identified letters of the alphabet that were randomly visually degraded by 70% and additional visuospatial and episodic memory tests. At autopsy, dementia cases were confirmed to have LBD (n = 19), all with concomitant AD, or only AD (n = 23). Severity of α-synuclein pathology in the hippocampus and neocortex was rated on an ordinal scale. RESULTS Patients with LBD performed worse than those with AD (B = -2.80 ± 0.91, p = 0.009) and healthy controls (B = -3.34 ± 1.09, p = 0.01) on the Fragmented Letters Test after adjustment for age, sex, education, Mini-Mental State Examination score, and ability to name intact letters. Patients with AD did not differ from controls (B = -0.55 ± 1.08, p = 0.87). The test effectively distinguished between patients with LBD or AD with 73% sensitivity and 87% specificity, and the area under the curve in receiver operating characteristic analyses was 0.85 (95% CI 0.72-0.95), higher than for standard tests of visuospatial ability (Block Design; 0.72; CI 0.35-0.75) or memory (California Verbal Learning Test, trials 1-5; 0.55; CI 0.57-0.88). Fragmented Letters Test scores were negatively correlated with LBD pathology density ratings in hippocampus and neocortical regions (Spearman rs = -0.53 to -0.69). DISCUSSION Fragmented Letters Test performance can effectively differentiate patients with LBD pathology from those with only AD pathology at a mild to moderate stage of dementia, even when LBD occurs with significant concomitant AD pathology, and may also be useful for gauging the severity of cortical α-synuclein pathology in those with LBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- David P Salmon
- From the Department of Neurosciences (D.P.S., D.S.S., D.G.C., J.M.H., K.M.L., J.V.F., L.A.H., D.G.), Psychiatry (J.V.F.), and Pathology (A.H., L.A.H.), University of California, San Diego.
| | - Denis S Smirnov
- From the Department of Neurosciences (D.P.S., D.S.S., D.G.C., J.M.H., K.M.L., J.V.F., L.A.H., D.G.), Psychiatry (J.V.F.), and Pathology (A.H., L.A.H.), University of California, San Diego
| | - David G Coughlin
- From the Department of Neurosciences (D.P.S., D.S.S., D.G.C., J.M.H., K.M.L., J.V.F., L.A.H., D.G.), Psychiatry (J.V.F.), and Pathology (A.H., L.A.H.), University of California, San Diego
| | - Joanne M Hamilton
- From the Department of Neurosciences (D.P.S., D.S.S., D.G.C., J.M.H., K.M.L., J.V.F., L.A.H., D.G.), Psychiatry (J.V.F.), and Pathology (A.H., L.A.H.), University of California, San Diego
| | - Kelly M Landy
- From the Department of Neurosciences (D.P.S., D.S.S., D.G.C., J.M.H., K.M.L., J.V.F., L.A.H., D.G.), Psychiatry (J.V.F.), and Pathology (A.H., L.A.H.), University of California, San Diego
| | - J Vincent Filoteo
- From the Department of Neurosciences (D.P.S., D.S.S., D.G.C., J.M.H., K.M.L., J.V.F., L.A.H., D.G.), Psychiatry (J.V.F.), and Pathology (A.H., L.A.H.), University of California, San Diego
| | - Annie Hiniker
- From the Department of Neurosciences (D.P.S., D.S.S., D.G.C., J.M.H., K.M.L., J.V.F., L.A.H., D.G.), Psychiatry (J.V.F.), and Pathology (A.H., L.A.H.), University of California, San Diego
| | - Lawrence A Hansen
- From the Department of Neurosciences (D.P.S., D.S.S., D.G.C., J.M.H., K.M.L., J.V.F., L.A.H., D.G.), Psychiatry (J.V.F.), and Pathology (A.H., L.A.H.), University of California, San Diego
| | - Douglas Galasko
- From the Department of Neurosciences (D.P.S., D.S.S., D.G.C., J.M.H., K.M.L., J.V.F., L.A.H., D.G.), Psychiatry (J.V.F.), and Pathology (A.H., L.A.H.), University of California, San Diego
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28
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Dobricic V, Schilling M, Farkas I, Gveric DO, Ohlei O, Schulz J, Middleton L, Gentleman SM, Parkkinen L, Bertram L, Lill CM. Common signatures of differential microRNA expression in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease brains. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac274. [PMID: 36382223 PMCID: PMC9645562 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysregulation of microRNA gene expression has been implicated in many neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease. However, the individual dysregulated microRNAs remain largely unknown. Previous meta-analyses have highlighted several microRNAs being differentially expressed in post-mortem Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease brains versus controls, but they were based on small sample sizes. In this study, we quantified the expression of the most compelling Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease microRNAs from these meta-analyses ('candidate miRNAs') in one of the largest Parkinson's/Alzheimer's disease case-control post-mortem brain collections available (n = 451), thereby quadruplicating previously investigated sample sizes. Parkinson's disease candidate microRNA hsa-miR-132-3p was differentially expressed in our Parkinson's (P = 4.89E-06) and Alzheimer's disease samples (P = 3.20E-24) compared with controls. Alzheimer's disease candidate microRNAs hsa-miR-132-5p (P = 4.52E-06) and hsa-miR-129-5p (P = 0.0379) were differentially expressed in our Parkinson's disease samples. Combining these novel data with previously published data substantially improved the statistical support (α = 3.85E-03) of the corresponding meta-analyses, clearly implicating these microRNAs in both Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, hsa-miR-132-3p/-5p (but not hsa-miR-129-5p) showed association with α-synuclein neuropathological Braak staging (P = 3.51E-03/P = 0.0117), suggesting that hsa-miR-132-3p/-5p play a role in α-synuclein aggregation beyond the early disease phase. Our study represents the largest independent assessment of recently highlighted candidate microRNAs in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease brains, to date. Our results implicate hsa-miR-132-3p/-5p and hsa-miR-129-5p to be differentially expressed in both Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, pinpointing shared pathogenic mechanisms across these neurodegenerative diseases. Intriguingly, based on publicly available high-throughput sequencing of RNA isolated by cross-linking immunoprecipitation data, hsa-miR-132 may interact with SNCA messenger RNA in the human brain, possibly pinpointing novel therapeutic approaches in fighting Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerija Dobricic
- Correspondence to: Prof Dr Christina M. Lill, MD, MSc Ageing Epidemiology Unit, School of Public Health Imperial College London, London, UK E-mail: ; Dr. Valerija Dobricic, Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany, E-mail:
| | - Marcel Schilling
- Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (LIGA), University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Ildiko Farkas
- Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Tissue Bank, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Djordje O Gveric
- Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Tissue Bank, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Olena Ohlei
- Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (LIGA), University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Jessica Schulz
- Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (LIGA), University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Lefkos Middleton
- Ageing and Epidemiology Unit (AGE), School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London W6 8RF, UK,Public Health Directorate, Imperial College NHS Healthcare Trust, London W6 8RF, UK
| | - Steve M Gentleman
- Department of Brain Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital campus, Imperial College London, London W12 0HS, UK
| | - Laura Parkkinen
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford Parkinson’s Disease Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Lars Bertram
- Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (LIGA), University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany,Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0373 Oslo, Norway
| | - Christina M Lill
- Correspondence to: Prof Dr Christina M. Lill, MD, MSc Ageing Epidemiology Unit, School of Public Health Imperial College London, London, UK E-mail: ; Dr. Valerija Dobricic, Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany, E-mail:
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29
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Revisiting the specificity and ability of phospho-S129 antibodies to capture alpha-synuclein biochemical and pathological diversity. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2022; 8:136. [PMID: 36266318 PMCID: PMC9584898 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-022-00388-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibodies against phosphorylated alpha-synuclein (aSyn) at S129 have emerged as the primary tools to investigate, monitor, and quantify aSyn pathology in the brain and peripheral tissues of patients with Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. Herein, we demonstrate that the co-occurrence of multiple pathology-associated C-terminal post-translational modifications (PTMs) (e.g., phosphorylation at Tyrosine 125 or truncation at residue 133 or 135) differentially influences the detection of pS129-aSyn species by pS129-aSyn antibodies. These observations prompted us to systematically reassess the specificity of the most commonly used pS129 antibodies against monomeric and aggregated forms of pS129-aSyn in mouse brain slices, primary neurons, mammalian cells and seeding models of aSyn pathology formation. We identified two antibodies that are insensitive to pS129 neighboring PTMs. Although most pS129 antibodies showed good performance in detecting aSyn aggregates in cells, neurons and mouse brain tissue containing abundant aSyn pathology, they also showed cross-reactivity towards other proteins and often detected non-specific low and high molecular weight bands in aSyn knock-out samples that could be easily mistaken for monomeric or high molecular weight aSyn species. Our observations suggest that not all pS129 antibodies capture the biochemical and morphological diversity of aSyn pathology, and all should be used with the appropriate protein standards and controls when investigating aSyn under physiological conditions. Finally, our work underscores the need for more pS129 antibodies that are not sensitive to neighboring PTMs and more thorough characterization and validation of existing and new antibodies.
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30
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Mackmull MT, Nagel L, Sesterhenn F, Muntel J, Grossbach J, Stalder P, Bruderer R, Reiter L, van de Berg WDJ, de Souza N, Beyer A, Picotti P. Global, in situ analysis of the structural proteome in individuals with Parkinson's disease to identify a new class of biomarker. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2022; 29:978-989. [PMID: 36224378 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-022-00837-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disease for which robust biomarkers are needed. Because protein structure reflects function, we tested whether global, in situ analysis of protein structural changes provides insight into PD pathophysiology and could inform a new concept of structural disease biomarkers. Using limited proteolysis-mass spectrometry (LiP-MS), we identified 76 structurally altered proteins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of individuals with PD relative to healthy donors. These proteins were enriched in processes misregulated in PD, and some proteins also showed structural changes in PD brain samples. CSF protein structural information outperformed abundance information in discriminating between healthy participants and those with PD and improved the discriminatory performance of CSF measures of the hallmark PD protein α-synuclein. We also present the first analysis of inter-individual variability of a structural proteome in healthy individuals, identifying biophysical features of variable protein regions. Although independent validation is needed, our data suggest that global analyses of the human structural proteome will guide the development of novel structural biomarkers of disease and enable hypothesis generation about underlying disease processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Therese Mackmull
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Luise Nagel
- Cluster of Excellence Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Fabian Sesterhenn
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Jan Grossbach
- Cluster of Excellence Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Patrick Stalder
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Wilma D J van de Berg
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy and Biobanking, Department Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Natalie de Souza
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Beyer
- Cluster of Excellence Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. .,Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. .,Institute for Genetics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
| | - Paola Picotti
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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31
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Pihlstrøm L, Shireby G, Geut H, Henriksen SP, Rozemuller AJM, Tunold JA, Hannon E, Francis P, Thomas AJ, Love S, Mill J, van de Berg WDJ, Toft M. Epigenome-wide association study of human frontal cortex identifies differential methylation in Lewy body pathology. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4932. [PMID: 35995800 PMCID: PMC9395387 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32619-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are closely related progressive disorders with no available disease-modifying therapy, neuropathologically characterized by intraneuronal aggregates of misfolded α-synuclein. To explore the role of DNA methylation changes in PD and DLB pathogenesis, we performed an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of 322 postmortem frontal cortex samples and replicated results in an independent set of 200 donors. We report novel differentially methylated replicating loci associated with Braak Lewy body stage near TMCC2, SFMBT2, AKAP6 and PHYHIP. Differentially methylated probes were independent of known PD genetic risk alleles. Meta-analysis provided suggestive evidence for a differentially methylated locus within the chromosomal region affected by the PD-associated 22q11.2 deletion. Our findings elucidate novel disease pathways in PD and DLB and generate hypotheses for future molecular studies of Lewy body pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lasse Pihlstrøm
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Gemma Shireby
- University of Exeter Medical School, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Hanneke Geut
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Brain Bank, Netherlands Institute of Neurosciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Annemieke J M Rozemuller
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Department of Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jon-Anders Tunold
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Eilis Hannon
- University of Exeter Medical School, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Paul Francis
- University of Exeter Medical School, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Alan J Thomas
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Seth Love
- Dementia Research Group, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Jonathan Mill
- University of Exeter Medical School, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Wilma D J van de Berg
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mathias Toft
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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32
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Maxwell SP, Cash MK, Darvesh S. Neuropathology and cholinesterase expression in the brains of octogenarians and older. Chem Biol Interact 2022; 364:110065. [PMID: 35872043 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2022.110065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A subset of octogenarians and older maintain normal cognitive function (CNOO) despite high prevalence and incidence of cognitive decline attributed to neurodegeneration or aging in the population. The rostral prefrontal cortex (rPFC) and hippocampal formation are brain regions integral to cognition, namely attention and memory, facilitated in part by cholinergic innervation. We hypothesized that preserved cholinergic neurotransmission in these regions contributes to intact cognition in the CNOO. To test this, we evaluated the burden of neuropathological and cholinesterase-associated protein aggregates in the rPFC and hippocampal formation. Tissues from age- and sex-matched CNOO and Alzheimer's disease (AD) rPFC and hippocampal formation were stained for β-amyloid (Aβ), tau, α-synuclein, phosphorylated TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (pTDP-43), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). The relative abundance of neuropathological aggregates was semi-quantitatively scored. Deposition of Aβ plaques, tau neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) and pTDP-43 inclusions were comparable between CNOO and AD cases. Intraneuronal Aβ and tau-positive thorny astrocytes consistent with aging-related tau astrogliopathy, were also noted in the rPFC. Abundance of BChE-positive plaque pathology was significantly higher in AD than in CNOO cases in most regions of interest, followed closely by abundance of AChE-positive plaque pathology. BChE- and AChE-activities were also associated with varied NFT morphologies. CNOO cases maintained cognition despite a high neuropathological burden in the rPFC and hippocampal formation. BChE-positive and, to a lesser extent, AChE-positive pathologies were significantly lower in most regions in the CNOO compared to AD. This suggests a specificity of cholinesterase-associated neuropathology with AD. We conclude that while CNOO have cholinesterase-associated neuropathology in the rPFC and hippocampal formation, abundance in this population is significantly lower compared to AD which may contribute to their intact cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selena P Maxwell
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Meghan K Cash
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Sultan Darvesh
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Medicine (Neurology & Geriatric Medicine), Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Chemistry and Physics, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
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Fanciulli A, Leys F, Lehner F, Sidoroff V, Ruf VC, Raccagni C, Mahlknecht P, Kuipers DJS, van IJcken WFJ, Stockner H, Musacchio T, Volkmann J, Monoranu CM, Stankovic I, Breedveld G, Ferraro F, Fevga C, Windl O, Herms J, Kiechl S, Poewe W, Seppi K, Stefanova N, Scholz SW, Bonifati V, Wenning GK. A multiplex pedigree with pathologically confirmed multiple system atrophy and Parkinson's disease with dementia. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac175. [PMID: 35855480 PMCID: PMC9291376 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy is considered a sporadic disease, but neuropathologically confirmed cases with a family history of parkinsonism have been occasionally described. Here we report a North-Bavarian (colloquially, Lion’s tail region) six-generation pedigree, including neuropathologically confirmed multiple system atrophy and Parkinson’s disease with dementia. Between 2012 and 2020, we examined all living and consenting family members of age and calculated the risk of prodromal Parkinson’s disease in those without overt parkinsonism. The index case and one paternal cousin with Parkinson’s disease with dementia died at follow-up and underwent neuropathological examination. Genetic analysis was performed in both and another family member with Parkinson’s disease. The index case was a female patient with cerebellar variant multiple system atrophy and a positive maternal and paternal family history for Parkinson’s disease and dementia in multiple generations. The families of the index case and her spouse were genealogically related, and one of the spouse's siblings met the criteria for possible prodromal Parkinson’s disease. Neuropathological examination confirmed multiple system atrophy in the index case and advanced Lewy body disease, as well as tau pathology in her cousin. A comprehensive analysis of genes known to cause hereditary forms of parkinsonism or multiple system atrophy lookalikes was unremarkable in the index case and the other two affected family members. Here, we report an extensive European pedigree with multiple system atrophy and Parkinson`s disease suggesting a complex underlying α-synucleinopathy as confirmed on neuropathological examination. The exclusion of known genetic causes of parkinsonism or multiple system atrophy lookalikes suggests that variants in additional, still unknown genes, linked to α-synucleinopathy lesions underlie such neurodegenerative clustering.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fabian Leys
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Fabienne Lehner
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Victoria Sidoroff
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Viktoria C Ruf
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Cecilia Raccagni
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Philipp Mahlknecht
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Demy J S Kuipers
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Heike Stockner
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Thomas Musacchio
- Department of Neurology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jens Volkmann
- Department of Neurology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Camelia Maria Monoranu
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Pathology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Iva Stankovic
- Neurology Clinic, Clinical Center of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Guido Breedveld
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Federico Ferraro
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Christina Fevga
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Otto Windl
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jochen Herms
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Kiechl
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Werner Poewe
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Klaus Seppi
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Nadia Stefanova
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Sonja W Scholz
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Vincenzo Bonifati
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Gregor K Wenning
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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34
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Koss DJ, Erskine D, Porter A, Palmoski P, Menon H, Todd OGJ, Leite M, Attems J, Outeiro TF. Nuclear alpha-synuclein is present in the human brain and is modified in dementia with Lewy bodies. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022; 10:98. [PMID: 35794636 PMCID: PMC9258129 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01403-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is pathologically defined by the cytoplasmic accumulation of alpha-synuclein (aSyn) within neurons in the brain. Predominately pre-synaptic, aSyn has been reported in various subcellular compartments in experimental models. Indeed, nuclear alpha-synuclein (aSynNuc) is evident in many models, the dysregulation of which is associated with altered DNA integrity, transcription and nuclear homeostasis. However, the presence of aSynNuc in human brain cells remains controversial, yet the determination of human brain aSynNuc and its pathological modification is essential for understanding synucleinopathies. Here, using a multi-disciplinary approach employing immunohistochemistry, immunoblot, and mass-spectrometry (MS), we confirm aSynNuc in post-mortem brain tissue obtained from DLB and control cases. Highly dependent on antigen retrieval methods, in optimal conditions, intra-nuclear pan and phospho-S129 positive aSyn puncta were observed in cortical neurons and non-neuronal cells in fixed brain sections and in isolated nuclear preparations in all cases examined. Furthermore, an increase in nuclear phospho-S129 positive aSyn immunoreactivity was apparent in DLB cases compared to controls, in both neuronal and non-neuronal cell types. Our initial histological investigations identified that aSynNuc is affected by epitope unmasking methods but present under optimal conditions, and this presence was confirmed by isolation of nuclei and a combined approach of immunoblotting and mass spectrometry, where aSynNuc was approximately tenfold less abundant in the nucleus than cytoplasm. Notably, direct comparison of DLB cases to aged controls identified increased pS129 and higher molecular weight species in the nuclei of DLB cases, suggesting putative pathogenic modifications to aSynNuc in DLB. In summary, using multiple approaches we provide several lines of evidence supporting the presence of aSynNuc in autoptic human brain tissue and, notably, that it is subject to putative pathogenic modifications in DLB that may contribute to the disease phenotype.
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35
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Moors TE, Mona D, Luehe S, Duran-Pacheco G, Spycher L, Mundigl O, Kaluza K, Huber S, Hug MN, Kremer T, Ritter M, Dziadek S, Dernick G, van de Berg WDJ, Britschgi M. Multi-platform quantitation of alpha-synuclein human brain proteoforms suggests disease-specific biochemical profiles of synucleinopathies. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022; 10:82. [PMID: 35659116 PMCID: PMC9164351 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01382-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Based on immunostainings and biochemical analyses, certain post-translationally modified alpha-synuclein (aSyn) variants, including C-terminally truncated (CTT) and Serine-129 phosphorylated (pSer129) aSyn, are proposed to be involved in the pathogenesis of synucleinopathies such as Parkinson’s disease with (PDD) and without dementia (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and multiple system atrophy (MSA). However, quantitative information about aSyn proteoforms in the human brain in physiological and different pathological conditions is still limited. To address this, we generated sequential biochemical extracts of the substantia nigra, putamen and hippocampus from 28 donors diagnosed and neuropathologically-confirmed with different synucleinopathies (PD/PDD/DLB/MSA), as well as Alzheimer’s disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and aged normal subjects. The tissue extracts were used to build a reverse phase array including 65 aSyn antibodies for detection. In this multiplex approach, we observed increased immunoreactivity in donors with synucleinopathies compared to controls in detergent-insoluble fractions, mainly for antibodies against CT aSyn and pSer129 aSyn. In addition, despite of the restricted sample size, clustering analysis suggested disease-specific immunoreactivity signatures in patient groups with different synucleinopathies. We aimed to validate and quantify these findings using newly developed immunoassays towards total, 119 and 122 CTT, and pSer129 aSyn. In line with previous studies, we found that synucleinopathies shared an enrichment of post-translationally modified aSyn in detergent-insoluble fractions compared to the other analyzed groups. Our measurements allowed for a quantitative separation of PDD/DLB patients from other synucleinopathies based on higher detergent-insoluble pSer129 aSyn concentrations in the hippocampus. In addition, we found that MSA stood out due to enrichment of CTT and pSer129 aSyn also in the detergent-soluble fraction of the SN and putamen. Together, our results achieved by multiplexed and quantitative immunoassay-based approaches in human brain extracts of a limited sample set point to disease-specific biochemical aSyn proteoform profiles in distinct neurodegenerative disorders.
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36
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Beach TG. A History of Senile Plaques: From Alzheimer to Amyloid Imaging. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2022; 81:387-413. [PMID: 35595841 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlac030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Senile plaques have been studied in postmortem brains for more than 120 years and the resultant knowledge has not only helped us understand the etiology and pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease (AD), but has also pointed to possible modes of prevention and treatment. Within the last 15 years, it has become possible to image plaques in living subjects. This is arguably the single greatest advance in AD research since the identification of the Aβ peptide as the major plaque constituent. The limitations and potentialities of amyloid imaging are still not completely clear but are perhaps best glimpsed through the perspective gained from the accumulated postmortem histological studies. The basic morphological classification of plaques into neuritic, cored and diffuse has been supplemented by sophisticated immunohistochemical and biochemical analyses and increasingly detailed mapping of plaque brain distribution. Changes in plaque classification and staging have in turn contributed to changes in the definition and diagnostic criteria for AD. All of this information continues to be tested by clinicopathological correlations and it is through the insights thereby gained that we will best be able to employ the powerful tool of amyloid imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas G Beach
- From the Civin Laboratory for Neuropathology, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, Arizona, USA
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37
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Keeney MT, Hoffman EK, Farmer K, Bodle CR, Fazzari M, Zharikov A, Castro SL, Hu X, Mortimer A, Kofler JK, Cifuentes-Pagano E, Pagano PJ, Burton EA, Hastings TG, Greenamyre JT, Di Maio R. NADPH oxidase 2 activity in Parkinson's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 170:105754. [PMID: 35577065 PMCID: PMC9284948 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are strongly implicated in Parkinson’s disease (PD) pathogenesis and there is evidence that mitochondrially-generated superoxide can activate NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2). Although NOX2 has been examined in the context of PD, most attention has focused on glial NOX2, and the role of neuronal NOX2 in PD remains to be defined. Additionally, pharmacological NOX2 inhibitors have typically lacked specificity. Here we devised and validated a proximity ligation assay for NOX2 activity and demonstrated that in human PD and two animal models thereof, both neuronal and microglial NOX2 are highly active in substantia nigra under chronic conditions. However, in acute and sub-acute PD models, we observed neuronal, but not microglial NOX2 activation, suggesting that neuronal NOX2 may play a primary role in the early stages of the disease. Aberrant NOX2 activity is responsible for the formation of oxidative stress-related post-translational modifications of α-synuclein, and impaired mitochondrial protein import in vitro in primary ventral midbrain neuronal cultures and in vivo in nigrostriatal neurons in rats. In a rat model, administration of a brain-penetrant, highly specific NOX2 inhibitor prevented NOX2 activation in nigrostriatal neurons and its downstream effects in vivo, such as activation of leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2). We conclude that NOX2 is an important enzyme that contributes to progressive oxidative damage which in turn can lead to α-synuclein accumulation, mitochondrial protein import impairment, and LRRK2 activation. In this context, NOX2 inhibitors hold potential as a disease-modifying therapy in PD.
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38
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Jotanovic J, Milin-Lazovic J, Alafuzoff I. Gastrointestinal Biopsy Obtained During Cancer Screening, a Biological Marker for α-Synucleinopathy? J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2022; 81:356-362. [PMID: 35388426 PMCID: PMC9041339 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlac023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The hallmark alteration in α-synucleinopathies, α-synuclein, is observed not only in the brain but also in the peripheral tissues, particularly in the intestine. This suggests that endoscopic biopsies performed for colon cancer screening could facilitate the assessment of α-synuclein in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Using immunohistochemistry for α-synuclein, we assessed whether GI biopsies could be used to confirm an ongoing α-synucleinopathy. Seventy-four subjects with cerebral α-synucleinopathy in various Braak stages with concomitant GI biopsies were available for study. In 81% of the subjects, α-synuclein was seen in the mucosal/submucosal GI biopsies. Two subjects with severe cerebral α-synucleinopathy and a long delay between biopsy and death displayed no α-synuclein pathology in the gut, and 11 subjects with sparse cerebral α-synucleinopathy displayed GI α-synuclein up to 36 years prior to death. The finding that there was no GI α-synuclein in 19% of the subjects with cerebral α-synucleinopathy, and α-synuclein was observed in the gut of 11 subjects (15%) with sparse cerebral α-synucleinopathy even many years prior to death is unexpected and jeopardizes the use of assessment of α-synuclein in the peripheral tissue for confirmation of an ongoing cerebral α-synucleinopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelena Jotanovic
- Department of Pathology, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jelena Milin-Lazovic
- Institute for Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Irina Alafuzoff
- Department of Pathology, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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39
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Xie S, Yang J, Huang S, Fan Y, Xu T, He J, Guo J, Ji X, Wang Z, Li P, Chen J, Zhang Y. Disrupted myelination network in the cingulate cortex of Parkinson's disease. IET Syst Biol 2022; 16:98-119. [PMID: 35394697 PMCID: PMC9290774 DOI: 10.1049/syb2.12043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The cingulate cortex is part of the conserved limbic system, which is considered as a hub of emotional and cognitive control. Accumulating evidence suggested that involvement of the cingulate cortex is significant for cognitive impairment of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, mechanistic studies of the cingulate cortex in PD pathogenesis are limited. Here, transcriptomic and regulatory network analyses were conducted for the cingulate cortex in PD. Enrichment and clustering analyses showed that genes involved in regulation of membrane potential and glutamate receptor signalling pathway were upregulated. Importantly, myelin genes and the oligodendrocyte development pathways were markedly downregulated, indicating disrupted myelination in PD cingulate cortex. Cell‐type‐specific signatures revealed that myelinating oligodendrocytes were the major cell type damaged in the PD cingulate cortex. Furthermore, downregulation of myelination pathways in the cingulate cortex were shared and validated in another independent RNAseq cohort of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). In combination with ATACseq data, gene regulatory networks (GRNs) were further constructed for 32 transcription factors (TFs) and 466 target genes among differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using a tree‐based machine learning algorithm. Several transcription factors, including Olig2, Sox8, Sox10, E2F1, and NKX6‐2, were highlighted as key nodes in a sub‐network, which control many overlapping downstream targets associated with myelin formation and gliogenesis. In addition, the authors have validated a subset of DEGs by qPCRs in two PD mouse models. Notably, seven of these genes,TOX3, NECAB2 NOS1, CAPN3, NR4A2, E2F1 and FOXP2, have been implicated previously in PD or neurodegeneration and are worthy of further studies as novel candidate genes. Together, our findings provide new insights into the role of remyelination as a promising new approach to treat PD after demyelination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Xie
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.,School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jiajun Yang
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.,School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Shenghui Huang
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.,School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yuanlan Fan
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.,School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Tao Xu
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Lab, School of Optometry and Ophthalmology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.,The Eye-Brain Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jiangshuang He
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.,School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jiahao Guo
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.,School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Xiang Ji
- Department of Mathematics, School of Science & Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Zhibo Wang
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Peijun Li
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jiangfan Chen
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Lab, School of Optometry and Ophthalmology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.,The Eye-Brain Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.,The Eye-Brain Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.,Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Aging, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
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40
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Alzghool OM, van Dongen G, van de Giessen E, Schoonmade L, Beaino W. α-Synuclein Radiotracer Development and In Vivo Imaging: Recent Advancements and New Perspectives. Mov Disord 2022; 37:936-948. [PMID: 35289424 PMCID: PMC9310945 DOI: 10.1002/mds.28984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
α-Synucleinopathies including idiopathic Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and multiple systems atrophy share overlapping symptoms and pathological hallmarks. Selective neurodegeneration and Lewy pathology are the main hallmarks of α-synucleinopathies. Currently, there is no imaging biomarker suitable for a definitive early diagnosis of α-synucleinopathies. Although dopaminergic deficits detected with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracers can support clinical diagnosis by confirming the presence of dopaminergic neurodegeneration, dopaminergic imaging cannot visualize the preceding disease process, nor distinguish α-synucleinopathies from tauopathies with dopaminergic neurodegeneration, especially at early symptomatic disease stage when clinical presentation is often overlapping. Aggregated α-synuclein (αSyn) could be a suitable imaging biomarker in α-synucleinopathies, because αSyn aggregation and therefore, Lewy pathology is evidently an early driver of α-synucleinopathies pathogenesis. Additionally, several antibodies and small molecule compounds targeting aggregated αSyn are in development for therapy. However, there is no way to directly measure if or how much they lower the levels of aggregated αSyn in the brain. There is clearly a paramount diagnostic and therapeutic unmet medical need. To date, aggregated αSyn and Lewy pathology inclusion bodies cannot be assessed ante-mortem with SPECT or PET imaging because of the suboptimal binding characteristics and/or physicochemical properties of current radiotracers. The aim of this narrative review is to highlight the suitability of aggregated αSyn as an imaging biomarker in α-synucleinopathies, the current limitations with and lessons learned from αSyn radiotracer development, and finally to propose antibody-based ligands for imaging αSyn aggregates as a complementary tool rather than an alternative to small molecule ligands. © 2022 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Obada M Alzghool
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Tracer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Guus van Dongen
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Tracer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Elsmarieke van de Giessen
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Tracer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Linda Schoonmade
- Medical Library, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wissam Beaino
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Tracer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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41
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Mazzetti S, Barichella M, Giampietro F, Giana A, Calogero AM, Amadeo A, Palazzi N, Comincini A, Giaccone G, Bramerio M, Caronni S, Cereda V, Cereda E, Cappelletti G, Rolando C, Pezzoli G. Astrocytes expressing Vitamin D-activating enzyme identify Parkinson's disease. CNS Neurosci Ther 2022; 28:703-713. [PMID: 35166042 PMCID: PMC8981451 DOI: 10.1111/cns.13801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Astrocytes are involved in Parkinson's disease (PD) where they could contribute to α‐Synuclein pathology but also to neuroprotection via α‐Synuclein clearance. The molecular signature underlying their dual role is still elusive. Given that vitamin D has been recently suggested to be protective in neurodegeneration, the aim of our study was to investigate astrocyte and neuron vitamin D pathway alterations and their correlation with α‐Synuclein aggregates (ie, oligomers and fibrils) in human brain obtained from PD patients. Methods The expression of vitamin D pathway components CYP27B1, CYP24A1, and VDR was examined in brains obtained from PD patients (Braak stage 6; n = 9) and control subjects (n = 4). We also exploited proximity ligation assay to identified toxic α‐Synuclein oligomers in human astrocytes. Results We found that vitamin D‐activating enzyme CYP27B1 identified a subpopulation of astrocytes exclusively in PD patients. CYP27B1 positive astrocytes could display neuroprotective features as they sequester α‐Synuclein oligomers and are associated with Lewy body negative neurons. Conclusion The presence of CYP27B1 astrocytes distinguishes PD patients and suggests their contribution to protect neurons and to ameliorate neuropathological traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samanta Mazzetti
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.,Fondazione Grigioni per il Morbo di Parkinson, Milan, Italy
| | - Michela Barichella
- Fondazione Grigioni per il Morbo di Parkinson, Milan, Italy.,Parkinson Institute, ASST "G.Pini-CTO," Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Angelica Giana
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.,Parkinson Institute, ASST "G.Pini-CTO," Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Alida Amadeo
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.,Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Palazzi
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Giorgio Giaccone
- Unit of Neuropathology and Neurology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Manuela Bramerio
- S. C. Divisione Oncologia Falck and S. C. Divisione Anatomia Patologica, Ospedale Niguarda Ca' Granda, Milan, Italy
| | - Serena Caronni
- Fondazione Grigioni per il Morbo di Parkinson, Milan, Italy.,Parkinson Institute, ASST "G.Pini-CTO," Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Viviana Cereda
- Fondazione Grigioni per il Morbo di Parkinson, Milan, Italy.,Parkinson Institute, ASST "G.Pini-CTO," Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuele Cereda
- Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Graziella Cappelletti
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.,Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Rolando
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianni Pezzoli
- Fondazione Grigioni per il Morbo di Parkinson, Milan, Italy.,Parkinson Institute, ASST "G.Pini-CTO," Milan, Milan, Italy
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Phenotypic Heterogeneity of Variably Protease-Sensitive Prionopathy: A Report of Three Cases Carrying Different Genotypes at PRNP Codon 129. Viruses 2022; 14:v14020367. [PMID: 35215959 PMCID: PMC8879235 DOI: 10.3390/v14020367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Variably protease-sensitive prionopathy is an exceedingly rare, likely underestimated, sporadic prion disease that is characterized by heterogeneous and often non-specific clinical and pathological features posing diagnostic challenges. We report the results of a comprehensive analysis of three emblematic cases carrying different genotypes at the methionine (M)/valine (V) polymorphic codon 129 in the prion protein gene (PRNP). Clinical, biochemical, and neuropathological findings highlighted the prominent role of the host genetic background as a phenotypic modulator. In particular, the PRNP codon 129 showed a remarkable influence on the physicochemical properties of the pathological prion protein (PrPSc), especially on the sensitivity to proteinase K (PK) digestion (VV > MV > MM), which variably affected the three main fragments (i.e., of 19, 17, and 7 kDa, respectively) comprising the PrPSc profile after PK digestion and immunoblotting. This, in turn, correlated with significant differences in the ratio between the 19 kDa and the 7 kDa fragments which was highest in the MM case and lowest in the VV one. The relative amount of cerebral and cerebellar PrP mini-plaques immunohistochemistry showed a similar association with the codon 129 genotype (i.e., VV > MV > MM). Clinical manifestations and results of diagnostic investigations were non-specific, except for the detection of prion seeding activity by the real-time quaking-induced conversion assay in the only cerebrospinal fluid sample that we tested (from patient 129VV).
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43
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Different α-synuclein prion strains cause dementia with Lewy bodies and multiple system atrophy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2113489119. [PMID: 35115402 PMCID: PMC8833220 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2113489119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) are caused by α-synuclein prions that differ from each other and from those causing Parkinson’s disease (PD). DLB prions differ in their infectivity from those causing MSA or PD. The wild-type, normal version of the α-synuclein protein has the acidic amino acid glutamate (E) at residue 46, while in cases of inherited PD, it is mutated to the basic amino acid lysine (K). Using genetically engineered α-synuclein, we identified unique conditions for propagating MSA and DLB prions. Being able to distinguish among strains of naturally occurring α-synuclein prions may make it possible to develop strain-specific therapeutics for MSA, DLB, and PD. The α-synuclein protein can adopt several different conformations that cause neurodegeneration. Different α-synuclein conformers cause at least three distinct α-synucleinopathies: multiple system atrophy (MSA), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and Parkinson’s disease (PD). In earlier studies, we transmitted MSA to transgenic (Tg) mice and cultured HEK cells both expressing mutant α-synuclein (A53T) but not to cells expressing α-synuclein (E46K). Now, we report that DLB is caused by a strain of α-synuclein prions that is distinct from MSA. Using cultured HEK cells expressing mutant α-synuclein (E46K), we found that DLB prions could be transmitted to these HEK cells. Our results argue that a third strain of α-synuclein prions likely causes PD, but further studies are needed to identify cells and/or Tg mice that express a mutant α-synuclein protein that is permissive for PD prion replication. Our findings suggest that other α-synuclein mutants should give further insights into α-synuclein prion replication, strain formation, and disease pathogenesis, all of which are likely required to discover effective drugs for the treatment of PD as well as the other α-synucleinopathies.
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44
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Van Den Berge N, Ulusoy A. Animal models of brain-first and body-first Parkinson's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 163:105599. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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45
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Gilvesy A, Husen E, Magloczky Z, Mihaly O, Hortobágyi T, Kanatani S, Heinsen H, Renier N, Hökfelt T, Mulder J, Uhlen M, Kovacs GG, Adori C. Spatiotemporal characterization of cellular tau pathology in the human locus coeruleus-pericoerulear complex by three-dimensional imaging. Acta Neuropathol 2022; 144:651-676. [PMID: 36040521 PMCID: PMC9468059 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-022-02477-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Tau pathology of the noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) is a hallmark of several age-related neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. However, a comprehensive neuropathological examination of the LC is difficult due to its small size and rod-like shape. To investigate the LC cytoarchitecture and tau cytoskeletal pathology in relation to possible propagation patterns of disease-associated tau in an unprecedented large-scale three-dimensional view, we utilized volume immunostaining and optical clearing technology combined with light sheet fluorescence microscopy. We examined AT8+ pathological tau in the LC/pericoerulear region of 20 brains from Braak neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) stage 0-6. We demonstrate an intriguing morphological complexity and heterogeneity of AT8+ cellular structures in the LC, representing various intracellular stages of NFT maturation and their diverse transition forms. We describe novel morphologies of neuronal tau pathology such as AT8+ cells with fine filamentous somatic protrusions or with disintegrating soma. We show that gradual dendritic atrophy is the first morphological sign of the degeneration of tangle-bearing neurons, even preceding axonal lesions. Interestingly, irrespective of the Braak NFT stage, tau pathology is more advanced in the dorsal LC that preferentially projects to vulnerable forebrain regions in Alzheimer's disease, like the hippocampus or neocortical areas, compared to the ventral LC projecting to the cerebellum and medulla. Moreover, already in the precortical Braak 0 stage, 3D analysis reveals clustering tendency and dendro-dendritic close appositions of AT8+ LC neurons, AT8+ long axons of NFT-bearing cells that join the ascending dorsal noradrenergic bundle after leaving the LC, as well as AT8+ processes of NFT-bearing LC neurons that target the 4th ventricle wall. Our study suggests that the unique cytoarchitecture, comprised of a densely packed and dendritically extensively interconnected neuronal network with long projections, makes the human LC to be an ideal anatomical template for early accumulation and trans-neuronal spreading of hyperphosphorylated tau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abris Gilvesy
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
- McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Evelina Husen
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Zsofia Magloczky
- Human Brain Research Laboratory, Institute of Experimental Medicine, ELKH, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Orsolya Mihaly
- Department of Pathology, St. Borbála Hospital, Tatabánya, Hungary
| | - Tibor Hortobágyi
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Centre for Age-Related Medicine, SESAM, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Shigeaki Kanatani
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Helmut Heinsen
- Clinic of Psychiatry and Institute of Forensic Pathology, University of Würzburg, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
- LIM-44, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nicolas Renier
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute-ICM, INSERM, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Tomas Hökfelt
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jan Mulder
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mathias Uhlen
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory, Royal Institute of Technology, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gabor G Kovacs
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Laboratory Medicine Program and Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Csaba Adori
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden.
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46
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Biovalue in Human Brain Banking: Applications and Challenges for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Methods Mol Biol 2021. [PMID: 34558013 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1783-0_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Brain banking occupies a central role for the advancement of the study of human neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases. The smooth functioning and effectiveness of a brain bank is largely a multidisciplinary effort and requires the cooperation and participation of several players including neurologists, neuropathologists, and research coordinators to guarantee that donated tissue is properly processed and archived. If properly run, brain banks can ultimately lay the foundation for new brain research and pioneer the discovery of new therapies for a variety of neurological diseases.
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47
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Feleke R, Reynolds RH, Smith AM, Tilley B, Taliun SAG, Hardy J, Matthews PM, Gentleman S, Owen DR, Johnson MR, Srivastava PK, Ryten M. Cross-platform transcriptional profiling identifies common and distinct molecular pathologies in Lewy body diseases. Acta Neuropathol 2021; 142:449-474. [PMID: 34309761 PMCID: PMC8357687 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-021-02343-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD), Parkinson's disease with dementia (PDD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are three clinically, genetically and neuropathologically overlapping neurodegenerative diseases collectively known as the Lewy body diseases (LBDs). A variety of molecular mechanisms have been implicated in PD pathogenesis, but the mechanisms underlying PDD and DLB remain largely unknown, a knowledge gap that presents an impediment to the discovery of disease-modifying therapies. Transcriptomic profiling can contribute to addressing this gap, but remains limited in the LBDs. Here, we applied paired bulk-tissue and single-nucleus RNA-sequencing to anterior cingulate cortex samples derived from 28 individuals, including healthy controls, PD, PDD and DLB cases (n = 7 per group), to transcriptomically profile the LBDs. Using this approach, we (i) found transcriptional alterations in multiple cell types across the LBDs; (ii) discovered evidence for widespread dysregulation of RNA splicing, particularly in PDD and DLB; (iii) identified potential splicing factors, with links to other dementia-related neurodegenerative diseases, coordinating this dysregulation; and (iv) identified transcriptomic commonalities and distinctions between the LBDs that inform understanding of the relationships between these three clinical disorders. Together, these findings have important implications for the design of RNA-targeted therapies for these diseases and highlight a potential molecular "window" of therapeutic opportunity between the initial onset of PD and subsequent development of Lewy body dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahel Feleke
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Regina H Reynolds
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London, London, UK
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Genetics and Genomic Medicine, University College London, London, UK
| | - Amy M Smith
- Dementia Research Institute at Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Bension Tilley
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah A Gagliano Taliun
- Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Montréal Heart Institute, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - John Hardy
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, UK
| | - Paul M Matthews
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Dementia Research Institute at Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Steve Gentleman
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Dementia Research Institute at Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - David R Owen
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Prashant K Srivastava
- Dementia Research Institute at Imperial College London, London, UK
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Mina Ryten
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Genetics and Genomic Medicine, University College London, London, UK.
- NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London, UK.
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48
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Tilley BS, Patel SR, Goldfinger MH, Pearce RKB, Gentleman SM. Locus Coeruleus Pathology Indicates a Continuum of Lewy Body Dementia. JOURNAL OF PARKINSONS DISEASE 2021; 11:1641-1650. [PMID: 34334423 DOI: 10.3233/jpd-212748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lewy body dementia (LBD) has two main phenotypes of LBD, Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), separated by the 'one-year-rule'. They also show different symptom profiles: core DLB features include fluctuating cognition, REM-sleep behaviur disorder, and visual hallucinations. These symptoms are sometimes present in PDD, representing an intermediate 'PDD-DLB' phenotype. OBJECTIVE DLB-like features may reflect deficits in the functions of the noradrenergic nucleus locus coeruleus (LC). Therefore, we compared the LC in the LBD phenotypes, PD, and controls. METHODS 38 PD, 56 PDD, 22 DLB, and 11 age-matched control cases from the Parkinson's UK tissue bank were included. LC tissue sections were immunostained for tyrosine-hydroxylase (TH), α-synuclein, tau, and amyloid-β. TH-neurons were quantified and pathologic burden calculated by %-coverage method. RESULTS The LC shows a stepwise reduction in neuron count from controls, PD, PDD, to DLB. PDD-DLB cases showed an intermediate clinical phenotype that was reflected pathologically. Cell counts were significantly reduced in DLB compared to PDD after correction for demographic factors. LC degeneration contributed significantly to the onset of all DLB symptoms. While α-synuclein was not significantly different between PDD and DLB cases, DLB exhibited significantly less tau pathology. CONCLUSION DLB and DLB-like symptoms represent noradrenergic deficits resulting from neuronal loss in the LC. PDD and DLB are likely to represent a clinical continuum based on the presence or absence of DLB-like symptoms mirrored by a pathological continuum in the LC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bension S Tilley
- Neuropathology Unit, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Shivani R Patel
- Neuropathology Unit, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Marc H Goldfinger
- Neuropathology Unit, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Ronald K B Pearce
- Neuropathology Unit, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Steve M Gentleman
- Neuropathology Unit, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
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49
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Vergouw LJM, Geut H, Breedveld G, Kuipers DJS, Quadri M, Rozemuller AJM, van Swieten JC, de Jong FJ, van de Berg WDJ, Bonifati V. Clinical and Pathological Phenotypes of LRP10 Variant Carriers with Dementia. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 76:1161-1170. [PMID: 32597809 PMCID: PMC7505004 DOI: 10.3233/jad-200318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Background: Rare variants in the low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein 10 gene (LRP10) have recently been implicated in the etiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Objective: We searched for LRP10 variants in a new series of brain donors with dementia and Lewy pathology (LP) at autopsy, or dementia and parkinsonism without LP but with various other neurodegenerative pathologies. Methods: Sanger sequencing of LRP10 was performed in 233 donors collected by the Netherlands Brain Bank. Results: Rare, possibly pathogenic heterozygous LRP10 variants were present in three patients: p.Gly453Ser in a patient with mixed Alzheimer’s disease (AD)/Lewy body disease (LBD), p.Arg151Cys in a DLB patient, and p.Gly326Asp in an AD patient without LP. All three patients had a positive family history for dementia or PD. Conclusion: Rare LRP10 variants are present in some patients with dementia and different brain pathologies including DLB, mixed AD/LBD, and AD. These findings suggest a role for LRP10 across a broad neurodegenerative spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie J M Vergouw
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hanneke Geut
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Guido Breedveld
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Clinical Genetics, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Demy J S Kuipers
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Clinical Genetics, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marialuisa Quadri
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Clinical Genetics, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Annemieke J M Rozemuller
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - John C van Swieten
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Frank Jan de Jong
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Wilma D J van de Berg
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Vincenzo Bonifati
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Clinical Genetics, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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50
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Candelise N, Scaricamazza S, Salvatori I, Ferri A, Valle C, Manganelli V, Garofalo T, Sorice M, Misasi R. Protein Aggregation Landscape in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Clinical Relevance and Future Applications. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22116016. [PMID: 34199513 PMCID: PMC8199687 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22116016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Intrinsic disorder is a natural feature of polypeptide chains, resulting in the lack of a defined three-dimensional structure. Conformational changes in intrinsically disordered regions of a protein lead to unstable β-sheet enriched intermediates, which are stabilized by intermolecular interactions with other β-sheet enriched molecules, producing stable proteinaceous aggregates. Upon misfolding, several pathways may be undertaken depending on the composition of the amino acidic string and the surrounding environment, leading to different structures. Accumulating evidence is suggesting that the conformational state of a protein may initiate signalling pathways involved both in pathology and physiology. In this review, we will summarize the heterogeneity of structures that are produced from intrinsically disordered protein domains and highlight the routes that lead to the formation of physiological liquid droplets as well as pathogenic aggregates. The most common proteins found in aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases and their structural variability will be addressed. We will further evaluate the clinical relevance and future applications of the study of the structural heterogeneity of protein aggregates, which may aid the understanding of the phenotypic diversity observed in neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niccolò Candelise
- Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, c/o CERC, 00143 Rome, Italy; (S.S.); (I.S.); (A.F.); (C.V.)
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, National Research Council, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-338-891-2668
| | - Silvia Scaricamazza
- Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, c/o CERC, 00143 Rome, Italy; (S.S.); (I.S.); (A.F.); (C.V.)
| | - Illari Salvatori
- Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, c/o CERC, 00143 Rome, Italy; (S.S.); (I.S.); (A.F.); (C.V.)
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, 00161 Rome, Italy; (V.M.); (T.G.); (M.S.); (R.M.)
| | - Alberto Ferri
- Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, c/o CERC, 00143 Rome, Italy; (S.S.); (I.S.); (A.F.); (C.V.)
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, National Research Council, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Cristiana Valle
- Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, c/o CERC, 00143 Rome, Italy; (S.S.); (I.S.); (A.F.); (C.V.)
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, National Research Council, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Manganelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, 00161 Rome, Italy; (V.M.); (T.G.); (M.S.); (R.M.)
| | - Tina Garofalo
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, 00161 Rome, Italy; (V.M.); (T.G.); (M.S.); (R.M.)
| | - Maurizio Sorice
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, 00161 Rome, Italy; (V.M.); (T.G.); (M.S.); (R.M.)
| | - Roberta Misasi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, 00161 Rome, Italy; (V.M.); (T.G.); (M.S.); (R.M.)
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