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Zampar S, Di Gregorio SE, Grimmer G, Watts JC, Ingelsson M. "Prion-like" seeding and propagation of oligomeric protein assemblies in neurodegenerative disorders. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1436262. [PMID: 39161653 PMCID: PMC11330897 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1436262] [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: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Intra- or extracellular aggregates of proteins are central pathogenic features in most neurodegenerative disorders. The accumulation of such proteins in diseased brains is believed to be the end-stage of a stepwise aggregation of misfolded monomers to insoluble cross-β fibrils via a series of differently sized soluble oligomers/protofibrils. Several studies have shown how α-synuclein, amyloid-β, tau and other amyloidogenic proteins can act as nucleating particles and thereby share properties with misfolded forms, or strains, of the prion protein. Although the roles of different protein assemblies in the respective aggregation cascades remain unclear, oligomers/protofibrils are considered key pathogenic species. Numerous observations have demonstrated their neurotoxic effects and a growing number of studies have indicated that they also possess seeding properties, enabling their propagation within cellular networks in the nervous system. The seeding behavior of oligomers differs between the proteins and is also affected by various factors, such as size, shape and epitope presentation. Here, we are providing an overview of the current state of knowledge with respect to the "prion-like" behavior of soluble oligomers for several of the amyloidogenic proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases. In addition to providing new insight into pathogenic mechanisms, research in this field is leading to novel diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Zampar
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sonja E. Di Gregorio
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Gustavo Grimmer
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joel C. Watts
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Martin Ingelsson
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Public Health/Geriatrics, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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2
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Vourkou E, Rouiz Ortega ED, Mahajan S, Mudher A, Skoulakis EMC. Human Tau Aggregates Are Permissive to Protein Synthesis-Dependent Memory in Drosophila Tauopathy Models. J Neurosci 2023; 43:2988-3006. [PMID: 36868851 PMCID: PMC10124960 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1374-22.2023] [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: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies including Alzheimer's disease, are characterized by progressive cognitive decline, neurodegeneration, and intraneuronal aggregates comprised largely of the axonal protein Tau. It has been unclear whether cognitive deficits are a consequence of aggregate accumulation thought to compromise neuronal health and eventually lead to neurodegeneration. We use the Drosophila tauopathy model and mixed-sex populations to reveal an adult onset pan-neuronal Tau accumulation-dependent decline in learning efficacy and a specific defect in protein synthesis-dependent memory (PSD-M), but not in its protein synthesis-independent variant. We demonstrate that these neuroplasticity defects are reversible on suppression of new transgenic human Tau expression and surprisingly correlate with an increase in Tau aggregates. Inhibition of aggregate formation via acute oral administration of methylene blue results in re-emergence of deficient memory in animals with suppressed human Tau (hTau)0N4R expression. Significantly, aggregate inhibition results in PSD-M deficits in hTau0N3R-expressing animals, which present elevated aggregates and normal memory if untreated with methylene blue. Moreover, methylene blue-dependent hTau0N4R aggregate suppression within adult mushroom body neurons also resulted in emergence of memory deficits. Therefore, deficient PSD-M on human Tau expression in the Drosophila CNS is not a consequence of toxicity and neuronal loss because it is reversible. Furthermore, PSD-M deficits do not result from aggregate accumulation, which appears permissive, if not protective of processes underlying this memory variant.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Intraneuronal Tau aggregate accumulation has been proposed to underlie the cognitive decline and eventual neurotoxicity that characterizes the neurodegenerative dementias known as tauopathies. However, we show in three experimental settings that Tau aggregates in the Drosophila CNS do not impair but rather appear to facilitate processes underlying protein synthesis-dependent memory within affected neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ergina Vourkou
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre Alexander Fleming, 16672 Vari, Greece
| | - Eva D Rouiz Ortega
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Sumeet Mahajan
- School of Chemistry, Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Amrit Mudher
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Efthimios M C Skoulakis
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre Alexander Fleming, 16672 Vari, Greece
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3
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Maina KN, Smet-Nocca C, Bitan G. Using FRET-Based Biosensor Cells to Study the Seeding Activity of Tau and α-Synuclein. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2551:125-145. [PMID: 36310201 PMCID: PMC9836052 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2597-2_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Two fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based biosensor cell lines developed several years ago by the Diamond group (University of Texas, Southwestern) have allowed convenient, sensitive, and specific measurement of the intracellular aggregation of tau and α-synuclein following the addition of oligomer or small-aggregate "seeds" of these proteins from various sources, and an advancement relative to similar single-fluorophore systems. These biosensor cell lines allow researchers to both visualize the intracellular aggregates of tau or α-synuclein and measure intracellular aggregation with high sensitivity using a FRET signal in flow cytometry. Here we provide detailed protocols for generating seeds, culturing the biosensor cells, measuring intracellular aggregates by flow cytometry, and analyzing the results and discuss the utility of the technique with the aim of characterizing factors involved in the regulation of intracellular tau and α-synuclein aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine N Maina
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Caroline Smet-Nocca
- Université de Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
- CNRS EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France
| | - Gal Bitan
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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4
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Hou Y, Wei W, Li G, Sang N. Prenatal PM 2.5 exposure contributes to neuronal tau lesion in male offspring mice through mitochondrial dysfunction-mediated insulin resistance. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 246:114151. [PMID: 36228359 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The epidemiological evidence has linked prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution with neurological diseases in offspring. However, the biological process and toxicological mechanisms remain unclear. Tau protein is a neuronal microtubule-associated protein expressed in fetal brain and plays a critical role in mediating neuronal development. Aberrant expression of tau is associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. To study whether prenatal exposure to PM2.5 pollution induce tau lesion in mice offspring and elucidate the underlying pathogenic mechanism, we exposed pregnant mice to PM2.5 (3 mg/kg b.w.) by oropharyngeal aspiration every other day. The results indicate that prenatal PM2.5 exposure induced hyperphosphorylation of tau in the cortex of postnatal male offspring, which was accompanied by insulin resistance through the IRS-1/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Importantly, we further found that prenatal PM2.5 exposure induced mitochondrial dysfunction by disrupting mitochondrial ultrastructure and decreasing the expression of rate-limiting enzymes (CS, IDH2 and FH) in the Krebs cycle and the subunits of mitochondrial complex IV and V (CO1, CO4, ATP6, and ATP8) during postnatal neurodevelopment. The findings suggest that prenatal PM2.5 exposure could induce tauopathy-like changes in male offspring, in which mitochondrial dysfunction-induced insulin resistance might play an important role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanwen Hou
- College of Environment and Resource, Research Center of Environment and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, PR China
| | - Wei Wei
- College of Environment and Resource, Research Center of Environment and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, PR China
| | - Guangke Li
- College of Environment and Resource, Research Center of Environment and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, PR China
| | - Nan Sang
- College of Environment and Resource, Research Center of Environment and Health, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, PR China.
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5
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Muñiz JA, Facal CL, Urrutia L, Clerici-Delville R, Damianich A, Ferrario JE, Falasco G, Avale ME. SMaRT modulation of tau isoforms rescues cognitive and motor impairments in a preclinical model of tauopathy. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:951384. [PMID: 36277399 PMCID: PMC9581281 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.951384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-associated protein predominantly expressed in neurons, which participates in microtubule polymerization and axonal transport. Abnormal tau metabolism leads to neurodegenerative diseases named tauopathies, such as Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia. The alternative splicing of exon 10 (E10) in the primary transcript produces tau protein isoforms with three (3R) or four (4R) microtubule binding repeats, which are found in equal amounts in the normal adult human brain. Several tauopathies are associated with abnormal E10 alternative splicing, leading to an imbalance between 3R and 4R isoforms, which underlies disease. Correction of such imbalance represents a potential disease-modifying therapy for those tauopathies. We have previously optimized a trans-splicing RNA reprogramming strategy to modulate the 3R:4R tau content in a mouse model of tauopathy related to tau mis-splicing (htau mice), and showed that local modulation of E10 inclusion in the prefrontal cortex prevents cognitive decline, neuronal firing impairments and hyperphosphorylated tau accumulation. Furthermore, local shifting of 3R–4R tau into the striatum of htau mice prevented motor coordination deficits. However, a major bottleneck of our previous work is that local splicing regulation was performed in young mice, before the onset of pathological phenotypes. Here we tested whether regulation of tau E10 splicing could rescue tau pathology phenotypes in htau mice, after the onset of cognitive and motor impairments, comparable to early stages of human tauopathies. To determine phenotypic time course and affected brain nuclei, we assessed htau mice using behavioural tests and microPET FDG imaging over time, similarly to diagnosis methods used in patients. Based on these analyses, we performed local delivery of pre-trans splicing molecules to regulate E10 inclusion either into the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) or the striatum at 6-month-old once behavioral phenotypes and metabolic changes were detected. Tau isoforms modulation into the mPFC restored cognitive performance in mice that previously showed mild to severe memory impairment while motor coordination deficit was rescued after striatal injection of trans-splicing molecules. Our data suggest that tau regulation could recover pathological phenotypes early after phenotypic onset, raising promising perspectives for the use of RNA based therapies in tauopathies related to MAPT abnormal splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Andrés Muñiz
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular “Dr Héctor N Torres”, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carolina Lucía Facal
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular “Dr Héctor N Torres”, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Leandro Urrutia
- Laboratorio De Imágenes Preclínicas, Centro de Imágenes Moleculares, FLENI, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ramiro Clerici-Delville
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular “Dr Héctor N Torres”, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología traslacional (iB3), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ana Damianich
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular “Dr Héctor N Torres”, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Juan E. Ferrario
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología traslacional (iB3), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Germán Falasco
- Laboratorio De Imágenes Preclínicas, Centro de Imágenes Moleculares, FLENI, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Elena Avale
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular “Dr Héctor N Torres”, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- *Correspondence: María Elena Avale,
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6
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Jackson NA, Guerrero-Muñoz MJ, Castillo-Carranza DL. The prion-like transmission of tau oligomers via exosomes. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:974414. [PMID: 36062141 PMCID: PMC9434014 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.974414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The conversion and transmission of misfolded proteins established the basis for the prion concept. Neurodegenerative diseases are considered “prion-like” disorders that lack infectivity. Among them, tauopathies are characterized by the conversion of native tau protein into an abnormally folded aggregate. During the progression of the disease, misfolded tau polymerizes into oligomers and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). While the toxicity of NFTs is an ongoing debate, the contribution of tau oligomers to early onset neurodegenerative pathogenesis is accepted. Tau oligomers are readily transferred from neuron to neuron propagating through the brain inducing neurodegeneration. Recently, transmission of tau oligomers via exosomes is now proposed. There is still too much to uncover about tau misfolding and propagation. Here we summarize novel findings of tau oligomers transmission and propagation via exosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noel A. Jackson
- School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Diana L. Castillo-Carranza
- School of Medicine, University of Monterrey, San Pedro Garza García, Mexico
- *Correspondence: Diana L. Castillo-Carranza,
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7
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Meng JX, Zhang Y, Saman D, Haider AM, De S, Sang JC, Brown K, Jiang K, Humphrey J, Julian L, Hidari E, Lee SF, Balmus G, Floto RA, Bryant CE, Benesch JLP, Ye Y, Klenerman D. Hyperphosphorylated tau self-assembles into amorphous aggregates eliciting TLR4-dependent responses. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2692. [PMID: 35577786 PMCID: PMC9110413 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30461-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Soluble aggregates of the microtubule-associated protein tau have been challenging to assemble and characterize, despite their important role in the development of tauopathies. We found that sequential hyperphosphorylation by protein kinase A in conjugation with either glycogen synthase kinase 3β or stress activated protein kinase 4 enabled recombinant wild-type tau of isoform 0N4R to spontaneously polymerize into small amorphous aggregates in vitro. We employed tandem mass spectrometry to determine the phosphorylation sites, high-resolution native mass spectrometry to measure the degree of phosphorylation, and super-resolution microscopy and electron microscopy to characterize the morphology of aggregates formed. Functionally, compared with the unmodified aggregates, which require heparin induction to assemble, these self-assembled hyperphosphorylated tau aggregates more efficiently disrupt membrane bilayers and induce Toll-like receptor 4-dependent responses in human macrophages. Together, our results demonstrate that hyperphosphorylated tau aggregates are potentially damaging to cells, suggesting a mechanism for how hyperphosphorylation could drive neuroinflammation in tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan X Meng
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Molecular Immunity Unit, Department of Medicine, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridge Centre for AI in Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Dominik Saman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Arshad M Haider
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Suman De
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Neuroscience Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Jason C Sang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Karen Brown
- Molecular Immunity Unit, Department of Medicine, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridge Centre for AI in Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Kun Jiang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jane Humphrey
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Linda Julian
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Eric Hidari
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Steven F Lee
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gabriel Balmus
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - R Andres Floto
- Molecular Immunity Unit, Department of Medicine, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridge Centre for AI in Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Clare E Bryant
- Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Yu Ye
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - David Klenerman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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8
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Salehipour A, Bagheri M, Sabahi M, Dolatshahi M, Boche D. Combination Therapy in Alzheimer’s Disease: Is It Time? J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 87:1433-1449. [DOI: 10.3233/jad-215680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia globally. There is increasing evidence showing AD has no single pathogenic mechanism, and thus treatment approaches focusing only on one mechanism are unlikely to be meaningfully effective. With only one potentially disease modifying treatment approved, targeting amyloid-β (Aβ), AD is underserved regarding effective drug treatments. Combining multiple drugs or designing treatments that target multiple pathways could be an effective therapeutic approach. Considering the distinction between added and combination therapies, one can conclude that most trials fall under the category of added therapies. For combination therapy to have an actual impact on the course of AD, it is likely necessary to target multiple mechanisms including but not limited to Aβ and tau pathology. Several challenges have to be addressed regarding combination therapy, including choosing the correct agents, the best time and stage of AD to intervene, designing and providing proper protocols for clinical trials. This can be achieved by a cooperation between the pharmaceutical industry, academia, private research centers, philanthropic institutions, and the regulatory bodies. Based on all the available information, the success of combination therapy to tackle complicated disorders such as cancer, and the blueprint already laid out on how to implement combination therapy and overcome its challenges, an argument can be made that the field has to move cautiously but quickly toward designing new clinical trials, further exploring the pathological mechanisms of AD, and re-examining the previous studies with combination therapies so that effective treatments for AD may be finally found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arash Salehipour
- Neurosurgery Research Group (NRG), Student Research Committee, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
- NeuroImaging Network (NIN), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Motahareh Bagheri
- Neurosurgery Research Group (NRG), Student Research Committee, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Mohammadmahdi Sabahi
- Neurosurgery Research Group (NRG), Student Research Committee, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
- NeuroImaging Network (NIN), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahsa Dolatshahi
- NeuroImaging Network (NIN), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
- Students’ Scientific Research Center (SSRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Delphine Boche
- Clinical Neurosciences, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, United Kingdom
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9
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Walia V, Kaushik D, Mittal V, Kumar K, Verma R, Parashar J, Akter R, Rahman MH, Bhatia S, Al-Harrasi A, Karthika C, Bhattacharya T, Chopra H, Ashraf GM. Delineation of Neuroprotective Effects and Possible Benefits of AntioxidantsTherapy for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Diseases by Targeting Mitochondrial-Derived Reactive Oxygen Species: Bench to Bedside. Mol Neurobiol 2021; 59:657-680. [PMID: 34751889 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-021-02617-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is considered the sixth leading cause of death in elderly patients and is characterized by progressive neuronal degeneration and impairment in memory, language, etc. AD is characterized by the deposition of senile plaque, accumulation of fibrils, and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) which are responsible for neuronal degeneration. Amyloid-β (Aβ) plays a key role in the process of neuronal degeneration in the case of AD. It has been reported that Aβ is responsible for the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), depletion of endogenous antioxidants, increase in intracellular Ca2+ which further increases mitochondria dysfunctions, oxidative stress, release of pro-apoptotic factors, neuronal apoptosis, etc. Thus, oxidative stress plays a key role in the pathogenesis of AD. Antioxidants are compounds that have the ability to counteract the oxidative damage conferred by ROS. Therefore, the antioxidant therapy may provide benefits and halt the progress of AD to advance stages by counteracting neuronal degeneration. However, despite the beneficial effects imposed by the antioxidants, the findings from the clinical studies suggested inconsistent results which might be due to poor study design, selection of the wrong antioxidant, inability of the molecule to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), treatment in the advanced state of disease, etc. The present review insights into the neuroprotective effects and limitations of the antioxidant therapy for the treatment of AD by targeting mitochondrial-derived ROS. This particular article will certainly help the researchers to search new avenues for the treatment of AD by utilizing mitochondrial-derived ROS-targeted antioxidant therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaibhav Walia
- SGT College of Pharmacy, SGT University, Gurugram, Haryana, India
| | - Deepak Kaushik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, 124001, India
| | - Vineet Mittal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, 124001, India
| | - Kuldeep Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Research, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, India
- University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Ravinder Verma
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medical and Allied Sciences, G.D. Goenka University, Gurugram, 122103, India
| | - Jatin Parashar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, 124001, India
| | - Rokeya Akter
- Department of Pharmacy, Jagannath University, Sadarghat, Dhaka, 1100, Bangladesh
| | - Md Habibur Rahman
- Department of Pharmacy, Southeast University, Banani, Dhaka, 1213, Bangladesh.
| | - Saurabh Bhatia
- School of Health Science University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehrandun, Uttarkhand, 248007, India
- Natural & Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, 616 Birkat Al Mouz, P.O. Box 33, Nizwa, Oman
| | - Ahmed Al-Harrasi
- Natural & Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, 616 Birkat Al Mouz, P.O. Box 33, Nizwa, Oman
| | - Chenmala Karthika
- Department of Pharmaceutics, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, The Nilgiris, Ooty, 643001, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Tanima Bhattacharya
- College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Hitesh Chopra
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, 140401, India
| | - Ghulam Md Ashraf
- Pre-Clinical Research Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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10
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Singh A, Allen D, Fracassi A, Tumurbaatar B, Natarajan C, Scaduto P, Woltjer R, Kayed R, Limon A, Krishnan B, Taglialatela G. Functional Integrity of Synapses in the Central Nervous System of Cognitively Intact Individuals with High Alzheimer's Disease Neuropathology Is Associated with Absence of Synaptic Tau Oligomers. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 78:1661-1678. [PMID: 33185603 PMCID: PMC7836055 DOI: 10.3233/jad-200716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Certain individuals, here referred to as Non-Demented with Alzheimer Neuropathology (NDAN), do not show overt neurodegeneration (N-) and remain cognitively intact despite the presence of plaques (A+) and tangles (T+) that would normally be consistent with fully symptomatic Alzheimer's disease (AD). OBJECTIVE The existence of NDAN (A + T+N-) subjects suggests that the human brain utilizes intrinsic mechanisms that can naturally evade cognitive decline normally associated with the symptomatic stages of AD (A + T+N+). Deciphering the underlying mechanisms would prove relevant to develop complementing therapeutics to prevent progression of AD-related cognitive decline. METHODS Previously, we have reported that NDAN present with preserved neurogenesis and synaptic integrity paralleled by absence of amyloid oligomers at synapses. Using postmortem brain samples from age-matched control subjects, demented AD patients and NDAN individuals, we performed immunofluorescence, western blots, micro transplantation of synaptic membranes in Xenopus oocytes followed by twin electrode voltage clamp electrophysiology and fluorescence assisted single synaptosome-long term potentiation studies. RESULTS We report decreased tau oligomers at synapses in the brains of NDAN subjects. Furthermore, using novel approaches we report, for the first time, that such absence of tau oligomers at synapses is associated with synaptic functional integrity in NDAN subjects as compared to demented AD patients. CONCLUSION Overall, these results give further credence to tau oligomers as primary actors of synaptic destruction underscoring cognitive demise in AD and support their targeting as a viable therapeutic strategy for AD and related tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayush Singh
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, UTMB Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Dyron Allen
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, UTMB Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Anna Fracassi
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, UTMB Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Batbayar Tumurbaatar
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, UTMB Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Chandramouli Natarajan
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, UTMB Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Pietro Scaduto
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, UTMB Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Randy Woltjer
- Department of Pathology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Rakez Kayed
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, UTMB Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Agenor Limon
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, UTMB Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Balaji Krishnan
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, UTMB Galveston, TX, USA,Correspondence to: Giulio Taglialatela, PhD, Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, UTMB Galveston, TX, USA. Tel.: +1 409 772 1679; Fax: +1 409 772 0015; E-mail: . and Balaji Krishnan, PhD, Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, UTMB Galveston, TX, USA. Tel.: +1 409 772 8069; Fax: +1 409 772 0015; E-mail:
| | - Giulio Taglialatela
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, UTMB Galveston, TX, USA,Correspondence to: Giulio Taglialatela, PhD, Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, UTMB Galveston, TX, USA. Tel.: +1 409 772 1679; Fax: +1 409 772 0015; E-mail: . and Balaji Krishnan, PhD, Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, UTMB Galveston, TX, USA. Tel.: +1 409 772 8069; Fax: +1 409 772 0015; E-mail:
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11
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Leveille E, Ross OA, Gan-Or Z. Tau and MAPT genetics in tauopathies and synucleinopathies. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2021; 90:142-154. [PMID: 34593302 PMCID: PMC9310195 DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2021.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
MAPT encodes the microtubule-associated protein tau, which is the main component of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and found in other protein aggregates. These aggregates are among the pathological hallmarks of primary tauopathies such as frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Abnormal tau can also be observed in secondary tauopathies such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and synucleinopathies such as Parkinson's disease (PD). On top of pathological findings, genetic data also links MAPT to these disorders. MAPT variations are a cause or risk factors for many tauopathies and synucleinopathies and are associated with certain clinical and pathological features in affected individuals. In addition to clinical, pathological, and genetic overlap, evidence also suggests that tau and alpha-synuclein may interact on the molecular level, and thus might collaborate in the neurodegenerative process. Understanding the role of MAPT variations in tauopathies and synucleinopathies is therefore essential to elucidate the role of tau in the pathogenesis and phenotype of those disorders, and ultimately to develop targeted therapies. In this review, we describe the role of MAPT genetic variations in tauopathies and synucleinopathies, several genotype-phenotype and pathological features, and discuss their implications for the classification and treatment of those disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Owen A Ross
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA; Department of Clinical Genomics, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Ziv Gan-Or
- The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-hospital), McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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12
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Zhang H, Cao Y, Ma L, Wei Y, Li H. Possible Mechanisms of Tau Spread and Toxicity in Alzheimer's Disease. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:707268. [PMID: 34395435 PMCID: PMC8355602 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.707268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau is a protein that associates with microtubules (MTs) and promotes their assembly and stability. The protein loses its ability to bind MTs in tauopathies, and detached tau can misfold and induce the pathological changes that characterize Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A growing body of evidence indicates that tauopathies can spread between cells or connected regions. Pathological tau transmission in the brain of patients with AD and other tauopathies is due to the spread of various tau species along neuroanatomically connected regions in a “prion-like” manner. This complex process involves multiple steps of secretion, cellular uptake, transcellular transfer, and/or seeding, but the precise mechanisms of tau pathology propagation remain unclear. This review summarizes the current evidence on the nature of propagative tau species and the possible steps involved in the process of tau pathology spread, including detachment from MTs, degradations, and secretion, and discusses the different mechanisms underlying the spread of tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiqin Zhang
- Institute of Geriatrics, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Cao
- Institute of Geriatrics, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lina Ma
- Institute of Geriatrics, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yun Wei
- Institute of Geriatrics, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Li
- Institute of Geriatrics, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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13
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Hole KL, Staniaszek LE, Menon Balan G, Mason JM, Brown JT, Williams RJ. Oral (-)-Epicatechin Inhibits Progressive Tau Pathology in rTg4510 Mice Independent of Direct Actions at GSK3β. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:697319. [PMID: 34220446 PMCID: PMC8244787 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.697319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggregation of the microtubule-associated protein tau into paired helical filaments (PHFs) and neurofibrillary tangles is a defining characteristic of Alzheimer’s Disease. Various plant polyphenols disrupt tau aggregation in vitro but display poor bioavailability and low potency, challenging their therapeutic translation. We previously reported that oral administration of the flavonoid (−)-epicatechin (EC) reduced Amyloid-β (Aβ) plaque pathology in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Here, we investigated whether EC impacts on tau pathology, independent of actions on Aβ, using rTg4510 mice expressing P301L mutant tau. 4 and 6.5 months old rTg4510 mice received EC (∼18 mg/day) or vehicle (ethanol) via drinking water for 21 days and the levels of total and phosphorylated tau were assessed. At 4 months, tau appeared as two bands of ∼55 kDa, phosphorylated at Ser262 and Ser396 and was unaffected by exposure to EC. At 6.5 months an additional higher molecular weight form of tau was detected at ∼64 kDa which was phosphorylated at Ser262, Ser396 and additionally at the AT8 sites, indicative of the presence of PHFs. EC consumption reduced the levels of the ∼64 kDa tau species and inhibited phosphorylation at Ser262 and AT8 phosphoepitopes. Regulation of the key tau kinase glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) by phosphorylation at Ser9 was not altered by exposure to EC in mice or primary neurons. Furthermore, EC did not significantly inhibit GSK3β activity at physiologically-relevant concentrations in a cell free assay. Therefore, a 21-day intervention with EC inhibits or reverses the development of tau pathology in rTg4510 mice independently of direct inhibition of GSK3β.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katriona L Hole
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Lydia E Staniaszek
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Gayathri Menon Balan
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Jody M Mason
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Jon T Brown
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Robert J Williams
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
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14
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Damianich A, Facal CL, Muñiz JA, Mininni C, Soiza-Reilly M, Ponce De León M, Urrutia L, Falasco G, Ferrario JE, Avale ME. Tau mis-splicing correlates with motor impairments and striatal dysfunction in a model of tauopathy. Brain 2021; 144:2302-2309. [PMID: 34059893 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are neurodegenerative diseases caused by the abnormal metabolism of the microtubule associated protein Tau, which is highly expressed in neurons and critically involved in microtubule dynamics. In the adult human brain, the alternative splicing of exon 10 in tau pre-mRNA produces equal amounts of protein isoforms with either three (3 R) or four (4 R) microtubule binding domains. Imbalance in the 3 R : 4 R tau ratio is associated with primary tauopathies that develop atypical parkinsonism, such as Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Corticobasal Degeneration. Yet, the development of effective therapies for those pathologies is an unmet goal. Here we report motor coordination impairments in the htau mouse model of tauopathy which bear abnormal 3 R : 4 R tau isoforms contents, and contrariwise to TauKO mice, are unresponsive to L-DOPA. Preclinical-PET imaging, array tomography and electrophysiological analyses pointed the dorsal striatum as the candidate structure mediating such phenotypes. Indeed, local modulation of tau isoforms by RNA trans-splicing in the striata of adult htau mice, prevented motor coordination deficits and restored basal neuronal firing. Together, these results constitute readout that abnormal striatal tau-isoforms contents might lead to parkinsonian-like phenotypes and provide proof of concept that modulation of tau mis-splicing could be a plausible disease-modifying therapy for some primary tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Damianich
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carolina Lucia Facal
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Javier Andrés Muñiz
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Camilo Mininni
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariano Soiza-Reilly
- Instituto de Fisiología Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-UBA-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Magdalena Ponce De León
- Laboratorio De Imágenes Preclínicas, Centro de Imágenes Moleculares, FLENI, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Leandro Urrutia
- Laboratorio De Imágenes Preclínicas, Centro de Imágenes Moleculares, FLENI, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - German Falasco
- Laboratorio De Imágenes Preclínicas, Centro de Imágenes Moleculares, FLENI, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Juan Esteban Ferrario
- Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional (iB3), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Elena Avale
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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15
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Cysteine inducing formation and reshuffling of disulfide bonds in cold-extruded whey protein molecules: From structural and functional characteristics to cytotoxicity. Food Chem 2021; 360:130121. [PMID: 34034051 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.130121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Polymer chemistry, rheology and cytotoxicity of cysteine initiated S-S redistribution in cold-extruded whey protein (TWPI) molecules were investigated. The locations of disulfide bonds in whey protein isolate (WPI), WPI dried without being extruded (OWPI) and cold-extruded WPI (TWPI), Cysteine (Cys)-treated WPI (WPI-Cys), OWPI (OWPI-Cys) and TWPI (TWPI-Cys) were precisely analyzed using liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) combined with pLink software approaches. The numbers of intermolecular disulfide cross-linked peptides identified in Cys-treated samples increased by 4, 6 and 1, respectively, in the order of TWPI-Cys, OWPI-Cys and WPI-Cys. Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed cysteine treatment loosed secondary structure of protein samples. Meanwhile, size exclusion chromatography (SEC) assay demonstrated the extensive polymerization in TWPI-Cys. Furthermore, Cys-treatment decreased the gelling temperature of TWPI to 57 °C sharply. Cys-treated TWPI has 19.11 times storage modulus (G') and 25.86 times loss modulus (G") of Cys-untreated TWPI at 85 °C. Additionally, cell viability with Cys addition indicate modified whey proteins are not toxic to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).
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16
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Ribarič S. Nanotechnology Therapy for Alzheimer's Disease Memory Impairment Attenuation. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22031102. [PMID: 33499311 PMCID: PMC7865945 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22031102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease (AD) in humans; treatment is symptomatic only. Aging of the population, together with an unhealthy diet and lifestyle, contribute to the steady, global increase of AD patients. This increase creates significant health, societal and economical challenges even for the most developed countries. AD progresses from an asymptomatic stage to a progressively worsening cognitive impairment. The AD cognitive impairment is underpinned by progressive memory impairment, an increasing inability to recall recent events, to execute recently planned actions, and to learn. These changes prevent the AD patient from leading an independent and fulfilling life. Nanotechnology (NT) enables a new, alternative pathway for development of AD treatment interventions. At present, the NT treatments for attenuation of AD memory impairment are at the animal model stage. Over the past four years, there has been a steady increase in publications of AD animal models with a wide variety of original NT treatment interventions, able to attenuate memory impairment. NT therapy development, in animal models of AD, is faced with the twin challenges of the nature of AD, a chronic impairment, unique to human, of the tau protein and A β peptides that regulate several key physiological brain processes, and the incomplete understanding of AD's aetiology. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art in NT based treatments for AD memory impairment in animal models and discusses the future work for translation to the successful treatment of AD cognitive impairment in human.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samo Ribarič
- Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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17
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Burstein ES. Relevance of 5-HT 2A Receptor Modulation of Pyramidal Cell Excitability for Dementia-Related Psychosis: Implications for Pharmacotherapy. CNS Drugs 2021; 35:727-741. [PMID: 34224112 PMCID: PMC8310514 DOI: 10.1007/s40263-021-00836-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Psychosis occurs across a wide variety of dementias with differing etiologies, including Alzheimer's dementia, Parkinson's dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and vascular dementia. Pimavanserin, a selective serotonin 5-HT2A receptor (5-HT2AR) inverse agonist, has shown promising results in clinical trials by reducing the frequency and/or severity of hallucinations and delusions and the risk of relapse of these symptoms in patients with dementia-related psychosis. A literature review was conducted to identify mechanisms that explain the role of 5-HT2ARs in both the etiology and treatment of dementia-related psychosis. This review revealed that most pathological changes commonly associated with neurodegenerative diseases cause one or more of the following events to occur: reduced synaptic contact of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic interneurons with glutamatergic pyramidal cells, reduced cortical innervation from subcortical structures, and altered 5-HT2AR expression levels. Each of these events promotes increased pyramidal cell hyperexcitability and disruption of excitatory/inhibitory balance, facilitating emergence of psychotic behaviors. The brain regions affected by these pathological changes largely coincide with areas expressing high levels of 5-HT2ARs. At the cellular level, 5-HT2ARs are most highly expressed on cortical glutamatergic pyramidal cells, where they regulate pyramidal cell excitability. The common effects of different neurodegenerative diseases on pyramidal cell excitability together with the close anatomical and functional connection of 5-HT2ARs to pyramidal cell excitability may explain why suppressing 5-HT2AR activity could be an effective strategy to treat dementia-related psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan S. Burstein
- Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc, 12830 El Camino Real, Suite 400, San Diego, CA 92130 USA
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18
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Chatterjee S, Salimi A, Lee JY. Molecular mechanism of amyloidogenicity and neurotoxicity of a pro-aggregated tau mutant in the presence of histidine tautomerism via replica-exchange simulation. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:10475-10486. [DOI: 10.1039/d1cp00105a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Considering ΔK280 tau mutation, δε isomer with highest sheet content may accelerate aggregation; generating small compounds to inhibit this would help tp prevent tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Abbas Salimi
- Department of Chemistry
- Sungkyunkwan University
- Suwon 440-746
- Korea
| | - Jin Yong Lee
- Department of Chemistry
- Sungkyunkwan University
- Suwon 440-746
- Korea
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19
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Ridler T, Witton J, Phillips KG, Randall AD, Brown JT. Impaired speed encoding and grid cell periodicity in a mouse model of tauopathy. eLife 2020; 9:e59045. [PMID: 33242304 PMCID: PMC7690954 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dementia is associated with severe spatial memory deficits which arise from dysfunction in hippocampal and parahippocampal circuits. For spatially sensitive neurons, such as grid cells, to faithfully represent the environment these circuits require precise encoding of direction and velocity information. Here, we have probed the firing rate coding properties of neurons in medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) in a mouse model of tauopathy. We find that grid cell firing patterns are largely absent in rTg4510 mice, while head-direction tuning remains largely intact. Conversely, neural representation of running speed information was significantly disturbed, with smaller proportions of MEC cells having firing rates correlated with locomotion in rTg4510 mice. Additionally, the power of local field potential oscillations in the theta and gamma frequency bands, which in wild-type mice are tightly linked to running speed, was invariant in rTg4510 mice during locomotion. These deficits in locomotor speed encoding likely severely impact path integration systems in dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Ridler
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Hatherly LaboratoriesExeterUnited Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Witton
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Hatherly LaboratoriesExeterUnited Kingdom
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, University WalkBristolUnited Kingdom
| | - Keith G Phillips
- Lilly United Kingdom Erl Wood Manor WindleshamSurreyUnited Kingdom
| | - Andrew D Randall
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Hatherly LaboratoriesExeterUnited Kingdom
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, University WalkBristolUnited Kingdom
| | - Jonathan T Brown
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Hatherly LaboratoriesExeterUnited Kingdom
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20
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Pollack SJ, Trigg J, Khanom T, Biasetti L, Marshall KE, Al-Hilaly YK, Rickard JE, Harrington CR, Wischik CM, Serpell LC. Paired Helical Filament-Forming Region of Tau (297-391) Influences Endogenous Tau Protein and Accumulates in Acidic Compartments in Human Neuronal Cells. J Mol Biol 2020; 432:4891-4907. [PMID: 32681841 PMCID: PMC7427330 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.05.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Assembly of tau protein into paired helical filaments and straight filaments is a key feature of Alzheimer's disease. Aggregation of tau has been implicated in neurodegeneration, cellular toxicity and the propagation, which accompanies disease progression. We have reported previously that a region of tau (297–391), referred to as dGAE, assembles spontaneously in physiological conditions to form paired helical filament-like fibres in vitro in the absence of additives such as heparin. This provides a valuable tool with which to explore the effects of tau in cell culture. Here we have studied the cellular uptake of soluble oligomeric and fibrillar forms of dGAE and examined the downstream consequences of tau internalisation into differentiated SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells using fluorescence and electron microscopy alongside structural and biochemical analyses. The assembled dGAE shows more acute cytotoxicity than the soluble, non-aggregated form. Conversely, the soluble form is much more readily internalised and, once within the cell, is able to associate with endogenous tau resulting in increased phosphorylation and aggregation of endogenous tau, which accumulates in lysosomal/endosomal compartments. It appears that soluble oligomeric forms are able to propagate tau pathology without being acutely toxic. The model system we have developed now permits the molecular mechanisms of propagation of tau pathology to be studied in vitro in a more physiological manner with a view to development of novel therapeutic approaches. Tau297–391 aggregates to form filaments toxic to cells in the absence of additives. Internalisation of soluble tau297–391 into cells leads to increased insoluble Ptau. Soluble tau297–391 accumulates with endogenous tau in endo-lysosomal compartments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskia J Pollack
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, E. Sussex, BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Jasmine Trigg
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, E. Sussex, BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Tahmida Khanom
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, E. Sussex, BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Luca Biasetti
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, E. Sussex, BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Karen E Marshall
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, E. Sussex, BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Youssra K Al-Hilaly
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, E. Sussex, BN1 9QG, UK; Chemistry Department, College of Science, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Janet E Rickard
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZP, UK
| | - Charles R Harrington
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZP, UK; TauRx Therapeutics Ltd., Aberdeen, AB24 5RP, UK
| | - Claude M Wischik
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZP, UK; TauRx Therapeutics Ltd., Aberdeen, AB24 5RP, UK
| | - Louise C Serpell
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, E. Sussex, BN1 9QG, UK.
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21
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Vogels T, Leuzy A, Cicognola C, Ashton NJ, Smolek T, Novak M, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Hromadka T, Zilka N, Schöll M. Propagation of Tau Pathology: Integrating Insights From Postmortem and In Vivo Studies. Biol Psychiatry 2020; 87:808-818. [PMID: 31735253 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Cellular accumulation of aggregated forms of the protein tau is a defining feature of so-called tauopathies such as Alzheimer's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. A growing body of literature suggests that conformational characteristics of tau filaments, along with regional vulnerability to tau pathology, account for the distinct histopathological morphologies, biochemical composition, and affected cell types seen across these disorders. In this review, we describe and discuss recent evidence from human postmortem and clinical biomarker studies addressing the differential vulnerability of brain areas to tau pathology, its cell-to-cell transmission, and characteristics of the different strains that tau aggregates can adopt. Cellular biosensor assays are increasingly used in human tissue to detect the earliest forms of tau pathology, before overt histopathological lesions (i.e., neurofibrillary tangles) are apparent. Animal models with localized tau expression are used to uncover the mechanisms that influence spreading of tau aggregates. Further, studies of human postmortem-derived tau filaments from different tauopathies injected in rodents have led to striking findings that recapitulate neuropathology-based staging of tau. Furthermore, the recent advent of tau positron emission tomography and novel fluid-based biomarkers render it possible to study the temporal progression of tau pathology in vivo. Ultimately, evidence from these approaches must be integrated to better understand the onset and progression of tau pathology across tauopathies. This will lead to improved methods for the detection and monitoring of disease progression and, hopefully, to the development and refinement of tau-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Vogels
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovakia; Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Antoine Leuzy
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Clinical Memory Research Unit, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Claudia Cicognola
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Nicholas J Ashton
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Biomedical Research Unit for Dementia, NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tomas Smolek
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovakia; Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Michal Novak
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia; AXON Neuroscience SE, Larnaca, Cyprus
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden; Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom; UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tomas Hromadka
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovakia; Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Norbert Zilka
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovakia; Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Michael Schöll
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Clinical Memory Research Unit, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden; Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
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22
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Van Egroo M, Narbutas J, Chylinski D, Villar González P, Maquet P, Salmon E, Bastin C, Collette F, Vandewalle G. Sleep-wake regulation and the hallmarks of the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Sleep 2020; 42:5289316. [PMID: 30649520 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsz017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
While efficient treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD) remain elusive, a growing body of research has highlighted sleep-wake regulation as a potential modifiable factor to delay disease progression. Evidence accumulated in recent years is pointing toward a tight link between sleep-wake disruption and the three main hallmarks of the pathogenesis of AD, i.e. abnormal amyloid-beta (Aβ) and tau proteins accumulation, and neurodegeneration. However, all three hallmarks are rarely considered together in the same study. In this review, we gather and discuss findings in favor of an association between sleep-wake disruption and each AD hallmark in animal models and in humans, with a focus on the preclinical stages of the disease. We emphasize that these relationships are likely bidirectional for each of these hallmarks. Altogether, current findings provide strong support for considering sleep-wake disruption as a true risk factor in the early unfolding of AD, but more research integrating recent technical advances is needed, particularly with respect to tau protein and neurodegeneration. Interventional longitudinal studies among cognitively healthy older individuals should assess the practical use of improving sleep-wake regulation to slow down the progression of AD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Van Egroo
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Justinas Narbutas
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.,Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Daphne Chylinski
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | | | - Pierre Maquet
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.,Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Eric Salmon
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.,Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.,Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Christine Bastin
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.,Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Fabienne Collette
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.,Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Gilles Vandewalle
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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23
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Xenobiotics, Trace Metals and Genetics in the Pathogenesis of Tauopathies. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17041269. [PMID: 32079163 PMCID: PMC7068520 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17041269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Tauopathies are a disease group characterized by either pathological accumulation or release of fragments of hyperphosphorylated tau proteins originating from the central nervous system. The tau hypotheses of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases contain a clinically diverse spectrum of tauopathies. Studies of case records of various tauopathies may reveal clinical phenotype characteristics of the disease. In addition, improved understanding of different tauopathies would disclose environmental factors, such as xenobiotics and trace metals, that can precipitate or modify the progression of the disorder. Important for diagnostics and monitoring of these disorders is a further development of adequate biomarkers, including refined neuroimaging, or proteomics. Our goal is to provide an in-depth review of the current literature regarding the pathophysiological roles of tau proteins and the pathogenic factors leading to various tauopathies, with the perspective of future advances in potential therapeutic strategies.
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24
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Liyanage SI, Weaver DF. Misfolded proteins as a therapeutic target in Alzheimer's disease. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2020; 118:371-411. [PMID: 31928732 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2019.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
For decades, Alzheimer's Disease (AD) was defined as a disorder of protein misfolding and aggregation. In particular, the extracellular peptide fragment: amyloid-β (Aβ), and the intracellular microtubule-associated protein: tau, were thought to initiate a neurodegenerative cascade which culminated in AD's progressive loss of memory and executive function. As such, both proteins became the focus of intense scrutiny, and served as the principal pathogenic target for hundreds of clinical trials. However, with varying efficacy, none of these investigations produced a disease-modifying therapy - offering patients with AD little recourse aside from transient, symptomatic medications. The near universal failure of clinical trials is unprecedented for a major research discipline. In part, this has motivated an increasing skepticism of the relevance of protein misfolding to AD's etiology. Several recent observations, principally the presence of significant protein pathologies in non-demented seniors, have lent credence to an apparent cursory role for Aβ and tau. Herein, we review both Aβ and tau, examining the processes from their biosynthesis to their pathogenesis and evaluate their vulnerability to medicinal intervention. We further attempt to reconcile the apparent failure of trials with the potential these targets hold. Ultimately, we seek to answer if protein misfolding is a viable platform in the pursuit of a disease-arresting strategy for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Imindu Liyanage
- Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Donald F Weaver
- Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Departments of Medicine (Neurology), Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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25
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Marinković P, Blumenstock S, Goltstein PM, Korzhova V, Peters F, Knebl A, Herms J. In vivo imaging reveals reduced activity of neuronal circuits in a mouse tauopathy model. Brain 2019; 142:1051-1062. [PMID: 30847469 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awz035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathological alterations of tau protein play a significant role in the emergence and progression of neurodegenerative disorders. Tauopathies are characterized by detachment of the tau protein from neuronal microtubules, and its subsequent aberrant hyperphosphorylation, aggregation and cellular distribution. The exact nature of tau protein species causing neuronal malfunction and degeneration is still unknown. In the present study, we used mice transgenic for human tau with the frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism-associated P301S mutation. These mice are prone to develop fibrillar tau inclusions, especially in the spinal cord and brainstem. At the same time, cortical neurons are not as strongly affected by fibrillar tau forms, but rather by soluble tau forms. We took advantage of the possibility to induce formation of neurofibrillary tangles in a subset of these cortical neurons by local injection of preformed synthetic tau fibrils. By using chronic in vivo two-photon calcium imaging in awake mice, we were able for the first time to follow the activity of individual tangle-bearing neurons and compare it to the activity of tangle-free neurons over the disease course. Our results revealed strong reduction of calcium transient frequency in layer 2/3 cortical neurons of P301S mice, independent of neurofibrillary tangle presence. These results clearly point to the impairing role of soluble, mutated tau protein species present in the majority of the neurons investigated in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petar Marinković
- Department for Translational Brain Research, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.,Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Sonja Blumenstock
- Department for Translational Brain Research, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.,Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Viktoria Korzhova
- Department for Translational Brain Research, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.,Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Finn Peters
- Department for Translational Brain Research, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.,Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Knebl
- Department for Translational Brain Research, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.,Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jochen Herms
- Department for Translational Brain Research, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.,Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
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26
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Acquarone E, Argyrousi EK, van den Berg M, Gulisano W, Fà M, Staniszewski A, Calcagno E, Zuccarello E, D’Adamio L, Deng SX, Puzzo D, Arancio O, Fiorito J. Synaptic and memory dysfunction induced by tau oligomers is rescued by up-regulation of the nitric oxide cascade. Mol Neurodegener 2019; 14:26. [PMID: 31248451 PMCID: PMC6598340 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-019-0326-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Soluble aggregates of oligomeric forms of tau protein (oTau) have been associated with impairment of synaptic plasticity and memory in Alzheimer's disease. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the synaptic and memory dysfunction induced by elevation of oTau are still unknown. METHODS This work used a combination of biochemical, electrophysiological and behavioral techniques. Biochemical methods included analysis of phosphorylation of the cAMP-responsive element binding (CREB) protein, a transcriptional factor involved in memory, histone acetylation, and expression immediate early genes c-Fos and Arc. Electrophysiological methods included assessment of long-term potentiation (LTP), a type of synaptic plasticity thought to underlie memory formation. Behavioral studies investigated both short-term spatial memory and associative memory. These phenomena were examined following oTau elevation. RESULTS Levels of phospho-CREB, histone 3 acetylation at lysine 27, and immediate early genes c-Fos and Arc, were found to be reduced after oTau elevation during memory formation. These findings led us to explore whether up-regulation of various components of the nitric oxide (NO) signaling pathway impinging onto CREB is capable of rescuing oTau-induced impairment of plasticity, memory, and CREB phosphorylation. The increase of NO levels protected against oTau-induced impairment of LTP through activation of soluble guanylyl cyclase. Similarly, the elevation of cGMP levels and stimulation of the cGMP-dependent protein kinases (PKG) re-established normal LTP after exposure to oTau. Pharmacological inhibition of cGMP degradation through inhibition of phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5), rescued oTau-induced LTP reduction. These findings could be extrapolated to memory because PKG activation and PDE5 inhibition rescued oTau-induced memory impairment. Finally, PDE5 inhibition re-established normal elevation of CREB phosphorylation and cGMP levels after memory induction in the presence of oTau. CONCLUSIONS Up-regulation of CREB activation through agents acting on the NO cascade might be beneficial against tau-induced synaptic and memory dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Acquarone
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, 630 West 168th Street, P&S 12-420D, New York, NY 10032 USA
- DiMi Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Elentina K. Argyrousi
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, 630 West 168th Street, P&S 12-420D, New York, NY 10032 USA
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6229 Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Manon van den Berg
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, 630 West 168th Street, P&S 12-420D, New York, NY 10032 USA
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6229 Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Walter Gulisano
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Physiology, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Mauro Fà
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, 630 West 168th Street, P&S 12-420D, New York, NY 10032 USA
| | - Agnieszka Staniszewski
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, 630 West 168th Street, P&S 12-420D, New York, NY 10032 USA
| | - Elisa Calcagno
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, 630 West 168th Street, P&S 12-420D, New York, NY 10032 USA
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of General Pathology, School of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Elisa Zuccarello
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, 630 West 168th Street, P&S 12-420D, New York, NY 10032 USA
| | - Luciano D’Adamio
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ USA
| | - Shi-Xian Deng
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032 USA
| | - Daniela Puzzo
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Physiology, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
- Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, 94018 Troina, Italy
| | - Ottavio Arancio
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, 630 West 168th Street, P&S 12-420D, New York, NY 10032 USA
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032 USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032 USA
| | - Jole Fiorito
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, 630 West 168th Street, P&S 12-420D, New York, NY 10032 USA
- Department of Life Sciences, New York Institute of Technology, Northern Boulevard P.O. Box 8000, Theobald Science Center, room 425, Old Westbury, NY 11568 USA
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27
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Epigenetic Modulation on Tau Phosphorylation in Alzheimer's Disease. Neural Plast 2019; 2019:6856327. [PMID: 31093272 PMCID: PMC6481020 DOI: 10.1155/2019/6856327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau hyperphosphorylation is a typical pathological change in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is involved in the early onset and progression of AD. Epigenetic modification refers to heritable alterations in gene expression that are not caused by direct changes in the DNA sequence of the gene. Epigenetic modifications, such as noncoding RNA regulation, DNA methylation, and histone modification, can directly or indirectly affect the regulation of tau phosphorylation, thereby participating in AD development and progression. This review summarizes the current research progress on the mechanisms of epigenetic modification associated with tau phosphorylation.
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28
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Fichou Y, Al-Hilaly YK, Devred F, Smet-Nocca C, Tsvetkov PO, Verelst J, Winderickx J, Geukens N, Vanmechelen E, Perrotin A, Serpell L, Hanseeuw BJ, Medina M, Buée L, Landrieu I. The elusive tau molecular structures: can we translate the recent breakthroughs into new targets for intervention? Acta Neuropathol Commun 2019; 7:31. [PMID: 30823892 PMCID: PMC6397507 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-019-0682-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Insights into tau molecular structures have advanced significantly in recent years. This field has been the subject of recent breakthroughs, including the first cryo-electron microscopy structures of tau filaments from Alzheimer’s and Pick’s disease inclusions, as well as the structure of the repeat regions of tau bound to microtubules. Tau structure covers various species as the tau protein itself takes many forms. We will here address a range of studies that help to define the many facets of tau protein structures and how they translate into pathogenic forms. New results shed light on previous data that need now to be revisited in order to up-date our knowledge of tau molecular structure. Finally, we explore how these data can contribute the important medical aspects of this research - diagnosis and therapeutics.
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29
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Foote AK, Manger LH, Holden MR, Margittai M, Goldsmith RH. Time-resolved multirotational dynamics of single solution-phase tau proteins reveals details of conformational variation. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:1863-1871. [PMID: 30632561 PMCID: PMC6449148 DOI: 10.1039/c8cp06971a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are crucial to many cellular processes and have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases. Single molecules of tau, an IDP associated with Alzheimer's disease, are trapped in solution using a microfluidic device, and a time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy decay is recorded for each molecule. Multiple rotational components are resolved and a novel k-means algorithm is used to sort the molecules into two families of conformations. Differences in rotational dynamics suggest a change in the rigidity and steric hindrance surrounding a sequence (306VQIVYK311) which is central to paired helical filament formation. This single-molecule approach can be applied to other IDPs to resolve heterogeneous populations and underlying differences in conformational dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander K Foote
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Ave, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
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30
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CNS-Wide over Expression of Fractalkine Improves Cognitive Functioning in a Tauopathy Model. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2018; 14:312-325. [PMID: 30499006 PMCID: PMC6525127 DOI: 10.1007/s11481-018-9822-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence increasingly implicates regulation of neuroinflammation as a potential therapeutic target in Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. Fractalkine (FKN) is a unique chemokine that is expressed and secreted by neurons and reduces expression of pro-inflammatory genes. To further demonstrate the utility of agents that increase FKN signaling throughout the central nervous system as possible therapies for AD, we assessed the impact of soluble FKN (sFKN) over expression on cognition in tau depositing rTg450 mice after the onset of cognitive deficits. Using adeno-associated virus serotype 4, we infected cells lining the ventricular system with soluble FKN to increase FKN signaling over a larger fraction of the brain than achieved with intraparenchymal injections. We found that soluble FKN over expression by cells lining the ventricles significantly improved cognitive performance on the novel mouse recognition and radial arm water maze tasks. These benefits were achieved without detectable reductions in tau hyperphosphorylation, hippocampal atrophy, or microglial CD45 expression. Utilizing qPCR, we report a significant increase in Vegfa expression, indicating an increase in trophic support and possible neovascularization in AAV-sFKN-injected mice. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that FKN over expression can rescue cognitive function in a tau depositing mouse line. Regulating neuroinflammation is an attractive therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease. Microglial activation can not only drive pathology but also accelerate cognitive decline. The chemokine fractalkine regulates the microglial phenotype, increasing trophic support of neurons, and significantly improving cognitive functioning in the rTg4510 mouse model of tauopathy. ![]()
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31
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Yu KC, Kwan P, Cheung SKK, Ho A, Baum L. Effects of Resveratrol and Morin on Insoluble Tau in Tau Transgenic Mice. Transl Neurosci 2018; 9:54-60. [PMID: 30479844 PMCID: PMC6234473 DOI: 10.1515/tnsci-2018-0010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2018] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), in which tau protein aggregates within neurons. An effective treatment is lacking and is urgently needed. We evaluated two structurally similar natural compounds, morin and resveratrol, for treating tauopathy in JNPL3 P301L mutant human tau overexpressing mice. Rotarod tests were performed to determine effects on motor function. After treatment from age 11 to 14 months, brains of 26 mice were collected to quantify aggregated hyperphosphorylated tau by Thioflavin T and immunohistochemistry (IHC) and to quantify total tau (HT7 antibody) and hyperphosphorylated tau (AT8 antibody) in homogenates and a fraction enriched for paired helical filaments. Resveratrol reduced the level of total hyperphosphorylated tau in IHC sections (p=0.036), and morin exhibited a tendency to do so (p=0.29), while the two drugs tended to increase the proportion of solubilizable tau that was hyperphosphorylated, as detected in blots. Neither resveratrol nor morin affected motor function. One explanation of these results is that the drugs might interrupt a late stage in tau aggregation, after small aggregates have formed but before further aggregation has occurred. Further animal studies would be informative to explore the possible efficacy of morin or resveratrol for treating tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwun Chung Yu
- School of Pharmacy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Ping Kwan
- School of Pharmacy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.,Level 5, R.M.C. Gunn Building, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Stanley K K Cheung
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Amy Ho
- Department of Anatomy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Larry Baum
- The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Centre for Genomic Sciences, Hong Kong
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32
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Questions concerning the role of amyloid-β in the definition, aetiology and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol 2018; 136:663-689. [PMID: 30349969 PMCID: PMC6208728 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-018-1918-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The dominant hypothesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) aetiology, the neuropathological guidelines for diagnosing AD and the majority of high-profile therapeutic efforts, in both research and in clinical practice, have been built around one possible causal factor, amyloid-β (Aβ). However, the causal link between Aβ and AD remains unproven. Here, in the context of a detailed assessment of historical and contemporary studies, we raise critical questions regarding the role of Aβ in the definition, diagnosis and aetiology of AD. We illustrate that a holistic view of the available data does not support an unequivocal conclusion that Aβ has a central or unique role in AD. Instead, the data suggest alternative views of AD aetiology are potentially valid, at this time. We propose that an unbiased way forward for the field, beyond the current Aβ-centric approach, without excluding a role for Aβ, is required to come to an accurate understanding of AD dementia and, ultimately, an effective treatment.
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33
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Cellular Prion Protein Mediates the Disruption of Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity by Soluble Tau In Vivo. J Neurosci 2018; 38:10595-10606. [PMID: 30355631 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1700-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) composed of tau protein are a neuropathological hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases, the most common of which is Alzheimer's disease (AD). For some time NFTs were considered the primary cause of synaptic dysfunction and neuronal death, however, more recent evidence suggests that soluble aggregates of tau are key drivers of disease. Here we investigated the effect of different tau species on synaptic plasticity in the male rat hippocampus in vivo Intracerebroventricular injection of soluble aggregates formed from either wild-type or P301S human recombinant tau potently inhibited hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) at CA3-to-CA1 synapses. In contrast, tau monomers and fibrils appeared inactive. Neither baseline synaptic transmission, paired-pulse facilitation nor burst response during high-frequency conditioning stimulation was affected by the soluble tau aggregates. Similarly, certain AD brain soluble extracts inhibited LTP in a tau-dependent manner that was abrogated by either immunodepletion with, or coinjection of, a mid-region anti-tau monoclonal antibody (mAb), Tau5. Importantly, this tau-mediated block of LTP was prevented by administration of mAbs selective for the prion protein (PrP). Specifically, mAbs to both the mid-region (6D11) and N-terminus (MI-0131) of PrP prevented inhibition of LTP by both recombinant and brain-derived tau. These findings indicate that PrP is a mediator of tau-induced synaptic dysfunction.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Here we report that certain soluble forms of tau selectively disrupt synaptic plasticity in the live rat hippocampus. Further, we show that monoclonal antibodies to cellular prion protein abrogate the impairment of long-term potentiation caused both by recombinant and Alzheimer's disease brain-derived soluble tau. These findings support a critical role for cellular prion protein in the deleterious synaptic actions of extracellular soluble tau in tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease. Thus, approaches targeting cellular prion protein, or downstream pathways, might provide an effective strategy for developing therapeutics.
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34
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Thygesen C, Metaxas A, Larsen MR, Finsen B. Age-Dependent Changes in the Sarkosyl-Insoluble Proteome of APPSWE/PS1ΔE9 Transgenic Mice Implicate Dysfunctional Mitochondria in the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 64:1247-1259. [DOI: 10.3233/jad-180197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Thygesen
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern Denmark, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Athanasios Metaxas
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern Denmark, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Odense, Denmark
| | - Martin R. Larsen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Bente Finsen
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern Denmark, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Odense, Denmark
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35
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Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder affecting millions of people worldwide. Therefore, finding effective interventions and therapies is extremely important. AD is one of over 20 different disorders known as tauopathies, characterized by the pathological aggregation and accumulation of tau, a microtubule-associated protein. Tau aggregates are heterogeneous and can be divided into two major groups: large metastable fibrils, including neurofibrillary tangles, and oligomers. The smaller, soluble and dynamic tau oligomers have been shown to be more toxic with more proficient seeding properties for the propagation of tau pathology as compared to the fibrillar Paired Helical Filaments (PHFs). Therefore, developing small molecules that target and interact with toxic tau oligomers can be beneficial to modulate their aggregation pathways and toxicity, preventing progression of the pathology. In this study, we show that Azure C (AC) is capable of modulating tau oligomer aggregation pathways at micromolar concentrations and rescues tau oligomers-induced toxicity in cell culture. We used both biochemical and biophysical in vitro techniques to characterize preformed tau oligomers in the presence and absence of AC. Interestingly, AC prevents toxicity not by disassembling the oligomers but rather by converting them into clusters of aggregates with nontoxic conformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippa Lo Cascio
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
- Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neuroscience, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Rakez Kayed
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
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36
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Kolarova M, Sengupta U, Bartos A, Ricny J, Kayed R. Tau Oligomers in Sera of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Aged Controls. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 58:471-478. [PMID: 28453485 DOI: 10.3233/jad-170048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Although tau protein was long regarded as an intracellular protein with several functions inside the cell, new evidence has shown tau secretion into the extracellular space. The active secretion of tau could be a physiological response of neurons to increased intracellular amounts of tau during the progression of tau pathology. We looked for potential differences in the serum levels of toxic tau oligomers in regards to cognitive impairment of subjects. We detected tau oligomers in the serum of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, but they were also present to some extent in the serum of healthy older subjects where the levels positively correlated with aging (Spearman r = 0.26, p = 0.016). On the contrary, we found lower levels of tau oligomers in the serum of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (p = 0.033) and MCI-AD (p = 0.006) patients. These results could suggest that clearance of extracellular tau proteins takes place, in part, in the periphery. In the case of MCI patients, the lower levels of tau oligomers could be the result of impaired clearance of tau protein from interstitium to blood and consequent accumulation of tau aggregates in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michala Kolarova
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic.,Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Urmi Sengupta
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.,Department of Neurology, and Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Ales Bartos
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Ricny
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Rakez Kayed
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.,Department of Neurology, and Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
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Mudher A, Colin M, Dujardin S, Medina M, Dewachter I, Alavi Naini SM, Mandelkow EM, Mandelkow E, Buée L, Goedert M, Brion JP. What is the evidence that tau pathology spreads through prion-like propagation? Acta Neuropathol Commun 2017; 5:99. [PMID: 29258615 PMCID: PMC5735872 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-017-0488-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 236] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging experimental evidence suggests that the spread of tau pathology in the brain in Tauopathies reflects the propagation of abnormal tau species along neuroanatomically connected brain areas. This propagation could occur through a "prion-like" mechanism involving transfer of abnormal tau seeds from a "donor cell" to a "recipient cell" and recruitment of normal tau in the latter to generate new tau seeds. This review critically appraises the evidence that the spread of tau pathology occurs via such a "prion-like" mechanism and proposes a number of recommendations for directing future research. Recommendations for definitions of frequently used terms in the tau field are presented in an attempt to clarify and standardize interpretation of research findings. Molecular and cellular factors affecting tau aggregation are briefly reviewed, as are potential contributions of physiological and pathological post-translational modifications of tau. Additionally, the experimental evidence for tau seeding and "prion-like" propagation of tau aggregation that has emerged from cellular assays and in vivo models is discussed. Propagation of tau pathology using "prion-like" mechanisms is expected to incorporate several steps including cellular uptake, templated seeding, secretion and intercellular transfer through synaptic and non-synaptic pathways. The experimental findings supporting each of these steps are reviewed. The clinical validity of these experimental findings is then debated by considering the supportive or contradictory findings from patient samples. Further, the role of physiological tau release in this scenario is examined because emerging data shows that tau is secreted but the physiological function (if any) of this secretion in the context of propagation of pathological tau seeds is unclear. Bona fide prions exhibit specific properties, including transmission from cell to cell, tissue to tissue and organism to organism. The propagation of tau pathology has so far not been shown to exhibit all of these steps and how this influences the debate of whether or not abnormal tau species can propagate in a "prion-like" manner is discussed. The exact nature of tau seeds responsible for propagation of tau pathology in human tauopathies remains controversial; it might be tightly linked to the existence of tau strains stably propagating peculiar patterns of neuropathological lesions, corresponding to the different patterns seen in human tauopathies. That this is a property shared by all seed-competent tau conformers is not yet firmly established. Further investigation is also required to clarify the relationship between propagation of tau aggregates and tau-induced toxicity. Genetic variants identified as risks factors for tauopathies might play a role in propagation of tau pathology, but many more studies are needed to document this. The contribution of selective vulnerability of neuronal populations, as an alternative to prion-like mechanisms to explain spreading of tau pathology needs to be clarified. Learning from the prion field will be helpful to enhance our understanding of propagation of tau pathology. Finally, development of better models is expected to answer some of these key questions and allow for the testing of propagation-centred therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amrit Mudher
- University of Southampton, Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, SO17 1BJ, Southampton, UK.
| | - Morvane Colin
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU-Lille, UMR-S 1172, LabEx DISTALZ, 59000, Lille, France
| | - Simon Dujardin
- Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Miguel Medina
- Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain; CIEN Foundation, Queen Sofia Foundation Alzheimer Center, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ilse Dewachter
- Dementia Research Group, BioMedical Research Institute, Hasselt University, 3500, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Seyedeh Maryam Alavi Naini
- Institut de Biologie Paris Seine-Laboratoire Neuroscience Paris Seine INSERM UMRS 1130, CNRS UMR 8246, UPMC UM 118 Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
| | - Eva-Maria Mandelkow
- DZNE (German Ctr. Neurodegen. Diseases), Bonn, Germany
- CAESAR Research Center, Bonn, Germany
- DESY, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Eckhard Mandelkow
- DZNE (German Ctr. Neurodegen. Diseases), Bonn, Germany
- CAESAR Research Center, Bonn, Germany
- DESY, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Luc Buée
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU-Lille, UMR-S 1172, LabEx DISTALZ, 59000, Lille, France
| | - Michel Goedert
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, CB2 0QH, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jean-Pierre Brion
- Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculty of Medicine, ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI) 808, route de Lennik 1070, Brussels, Belgium.
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Bejanin A, Schonhaut DR, La Joie R, Kramer JH, Baker SL, Sosa N, Ayakta N, Cantwell A, Janabi M, Lauriola M, O’Neil JP, Gorno-Tempini ML, Miller ZA, Rosen HJ, Miller BL, Jagust WJ, Rabinovici GD. Tau pathology and neurodegeneration contribute to cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease. Brain 2017; 140:3286-3300. [PMID: 29053874 PMCID: PMC5841139 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awx243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 426] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2017] [Revised: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropathological and in vivo studies have revealed a tight relationship between tau pathology and cognitive impairment across the Alzheimer's disease spectrum. However, tau pathology is also intimately associated with neurodegeneration and amyloid pathology. The aim of the present study was therefore to assess whether grey matter atrophy and amyloid pathology contribute to the relationship between tau pathology, as measured with 18F-AV-1451-PET imaging, and cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease. We included 40 amyloid-positive patients meeting criteria for mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease (n = 5) or probable Alzheimer's disease dementia (n = 35). Twelve patients additionally fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for posterior cortical atrophy and eight for logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia. All participants underwent 3 T magnetic resonance imaging, amyloid (11C-PiB) positron emission tomography and tau (18F-AV-1451) positron emission tomography, and episodic and semantic memory, language, executive and visuospatial functions assessment. Raw cognitive scores were converted to age-adjusted Z-scores (W-scores) and averaged to compute composite scores for each cognitive domain. Independent regressions were performed between 18F-AV-1451 binding and each cognitive domain, and we used the Biological Parametric Mapping toolbox to further control for local grey matter volumes, 11C-PiB uptake, or both. Partial correlations and causal mediation analyses (mediation R package) were then performed in brain regions showing an association between cognition and both 18F-AV-1451 uptake and grey matter volume. Our results showed that decreased cognitive performance in each domain was related to increased 18F-AV-1451 binding in specific brain regions conforming to established brain-behaviour relationships (i.e. episodic memory: medial temporal lobe and angular gyrus; semantic memory: left anterior temporal regions; language: left posterior superior temporal lobe and supramarginal gyrus; executive functions: bilateral frontoparietal regions; visuospatial functions: right more than left occipitotemporal regions). This pattern of regional associations remained essentially unchanged-although less spatially extended-when grey matter volume or 11C-PiB uptake maps were added as covariates. Mediation analyses revealed both direct and grey matter-mediated effects of 18F-AV-1451 uptake on cognitive performance. Together, these results show that tau pathology is related in a region-specific manner to cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease. These regional relationships are weakly related to amyloid burden, but are in part mediated by grey matter volumes. This suggests that tau pathology may lead to cognitive deficits through a variety of mechanisms, including, but not restricted to, grey matter loss. These results might have implications for future therapeutic trials targeting tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Bejanin
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Daniel R Schonhaut
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Renaud La Joie
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Joel H Kramer
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Suzanne L Baker
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Natasha Sosa
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nagehan Ayakta
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Averill Cantwell
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mustafa Janabi
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Mariella Lauriola
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - James P O’Neil
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Maria L Gorno-Tempini
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Zachary A Miller
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Howard J Rosen
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Bruce L Miller
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - William J Jagust
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Gil D Rabinovici
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Kulbe JR, Hall ED. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy-integration of canonical traumatic brain injury secondary injury mechanisms with tau pathology. Prog Neurobiol 2017; 158:15-44. [PMID: 28851546 PMCID: PMC5671903 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2017.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Revised: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, a new neurodegenerative tauopathy labeled Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), has been identified that is believed to be primarily a sequela of repeated mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), often referred to as concussion, that occurs in athletes participating in contact sports (e.g. boxing, American football, Australian football, rugby, soccer, ice hockey) or in military combatants, especially after blast-induced injuries. Since the identification of CTE, and its neuropathological finding of deposits of hyperphosphorylated tau protein, mechanistic attention has been on lumping the disorder together with various other non-traumatic neurodegenerative tauopathies. Indeed, brains from suspected CTE cases that have come to autopsy have been confirmed to have deposits of hyperphosphorylated tau in locations that make its anatomical distribution distinct for other tauopathies. The fact that these individuals experienced repetitive TBI episodes during their athletic or military careers suggests that the secondary injury mechanisms that have been extensively characterized in acute TBI preclinical models, and in TBI patients, including glutamate excitotoxicity, intracellular calcium overload, mitochondrial dysfunction, free radical-induced oxidative damage and neuroinflammation, may contribute to the brain damage associated with CTE. Thus, the current review begins with an in depth analysis of what is known about the tau protein and its functions and dysfunctions followed by a discussion of the major TBI secondary injury mechanisms, and how the latter have been shown to contribute to tau pathology. The value of this review is that it might lead to improved neuroprotective strategies for either prophylactically attenuating the development of CTE or slowing its progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline R Kulbe
- Spinal Cord & Brain Injury Research Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, United States; Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, United States
| | - Edward D Hall
- Spinal Cord & Brain Injury Research Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, United States; Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, United States.
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40
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Wang C, Ward ME, Chen R, Liu K, Tracy TE, Chen X, Xie M, Sohn PD, Ludwig C, Meyer-Franke A, Karch CM, Ding S, Gan L. Scalable Production of iPSC-Derived Human Neurons to Identify Tau-Lowering Compounds by High-Content Screening. Stem Cell Reports 2017; 9:1221-1233. [PMID: 28966121 PMCID: PMC5639430 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2017.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 197] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Revised: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Lowering total tau levels is an attractive therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. High-throughput screening in neurons derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is a powerful tool to identify tau-targeted therapeutics. However, such screens have been hampered by heterogeneous neuronal production, high cost and low yield, and multi-step differentiation procedures. We engineered an isogenic iPSC line that harbors an inducible neurogenin 2 transgene, a transcription factor that rapidly converts iPSCs to neurons, integrated at the AAVS1 locus. Using a simplified two-step protocol, we differentiated these iPSCs into cortical glutamatergic neurons with minimal well-to-well variability. We developed a robust high-content screening assay to identify tau-lowering compounds in LOPAC and identified adrenergic receptors agonists as a class of compounds that reduce endogenous human tau. These techniques enable the use of human neurons for high-throughput screening of drugs to treat neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Wang
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, 1650 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Michael E Ward
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, 1650 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, 35 Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Robert Chen
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Kai Liu
- Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, 1650 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Tara E Tracy
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, 1650 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Xu Chen
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, 1650 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Min Xie
- Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, 1650 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Peter Dongmin Sohn
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, 1650 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Connor Ludwig
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Anke Meyer-Franke
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, 1650 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Celeste M Karch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 425 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Sheng Ding
- Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, 1650 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Li Gan
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, 1650 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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41
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Alzheimer's disease as oligomeropathy. Neurochem Int 2017; 119:57-70. [PMID: 28821400 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2017.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Revised: 07/30/2017] [Accepted: 08/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder and is characterized by pathological aggregates of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) and tau protein. On the basis of genetic evidence, biochemical data, and animal models, Aβ has been suggested to be responsible for the pathogenesis of AD (the amyloid hypothesis). Aβ molecules tend to aggregate to form oligomers, protofibrils, and mature fibrils. Although mature fibrils in the final stage have been thought to be the cause of AD pathogenesis, recent studies using synthetic Aβ peptides, a cell culture model, Aβ precursor protein transgenic mice models, and human samples, such as cerebrospinal fluids and postmortem brains of AD patients, suggest that pre-fibrillar forms (oligomers of Aβ) are more deleterious than are extracellular fibril forms. Based on this recent evidence showing that oligomers have a central role in the pathogenesis of AD, the term "oligomeropathy" could be used to define AD and other protein-misfolding diseases. In this review, I discuss recent developments in the "oligomer hypothesis" including our research findings regarding the pathogenesis of AD.
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Almeida RFD, Ganzella M, Machado DG, Loureiro SO, Leffa D, Quincozes-Santos A, Pettenuzzo LF, Duarte MMMF, Duarte T, Souza DO. Olfactory bulbectomy in mice triggers transient and long-lasting behavioral impairments and biochemical hippocampal disturbances. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2017; 76:1-11. [PMID: 28223107 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Revised: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a neuropsychiatric disease that is associated with profound disturbances in affected individuals. Elucidating the pathophysiology of MDD has been frustratingly slow, especially concerning the neurochemical events and brain regions associated with disease progression. Thus, we evaluated the time-course (up to 8weeks) behavioral and biochemical effects in mice that underwent to a bilateral olfactory bulbectomy (OBX), which is used to modeling depressive-like behavior in rodents. Similar to the symptoms in patients with MDD, OBX induced long-lasting (e.g., impairment of habituation to novelty, hyperactivity and an anxiety-like phenotype) and transient (e.g., loss of self-care and motivational behavior) behavioral effects. Moreover, OBX temporarily impaired hippocampal synaptosomal mitochondria, in a manner that would be associated with hippocampal-related synaptotoxicity. Finally, long-lasting pro-oxidative (i.e., increased levels of reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide and decreased glutathione levels) and pro-inflammatory (i.e., increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α and decreased anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 levels) effects were induced in the hippocampus by OBX. Additionally, these parameters were transiently affected in the posterior and frontal cortices. This study is the first to suggest that the transient and long-lasting behavioral effects from OBX strongly correlate with mitochondrial, oxidative and inflammatory parameters in the hippocampus; furthermore, these effects show a weak correlation with these parameters in the cortex. Our findings highlight the underlying mechanisms involved in the biochemical time course of events related to depressive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Farina de Almeida
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Marcelo Ganzella
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Neurobiology Department, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Daniele Guilhermano Machado
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Samanta Oliveira Loureiro
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Douglas Leffa
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - André Quincozes-Santos
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Letícia Ferreira Pettenuzzo
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | | | - Thiago Duarte
- Departamento de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Luterana do Brasil - Campus Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
| | - Diogo Onofre Souza
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
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Guo T, Noble W, Hanger DP. Roles of tau protein in health and disease. Acta Neuropathol 2017; 133:665-704. [PMID: 28386764 PMCID: PMC5390006 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-017-1707-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 565] [Impact Index Per Article: 80.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Revised: 03/26/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Tau is well established as a microtubule-associated protein in neurons. However, under pathological conditions, aberrant assembly of tau into insoluble aggregates is accompanied by synaptic dysfunction and neural cell death in a range of neurodegenerative disorders, collectively referred to as tauopathies. Recent advances in our understanding of the multiple functions and different locations of tau inside and outside neurons have revealed novel insights into its importance in a diverse range of molecular pathways including cell signalling, synaptic plasticity, and regulation of genomic stability. The present review describes the physiological and pathophysiological properties of tau and how these relate to its distribution and functions in neurons. We highlight the post-translational modifications of tau, which are pivotal in defining and modulating tau localisation and its roles in health and disease. We include discussion of other pathologically relevant changes in tau, including mutation and aggregation, and how these aspects impinge on the propensity of tau to propagate, and potentially drive neuronal loss, in diseased brain. Finally, we describe the cascade of pathological events that may be driven by tau dysfunction, including impaired axonal transport, alterations in synapse and mitochondrial function, activation of the unfolded protein response and defective protein degradation. It is important to fully understand the range of neuronal functions attributed to tau, since this will provide vital information on its involvement in the development and pathogenesis of disease. Such knowledge will enable determination of which critical molecular pathways should be targeted by potential therapeutic agents developed for the treatment of tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Guo
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Wendy Noble
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Diane P Hanger
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK.
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Lim S, Haque MM, Su D, Kim D, Lee JS, Chang YT, Kim YK. Development of a BODIPY-based fluorescent probe for imaging pathological tau aggregates in live cells. Chem Commun (Camb) 2017; 53:1607-1610. [PMID: 28084493 DOI: 10.1039/c6cc08826k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Neuronal accumulation of tau aggregates is a pathological hallmark in multiple neurodegenerative disorders, collectively called tauopathies. A tau aggregation sensor that can monitor abnormal tau aggregation in neurons would facilitate the study of tau aggregation processes and the discovery of tau aggregation blockers. Here, we describe a BODIPY-fluorescence sensor (BD-tau) that selectively responds to pathological tau aggregates in live cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungsu Lim
- Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Convergence Research Center for Diagnosis, Treatment and Care System of Dementia, Seoul 136-791, South Korea.
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Nilson AN, English KC, Gerson JE, Barton Whittle T, Nicolas Crain C, Xue J, Sengupta U, Castillo-Carranza DL, Zhang W, Gupta P, Kayed R. Tau Oligomers Associate with Inflammation in the Brain and Retina of Tauopathy Mice and in Neurodegenerative Diseases. J Alzheimers Dis 2017; 55:1083-1099. [PMID: 27716675 PMCID: PMC5147514 DOI: 10.3233/jad-160912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
It is well-established that inflammation plays an important role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal lobar dementia (FTLD). Inflammation and synapse loss occur in disease prior to the formation of larger aggregates, but the contribution of tau to inflammation has not yet been thoroughly investigated. Tau pathologically aggregates to form large fibrillar structures known as tangles. However, evidence suggests that smaller soluble aggregates, called oligomers, are the most toxic species and form prior to tangles. Furthermore, tau oligomers can spread to neighboring cells and between anatomically connected brain regions. In addition, recent evidence suggests that inspecting the retina may be a window to brain pathology. We hypothesized that there is a relationship between tau oligomers and inflammation, which are hallmarks of early disease. We conducted immunofluorescence and biochemical analyses on tauopathy mice, FTLD, and AD subjects. We showed that oligomers co-localize with astrocytes, microglia, and HMGB1, a pro-inflammatory cytokine. Additionally, we show that tau oligomers are present in the retina and are associated with inflammatory cells suggesting that the retina may be a valid non-invasive biomarker for brain pathology. These results suggest that there may be a toxic relationship between tau oligomers and inflammation. Therefore, the ability of tau oligomers to spread may initiate a feed-forward cycle in which tau oligomers induce inflammation, leading to neuronal damage, and thus more inflammation. Further mechanistic studies are warranted in order to understand this relationship, which may have critical implications for improving the treatment of tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N. Nilson
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Kelsey C. English
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Julia E. Gerson
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - T. Barton Whittle
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - C. Nicolas Crain
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Judy Xue
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Urmi Sengupta
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Diana L. Castillo-Carranza
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Wenbo Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Praveena Gupta
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Rakez Kayed
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
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Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterised by a progressive loss of cognitive functions. Histopathologically, AD is defined by the presence of extracellular amyloid plaques containing Aβ and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyperphosphorylated tau proteins. According to the now well-accepted amyloid cascade hypothesis is the Aβ pathology the primary driving force of AD pathogenesis, which then induces changes in tau protein leading to a neurodegenerative cascade during the progression of disease. Since many earlier drug trials aiming at preventing Aβ pathology failed to demonstrate efficacy, tau and microtubules have come into focus as prominent downstream targets. The article aims to develop the current concept of the involvement of tau in the neurodegenerative triad of synaptic loss, cell death and dendritic simplification. The function of tau as a microtubule-associated protein and versatile interaction partner will then be introduced and the rationale and progress of current tau-directed therapy will be discussed in the biological context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Bakota
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Osnabrück, Barbarastrasse 11, 49076, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Roland Brandt
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Osnabrück, Barbarastrasse 11, 49076, Osnabrück, Germany.
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Ozcelik S, Sprenger F, Skachokova Z, Fraser G, Abramowski D, Clavaguera F, Probst A, Frank S, Müller M, Staufenbiel M, Goedert M, Tolnay M, Winkler DT. Co-expression of truncated and full-length tau induces severe neurotoxicity. Mol Psychiatry 2016; 21:1790-1798. [PMID: 26830137 PMCID: PMC5116481 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2015.228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Revised: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Abundant tau inclusions are a defining hallmark of several human neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Protein fragmentation is a widely observed event in neurodegenerative proteinopathies. The relevance of tau fragmentation for the neurodegenerative process in tauopathies has yet remained unclear. Here we found that co-expression of truncated and full-length human tau in mice provoked the formation of soluble high-molecular-weight tau, the failure of axonal transport, clumping of mitochondria, disruption of the Golgi apparatus and missorting of synaptic proteins. This was associated with extensive nerve cell dysfunction and severe paralysis by the age of 3 weeks. When the expression of truncated tau was halted, most mice recovered behaviorally and functionally. In contrast, co-expression of full-length tau isoforms did not result in paralysis. Truncated tau thus induces extensive but reversible neurotoxicity in the presence of full-length tau through the formation of nonfilamentous high-molecular-weight tau aggregates, in the absence of tau filaments. Targeting tau fragmentation may provide a novel approach for the treatment of human tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Ozcelik
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - F Sprenger
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Z Skachokova
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - G Fraser
- MRC, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - D Abramowski
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | - F Clavaguera
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - A Probst
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - S Frank
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - M Müller
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | - M Staufenbiel
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | - M Goedert
- MRC, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - M Tolnay
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - D T Winkler
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Pathology and Department of Neurology, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland. E-mail:
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Gardner L, White J, Eimerbrink M, Boehm G, Chumley M. Imatinib methanesulfonate reduces hyperphosphorylation of tau following repeated peripheral exposure to lipopolysaccharide. Neuroscience 2016; 331:72-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Revised: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 06/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Arendt T, Stieler JT, Holzer M. Tau and tauopathies. Brain Res Bull 2016; 126:238-292. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2016.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 333] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Revised: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Heinisch JJ, Brandt R. Signaling pathways and posttranslational modifications of tau in Alzheimer's disease: the humanization of yeast cells. MICROBIAL CELL 2016; 3:135-146. [PMID: 28357346 DOI: 10.15698/mic2016.04.489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
In the past decade, yeast have been frequently employed to study the molecular mechanisms of human neurodegenerative diseases, generally by means of heterologous expression of genes encoding the relevant hallmark proteins. However, it has become evident that substantial posttranslational modifications of many of these proteins are required for the development and progression of potentially disease relevant changes. This is exemplified by the neuronal tau proteins, which are critically involved in a class of neuro-degenerative diseases collectively called tauopathies and which includes Alz-heimer's disease (AD) as its most common representative. In the course of the disease, tau changes its phosphorylation state and becomes hyperphosphory-lated, gets truncated by proteolytic cleavage, is subject to O-glycosylation, sumoylation, ubiquitinylation, acetylation and some other modifications. This poses the important question, which of these posttranslational modifications are naturally occurring in the yeast model or can be reconstituted by heterol-ogous gene expression. Here, we present an overview on common modifica-tions as they occur in tau during AD, summarize their potential relevance with respect to disease mechanisms and refer to the native yeast enzyme orthologs capable to perform these modifications. We will also discuss potential approaches to humanize yeast in order to create modification patterns resembling the situation in mammalian cells, which could enhance the value of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces lactis as disease models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen J Heinisch
- Universität Osnabrück, Fachbereich Biologie/Chemie, AG Genetik, Barbarastr. 11, D-49076 Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Roland Brandt
- Universität Osnabrück, Fachbereich Biologie/Chemie, AG Neurobiologie, Barbarastr. 11, D-49076 Osnabrück, Germany
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