1
|
Mandlik DS, Mandlik SK, S A. Therapeutic implications of glycogen synthase kinase-3β in Alzheimer's disease: a novel therapeutic target. Int J Neurosci 2024; 134:603-619. [PMID: 36178363 DOI: 10.1080/00207454.2022.2130297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an extremely popular neurodegenerative condition associated with dementia, responsible for around 70% of the cases. There are presently 50 million people living with dementia in the world, but this number is anticipated to increase to 152 million by 2050, posing a substantial socioeconomic encumbrance. Despite extensive research, the precise mechanisms that cause AD remain unidentified, and currently, no therapy is available. Numerous signalling paths related to AD neuropathology, including glycogen synthase kinase 3-β (GSK-3β), have been investigated as potential targets for the treatment of AD in current years.GSK-3β is a proline-directed serine/threonine kinase that is linked to a variety of biological activities, comprising glycogen metabolism to gene transcription. GSK-3β is also involved in the pathophysiology of sporadic as well as familial types of AD, which has led to the development of the GSK3 theory of AD. GSK-3β is a critical performer in the pathology of AD because dysregulation of this kinase affects all the main symbols of the disease such as amyloid formation, tau phosphorylation, neurogenesis and synaptic and memory function. The current review highlights present-day knowledge of GSK-3β-related neurobiology, focusing on its role in AD pathogenesis signalling pathways. It also explores the possibility of targeting GSK-3β for the management of AD and offers an overview of the present research work in preclinical and clinical studies to produce GSK-3β inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deepa S Mandlik
- Department of Pharmacology, Poona College of Pharmacy, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Erandawane, Pune, India
| | - Satish K Mandlik
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Poona College of Pharmacy, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Erandawane, Pune, India
| | - Arulmozhi S
- Department of Pharmacology, Poona College of Pharmacy, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Erandawane, Pune, India
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ellis MJ, Lekka C, Holden KL, Tulmin H, Seedat F, O'Brien DP, Dhayal S, Zeissler ML, Knudsen JG, Kessler BM, Morgan NG, Todd JA, Richardson SJ, Stefana MI. Identification of high-performing antibodies for the reliable detection of Tau proteoforms by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:87. [PMID: 38761203 PMCID: PMC11102361 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02729-7] [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: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Antibodies are essential research tools whose performance directly impacts research conclusions and reproducibility. Owing to its central role in Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, hundreds of distinct antibody clones have been developed against the microtubule-associated protein Tau and its multiple proteoforms. Despite this breadth of offer, limited understanding of their performance and poor antibody selectivity have hindered research progress. Here, we validate a large panel of Tau antibodies by Western blot (79 reagents) and immunohistochemistry (35 reagents). We address the reagents' ability to detect the target proteoform, selectivity, the impact of protein phosphorylation on antibody binding and performance in human brain samples. While most antibodies detected Tau at high levels, many failed to detect it at lower, endogenous levels. By WB, non-selective binding to other proteins affected over half of the antibodies tested, with several cross-reacting with the related MAP2 protein, whereas the "oligomeric Tau" T22 antibody reacted with monomeric Tau by WB, thus calling into question its specificity to Tau oligomers. Despite the presumption that "total" Tau antibodies are agnostic to post-translational modifications, we found that phosphorylation partially inhibits binding for many such antibodies, including the popular Tau-5 clone. We further combine high-sensitivity reagents, mass-spectrometry proteomics and cDNA sequencing to demonstrate that presumptive Tau "knockout" human cells continue to express residual protein arising through exon skipping, providing evidence of previously unappreciated gene plasticity. Finally, probing of human brain samples with a large panel of antibodies revealed the presence of C-term-truncated versions of all main Tau brain isoforms in both control and tauopathy donors. Ultimately, we identify a validated panel of Tau antibodies that can be employed in Western blotting and/or immunohistochemistry to reliably detect even low levels of Tau expression with high selectivity. This work represents an extensive resource that will enable the re-interpretation of published data, improve reproducibility in Tau research, and overall accelerate scientific progress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Ellis
- JDRF/Wellcome Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
| | - Christiana Lekka
- Islet Biology Group, Department of Clinical & Biomedical Sciences, Exeter Centre of Excellence in Diabetes (EXCEED), University of Exeter, RILD Building, Exeter, UK
| | - Katie L Holden
- JDRF/Wellcome Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
| | - Hanna Tulmin
- JDRF/Wellcome Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
| | - Faheem Seedat
- JDRF/Wellcome Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, Women's Centre, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Level 3, Oxford, UK
| | - Darragh P O'Brien
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
| | - Shalinee Dhayal
- Islet Biology Group, Department of Clinical & Biomedical Sciences, Exeter Centre of Excellence in Diabetes (EXCEED), University of Exeter, RILD Building, Exeter, UK
| | - Marie-Louise Zeissler
- Islet Biology Group, Department of Clinical & Biomedical Sciences, Exeter Centre of Excellence in Diabetes (EXCEED), University of Exeter, RILD Building, Exeter, UK
| | - Jakob G Knudsen
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Radcliffe, UK
- Section for Cell Biology and Physiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Benedikt M Kessler
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
| | - Noel G Morgan
- Islet Biology Group, Department of Clinical & Biomedical Sciences, Exeter Centre of Excellence in Diabetes (EXCEED), University of Exeter, RILD Building, Exeter, UK
| | - John A Todd
- JDRF/Wellcome Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
| | - Sarah J Richardson
- Islet Biology Group, Department of Clinical & Biomedical Sciences, Exeter Centre of Excellence in Diabetes (EXCEED), University of Exeter, RILD Building, Exeter, UK
| | - M Irina Stefana
- JDRF/Wellcome Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Recinos Y, Bao S, Wang X, Phillips BL, Yeh YT, Weyn-Vanhentenryck SM, Swanson MS, Zhang C. Lineage-specific splicing regulation of MAPT gene in the primate brain. CELL GENOMICS 2024:100563. [PMID: 38772368 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2024.100563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Divergence of precursor messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) alternative splicing (AS) is widespread in mammals, including primates, but the underlying mechanisms and functional impact are poorly understood. Here, we modeled cassette exon inclusion in primate brains as a quantitative trait and identified 1,170 (∼3%) exons with lineage-specific splicing shifts under stabilizing selection. Among them, microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) exons 2 and 10 underwent anticorrelated, two-step evolutionary shifts in the catarrhine and hominoid lineages, leading to their present inclusion levels in humans. The developmental-stage-specific divergence of exon 10 splicing, whose dysregulation can cause frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), is mediated by divergent distal intronic MBNL-binding sites. Competitive binding of these sites by CRISPR-dCas13d/gRNAs effectively reduces exon 10 inclusion, potentially providing a therapeutically compatible approach to modulate tau isoform expression. Our data suggest adaptation of MAPT function and, more generally, a role for AS in the evolutionary expansion of the primate brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yocelyn Recinos
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Suying Bao
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Xiaojian Wang
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Brittany L Phillips
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Yow-Tyng Yeh
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Sebastien M Weyn-Vanhentenryck
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Maurice S Swanson
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Chaolin Zhang
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Buchholz S, Zempel H. The six brain-specific TAU isoforms and their role in Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative dementia syndromes. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:3606-3628. [PMID: 38556838 PMCID: PMC11095451 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13784] [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: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Alternative splicing of the human MAPT gene generates six brain-specific TAU isoforms. Imbalances in the TAU isoform ratio can lead to neurodegenerative diseases, underscoring the need for precise control over TAU isoform balance. Tauopathies, characterized by intracellular aggregates of hyperphosphorylated TAU, exhibit extensive neurodegeneration and can be classified by the TAU isoforms present in pathological accumulations. METHODS A comprehensive review of TAU and related dementia syndromes literature was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, and preprint server. RESULTS While TAU is recognized as key driver of neurodegeneration in specific tauopathies, the contribution of the isoforms to neuronal function and disease development remains largely elusive. DISCUSSION In this review we describe the role of TAU isoforms in health and disease, and stress the importance of comprehending and studying TAU isoforms in both, physiological and pathological context, in order to develop targeted therapeutic interventions for TAU-associated diseases. HIGHLIGHTS MAPT splicing is tightly regulated during neuronal maturation and throughout life. TAU isoform expression is development-, cell-type and brain region specific. The contribution of TAU to neurodegeneration might be isoform-specific. Ineffective TAU-based therapies highlight the need for specific targeting strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Buchholz
- Institute of Human GeneticsFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital CologneUniversity of CologneCologneGermany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC)University of CologneCologneGermany
- Present address:
Department Schaefer, Neurobiology of AgeingMax Planck Institute for Biology of AgeingCologneGermany
| | - Hans Zempel
- Institute of Human GeneticsFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital CologneUniversity of CologneCologneGermany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC)University of CologneCologneGermany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Katchur NJ, Notterman DA. Recent insights from non-mammalian models of brain injuries: an emerging literature. Front Neurol 2024; 15:1378620. [PMID: 38566857 PMCID: PMC10985199 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1378620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major global health concern and is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Repetitive TBIs (rTBIs), commonly observed in contact sports, military service, and intimate partner violence (IPV), pose a significant risk for long-term sequelae. To study the long-term consequences of TBI and rTBI, researchers have typically used mammalian models to recapitulate brain injury and neurodegenerative phenotypes. However, there are several limitations to these models, including: (1) lengthy observation periods, (2) high cost, (3) difficult genetic manipulations, and (4) ethical concerns regarding prolonged and repeated injury of a large number of mammals. Aquatic vertebrate model organisms, including Petromyzon marinus (sea lampreys), zebrafish (Danio rerio), and invertebrates, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), and Drosophila melanogaster (Drosophila), are emerging as valuable tools for investigating the mechanisms of rTBI and tauopathy. These non-mammalian models offer unique advantages, including genetic tractability, simpler nervous systems, cost-effectiveness, and quick discovery-based approaches and high-throughput screens for therapeutics, which facilitate the study of rTBI-induced neurodegeneration and tau-related pathology. Here, we explore the use of non-vertebrate and aquatic vertebrate models to study TBI and neurodegeneration. Drosophila, in particular, provides an opportunity to explore the longitudinal effects of mild rTBI and its impact on endogenous tau, thereby offering valuable insights into the complex interplay between rTBI, tauopathy, and neurodegeneration. These models provide a platform for mechanistic studies and therapeutic interventions, ultimately advancing our understanding of the long-term consequences associated with rTBI and potential avenues for intervention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole J. Katchur
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States
- Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Daniel A. Notterman
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kaur J, Sharma A, Mundlia P, Sood V, Pandey A, Singh G, Barnwal RP. RNA-Small-Molecule Interaction: Challenging the "Undruggable" Tag. J Med Chem 2024. [PMID: 38498010 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
RNA targeting, specifically with small molecules, is a relatively new and rapidly emerging avenue with the promise to expand the target space in the drug discovery field. From being "disregarded" as an "undruggable" messenger molecule to FDA approval of an RNA-targeting small-molecule drug Risdiplam, a radical change in perspective toward RNA has been observed in the past decade. RNAs serve important regulatory functions beyond canonical protein synthesis, and their dysregulation has been reported in many diseases. A deeper understanding of RNA biology reveals that RNA molecules can adopt a variety of structures, carrying defined binding pockets that can accommodate small-molecule drugs. Due to its functional diversity and structural complexity, RNA can be perceived as a prospective target for therapeutic intervention. This perspective highlights the proof of concept of RNA-small-molecule interactions, exemplified by targeting of various transcripts with functional modulators. The advent of RNA-oriented knowledge would help expedite drug discovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jaskirat Kaur
- Department of Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
| | - Akanksha Sharma
- Department of Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
- University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
| | - Poonam Mundlia
- Department of Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
| | - Vikas Sood
- Department of Biochemistry, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi 110062, India
| | - Ankur Pandey
- Department of Chemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
| | - Gurpal Singh
- University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
| | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Kim YA, Mellen M, Kizil C, Santa-Maria I. Mechanisms linking cerebrovascular dysfunction and tauopathy: Adding a layer of epiregulatory complexity. Br J Pharmacol 2024; 181:879-895. [PMID: 37926507 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Intracellular accumulation of hyperphosphorylated misfolded tau proteins are found in many neurodegenerative tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Tau pathology can impact cerebrovascular physiology and function through multiple mechanisms. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown that alterations in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity and function can result in synaptic abnormalities and neuronal damage. In the present review, we will summarize how tau proteostasis dysregulation contributes to vascular dysfunction and, conversely, we will examine the factors and pathways leading to tau pathological alterations triggered by cerebrovascular dysfunction. Finally, we will highlight the role epigenetic and epitranscriptomic factors play in regulating the integrity of the cerebrovascular system and the progression of tauopathy including a few observartions on potential therapeutic interventions. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue From Alzheimer's Disease to Vascular Dementia: Different Roads Leading to Cognitive Decline. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v181.6/issuetoc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoon A Kim
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Marian Mellen
- Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Pozuelo de Alarcon, Madrid, Spain
| | - Caghan Kizil
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ismael Santa-Maria
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
- Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Pozuelo de Alarcon, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Ruiz-Gabarre D, Vallés-Saiz L, Carnero-Espejo A, Ferrer I, Hernández F, Garcia-Escudero R, Ávila J, García-Escudero V. Intron retention as a productive mechanism in human MAPT: RNA species generated by retention of intron 3. EBioMedicine 2024; 100:104953. [PMID: 38181704 PMCID: PMC10789595 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tau is a microtubule-binding protein encoded by the MAPT gene. Tau is essential for several physiological functions and associated with pathological processes, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Six tau isoforms are typically described in the central nervous system, but current research paints a more diverse landscape and a more nuanced balance between isoforms. Recent work has described tau isoforms generated by intron 11 and intron 12 retention. This work adds to that evidence, proving the existence of MAPT transcripts retaining intron 3. Our aim is to demonstrate the existence of mature MAPT RNA species that retain intron 3 in human brain samples and to study its correlation with Alzheimer's disease across different regions. METHODS Initial evidence of intron-3-retaining MAPT species come from in silico analysis of RNA-seq databases. We further demonstrate the existence of these mature RNA species in a human neuroepithelioma cell line and human brain samples by quantitative PCR. We also use digital droplet PCR to demonstrate the existence of RNA species that retain either intron 3, intron 12 or both introns. FINDINGS Intron-3-retaining species are even more prominently present that intron-12-retaining ones. We show the presence of MAPT transcripts that retain both introns 3 and 12. These intron-retaining species are diminished in brain samples of patients with Alzheimer's disease with respect to individuals without dementia. Conversely, relative abundance of intron-3- or intron-12-retaining MAPT species with respect to double-retaining species as well as their percentage of expression with respect to total MAPT are increased in patients with Alzheimer's disease, especially in hippocampal samples. Among these TIR-MAPT species, TIR3+12 double truncation allows better classification potential of Alzheimer's disease samples. Moreover, we find a significant increase in intron-3- or intron-12-retaining species and its relative abundance with respect to double-retaining MAPT species in cerebellum in contrast to frontal lateral cortex and hippocampus in individuals with no signs of dementia. INTERPRETATION Intron retention constitutes a potential mechanism to generate Tau isoforms whose mature RNA expression levels correlate with Alzheimer's pathology showing its potential as a biomarker associated to the disease. FUNDING This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities: PGC2018-096177-B-I00 (J.A.); Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MCIN): PID2020-113204GB-I00 (F.H.) and PID2021-123859OB-100 from MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER, UE (J.A.). It was also supported by CSIC through an intramural grant (201920E104) (J.A.) and the Centre for Networked Biomedical Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases (J.A.). The Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBMSO) is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (MICIN, award CEX2021-001154-S).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ruiz-Gabarre
- Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience Department, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), 28029, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (UAM-CSIC), 28049, Madrid, Spain; Graduate Programa in Neuroscience, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Vallés-Saiz
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (UAM-CSIC), 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Almudena Carnero-Espejo
- Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience Department, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), 28029, Madrid, Spain; Graduate Programa in Neuroscience, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isidro Ferrer
- Networking Research Centre on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain; Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, 08907, Barcelona, Spain; Bellvitge University Hospital, IDIBELL (Bellvitge Biomedical Research Centre), 08908, Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Félix Hernández
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (UAM-CSIC), 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ramon Garcia-Escudero
- Biomedical Oncology Unit, CIEMAT, 28040, Madrid, Spain; Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041, Madrid, Spain; Networking Research Centre on Cancer (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Ávila
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (UAM-CSIC), 28049, Madrid, Spain; Networking Research Centre on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Vega García-Escudero
- Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience Department, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), 28029, Madrid, Spain; Graduate Programa in Neuroscience, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), 28029, Madrid, Spain; Networking Research Centre on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain; Institute for Molecular Biology-IUBM (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid), 28049, Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Hergenreder E, Minotti AP, Zorina Y, Oberst P, Zhao Z, Munguba H, Calder EL, Baggiolini A, Walsh RM, Liston C, Levitz J, Garippa R, Chen S, Ciceri G, Studer L. Combined small-molecule treatment accelerates maturation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons. Nat Biotechnol 2024:10.1038/s41587-023-02031-z. [PMID: 38168993 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-02031-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The maturation of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived neurons mimics the protracted timing of human brain development, extending over months to years for reaching adult-like function. Prolonged in vitro maturation presents a major challenge to stem cell-based applications in modeling and treating neurological disease. Therefore, we designed a high-content imaging assay based on morphological and functional readouts in hPSC-derived cortical neurons which identified multiple compounds that drive neuronal maturation including inhibitors of lysine-specific demethylase 1 and disruptor of telomerase-like 1 and activators of calcium-dependent transcription. A cocktail of four factors, GSK2879552, EPZ-5676, N-methyl-D-aspartate and Bay K 8644, collectively termed GENtoniK, triggered maturation across all parameters tested, including synaptic density, electrophysiology and transcriptomics. Maturation effects were further validated in cortical organoids, spinal motoneurons and non-neural lineages including melanocytes and pancreatic β-cells. The effects on maturation observed across a broad range of hPSC-derived cell types indicate that some of the mechanisms controlling the timing of human maturation might be shared across lineages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Hergenreder
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA
- Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrew P Minotti
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA
- Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yana Zorina
- Gene Editing and Screening Core Facility, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Polina Oberst
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zeping Zhao
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hermany Munguba
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Elizabeth L Calder
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA
| | - Arianna Baggiolini
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ryan M Walsh
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA
| | - Conor Liston
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Joshua Levitz
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ralph Garippa
- Gene Editing and Screening Core Facility, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shuibing Chen
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gabriele Ciceri
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lorenz Studer
- The Center for Stem Cell Biology, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA.
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Domene-Serrano I, Cuadros R, Hernandez F, Avila J, Santa-Maria I. Tridimensional Structural Analysis of Tau Isoforms Generated by Intronic Retention. J Alzheimers Dis Rep 2023; 7:1259-1265. [PMID: 38143771 PMCID: PMC10741963 DOI: 10.3233/adr-230074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Tauopathies are a subset of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by abnormal tau inclusions. Recently, we have discovered a new, human specific, tau isoform termed W-tau that originates by intron 12 retention. Our preliminary data suggests this newly discovered W-tau isoform might prevent aberrant aggregation of other tau isoforms but is significantly downregulated in tauopathies such as Alzheimer's disease. Objective To accurately predict, examine, and understand tau protein structure and the conformational basis for the neuroprotective role of W-tau. Methods A tridimensional deep learning-based approach and in vitro polymerization assay was included to accurately predict, analyze, and understand tau protein structure and the conformational basis for the neuroprotective role of W-tau. Results Our findings demonstrate: a) the predicted protein tridimensionality structure of the tau isoforms raised by intron retention and their comparison with the other tau isoforms; b) the interaction of W-tau peptide (from W-tau isoform) with other tau isoforms; c) the effect of W-tau peptide in the polymerization of those tau isoforms. Conclusions This study supports the importance of the structure-function relationship on the neuroprotective behavior of W-tau inhibiting tau fibrillization in vitro.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Indalo Domene-Serrano
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Networking Research Centre on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Raquel Cuadros
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Networking Research Centre on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Felix Hernandez
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Networking Research Centre on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesus Avila
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Networking Research Centre on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ismael Santa-Maria
- Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Margvelani G, Welden JR, Maquera AA, Van Eyk JE, Murray C, Miranda Sardon SC, Stamm S. Influence of FTDP-17 mutants on circular Tau RNAs. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.08.556913. [PMID: 37786725 PMCID: PMC10541600 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.08.556913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
At least 53 mutations in the microtubule associated protein tau gene (MAPT) have been identified that cause frontotemporal dementia. 47 of these mutations are localized between exons 7 and 13. They could thus affect the formation of circular RNAs (circRNAs) from the MAPT gene that occur through backsplicing from exon 12 to either exon 10 or exon 7. We analyzed representative mutants and found that five FTDP-17 mutations increase the formation of 12➔7 circRNA and three different mutations increase the amount of 12➔10 circRNA. CircRNAs are translated after undergoing adenosine to inosine RNA editing, catalyzed by ADAR enzymes. We found that the interferon induced ADAR1-p150 isoform has the strongest effect on circTau RNA translation. ADAR1-p150 activity had a stronger effect on circTau RNA expression and strongly decreased 12➔7 circRNA, but unexpectedly increased 12➔10 circRNA. In both cases, ADAR-activity strongly promoted translation of circTau RNAs. Unexpectedly, we found that the 12➔7 circTau protein interacts with eukaryotic initiation factor 4B (eIF4B), which is reduced by four FTDP-17 mutations located in the second microtubule domain. These are the first studies of the effect of human mutations on circular RNA formation and translation. They show that point mutations influence circRNA expression levels, likely through changes in the secondary pre-mRNA structures. The effect of the mutations is surpassed by editing of the circular RNAs, leading to their translation. Thus, circular RNAs and their editing status should be considered when analyzing FTDP-17 mutations. Highlights 47/53 known FTDP-17 mutations are located in regions that could influence generation of circular RNAs from the MAPT geneCircular Tau RNAs are translated after adenosine to inosine RNA editing, most effectively caused by ADAR1-p150FTDP-17 mutations influence both circTau RNA and circTau protein expression levelsCircTau protein expression levels do not correlate with circTau RNA expression levelsCircTau proteins bind to eukaryotic initiation factor 4B, which is antagonized by FTDP-17 mutations in exon 10. Graphic Abstract
Collapse
|
12
|
Sturiale V, Bruno F, Brancato D, D’Amico AG, Maugeri G, D’Agata V, Saccone S, Federico C. Cell Cycle Reactivation, at the Start of Neurodegeneration, Induced by Forskolin and Aniline in Differentiated Neuroblastoma Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14373. [PMID: 37762676 PMCID: PMC10531780 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241814373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
A characteristic hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the intracellular accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau protein, a phenomenon that appears to have associations with oxidative stress, double-stranded DNA breakage, and the de-condensation of heterochromatin. Re-entry into the cell division cycle appears to be involved in the onset of this neurodegenerative process. Indeed, the cell cycle cannot proceed regularly in the differentiated neurons leading to cell death. Here, we induced cell cycle reactivation in neuronal-like cells, obtained by neuroblastoma cells treated with retinoic acid, by exposure to forskolin or aniline. These compounds determine tau hyperphosphorylation or oxidative stress, respectively, resulting in the appearance of features resembling the start of neuronal degeneration typical of AD, such as tau hyperphosphorylation and re-entry into the cell cycle. Indeed, we detected an increased transcriptional level of cyclins and the appearance of a high number of mitotic cells. We also observed a delay in the initiation of the cell cycle when forskolin was co-administered with pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP). This delay was not observed when PACAP was co-administered with aniline. Our data demonstrate the relevance of tau hyperphosphorylation in initiating an ectopic cell cycle in differentiated neuronal cells, a condition that can lead to neurodegeneration. Moreover, we highlight the utility of neuroblastoma cell lines as an in vitro cellular model to test the possible neuroprotective effects of natural molecules.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Sturiale
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy; (V.S.); (F.B.)
| | - Francesca Bruno
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy; (V.S.); (F.B.)
| | - Desiree Brancato
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy; (V.S.); (F.B.)
| | - Agata Grazia D’Amico
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Grazia Maugeri
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Velia D’Agata
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Salvatore Saccone
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy; (V.S.); (F.B.)
| | - Concetta Federico
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy; (V.S.); (F.B.)
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Waheed Z, Choudhary J, Jatala FH, Fatimah, Noor A, Zerr I, Zafar S. The Role of Tau Proteoforms in Health and Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:5155-5166. [PMID: 37266762 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03387-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-associated binding protein in the nervous system that is known for its role in stabilizing microtubules throughout the nerve cell. It accumulates as β-sheet-rich aggregates and neurofibrillary tangles, leading to an array of different pathologies. Six splice variants of this protein, generated from the microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) gene, are expressed in the brain. Amongst these variants, 0N3R, is prominent during fetal development, while the rest, 0N4R, 1N3R, 1N4R, 2N3R, and 2N4R, are expressed in postnatal stages. Tau isoforms play their role separately or in combination with others to contribute to one or multiple neurodegenerative disorders and clinical syndromes. For instance, in Alzheimer's disease and a subset of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD)-MAPT (i.e., R406W and V337M), both 3R and 4R isoforms are involved; therefore, they are called 3R/4R mix tauopathies. On the other hand, 4R isoforms are aggregated in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD), and a majority of FTLD-MAPT and these diseases are called 4R tauopathies. Similarly, Pick's disease has an association with 3R tau isoforms and is thereby referred to as 3R tauopathy. Unlike 3R isoforms, the 4R variants have a faster rate of aggregation that accelerates the associated neurodegenerative mechanisms. Moreover, post-translational modifications of each isoform occur at a different rate and dictate their physiological and pathological attributes. The smallest tau isoform (0N3R) is highly phosphorylated in the fetal brain but does not lead to the generation of aggregates. On the other hand, proteoforms in the adult human brain undergo aggregation upon their phosphorylation and glycation. Expanding on this knowledge, this article aims to review the physiological and pathological roles of tau isoforms and their underlying mechanisms that result in neurological deficits. Physiological and pathological relevance of microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT): Tau exists as six splice variants in the brain, each differing with respect to expression, post-translational modifications (PTMs), and aggregation kinetics. Physiologically, they are involved in the stabilization of microtubules that form the molecular highways for axonal transport. However, an imbalance in their expression and the associated PTMs leads to a disruption in their physiological function through the formation of neurofibrillary tangles that accumulate in various regions of the brain and contribute to several types of tauopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zuha Waheed
- School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (SMME), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Bolan Road, Sector H-12, Islamabad, 46000, Pakistan
| | - Jawaria Choudhary
- School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (SMME), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Bolan Road, Sector H-12, Islamabad, 46000, Pakistan
| | - Faria Hasan Jatala
- School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (SMME), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Bolan Road, Sector H-12, Islamabad, 46000, Pakistan
| | - Fatimah
- School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (SMME), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Bolan Road, Sector H-12, Islamabad, 46000, Pakistan
| | - Aneeqa Noor
- School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (SMME), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Bolan Road, Sector H-12, Islamabad, 46000, Pakistan.
| | - Inga Zerr
- Clinical Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Robert-Koch-Straße 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Saima Zafar
- School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (SMME), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Bolan Road, Sector H-12, Islamabad, 46000, Pakistan
- Clinical Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Robert-Koch-Straße 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Avila J, Santa-Maria I, Sotiropulos I. Editorial Special Issue Neuroscience "Tauopathies". Neuroscience 2023; 518:1-3. [PMID: 36963653 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Avila
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), 28049 Madrid, Spain; Networking Research Centre on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ismael Santa-Maria
- Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Edificio E, 28223, Pozuelo de Alarcon, Madrid, Spain; The Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA, Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Ioannis Sotiropulos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal; Institute of Biosciences and Applications NCSR "Demokritos", Athens, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Moore KBE, Hung TJ, Fortin JS. Hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) and drug discovery in the context of Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103487. [PMID: 36634842 PMCID: PMC9975055 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, characterized by intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and extracellular β-amyloid (βA) plaques. No disease-modifying therapy is currently available to prevent the progression of, or cure, the disease. Misfolded hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) is considered a pivotal point in the pathogenesis of AD and other tauopathies. Compelling evidence suggests that it is a key driver of the accumulation of NFTs and can be directly correlated with the extent of dementia in patients with AD. Therefore, inhibiting tau hyperphosphorylation-induced aggregation could be a viable strategy to discover and develop therapeutics for patients with AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kendall B E Moore
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, 625 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Ta-Jung Hung
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, 625 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Jessica S Fortin
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, 625 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Lin TT, Zhang T, Kitata RB, Liu T, Smith RD, Qian WJ, Shi T. Mass spectrometry-based targeted proteomics for analysis of protein mutations. MASS SPECTROMETRY REVIEWS 2023; 42:796-821. [PMID: 34719806 PMCID: PMC9054944 DOI: 10.1002/mas.21741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Cancers are caused by accumulated DNA mutations. This recognition of the central role of mutations in cancer and recent advances in next-generation sequencing, has initiated the massive screening of clinical samples and the identification of 1000s of cancer-associated gene mutations. However, proteomic analysis of the expressed mutation products lags far behind genomic (transcriptomic) analysis. With comprehensive global proteomics analysis, only a small percentage of single nucleotide variants detected by DNA and RNA sequencing have been observed as single amino acid variants due to current technical limitations. Proteomic analysis of mutations is important with the potential to advance cancer biomarker development and the discovery of new therapeutic targets for more effective disease treatment. Targeted proteomics using selected reaction monitoring (also known as multiple reaction monitoring) and parallel reaction monitoring, has emerged as a powerful tool with significant advantages over global proteomics for analysis of protein mutations in terms of detection sensitivity, quantitation accuracy and overall practicality (e.g., reliable identification and the scale of quantification). Herein we review recent advances in the targeted proteomics technology for enhancing detection sensitivity and multiplexing capability and highlight its broad biomedical applications for analysis of protein mutations in human bodily fluids, tissues, and cell lines. Furthermore, we review recent applications of top-down proteomics for analysis of protein mutations. Unlike the commonly used bottom-up proteomics which requires digestion of proteins into peptides, top-down proteomics directly analyzes intact proteins for more precise characterization of mutation isoforms. Finally, general perspectives on the potential of achieving both high sensitivity and high sample throughput for large-scale targeted detection and quantification of important protein mutations are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tai-Tu Lin
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, USA
| | - Tong Zhang
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, USA
| | - Reta B. Kitata
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, USA
| | - Tao Liu
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, USA
| | - Richard D. Smith
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, USA
| | - Wei-Jun Qian
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, USA
| | - Tujin Shi
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Betters RK, Luhmann E, Gottschalk AC, Xu Z, Shin MR, Ptak CP, Fiock KL, Radoshevich LC, Hefti MM. Characterization of the Tau Interactome in Human Brain Reveals Isoform-Dependent Interaction with 14-3-3 Family Proteins. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0503-22.2023. [PMID: 36898832 PMCID: PMC10035768 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0503-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite exhibiting tau phosphorylation similar to Alzheimer's disease (AD), the human fetal brain is remarkably resilient to tau aggregation and toxicity. To identify potential mechanisms for this resilience, we used co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) with mass spectrometry to characterize the tau interactome in human fetal, adult, and Alzheimer's disease brains. We found significant differences between the tau interactome in fetal and AD brain tissue, with little difference between adult and AD, although these findings are limited by the low throughput and small sample size of these experiments. Differentially interacting proteins were enriched for 14-3-3 domains, and we found that the 14-3-3-β, η, and γ isoforms interacted with phosphorylated tau in Alzheimer's disease but not the fetal brain. Since long isoform (4R) tau is only seen in the adult brain and this is one of the major differences between fetal and AD tau, we tested the ability of our strongest hit (14-3-3-β) to interact with 3R and 4R tau using co-immunoprecipitation, mass photometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). We found that 14-3-3-β interacts preferentially with phosphorylated 4R tau, forming a complex consisting of two 14-3-3-β molecules to one tau. By NMR, we mapped 14-3-3 binding regions on tau that span the second microtubule binding repeat, which is unique to 4R tau. Our findings suggest that there are isoform-driven differences between the phospho-tau interactome in fetal and Alzheimer's disease brain, including differences in interaction with the critical 14-3-3 family of protein chaperones, which may explain, in part, the resilience of fetal brain to tau toxicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan K Betters
- Department of Pathology
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Graduate Program
| | | | | | - Zhen Xu
- Protein and Crystallography Facility
| | - Mallory R Shin
- Department of Pathology
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Graduate Program
| | | | | | | | - Marco M Hefti
- Department of Pathology
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Graduate Program
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Maina MB, Al-Hilaly YK, Serpell LC. Dityrosine cross-linking and its potential roles in Alzheimer's disease. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1132670. [PMID: 37034163 PMCID: PMC10075315 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1132670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxidative stress is a significant source of damage that accumulates during aging and contributes to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. Oxidation of proteins can give rise to covalent links between adjacent tyrosines known as dityrosine (DiY) cross-linking, amongst other modifications, and this observation suggests that DiY could serve as a biomarker of accumulated oxidative stress over the lifespan. Many studies have focused on understanding the contribution of DiY to AD pathogenesis and have revealed that DiY crosslinks can be found in both Aβ and tau deposits - the two key proteins involved in the formation of amyloid plaques and tau tangles, respectively. However, there is no consensus yet in the field on the impact of DiY on Aβ and tau function, aggregation, and toxicity. Here we review the current understanding of the role of DiY on Aβ and tau gathered over the last 20 years since the first observation, and discuss the effect of this modification for Aβ and tau aggregation, and its potential as a biomarker for AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud B. Maina
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, United Kingdom
- Biomedical Science Research and Training Centre, College of Medical Sciences, Yobe State University, Damaturu, Nigeria
| | - Youssra K. Al-Hilaly
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, United Kingdom
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Louise C. Serpell
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Louise C. Serpell,
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Yuan A, Nixon RA. Posttranscriptional regulation of neurofilament proteins and tau in health and disease. Brain Res Bull 2023; 192:115-127. [PMID: 36441047 PMCID: PMC9907725 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2022.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Neurofilament and tau proteins are neuron-specific cytoskeletal proteins that are enriched in axons, regulated by many of the same protein kinases, interact physically, and are the principal constituents of neurofibrillary lesions in major adult-onset dementias. Both proteins share functions related to the modulation of stability and functions of the microtubule network in axons, axonal transport and scaffolding of organelles, long-term synaptic potentiation, and learning and memory. Expression of these proteins is regulated not only at the transcriptional level but also through posttranscriptional control of pre-mRNA splicing, mRNA stability, transport, localization, local translation and degradation. Current evidence suggests that posttranscriptional determinants of their levels are usually regulated by RNA-binding proteins and microRNAs primarily through 3'-untranslated regions of neurofilament and tau mRNAs. Dysregulations of neurofilament and tau expression caused by mutations or pathologies of RNA-binding proteins such as TDP43, FUS and microRNAs are increasingly recognized in association with varied neurological disorders. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of posttranscriptional control of neurofilament and tau by examining the posttranscriptional regulation of neurofilament and tau by RNA-binding proteins and microRNAs implicated in health and diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aidong Yuan
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| | - Ralph A. Nixon
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA,Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA,Department of Cell Biology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA,NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA,Correspondence to: Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA, (A. Yuan), (R.A. Nixon)
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Welden JR, Margvelani G, Arizaca Maquera KA, Gudlavalleti B, Miranda Sardón S, Campos A, Robil N, Lee D, Hernandez A, Wang WX, Di J, de la Grange P, Nelson P, Stamm S. RNA editing of microtubule-associated protein tau circular RNAs promotes their translation and tau tangle formation. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:12979-12996. [PMID: 36533443 PMCID: PMC9825173 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggregation of the microtubule-associated protein tau characterizes tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD-Tau). Gene expression regulation of tau is complex and incompletely understood. Here we report that the human tau gene (MAPT) generates two circular RNAs (circRNAs) through backsplicing of exon 12 to either exon 7 (12→7 circRNA) or exon 10 (12→10 circRNA). Both circRNAs lack stop codons. The 12→7 circRNA contains one start codon and is translated in a rolling circle, generating a protein consisting of multimers of the microtubule-binding repeats R1-R4. For the 12→10 circRNA, a start codon can be introduced by two FTLD-Tau mutations, generating a protein consisting of multimers of the microtubule-binding repeats R2-R4, suggesting that mutations causing FTLD may act in part through tau circRNAs. Adenosine to inosine RNA editing dramatically increases translation of circRNAs and, in the 12→10 circRNA, RNA editing generates a translational start codon by changing AUA to AUI. Circular tau proteins self-aggregate and promote aggregation of linear tau proteins. Our data indicate that adenosine to inosine RNA editing initiates translation of human circular tau RNAs, which may contribute to tauopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Giorgi Margvelani
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | | | - Bhavani Gudlavalleti
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Sandra C Miranda Sardón
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Alexandre Rosa Campos
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute Proteomics Core, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Daniel C Lee
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA,Alzheimer's Disease Research Center Neuroscience, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | | | - Wang-Xia Wang
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA,Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Jing Di
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | | | - Peter T Nelson
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA,Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Common and Specific Marks of Different Tau Strains Following Intra-Hippocampal Injection of AD, PiD, and GGT Inoculum in hTau Transgenic Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232415940. [PMID: 36555581 PMCID: PMC9787745 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232415940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterozygous hTau mice were used for the study of tau seeding. These mice express the six human tau isoforms, with a high predominance of 3Rtau over 4Rtau. The following groups were assessed: (i) non-inoculated mice aged 9 months (n = 4); (ii) Alzheimer's Disease (AD)-inoculated mice (n = 4); (iii) Globular Glial Tauopathy (GGT)-inoculated mice (n = 4); (iv) Pick's disease (PiD)-inoculated mice (n = 4); (v) control-inoculated mice (n = 4); and (vi) inoculated with vehicle alone (n = 2). AD-inoculated mice showed AT8-immunoreactive neuronal pre-tangles, granular aggregates, and dots in the CA1 region of the hippocampus, dentate gyrus (DG), and hilus, and threads and dots in the ipsilateral corpus callosum. GGT-inoculated mice showed unique or multiple AT8-immunoreactive globular deposits in neurons, occasionally extended to the proximal dendrites. PiD-inoculated mice showed a few loose pre-tangles in the CA1 region, DG, and cerebral cortex near the injection site. Coiled bodies were formed in the corpus callosum in AD-inoculated mice, but GGT-inoculated mice lacked globular glial inclusions. Tau deposits in inoculated mice co-localized active kinases p38-P and SAPK/JNK-P, thus suggesting active phosphorylation of the host tau. Tau deposits were absent in hTau mice inoculated with control homogenates and vehicle alone. Deposits in AD-inoculated hTau mice contained 3Rtau and 4Rtau; those in GGT-inoculated mice were mainly stained with anti-4Rtau antibodies, but a small number of deposits contained 3Rtau. Deposits in PiD-inoculated mice were stained with anti-3Rtau antibodies, but rare neuronal, thread-like, and dot-like deposits showed 4Rtau immunoreactivity. These findings show that tau strains produce different patterns of active neuronal seeding, which also depend on the host tau. Unexpected 3Rtau and 4Rtau deposits after inoculation of homogenates from 4R and 3R tauopathies, respectively, suggests the regulation of exon 10 splicing of the host tau during the process of seeding, thus modulating the plasticity of the cytoskeleton.
Collapse
|
23
|
Corsi A, Bombieri C, Valenti MT, Romanelli MG. Tau Isoforms: Gaining Insight into MAPT Alternative Splicing. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232315383. [PMID: 36499709 PMCID: PMC9735940 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau microtubule-associated proteins, encoded by the MAPT gene, are mainly expressed in neurons participating in axonal transport and synaptic plasticity. Six major isoforms differentially expressed during cell development and differentiation are translated by alternative splicing of MAPT transcripts. Alterations in the expression of human Tau isoforms and their aggregation have been linked to several neurodegenerative diseases called tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, Pick's disease, and frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17. Great efforts have been dedicated in recent years to shed light on the complex regulatory mechanism of Tau splicing, with a perspective to developing new RNA-based therapies. This review summarizes the most recent contributions to the knowledge of Tau isoform expression and experimental models, highlighting the role of cis-elements and ribonucleoproteins that regulate the alternative splicing of Tau exons.
Collapse
|
24
|
Fischer I. Evolutionary perspective of Big tau structure: 4a exon variants of MAPT. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:1019999. [PMID: 36533137 PMCID: PMC9755724 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1019999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The MAPT gene encoding the microtubule-associated protein tau can generate multiple isoforms by alternative splicing giving rise to proteins which are differentially expressed in specific areas of the nervous system and at different developmental stages. Tau plays important roles in modulating microtubule dynamics, axonal transport, synaptic plasticity, and DNA repair, and has also been associated with neurodegenerative diseases (tauopathies) including Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia. A unique high-molecular-weight isoform of tau, originally found to be expressed in the peripheral nervous system and projecting neurons, has been termed Big tau and has been shown to uniquely contain the large exon 4a that significantly increases the size and 3D structure of tau. With little progress since the original discovery of Big tau, more than 25 years ago, we have now completed a comprehensive comparative study to analyze the structure of the MAPT gene against available databases with respect to the composition of the tau exons as they evolved from early vertebrates to primates and human. We focused the analysis on the evolution of the 4a exon variants and their homology relative to humans. We discovered that the 4a exon defining Big tau appears to be present early in vertebrate evolution as a large insert that dramatically changed the size of the tau protein with low sequence conservation despite a stable size range of about 250aa, and in some species a larger 4a-L exon of 355aa. We suggest that 4a exon variants evolved independently in different species by an exonization process using new alternative splicing to address the growing complexities of the evolving nervous systems. Thus, the appearance of a significantly larger isoform of tau independently repeated itself multiple times during evolution, accentuating the need across vertebrate species for an elongated domain that likely endows Big tau with novel physiological functions as well as properties related to neurodegeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Itzhak Fischer
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Zhu Y, Gandy L, Zhang F, Liu J, Wang C, Blair LJ, Linhardt RJ, Wang L. Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans in Tauopathy. Biomolecules 2022; 12:1792. [PMID: 36551220 PMCID: PMC9776397 DOI: 10.3390/biom12121792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are a class of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, and are characterized by intraneuronal tau inclusion in the brain and the patient's cognitive decline with obscure pathogenesis. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans, a major type of extracellular matrix, have been believed to involve in tauopathies. The heparan sulfate proteoglycans co-deposit with tau in Alzheimer's patient brain, directly bind to tau and modulate tau secretion, internalization, and aggregation. This review summarizes the current understanding of the functions and the modulated molecular pathways of heparan sulfate proteoglycans in tauopathies, as well as the implication of dysregulated heparan sulfate proteoglycan expression in tau pathology and the potential of targeting heparan sulfate proteoglycan-tau interaction as a novel therapeutic option.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Zhu
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology, Byrd Alzheimer’s Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Lauren Gandy
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Fuming Zhang
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Jian Liu
- Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Chunyu Wang
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Laura J. Blair
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Byrd Alzheimer’s Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33613, USA
| | - Robert J. Linhardt
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Lianchun Wang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology, Byrd Alzheimer’s Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Kavanagh T, Halder A, Drummond E. Tau interactome and RNA binding proteins in neurodegenerative diseases. Mol Neurodegener 2022; 17:66. [PMID: 36253823 PMCID: PMC9575286 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-022-00572-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathological tau aggregation is a primary neuropathological feature of many neurodegenerative diseases. Intriguingly, despite the common presence of tau aggregates in these diseases the affected brain regions, clinical symptoms, and morphology, conformation, and isoform ratio present in tau aggregates varies widely. The tau-mediated disease mechanisms that drive neurodegenerative disease are still unknown. Tau interactome studies are critically important for understanding tauopathy. They reveal the interacting partners that define disease pathways, and the tau interactions present in neuropathological aggregates provide potential insight into the cellular environment and protein interactions present during pathological tau aggregation. Here we provide a combined analysis of 12 tau interactome studies of human brain tissue, human cell culture models and rodent models of disease. Together, these studies identified 2084 proteins that interact with tau in human tissue and 1152 proteins that interact with tau in rodent models of disease. Our combined analysis of the tau interactome revealed consistent enrichment of interactions between tau and proteins involved in RNA binding, ribosome, and proteasome function. Comparison of human and rodent tau interactome studies revealed substantial differences between the two species. We also performed a second analysis to identify the tau interacting proteins that are enriched in neurons containing granulovacuolar degeneration or neurofibrillary tangle pathology. These results revealed a timed dysregulation of tau interactions as pathology develops. RNA binding proteins, particularly HNRNPs, emerged as early disease-associated tau interactors and therefore may have an important role in driving tau pathology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Kavanagh
- Brain and Mind Centre and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, 94 Mallett Street, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Aditi Halder
- Brain and Mind Centre and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, 94 Mallett Street, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Eleanor Drummond
- Brain and Mind Centre and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, 94 Mallett Street, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
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.
Collapse
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,
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Antón-Fernández A, Vallés-Saiz L, Avila J, Hernández F. Neuronal nuclear tau and neurodegeneration. Neuroscience 2022; 518:178-184. [PMID: 35872252 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Tau is a well-known microtubule-associated protein related to its cytoplasmic localization in a neuronal cell. However, tau has been located at the cell nucleus where it could be a nucleic acid-associated protein by its preferential binding to DNA sequences present in the nucleolus and pericentromeric heterochromatin. This less well-known localization of tau could not be trivial, since during aging, an increase in the amount of nuclear tau takes place and it may be related to the described role of tau in the activation of transposons and further aging acceleration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Antón-Fernández
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", CSIC/UAM, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Vallés-Saiz
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", CSIC/UAM, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Avila
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", CSIC/UAM, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Félix Hernández
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", CSIC/UAM, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Petry S, Nateghi B, Keraudren R, Sergeant N, Planel E, Hébert SS, St-Amour I. Differential Regulation of Tau Exon 2 and 10 Isoforms in Huntington's Disease Brain. Neuroscience 2022; 518:54-63. [PMID: 35868517 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expansion of CAG repeats in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene. Accumulating evidence suggests that the microtubule-associated tau protein participates in the pathogenesis of HD. Recently, we have identified changes in tau alternative splicing of exons 2, 3 and 10 in the putamen of HD patients (St-Amour et al, 2018). In this study, we sought to determine whether tau mis-splicing events were equally observed in other brain regions that are less prone to neurodegeneration. Using Western blot and PCR, we characterized the relationship between MAPT splicing of exons 2, 3 and 10, tauopathy and Htt pathologies, as well as neurodegeneration markers in matching putamen and cortical samples from HD (N = 48) and healthy control (N = 25) subjects. We first show that levels of 4R-tau (exon 10 inclusion) isoforms are higher in both the putamen and the cortex of individuals with HD, consistent with earlier findings. On the other hand, higher 0N-tau (exclusion of exons 2 and 3) and lower 1N-tau (exclusion of exon 3) isoforms were seen exclusively in the putamen of HD individuals. Interestingly, investigated splicing factors were deregulated in both regions whereas exon 2 differences coincided with increased tau hyperphosphorylation, aggregation and markers of neurodegeneration. Overall, these results imply a differential regulation of tau exon 2 and exon 10 alternative splicing in HD putamen that could provide a useful biomarker or therapeutic target.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Serena Petry
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, CHUL, Axe Neurosciences, Québec, Canada
| | - Behnaz Nateghi
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, CHUL, Axe Neurosciences, Québec, Canada
| | - Rémi Keraudren
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, CHUL, Axe Neurosciences, Québec, Canada
| | - Nicolas Sergeant
- Inserm, CHU Lille, University of Lille, Lille, France; Alzheimer and Tauopathies, LabEx DISTALZ, Lille France
| | - Emmanuel Planel
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, CHUL, Axe Neurosciences, Québec, Canada; Faculté de médecine, Département de psychiatrie et de neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Sébastien S Hébert
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, CHUL, Axe Neurosciences, Québec, Canada; Faculté de médecine, Département de psychiatrie et de neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
| | - Isabelle St-Amour
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, CHUL, Axe Neurosciences, Québec, Canada; CERVO Brain Research Centre, Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et des Services Sociaux de la Capitale-Nationale, Québec, Canada; Faculté de pharmacie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Tau as a Biomarker of Neurodegeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23137307. [PMID: 35806324 PMCID: PMC9266883 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23137307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Less than 50 years since tau was first isolated from a porcine brain, its detection in femtolitre concentrations in biological fluids is revolutionizing the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases. This review highlights the molecular and technological advances that have catapulted tau from obscurity to the forefront of biomarker diagnostics. Comprehensive updates are provided describing the burgeoning clinical applications of tau as a biomarker of neurodegeneration. For the clinician, tau not only enhances diagnostic accuracy, but holds promise as a predictor of clinical progression, phenotype, and response to drug therapy. For patients living with neurodegenerative disorders, characterization of tau dysregulation could provide much-needed clarity to a notoriously murky diagnostic landscape.
Collapse
|
31
|
Kumar J, Lackey L, Waldern JM, Dey A, Mustoe AM, Weeks KM, Mathews DH, Laederach A. Quantitative prediction of variant effects on alternative splicing in MAPT using endogenous pre-messenger RNA structure probing. eLife 2022; 11:73888. [PMID: 35695373 PMCID: PMC9236610 DOI: 10.7554/elife.73888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Splicing is highly regulated and is modulated by numerous factors. Quantitative predictions for how a mutation will affect precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) structure and downstream function are particularly challenging. Here, we use a novel chemical probing strategy to visualize endogenous precursor and mature MAPT mRNA structures in cells. We used these data to estimate Boltzmann suboptimal structural ensembles, which were then analyzed to predict consequences of mutations on pre-mRNA structure. Further analysis of recent cryo-EM structures of the spliceosome at different stages of the splicing cycle revealed that the footprint of the Bact complex with pre-mRNA best predicted alternative splicing outcomes for exon 10 inclusion of the alternatively spliced MAPT gene, achieving 74% accuracy. We further developed a β-regression weighting framework that incorporates splice site strength, RNA structure, and exonic/intronic splicing regulatory elements capable of predicting, with 90% accuracy, the effects of 47 known and 6 newly discovered mutations on inclusion of exon 10 of MAPT. This combined experimental and computational framework represents a path forward for accurate prediction of splicing-related disease-causing variants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jayashree Kumar
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States.,Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States
| | - Lela Lackey
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States.,Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Center for Human Genetics, Clemson University, Greenwood, United States
| | - Justin M Waldern
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States
| | - Abhishek Dey
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States
| | - Anthony M Mustoe
- Verna and Marrs McClean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Therapeutic Innovation Center (THINC), and Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, United States
| | - Kevin M Weeks
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States
| | - David H Mathews
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics and Center for RNA Biology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, United States
| | - Alain Laederach
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States.,Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Hernández F, Ferrer I, Pérez M, Zabala JC, Del Rio JA, Avila J. Tau aggregation. Neuroscience 2022; 518:64-69. [PMID: 35525497 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Here we revisit tau protein aggregation at primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures. In addition, the presence of non-aggregated tau protein, which has been recently discovered, is also commented on.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Félix Hernández
- Centro de Biología Molecular 'Severo Ochoa' (CBMSO) CSIC/UAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isidro Ferrer
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Bellvitge, University Hospital-IDIBELL, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain; Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mar Pérez
- Departamento de Anatomía Histología y Neurociencia, Facultad de Medicina UAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Zabala
- Department of Molecular Biology, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander 39005 Spain
| | - Jose Antonio Del Rio
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jesús Avila
- Centro de Biología Molecular 'Severo Ochoa' (CBMSO) CSIC/UAM, Madrid, Spain; Networking Research Centre on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Pham H, Yin T, D’Adamio L. Initial assessment of the spatial learning, reversal, and sequencing task capabilities of knock-in rats with humanizing mutations in the Aβ-coding region of App. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263546. [PMID: 35507596 PMCID: PMC9067689 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Model organisms mimicking the pathogenesis of human diseases are useful for identifying pathogenic mechanisms and testing therapeutic efficacy of compounds targeting them. Models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD) aim to reproduce the brain pathology associated with these neurodegenerative disorders. Transgenic models, which involve random insertion of disease-causing genes under the control of artificial promoters, are efficient means of doing so. There are confounding factors associated with transgenic approaches, however, including target gene overexpression, dysregulation of endogenous gene expression at transgenes' integration sites, and limitations in mimicking loss-of-function mechanisms. Furthermore, the choice of species is important, and there are anatomical, physiological, and cognitive reasons for favoring the rat over the mouse, which has been the standard for models of neurodegeneration and dementia. We report an initial assessment of the spatial learning, reversal, and sequencing task capabilities of knock-in (KI) Long-Evans rats with humanizing mutations in the Aβ-coding region of App, which encodes amyloid precursor protein (Apph/h rats), using the IntelliCage, an automated operant social home cage system, at 6-8 weeks of age, then again at 4-5 months of age. These rats were previously generated as control organisms for studies on neurodegeneration involving other knock-in rat models from our lab. Apph/h rats of either sex can acquire place learning and reversal tasks. They can also acquire a diagonal sequencing task by 6-8 weeks of age, but not a more advanced serial reversal task involving alternating diagonals, even by 4-5 months of age. Thus, longitudinal behavioral analysis with the IntelliCage system can be useful to determine, in follow-up studies, whether KI rat models of Familial AD (FAD), sporadic late onset AD (LOAD), and of ADRD develop aging-dependent learning and memory deficits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hoa Pham
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience New Jersey Medical School, Brain Health Institute, Jacqueline Krieger Klein Center in Alzheimer’s Disease and Neurodegeneration Research, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, United States of America
| | - Tao Yin
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience New Jersey Medical School, Brain Health Institute, Jacqueline Krieger Klein Center in Alzheimer’s Disease and Neurodegeneration Research, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, United States of America
| | - Luciano D’Adamio
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience New Jersey Medical School, Brain Health Institute, Jacqueline Krieger Klein Center in Alzheimer’s Disease and Neurodegeneration Research, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
González A, Calfío C, Churruca M, Maccioni RB. Glucose metabolism and AD: evidence for a potential diabetes type 3. Alzheimers Res Ther 2022; 14:56. [PMID: 35443732 PMCID: PMC9022265 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-022-00996-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease is the most prevalent cause of dementia in the elderly. Neuronal death and synaptic dysfunctions are considered the main hallmarks of this disease. The latter could be directly associated to an impaired metabolism. In particular, glucose metabolism impairment has demonstrated to be a key regulatory element in the onset and progression of AD, which is why nowadays AD is considered the type 3 diabetes. METHODS We provide a thread regarding the influence of glucose metabolism in AD from three different perspectives: (i) as a regulator of the energy source, (ii) through several metabolic alterations, such as insulin resistance, that modify peripheral signaling pathways that influence activation of the immune system (e.g., insulin resistance, diabetes, etc.), and (iii) as modulators of various key post-translational modifications for protein aggregation, for example, influence on tau hyperphosphorylation and other important modifications, which determine its self-aggregating behavior and hence Alzheimer's pathogenesis. CONCLUSIONS In this revision, we observed a 3 edge-action in which glucose metabolism impairment is acting in the progression of AD: as blockade of energy source (e.g., mitochondrial dysfunction), through metabolic dysregulation and post-translational modifications in key proteins, such as tau. Therefore, the latter would sustain the current hypothesis that AD is, in fact, the novel diabetes type 3.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea González
- Laboratory of Neurosciences and Functional Medicine, International Center for Biomedicine (ICC), Avda. Vitacura 3568, D 511-512, Vitacura, Santiago, Chile.,Faculty of Sciences, University of Chile, Las Encinas 3370, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile
| | - Camila Calfío
- Laboratory of Neurosciences and Functional Medicine, International Center for Biomedicine (ICC), Avda. Vitacura 3568, D 511-512, Vitacura, Santiago, Chile.,Faculty of Sciences, University of Chile, Las Encinas 3370, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile
| | - Macarena Churruca
- Laboratory of Neurosciences and Functional Medicine, International Center for Biomedicine (ICC), Avda. Vitacura 3568, D 511-512, Vitacura, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ricardo B Maccioni
- Laboratory of Neurosciences and Functional Medicine, International Center for Biomedicine (ICC), Avda. Vitacura 3568, D 511-512, Vitacura, Santiago, Chile. .,Faculty of Sciences, University of Chile, Las Encinas 3370, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile. .,Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine East Campus Hospital Salvador, University of Chile, Salvador 486, Providencia, Santiago, Chile.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Guan X, Iyaswamy A, Sreenivasmurthy SG, Su C, Zhu Z, Liu J, Kan Y, Cheung KH, Lu J, Tan J, Li M. Mechanistic Insights into Selective Autophagy Subtypes in Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073609. [PMID: 35408965 PMCID: PMC8998506 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells possess a plethora of regulatory mechanisms to maintain homeostasis and ensure proper biochemical functionality. Autophagy, a central, conserved self-consuming process of the cell, ensures the timely degradation of damaged cellular components. Several studies have demonstrated the important roles of autophagy activation in mitigating neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, surprisingly, activation of macroautophagy has not shown clinical efficacy. Hence, alternative strategies are urgently needed for AD therapy. In recent years, selective autophagy has been reported to be involved in AD pathology, and different subtypes have been identified, such as aggrephagy, mitophagy, reticulophagy, lipophagy, pexophagy, nucleophagy, lysophagy and ribophagy. By clarifying the underlying mechanisms governing these various subtypes, we may come to understand how to control autophagy to treat AD. In this review, we summarize the latest findings concerning the role of selective autophagy in the pathogenesis of AD. The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that selective autophagy is an active mechanism in AD pathology, and that regulating selective autophagy would be an effective strategy for controlling this pathogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinjie Guan
- Mr. & Mrs. Ko Chi-Ming Centre for Parkinson’s Disease Research, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China; (X.G.); (A.I.); (S.G.S.); (C.S.); (Z.Z.); (J.L.); (Y.K.); (K.-H.C.)
- Institute for Research and Continuing Education, Hong Kong Baptist University, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Ashok Iyaswamy
- Mr. & Mrs. Ko Chi-Ming Centre for Parkinson’s Disease Research, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China; (X.G.); (A.I.); (S.G.S.); (C.S.); (Z.Z.); (J.L.); (Y.K.); (K.-H.C.)
- Institute for Research and Continuing Education, Hong Kong Baptist University, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Sravan Gopalkrishnashetty Sreenivasmurthy
- Mr. & Mrs. Ko Chi-Ming Centre for Parkinson’s Disease Research, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China; (X.G.); (A.I.); (S.G.S.); (C.S.); (Z.Z.); (J.L.); (Y.K.); (K.-H.C.)
- Institute for Research and Continuing Education, Hong Kong Baptist University, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Chengfu Su
- Mr. & Mrs. Ko Chi-Ming Centre for Parkinson’s Disease Research, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China; (X.G.); (A.I.); (S.G.S.); (C.S.); (Z.Z.); (J.L.); (Y.K.); (K.-H.C.)
- Institute for Research and Continuing Education, Hong Kong Baptist University, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Zhou Zhu
- Mr. & Mrs. Ko Chi-Ming Centre for Parkinson’s Disease Research, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China; (X.G.); (A.I.); (S.G.S.); (C.S.); (Z.Z.); (J.L.); (Y.K.); (K.-H.C.)
- Institute for Research and Continuing Education, Hong Kong Baptist University, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Jia Liu
- Mr. & Mrs. Ko Chi-Ming Centre for Parkinson’s Disease Research, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China; (X.G.); (A.I.); (S.G.S.); (C.S.); (Z.Z.); (J.L.); (Y.K.); (K.-H.C.)
- Institute for Research and Continuing Education, Hong Kong Baptist University, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Yuxuan Kan
- Mr. & Mrs. Ko Chi-Ming Centre for Parkinson’s Disease Research, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China; (X.G.); (A.I.); (S.G.S.); (C.S.); (Z.Z.); (J.L.); (Y.K.); (K.-H.C.)
| | - King-Ho Cheung
- Mr. & Mrs. Ko Chi-Ming Centre for Parkinson’s Disease Research, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China; (X.G.); (A.I.); (S.G.S.); (C.S.); (Z.Z.); (J.L.); (Y.K.); (K.-H.C.)
- Institute for Research and Continuing Education, Hong Kong Baptist University, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Jiahong Lu
- State Key Lab of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao, China;
| | - Jieqiong Tan
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410000, China
- Correspondence: (J.T.); (M.L.)
| | - Min Li
- Mr. & Mrs. Ko Chi-Ming Centre for Parkinson’s Disease Research, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China; (X.G.); (A.I.); (S.G.S.); (C.S.); (Z.Z.); (J.L.); (Y.K.); (K.-H.C.)
- Institute for Research and Continuing Education, Hong Kong Baptist University, Shenzhen 518057, China
- Correspondence: (J.T.); (M.L.)
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Ruiz-Gabarre D, Carnero-Espejo A, Ávila J, García-Escudero V. What's in a Gene? The Outstanding Diversity of MAPT. Cells 2022; 11:840. [PMID: 35269461 PMCID: PMC8909800 DOI: 10.3390/cells11050840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau protein is a microtubule-associated protein encoded by the MAPT gene that carries out a myriad of physiological functions and has been linked to certain pathologies collectively termed tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, Huntington's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, etc. Alternative splicing is a physiological process by which cells generate several transcripts from one single gene and may in turn give rise to different proteins from the same gene. MAPT transcripts have been proven to be subjected to alternative splicing, generating six main isoforms in the central nervous system. Research throughout the years has demonstrated that the splicing landscape of the MAPT gene is far more complex than that, including at least exon skipping events, the use of 3' and 5' alternative splice sites and, as has been recently discovered, also intron retention. In addition, MAPT alternative splicing has been showed to be regulated spatially and developmentally, further evidencing the complexity of the gene's splicing regulation. It is unclear what would drive the need for the existence of so many isoforms encoded by the same gene, but a wide range of functions have been ascribed to these Tau isoforms, both in physiology and pathology. In this review we offer a comprehensive up-to-date exploration of the mechanisms leading to the outstanding diversity of isoforms expressed from the MAPT gene and the functions in which such isoforms are involved, including their potential role in the onset and development of tauopathies such as Alzheimer's disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ruiz-Gabarre
- Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience Department, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), 28029 Madrid, Spain; (D.R.-G.); (A.C.-E.)
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (UAM-CSIC), 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Almudena Carnero-Espejo
- Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience Department, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), 28029 Madrid, Spain; (D.R.-G.); (A.C.-E.)
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Ávila
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (UAM-CSIC), 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28031 Madrid, Spain
| | - Vega García-Escudero
- Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience Department, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), 28029 Madrid, Spain; (D.R.-G.); (A.C.-E.)
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (UAM-CSIC), 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Sergeeva OV, Shcherbinina EY, Shomron N, Zatsepin TS. Modulation of RNA Splicing by Oligonucleotides: Mechanisms of Action and Therapeutic Implications. Nucleic Acid Ther 2022; 32:123-138. [PMID: 35166605 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2021.0067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysregulation of RNA splicing causes many diseases and disorders. Several therapeutic approaches have been developed to correct aberrant alternative splicing events for the treatment of cancers and hereditary diseases, including gene therapy and redirecting splicing, using small molecules or splice switching oligonucleotides (SSO). Significant advances in the chemistry and pharmacology of nucleic acid have led to the development of clinically approved SSO drugs for the treatment of spinal muscular dystrophy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of SSO action with emphasis on "less common" approaches to modulate alternative splicing, including bipartite and bifunctional SSO, oligonucleotide decoys for splice factors and SSO-mediated mRNA degradation via AS-NMD and NGD pathways. We briefly discuss the current progress and future perspectives of SSO therapy for rare and ultrarare diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olga V Sergeeva
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Noam Shomron
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Timofei S Zatsepin
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia.,Department of Chemistry, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Vallés-Saiz L, Peinado-Cahuchola R, Ávila J, Hernández F. Microtubule-associated protein tau in murine kidney: role in podocyte architecture. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:97. [PMID: 35084555 PMCID: PMC8794918 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-04106-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Tau is a cytoskeletal protein that is expressed mainly in neurons and is involved in several cellular processes, such as microtubule stabilization, axonal maintenance, and transport. Altered tau metabolism is related to different tauopathies being the most important Alzheimer's disease where aberrant hyperphosphorylated and aggregated tau is found in the central nervous system. Here, we have analyzed that function in kidney by using tau knockout mice generated by integrating GFP-encoding cDNA into exon 1 of MAPT (here referred to as TauGFP/GFP). IVIS Lumina from PerkinElmer demonstrated GFP expression in the kidney. We then demonstrated by qPCR that the main tau isoform in the kidney is Tau4R. The GFP reporter allowed us to demonstrate that tau is found in the glomeruli of the renal cortex, and specifically in podocytes. This was further confirmed by immunohistochemistry. TauGFP/GFP mice present a podocyte cytoskeleton more dynamic as they contain higher levels of detyrosinated tubulin than wild-type mice. In addition, transmission electron microscopy studies demonstrated glomerular damage with a decrease in urinary creatinine. Our results prove that tau has an important role in kidney metabolism under normal physiological conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Vallés-Saiz
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", CSIC/UAM, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rocio Peinado-Cahuchola
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", CSIC/UAM, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Ávila
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", CSIC/UAM, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Félix Hernández
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", CSIC/UAM, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Xing S, Wang J, Wu R, Hefti MM, Crary JF, Lu Y. Identification of HnRNPC as a novel Tau exon 10 splicing factor using RNA antisense purification mass spectrometry. RNA Biol 2021; 19:104-116. [PMID: 34965173 PMCID: PMC8786334 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2021.2015175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing in Tau exon 10 generates 3 R- and 4 R-Tau proteoforms, which have equal abundance in healthy adult human brain. Aberrant alternative splicing in Tau exon 10 leads to distortion of the balanced 3 R- and 4 R-Tau expression levels, which is a causal factor to trigger toxic Tau aggregation, neuron dysfunction and patient death in a group of neurodegenerative diseases known as tauopathies. Hence, identification of regulators upstream of the Tau exon 10 splicing events are crucial to understanding pathogenic mechanisms driving tauopathies. In this study, we used RNA Antisense Purification with Mass Spectrometry (RAP-MS) analysis to identify RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) that interact with the Tau pre-mRNA near exon 10. Among the newly identified RBP candidates, we show that knockdown of hnRNPC induces Tau exon 10 skipping whereas overexpression of hnRNPC promotes Tau exon 10 inclusion. In addition, we show that hnRNPC interacts with the poly-uridine (U-tract) sequences in introns 9 and 10 of Tau pre-mRNA. Mutation of these U-tract motifs abolished binding of hnRNPC with Tau pre-mRNA fragment and blocked its impact on Tau exon 10 inclusion. These findings indicate that hnRNPC binds and utilizes these U-tract motifs located in introns 9 and 10 of Tau pre-mRNA to promote Tau exon 10 inclusion. Intriguingly, high hnRNPC expression level is associated with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a sporadic tauopathy with pathological accumulation of Tau species that contain exon 10, which suggests a putative therapeutic role of hnRNPC for PSP treatment.
![]() ![]()
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sansi Xing
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Jane Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Ruilin Wu
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Marco M. Hefti
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - John F. Crary
- Department of Pathology and Department of Neuroscience, Neuropathology Brain Bank & Research Core, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yu Lu
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Boyarko B, Hook V. Human Tau Isoforms and Proteolysis for Production of Toxic Tau Fragments in Neurodegeneration. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:702788. [PMID: 34744602 PMCID: PMC8566764 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.702788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The human tau protein is implicated in a wide range of neurodegenerative “tauopathy” diseases, consisting of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration which includes progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, Pick’s disease, and FTLD-tau (frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism caused by MAPT mutations). Tau gene transcripts in the human brain undergo alternative splicing to yield 6 different tau protein isoforms that are expressed in different ratios in neurodegeneration which result in tau pathology of paired-helical filaments, neurofibrillary tangles, and tau fibrillar aggregates with detrimental microtubule destabilization. Protease-mediated tau truncation is an important post-translational modification (PTM) which drives neurodegeneration in a tau fragment-dependent manner. While numerous tau fragments have been identified, knowledge of the proteolytic steps that convert each parent tau isoform into specific truncated tau fragments has not yet been fully defined. An improved understanding of the relationships between tau isoforms and their proteolytic processing to generate neurotoxic tau fragments is important to the field. This review evaluates tau isoform expression patterns including PTMs and mutations that influence proteolysis of tau to generate toxic fragments that drive cognitive deficits in AD and other tauopathy models. This assessment identifies the gap in the field on understanding the details of proteolytic steps used to convert each tau isoform into fragments. Knowledge of the processing mechanisms of tau isoforms can lead to new protease targeted drug strategies to prevent the formation of toxic tau fragments in tauopathy neurodegenerative diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ben Boyarko
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Vivian Hook
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.,Department of Neurosciences and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Carroll T, Guha S, Nehrke K, Johnson GVW. Tau Post-Translational Modifications: Potentiators of Selective Vulnerability in Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:1047. [PMID: 34681146 PMCID: PMC8533264 DOI: 10.3390/biology10101047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, and its severity is characterized by the progressive formation of tau neurofibrillary tangles along a well-described path through the brain. This spatial progression provides the basis for Braak staging of the pathological progression for AD. Tau protein is a necessary component of AD pathology, and recent studies have found that soluble tau species with selectively, but not extensively, modified epitopes accumulate along the path of disease progression before AD-associated insoluble aggregates form. As such, modified tau may represent a key cellular stressing agent that potentiates selective vulnerability in susceptible neurons during AD progression. Specifically, studies have found that tau phosphorylated at sites such as T181, T231, and S396 may initiate early pathological changes in tau by disrupting proper tau localization, initiating tau oligomerization, and facilitating tau accumulation and extracellular export. Thus, this review elucidates potential mechanisms through which tau post-translational modifications (PTMs) may simultaneously serve as key modulators of the spatial progression observed in AD development and as key instigators of early pathology related to neurodegeneration-relevant cellular dysfunctions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Trae Carroll
- Department of Pathology, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA;
| | - Sanjib Guha
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA;
| | - Keith Nehrke
- Department of Medicine, Nephrology Division, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA;
| | - Gail V. W. Johnson
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Mertens J, Herdy JR, Traxler L, Schafer ST, Schlachetzki JCM, Böhnke L, Reid DA, Lee H, Zangwill D, Fernandes DP, Agarwal RK, Lucciola R, Zhou-Yang L, Karbacher L, Edenhofer F, Stern S, Horvath S, Paquola ACM, Glass CK, Yuan SH, Ku M, Szücs A, Goldstein LSB, Galasko D, Gage FH. Age-dependent instability of mature neuronal fate in induced neurons from Alzheimer's patients. Cell Stem Cell 2021; 28:1533-1548.e6. [PMID: 33910058 PMCID: PMC8423435 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2021.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) exclusively affects elderly people. Using direct conversion of AD patient fibroblasts into induced neurons (iNs), we generated an age-equivalent neuronal model. AD patient-derived iNs exhibit strong neuronal transcriptome signatures characterized by downregulation of mature neuronal properties and upregulation of immature and progenitor-like signaling pathways. Mapping iNs to longitudinal neuronal differentiation trajectory data demonstrated that AD iNs reflect a hypo-mature neuronal identity characterized by markers of stress, cell cycle, and de-differentiation. Epigenetic landscape profiling revealed an underlying aberrant neuronal state that shares similarities with malignant transformation and age-dependent epigenetic erosion. To probe for the involvement of aging, we generated rejuvenated iPSC-derived neurons that showed no significant disease-related transcriptome signatures, a feature that is consistent with epigenetic clock and brain ontogenesis mapping, which indicate that fibroblast-derived iNs more closely reflect old adult brain stages. Our findings identify AD-related neuronal changes as age-dependent cellular programs that impair neuronal identity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jerome Mertens
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA; Neural Aging Laboratory, Institute of Molecular Biology, CMBI, Leopold-Franzens-University Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria.
| | - Joseph R Herdy
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA; Neural Aging Laboratory, Institute of Molecular Biology, CMBI, Leopold-Franzens-University Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria; Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Larissa Traxler
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA; Neural Aging Laboratory, Institute of Molecular Biology, CMBI, Leopold-Franzens-University Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Simon T Schafer
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Johannes C M Schlachetzki
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Lena Böhnke
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA; Neural Aging Laboratory, Institute of Molecular Biology, CMBI, Leopold-Franzens-University Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Dylan A Reid
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Hyungjun Lee
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Dina Zangwill
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Diana P Fernandes
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ravi K Agarwal
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Raffaella Lucciola
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Lucia Zhou-Yang
- Neural Aging Laboratory, Institute of Molecular Biology, CMBI, Leopold-Franzens-University Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Lukas Karbacher
- Neural Aging Laboratory, Institute of Molecular Biology, CMBI, Leopold-Franzens-University Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Frank Edenhofer
- Department of Genomics, Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Molecular Biology, CMBI, Institute of Molecular Biology and CMBI, Leopold-Franzens-University Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
| | - Shani Stern
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA; Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Steve Horvath
- Department of Human Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Apua C M Paquola
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA; Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Christopher K Glass
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Shauna H Yuan
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Department of Neurology, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Manching Ku
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Attila Szücs
- Neuronal Cell Biology Research Group, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Lawrence S B Goldstein
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Douglas Galasko
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Fred H Gage
- Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
A familial Danish dementia rat shows impaired presynaptic and postsynaptic glutamatergic transmission. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101089. [PMID: 34416235 PMCID: PMC8429969 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Familial British dementia and familial Danish dementia are neurodegenerative disorders caused by mutations in the gene integral membrane protein 2B (ITM2b) encoding BRI2, which tunes excitatory synaptic transmission at both presynaptic and postsynaptic termini. In addition, BRI2 interacts with and modulates proteolytic processing of amyloid-β precursor protein (APP), whose mutations cause familial forms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) (familial AD). To study the pathogenic mechanisms triggered by the Danish mutation, we generated rats carrying the Danish mutation in the rat Itm2b gene (Itm2bD rats). Given the BRI2/APP interaction and the widely accepted relevance of human amyloid β (Aβ), a proteolytic product of APP, to AD, Itm2bD rats were engineered to express two humanized App alleles and produce human Aβ. Here, we studied young Itm2bD rats to investigate early pathogenic changes in these diseases. We found that periadolescent Itm2bD rats not only present subtle changes in human Aβ levels along with decreased spontaneous glutamate release and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor–mediated responses but also had increased short-term synaptic facilitation in the hippocampal Schaeffer-collateral pathway. These alterations in excitatory interneuronal communication can impair learning and memory processes and were akin to those observed in adult mice producing rodent Aβ and carrying either the Danish or British mutations in the mouse Itm2b gene. Collectively, the data show that the pathogenic Danish mutation alters the physiological function of BRI2 at glutamatergic synapses across species and early in life. Future studies will determine whether this phenomenon represents an early pathogenic event in human dementia.
Collapse
|
44
|
Jakubauskienė E, Kanopka A. Alternative Splicing and Hypoxia Puzzle in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12081272. [PMID: 34440445 PMCID: PMC8394294 DOI: 10.3390/genes12081272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Alternative pre-mRNA splicing plays a very important role in expanding protein diversity as it generates numerous transcripts from a single protein-coding gene. Therefore, alterations lead this process to neurological human disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Moreover, accumulating evidence indicates that the splicing machinery highly contributes to the cells’ ability to adapt to different altered cellular microenvironments, such as hypoxia. Hypoxia is known to have an effect on the expression of proteins involved in a multiple of biological processes, such as erythropoiesis, angiogenesis, and neurogenesis, and is one of the important risk factors in neuropathogenesis. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge of alternatively spliced genes, which, as it is reported, are associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Additionally, we highlight the possible influence of cellular hypoxic microenvironment for the formation of mRNA isoforms contributing to the development of these neurodegenerative diseases.
Collapse
|
45
|
Niu J, Iqbal K, Liu F, Hu W. Rats Display Sexual Dimorphism in Phosphorylation of Brain Tau with Age. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 82:855-869. [PMID: 34092647 DOI: 10.3233/jad-210341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Women have a two-fold higher risk than men to Alzheimer's disease (AD) at midlife. Larger brain tau burden was consistently shown in older women than age-matched men. The biological basis for this gender disparity remains elusive. OBJECTIVE We sought to know whether tau expression and phosphorylation physiologically differ between males and females. METHODS We used western blots and immunohistochemistry to compare the levels of total tau and phosphorylated tau in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex (EC) between sexes in Wistar rats at 40 days, and 8 and 20 months of age. RESULTS We detected no statistically significant difference in total tau, 3R-tau, and 4R-tau between sexes. However, female rats exhibited lower levels of tau unphosphorylated at the Tau-1 site at 40 days of age. At 8 months of age, females showed higher levels of tau phosphorylated at Ser190, Ser387, and Ser395 (Ser199, Ser396, and Ser404 of human tau, respectively) than males in EC. At 20 months of age, both brain regions of female rats consistently showed higher levels than males of tau phosphorylated at Ser253, Ser387, PHF-1 (Ser387/395), and Ser413 sites, which correspond to Ser262, Ser396, Ser396/404, and Ser422 of human tau, respectively. CONCLUSION Rats of both sexes have comparable levels of total tau, 3R-tau, and 4R-tau, whereas females exhibit higher levels of tau phosphorylated at multiple sites that are implicated in AD tau pathology, indicating a sexual dimorphism of tau phosphorylation that may potentially underlie the disparity in brain tau burden and risk for AD between sexes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Niu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Wen Hu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
García-Escudero V, Ruiz-Gabarre D, Gargini R, Pérez M, García E, Cuadros R, Hernández IH, Cabrera JR, García-Escudero R, Lucas JJ, Hernández F, Ávila J. A new non-aggregative splicing isoform of human Tau is decreased in Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol 2021; 142:159-177. [PMID: 33934221 PMCID: PMC8217066 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-021-02317-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration with Tau pathology (FTLD-tau), are a group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by Tau hyperphosphorylation. Post-translational modifications of Tau such as phosphorylation and truncation have been demonstrated to be an essential step in the molecular pathogenesis of these tauopathies. In this work, we demonstrate the existence of a new, human-specific truncated form of Tau generated by intron 12 retention in human neuroblastoma cells and, to a higher extent, in human RNA brain samples, using qPCR and further confirming the results on a larger database of human RNA-seq samples. Diminished protein levels of this new Tau isoform are found by Westernblotting in Alzheimer's patients' brains (Braak I n = 3; Braak II n = 6, Braak III n = 3, Braak IV n = 1, and Braak V n = 10, Braak VI n = 8) with respect to non-demented control subjects (n = 9), suggesting that the lack of this truncated isoform may play an important role in the pathology. This new Tau isoform exhibits similar post-transcriptional modifications by phosphorylation and affinity for microtubule binding, but more interestingly, is less prone to aggregate than other Tau isoforms. Finally, we present evidence suggesting this new Tau isoform could be linked to the inhibition of GSK3β, which would mediate intron 12 retention by modulating the serine/arginine rich splicing factor 2 (SRSF2). Our results show the existence of an important new isoform of Tau and suggest that further research on this less aggregation-prone Tau may help to develop future therapies for Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vega García-Escudero
- Departamento de Anatomía, Histología y Neurociencia, School of Medicine, Autonoma de Madrid University (UAM), Arzobispo Morcillo, 4, 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Autonoma de Madrid University (UAM), Arzobispo Morcillo, 4, 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM). Nicolás Cabrera, 1. Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Ruiz-Gabarre
- Departamento de Anatomía, Histología y Neurociencia, School of Medicine, Autonoma de Madrid University (UAM), Arzobispo Morcillo, 4, 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Autonoma de Madrid University (UAM), Arzobispo Morcillo, 4, 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM). Nicolás Cabrera, 1. Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ricardo Gargini
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM). Nicolás Cabrera, 1. Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
- Neurooncology Unit, Instituto de Salud Carlos III-UFIEC, 28220, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mar Pérez
- Departamento de Anatomía, Histología y Neurociencia, School of Medicine, Autonoma de Madrid University (UAM), Arzobispo Morcillo, 4, 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM). Nicolás Cabrera, 1. Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Esther García
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM). Nicolás Cabrera, 1. Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raquel Cuadros
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM). Nicolás Cabrera, 1. Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ivó H Hernández
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM). Nicolás Cabrera, 1. Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge R Cabrera
- Unidad de Investigación, Fundación Hospital de Jove, 33290, Gijón, Spain
| | - Ramón García-Escudero
- Molecular Oncology Unit, CIEMAT, Ave Complutense, 40, 28040, Madrid, Spain
- Hospital 12 Octubre Research Institute/CIEMAT, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cancer (CIBERONC), Valderrebollo, 5, 28031, Madrid, Spain
| | - José J Lucas
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM). Nicolás Cabrera, 1. Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28031, Madrid, Spain
| | - Félix Hernández
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM). Nicolás Cabrera, 1. Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28031, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Ávila
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM). Nicolás Cabrera, 1. Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28031, Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Cherry JD, Esnault CD, Baucom ZH, Tripodis Y, Huber BR, Alvarez VE, Stein TD, Dickson DW, McKee AC. Tau isoforms are differentially expressed across the hippocampus in chronic traumatic encephalopathy and Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:86. [PMID: 33980303 PMCID: PMC8114683 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01189-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, characterized by hyperphosphorylated tau, found in individuals with a history of exposure to repetitive head impacts. While the neuropathologic hallmark of CTE is found in the cortex, hippocampal tau has proven to be an important neuropathologic feature to examine the extent of disease severity. However, the hippocampus is also heavily affected in many other tauopathies, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). How CTE and AD differentially affect the hippocampus is unclear. Using immunofluorescent analysis, a detailed histologic characterization of 3R and 4R tau isoforms and their differential accumulation in the temporal cortex in CTE and AD was performed. CTE and AD were both observed to contain mixed 3R and 4R tau isoforms, with 4R predominating in mild disease and 3R increasing proportionally as pathological severity increased. CTE demonstrated high levels of tau in hippocampal subfields CA2 and CA3 compared to CA1. There were also low levels of tau in the subiculum compared to CA1 in CTE. In contrast, AD had higher levels of tau in CA1 and subiculum compared to CA2/3. Direct comparison of the tau burden between AD and CTE demonstrated that CTE had higher tau densities in CA4 and CA2/3, while AD had elevated tau in the subiculum. Amyloid beta pathology did not contribute to tau isoform levels. Finally, it was demonstrated that higher levels of 3R tau correlated to more severe extracellular tau (ghost tangles) pathology. These findings suggest that mixed 3R/4R tauopathies begin as 4R predominant then transition to 3R predominant as pathological severity increases and ghost tangles develop. Overall, this work demonstrates that the relative deposition of tau isoforms among hippocampal subfields can aid in differential diagnosis of AD and CTE, and might help improve specificity of biomarkers for in vivo diagnosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D Cherry
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA.
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA.
| | - Camille D Esnault
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
| | - Zachary H Baucom
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
| | - Yorghos Tripodis
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
| | - Bertrand R Huber
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
| | - Victor E Alvarez
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA
| | - Thor D Stein
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA
| | - Dennis W Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Ann C McKee
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA.
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA.
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Zebrafish Models to Study New Pathways in Tauopathies. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094626. [PMID: 33924882 PMCID: PMC8125481 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies represent a vast family of neurodegenerative diseases, the most well-known of which is Alzheimer’s disease. The symptoms observed in patients include cognitive deficits and locomotor problems and can lead ultimately to dementia. The common point found in all these pathologies is the accumulation in neural and/or glial cells of abnormal forms of Tau protein, leading to its aggregation and neurofibrillary tangles. Zebrafish transgenic models have been generated with different overexpression strategies of human Tau protein. These transgenic lines have made it possible to highlight Tau interacting factors or factors which may limit the neurotoxicity induced by mutations and hyperphosphorylation of the Tau protein in neurons. Several studies have tested neuroprotective pharmacological approaches. On few-days-old larvae, modulation of various signaling or degradation pathways reversed the deleterious effects of Tau mutations, mainly hTauP301L and hTauA152T. Live imaging and live tracking techniques as well as behavioral follow-up enable the analysis of the wide range of Tau-related phenotypes from synaptic loss to cognitive functional consequences.
Collapse
|
49
|
Xu M, Lu M, Zhang W, Jin Q, Chen Y. Simultaneous Detection of Six Isoforms of Tau Protein in Human Cerebrospinal Fluid by Multidimensional Mass Spectrometry-Based Targeted Proteomics. J Proteome Res 2021; 20:2299-2307. [PMID: 33843226 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.0c00826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal expression of Tau protein can cause the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). So far, much evidence has demonstrated that Tau has multiple isoforms. These isoforms are suggested to have distinct physiological roles and contribute unequally to the progress of AD. Thus, detection of individual Tau isoforms may be helpful to better understand the link between clinical outcome and Tau status and to further improve AD diagnosis and treatment. However, few studies have been conducted on absolute quantification of Tau isoforms, probably due to high sequence homology and also low abundance of these isoforms in biofluids such as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Therefore, mass spectrometry-based targeted proteomics was attempted here. This targeted proteomics approach can principally measure a protein of interest at the surrogate peptide level, yet little has been done to detect protein isoforms, probably due to lack of isoform-specific surrogate peptides in mass spectrometry. In this study, separations in more dimensions were added, including immunoprecipitation (IP) and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) for sample pretreatment and systems of linear equations for post-lab data extraction. Moreover, the reliability of the approach including IP enrichment, gel separation, and linear algebra algorithms was discussed. As a result, each isoform of Tau protein can be individually detected and quantified. Using IP enrichment, ∼250-fold enhancement of sensitivity was achieved. The ultimate LOQ was 0.50 nM. Finally, this multidimensional mass spectrometry-based targeted proteomics assay was validated and applied to simultaneous quantitative analysis of six Tau isoforms in CSF of AD patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mengying Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Meiyan Lu
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Wenjun Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Qingwen Jin
- Sir Run Run Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211100, China
| | - Yun Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China.,State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China.,Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Mold MJ, O’Farrell A, Morris B, Exley C. Aluminum and Tau in Neurofibrillary Tangles in Familial Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis Rep 2021; 5:283-294. [PMID: 34113785 PMCID: PMC8150251 DOI: 10.3233/adr-210011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Familial Alzheimer's disease (fAD) is driven by genetic predispositions affecting the expression and metabolism of the amyloid-β protein precursor. Aluminum is a non-essential yet biologically-reactive metal implicated in the etiology of AD. Recent research has identified aluminum intricately and unequivocally associated with amyloid-β in senile plaques and, more tentatively, co-deposited with neuropil-like threads in the brains of a Colombian cohort of donors with fAD. OBJECTIVE Herein, we have assessed the co-localization of aluminum to immunolabelled phosphorylated tau to probe the potential preferential binding of aluminum to senile plaques or neurofibrillary tangles in the same Colombian kindred. METHODS Herein, we have performed phosphorylated tau-specific immunolabelling followed by aluminum-specific fluorescence microscopy of the identical brain tissue sections via a sequential labelling method. RESULTS Aluminum was co-localized with immunoreactive phosphorylated tau in the brains of donors with fAD. While aluminum was predominantly co-located to neurofibrillary tangles in the temporal cortex, aluminum was more frequently co-deposited with cortical senile plaques. CONCLUSION These data suggest that the co-deposition of aluminum with amyloid-β precedes that with neurofibrillary tangles. Extracellularly deposited amyloid-β may also be more immediately available to bind aluminum versus intracellular aggregates of tau. Therapeutic approaches to reduce tau have demonstrated the amelioration of its synergistic interactions with amyloid-β, ultimately reducing tau pathology and reducing neuronal loss. These data support the intricate associations of aluminum in the neuropathology of fAD, of which its subsequent reduction may further therapeutic benefits observed in ongoing clinical trials in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew John Mold
- The Birchall Centre, Lennard-Jones Laboratories, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, UK
| | - Adam O’Farrell
- School of Life Sciences, Huxley Building, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, UK
| | - Benjamin Morris
- School of Life Sciences, Huxley Building, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, UK
| | - Christopher Exley
- The Birchall Centre, Lennard-Jones Laboratories, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, UK
| |
Collapse
|