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Balusu S, De Strooper B. The necroptosis cell death pathway drives neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:96. [PMID: 38852117 PMCID: PMC11162975 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02747-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Although apoptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis have been implicated in AD, none fully explains the extensive neuronal loss observed in AD brains. Recent evidence shows that necroptosis is abundant in AD, that necroptosis is closely linked to the appearance of Tau pathology, and that necroptosis markers accumulate in granulovacuolar neurodegeneration vesicles (GVD). We review here the neuron-specific activation of the granulovacuolar mediated neuronal-necroptosis pathway, the potential AD-relevant triggers upstream of this pathway, and the interaction of the necrosome with the endo-lysosomal pathway, possibly providing links to Tau pathology. In addition, we underscore the therapeutic potential of inhibiting necroptosis in neurodegenerative diseases such as AD, as this presents a novel avenue for drug development targeting neuronal loss to preserve cognitive abilities. Such an approach seems particularly relevant when combined with amyloid-lowering drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sriram Balusu
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Bart De Strooper
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
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2
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Karimani F, Asgari Taei A, Abolghasemi-Dehaghani MR, Safari MS, Dargahi L. Impairment of entorhinal cortex network activity in Alzheimer's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1402573. [PMID: 38882526 PMCID: PMC11176617 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1402573] [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: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The entorhinal cortex (EC) stands out as a critical brain region affected in the early phases of Alzheimer's disease (AD), with some of the disease's pathological processes originating from this area, making it one of the most crucial brain regions in AD. Recent research highlights disruptions in the brain's network activity, characterized by heightened excitability and irregular oscillations, may contribute to cognitive impairment. These disruptions are proposed not only as potential therapeutic targets but also as early biomarkers for AD. In this paper, we will begin with a review of the anatomy and function of EC, highlighting its selective vulnerability in AD. Subsequently, we will discuss the disruption of EC network activity, exploring changes in excitability and neuronal oscillations in this region during AD and hypothesize that, considering the advancements in neuromodulation techniques, addressing the disturbances in the network activity of the EC could offer fresh insights for both the diagnosis and treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farnaz Karimani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Afsaneh Asgari Taei
- Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Mir-Shahram Safari
- Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Leila Dargahi
- Neurobiology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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3
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Naguib S, Torres ER, Lopez-Lee C, Fan L, Bhagwat M, Norman K, Lee SI, Zhu J, Ye P, Wong MY, Patel T, Mok SA, Luo W, Sinha S, Zhao M, Gong S, Gan L. APOE3-R136S mutation confers resilience against tau pathology via cGAS-STING-IFN inhibition. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.25.591140. [PMID: 38712164 PMCID: PMC11071490 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.25.591140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
The Christchurch mutation (R136S) on the APOE3 (E3S/S) gene is associated with low tau pathology and slowdown of cognitive decline despite the causal PSEN1 mutation and high levels of amyloid beta pathology in the carrier1. However, the molecular effects enabling E3S/S mutation to confer protection remain unclear. Here, we replaced mouse Apoe with wild-type human E3 or E3S/S on a tauopathy background. The R136S mutation markedly mitigated tau load and protected against tau-induced synaptic loss, myelin loss, and spatial learning. Additionally, the R136S mutation reduced microglial interferon response to tau pathology both in vivo and in vitro, suppressing cGAS-STING activation. Treating tauopathy mice carrying wild-type E3 with cGAS inhibitor protected against tau-induced synaptic loss and induced similar transcriptomic alterations to those induced by the R136S mutation across brain cell types. Thus, cGAS-STING-IFN inhibition recapitulates the protective effects of R136S against tauopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Naguib
- Helen and Robert Appel Institute for Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
- Authors contributed equally
| | - Eileen Ruth Torres
- Helen and Robert Appel Institute for Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
- Authors contributed equally
| | - Chloe Lopez-Lee
- Helen and Robert Appel Institute for Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
- Authors contributed equally
| | - Li Fan
- Helen and Robert Appel Institute for Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Maitreyee Bhagwat
- Helen and Robert Appel Institute for Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Kendra Norman
- Helen and Robert Appel Institute for Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Se-In Lee
- Helen and Robert Appel Institute for Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Jingjie Zhu
- Helen and Robert Appel Institute for Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Pearly Ye
- Helen and Robert Appel Institute for Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Man Ying Wong
- Helen and Robert Appel Institute for Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Tark Patel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Sue-Ann Mok
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Wenjie Luo
- Helen and Robert Appel Institute for Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Subhash Sinha
- Helen and Robert Appel Institute for Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Mingrui Zhao
- Helen and Robert Appel Institute for Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Shiaoching Gong
- Helen and Robert Appel Institute for Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Li Gan
- Helen and Robert Appel Institute for Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
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4
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Raghuraman R, Aoun A, Herman M, Shetler O, Nahmani E, Hussaini SA. Lateral Entorhinal Cortex Dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease Mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.15.589589. [PMID: 38659892 PMCID: PMC11042344 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.15.589589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
In Alzheimer's disease (AD), the formation of amyloid beta (A β ) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) leads to neuronal loss in entorhinal cortex (EC), a crucial brain region involved in memory and navigation. These pathological changes are concurrent with the onset of memory-related issues in AD patients with symptoms of forgetfulness such as misplacing items, disorientation in familiar environments etc. The lateral EC (LEC) is associated with non-spatial memory processing including object recognition. Since in LEC, neurons fire in response to objects (object cells) and at locations previously occupied by objects (trace cells), pathology in this region could lead to dysfunction in object location coding. In this paper we show that a transgenic mouse model, EC-App/Tau, which expresses both APP and tau primarily in the EC region, have deficits in LEC-specific memory tasks. Using in vivo single-unit electrophysiology recordings we show that the LEC neurons are hyperactive with low information content and high sparsity compared to the controls indicating poor firing fidelity. We finally show that object cells and trace cells fire less precisely in the EC-App/Tau mice compared to controls indicating poor encoding of objects. Overall, we show that AD pathology causes erratic firing of LEC neurons and object coding defects leading to LEC-specific memory impairment.
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5
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Cortese GP, Bartosch AMW, Xiao H, Gribkova Y, Lam TG, Argyrousi EK, Sivakumar S, Cardona C, Teich AF. ZCCHC17 knockdown phenocopies Alzheimer's disease-related loss of synaptic proteins and hyperexcitability. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2024:nlae033. [PMID: 38630575 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlae033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
ZCCHC17 is a master regulator of synaptic gene expression and has recently been shown to play a role in splicing of neuronal mRNA. We previously showed that ZCCHC17 protein declines in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain tissue before there is significant gliosis and neuronal loss, that ZCCHC17 loss partially replicates observed splicing abnormalities in AD brain tissue, and that maintenance of ZCCHC17 levels is predicted to support cognitive resilience in AD. Here, we assessed the functional consequences of reduced ZCCHC17 expression in primary cortical neuronal cultures using siRNA knockdown. Consistent with its previously identified role in synaptic gene expression, loss of ZCCHC17 led to loss of synaptic protein expression. Patch recording of neurons shows that ZCCHC17 loss significantly disrupted the excitation/inhibition balance of neurotransmission, and favored excitatory-dominant synaptic activity as measured by an increase in spontaneous excitatory post synaptic currents and action potential firing rate, and a decrease in spontaneous inhibitory post synaptic currents. These findings are consistent with the hyperexcitable phenotype seen in AD animal models and in patients. We are the first to assess the functional consequences of ZCCHC17 knockdown in neurons and conclude that ZCCHC17 loss partially phenocopies AD-related loss of synaptic proteins and hyperexcitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe P Cortese
- College of Arts, Sciences, and Education, Program in Biology, Montana State University Northern, Havre, Montana, USA
| | - Anne Marie W Bartosch
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Harrison Xiao
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Yelizaveta Gribkova
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | - Tiffany G Lam
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Elentina K Argyrousi
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sharanya Sivakumar
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Christopher Cardona
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Andrew F Teich
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
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6
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Herber CS, Pratt KJ, Shea JM, Villeda SA, Giocomo LM. Spatial Coding Dysfunction and Network Instability in the Aging Medial Entorhinal Cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.12.588890. [PMID: 38659809 PMCID: PMC11042240 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.12.588890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Across species, spatial memory declines with age, possibly reflecting altered hippocampal and medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) function. However, the integrity of cellular and network-level spatial coding in aged MEC is unknown. Here, we leveraged in vivo electrophysiology to assess MEC function in young, middle-aged, and aged mice navigating virtual environments. In aged grid cells, we observed impaired stabilization of context-specific spatial firing, correlated with spatial memory deficits. Additionally, aged grid networks shifted firing patterns often but with poor alignment to context changes. Aged spatial firing was also unstable in an unchanging environment. In these same mice, we identified 458 genes differentially expressed with age in MEC, 61 of which had expression correlated with spatial firing stability. These genes were enriched among interneurons and related to synaptic transmission. Together, these findings identify coordinated transcriptomic, cellular, and network changes in MEC implicated in impaired spatial memory in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte S. Herber
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Karishma J.B. Pratt
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, Box 0452, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Jeremy M. Shea
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, Box 0452, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Saul A. Villeda
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, Box 0452, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Bakar Aging Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Lisa M. Giocomo
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Lead contact
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7
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Dando O, McGeachan R, McQueen J, Baxter P, Rockley N, McAlister H, Prasad A, He X, King D, Rose J, Jones PB, Tulloch J, Chandran S, Smith C, Hardingham G, Spires-Jones TL. Synaptic gene expression changes in frontotemporal dementia due to the MAPT 10+16 mutation. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.04.09.24305501. [PMID: 38645146 PMCID: PMC11030522 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.09.24305501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Mutations in the MAPT gene encoding tau protein can cause autosomal dominant neurodegenerative tauopathies including frontotemporal dementia (often with Parkinsonism). In Alzheimer's disease, the most common tauopathy, synapse loss is the strongest pathological correlate of cognitive decline. Recently, PET imaging with synaptic tracers revealed clinically relevant loss of synapses in primary tauopathies; however, the molecular mechanisms leading to synapse degeneration in primary tauopathies remain largely unknown. In this study, we examined post-mortem brain tissue from people who died with frontotemporal dementia with tau pathology (FTDtau) caused by the MAPT intronic exon 10+16 mutation, which increases splice variants containing exon 10 resulting in higher levels of tau with four microtubule binding domains. We used RNA sequencing and histopathology to examine temporal cortex and visual cortex, to look for molecular phenotypes compared to age, sex, and RNA integrity matched participants who died without neurological disease (n=12 per group). Bulk tissue RNA sequencing reveals substantial downregulation of gene expression associated with synaptic function. Upregulated biological pathways in human MAPT 10+16 brain included those involved in transcriptional regulation, DNA damage response, and neuroinflammation. Histopathology confirmed increased pathological tau accumulation in FTDtau cortex as well as a loss of presynaptic protein staining, and region-specific increased colocalization of phospho-tau with synapses in temporal cortex. Our data indicate that synaptic pathology likely contributes to pathogenesis in FTDtau caused by the MAPT 10+16 mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owen Dando
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Robert McGeachan
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jamie McQueen
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Baxter
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Nathan Rockley
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah McAlister
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Adharsh Prasad
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Xin He
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Declan King
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jamie Rose
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jane Tulloch
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Colin Smith
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Giles Hardingham
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Facal CL, Fernández Bessone I, Muñiz JA, Pereyra AE, Pedroncini O, Páez-Paz I, Clerici-Delville R, Arnaiz C, Urrutia L, Falasco G, Argañaraz CV, Saez T, Marin-Burgin A, Soiza-Reilly M, Falzone T, Avale ME. Tau reduction with artificial microRNAs modulates neuronal physiology and improves tauopathy phenotypes in mice. Mol Ther 2024; 32:1080-1095. [PMID: 38310353 PMCID: PMC11163272 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.01.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Abnormal tau accumulation is the hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases, named tauopathies. Strategies aimed at reducing tau in the brain are promising therapeutic interventions, yet more precise therapies would require targeting specific nuclei and neuronal subpopulations affected by disease while avoiding global reduction of physiological tau. Here, we developed artificial microRNAs directed against the human MAPT mRNA to dwindle tau protein by engaging the endogenous RNA interference pathway. In human differentiated neurons in culture, microRNA-mediated tau reduction diminished neuronal firing without affecting neuronal morphology or impairing axonal transport. In the htau mouse model of tauopathy, we locally expressed artificial microRNAs in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), an area particularly vulnerable to initiating tau pathology in this model. Tau knockdown prevented the accumulation of insoluble and hyperphosphorylated tau, modulated firing activity of putative pyramidal neurons, and improved glucose uptake in the PFC. Moreover, such tau reduction prevented cognitive decline in aged htau mice. Our results suggest target engagement of designed tau-microRNAs to effectively reduce tau pathology, providing a proof of concept for a potential therapeutic approach based on local tau knockdown to rescue tauopathy-related phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Lucía Facal
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Iván Fernández Bessone
- Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias (IBCN), Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET-UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Javier Andrés Muñiz
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - A Ezequiel Pereyra
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Olivia Pedroncini
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA), Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, CONICET-MPSP, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Indiana Páez-Paz
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ramiro Clerici-Delville
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Cayetana Arnaiz
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA), Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, CONICET-MPSP, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Leandro Urrutia
- Centro de imágenes Moleculares, FLENI, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Germán Falasco
- Centro de imágenes Moleculares, FLENI, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carla Verónica Argañaraz
- Instituto de Fisiología Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET-UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Trinidad Saez
- Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias (IBCN), Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET-UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Antonia Marin-Burgin
- Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA), Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, CONICET-MPSP, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariano Soiza-Reilly
- Instituto de Fisiología Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET-UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Tomás Falzone
- Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias (IBCN), Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET-UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Investigación en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA), Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, CONICET-MPSP, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Elena Avale
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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9
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Newton C, Pope M, Rua C, Henson R, Ji Z, Burgess N, Rodgers CT, Stangl M, Dounavi M, Castegnaro A, Koychev I, Malhotra P, Wolbers T, Ritchie K, Ritchie CW, O'Brien J, Su L, Chan D. Entorhinal-based path integration selectively predicts midlife risk of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:2779-2793. [PMID: 38421123 PMCID: PMC11032581 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13733] [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: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Entorhinal cortex (EC) is the first cortical region to exhibit neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD), associated with EC grid cell dysfunction. Given the role of grid cells in path integration (PI)-based spatial behaviors, we predicted that PI impairment would represent the first behavioral change in adults at risk of AD. METHODS We compared immersive virtual reality (VR) PI ability to other cognitive domains in 100 asymptomatic midlife adults stratified by hereditary and physiological AD risk factors. In some participants, behavioral data were compared to 7T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of brain structure and function. RESULTS Midlife PI impairments predicted both hereditary and physiological AD risk, with no corresponding multi-risk impairment in episodic memory or other spatial behaviors. Impairments associated with altered functional MRI signal in the posterior-medial EC. DISCUSSION Altered PI may represent the transition point from at-risk state to disease manifestation in AD, prior to impairment in other cognitive domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coco Newton
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Marianna Pope
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation TrustCambridgeUK
| | - Catarina Rua
- Wolfson Brain Imaging CentreUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Richard Henson
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Zilong Ji
- Institute of Cognitive NeuroscienceUCLLondonUK
| | | | | | - Matthias Stangl
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human BehaviorUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringBoston UniversityBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | | | | | - Ivan Koychev
- Department of PsychiatryWarneford HospitalOxford UniversityOxfordUK
| | | | - Thomas Wolbers
- German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)MagdeburgGermany
| | | | - Craig W. Ritchie
- Centre for Dementia PreventionWestern General HospitalUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - John O'Brien
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation TrustCambridgeUK
| | - Li Su
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Sheffield Institute for Translational NeuroscienceUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Dennis Chan
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Institute of Cognitive NeuroscienceUCLLondonUK
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10
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Zambon A, Rico LC, Herman M, Gundacker A, Telalovic A, Hartenberger LM, Kuehn R, Romanov RA, Hussaini SA, Harkany T, Pollak DD. Gestational immune activation disrupts hypothalamic neurocircuits of maternal care behavior. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:859-873. [PMID: 35581295 PMCID: PMC9112243 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01602-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Immune activation is one of the most common complications during pregnancy, predominantly evoked by viral infections. Nevertheless, how immune activation affects mother-offspring relationships postpartum remains unknown. Here, by using the polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C) model of gestational infection we show that viral-like immune activation at mid-gestation persistently changes hypothalamic neurocircuit parameters in mouse dams and, consequently, is adverse to parenting behavior. Poly I:C-exposed dams favor non-pup-directed exploratory behavior at the expense of pup retrieval. These behavioral deficits are underlain by dendrite pruning and lesser immediate early gene activation in Galanin (Gal)+ neurons with dam-specific transcriptional signatures that reside in the medial preoptic area (mPOA). Reduced activation of an exclusively inhibitory contingent of these distal-projecting Gal+ neurons allows for increased feed-forward inhibition onto putative dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in Poly I:C-exposed dams. Notably, destabilized VTA output specifically accompanies post-pup retrieval epochs. We suggest that gestational immunogenic insults bias both threat processing and reward perception, manifesting as disfavored infant caregiving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Zambon
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Laura Cuenca Rico
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mathieu Herman
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Taub Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anna Gundacker
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Amina Telalovic
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa-Marie Hartenberger
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rebekka Kuehn
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Roman A Romanov
- Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - S Abid Hussaini
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Taub Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tibor Harkany
- Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniela D Pollak
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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11
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Slutsky I. Linking activity dyshomeostasis and sleep disturbances in Alzheimer disease. Nat Rev Neurosci 2024; 25:272-284. [PMID: 38374463 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-024-00797-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
The presymptomatic phase of Alzheimer disease (AD) starts with the deposition of amyloid-β in the cortex and begins a decade or more before the emergence of cognitive decline. The trajectory towards dementia and neurodegeneration is shaped by the pathological load and the resilience of neural circuits to the effects of this pathology. In this Perspective, I focus on recent advances that have uncovered the vulnerability of neural circuits at early stages of AD to hyperexcitability, particularly when the brain is in a low-arousal states (such as sleep and anaesthesia). Notably, this hyperexcitability manifests before overt symptoms such as sleep and memory deficits. Using the principles of control theory, I analyse the bidirectional relationship between homeostasis of neuronal activity and sleep and propose that impaired activity homeostasis during sleep leads to hyperexcitability and subsequent sleep disturbances, whereas sleep disturbances mitigate hyperexcitability via negative feedback. Understanding the interplay among activity homeostasis, neuronal excitability and sleep is crucial for elucidating the mechanisms of vulnerability to and resilience against AD pathology and for identifying new therapeutic avenues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inna Slutsky
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
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12
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Aedo-Sanchez C, Riquelme-Contreras P, Henríquez F, Aguilar-Vidal E. Vestibular dysfunction and its association with cognitive impairment and dementia. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1304810. [PMID: 38601091 PMCID: PMC11004345 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1304810] [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: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The vestibular system plays an important role in maintaining balance and posture. It also contributes to vertical perception, body awareness and spatial navigation. In addition to its sensory function, the vestibular system has direct connections to key areas responsible for higher cognitive functions, such as the prefrontal cortex, insula and hippocampus. Several studies have reported that vestibular dysfunction, in particular bilateral vestibulopathy, is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment and the development of dementias such as Alzheimer's disease. However, it is still controversial whether there is a causal relationship between vestibular damage and cognitive dysfunction. In this mini-review, we will explore the relationship between the vestibular system, cognitive dysfunction and dementia, hypotheses about the hypothesis and causes that may explain this phenomenon and also some potential confounders that may also lead to cognitive impairment. We will also review multimodal neuroimaging approaches that have investigated structural and functional effects on the cortico-vestibular network and finally, describe some approaches to the management of patients with vestibular damage who have shown some cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Aedo-Sanchez
- Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Patricio Riquelme-Contreras
- Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Memory and Neuropsychiatric Center (CMYN), Department of Neurology, Hospital del Salvador and Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology and Clinical Neuroscience (LANNEC), Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Geroscience Center for Brain Health and Metabolism (GERO), Santiago, Chile
| | - Fernando Henríquez
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology and Clinical Neuroscience (LANNEC), Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Geroscience Center for Brain Health and Metabolism (GERO), Santiago, Chile
- Laboratory for Cognitive and Evolutionary Neuroscience (LaNCE), Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Enzo Aguilar-Vidal
- Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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13
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Lei HY, Pi GL, He T, Xiong R, Lv JR, Liu JL, Wu DQ, Li MZ, Shi K, Li SH, Yu NN, Gao Y, Yu HL, Wei LY, Wang X, Zhou QZ, Zou PL, Zhou JY, Liu YZ, Shen NT, Yang J, Ke D, Wang Q, Liu GP, Yang XF, Wang JZ, Yang Y. Targeting vulnerable microcircuits in the ventral hippocampus of male transgenic mice to rescue Alzheimer-like social memory loss. Mil Med Res 2024; 11:16. [PMID: 38462603 PMCID: PMC10926584 DOI: 10.1186/s40779-024-00512-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Episodic memory loss is a prominent clinical manifestation of Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is closely related to tau pathology and hippocampal impairment. Due to the heterogeneity of brain neurons, the specific roles of different brain neurons in terms of their sensitivity to tau accumulation and their contribution to AD-like social memory loss remain unclear. Therefore, further investigation is necessary. METHODS We investigated the effects of AD-like tau pathology by Tandem mass tag proteomic and phosphoproteomic analysis, social behavioural tests, hippocampal electrophysiology, immunofluorescence staining and in vivo optical fibre recording of GCaMP6f and iGABASnFR. Additionally, we utilized optogenetics and administered ursolic acid (UA) via oral gavage to examine the effects of these agents on social memory in mice. RESULTS The results of proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses revealed the characteristics of ventral hippocampal CA1 (vCA1) under both physiological conditions and AD-like tau pathology. As tau progressively accumulated, vCA1, especially its excitatory and parvalbumin (PV) neurons, were fully filled with mislocated and phosphorylated tau (p-Tau). This finding was not observed for dorsal hippocampal CA1 (dCA1). The overexpression of human tau (hTau) in excitatory and PV neurons mimicked AD-like tau accumulation, significantly inhibited neuronal excitability and suppressed distinct discrimination-associated firings of these neurons within vCA1. Photoactivating excitatory and PV neurons in vCA1 at specific rhythms and time windows efficiently ameliorated tau-impaired social memory. Notably, 1 month of UA administration efficiently decreased tau accumulation via autophagy in a transcription factor EB (TFEB)-dependent manner and restored the vCA1 microcircuit to ameliorate tau-impaired social memory. CONCLUSION This study elucidated distinct protein and phosphoprotein networks between dCA1 and vCA1 and highlighted the susceptibility of the vCA1 microcircuit to AD-like tau accumulation. Notably, our novel findings regarding the efficacy of UA in reducing tau load and targeting the vCA1 microcircuit may provide a promising strategy for treating AD in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Yang Lei
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Gui-Lin Pi
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430014, China
| | - Ting He
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Rui Xiong
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Jing-Ru Lv
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Jia-Le Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Dong-Qin Wu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Meng-Zhu Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Kun Shi
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Shi-Hong Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Na-Na Yu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Yang Gao
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Hui-Ling Yu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Lin-Yu Wei
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Qiu-Zhi Zhou
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Pei-Lin Zou
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Jia-Yang Zhou
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Ying-Zhou Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Nai-Ting Shen
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Jie Yang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Dan Ke
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Qun Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Gong-Ping Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Xi-Fei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Shenzhen, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, China
| | - Jian-Zhi Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226000, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Ying Yang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
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14
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Koike R, Soeda Y, Kasai A, Fujioka Y, Ishigaki S, Yamanaka A, Takaichi Y, Chambers JK, Uchida K, Watanabe H, Takashima A. Path integration deficits are associated with phosphorylated tau accumulation in the entorhinal cortex. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcad359. [PMID: 38347945 PMCID: PMC10859636 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is a devastating disease that is accompanied by dementia, and its incidence increases with age. However, no interventions have exhibited clear therapeutic effects. We aimed to develop and characterize behavioural tasks that allow the earlier identification of signs preceding dementia that would facilitate the development of preventative and therapeutic interventions for Alzheimer's disease. To this end, we developed a 3D virtual reality task sensitive to the activity of grid cells in the entorhinal cortex, which is the region that first exhibits neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease. We investigated path integration (assessed by error distance) in a spatial navigation task sensitive to grid cells in the entorhinal cortex in 177 volunteers, aged 20-89 years, who did not have self-reported dementia. While place memory was intact even in old age, path integration deteriorated with increasing age. To investigate the relationship between neurofibrillary tangles in the entorhinal cortex and path integration deficit, we examined a mouse model of tauopathy (P301S mutant tau-overexpressing mice; PS19 mice). At 6 months of age, PS19 mice showed a significant accumulation of phosphorylated tau only in the entorhinal cortex, associated with impaired path integration without impairments in spatial cognition. These data are consistent with the idea that path integration deficit is caused by the accumulation of phosphorylated tau in the entorhinal cortex. This method may allow the early identification of individuals likely to develop Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riki Koike
- Laboratory for Alzheimer’s Disease, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Soeda
- Laboratory for Alzheimer’s Disease, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan
| | - Atsushi Kasai
- Deapartment of Research and Development, MIG (Medical Innovation Group) Inc, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0031, Japan
| | - Yusuke Fujioka
- Molecular Neuroscience Research Center, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga 520-2192, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Ishigaki
- Molecular Neuroscience Research Center, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga 520-2192, Japan
| | - Akihiro Yamanaka
- Department of Neuroscience II, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan
| | - Yuta Takaichi
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - James K Chambers
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Uchida
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Hirohisa Watanabe
- Department of Neurology, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
| | - Akihiko Takashima
- Laboratory for Alzheimer’s Disease, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan
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15
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Cammisuli DM, Tuena C, Riva G, Repetto C, Axmacher N, Chandreswaran V, Isella V, Pomati S, Zago S, Difonzo T, Pavanello G, Prete LA, Stramba-Badiale M, Mauro A, Cattaldo S, Castelnuovo G. Exploring the Remediation of Behavioral Disturbances of Spatial Cognition in Community-Dwelling Senior Citizens with Mild Cognitive Impairment via Innovative Technological Apparatus (BDSC-MCI Project): Protocol for a Prospective, Multi-Center Observational Study. J Pers Med 2024; 14:192. [PMID: 38392625 PMCID: PMC10890288 DOI: 10.3390/jpm14020192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Spatial navigation (SN) has been reported to be one of the first cognitive domains to be affected in Alzheimer's disease (AD), which occurs as a result of progressive neuropathology involving specific brain areas. Moreover, the epsilon 4 isoform of apolipoprotein-E (APOE-ε4) has been associated with both sporadic and familial late-onset AD, and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD are more likely to progressively deteriorate. Spatial navigation performance will be examined on a sample of 76 community-dwelling senior citizens (25 healthy controls; 25 individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD); and 26 patients with MCI due to AD) via a virtual computer-based task (i.e., the AppleGame) and a naturalistic task (i.e., the Detour Navigation Test-modified version) for which a wearable device with sensors will be used for recording gait data and revealing physiological parameters that may be associated with spatial disorientation. We expect that patients with MCI due to AD and APOE-ε4 carriers will show altered SN performances compared to individuals with SCD and healthy controls in the experimental tasks, and that VR testing may predict ecological performance. Impaired SN performances in people at increased risk of developing AD may inform future cognitive rehabilitation protocols for counteracting spatial disorientation that may occur during elders' traveling to unfamiliar locations. The research protocol has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Istituto Auxologico Italiano. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed medical journals and discussed in national and international congresses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cosimo Tuena
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20145 Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Riva
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20145 Milan, Italy
- Human Technology Lab, Catholic University, 20145 Milan, Italy
| | - Claudia Repetto
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University, 20123 Milan, Italy
| | - Nikolai Axmacher
- Department of Neuropsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Varnan Chandreswaran
- Department of Neuropsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Valeria Isella
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
- Milan Center for Neurosciences, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Simone Pomati
- Neurology Unit, Luigi Sacco University Hospital, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Teresa Difonzo
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Giada Pavanello
- School of Specialization in Clinical Psychology, Catholic University, 20123 Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Augusto Prete
- School of Specialization in Clinical Psychology, Catholic University, 20123 Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Stramba-Badiale
- Department of Geriatrics and Cardiovascular Medicine, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20145 Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Mauro
- "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Unit, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, "San Giuseppe" Hospital, 33081 Piancavallo, Italy
| | - Stefania Cattaldo
- Clinic Neurobiology Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, "San Giuseppe" Hospital, 33081 Piancavallo, Italy
| | - Gianluca Castelnuovo
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University, 20123 Milan, Italy
- Clinical Psychology Research Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20149 Milan, Italy
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16
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Aoun A, Shetler O, Raghuraman R, Rodriguez GA, Hussaini SA. Beyond correlation: optimal transport metrics for characterizing representational stability and remapping in neurons encoding spatial memory. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 17:1273283. [PMID: 38303974 PMCID: PMC10831886 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1273283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Spatial representations in the entorhinal cortex (EC) and hippocampus (HPC) are fundamental to cognitive functions like navigation and memory. These representations, embodied in spatial field maps, dynamically remap in response to environmental changes. However, current methods, such as Pearson's correlation coefficient, struggle to capture the complexity of these remapping events, especially when fields do not overlap, or transformations are non-linear. This limitation hinders our understanding and quantification of remapping, a key aspect of spatial memory function. Methods We propose a family of metrics based on the Earth Mover's Distance (EMD) as a versatile framework for characterizing remapping. Results The EMD provides a granular, noise-resistant, and rate-robust description of remapping. This approach enables the identification of specific cell types and the characterization of remapping in various scenarios, including disease models. Furthermore, the EMD's properties can be manipulated to identify spatially tuned cell types and to explore remapping as it relates to alternate information forms such as spatiotemporal coding. Discussion We present a feasible, lightweight approach that complements traditional methods. Our findings underscore the potential of the EMD as a powerful tool for enhancing our understanding of remapping in the brain and its implications for spatial navigation, memory studies and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Aoun
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Oliver Shetler
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Radha Raghuraman
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Gustavo A. Rodriguez
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - S. Abid Hussaini
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
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17
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Viana da Silva S, Haberl MG, Gaur K, Patel R, Narayan G, Ledakis M, Fu ML, de Castro Vieira M, Koo EH, Leutgeb JK, Leutgeb S. Localized APP expression results in progressive network dysfunction by disorganizing spike timing. Neuron 2024; 112:124-140.e6. [PMID: 37909036 PMCID: PMC10877582 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.10.001] [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: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Progressive cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease could either be caused by a spreading molecular pathology or by an initially focal pathology that causes aberrant neuronal activity in a larger network. To distinguish between these possibilities, we generated a mouse model with expression of mutant human amyloid precursor protein (APP) in only hippocampal CA3 cells. We found that performance in a hippocampus-dependent memory task was impaired in young adult and aged mutant mice. In both age groups, we then recorded from the CA1 region, which receives inputs from APP-expressing CA3 cells. We observed that theta oscillation frequency in CA1 was reduced along with disrupted relative timing of principal cells. Highly localized pathology limited to the presynaptic CA3 cells is thus sufficient to cause aberrant firing patterns in postsynaptic neuronal networks, which indicates that disease progression is not only from spreading pathology but also mediated by progressively advancing physiological dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Viana da Silva
- Neurobiology Department, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; NeuroCure Excellence Cluster and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias G Haberl
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Neuroscience Research Center, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Kshitij Gaur
- Neurobiology Department, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rina Patel
- Neurobiology Department, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Gautam Narayan
- Neurobiology Department, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Max Ledakis
- Neurobiology Department, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Maylin L Fu
- Neurobiology Department, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Miguel de Castro Vieira
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Neuroscience Research Center, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Edward H Koo
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jill K Leutgeb
- Neurobiology Department, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Stefan Leutgeb
- Neurobiology Department, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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18
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Kosik KS. Tau and the hard problem faceoff. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2024; 81:63-65. [PMID: 37772747 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21791] [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: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Tau has attracted the attention of fundamental cell biologists for its control over microtubules and Alzheimer biologists for its tendency to form pathological inclusions. While an extensive and insightful literature exists on the tauopathies and vulnerable cell populations, we should acknowledge that a core problem remains-how the individually variable experience of dementia is embodied, how it is felt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth S Kosik
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Development Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
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19
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Hijazi S, Smit AB, van Kesteren RE. Fast-spiking parvalbumin-positive interneurons in brain physiology and Alzheimer's disease. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4954-4967. [PMID: 37419975 PMCID: PMC11041664 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02168-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Fast-spiking parvalbumin (PV) interneurons are inhibitory interneurons with unique morphological and functional properties that allow them to precisely control local circuitry, brain networks and memory processing. Since the discovery in 1987 that PV is expressed in a subset of fast-spiking GABAergic inhibitory neurons, our knowledge of the complex molecular and physiological properties of these cells has been expanding. In this review, we highlight the specific properties of PV neurons that allow them to fire at high frequency and with high reliability, enabling them to control network oscillations and shape the encoding, consolidation and retrieval of memories. We next discuss multiple studies reporting PV neuron impairment as a critical step in neuronal network dysfunction and cognitive decline in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Finally, we propose potential mechanisms underlying PV neuron dysfunction in AD and we argue that early changes in PV neuron activity could be a causal step in AD-associated network and memory impairment and a significant contributor to disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Hijazi
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QT, UK
| | - August B Smit
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ronald E van Kesteren
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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20
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Colmant L, Bierbrauer A, Bellaali Y, Kunz L, Van Dongen J, Sleegers K, Axmacher N, Lefèvre P, Hanseeuw B. Dissociating effects of aging and genetic risk of sporadic Alzheimer's disease on path integration. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 131:170-181. [PMID: 37672944 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.07.025] [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: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Path integration is a spatial navigation ability that requires the integration of information derived from self-motion cues and stable landmarks, when available, to return to a previous location. Path integration declines with age and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we sought to separate the effects of age and AD risk on path integration, with and without a landmark. Overall, 279 people participated, aged between 18 and 80 years old. Advanced age impaired the appropriate use of a landmark. Older participants furthermore remembered the location of the goal relative to their starting location and reproduced this initial view without considering that they had moved in the environment. This lack of adaptative behavior was not associated with AD risk. In contrast, participants at genetic risk of AD (apolipoprotein E ε4 carriers) exhibited a pure path integration deficit, corresponding to difficulty in performing path integration in the absence of a landmark. Our results show that advanced-age impacts landmark-supported path integration, and that this age effect is dissociable from the effects of AD risk impacting pure path integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lise Colmant
- Institute of Neuroscience, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium; Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium; Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Anne Bierbrauer
- Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
| | | | - Lukas Kunz
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jasper Van Dongen
- VIB-Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Kristel Sleegers
- VIB-Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nikolai Axmacher
- Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
| | - Philippe Lefèvre
- Institute of Neuroscience, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium; Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Bernard Hanseeuw
- Institute of Neuroscience, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium; Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium; Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; WELBIO Department, WEL Research Institute, Wavre, Belgium
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21
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Chen L, Christenson Wick Z, Vetere LM, Vaughan N, Jurkowski A, Galas A, Diego KS, Philipsberg PA, Soler I, Feng Y, Cai DJ, Shuman T. Progressive Excitability Changes in the Medial Entorhinal Cortex in the 3xTg Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease Pathology. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7441-7454. [PMID: 37714705 PMCID: PMC10621765 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1204-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder characterized by memory loss and progressive cognitive impairments. In mouse models of AD pathology, studies have found neuronal and synaptic deficits in hippocampus, but less is known about changes in medial entorhinal cortex (MEC), which is the primary spatial input to the hippocampus and an early site of AD pathology. Here, we measured neuronal intrinsic excitability and synaptic activity in MEC layer II (MECII) stellate cells, MECII pyramidal cells, and MEC layer III (MECIII) excitatory neurons at 3 and 10 months of age in the 3xTg mouse model of AD pathology, using male and female mice. At 3 months of age, before the onset of memory impairments, we found early hyperexcitability in intrinsic properties of MECII stellate and pyramidal cells, but this was balanced by a relative reduction in synaptic excitation (E) compared with inhibition (I; E/I ratio), suggesting intact homeostatic mechanisms regulating MECII activity. Conversely, MECIII neurons had reduced intrinsic excitability at this early time point with no change in synaptic E/I ratio. By 10 months of age, after the onset of memory deficits, neuronal excitability of MECII pyramidal cells and MECIII excitatory neurons was largely normalized in 3xTg mice. However, MECII stellate cells remained hyperexcitable, and this was further exacerbated by an increased synaptic E/I ratio. This observed combination of increased intrinsic and synaptic hyperexcitability suggests a breakdown in homeostatic mechanisms specifically in MECII stellate cells at this postsymptomatic time point, which may contribute to the emergence of memory deficits in AD.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT AD causes cognitive deficits, but the specific neural circuits that are damaged to drive changes in memory remain unknown. Using a mouse model of AD pathology that expresses both amyloid and tau transgenes, we found that neurons in the MEC have altered excitability. Before the onset of memory impairments, neurons in layer 2 of MEC had increased intrinsic excitability, but this was balanced by reduced inputs onto the cell. However, after the onset of memory impairments, stellate cells in MEC became further hyperexcitable, with increased excitability exacerbated by increased synaptic inputs. Thus, it appears that MEC stellate cells are uniquely disrupted during the progression of memory deficits and may contribute to cognitive deficits in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingxuan Chen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697
| | - Zoé Christenson Wick
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Lauren M Vetere
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Nick Vaughan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Albert Jurkowski
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
- Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, New York 10065
| | - Angelina Galas
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
- New York University, New York, New York 10012
| | - Keziah S Diego
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Paul A Philipsberg
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Ivan Soler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Yu Feng
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Denise J Cai
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Tristan Shuman
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
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22
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Grieco SF, Holmes TC, Xu X. Probing neural circuit mechanisms in Alzheimer's disease using novel technologies. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4407-4420. [PMID: 36959497 PMCID: PMC10827671 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02018-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
The study of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) has traditionally focused on neuropathological mechanisms that has guided therapies that attenuate neuropathological features. A new direction is emerging in AD research that focuses on the progressive loss of cognitive function due to disrupted neural circuit mechanisms. Evidence from humans and animal models of AD show that dysregulated circuits initiate a cascade of pathological events that culminate in functional loss of learning, memory, and other aspects of cognition. Recent progress in single-cell, spatial, and circuit omics informs this circuit-focused approach by determining the identities, locations, and circuitry of the specific cells affected by AD. Recently developed neuroscience tools allow for precise access to cell type-specific circuitry so that their functional roles in AD-related cognitive deficits and disease progression can be tested. An integrated systems-level understanding of AD-associated neural circuit mechanisms requires new multimodal and multi-scale interrogations that longitudinally measure and/or manipulate the ensemble properties of specific molecularly-defined neuron populations first susceptible to AD. These newly developed technological and conceptual advances present new opportunities for studying and treating circuits vulnerable in AD and represent the beginning of a new era for circuit-based AD research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven F Grieco
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Center for Neural Circuit Mapping (CNCM), University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Todd C Holmes
- Center for Neural Circuit Mapping (CNCM), University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Xiangmin Xu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
- Center for Neural Circuit Mapping (CNCM), University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
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23
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Coughlan G, DeSouza B, Zhukovsky P, Hornberger M, Grady C, Buckley RF. Spatial cognition is associated with levels of phosphorylated-tau and β-amyloid in clinically normal older adults. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 130:124-134. [PMID: 37506550 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.06.016] [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: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Spatial cognition is associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers in the symptomatic stages of the disease. We investigated whether cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers (phosphorylated-tau [p-tau] and β-amyloid) are associated with poorer spatial cognition in clinically normal older adults. Participants were 1875 clinically normal adults (age 67.8 [8.5] years) from the European Prevention of Alzheimer's Dementia Consortium. Mixed effect models assessed the cross-sectional association between p-tau181, β-amyloid1-42 (Aβ1-42) and p-tau181/Aβ1-42 ratio and spatial cognition measured using semi-automated Supermarket Task and the 4 Mountains Task. Levels of p-tau181, Aβ1-42, and p-tau181/Aβ1-42 ratio were significantly associated with spatial cognition scores on both tasks. The p-tau181/Aβ1-42 ratio showed the largest effect sizes (β = -0.04/0.05, p < 0.001). Lower entorhinal cortical volume was associated with poorer outcomes on both tasks (β = 0.06, p < 0.002) and accounted for 18%-22% of the direct association between p-tau181 and spatial cognition scores. In conclusion, degeneration of the entorhinal cortex mediates a significant proportion of the association between p-tau181 and spatial assessments in cognitively normal adults. Future studies should focus on increasing the sensitivity of digital spatial assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gillian Coughlan
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brennan DeSouza
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Peter Zhukovsky
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Mental Health and Addiction, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael Hornberger
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Cheryl Grady
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rachel F Buckley
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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24
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Li CJ, Hui YQ, Zhang R, Zhou HY, Cai X, Lu L. A comparison of behavioral paradigms assessing spatial memory in tree shrews. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:10303-10321. [PMID: 37642602 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad283] [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: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Impairments in spatial navigation in humans can be preclinical signs of Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, cognitive tests that monitor deficits in spatial memory play a crucial role in evaluating animal models with early stage Alzheimer's disease. While Chinese tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri) possess many features suitable for Alzheimer's disease modeling, behavioral tests for assessing spatial cognition in this species are lacking. Here, we established reward-based paradigms using the radial-arm maze and cheeseboard maze for tree shrews, and tested spatial memory in a group of 12 adult males in both tasks, along with a control water maze test, before and after bilateral lesions to the hippocampus, the brain region essential for spatial navigation. Tree shrews memorized target positions during training, and task performance improved gradually until reaching a plateau in all 3 mazes. However, spatial learning was compromised post-lesion in the 2 newly developed tasks, whereas memory retrieval was impaired in the water maze task. These results indicate that the cheeseboard task effectively detects impairments in spatial memory and holds potential for monitoring progressive cognitive decline in aged or genetically modified tree shrews that develop Alzheimer's disease-like symptoms. This study may facilitate the utilization of tree shrew models in Alzheimer's disease research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Ji Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
- National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650107, China
| | - Yi-Qing Hui
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
| | - Rong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
- National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650107, China
| | - Hai-Yang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
| | - Xing Cai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
- National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650107, China
| | - Li Lu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
- National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650107, China
- Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
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25
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Etter G, Carmichael JE, Williams S. Linking temporal coordination of hippocampal activity to memory function. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1233849. [PMID: 37720546 PMCID: PMC10501408 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1233849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Oscillations in neural activity are widespread throughout the brain and can be observed at the population level through the local field potential. These rhythmic patterns are associated with cycles of excitability and are thought to coordinate networks of neurons, in turn facilitating effective communication both within local circuits and across brain regions. In the hippocampus, theta rhythms (4-12 Hz) could contribute to several key physiological mechanisms including long-range synchrony, plasticity, and at the behavioral scale, support memory encoding and retrieval. While neurons in the hippocampus appear to be temporally coordinated by theta oscillations, they also tend to fire in sequences that are developmentally preconfigured. Although loss of theta rhythmicity impairs memory, these sequences of spatiotemporal representations persist in conditions of altered hippocampal oscillations. The focus of this review is to disentangle the relative contribution of hippocampal oscillations from single-neuron activity in learning and memory. We first review cellular, anatomical, and physiological mechanisms underlying the generation and maintenance of hippocampal rhythms and how they contribute to memory function. We propose candidate hypotheses for how septohippocampal oscillations could support memory function while not contributing directly to hippocampal sequences. In particular, we explore how theta rhythms could coordinate the integration of upstream signals in the hippocampus to form future decisions, the relevance of such integration to downstream regions, as well as setting the stage for behavioral timescale synaptic plasticity. Finally, we leverage stimulation-based treatment in Alzheimer's disease conditions as an opportunity to assess the sufficiency of hippocampal oscillations for memory function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sylvain Williams
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Mental Health Research Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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26
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Lorentzen IM, Espenes J, Eliassen IV, Hessen E, Waterloo K, Nakling A, Gísladóttir B, Jarholm J, Fladby T, Kirsebom BE. Investigating the relationship between allocentric spatial working memory and biomarker status in preclinical and prodromal Alzheimer's disease. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. ADULT 2023:1-13. [PMID: 37552673 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2023.2236262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
The 4 Mountain Test (4MT) is a test of allocentric spatial working memory and has been proposed as an earlier marker of predementia Alzheimer's disease (AD) than episodic verbal memory. We here compare the 4MT to the CERAD word list memory recall in both cognitively normal (CN) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) cases with or without cerebrospinal fluid markers (CSF) of Alzheimer's disease pathology. Linear regression was used to assess the influence of CSF determined Aβ-plaque (Aβ-/+) or neurofibrillary tau tangles (Tau-/+) on 4MT and CERAD recall performance. Analyses were performed in the full sample and the CN and MCI sub-samples. Pearson correlations were calculated to examine the relationship between 4MT and tests of psychomotor speed, verbal memory, cognitive flexibility, verbal fluency, and visuo-spatial perception. Analyses showed no significant differences in 4MT scores between Aβ-/Aβ+, nor Tau-/Tau + participants, irrespective of cognitive status. In contrast, CERAD recall scores were lower in both Aβ+ compared to Aβ- (p<.01), and Tau + compared to Tau- participants (p<.01) in the full sample analyses. There were no significant differences in CERAD recall performance between Aβ- vs. Aβ+ and Tau- vs. to Tau + in the in CN/MCI sub-samples. 4MT scores were significantly correlated with tests of psychomotor speed, cognitive flexibility, and visuo-spatial perception in the full sample analyses. In conclusion, the CERAD recall outperformed the 4MT as a cognitive marker of CSF determined AD pathology. This suggests that allocentric working memory, as measured by the 4MT, may not be used as an early marker of predementia AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid Myrvoll Lorentzen
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Jacob Espenes
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Ingvild Vøllo Eliassen
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Neurology, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway
| | - Erik Hessen
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Neurology, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway
| | - Knut Waterloo
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Arne Nakling
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway
| | - Berglind Gísladóttir
- Department of Neurology, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway
- Department of Clinical Molecular Biology (EpiGen), University of Oslo and Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway
| | - Jonas Jarholm
- Department of Neurology, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Tormod Fladby
- Department of Neurology, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Bjørn-Eivind Kirsebom
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
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27
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Chen S, Acosta D, Fu H. New unexpected role for Wolfram Syndrome protein WFS1: a novel therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease? Neural Regen Res 2023; 18:1501-1502. [PMID: 36571353 PMCID: PMC10075124 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.361540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Chen
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Diana Acosta
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Hongjun Fu
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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28
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Chen L, Wick ZC, Vetere LM, Vaughan N, Jurkowski A, Galas A, Diego KS, Philipsberg P, Cai DJ, Shuman T. Progressive excitability changes in the medial entorhinal cortex in the 3xTg mouse model of Alzheimer's disease pathology. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.30.542838. [PMID: 37398359 PMCID: PMC10312508 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.30.542838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by memory loss and progressive cognitive impairments. In mouse models of AD pathology, studies have found neuronal and synaptic deficits in the hippocampus, but less is known about what happens in the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC), which is the primary spatial input to the hippocampus and an early site of AD pathology. Here, we measured the neuronal intrinsic excitability and synaptic activity in MEC layer II (MECII) stellate cells, MECII pyramidal cells, and MEC layer III (MECIII) excitatory neurons at early (3 months) and late (10 months) time points in the 3xTg mouse model of AD pathology. At 3 months of age, prior to the onset of memory impairments, we found early hyperexcitability in MECII stellate and pyramidal cells' intrinsic properties, but this was balanced by a relative reduction in synaptic excitation (E) compared to inhibition (I), suggesting intact homeostatic mechanisms regulating activity in MECII. Conversely, MECIII neurons had reduced intrinsic excitability at this early time point with no change in the synaptic E/I ratio. By 10 months of age, after the onset of memory deficits, neuronal excitability of MECII pyramidal cells and MECIII excitatory neurons was largely normalized in 3xTg mice. However, MECII stellate cells remained hyperexcitable and this was further exacerbated by an increased synaptic E/I ratio. This observed combination of increased intrinsically and synaptically generated excitability suggests a breakdown in homeostatic mechanisms specifically in MECII stellate cells at this post-symptomatic time point. Together, these data suggest that the breakdown in homeostatic excitability mechanisms in MECII stellate cells may contribute to the emergence of memory deficits in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingxuan Chen
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY
- University of California Irvine, Irvine CA
| | | | | | - Nick Vaughan
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY
| | - Albert Jurkowski
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY
- CUNY Hunter College, New York NY
| | - Angelina Galas
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY
- New York University, New York NY
| | | | | | - Denise J. Cai
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York NY
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29
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Ying J, Reboreda A, Yoshida M, Brandon MP. Grid cell disruption in a mouse model of early Alzheimer's disease reflects reduced integration of self-motion cues. Curr Biol 2023:S0960-9822(23)00547-X. [PMID: 37220744 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.065] [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: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Converging evidence from human and rodent studies suggests that disrupted grid cell coding in the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) underlies path integration behavioral deficits during early Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, grid cell firing relies on both self-motion cues and environmental features, and it remains unclear whether disrupted grid coding can account for specific path integration deficits reported during early AD. Here, we report in the J20 transgenic amyloid beta (Aβ) mouse model of early AD that grid cells were spatially unstable toward the center of the arena, had qualitatively different spatial components that aligned parallel to the borders of the environment, and exhibited impaired integration of distance traveled via reduced theta phase precession. Our results suggest that disrupted early AD grid coding reflects reduced integration of self-motion cues but not environmental information via geometric boundaries, providing evidence that grid cell impairments underlie path integration deficits during early AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnson Ying
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Antonio Reboreda
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany; Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg 39120, Germany
| | - Motoharu Yoshida
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany; Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg 39120, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg 39106, Germany
| | - Mark P Brandon
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada.
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30
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Morrone CD, Raghuraman R, Hussaini SA, Yu WH. Proteostasis failure exacerbates neuronal circuit dysfunction and sleep impairments in Alzheimer's disease. Mol Neurodegener 2023; 18:27. [PMID: 37085942 PMCID: PMC10119020 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00617-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Failed proteostasis is a well-documented feature of Alzheimer's disease, particularly, reduced protein degradation and clearance. However, the contribution of failed proteostasis to neuronal circuit dysfunction is an emerging concept in neurodegenerative research and will prove critical in understanding cognitive decline. Our objective is to convey Alzheimer's disease progression with the growing evidence for a bidirectional relationship of sleep disruption and proteostasis failure. Proteostasis dysfunction and tauopathy in Alzheimer's disease disrupts neurons that regulate the sleep-wake cycle, which presents behavior as impaired slow wave and rapid eye movement sleep patterns. Subsequent sleep loss further impairs protein clearance. Sleep loss is a defined feature seen early in many neurodegenerative disorders and contributes to memory impairments in Alzheimer's disease. Canonical pathological hallmarks, β-amyloid, and tau, directly disrupt sleep, and neurodegeneration of locus coeruleus, hippocampal and hypothalamic neurons from tau proteinopathy causes disruption of the neuronal circuitry of sleep. Acting in a positive-feedback-loop, sleep loss and circadian rhythm disruption then increase spread of β-amyloid and tau, through impairments of proteasome, autophagy, unfolded protein response and glymphatic clearance. This phenomenon extends beyond β-amyloid and tau, with interactions of sleep impairment with the homeostasis of TDP-43, α-synuclein, FUS, and huntingtin proteins, implicating sleep loss as an important consideration in an array of neurodegenerative diseases and in cases of mixed neuropathology. Critically, the dynamics of this interaction in the neurodegenerative environment are not fully elucidated and are deserving of further discussion and research. Finally, we propose sleep-enhancing therapeutics as potential interventions for promoting healthy proteostasis, including β-amyloid and tau clearance, mechanistically linking these processes. With further clinical and preclinical research, we propose this dynamic interaction as a diagnostic and therapeutic framework, informing precise single- and combinatorial-treatments for Alzheimer's disease and other brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Daniel Morrone
- Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St., Toronto, ON, M5T 1R8, Canada.
| | - Radha Raghuraman
- Taub Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630W 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630W 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - S Abid Hussaini
- Taub Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630W 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630W 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
| | - Wai Haung Yu
- Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St., Toronto, ON, M5T 1R8, Canada.
- Geriatric Mental Health Research Services, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St., Toronto, ON, M5T 1R8, Canada.
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.
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31
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Wang T, Long Q, Hu Y, Yang Y, Li X, Wei H. miR-181c-5p suppresses neuronal pyroptosis via NLRP1 in Alzheimer's disease. Behav Brain Res 2023; 447:114387. [PMID: 37003492 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is neurodegenerative disease common in the elderly, whose pathological mechanism is the deposition of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. Pyroptosis is a programmed cell death mediated by Gasdermin protein. After the activation of inflammasomes, the cleaved caspase⁃ 1/4/5/11 activates GSDMD, which promotes the release of inflammatory substances and eventually causes cell swelling and death. Pyroptosis caused by inflammasomes plays a role in AD. However, the specific regulatory mechanism of pyroptosis in AD still needs more experimental studies. To further study the effects of NLRP1-induced pyroptosis on AD, miR-181c-5p, which could targeted bind to NLRP1, was knocked down or overexpression in HT22 cells to detect cell apoptosis with Tunel assay, the expression of inflammasome-related proteins with Western blot and the content of inflammatory factors with ELISA. miR-181c-5p was overexpressed in AD model mice to detect the learning and cognitive ability with morris water maze testing and the expression of inflammasoma-related proteins with Western blot. The results showed that miR-181c-5p mimic attenuated Aβ1-42-induced neuronal pyroptosis in HT22 cells, while up-regulation of NLRP1 aggravated neuronal pyroptosis in HT22 cells. In mice, miR-181c-5p agomir attenuated neuronal pyroptosis in both hippocampal and cortical tissues, and miR-181c-5p antagomir improved neuronal pyroptosis and cognitive impairment through NLRP1. Therefore, the study suggests that miR-181c-5p can alleviated AD process by targeted downregulation of NLRP1, which is expected to be a target site for AD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Wang
- Department of Geriatrics, the Affiliated Yan'an Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650051, Yunnan, China
| | - Qionghua Long
- Department of Geriatrics, the Affiliated Yan'an Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650051, Yunnan, China
| | - Yang Hu
- Department of Geriatrics, the Affiliated Yan'an Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650051, Yunnan, China
| | - Yongli Yang
- Department of Geriatrics, the Affiliated Yan'an Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650051, Yunnan, China
| | - Xingguo Li
- Department of Orthopedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650031, Yunnan, China.
| | - Huan Wei
- Department of Neurology, the Affiliated Yan'an Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650051, Yunnan, China.
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32
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Balusu S, Praschberger R, Lauwers E, De Strooper B, Verstreken P. Neurodegeneration cell per cell. Neuron 2023; 111:767-786. [PMID: 36787752 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
The clinical definition of neurodegenerative diseases is based on symptoms that reflect terminal damage of specific brain regions. This is misleading as it tells little about the initial disease processes. Circuitry failures that underlie the clinical symptomatology are themselves preceded by clinically mostly silent, slowly progressing multicellular processes that trigger or are triggered by the accumulation of abnormally folded proteins such as Aβ, Tau, TDP-43, and α-synuclein, among others. Methodological advances in single-cell omics, combined with complex genetics and novel ways to model complex cellular interactions using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, make it possible to analyze the early cellular phase of neurodegenerative disorders. This will revolutionize the way we study those diseases and will translate into novel diagnostics and cell-specific therapeutic targets, stopping these disorders in their early track before they cause difficult-to-reverse damage to the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sriram Balusu
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Roman Praschberger
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Elsa Lauwers
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bart De Strooper
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium; UK Dementia Research Institute, London, UK.
| | - Patrik Verstreken
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium.
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33
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Tian Y, Kuruvilla MV, Park M. The use of virtual reality in screening for preclinical Alzheimer's disease: A scoping review protocol. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282436. [PMID: 36848392 PMCID: PMC9970083 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents the earliest phase of AD, often years before the onset of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). There is a pressing focus on identifying individuals in the preclinical AD phase to alter the trajectory or impact of the disease potentially. Increasingly, Virtual Reality (VR) technology is being used to support a diagnosis of AD. While VR technology has been applied to the assessment of MCI and AD, studies about how best to utilize VR as a screening tool for preclinical AD are limited and discordant. The objectives of this review are to synthesize the evidence pertaining to the use of VR as a screening tool for preclinical AD as well as to identify factors that need to be considered when utilizing VR to screen for preclinical AD. METHODS AND ANALYSIS The methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley (2005) will be introduced to guide the conduction of the scoping review, and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) (2018) will be used to organize and structure the review. PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar will be used to search for literature. Obtained studies will be screened for eligibility based on predefined exclusion criteria. A narrative synthesis of eligible studies will be performed, after tabulating the extracted data from existing literature, to answer the research questions. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethical approval is not required for this scoping review. Findings will be disseminated through conference presentations, publication in a peer-reviewed journal, and discussions among professional networks in the research domain combining neuroscience and information and communications technology (ICT). REGISTRATION DETAILS This protocol has been registered on Open Science Framework (OSF). Relevant materials and potential following updates are available at https://osf.io/aqmyu.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Tian
- School of Information and Communication Technology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Maneesh V. Kuruvilla
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Mira Park
- School of Information and Communication Technology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
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34
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Makdissi S, Parsons BD, Di Cara F. Towards early detection of neurodegenerative diseases: A gut feeling. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1087091. [PMID: 36824371 PMCID: PMC9941184 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1087091] [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: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The gastrointestinal tract communicates with the nervous system through a bidirectional network of signaling pathways called the gut-brain axis, which consists of multiple connections, including the enteric nervous system, the vagus nerve, the immune system, endocrine signals, the microbiota, and its metabolites. Alteration of communications in the gut-brain axis is emerging as an overlooked cause of neuroinflammation. Neuroinflammation is a common feature of the pathogenic mechanisms involved in various neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) that are incurable and debilitating conditions resulting in progressive degeneration and death of neurons, such as in Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases. NDs are a leading cause of global death and disability, and the incidences are expected to increase in the following decades if prevention strategies and successful treatment remain elusive. To date, the etiology of NDs is unclear due to the complexity of the mechanisms of diseases involving genetic and environmental factors, including diet and microbiota. Emerging evidence suggests that changes in diet, alteration of the microbiota, and deregulation of metabolism in the intestinal epithelium influence the inflammatory status of the neurons linked to disease insurgence and progression. This review will describe the leading players of the so-called diet-microbiota-gut-brain (DMGB) axis in the context of NDs. We will report recent findings from studies in model organisms such as rodents and fruit flies that support the role of diets, commensals, and intestinal epithelial functions as an overlooked primary regulator of brain health. We will finish discussing the pivotal role of metabolisms of cellular organelles such as mitochondria and peroxisomes in maintaining the DMGB axis and how alteration of the latter can be used as early disease makers and novel therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Makdissi
- Dalhousie University, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Halifax, NS, Canada
- IWK Health Centre, Department of Pediatrics, Halifax, Canada
| | - Brendon D. Parsons
- Dalhousie University, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Francesca Di Cara
- Dalhousie University, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Halifax, NS, Canada
- IWK Health Centre, Department of Pediatrics, Halifax, Canada
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35
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Newton C, Pope M, Rua C, Henson R, Ji Z, Burgess N, Rodgers CT, Stangl M, Dounavi ME, Castegnaro A, Koychev I, Malhotra P, Wolbers T, Ritchie K, Ritchie CW, O’Brien J, Su L, Chan D. Path integration selectively predicts midlife risk of Alzheimer's disease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.31.526473. [PMID: 36778428 PMCID: PMC9915680 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.31.526473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The entorhinal cortex (EC) is the first cortical region to exhibit neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD), associated with EC grid cell dysfunction. Given the role of grid cells in path integration, we predicted that path integration impairment would represent the first behavioural change in adults at-risk of AD. Using immersive virtual reality, we found that midlife path integration impairments predicted both hereditary and physiological AD risk, with no corresponding impairment on tests of episodic memory or other spatial behaviours. Impairments related to poorer angular estimation and were associated with hexadirectional grid-like fMRI signal in the posterior-medial EC. These results indicate that altered path integration may represent the transition point from at-risk state to disease onset in AD, prior to impairment in other cognitive domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coco Newton
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge; Cambridge, UK
| | - Marianna Pope
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge; Cambridge, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust; Cambridge, UK
| | - Catarina Rua
- Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, University of Cambridge; Cambridge, UK
| | - Richard Henson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge; Cambridge, UK
| | - Zilong Ji
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL; London, UK
| | - Neil Burgess
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL; London, UK
| | | | - Matthias Stangl
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California; Los Angeles, USA
| | | | | | - Ivan Koychev
- Department of Psychiatry, Oxford University; Oxford, UK
| | - Paresh Malhotra
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London; London, UK
| | - Thomas Wolbers
- German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE); Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Karen Ritchie
- Inserm, Institut de Neurosciences; Montpellier, France
| | - Craig W. Ritchie
- Centre for Dementia Prevention, University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh, UK
| | - John O’Brien
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge; Cambridge, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust; Cambridge, UK
| | - Li Su
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge; Cambridge, UK
| | - Dennis Chan
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL; London, UK
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36
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Zhang H, Xie X, Shi J, Zhao Q, Luo D, Hao J, Zhou Y, Han G, Pang X. 3, 14, 19-Triacetyl Andrographolide alleviates the cognitive dysfunction of 3 × Tg-AD mice by inducing initiation and promoting degradation process of autophagy. Phytother Res 2023; 37:410-423. [PMID: 36114804 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.7619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The present study aims to investigate the cognition-enhancing effect of 3, 14, 19-Triacetyl andrographolide (ADA) on learning and memory deficits in 3 × Tg-AD mice and to explore its underlying mechanism. Eight-month-old 3 × Tg-AD mice and C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into three groups, namely wild-type group, 3 × Tg-AD group, and 3 × Tg-AD+ADA group (5 mg/kg, for 21 days, i.p.). We found that ADA significantly improved learning and cognition impairment, inhibited the loss of Nissl body, and reduced Aβ load in the brains of 3 × Tg-AD mice. In addition, ADA enhanced the levels of PSD95 and SYP, which were closely associated with synaptic plasticity. Accumulated autophagosomes, LC3II, and P62 in hippocampus and cortex of 3 × Tg-AD mice were decreased by ADA treatment. Furthermore, ADA administration further down-regulated the expressions of p-AKT and p-mTOR, reduced the level of CTSB, and increased the co-localization of LC3 and LAMP1 in the brains of 3 × Tg-AD mice, implying that ADA-induced autophagy initiation and also promoted the degradation process. In Aβ25-35 -induced HT22 cells, ADA displayed similar effects on autophagy flux as observed in 3 × Tg-AD mice. Our finding verified that ADA could improve synaptic plasticity and cognitive function, which is mainly attributed to the key roles of ADA in autophagy induction and degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyu Zhang
- Pharmaceutical Institute, School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Xinmei Xie
- Pharmaceutical Institute, School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Junzhuo Shi
- Pharmaceutical Institute, School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Qian Zhao
- Pharmaceutical Institute, School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Dongmei Luo
- Pharmaceutical Institute, School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Jiaojiao Hao
- Pharmaceutical Institute, School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Yunfeng Zhou
- Pharmaceutical Institute, School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Guang Han
- Pharmaceutical Institute, School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, China.,Kaifeng Key Lab for Application of Local Dendranthema morifolium in Food & Drug, Kaifeng, China
| | - Xiaobin Pang
- Pharmaceutical Institute, School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng, China.,Institutes of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
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37
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Igarashi KM. Entorhinal cortex dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:124-136. [PMID: 36513524 PMCID: PMC9877178 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The entorhinal cortex (EC) is the brain region that often exhibits the earliest histological alterations in Alzheimer's disease (AD), including the formation of neurofibrillary tangles and cell death. Recently, brain imaging studies from preclinical AD patients and electrophysiological recordings from AD animal models have shown that impaired neuronal activity in the EC precedes neurodegeneration. This implies that memory impairments and spatial navigation deficits at the initial stage of AD are likely caused by activity dysfunction rather than by cell death. This review focuses on recent findings on EC dysfunction in AD, and discusses the potential pathways for mitigating AD progression by protecting the EC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei M Igarashi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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38
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Silva A, Martínez MC. Spatial memory deficits in Alzheimer's disease and their connection to cognitive maps' formation by place cells and grid cells. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 16:1082158. [PMID: 36710956 PMCID: PMC9878455 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1082158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Whenever we navigate through different contexts, we build a cognitive map: an internal representation of the territory. Spatial navigation is a complex skill that involves multiple types of information processing and integration. Place cells and grid cells, collectively with other hippocampal and medial entorhinal cortex neurons (MEC), form a neural network whose activity is critical for the representation of self-position and orientation along with spatial memory retrieval. Furthermore, this activity generates new representations adapting to changes in the environment. Though there is a normal decline in spatial memory related to aging, this is dramatically increased in pathological conditions such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD is a multi-factorial neurodegenerative disorder affecting mainly the hippocampus-entorhinal cortex (HP-EC) circuit. Consequently, the initial stages of the disease have disorientation and wandering behavior as two of its hallmarks. Recent electrophysiological studies have linked spatial memory deficits to difficulties in spatial information encoding. Here we will discuss map impairment and remapping disruption in the HP-EC network, as a possible circuit mechanism involved in the spatial memory and navigation deficits observed in AD, pointing out the benefits of virtual reality as a tool for early diagnosis and rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azul Silva
- Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica “Dr. Bernardo Houssay”- CONICET (IFIBIO), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Cecilia Martínez
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica “Dr. Bernardo Houssay”- CONICET (IFIBIO), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina,Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Biología Molecular y Celular “Dr. Héctor Maldonado”, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina,*Correspondence: María Cecilia Martínez,
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39
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Alexandersen CG, de Haan W, Bick C, Goriely A. A multi-scale model explains oscillatory slowing and neuronal hyperactivity in Alzheimer's disease. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20220607. [PMID: 36596460 PMCID: PMC9810432 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0607] [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] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia and is linked to the spreading of pathological amyloid-β and tau proteins throughout the brain. Recent studies have highlighted stark differences in how amyloid-β and tau affect neurons at the cellular scale. On a larger scale, Alzheimer's patients are observed to undergo a period of early-stage neuronal hyperactivation followed by neurodegeneration and frequency slowing of neuronal oscillations. Herein, we model the spreading of both amyloid-β and tau across a human connectome and investigate how the neuronal dynamics are affected by disease progression. By including the effects of both amyloid-β and tau pathology, we find that our model explains AD-related frequency slowing, early-stage hyperactivation and late-stage hypoactivation. By testing different hypotheses, we show that hyperactivation and frequency slowing are not due to the topological interactions between different regions but are mostly the result of local neurotoxicity induced by amyloid-β and tau protein.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Willem de Haan
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Christian Bick
- Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK,Department of Mathematics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,Amsterdam Neuroscience—Systems and Network Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Alain Goriely
- Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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40
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Zhang H, Chen L, Johnston KG, Crapser J, Green KN, Ha NML, Tenner AJ, Holmes TC, Nitz DA, Xu X. Degenerate mapping of environmental location presages deficits in object-location encoding and memory in the 5xFAD mouse model for Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 176:105939. [PMID: 36462718 PMCID: PMC10187684 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105939] [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: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
A key challenge in developing diagnosis and treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is to detect abnormal network activity at as early a stage as possible. To date, behavioral and neurophysiological investigations in AD model mice have yet to conduct a longitudinal assessment of cellular pathology, memory deficits, and neurophysiological correlates of neuronal activity. We therefore examined the temporal relationships between pathology, neuronal activities and spatial representation of environments, as well as object location memory deficits across multiple stages of development in the 5xFAD mice model and compared these results to those observed in wild-type mice. We performed longitudinal in vivo calcium imaging with miniscope on hippocampal CA1 neurons in behaving mice. We find that 5xFAD mice show amyloid plaque accumulation, depressed neuronal calcium activity during immobile states, and degenerate and unreliable hippocampal neuron spatial tuning to environmental location at early stages by 4 months of age while their object location memory (OLM) is comparable to WT mice. By 8 months of age, 5xFAD mice show deficits of OLM, which are accompanied by progressive degradation of spatial encoding and, eventually, impaired CA1 neural tuning to object-location pairings. Furthermore, depressed neuronal activity and unreliable spatial encoding at early stage are correlated with impaired performance in OLM at 8-month-old. Our results indicate the close connection between impaired hippocampal tuning to object-location and the presence of OLM deficits. The results also highlight that depressed baseline firing rates in hippocampal neurons during immobile states and unreliable spatial representation precede object memory deficits and predict memory deficits at older age, suggesting potential early opportunities for AD detecting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai Zhang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States of America
| | - Lujia Chen
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States of America; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States of America
| | - Kevin G Johnston
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States of America
| | - Joshua Crapser
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States of America
| | - Kim N Green
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States of America; Center for Neural Circuit Mapping, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States of America
| | - Nicole My-Linh Ha
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States of America
| | - Andrea J Tenner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States of America
| | - Todd C Holmes
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States of America; Center for Neural Circuit Mapping, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States of America
| | - Douglas A Nitz
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America; Center for Neural Circuit Mapping, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States of America.
| | - Xiangmin Xu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States of America; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States of America; Center for Neural Circuit Mapping, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States of America.
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Kurowska-Rucińska E, Ruciński J, Myślińska D, Grembecka B, Wrona D, Majkutewicz I. Dimethyl Fumarate Alleviates Adult Neurogenesis Disruption in Hippocampus and Olfactory Bulb and Spatial Cognitive Deficits Induced by Intracerebroventricular Streptozotocin Injection in Young and Aged Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232415449. [PMID: 36555093 PMCID: PMC9779626 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232415449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The disorder of adult neurogenesis is considered an important mechanism underlying the learning and memory impairment observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The sporadic nonhereditary form of AD (sAD) affects over 95% of AD patients and is related to interactions between genetic and environmental factors. An intracerebroventricular injection of streptozotocin (STZ-ICV) is a representative and well-established method to induce sAD-like pathology. Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and is used for multiple sclerosis treatment. The present study determines whether a 26-day DMF therapy ameliorates the disruption of adult neurogenesis and BDNF-related neuroprotection in the hippocampus and olfactory bulb (OB) in an STZ-ICV rat model of sAD. Considering age as an important risk factor for developing AD, this study was performed using 3-month-old (the young group) and 22-month-old (the aged group) male Wistar rats. Spatial cognitive functions were evaluated with the Morris water maze task. Immunofluorescent labelling was used to assess the parameters of adult neurogenesis and BDNF-related neuroprotection in the hippocampus and OB. Our results showed that the STZ-ICV evoked spatial learning and memory impairment and disturbances in adult neurogenesis and BDNF expression in both examined brain structures. In the aged animals, the deficits were more severe. We found that the DMF treatment significantly alleviated STZ-ICV-induced behavioural and neuronal disorders in both age groups of the rats. Our findings suggest that DMF, due to its beneficial effect on the formation of new neurons and BDNF-related neuroprotection, may be considered as a promising new therapeutic agent in human sAD.
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Guo T, Pan X, Jiang G, Zhang D, Qi J, Shao L, Wang Z, Xu H, Zhao Y. Downregulating PTBP1 Fails to Convert Astrocytes into Hippocampal Neurons and to Alleviate Symptoms in Alzheimer's Mouse Models. J Neurosci 2022; 42:7309-7317. [PMID: 35944999 PMCID: PMC9512577 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1060-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Conversion of astroglia into functional neurons has been considered a promising therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies reported that downregulation of the RNA binding protein, polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 1 (PTBP1), converts astrocytes into neurons in situ in multiple mouse brain regions, consequently improving pathologic phenotypes associated with Parkinson's disease, RGC loss, and aging. Here, we demonstrate that PTBP1 downregulation using an astrocyte-specific AAV-mediated shRNA system fails to convert hippocampal astrocytes into neurons in both male and female wild-type (WT) and β-amyloid (5×FAD) and tau (PS19) Alzheimer's disease (AD) mouse models and fails to reverse synaptic/cognitive deficits and AD-associated pathology in male mice. Similarly, PTBP1 downregulation cannot convert astrocytes into neurons in the striatum and substantia nigra in both male and female WT mice. Together, our study suggests that cell fate conversion strategy for neurodegenerative disease therapy through manipulating one single gene, such as PTBP1, warrants more rigorous scrutiny.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Our results do not support some of the recent extraordinary and revolutionary claims that resident astrocytes can be directly and efficiently converted into neurons. Our study is critical for the field of neural regeneration and degeneration. In addition, our study is financially important because it may prevent other researchers/organizations from wasting a vast amount of time and resources on relevant investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiantian Guo
- Center for Brain Sciences, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Institute of Neuroscience, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Xinjia Pan
- Center for Brain Sciences, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Institute of Neuroscience, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Guangtong Jiang
- Center for Brain Sciences, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Institute of Neuroscience, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Denghong Zhang
- Center for Brain Sciences, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Institute of Neuroscience, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Jinghui Qi
- Center for Brain Sciences, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Institute of Neuroscience, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Lin Shao
- Center for Brain Sciences, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Institute of Neuroscience, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Zhanxiang Wang
- Center for Brain Sciences, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Institute of Neuroscience, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Huaxi Xu
- Center for Brain Sciences, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Institute of Neuroscience, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
- Institute for Brain Science and Disease, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Yingjun Zhao
- Center for Brain Sciences, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Institute of Neuroscience, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
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Mishra R, Phan T, Kumar P, Morrissey Z, Gupta M, Hollands C, Shetti A, Lopez KL, Maienschein-Cline M, Suh H, Hen R, Lazarov O. Augmenting neurogenesis rescues memory impairments in Alzheimer's disease by restoring the memory-storing neurons. J Exp Med 2022; 219:e20220391. [PMID: 35984475 PMCID: PMC9399756 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20220391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Hippocampal neurogenesis is impaired in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) mouse models. However, it is unknown whether new neurons play a causative role in memory deficits. Here, we show that immature neurons were actively recruited into the engram following a hippocampus-dependent task. However, their recruitment is severely deficient in FAD. Recruited immature neurons exhibited compromised spine density and altered transcript profile. Targeted augmentation of neurogenesis in FAD mice restored the number of new neurons in the engram, the dendritic spine density, and the transcription signature of both immature and mature neurons, ultimately leading to the rescue of memory. Chemogenetic inactivation of immature neurons following enhanced neurogenesis in AD, reversed mouse performance, and diminished memory. Notably, AD-linked App, ApoE, and Adam10 were of the top differentially expressed genes in the engram. Collectively, these observations suggest that defective neurogenesis contributes to memory failure in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachana Mishra
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Trongha Phan
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Pavan Kumar
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Zachery Morrissey
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
- The Graduate Program in Neuroscience, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Muskan Gupta
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Carolyn Hollands
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Aashutosh Shetti
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Kyra Lauren Lopez
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | | | - Hoonkyo Suh
- Department of Neurosciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
| | - Rene Hen
- Department of Psychiatry, Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Orly Lazarov
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
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Saroja SR, Sharma A, Hof PR, Pereira AC. Differential expression of tau species and the association with cognitive decline and synaptic loss in Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement 2022; 18:1602-1615. [PMID: 34873815 PMCID: PMC9170833 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Pathological tau proteins in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) mainly accumulate in the form of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and neuritic plaques (NPs). However, the molecular properties of tau species present in NFTs and NPs are not known. We tested the hypothesis that tau species within NFT-predominant tissue (NFT_AD) are distinct and more toxic than those in NP-predominant tissue (NP_AD). We analyzed the tau species from post mortem prefrontal cortical brains of NFT_AD and NP_AD. Compared to NP_AD, NFT_AD displayed highly phosphorylated tau oligomers, possessed tau oligomers in extracellular vesicles, and the 3-repeat (3R) and 4-repeat (4R) isoforms were differentially expressed between the groups. Comparison of tau proteins isolated from NFT- versus NP-AD subjects demonstrated higher tau seeding activity in NFT subjects and a greater degree of inducing synaptic loss in cultured neurons. We propose that tau species from NFT-predominant tissues possess greater levels of degenerative properties, thereby causing synaptic loss and cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sivaprakasam R. Saroja
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of MedicineMount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain InstituteIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Abhijeet Sharma
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of MedicineMount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain InstituteIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain InstituteIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's DiseaseIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Ana C. Pereira
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of MedicineMount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain InstituteIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's DiseaseIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
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45
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Dobricic V, Schilling M, Schulz J, Zhu LS, Zhou CW, Fuß J, Franzenburg S, Zhu LQ, Parkkinen L, Lill CM, Bertram L. Differential microRNA expression analyses across two brain regions in Alzheimer's disease. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:352. [PMID: 36038535 PMCID: PMC9424308 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02108-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) is involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Hitherto, sample sizes from differential miRNA expression studies in AD are exceedingly small aggravating any biological inference. To overcome this limitation, we investigated six candidate miRNAs in a large collection of brain samples. Brain tissue was derived from superior temporal gyrus (STG) and entorhinal cortex (EC) from 99 AD patients and 91 controls. MiRNA expression was examined by qPCR (STG) or small RNA sequencing (EC). Brain region-dependent differential miRNA expression was investigated in a transgenic AD mouse model using qPCR and FISH. Total RNA sequencing was used to assess differential expression of miRNA target genes. MiR-129-5p, miR-132-5p, and miR-138-5p were significantly downregulated in AD vs. controls both in STG and EC, while miR-125b-5p and miR-501-3p showed no evidence for differential expression in this dataset. In addition, miR-195-5p was significantly upregulated in EC but not STG in AD patients. The brain region-specific pattern of miR-195-5p expression was corroborated in vivo in transgenic AD mice. Total RNA sequencing identified several novel and functionally interesting target genes of these miRNAs involved in synaptic transmission (GABRB1), the immune-system response (HCFC2) or AD-associated differential methylation (SLC16A3). Using two different methods (qPCR and small RNA-seq) in two separate brain regions in 190 individuals we more than doubled the available sample size for most miRNAs tested. Differential gene expression analyses confirm the likely involvement of miR-129-5p, miR-132-5p, miR-138-5p, and miR-195-5p in AD pathogenesis and highlight several novel potentially relevant target mRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerija Dobricic
- grid.4562.50000 0001 0057 2672Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (LIGA), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Marcel Schilling
- grid.4562.50000 0001 0057 2672Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (LIGA), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Jessica Schulz
- grid.4562.50000 0001 0057 2672Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (LIGA), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Ling-Shuang Zhu
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Department of Pathophysiology, Key Lab of Neurological Disorder of Education Ministry, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Chao-Wen Zhou
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Department of Pathophysiology, Key Lab of Neurological Disorder of Education Ministry, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Janina Fuß
- grid.412468.d0000 0004 0646 2097Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel University and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Sören Franzenburg
- grid.412468.d0000 0004 0646 2097Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel University and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Ling-Qiang Zhu
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Department of Pathophysiology, Key Lab of Neurological Disorder of Education Ministry, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Laura Parkkinen
- grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford Parkinson’s Disease Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Christina M. Lill
- grid.4562.50000 0001 0057 2672Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (LIGA), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany ,grid.7445.20000 0001 2113 8111Aging and Epidemiology Unit (AGE), School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK ,grid.5949.10000 0001 2172 9288Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Lars Bertram
- Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (LIGA), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany. .,Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition (LCBC), Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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Zheng XY, Zhang HC, Lv YD, Jin FY, Wu XJ, Zhu J, Ruan Y. Levetiracetam alleviates cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease animal model by ameliorating the dysfunction of the neuronal network. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:888784. [PMID: 36092803 PMCID: PMC9452890 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.888784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have a significantly higher risk of seizures than other individuals in an age-matched population, suggesting a close association between epilepsy and AD. We aimed to examine the effects of levetiracetam (LEV)—a drug for treating seizures—on learning and memory and the neuropathological features of AD. Methods We crossbred APP23 mice with microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) transgenic mice to generate APP23/MAPT mice. These mice were treated with different concentrations of LEV in the presence of kainic acid (KA) for 3 months. Results Low doses of LEV alleviated the effects of KA on memory defects in APP23/MAPT mice. Mechanistic investigations showed that low concentrations of LEV decreased tau phosphorylation by reducing the activities of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 and glycogen synthase kinase 3α/β, thus rescuing neurons from synaptic dystrophy and apoptosis. Low doses of LEV inhibited the effects of KA (i.e., inducing neuroinflammation and impairing the autophagy of amyloid β-peptide), thus improving cognitive decline. High concentrations of LEV decreased the production and deposition of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) by reducing the expression of β-site APP-cleaving enzyme 1 and presenilin 1. However, high concentrations of LEV also induced neuronal apoptosis, decreased movement ability in mice, and did not alleviate cognitive decline in AD mice. Conclusion Our results support the hypothesis that aberrant network activity contributes to the synaptic and cognitive deficits in APP23/MAPT mice. A low concentration of LEV may help ameliorate abnormalities of AD; however, a high LEV concentration did not induce similar results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Yu Zheng
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- *Correspondence: Xiang-Yu Zheng,
| | - Hai-Chen Zhang
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yu-Dan Lv
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Feng-Yan Jin
- Department of Hematology, Cancer Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xiu-Juan Wu
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jie Zhu
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yang Ruan
- Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Yang Ruan,
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August I, Semendeferi K, Marchetto MC. Brain aging, Alzheimer's disease, and the role of stem cells in primate comparative studies. J Comp Neurol 2022; 530:2940-2953. [PMID: 35929189 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25394] [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: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is ultimately fatal. Currently, millions of Americans are living with AD, and this number is predicted to grow with increases in the aging population. Interestingly, despite the prevalence of AD in human populations, the full AD phenotype has not been observed in any nonhuman primate (NHP) species, and it has been suggested that NHPs are immune to neurodegenerative diseases such as AD. Here, we review the typical age-related changes and pathologies in humans along with the neuropathologic changes associated with AD, and we place this information in the context of the comparative neuropathology of NHPs. We further propose the use of induced pluripotent stem cell technology as a way of addressing initial molecular processes and changes that occur in neurons and glia (in both humans and NHPs) when exposed to AD-inducing pathology prior to cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel August
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Katerina Semendeferi
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA.,Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA), San Diego, California, USA
| | - Maria Carolina Marchetto
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA.,Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA), San Diego, California, USA
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48
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Li D, Wu Q, Han X. Application of Medial Ganglionic Eminence Cell Transplantation in Diseases Associated With Interneuron Disorders. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:939294. [PMID: 35865112 PMCID: PMC9294455 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.939294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Excitatory projection neurons and inhibitory interneurons primarily accomplish the neural activity of the cerebral cortex, and an imbalance of excitatory-inhibitory neural networks may lead to neuropsychiatric diseases. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic interneurons mediate inhibition, and the embryonic medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) is a source of GABAergic interneurons. After transplantation, MGE cells migrate to different brain regions, differentiate into multiple subtypes of GABAergic interneurons, integrate into host neural circuits, enhance synaptic inhibition, and have tremendous application value in diseases associated with interneuron disorders. In the current review, we describe the fate of MGE cells derived into specific interneurons and the related diseases caused by interneuron loss or dysfunction and explore the potential of MGE cell transplantation as a cell-based therapy for a variety of interneuron disorder-related diseases, such as epilepsy, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, and Alzheimer’s disease.
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49
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Zhang L, Liu Y, Wang X, Wang D, Wu H, Chen H, Chen J, Liu Y. Treadmill exercise improve recognition memory by TREM2 pathway to inhibit hippocampal microglial activation and neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease model. Physiol Behav 2022; 251:113820. [PMID: 35452628 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease-related cognition impairment is correlated with increased neuroinflammation. Studies show that physical exercises improve cognitive function and regulate neuroinflammation. However, no sufficient studies have been performed to directly observe the mechanism of exercise-related effects on microglia and neuroinflammation, in association with memory function under Alzheimer's disease. This study aims to explore the relationship of TREM2, microglia activation and neuroinflammation in the development of Alzheimer's disease, followed by investigating why physical exercises improve cognition in the Alzheimer's disease model by means of the adeno-associated virus (AAV) injection. We found that: 1) Recognition memory impairment in Aβ-induced Alzheimer's disease model was associated with the reduction in TREM2 which induced microglial activation and neuroinflammation; 2) Exercise activated the TREM2 pathway, which was necessary for inhibiting microglial activation and neuroinflammation, leading to improved recognition memory in the Alzheimer's disease model. Together, the improvement of AD-associated recognition memory by exercises is associated with up-regulation of the TREM2 pathway which promotes the phenotypic conversion of microglia and decreases the level of neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Zhang
- Provincial University Key Laboratory of Sport and Health Science, School of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China; Comprehensive Key Laboratory of Sports Ability Evaluation and Research of the General Administration of Sport of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Sports Function Assessment and Technical Analysis, Capital University of Physical Education and Sports, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Yanzhong Liu
- Provincial University Key Laboratory of Sport and Health Science, School of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Provincial University Key Laboratory of Sport and Health Science, School of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China
| | - Dan Wang
- Provincial University Key Laboratory of Sport and Health Science, School of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Comprehensive Key Laboratory of Sports Ability Evaluation and Research of the General Administration of Sport of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Sports Function Assessment and Technical Analysis, Capital University of Physical Education and Sports, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Haichun Chen
- Provincial University Key Laboratory of Sport and Health Science, School of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China
| | - Jiaxin Chen
- Provincial University Key Laboratory of Sport and Health Science, School of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China
| | - Yiping Liu
- Provincial University Key Laboratory of Sport and Health Science, School of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China.
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Laczó M, Martinkovic L, Lerch O, Wiener JM, Kalinova J, Matuskova V, Nedelska Z, Vyhnalek M, Hort J, Laczó J. Different Profiles of Spatial Navigation Deficits In Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarker-Positive Versus Biomarker-Negative Older Adults With Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:886778. [PMID: 35721017 PMCID: PMC9201637 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.886778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundSpatial navigation impairment is a promising cognitive marker of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) that can reflect the underlying pathology.ObjectivesWe assessed spatial navigation performance in AD biomarker positive older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (AD aMCI) vs. those AD biomarker negative (non-AD aMCI), and examined associations between navigation performance, MRI measures of brain atrophy, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers.MethodsA total of 122 participants with AD aMCI (n = 33), non-AD aMCI (n = 31), mild AD dementia (n = 28), and 30 cognitively normal older adults (CN) underwent cognitive assessment, brain MRI (n = 100 had high-quality images for volumetric analysis) and three virtual navigation tasks focused on route learning (body-centered navigation), wayfinding (world-centered navigation) and perspective taking/wayfinding. Cognitively impaired participants underwent CSF biomarker assessment [amyloid-β1–42, total tau, and phosphorylated tau181 (p-tau181)] and amyloid PET imaging (n = 47 and n = 45, respectively), with a subset having both (n = 19).ResultsIn route learning, AD aMCI performed worse than non-AD aMCI (p < 0.001), who performed similarly to CN. In wayfinding, aMCI participants performed worse than CN (both p ≤ 0.009) and AD aMCI performed worse than non-AD aMCI in the second task session (p = 0.032). In perspective taking/wayfinding, aMCI participants performed worse than CN (both p ≤ 0.001). AD aMCI and non-AD aMCI did not differ in conventional cognitive tests. Route learning was associated with parietal thickness and amyloid-β1–42, wayfinding was associated with posterior medial temporal lobe (MTL) volume and p-tau181 and perspective taking/wayfinding was correlated with MRI measures of several brain regions and all CSF biomarkers.ConclusionAD biomarker positive and negative older adults with aMCI had different profiles of spatial navigation deficits that were associated with posterior MTL and parietal atrophy and reflected AD pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Laczó
- Memory Clinic, Department of Neurology, Charles University, Second Faculty of Medicine and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czechia
| | - Lukas Martinkovic
- Memory Clinic, Department of Neurology, Charles University, Second Faculty of Medicine and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czechia
| | - Ondrej Lerch
- Memory Clinic, Department of Neurology, Charles University, Second Faculty of Medicine and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czechia
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czechia
| | - Jan M. Wiener
- Department of Psychology, Ageing and Dementia Research Centre, Bournemouth University, Poole, United Kingdom
| | - Jana Kalinova
- Memory Clinic, Department of Neurology, Charles University, Second Faculty of Medicine and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czechia
| | - Veronika Matuskova
- Memory Clinic, Department of Neurology, Charles University, Second Faculty of Medicine and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czechia
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czechia
| | - Zuzana Nedelska
- Memory Clinic, Department of Neurology, Charles University, Second Faculty of Medicine and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czechia
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czechia
| | - Martin Vyhnalek
- Memory Clinic, Department of Neurology, Charles University, Second Faculty of Medicine and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czechia
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czechia
| | - Jakub Hort
- Memory Clinic, Department of Neurology, Charles University, Second Faculty of Medicine and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czechia
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czechia
| | - Jan Laczó
- Memory Clinic, Department of Neurology, Charles University, Second Faculty of Medicine and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czechia
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czechia
- *Correspondence: Jan Laczó
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