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Langerscheidt F, Wied T, Al Kabbani MA, van Eimeren T, Wunderlich G, Zempel H. Genetic forms of tauopathies: inherited causes and implications of Alzheimer's disease-like TAU pathology in primary and secondary tauopathies. J Neurol 2024; 271:2992-3018. [PMID: 38554150 PMCID: PMC11136742 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-024-12314-3] [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: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
Tauopathies are a heterogeneous group of neurologic diseases characterized by pathological axodendritic distribution, ectopic expression, and/or phosphorylation and aggregation of the microtubule-associated protein TAU, encoded by the gene MAPT. Neuronal dysfunction, dementia, and neurodegeneration are common features of these often detrimental diseases. A neurodegenerative disease is considered a primary tauopathy when MAPT mutations/haplotypes are its primary cause and/or TAU is the main pathological feature. In case TAU pathology is observed but superimposed by another pathological hallmark, the condition is classified as a secondary tauopathy. In some tauopathies (e.g. MAPT-associated frontotemporal dementia (FTD), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD), and Alzheimer's disease (AD)) TAU is recognized as a significant pathogenic driver of the disease. In many secondary tauopathies, including Parkinson's disease (PD) and Huntington's disease (HD), TAU is suggested to contribute to the development of dementia, but in others (e.g. Niemann-Pick disease (NPC)) TAU may only be a bystander. The genetic and pathological mechanisms underlying TAU pathology are often not fully understood. In this review, the genetic predispositions and variants associated with both primary and secondary tauopathies are examined in detail, assessing evidence for the role of TAU in these conditions. We highlight less common genetic forms of tauopathies to increase awareness for these disorders and the involvement of TAU in their pathology. This approach not only contributes to a deeper understanding of these conditions but may also lay the groundwork for potential TAU-based therapeutic interventions for various tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Langerscheidt
- Institute of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Tamara Wied
- Institute of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Natural Sciences, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Von-Liebig-Str. 20, 53359, Rheinbach, Germany
| | - Mohamed Aghyad Al Kabbani
- Institute of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thilo van Eimeren
- Multimodal Neuroimaging Group, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937, Cologne, Germany
| | - Gilbert Wunderlich
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Rare Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hans Zempel
- Institute of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
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Salem S, Kilgore MD, Anwer M, Maxan A, Child D, Bird TD, Keene CD, Cicchetti F, Latimer C. Evidence of mutant huntingtin and tau-related pathology within neuronal grafts in Huntington's disease cases. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 198:106542. [PMID: 38810948 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
A number of post-mortem studies conducted in transplanted Huntington's disease (HD) patients from various trials have reported the presence of pathological and misfolded proteins, in particular mutant huntingtin (mHtt) and phosphorylated tau neuropil threads, in the healthy grafted tissue. Here, we extended these observations with histological analysis of post-mortem tissue from three additional HD patients who had received similar striatal allografts from the fetal tissue transplantation trial conducted in Los Angeles in 1998. Immunohistochemical staining was performed using anti-mHtt antibodies, EM48 and MW7, as well as anti-hyperphosphorylated tau antibodies, AT8 and CP13. Immunofluorescence was used to assess the colocalization of EM48+ mHtt aggregates with the neuronal marker MAP2 and/or the extracellular matrix protein phosphacan in both the host and grafts. We confirmed the presence of mHtt aggregates within grafts of all three cases as well as tau neuropil threads in the grafts of two of the three transplanted HD patients. Phosphorylated tau was also variably expressed in the host cerebral cortex of all three subjects. While mHtt inclusions were present within neurons (immunofluorescence co-localization of MAP2 and EM48) as well as within the extracellular matrix of the host (immunofluorescence co-localization of phosphacan and EM48), their localization was limited to the extracellular matrix in the grafted tissue. This study corroborates previous findings that both mHtt and tau pathology can be found in the host and grafts of HD patients years post-grafting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shireen Salem
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Axe Neurosciences, T2-07, 2705, Boulevard Laurier, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada; Departement de Médecine Moléculaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Mitchell D Kilgore
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Neuropathology Division, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mehwish Anwer
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Axe Neurosciences, T2-07, 2705, Boulevard Laurier, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada; Departement de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Alexander Maxan
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Axe Neurosciences, T2-07, 2705, Boulevard Laurier, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada; Departement de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Dan Child
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Neuropathology Division, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Thomas D Bird
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - C Dirk Keene
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Neuropathology Division, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Francesca Cicchetti
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Axe Neurosciences, T2-07, 2705, Boulevard Laurier, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada; Departement de Médecine Moléculaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Departement de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.
| | - Caitlin Latimer
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Neuropathology Division, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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Recinos Y, Bao S, Wang X, Phillips BL, Yeh YT, Weyn-Vanhentenryck SM, Swanson MS, Zhang C. Lineage-specific splicing regulation of MAPT gene in the primate brain. CELL GENOMICS 2024:100563. [PMID: 38772368 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2024.100563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Divergence of precursor messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) alternative splicing (AS) is widespread in mammals, including primates, but the underlying mechanisms and functional impact are poorly understood. Here, we modeled cassette exon inclusion in primate brains as a quantitative trait and identified 1,170 (∼3%) exons with lineage-specific splicing shifts under stabilizing selection. Among them, microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) exons 2 and 10 underwent anticorrelated, two-step evolutionary shifts in the catarrhine and hominoid lineages, leading to their present inclusion levels in humans. The developmental-stage-specific divergence of exon 10 splicing, whose dysregulation can cause frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), is mediated by divergent distal intronic MBNL-binding sites. Competitive binding of these sites by CRISPR-dCas13d/gRNAs effectively reduces exon 10 inclusion, potentially providing a therapeutically compatible approach to modulate tau isoform expression. Our data suggest adaptation of MAPT function and, more generally, a role for AS in the evolutionary expansion of the primate brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yocelyn Recinos
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Suying Bao
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Xiaojian Wang
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Brittany L Phillips
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Yow-Tyng Yeh
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Sebastien M Weyn-Vanhentenryck
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Maurice S Swanson
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Chaolin Zhang
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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Jellinger KA. Mild cognitive impairment in Huntington's disease: challenges and outlooks. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2024; 131:289-304. [PMID: 38265518 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-024-02744-8] [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: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Although Huntington's disease (HD) has classically been viewed as an autosomal-dominant inherited neurodegenerative motor disorder, cognitive and/or behavioral changes are predominant and often an early manifestation of disease. About 40% of individuals in the presymptomatic period of HD meet the criteria for mild cognitive impairment, later progressing to dementia. The heterogenous spectrum of cognitive decline is characterized by deficits across multiple domains, particularly executive dysfunctions, but the underlying pathogenic mechanisms are still poorly understood. Investigating the pathophysiology of cognitive changes may give insight into important and early neurodegenerative events. Multimodal imaging revealed circuit-wide gray and white matter degenerative processes in several key brain regions, affecting prefronto-striatal/cortico-basal ganglia circuits and many other functional brain networks. Studies in transgenic animal models indicated early synaptic dysfunction, deficient neurotrophic transport and other molecular changes contributing to neuronal death. Synaptopathy within the cerebral cortex, striatum and hippocampus may be particularly important in mediating cognitive and neuropsychiatric manifestations of HD, although many other neuronal systems are involved. The interaction of mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT) with tau and its implication for cognitive impairment in HD is a matter of discussion. Further neuroimaging and neuropathological studies are warranted to better elucidate early pathophysiological mechanisms and to develop validated biomarkers to detect patients' cognitive status during the early stages of the condition significantly to implement effective preventing or management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt A Jellinger
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, Alberichgasse 5/13, 1150, Vienna, Austria.
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Yu H, Xiong M, Zhang Z. The role of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta in neurodegenerative diseases. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1209703. [PMID: 37781096 PMCID: PMC10540228 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1209703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) pose an increasingly prevalent threat to the well-being and survival of elderly individuals worldwide. NDDs include Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and so on. They are characterized by progressive loss or dysfunction of neurons in the central or peripheral nervous system and share several cellular and molecular mechanisms, including protein aggregation, mitochondrial dysfunction, gene mutations, and chronic neuroinflammation. Glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3β) is a serine/threonine kinase that is believed to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of NDDs. Here we summarize the structure and physiological functions of GSK3β and explore its involvement in NDDs. We also discussed its potential as a therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honglu Yu
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Min Xiong
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhentao Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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Avila J, Santa-Maria I, Sotiropulos I. Editorial Special Issue Neuroscience "Tauopathies". Neuroscience 2023; 518:1-3. [PMID: 36963653 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Avila
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), 28049 Madrid, Spain; Networking Research Centre on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ismael Santa-Maria
- Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Edificio E, 28223, Pozuelo de Alarcon, Madrid, Spain; The Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA, Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Ioannis Sotiropulos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal; Institute of Biosciences and Applications NCSR "Demokritos", Athens, Greece
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Suárez-Sánchez R, Ávila-Avilés RD, Hernández-Hernández JM, Sánchez-Celis D, Azotla-Vilchis CN, Gómez-Macías ER, Leyva-García N, Ortega A, Magaña JJ, Cisneros B, Hernández-Hernández O. RNA Foci Formation in a Retinal Glial Model for Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 7. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 13:life13010023. [PMID: 36675972 PMCID: PMC9861853 DOI: 10.3390/life13010023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cerebellar ataxia and retinopathy. SCA7 is caused by a CAG expansion in the ATXN7 gene, which results in an extended polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in the encoded protein, the ataxin-7. PolyQ expanded ataxin-7 elicits neurodegeneration in cerebellar Purkinje cells, however, its impact on the SCA7-associated retinopathy remains to be addressed. Since Müller glial cells play an essential role in retinal homeostasis, we generate an inducible model for SCA7, based on the glial Müller MIO-M1 cell line. The SCA7 pathogenesis has been explained by a protein gain-of-function mechanism, however, the contribution of the mutant RNA to the disease cannot be excluded. In this direction, we found nuclear and cytoplasmic foci containing mutant RNA accompanied by subtle alternative splicing defects in MIO-M1 cells. RNA foci were also observed in cells from different lineages, including peripheral mononuclear leukocytes derived from SCA7 patient, suggesting that this molecular mark could be used as a blood biomarker for SCA7. Collectively, our data showed that our glial cell model exhibits the molecular features of SCA7, which makes it a suitable model to study the RNA toxicity mechanisms, as well as to explore therapeutic strategies aiming to alleviate glial dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocío Suárez-Sánchez
- Laboratorio de Medicina Genómica, Departamento de Genética, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-Luis, Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, Ciudad de México 14389, Mexico
| | - Rodolfo Daniel Ávila-Avilés
- Departamento de Genética y Biología Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México 07360, Mexico
| | - J. Manuel Hernández-Hernández
- Departamento de Genética y Biología Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México 07360, Mexico
| | - Daniel Sánchez-Celis
- Departamento de Genética y Biología Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México 07360, Mexico
| | - Cuauhtli N. Azotla-Vilchis
- Departamento de Genética y Biología Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México 07360, Mexico
| | - Enue R. Gómez-Macías
- Departamento de Genética y Biología Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México 07360, Mexico
| | - Norberto Leyva-García
- Laboratorio de Medicina Genómica, Departamento de Genética, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-Luis, Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, Ciudad de México 14389, Mexico
| | - Arturo Ortega
- Departamento de Toxicología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México 07360, Mexico
| | - Jonathan J. Magaña
- Laboratorio de Medicina Genómica, Departamento de Genética, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-Luis, Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, Ciudad de México 14389, Mexico
- Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Departamento de Bioingeniería, Tecnológico de Monterrey-Campus Ciudad de México, Ciudad de México 14380, Mexico
| | - Bulmaro Cisneros
- Departamento de Genética y Biología Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México 07360, Mexico
| | - Oscar Hernández-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Medicina Genómica, Departamento de Genética, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-Luis, Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, Ciudad de México 14389, Mexico
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +52-(55)-5999-1000 (ext. 14710)
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