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Litso I, Plaitakis A, Fadouloglou VE, Providaki M, Kokkinidis M, Zaganas I. Structural Evolution of Primate Glutamate Dehydrogenase 2 as Revealed by In Silico Predictions and Experimentally Determined Structures. Biomolecules 2023; 14:22. [PMID: 38254622 PMCID: PMC10812971 DOI: 10.3390/biom14010022] [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: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) interconverts glutamate to a-ketoglutarate and ammonia, interconnecting amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism. In humans, two functional GDH genes, GLUD1 and GLUD2, encode for hGDH1 and hGDH2, respectively. GLUD2 evolved from retrotransposition of the GLUD1 gene in the common ancestor of modern apes. These two isoenzymes are involved in the pathophysiology of human metabolic, neoplastic, and neurodegenerative disorders. The 3D structures of hGDH1 and hGDH2 have been experimentally determined; however, no information is available about the path of GDH2 structure changes during primate evolution. Here, we compare the structures predicted by the AlphaFold Colab method for the GDH2 enzyme of modern apes and their extinct primate ancestors. Also, we analyze the individual effect of amino acid substitutions emerging during primate evolution. Our most important finding is that the predicted structure of GDH2 in the common ancestor of apes was the steppingstone for the structural evolution of primate GDH2s. Two changes with a strong functional impact occurring at the first evolutionary step, Arg443Ser and Gly456Ala, had a destabilizing and stabilizing effect, respectively, making this step the most important one. Subsequently, GDH2 underwent additional modifications that fine-tuned its enzymatic properties to adapt to the functional needs of modern-day primate tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ionela Litso
- Neurology/Neurogenetics Laboratory, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Voutes, 71003 Heraklion, Greece; (I.L.); (A.P.)
| | - Andreas Plaitakis
- Neurology/Neurogenetics Laboratory, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Voutes, 71003 Heraklion, Greece; (I.L.); (A.P.)
| | - Vasiliki E. Fadouloglou
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece;
| | - Mary Providaki
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas, 70013 Heraklion, Greece; (M.P.); (M.K.)
| | - Michael Kokkinidis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas, 70013 Heraklion, Greece; (M.P.); (M.K.)
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Vasilika Vouton, 71409 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Ioannis Zaganas
- Neurology/Neurogenetics Laboratory, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Voutes, 71003 Heraklion, Greece; (I.L.); (A.P.)
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Mckean NE, Handley RR, Snell RG. A Review of the Current Mammalian Models of Alzheimer's Disease and Challenges That Need to Be Overcome. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:13168. [PMID: 34884970 PMCID: PMC8658123 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222313168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the looming health crises of the near future. Increasing lifespans and better medical treatment for other conditions mean that the prevalence of this disease is expected to triple by 2050. The impact of AD includes both the large toll on individuals and their families as well as a large financial cost to society. So far, we have no way to prevent, slow, or cure the disease. Current medications can only alleviate some of the symptoms temporarily. Many animal models of AD have been created, with the first transgenic mouse model in 1995. Mouse models have been beset by challenges, and no mouse model fully captures the symptomatology of AD without multiple genetic mutations and/or transgenes, some of which have never been implicated in human AD. Over 25 years later, many mouse models have been given an AD-like disease and then 'cured' in the lab, only for the treatments to fail in clinical trials. This review argues that small animal models are insufficient for modelling complex disorders such as AD. In order to find effective treatments for AD, we need to create large animal models with brains and lifespan that are closer to humans, and underlying genetics that already predispose them to AD-like phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Elizabeth Mckean
- Applied Translational Genetics Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, 3a Symonds Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand; (N.E.M.); (R.R.H.)
- Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Renee Robyn Handley
- Applied Translational Genetics Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, 3a Symonds Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand; (N.E.M.); (R.R.H.)
- Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Russell Grant Snell
- Applied Translational Genetics Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, 3a Symonds Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand; (N.E.M.); (R.R.H.)
- Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
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Li H, Zhang L, Qin C. Current state of research on non-human primate models of Alzheimer's disease. Animal Model Exp Med 2019; 2:227-238. [PMID: 31942555 PMCID: PMC6930996 DOI: 10.1002/ame2.12092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
With the increasingly serious aging of the global population, dementia has already become a severe clinical challenge on a global scale. Dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia observed in the elderly, but its pathogenetic mechanism has still not been fully elucidated. Furthermore, no effective treatment strategy has been developed to date, despite considerable efforts. This can be mainly attributed to the paucity of animal models of AD that are sufficiently similar to humans. Among the presently established animal models, non-human primates share the closest relationship with humans, and their neural anatomy and neurobiology share highly similar characteristics with those of humans. Thus, there is no doubt that these play an irreplaceable role in AD research. Considering this, the present literature on non-human primate models of AD was reviewed to provide a theoretical basis for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong‐Wei Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative MedicinePeking Union Medical College (PUMC)BeijingChina
- Key Laboratory of Human Diseases Animal ModelState Administration of Traditional Chinese MedicinePeking Union Medical College (PUMC)BeijingChina
- The Institute of Laboratory Animal SciencesChinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS)Peking Union Medical College (PUMC)BeijingChina
- Ministry of HealthComparative Medicine CenterPeking Union Medical College (PUMC)BeijingChina
| | - Ling Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative MedicinePeking Union Medical College (PUMC)BeijingChina
- Key Laboratory of Human Diseases Animal ModelState Administration of Traditional Chinese MedicinePeking Union Medical College (PUMC)BeijingChina
- The Institute of Laboratory Animal SciencesChinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS)Peking Union Medical College (PUMC)BeijingChina
- Ministry of HealthComparative Medicine CenterPeking Union Medical College (PUMC)BeijingChina
| | - Chuan Qin
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative MedicinePeking Union Medical College (PUMC)BeijingChina
- Key Laboratory of Human Diseases Animal ModelState Administration of Traditional Chinese MedicinePeking Union Medical College (PUMC)BeijingChina
- The Institute of Laboratory Animal SciencesChinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS)Peking Union Medical College (PUMC)BeijingChina
- Ministry of HealthComparative Medicine CenterPeking Union Medical College (PUMC)BeijingChina
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Chen JA, Fears SC, Jasinska AJ, Huang A, Al‐Sharif NB, Scheibel KE, Dyer TD, Fagan AM, Blangero J, Woods R, Jorgensen MJ, Kaplan JR, Freimer NB, Coppola G. Neurodegenerative disease biomarkers Aβ 1-40, Aβ 1-42, tau, and p-tau 181 in the vervet monkey cerebrospinal fluid: Relation to normal aging, genetic influences, and cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Brain Behav 2018; 8:e00903. [PMID: 29484263 PMCID: PMC5822592 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The Caribbean vervet monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus) is a potentially valuable animal model of neurodegenerative disease. However, the trajectory of aging in vervets and its relationship to human disease is incompletely understood. Methods To characterize biomarkers associated with neurodegeneration, we measured cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of Aβ1-40, Aβ1-42, total tau, and p-tau181 in 329 members of a multigenerational pedigree. Linkage and genome-wide association were used to elucidate a genetic contribution to these traits. Results Aβ1-40 concentrations were significantly correlated with age, brain total surface area, and gray matter thickness. Levels of p-tau181 were associated with cerebral volume and brain total surface area. Among the measured analytes, only CSF Aβ1-40 was heritable. No significant linkage (LOD > 3.3) was found, though suggestive linkage was highlighted on chromosomes 4 and 12. Genome-wide association identified a suggestive locus near the chromosome 4 linkage peak. Conclusions Overall, these results support the vervet as a non-human primate model of amyloid-related neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer's disease and cerebral amyloid angiopathy, and highlight Aβ1-40 and p-tau181 as potentially valuable biomarkers of these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason A. Chen
- Department of PsychiatryThe Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human BehaviorDavid Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
- Interdepartmental Program in BioinformaticsUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
- Verge GenomicsSan FranciscoCAUSA
| | - Scott C. Fears
- Department of PsychiatryThe Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human BehaviorDavid Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
- Department of PsychiatryGreater Los Angeles Veterans AdministrationLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - Anna J. Jasinska
- Department of PsychiatryThe Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human BehaviorDavid Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
- Institute of Bioorganic ChemistryPolish Academy of SciencesPoznanPoland
| | - Alden Huang
- Department of PsychiatryThe Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human BehaviorDavid Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
- Interdepartmental Program in BioinformaticsUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - Noor B. Al‐Sharif
- Department of PsychiatryThe Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human BehaviorDavid Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - Kevin E. Scheibel
- Department of PsychiatryThe Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human BehaviorDavid Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - Thomas D. Dyer
- South Texas Diabetes and Obesity InstituteUniversity of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of MedicineBrownsvilleTXUSA
| | - Anne M. Fagan
- Department of NeurologyWashington University in St. LouisSt. LouisMOUSA
| | - John Blangero
- South Texas Diabetes and Obesity InstituteUniversity of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of MedicineBrownsvilleTXUSA
| | - Roger Woods
- Department of PsychiatryThe Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human BehaviorDavid Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
- Department of NeurologyDavid Geffen School of Medicine at UCLAUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - Matthew J. Jorgensen
- Department of PathologySection on Comparative MedicineWake Forest School of MedicineWinston‐SalemNCUSA
| | - Jay R. Kaplan
- Department of PathologySection on Comparative MedicineWake Forest School of MedicineWinston‐SalemNCUSA
| | - Nelson B. Freimer
- Department of PsychiatryThe Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human BehaviorDavid Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
| | - Giovanni Coppola
- Department of PsychiatryThe Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human BehaviorDavid Geffen School of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
- Department of NeurologyDavid Geffen School of Medicine at UCLAUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCAUSA
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Van Dam D, De Deyn PP. Non human primate models for Alzheimer’s disease-related research and drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2016; 12:187-200. [DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2017.1271320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Debby Van Dam
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Behavior, Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Research Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Paul De Deyn
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Behavior, Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Research Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurology and Memory Clinic, Hospital Network Antwerp (ZNA) Middelheim and Hoge Beuken, Antwerp, Belgium
- Biobank, Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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Seeking environmental causes of neurodegenerative disease and envisioning primary prevention. Neurotoxicology 2016; 56:269-283. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2016.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Spencer P, Garner C, Palmer V, Kisby G. Vervets and macaques: Similarities and differences in their responses to l -BMAA. Neurotoxicology 2016; 56:284-286. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2016.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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Computational identification and analysis of neurodegenerative disease associated protein kinases in hominid genomes. Genes Dis 2016; 3:228-237. [PMID: 30258892 PMCID: PMC6147167 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2016.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 04/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein kinases play an important role in the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases. However their incidence in non-human primates is found to be very low. Small differences among the genomes might influence the disease susceptibilities. The present study deals with finding the genetic differences of protein kinases in humans and their three closest evolutionary partners chimpanzee, gorilla and orangutan for three neurodegenerative diseases namely, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. In total 47 human protein kinases associated with three neurodegenerative diseases and their orthologs from other three non-human primates were identified and analyzed for any possible susceptibility factors in humans. Multiple sequence alignment and pairwise sequence alignment revealed that, 18 human protein kinases including DYRK1A, RPS6KB1, and GRK6 contained significant indels and substitutions. Further phosphorylation site analysis revealed that eight kinases including MARK2 and LTK contained sites of phosphorylation exclusive to human genomes which could be particular candidates in determining disease susceptibility between human and non-human primates. Final pathway analysis of these eight kinases and their targets revealed that these kinases could have long range consequences in important signaling pathways which are associated with neurodegenerative diseases.
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Hamm V, Héraud C, Cassel JC, Mathis C, Goutagny R. Precocious Alterations of Brain Oscillatory Activity in Alzheimer's Disease: A Window of Opportunity for Early Diagnosis and Treatment. Front Cell Neurosci 2015; 9:491. [PMID: 26733816 PMCID: PMC4685112 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of neurodegenerative dementia accounting for 50-80% of all age-related dementia. This pathology is characterized by the progressive and irreversible alteration of cognitive functions, such as memory, leading inexorably to the loss of autonomy for patients with AD. The pathology is linked with aging and occurs most commonly around 65 years old. Its prevalence (5% over 65 years of age and 20% after 80 years) constitutes an economic and social burden for AD patients and their family. At the present, there is still no cure for AD, actual treatments being moderately effective only in early stages of the pathology. A lot of efforts have been deployed with the aim of defining new AD biomarkers. Successful early detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) linked to AD requires the identification of biomarkers capable of distinguishing individuals with early stages of AD from other pathologies impacting cognition such as depression. In this article, we will review recent evidence suggesting that electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings, coupled with behavioral assessments, could be a useful approach and easily implementable for a precocious detection of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentine Hamm
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 7364, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et AdaptativesStrasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Neuropôle de StrasbourgStrasbourg, France
| | - Céline Héraud
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 7364, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et AdaptativesStrasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Neuropôle de StrasbourgStrasbourg, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Cassel
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 7364, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et AdaptativesStrasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Neuropôle de StrasbourgStrasbourg, France
| | - Chantal Mathis
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 7364, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et AdaptativesStrasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Neuropôle de StrasbourgStrasbourg, France
| | - Romain Goutagny
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 7364, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et AdaptativesStrasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Neuropôle de StrasbourgStrasbourg, France
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Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder and a major medical problem. Here, we have investigated the impact of amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers, AD-related neurotoxins, in the brains of rats and adult nonhuman primates (cynomolgus macaques). Soluble Aβ oligomers are known to accumulate in the brains of AD patients and correlate with disease-associated cognitive dysfunction. When injected into the lateral ventricle of rats and macaques, Aβ oligomers diffused into the brain and accumulated in several regions associated with memory and cognitive functions. Cardinal features of AD pathology, including synapse loss, tau hyperphosphorylation, astrocyte and microglial activation, were observed in regions of the macaque brain where Aβ oligomers were abundantly detected. Most importantly, oligomer injections induced AD-type neurofibrillary tangle formation in the macaque brain. These outcomes were specifically associated with Aβ oligomers, as fibrillar amyloid deposits were not detected in oligomer-injected brains. Human and macaque brains share significant similarities in terms of overall architecture and functional networks. Thus, generation of a macaque model of AD that links Aβ oligomers to tau and synaptic pathology has the potential to greatly advance our understanding of mechanisms centrally implicated in AD pathogenesis. Furthermore, development of disease-modifying therapeutics for AD has been hampered by the difficulty in translating therapies that work in rodents to humans. This new approach may be a highly relevant nonhuman primate model for testing therapeutic interventions for AD.
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