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Tampellini D. Activity-dependent mechanisms of neuroprotection: promising avenues against dementia. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:1409-1410. [PMID: 38051871 PMCID: PMC10883486 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.387985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Davide Tampellini
- U1195 INSERM - Université Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France; Institut Professeur Baulieu, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
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2
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Pumo A, Legeay S. The dichotomous activities of microglia: A potential driver for phenotypic heterogeneity in Alzheimer's disease. Brain Res 2024; 1832:148817. [PMID: 38395249 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.148817] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a leading cause of dementia, characterized by two defining neuropathological hallmarks: amyloid plaques composed of Aβ aggregates and neurofibrillary pathology. Recent research suggests that microglia have both beneficial and detrimental effects in the development of AD. A new theory proposes that microglia play a beneficial role in the early stages of the disease but become harmful in later stages. Further investigations are needed to gain a comprehensive understanding of this shift in microglia's function. This transition is likely influenced by specific conditions, including spatial, temporal, and transcriptional factors, which ultimately lead to the deterioration of microglial functionality. Additionally, recent studies have also highlighted the potential influence of microglia diversity on the various manifestations of AD. By deciphering the multiple states of microglia and the phenotypic heterogeneity in AD, significant progress can be made towards personalized medicine and better treatment outcomes for individuals affected by AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Pumo
- Université d'Angers, Faculté de Santé, Département Pharmacie, 16, Boulevard Daviers, Angers 49045, France.
| | - Samuel Legeay
- Université d'Angers, Faculté de Santé, Département Pharmacie, 16, Boulevard Daviers, Angers 49045, France; Univ Angers, Inserm, CNRS, MINT, SFR ICAT, Angers F-49000, France
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3
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Chu D, Yang X, Wang J, Zhou Y, Gu JH, Miao J, Wu F, Liu F. Tau truncation in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease: a narrative review. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:1221-1232. [PMID: 37905868 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.385853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Alzheimer's disease is characterized by two major neuropathological hallmarks-the extracellular β-amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles consisting of aggregated and hyperphosphorylated Tau protein. Recent studies suggest that dysregulation of the microtubule-associated protein Tau, especially specific proteolysis, could be a driving force for Alzheimer's disease neurodegeneration. Tau physiologically promotes the assembly and stabilization of microtubules, whereas specific truncated fragments are sufficient to induce abnormal hyperphosphorylation and aggregate into toxic oligomers, resulting in them gaining prion-like characteristics. In addition, Tau truncations cause extensive impairments to neural and glial cell functions and animal cognition and behavior in a fragment-dependent manner. This review summarizes over 60 proteolytic cleavage sites and their corresponding truncated fragments, investigates the role of specific truncations in physiological and pathological states of Alzheimer's disease, and summarizes the latest applications of strategies targeting Tau fragments in the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Chu
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xingyue Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yan Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jin-Hua Gu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Affiliated Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jin Miao
- Laboratory of Animal Center, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Feng Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
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4
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Böken D, Cox D, Burke M, Lam JYL, Katsinelos T, Danial JSH, Fertan E, McEwan WA, Rowe JB, Klenerman D. Single-Molecule Characterization and Super-Resolution Imaging of Alzheimer's Disease-Relevant Tau Aggregates in Human Samples. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202317756. [PMID: 38523073 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202317756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Hyperphosphorylation and aggregation of the protein tau play key roles in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). While the molecular structure of the filamentous tau aggregates has been determined to atomic resolution, there is far less information available about the smaller, soluble aggregates, which are believed to be more toxic. Traditional techniques are limited to bulk measures and struggle to identify individual aggregates in complex biological samples. To address this, we developed a novel single-molecule pull-down-based assay (MAPTau) to detect and characterize individual tau aggregates in AD and control post-mortem brain and biofluids. Using MAPTau, we report the quantity, as well as the size and circularity of tau aggregates measured using super-resolution microscopy, revealing AD-specific differences in tau aggregate morphology. By adapting MAPTau to detect multiple phosphorylation markers in individual aggregates using two-color coincidence detection, we derived compositional profiles of the individual aggregates. We find an AD-specific phosphorylation profile of tau aggregates with more than 80 % containing multiple phosphorylations, compared to 5 % in age-matched non-AD controls. Our results show that MAPTau is able to identify disease-specific subpopulations of tau aggregates phosphorylated at different sites, that are invisible to other methods and enable the study of disease mechanisms and diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothea Böken
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Dezerae Cox
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Melanie Burke
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Jeff Y L Lam
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Taxiarchis Katsinelos
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
| | - John S H Danial
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Emre Fertan
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - William A McEwan
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - James B Rowe
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - David Klenerman
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
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5
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Zheng H, Sun H, Cai Q, Tai HC. The Enigma of Tau Protein Aggregation: Mechanistic Insights and Future Challenges. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4969. [PMID: 38732197 PMCID: PMC11084794 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094969] [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: 03/30/2024] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Tau protein misfolding and aggregation are pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease and over twenty neurodegenerative disorders. However, the molecular mechanisms of tau aggregation in vivo remain incompletely understood. There are two types of tau aggregates in the brain: soluble aggregates (oligomers and protofibrils) and insoluble filaments (fibrils). Compared to filamentous aggregates, soluble aggregates are more toxic and exhibit prion-like transmission, providing seeds for templated misfolding. Curiously, in its native state, tau is a highly soluble, heat-stable protein that does not form fibrils by itself, not even when hyperphosphorylated. In vitro studies have found that negatively charged molecules such as heparin, RNA, or arachidonic acid are generally required to induce tau aggregation. Two recent breakthroughs have provided new insights into tau aggregation mechanisms. First, as an intrinsically disordered protein, tau is found to undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) both in vitro and inside cells. Second, cryo-electron microscopy has revealed diverse fibrillar tau conformations associated with different neurodegenerative disorders. Nonetheless, only the fibrillar core is structurally resolved, and the remainder of the protein appears as a "fuzzy coat". From this review, it appears that further studies are required (1) to clarify the role of LLPS in tau aggregation; (2) to unveil the structural features of soluble tau aggregates; (3) to understand the involvement of fuzzy coat regions in oligomer and fibril formation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Hwan-Ching Tai
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
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6
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Li S, Roy ER, Wang Y, Watkins T, Cao W. DLK-MAPK Signaling Coupled with DNA Damage Promotes Intrinsic Neurotoxicity Associated with Non-Mutated Tau. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:2978-2995. [PMID: 37955806 PMCID: PMC11043018 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03720-1] [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: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of neurodegeneration. Despite the well-established link between tau aggregation and clinical progression, the major pathways driven by this protein to intrinsically damage neurons are incompletely understood. To model AD-relevant neurodegeneration driven by tau, we overexpressed non-mutated human tau in primary mouse neurons and observed substantial axonal degeneration and cell death, a process accompanied by activated caspase 3. Mechanistically, we detected deformation of the nuclear envelope and increased DNA damage response in tau-expressing neurons. Gene profiling analysis further revealed significant alterations in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway; moreover, inhibitors of dual leucine zipper kinase (DLK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) were effective in alleviating wild-type human tau-induced neurodegeneration. In contrast, mutant P301L human tau was less toxic to neurons, despite causing comparable DNA damage. Axonal DLK activation induced by wild-type tau potentiated the impact of DNA damage response, resulting in overt neurotoxicity. In summary, we have established a cellular tauopathy model highly relevant to AD and identified a functional synergy between the DLK-MAPK axis and DNA damage response in the neuronal degenerative process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanming Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ethan R Roy
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Yanyu Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Trent Watkins
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Wei Cao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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7
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Santiago-Ruiz AN, Hugelier S, Bond CR, Lee EB, Lakadamyali M. Super-Resolution Imaging Uncovers Nanoscale Tau Aggregate Hyperphosphorylation Patterns in Human Alzheimer's Disease Brain Tissue. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.24.590893. [PMID: 38712162 PMCID: PMC11071528 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.24.590893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Tau aggregation plays a critical role in Alzheimer's Disease (AD), where tau neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) are a key pathological hallmark. While much attention has been given to NFTs, emerging evidence underscores nano-sized pre-NFT tau aggregates as potentially toxic entities in AD. By leveraging DNA-PAINT super-resolution microscopy, we visualized and quantified nanoscale tau aggregates (nano-aggregates) in human postmortem brain tissues from intermediate and advanced AD, and Primary Age-Related Tauopathy (PART). Nano-aggregates were predominant across cases, with AD exhibiting a higher burden compared to PART. Hyperphosphorylated tau residues (p-T231, p-T181, and p-S202/T205) were present within nano-aggregates across all AD Braak stages and PART. Moreover, nano-aggregates displayed morphological differences between PART and AD, and exhibited distinct hyperphosphorylation patterns in advanced AD. These findings suggest that changes in nano-aggregate morphology and hyperphosphorylation patterns may exacerbate tau aggregation and AD progression. The ability to detect and profile nanoscale tau aggregates in human brain tissue opens new avenues for studying the molecular underpinnings of tauopathies.
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8
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Cooper JM, Lathuiliere A, Su EJ, Song Y, Torrente D, Jo Y, Weinrich N, Sales JD, Migliorini M, Sisson TH, Lawrence DA, Hyman BT, Strickland DK. SORL1 is a receptor for tau that promotes tau seeding. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107313. [PMID: 38657864 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107313] [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: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Sortilin-related receptor 1 (SORL1) is an intracellular sorting receptor genetically implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) that impacts amyloid precursor protein trafficking. The objective of these studies was to test the hypothesis that SORL1 binds tau, modulates its cellular trafficking and impacts the aggregation of cytoplasmic tau induced by pathological forms of tau. Using surface plasmon resonance measurements, we observed high-affinity binding of tau to SORL1 and the vacuolar protein sorting 10 domain of SORL1. Interestingly, unlike LDL receptor-related protein 1, SORL1 binds tau at both pH 7.4 and pH 5.5, revealing its ability to bind tau at endosomal pH. Immunofluorescence studies confirmed that exogenously added tau colocalized with SORL1 in H4 neuroglioma cells, while overexpression of SORL1 in LDL receptor-related protein 1-deficient Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells resulted in a marked increase in the internalization of tau, indicating that SORL1 can bind and mediate the internalization of monomeric forms of tau. We further demonstrated that SORL1 mediates tau seeding when tau RD P301S FRET biosensor cells expressing SORL1 were incubated with high molecular weight forms of tau isolated from the brains of patients with AD. Seeding in H4 neuroglioma cells is significantly reduced when SORL1 is knocked down with siRNA. Finally, we demonstrate that the N1358S mutant of SORL1 significantly increases tau seeding when compared to WT SORL1, identifying for the first time a potential mechanism that connects this specific SORL1 mutation to Alzheimer's disease. Together, these studies identify SORL1 as a receptor that contributes to trafficking and seeding of pathogenic tau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna M Cooper
- The Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Aurelien Lathuiliere
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, Memory Center, Geneva University Hospital and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Enming J Su
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Yuyu Song
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Daniel Torrente
- Patricia and John Rosenwald Laboratory of Neurobiology and Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Youhwa Jo
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nicholas Weinrich
- The Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jennifer Diaz Sales
- The Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Mary Migliorini
- The Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Thomas H Sisson
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Daniel A Lawrence
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.
| | - Dudley K Strickland
- The Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
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9
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Smith ED, McKenna R, Mietzsch M, Borchelt DR, Prokop S, Chakrabarty P. Hyperacetylation mimetics within the tau filament core inhibits prion-like propagation of misfolded tau. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.12.589253. [PMID: 38659970 PMCID: PMC11042196 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.12.589253] [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
Acetylation of key Lysine residues characterizes aggregates of the microtubule-associated protein tau constituting the neuropathological hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). This has led to the idea that acetylation influences tau aggregation. Using a HEK293 cell-based aggregation assay, we tested whether acetylation-mimicking substitutions (K→Q) on five AD-associated acetyl-modified sites (AcK-311, 353, 369, 370, 375) influenced its propensity to aggregate when exposed to tau seeds derived from two clinically distinctive diseases - AD and PSP. In combination, the presence of 5K→Q sites ablated tau aggregation induced by seeds from both AD and PSP patients, indicating that acetylation within the filament core domain of tau could have an inhibitory effect on seed-mediated aggregation. We had previously identified that a phosphorylation-mimetic on Ser305 (S→E) abrogated tau aggregation by seeds from AD patients, without affecting seeding by PSP patients. Combining the S305→E to the 5K→Q acetyl-modified sites, we found that this tau could now be seeded only by PSP patients, but not by AD patients, confirming Ser305 as a critical determinant of strain-specific tau seeding. On the other hand, acetylation-nullifying substitutions (K→R or K→A) on these same Lys sites did not alter tau seeding abilities compared to the parental tau construct. Notably, the combined acetylation-nullifying Alanine substitutions on these 5 Lys sites resulted in spontaneous self-aggregation, with the filaments resembling amorphous deposits. All together, we demonstrate that cooperative acetyl-occupancy in the tau filament core influences seeded propagation of misfolded tau as well as drives self-aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan D Smith
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Robert McKenna
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Center For Structural Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Mario Mietzsch
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Center For Structural Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - David R Borchelt
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Stefan Prokop
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Department of Pathology, Immunology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Paramita Chakrabarty
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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10
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Tanaka H, Martinez-Valbuena I, Forrest SL, Couto B, Reyes NG, Morales-Rivero A, Lee S, Li J, Karakani AM, Tang-Wai DF, Tator C, Khadadadi M, Sadia N, Tartaglia MC, Lang AE, Kovacs GG. Distinct involvement of the cranial and spinal nerves in progressive supranuclear palsy. Brain 2024; 147:1399-1411. [PMID: 37972275 PMCID: PMC10994524 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad381] [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: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The most frequent neurodegenerative proteinopathies include diseases with deposition of misfolded tau or α-synuclein in the brain. Pathological protein aggregates in the PNS are well-recognized in α-synucleinopathies and have recently attracted attention as a diagnostic biomarker. However, there is a paucity of observations in tauopathies. To characterize the involvement of the PNS in tauopathies, we investigated tau pathology in cranial and spinal nerves (PNS-tau) in 54 tauopathy cases [progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), n = 15; Alzheimer's disease (AD), n = 18; chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), n = 5; and corticobasal degeneration (CBD), n = 6; Pick's disease, n = 9; limbic-predominant neuronal inclusion body 4-repeat tauopathy (LNT), n = 1] using immunohistochemistry, Gallyas silver staining, biochemistry, and seeding assays. Most PSP cases revealed phosphorylated and 4-repeat tau immunoreactive tau deposits in the PNS as follows: (number of tau-positive cases/available cases) cranial nerves III: 7/8 (88%); IX/X: 10/11 (91%); and XII: 6/6 (100%); anterior spinal roots: 10/10 (100%). The tau-positive inclusions in PSP often showed structures with fibrillary (neurofibrillary tangle-like) morphology in the axon that were also recognized with Gallyas silver staining. CBD cases rarely showed fine granular non-argyrophilic tau deposits. In contrast, tau pathology in the PNS was not evident in AD, CTE and Pick's disease cases. The single LNT case also showed tau pathology in the PNS. In PSP, the severity of PNS-tau involvement correlated with that of the corresponding nuclei, although, occasionally, p-tau deposits were present in the cranial nerves but not in the related brainstem nuclei. Not surprisingly, most of the PSP cases presented with eye movement disorder and bulbar symptoms, and some cases also showed lower-motor neuron signs. Using tau biosensor cells, for the first time we demonstrated seeding capacity of tau in the PNS. In conclusion, prominent PNS-tau distinguishes PSP from other tauopathies. The morphological differences of PNS-tau between PSP and CBD suggest that the tau pathology in PNS could reflect that in the central nervous system. The high frequency and early presence of tau lesions in PSP suggest that PNS-tau may have clinical and biomarker relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidetomo Tanaka
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Ivan Martinez-Valbuena
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Shelley L Forrest
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada
- Laboratory Medicine Program and Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Blas Couto
- Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson's Disease, Rossy Program for PSP Research and the Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Nikolai Gil Reyes
- Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson's Disease, Rossy Program for PSP Research and the Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Alonso Morales-Rivero
- University Health Network Memory Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Seojin Lee
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Ali M Karakani
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - David F Tang-Wai
- University Health Network Memory Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
- Department of Medicine/Division of Neurology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H2, Canada
- Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Charles Tator
- Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
- Canadian Concussion Centre, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Mozhgan Khadadadi
- Canadian Concussion Centre, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Nusrat Sadia
- Canadian Concussion Centre, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Maria Carmela Tartaglia
- University Health Network Memory Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
- Department of Medicine/Division of Neurology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H2, Canada
- Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
- Canadian Concussion Centre, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Anthony E Lang
- Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson's Disease, Rossy Program for PSP Research and the Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
- Department of Medicine/Division of Neurology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H2, Canada
- Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Gabor G Kovacs
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada
- Department of Medicine/Division of Neurology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H2, Canada
- Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
- Laboratory Medicine Program, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada
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11
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Basheer N, Buee L, Brion JP, Smolek T, Muhammadi MK, Hritz J, Hromadka T, Dewachter I, Wegmann S, Landrieu I, Novak P, Mudher A, Zilka N. Shaping the future of preclinical development of successful disease-modifying drugs against Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review of tau propagation models. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2024; 12:52. [PMID: 38576010 PMCID: PMC10993623 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-024-01748-5] [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: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The transcellular propagation of the aberrantly modified protein tau along the functional brain network is a key hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies. Inoculation-based tau propagation models can recapitulate the stereotypical spread of tau and reproduce various types of tau inclusions linked to specific tauopathy, albeit with varying degrees of fidelity. With this systematic review, we underscore the significance of judicious selection and meticulous functional, biochemical, and biophysical characterization of various tau inocula. Furthermore, we highlight the necessity of choosing suitable animal models and inoculation sites, along with the critical need for validation of fibrillary pathology using confirmatory staining, to accurately recapitulate disease-specific inclusions. As a practical guide, we put forth a framework for establishing a benchmark of inoculation-based tau propagation models that holds promise for use in preclinical testing of disease-modifying drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Basheer
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Luc Buee
- Inserm, CHU Lille, CNRS, LilNCog - Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, University of Lille, 59000, Lille, France.
| | - Jean-Pierre Brion
- Faculty of Medicine, Laboratory of Histology, Alzheimer and Other Tauopathies Research Group (CP 620), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808, Route de Lennik, 1070, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Tomas Smolek
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Muhammad Khalid Muhammadi
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jozef Hritz
- CEITEC Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Hromadka
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ilse Dewachter
- Biomedical Research Institute, BIOMED, Hasselt University, 3500, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Susanne Wegmann
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Isabelle Landrieu
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, 59000, Lille, France
- Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, University of Lille, 59000, Lille, France
| | - Petr Novak
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Amritpal Mudher
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Norbert Zilka
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia.
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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12
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Delaby C, Lehmann S. [On the road to biological blood diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease?]. Med Sci (Paris) 2024; 40:351-360. [PMID: 38651960 DOI: 10.1051/medsci/2024037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The growing number of people suffering from Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents a major public health problem. The diagnosis of AD is multidisciplinary and involves the use of amyloid and tau biomarkers measured in cerebrospinal fluid. Recent advances in analytical techniques now allow us to measure these biomarkers in blood. Blood biomarkers offer particularly promising potential for early, minimally invasive detection of AD, as well as for differential diagnosis of dementia and patient follow-up. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of current and candidate blood biomarkers for AD, their informative value, and their potential to be integrated into clinical practice in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constance Delaby
- LBPC-PPC, Université Montpellier, CHU Montpellier, INM Inserm U1298, Montpellier, France - Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau - Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau - Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelone, Espagne
| | - Sylvain Lehmann
- LBPC-PPC, Université Montpellier, CHU Montpellier, INM Inserm U1298, Montpellier, France
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13
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Wachter A, Woodbury ME, Lombardo S, Abdourahman A, Wuest C, McGlame E, Pastika T, Tamm J, Romanul N, Yanamandra K, Bennett R, Lin G, Kwon T, Liao F, Klein C, Grinberg Y, Jaisa-Aad M, Li H, Frosch MP, Kummer MP, Das S, Dellovade T, Karran EH, Langlois X, Ried JS, Serrano-Pozo A, Talanian RV, Biber K, Hyman BT. Landscape of brain myeloid cell transcriptome along the spatiotemporal progression of Alzheimer's disease reveals distinct sequential responses to Aβ and tau. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:65. [PMID: 38557897 PMCID: PMC10984903 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02704-2] [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: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Human microglia are critically involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression, as shown by genetic and molecular studies. However, their role in tau pathology progression in human brain has not been well described. Here, we characterized 32 human donors along progression of AD pathology, both in time-from early to late pathology-and in space-from entorhinal cortex (EC), inferior temporal gyrus (ITG), prefrontal cortex (PFC) to visual cortex (V2 and V1)-with biochemistry, immunohistochemistry, and single nuclei-RNA-sequencing, profiling a total of 337,512 brain myeloid cells, including microglia. While the majority of microglia are similar across brain regions, we identified a specific subset unique to EC which may contribute to the early tau pathology present in this region. We calculated conversion of microglia subtypes to diseased states and compared conversion patterns to those from AD animal models. Targeting genes implicated in this conversion, or their upstream/downstream pathways, could halt gene programs initiated by early tau progression. We used expression patterns of early tau progression to identify genes whose expression is reversed along spreading of spatial tau pathology (EC > ITG > PFC > V2 > V1) and identified their potential involvement in microglia subtype conversion to a diseased state. This study provides a data resource that builds on our knowledge of myeloid cell contribution to AD by defining the heterogeneity of microglia and brain macrophages during both temporal and regional pathology aspects of AD progression at an unprecedented resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Carolin Wuest
- AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Rachel Bennett
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Gen Lin
- AbbVie Pte Ltd, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | - Corinna Klein
- AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | | | - Methasit Jaisa-Aad
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Huan Li
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Matthew P Frosch
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Charlestown, USA
| | | | - Sudeshna Das
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Charlestown, USA
| | | | | | | | - Janina S Ried
- AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Alberto Serrano-Pozo
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Charlestown, USA
| | | | - Knut Biber
- AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Charlestown, USA
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14
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Balczon R, Lin MT, Voth S, Nelson AR, Schupp JC, Wagener BM, Pittet JF, Stevens T. Lung endothelium, tau, and amyloids in health and disease. Physiol Rev 2024; 104:533-587. [PMID: 37561137 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00006.2023] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung endothelia in the arteries, capillaries, and veins are heterogeneous in structure and function. Lung capillaries in particular represent a unique vascular niche, with a thin yet highly restrictive alveolar-capillary barrier that optimizes gas exchange. Capillary endothelium surveys the blood while simultaneously interpreting cues initiated within the alveolus and communicated via immediately adjacent type I and type II epithelial cells, fibroblasts, and pericytes. This cell-cell communication is necessary to coordinate the immune response to lower respiratory tract infection. Recent discoveries identify an important role for the microtubule-associated protein tau that is expressed in lung capillary endothelia in the host-pathogen interaction. This endothelial tau stabilizes microtubules necessary for barrier integrity, yet infection drives production of cytotoxic tau variants that are released into the airways and circulation, where they contribute to end-organ dysfunction. Similarly, beta-amyloid is produced during infection. Beta-amyloid has antimicrobial activity, but during infection it can acquire cytotoxic activity that is deleterious to the host. The production and function of these cytotoxic tau and amyloid variants are the subject of this review. Lung-derived cytotoxic tau and amyloid variants are a recently discovered mechanism of end-organ dysfunction, including neurocognitive dysfunction, during and in the aftermath of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ron Balczon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, United States
- Center for Lung Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, United States
| | - Mike T Lin
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, United States
- Center for Lung Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, United States
| | - Sarah Voth
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Monroe, Louisiana, United States
| | - Amy R Nelson
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, United States
- Center for Lung Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, United States
| | - Jonas C Schupp
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Hannover, Germany
| | - Brant M Wagener
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Alabama-Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States
| | - Jean-Francois Pittet
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Alabama-Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States
| | - Troy Stevens
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, United States
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, United States
- Center for Lung Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, United States
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15
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Wenger K, Viode A, Kumar M, Steen H, Steen JA. Quantitative profiling of posttranslational modifications of pathological tau via sarkosyl fractionation and mass spectrometry. Nat Protoc 2024; 19:1235-1251. [PMID: 38291250 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-023-00939-z] [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: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Tau protein aggregation is associated with posttranslational modifications (PTMs) in 75% of all dementia cases. The distribution of tau pathology and the presence of specific tau phosphorylation sites of interest are typically visualized and measured using antibodies. However, previous knowledge of the target epitopes is required. Additionally, antibodies can be used in a semi-quantitative manner but cannot be used to determine the absolute amount of tau or the extent of the modifications at specific sites or domains. Here we present a discovery assay that characterizes the global qualitative and quantitative tau modification landscape of a sample without a priori knowledge. Our workflow uses sarkosyl fractionation to extract the pathological tau species from sample-limited brain specimens, followed by mass spectrometry (MS) to characterize and quantify tau PTMs. The two-step MS-based proteomics approach includes an exploratory tau PTM analysis and a targeted full-length expressed stable isotope-labeled tau assay, which monitors specific unmodified tau peptides using a heavy isotope-labeled internal standard as a reference. This enables the absolute quantification of the respective tau peptides and the total tau amount in the sample, thus providing the modification extent of tau PTMs. This approach provides precise, comprehensive, qualitative and quantitative tau PTM profiling of the sample. It also enables the detailed molecular comparison of tau across multiple experiments, including a comparison between neurodegenerative diseases, stages of the disease, human patient heterogeneity and characterization of animal models. The approach is useful for studying the molecular features of pathological tau in neurodegeneration. The procedure requires 7-8 d and is suitable for users with expertise in targeted and untargeted MS-based protein analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Wenger
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Arthur Viode
- Departments of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mukesh Kumar
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hanno Steen
- Departments of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Neurobiology Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Judith A Steen
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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16
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Sultanakhmetov G, Kato I, Asada A, Saito T, Ando K. Microtubule-affinity regulating kinase family members distinctively affect tau phosphorylation and promote its toxicity in a Drosophila model. Genes Cells 2024; 29:337-346. [PMID: 38329182 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.13101] [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: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Accumulation of abnormally phosphorylated tau and its aggregation constitute a significant hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Tau phosphorylation at Ser262 and Ser356 in the KXGS motifs of microtubule-binding repeats plays a critical role in its physiological function and AD disease progression. Major tau kinases to phosphorylate tau at Ser262 and Ser356 belong to the Microtubule Affinity Regulating Kinase family (MARK1-4), which are considered one of the major contributors to tau abnormalities in AD. However, whether and how each member affects tau toxicity in vivo is unclear. We used transgenic Drosophila as a model to compare the effect on tau-induced neurodegeneration among MARKs in vivo. MARK4 specifically promotes tau accumulation and Ser396 phosphorylation, which yields more tau toxicity than was caused by other MARKs. Interestingly, MARK1, 2, and 4 increased tau phosphorylation at Ser262 and Ser356, but only MARK4 caused tau accumulation, indicating that these sites alone did not cause pathological tau accumulation. Our results revealed MARKs are different in their effect on tau toxicity, and also in tau phosphorylation at pathological sites other than Ser262 and Ser356. Understanding the implementation of each MARK into neurodegenerative disease helps to develop more target and safety therapies to overcome AD and related tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grigorii Sultanakhmetov
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Iori Kato
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akiko Asada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Taro Saito
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kanae Ando
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
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17
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Das V, Miller JH, Alladi CG, Annadurai N, De Sanctis JB, Hrubá L, Hajdúch M. Antineoplastics for treating Alzheimer's disease and dementia: Evidence from preclinical and observational studies. Med Res Rev 2024. [PMID: 38530106 DOI: 10.1002/med.22033] [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: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
As the world population ages, there will be an increasing need for effective therapies for aging-associated neurodegenerative disorders, which remain untreatable. Dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the leading neurological diseases in the aging population. Current therapeutic approaches to treat this disorder are solely symptomatic, making the need for new molecular entities acting on the causes of the disease extremely urgent. One of the potential solutions is to use compounds that are already in the market. The structures have known pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, toxicity profiles, and patient data available in several countries. Several drugs have been used successfully to treat diseases different from their original purposes, such as autoimmunity and peripheral inflammation. Herein, we divulge the repurposing of drugs in the area of neurodegenerative diseases, focusing on the therapeutic potential of antineoplastics to treat dementia due to AD and dementia. We briefly touch upon the shared pathological mechanism between AD and cancer and drug repurposing strategies, with a focus on artificial intelligence. Next, we bring out the current status of research on the development of drugs, provide supporting evidence from retrospective, clinical, and preclinical studies on antineoplastic use, and bring in new areas, such as repurposing drugs for the prion-like spreading of pathologies in treating AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viswanath Das
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Czech Advanced Technologies and Research Institute (CATRIN), Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - John H Miller
- School of Biological Sciences and Centre for Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Charanraj Goud Alladi
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Narendran Annadurai
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Juan Bautista De Sanctis
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Czech Advanced Technologies and Research Institute (CATRIN), Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Hrubá
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Czech Advanced Technologies and Research Institute (CATRIN), Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Marián Hajdúch
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Czech Advanced Technologies and Research Institute (CATRIN), Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
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18
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Imtiaz A, Shimonaka S, Uddin MN, Elahi M, Ishiguro K, Hasegawa M, Hattori N, Motoi Y. Selection of lansoprazole from an FDA-approved drug library to inhibit the Alzheimer's disease seed-dependent formation of tau aggregates. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1368291. [PMID: 38633982 PMCID: PMC11022852 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1368291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The efficacy of current treatments is still insufficient for Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of Dementia. Out of the two pathological hallmarks of AD amyloid-β plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, comprising of tau protein, tau pathology strongly correlates with the symptoms of AD. Previously, screening for inhibitors of tau aggregation that target recombinant tau aggregates have been attempted. Since a recent cryo-EM analysis revealed distinct differences in the folding patterns of heparin-induced recombinant tau filaments and AD tau filaments, this study focused on AD seed-dependent tau aggregation in drug repositioning for AD. We screened 763 compounds from an FDA-approved drug library using an AD seed-induced tau aggregation in SH-SY5Y cell-based assay. In the first screening, 180 compounds were selected, 72 of which were excluded based on the results of lactate dehydrogenase assay. In the third screening with evaluations of soluble and insoluble tau, 38 compounds were selected. In the fourth screening with 3 different AD seeds, 4 compounds, lansoprazole, calcipotriene, desogestrel, and pentamidine isethionate, were selected. After AD seed-induced real-time quaking-induced conversion, lansoprazole was selected as the most suitable drug for repositioning. The intranasal administration of lansoprazole for 4 months to AD seed-injected mice improved locomotor activity and reduced both the amount of insoluble tau and the extent of phosphorylated tau-positive areas. Alanine replacement of the predicted binding site to an AD filament indicated the involvement of Q351, H362, and K369 in lansoprazole and C-shaped tau filaments. These results suggest the potential of lansoprazole as a candidate for drug repositioning to an inhibitor of tau aggregate formation in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Imtiaz
- Department of Diagnosis, Prevention and Treatment of Dementia, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Neurology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shotaro Shimonaka
- Research Institute for Diseases of Old Age, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mohammad Nasir Uddin
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Science, Mawlana Bhashani Science & Technology University, Tangail, Bangladesh
| | - Montasir Elahi
- Center for Birth Defect Research, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Koichi Ishiguro
- Department of Neurology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masato Hasegawa
- Department of Brain and Neuroscience, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nobutaka Hattori
- Department of Neurology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yumiko Motoi
- Medical Center for Dementia, Juntendo University Hospital, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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19
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Xu H, Qiu Q, Hu P, Hoxha K, Jang E, O'Reilly M, Kim C, He Z, Marotta N, Changolkar L, Zhang B, Wu H, Schellenberg GD, Kraemer B, Luk KC, Lee EB, Trojanowski JQ, Brunden KR, Lee VMY. MSUT2 regulates tau spreading via adenosinergic signaling mediated ASAP1 pathway in neurons. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:55. [PMID: 38472475 PMCID: PMC10933148 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02703-3] [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: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Inclusions comprised of microtubule-associated protein tau (tau) are implicated in a group of neurodegenerative diseases, collectively known as tauopathies, that include Alzheimer's disease (AD). The spreading of misfolded tau "seeds" along neuronal networks is thought to play a crucial role in the progression of tau pathology. Consequently, restricting the release or uptake of tau seeds may inhibit the spread of tau pathology and potentially halt the advancement of the disease. Previous studies have demonstrated that the Mammalian Suppressor of Tauopathy 2 (MSUT2), an RNA binding protein, modulates tau pathogenesis in a transgenic mouse model. In this study, we investigated the impact of MSUT2 on tau pathogenesis using tau seeding models. Our findings indicate that the loss of MSUT2 mitigates human tau seed-induced pathology in neuron cultures and mouse models. In addition, MSUT2 regulates many gene transcripts, including the Adenosine Receptor 1 (A1AR), and we show that down regulation or inhibition of A1AR modulates the activity of the "ArfGAP with SH3 Domain, Ankyrin Repeat, and PH Domain 1 protein" (ASAP1), thereby influencing the internalization of pathogenic tau seeds into neurons resulting in reduction of tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Xu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Qi Qiu
- Department of Genetics, Penn Epigenetics Institute, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Peng Hu
- Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kevt'her Hoxha
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Elliot Jang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Mia O'Reilly
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Christopher Kim
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Zhuohao He
- Interdisciplinary Research Center On Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201210, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Nicholas Marotta
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lakshmi Changolkar
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hao Wu
- Department of Genetics, Penn Epigenetics Institute, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Gerard D Schellenberg
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Penn Neurodegeneration Genomics Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Brian Kraemer
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, 98108, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA
| | - Kelvin C Luk
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Edward B Lee
- Translational Neuropathology Research Laboratory, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - John Q Trojanowski
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kurt R Brunden
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Virginia M-Y Lee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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20
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Martinez‐Valbuena I. Phenotype parallels protein seeding capacity in neurodegenerative diseases. Brain Pathol 2024; 34:e13238. [PMID: 38214380 PMCID: PMC10901614 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.13238] [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: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
With the new era of disease-modifying therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, a novel approach for the molecular classification of neurodegenerative diseases is needed. In this research letter, there is a summary of the advances made in Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body disorders, and progressive supranuclear palsy toward this classification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Martinez‐Valbuena
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative DiseasesUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health NetworkTorontoOntarioCanada
- Rossy Progressive Supranuclear Palsy CentreToronto Western HospitalTorontoOntarioCanada
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21
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Granholm AC, Hamlett ED. The Role of Tau Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease and Down Syndrome. J Clin Med 2024; 13:1338. [PMID: 38592182 PMCID: PMC10932364 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13051338] [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: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) exhibit an almost complete penetrance of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology but are underrepresented in clinical trials for AD. The Tau protein is associated with microtubule function in the neuron and is crucial for normal axonal transport. In several different neurodegenerative disorders, Tau misfolding leads to hyper-phosphorylation of Tau (p-Tau), which may seed pathology to bystander cells and spread. This review is focused on current findings regarding p-Tau and its potential to seed pathology as a "prion-like" spreader. It also considers the consequences of p-Tau pathology leading to AD, particularly in individuals with Down syndrome. Methods: Scopus (SC) and PubMed (PM) were searched in English using keywords "tau AND seeding AND brain AND down syndrome". A total of 558 SC or 529 PM potentially relevant articles were identified, of which only six SC or three PM articles mentioned Down syndrome. This review was built upon the literature and the recent findings of our group and others. Results: Misfolded p-Tau isoforms are seeding competent and may be responsible for spreading AD pathology. Conclusions: This review demonstrates recent work focused on understanding the role of neurofibrillary tangles and monomeric/oligomeric Tau in the prion-like spreading of Tau pathology in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Charlotte Granholm
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Eric D. Hamlett
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA;
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22
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Lasorsa A, Merzougui H, Cantrelle FX, Sicoli G, Dupré E, Hanoulle X, Belle V, Smet-Nocca C, Landrieu I. Magnetic resonance investigation of conformational responses of tau protein to specific phosphorylation. Biophys Chem 2024; 305:107155. [PMID: 38100856 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2023.107155] [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: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are known to adopt many rapidly interconverting structures, making it difficult to pinpoint the specific conformational states that are relevant for their function. Tau is an important IDP, and its conformation is known to be affected by post-translational modifications (PTMs), such as phosphorylation. To investigate the effect of specific phosphorylation on full-length Tau's dynamic global conformation, we employed a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance-based paramagnetic relaxation interference methods and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. By reproducing the AT8 epitope, comprising exclusive phosphorylation at residues S202 and T205, we were able to identify conformations specific to phosphorylated Tau, which exhibited a tendency towards less compact states. These mechanistic details are of significance to understand the path leading from soluble Tau to the ordered structure of Tau fibers. This approach proved to be successful for studying the conformational changes of (phosphorylated) full-length Tau and can potentially be extended to the study of other IDPs that undergo various PTMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Lasorsa
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, the Netherlands.; CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, F-59000 Lille, France.; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Hamida Merzougui
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, F-59000 Lille, France.; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - François-Xavier Cantrelle
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, F-59000 Lille, France.; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Giuseppe Sicoli
- Univ. Lille, CNRS UMR 8516 - LASIRE - Laboratoire Avancé de Spectroscopie pour les Interactions, la Réactivité et l'Environnement, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Elian Dupré
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, F-59000 Lille, France.; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Xavier Hanoulle
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, F-59000 Lille, France.; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Valérie Belle
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, BIP - Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines, IMM, Marseille, France
| | - Caroline Smet-Nocca
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, F-59000 Lille, France.; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Isabelle Landrieu
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, F-59000 Lille, France.; Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, F-59000 Lille, France.
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23
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Kumar M, Quittot N, Dujardin S, Schlaffner CN, Viode A, Wiedmer A, Beerepoot P, Chun JE, Glynn C, Fernandes AR, Donahue C, Steen JA, Hyman BT. Alzheimer proteopathic tau seeds are biochemically a forme fruste of mature paired helical filaments. Brain 2024; 147:637-648. [PMID: 38236720 PMCID: PMC10834235 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad378] [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: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Aggregation prone molecules, such as tau, form both historically well characterized fibrillar deposits (neurofibrillary tangles) and recently identified phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) extract species called proteopathic seeds. Both can cause normal endogenous tau to undergo templated misfolding. The relationship of these seeds to the fibrils that define tau-related diseases is unknown. We characterized the aqueous extractable and sarkosyl insoluble fibrillar tau species derived from human Alzheimer brain using mass spectrometry and in vitro bioassays. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) including phosphorylation, acetylation and ubiquitination are identified in both preparations. PBS extract seed competent tau can be distinguished from sarkosyl insoluble tau by the presence of overlapping, but less abundant, PTMs and an absence of some PTMs unique to the latter. The presence of ubiquitin and other PTMs on the PBS-extracted tau species correlates with the amount of tau in the seed competent size exclusion fractions, with the bioactivity and with the aggressiveness of clinical disease. These results demonstrate that the PTMs present on bioactive, seed competent PBS extract tau species are closely related to, but distinct from, the PTMs of mature paired helical filaments, consistent with the idea that they are a forme fruste of tau species that ultimately form fibrils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mukesh Kumar
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Noé Quittot
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Simon Dujardin
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Christoph N Schlaffner
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Arthur Viode
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Anne Wiedmer
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Pieter Beerepoot
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Joshua E Chun
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Calina Glynn
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Analiese R Fernandes
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Cameron Donahue
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Judith A Steen
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
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24
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Jiang Z, Wang J, Qin Y, Liu S, Luo B, Bai F, Wei H, Zhang S, Wei J, Ding G, Ma L, He S, Chen R, Sun Y, Chen Y, Wang L, Xu H, Wang X, Chen G, Lei W. A nonhuman primate model with Alzheimer's disease-like pathology induced by hippocampal overexpression of human tau. Alzheimers Res Ther 2024; 16:22. [PMID: 38281031 PMCID: PMC10821564 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-024-01392-0] [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: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most burdening diseases of the century with no disease-modifying treatment at this time. Nonhuman primates (NHPs) share genetic, anatomical, and physiological similarities with humans, making them ideal model animals for investigating the pathogenesis of AD and potential therapies. However, the use of NHPs in AD research has been hindered by the paucity of AD monkey models due to their long generation time, ethical considerations, and technical challenges in genetically modifying monkeys. METHODS Here, we developed an AD-like NHP model by overexpressing human tau in the bilateral hippocampi of adult rhesus macaque monkeys. We evaluated the pathological features of these monkeys with immunostaining, Nissl staining, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and behavioural tests. RESULTS We demonstrated that after hippocampal overexpression of tau protein, these monkeys displayed multiple pathological features of AD, including 3-repeat (3R)/4-repeat (4R) tau accumulation, tau hyperphosphorylation, tau propagation, neuronal loss, hippocampal atrophy, neuroinflammation, Aβ clearance deficits, blood vessel damage, and cognitive decline. More interestingly, the accumulation of both 3R and 4R tau is specific to NHPs but not found in adult rodents. CONCLUSIONS This work establishes a tau-induced AD-like NHP model with many key pathological and behavioural features of AD. In addition, our model may potentially become one of the AD NHP models adopted by researchers worldwide since it can be generated within 2 ~ 3 months through a single injection of AAVs into the monkey brains. Hence, our model NHPs may facilitate mechanistic studies and therapeutic treatments for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhouquan Jiang
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
| | - Yongpeng Qin
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
| | - Shanggong Liu
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
| | - Bin Luo
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
| | - Fan Bai
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
| | - Huiyi Wei
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT-MRI Centre, the First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
| | - Shaojuan Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT-MRI Centre, the First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
| | - Junjie Wei
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT-MRI Centre, the First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
| | - Guoyu Ding
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
| | - Long Ma
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
| | - Shu He
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
| | - Rongjie Chen
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
| | - Ying Sun
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
| | - Yi Chen
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT-MRI Centre, the First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
| | - Hao Xu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT-MRI Centre, the First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiangyu Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
| | - Gong Chen
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China.
| | - Wenliang Lei
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China.
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25
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Wu L, Arvai S, Wang SHJ, Liu AJ, Xu B. Differential diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment of Alzheimer's disease by Simoa p-tau181 measurements with matching plasma and CSF. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 16:1288930. [PMID: 38260807 PMCID: PMC10800554 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1288930] [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: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by a long preclinical phase. Although late-stage AD/dementia may be robustly differentiated from cognitively normal individuals by means of a clinical evaluation, PET imaging, and established biofluid biomarkers, disease differentiation between cognitively normal and various subtypes of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) remains a challenging task. Differential biomarkers for early-stage AD diagnosis with accessible biofluid samples are urgently needed. Misfolded phosphorylated tau aggregates (p-tau) are present in multiple neurodegenerative diseases known as "tauopathies", with the most common being AD. P-tau181 is a well-established p-tau biomarker to differentiate AD dementia from non-AD pathology. However, it is unclear if p-tau181 is capable of diagnosing MCI, an early AD stage, from cognitively normal subjects, or if it can discriminate MCI subtypes amnestic MCI (aMCI) from non-amnestic MCI (naMCI). Here we evaluated the capability of p-tau181 in diagnosing MCI from cognitively normal subjects and discriminating aMCI from naMCI subtypes. We collected matching plasma and CSF samples of a clinically diagnosed cohort of 35 cognitively normal, 34 aMCI, 17 naMCI, and 31 AD dementia cases (total 117 participants) with supplemental CSF Aβ42 and total tau AD biomarker levels and performed Simoa p-tau181 assays. The diagnostic capabilities of Simoa p-tau181 assays to differentiate these cohorts were evaluated. We found (i) p-tau181 can robustly differentiate MCI or aMCI from cognitively normal cohorts with matching plasma and CSF samples, but such differentiation is weaker in diagnosing naMCI from cognitively normal groups, (ii) p-tau181 is not capable of differentiating aMCI from naMCI cohorts, and (iii) either factor of Aβ or total tau burden markedly improved differentiation power to diagnose aMCI from cognitively normal group. Plasma and CSF p-tau181 levels may serve as a promising biomarker for diagnosing aMCI from normal controls in the preclinical phase. But more robust new biomarkers are needed to differentiate naMCI from cognitively normal cases or to discriminate between MCI subtypes, aMCI from naMCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Wu
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE), North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, United States
- Duke-UNC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Stephanie Arvai
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Shih-Hsiu J. Wang
- Duke-UNC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Andy J. Liu
- Duke-UNC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Bin Xu
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE), North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, United States
- Duke-UNC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, United States
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26
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Sengupta U, Kayed R. Tau Oligomers as Pathogenic Seeds: Preparation, Characterization, and Propagation In Vitro and In Vivo. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2754:147-183. [PMID: 38512666 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3629-9_9] [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] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Tau oligomers have been shown to be the main toxic tau species in several neurodegenerative disorders. To study tau oligomers, we have developed reagents and established methods for the reliable preparation, isolation, and detection of tau oligomers as well as their seeding and propagation both in vitro and in vivo. Detailed below are methods for isolation of tau oligomers from brain tissues and detection of tau oligomers using tau oligomer-specific antibodies by biochemical, immunohistochemical, and biophysical methods. Further, methods for evaluating the biological activity of the tau oligomers including their effects on synaptic function, seeding, and propagation in cell models and in vivo are also described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urmi Sengupta
- George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Departments of Neurology, and Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Rakez Kayed
- George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
- Departments of Neurology, and Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
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27
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Ryoo HG, Choi H, Shi K, Rominger A, Lee DY, Lee DS. Distinct subtypes of spatial brain metabolism patterns in Alzheimer's disease identified by deep learning-based FDG PET clusters. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2024; 51:443-454. [PMID: 37735259 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-023-06440-9] [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: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a heterogeneous disease that presents a broad spectrum of clinicopathologic profiles. To date, objective subtyping of AD independent of disease progression using brain imaging has been required. Our study aimed to extract representations of unique brain metabolism patterns different from disease progression to identify objective subtypes of AD. METHODS A total of 3620 FDG brain PET images with AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and cognitively normal (CN) were obtained from the ADNI database from 1607 participants at enrollment and follow-up visits. A conditional variational autoencoder model was trained on FDG brain PET images of AD patients with the corresponding condition of AD severity score. The k-means algorithm was applied to generate clusters from the encoded representations. The trained deep learning-based cluster model was also transferred to FDG PET of MCI patients and predicted the prognosis of subtypes for conversion from MCI to AD. Spatial metabolism patterns, clinical and biological characteristics, and conversion rate from MCI to AD were compared across the subtypes. RESULTS Four distinct subtypes of spatial metabolism patterns in AD with different brain pathologies and clinical profiles were identified: (i) angular, (ii) occipital, (iii) orbitofrontal, and (iv) minimal hypometabolic patterns. The deep learning model was also successfully transferred for subtyping MCI, and significant differences in frequency (P < 0.001) and risk of conversion (log-rank P < 0.0001) from MCI to AD were observed across the subtypes, highest in S2 (35.7%) followed by S1 (23.4%). CONCLUSION We identified distinct subtypes of AD with different clinicopathologic features. The deep learning-based approach to distinguish AD subtypes on FDG PET could have implications for predicting individual outcomes and provide a clue to understanding the heterogeneous pathophysiology of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Gee Ryoo
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, 101, Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, and College of Medicine or College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hongyoon Choi
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, 101, Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Kuangyu Shi
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Inselspital, University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse 18, 3010, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Axel Rominger
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Inselspital, University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse 18, 3010, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Dong Young Lee
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Soo Lee
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, 101, Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, and College of Medicine or College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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28
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Gaikwad S, Senapati S, Haque MA, Kayed R. Senescence, brain inflammation, and oligomeric tau drive cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease: Evidence from clinical and preclinical studies. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:709-727. [PMID: 37814508 PMCID: PMC10841264 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Aging, tau pathology, and chronic inflammation in the brain play crucial roles in synaptic loss, neurodegeneration, and cognitive decline in tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease. Senescent cells accumulate in the aging brain, accelerate the aging process, and promote tauopathy progression through their abnormal inflammatory secretome known as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Tau oligomers (TauO)-the most neurotoxic tau species-are known to induce senescence and the SASP, which subsequently promote neuropathology, inflammation, oxidative stress, synaptic dysfunction, neuronal death, and cognitive dysfunction. TauO, brain inflammation, and senescence are associated with heterogeneity in tauopathy progression and cognitive decline. However, the underlying mechanisms driving the disease heterogeneity remain largely unknown, impeding the development of therapies for tauopathies. Based on clinical and preclinical evidence, this review highlights the critical role of TauO and senescence in neurodegeneration. We discuss key knowledge gaps and potential strategies for targeting senescence and TauO to treat tauopathies. HIGHLIGHTS: Senescence, oligomeric Tau (TauO), and brain inflammation accelerate the aging process and promote the progression of tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease. We discuss their role in contributing to heterogeneity in tauopathy and cognitive decline. We highlight strategies to target senescence and TauO to treat tauopathies while addressing key knowledge gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sagar Gaikwad
- The Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseasesand Department of NeurologyUniversity of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonTexasUSA
| | - Sudipta Senapati
- The Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseasesand Department of NeurologyUniversity of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonTexasUSA
| | - Md. Anzarul Haque
- The Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseasesand Department of NeurologyUniversity of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonTexasUSA
| | - Rakez Kayed
- The Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseasesand Department of NeurologyUniversity of Texas Medical BranchGalvestonTexasUSA
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29
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Esquivel AR, Hill SE, Blair LJ. DnaJs are enriched in tau regulators. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:127486. [PMID: 37852393 PMCID: PMC10842427 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127486] [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: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
The aberrant accumulation of tau protein is implicated as a pathogenic factor in many neurodegenerative diseases. Tau seeding may underlie its predictable spread in these diseases. Molecular chaperones can modulate tau pathology, but their effects have mainly been studied in isolation. This study employed a semi-high throughput assay to identify molecular chaperones influencing tau seeding using Tau RD P301S FRET Biosensor cells, which express a portion of tau containing the frontotemporal dementia-related P301S tau mutation fused to a FRET biosensor. Approximately fifty chaperones from five major families were screened using live cell imaging to monitor FRET-positive tau seeding. Among the tested chaperones, five exhibited significant effects on tau in the primary screen. Notably, three of these were from the DnaJ family. In subsequent studies, overexpression of DnaJA2, DnaJB1, and DnaJB6b resulted in significant reductions in tau levels. Knockdown experiments by shRNA revealed an inverse correlation between DnaJB1 and DnaJB6b with tau levels. DnaJB6b overexpression, specifically, reduced total tau levels in a cellular model with a pre-existing pool of tau, partially through enhanced proteasomal degradation. Further, DnaJB6b interacted with tau complexes. These findings highlight the potent chaperone activity within the DnaJ family, particularly DnaJB6b, towards tau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail R Esquivel
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33613, USA
| | - Shannon E Hill
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33613, USA
| | - Laura J Blair
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33613, USA; Research Service, James A Haley Veterans Hospital, 13000 Bruce B Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.
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30
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Mate de Gerando A, Quittot N, Frosch MP, Hyman BT. Reply: Soluble oligomers or insoluble fibrils? Acta Neuropathol 2023; 146:863-866. [PMID: 37733036 PMCID: PMC10628010 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02634-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anastasie Mate de Gerando
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Noe Quittot
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Matthew P Frosch
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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31
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Stern AM, Selkoe DJ. Soluble oligomers or insoluble fibrils? Scientific commentary on "Tau seeding and spreading in vivo is supported by both AD-derived fibrillar and oligomeric tau". Acta Neuropathol 2023; 146:861-862. [PMID: 37733037 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02633-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Stern
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 60 Fenwood Road, 10002S, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Dennis J Selkoe
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 60 Fenwood Road, 10002S, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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32
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Kim MS, Mun YS, Lee SE, Cho WY, Han SH, Kim DH, Yoon SY. Tau acetylation at K280 regulates tau phosphorylation. Int J Neurosci 2023; 133:1394-1398. [PMID: 35603448 DOI: 10.1080/00207454.2022.2081165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE/AIM OF THE STUDY Accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau is a key pathological finding of Alzheimer's disease. Recently, acetylation of tau is emerging as another key pathogenic modification, especially regarding the acetylation of tau at K280 of the hexapeptide 275VQIINK280, a critical sequence in driving tau aggregation. However, the relationship between these two key post-translational modifications is not well known. In this study, effect of acetylation of tau at K280 on tau phosphorylation profile was investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS The human neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y, was transfected with p300 acetyltransferase and tau to induce acetylation of tau. Phosphorylation profile after acetylation was evaluated on western blot. K280A-mutant tau was transfected to investigate the effect of acetylation of tau at K280 on tau phosphorylation profile. RESULTS Overexpression of p300 acetyltransferase in tau-transfected SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells increased acetylation of tau. Meanwhile, tau and its phosphorylation also increased at various sites such as S199/202, S202/T205, T231, and S422, but not at S396. However, blocking acetylation only at K280 with K280A-mutant tau reversed the increased phosphorylation of tau at S202/T205, T231, and S422, but not at S199/202 or S396. CONCLUSION Here we identified tau phosphorylation profile in the context of p300-induced acetylation and K280A-mutant tau, demonstrating that tau acetylation affects phosphorylation differently by residues and that acetylation at K280 is a determinant of phosphorylation at some residues in the context of pathologic acetyltransferase activity. Yet, our results suggest there is a complex interplay yet to be explored between tau acetylation with tau phosphorylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Seok Kim
- Department of Brain Science, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- ADEL Institute of Science & Technology (AIST), ADEL, Inc. Seoul, Korea
| | - Yeon-Seon Mun
- Department of Brain Science, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- ADEL Institute of Science & Technology (AIST), ADEL, Inc. Seoul, Korea
| | - Seung-Eun Lee
- Department of Brain Science, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- ADEL Institute of Science & Technology (AIST), ADEL, Inc. Seoul, Korea
| | - Woo-Young Cho
- Department of Brain Science, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- ADEL Institute of Science & Technology (AIST), ADEL, Inc. Seoul, Korea
| | - Seung-Hwan Han
- Department of Brain Science, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- ADEL Institute of Science & Technology (AIST), ADEL, Inc. Seoul, Korea
| | - Dong-Hou Kim
- Department of Brain Science, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- ADEL Institute of Science & Technology (AIST), ADEL, Inc. Seoul, Korea
| | - Seung-Yong Yoon
- Department of Brain Science, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- ADEL Institute of Science & Technology (AIST), ADEL, Inc. Seoul, Korea
- Stem Cell Immunomodulation Research Center (SCIRC), University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Tarutani A, Kametani F, Tahira M, Saito Y, Yoshida M, Robinson AC, Mann DMA, Murayama S, Tomita T, Hasegawa M. Distinct tau folds initiate templated seeding and alter the post-translational modification profile. Brain 2023; 146:4988-4999. [PMID: 37904205 PMCID: PMC10690015 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad272] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathological tau accumulates in the brain in tauopathies such as Alzheimer's disease, Pick's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration, and forms amyloid-like filaments incorporating various post-translational modifications (PTMs). Cryo-electron microscopic (cryo-EM) studies have demonstrated that tau filaments extracted from tauopathy brains are characteristic of the disease and share a common fold(s) in the same disease group. Furthermore, the tau PTM profile changes during tau pathology formation and disease progression, and disease-specific PTMs are detected in and around the filament core. In addition, templated seeding has been suggested to trigger pathological tau amplification and spreading in vitro and in vivo, although the molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Recently, we reported that the cryo-EM structures of tau protofilaments in SH-SY5Y cells seeded with patient-derived tau filaments show a core structure(s) resembling that of the original seeds. Here, we investigated PTMs of tau filaments accumulated in the seeded cells by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry and compared them with the PTMs of patient-derived tau filaments. Examination of insoluble tau extracted from SH-SY5Y cells showed that numerous phosphorylation, deamidation and oxidation sites detected in the fuzzy coat in the original seeds were well reproduced in SH-SY5Y cells. Moreover, templated tau filament formation preceded both truncation of the N-/C-terminals of tau and PTMs in and around the filament core, indicating these PTMs may predominantly be introduced after the degradation of the fuzzy coat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Airi Tarutani
- Department of Brain and Neurosciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
- Laboratory of Neuropathology and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Fuyuki Kametani
- Department of Brain and Neurosciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | - Marina Tahira
- Department of Brain and Neurosciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | - Yuko Saito
- Department of Neuropathology (Brain Bank for Aging Research), Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Geratrics and Gerontology, Tokyo 173-0015, Japan
| | - Mari Yoshida
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute for Medical Science of Aging, Aichi Medical University, Aichi 480-1195, Japan
| | - Andrew C Robinson
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, Division of Neuroscience, The University of Manchester, Salford Royal Hospital, Salford M6 8HD, UK
| | - David M A Mann
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, Division of Neuroscience, The University of Manchester, Salford Royal Hospital, Salford M6 8HD, UK
| | - Shigeo Murayama
- Department of Neuropathology (Brain Bank for Aging Research), Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Geratrics and Gerontology, Tokyo 173-0015, Japan
- Brain Bank for Neurodevelopmental, Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Taisuke Tomita
- Laboratory of Neuropathology and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Masato Hasegawa
- Department of Brain and Neurosciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
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Meng L, Liu C, Liu M, Chen J, Liu C, Zhang Z, Chen G, Zhang Z. The yeast protein Ure2p triggers Tau pathology in a mouse model of tauopathy. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113342. [PMID: 37897723 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113342] [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: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms that trigger Tau aggregation in Alzheimer's disease (AD) remain elusive. Fungi, especially Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae), can be found in brain samples from patients with AD. Here, we show that the yeast protein Ure2p from S. cerevisiae interacts with Tau and facilitates its aggregation. The Ure2p-seeded Tau fibrils are more potent in seeding Tau and causing neurotoxicity in vitro. When injected into the hippocampus of Tau P301S transgenic mice, the Ure2p-seeded Tau fibrils show enhanced seeding activity compared with pure Tau fibrils. Strikingly, intracranial injection of Ure2p fibrils promotes the aggregation of Tau and cognitive impairment in Tau P301S mice. Furthermore, intranasal infection of S. cerevisiae in the nasal cavity of Tau P301S mice accelerates the aggregation of Tau. Together, these observations indicate that the yeast protein Ure2p initiates Tau pathology. Our results provide a conceptual advance that non-mammalian prions may cross-seed mammalian prion-like proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanxia Meng
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Congcong Liu
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Miao Liu
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Jiehui Chen
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Chaoyang Liu
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China; Research Center for Environment and Health, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Wuhan 430073, China
| | - Zhaohui Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Guiqin Chen
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Zhentao Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China; TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430000, China.
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35
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Cáceres C, Heusser B, Garnham A, Moczko E. The Major Hypotheses of Alzheimer's Disease: Related Nanotechnology-Based Approaches for Its Diagnosis and Treatment. Cells 2023; 12:2669. [PMID: 38067098 PMCID: PMC10705786 DOI: 10.3390/cells12232669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a well-known chronic neurodegenerative disorder that leads to the progressive death of brain cells, resulting in memory loss and the loss of other critical body functions. In March 2019, one of the major pharmaceutical companies and its partners announced that currently, there is no drug to cure AD, and all clinical trials of the new ones have been cancelled, leaving many people without hope. However, despite the clear message and startling reality, the research continued. Finally, in the last two years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first-ever medications to treat Alzheimer's, aducanumab and lecanemab. Despite researchers' support of this decision, there are serious concerns about their effectiveness and safety. The validation of aducanumab by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is still pending, and lecanemab was authorized without considering data from the phase III trials. Furthermore, numerous reports suggest that patients have died when undergoing extended treatment. While there is evidence that aducanumab and lecanemab may provide some relief to those suffering from AD, their impact remains a topic of ongoing research and debate within the medical community. The fact is that even though there are considerable efforts regarding pharmacological treatment, no definitive cure for AD has been found yet. Nevertheless, it is strongly believed that modern nanotechnology holds promising solutions and effective clinical strategies for the development of diagnostic tools and treatments for AD. This review summarizes the major hallmarks of AD, its etiological mechanisms, and challenges. It explores existing diagnostic and therapeutic methods and the potential of nanotechnology-based approaches for recognizing and monitoring patients at risk of irreversible neuronal degeneration. Overall, it provides a broad overview for those interested in the evolving areas of clinical neuroscience, AD, and related nanotechnology. With further research and development, nanotechnology-based approaches may offer new solutions and hope for millions of people affected by this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ewa Moczko
- Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Viña del Mar 2562307, Chile; (C.C.)
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36
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Frey B, Holzinger D, Taylor K, Ehrnhoefer DE, Striebinger A, Biesinger S, Gasparini L, O'Neill MJ, Wegner F, Barghorn S, Höglinger GU, Heym RG. Tau seed amplification assay reveals relationship between seeding and pathological forms of tau in Alzheimer's disease brain. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:181. [PMID: 37964332 PMCID: PMC10644662 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01676-w] [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: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau seed amplification assays (SAAs) directly measure the seeding activity of tau and would therefore be ideal biomarkers for clinical trials targeting seeding-competent tau in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the precise relationship between tau seeding measured by SAA and the levels of pathological forms of tau in the AD brain remains unknown. We developed a new tau SAA based on full-length 0N3R tau with sensitivity in the low fg/ml range and used it to characterize 103 brain samples from three independent cohorts. Tau seeding clearly discriminated between AD and control brain samples. Interestingly, seeding was absent in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) putamen, suggesting that our tau SAA did not amplify 4R tau aggregates from PSP brain. The specificity of our tau SAA for AD brain was further supported by analysis of matched hippocampus and cerebellum samples. While seeding was detected in hippocampus from Braak stages I-II, no seeding was present in AD cerebellum that is devoid of tau inclusions. Analysis of 40 middle frontal gyrus samples encompassing all Braak stages showed that tau SAA seeding activity gradually increased with Braak stage. This relationship between seeding activity and the presence of tau inclusions in AD brain was further supported by robust correlations between tau SAA results and the levels of phosphorylated tau212/214, phosphorylated tau181, aggregated tau, and sarkosyl-insoluble tau. Strikingly, we detected tau seeding in the middle frontal gyrus already at Braak stage II-III, suggesting that tau SAA can detect tau pathology earlier than conventional immunohistochemical staining. In conclusion, our data suggest a quantitative relationship between tau seeding activity and pathological forms of tau in the human brain and provides an important basis for further development of tau SAA for accessible human samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan Frey
- AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Neuroscience Research, Knollstrasse, 67061, Ludwigshafen, Germany.
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany.
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany.
| | - David Holzinger
- AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Neuroscience Research, Knollstrasse, 67061, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Keenan Taylor
- AbbVie Bioresearch Center, Biotherapeutics and Genetic Medicine Technologies, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Dagmar E Ehrnhoefer
- AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Neuroscience Research, Knollstrasse, 67061, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Andreas Striebinger
- AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Neuroscience Research, Knollstrasse, 67061, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Sandra Biesinger
- AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Neuroscience Research, Knollstrasse, 67061, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Laura Gasparini
- AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Neuroscience Research, Knollstrasse, 67061, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Michael J O'Neill
- AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Neuroscience Research, Knollstrasse, 67061, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Florian Wegner
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany
| | - Stefan Barghorn
- AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Neuroscience Research, Knollstrasse, 67061, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Günter U Höglinger
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases E.V. (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Department of Neurology, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Roland G Heym
- AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Neuroscience Research, Knollstrasse, 67061, Ludwigshafen, Germany.
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Davidson R, Krider RI, Borsellino P, Noorda K, Alhwayek G, Vida TA. Untangling Tau: Molecular Insights into Neuroinflammation, Pathophysiology, and Emerging Immunotherapies. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:8816-8839. [PMID: 37998730 PMCID: PMC10670294 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45110553] [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: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation, a core pathological feature observed in several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), is rapidly gaining attention as a target in understanding the molecular underpinnings of these disorders. Glial cells, endothelial cells, peripheral immune cells, and astrocytes produce a variety of pro-inflammatory mediators that exacerbate the disease progression. Additionally, microglial cells play a complex role in AD, facilitating the clearance of pathological amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ) plaques and aggregates of the tau protein. Tau proteins, traditionally associated with microtubule stabilization, have come under intense scrutiny for their perturbed roles in neurodegenerative conditions. In this narrative review, we focus on recent advances from molecular insights that have revealed aberrant tau post-translational modifications, such as phosphorylation and acetylation, serving as pathological hallmarks. These modifications also trigger the activation of CNS-resident immune cells, such as microglia and astrocytes substantially contributing to neuroinflammation. This intricate relationship between tau pathologies and neuroinflammation fosters a cascading impact on neural pathophysiology. Furthermore, understanding the molecular mechanisms underpinning tau's influence on neuroinflammation presents a frontier for the development of innovative immunotherapies. Neurodegenerative diseases have been relatively intractable to conventional pharmacology using small molecules. We further comprehensively document the many alternative approaches using immunotherapy targeting tau pathological epitopes and structures with a wide array of antibodies. Clinical trials are discussed using these therapeutic approaches, which have both promising and disappointing outcomes. Future directions for tau immunotherapies may include combining treatments with Aβ immunotherapy, which may result in more significant clinical outcomes for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Thomas A. Vida
- Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, 625 Shadow Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89106, USA; (R.D.); (R.I.K.); (P.B.); (K.N.); (G.A.)
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38
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Smith ED, Vo Q, Giasson BI, Borchelt DR, Prokop S, Chakrabarty P. Human tauopathy strains defined by phosphorylation in R1-R2 repeat domains of tau. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:172. [PMID: 37891635 PMCID: PMC10612232 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01664-0] [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: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Distinctive post-translational modifications (PTM) characterize tau inclusions found in tauopathy patients. Using detergent-insoluble tau isolated from Alzheimer's disease (AD-tau) or Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP-tau) patients, we provide insights into whether phosphorylation of critical residues determine templated tau seeding. Our initial data with phosphorylation-ablating mutations (Ser/Thr → Ala) on select sites of P301L tau showed no changes in seeding efficacy by AD-tau or PSP-tau. Interestingly, when specific sites in the R1-R2 repeat domains (Ser262/Thr263/Ser289/Ser305) were mutated to phosphorylation-mimicking amino acid Glu, it substantially reduced the seeding efficiency of AD-tau, but not PSP-tau seeds. The resultant detergent-insoluble tau shows deficient phosphorylation on AT8, AT100, AT180 and PHF1 epitopes, indicating inter-domain cooperativity. We further identify Ser305 as a critical determinant of AD-tau-specific seeding, whereby the phospho-mimicking Ser305Glu tau abrogates seeding by AD-tau but not PSP-tau. This suggests that phosphorylation on Ser305 could be related to the formation of disease-specific tau strains. Our results highlight the existence of a phospho-PTM code in tau seeding and further demonstrate the distinctive nature of this code in 4R tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan D Smith
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, 1275 Center Drive, BMS J484, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Quan Vo
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, 1275 Center Drive, BMS J484, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Benoit I Giasson
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, 1275 Center Drive, BMS J484, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - David R Borchelt
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, 1275 Center Drive, BMS J484, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Stefan Prokop
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, 1275 Center Drive, BMS J484, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Pathology, Immunology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Paramita Chakrabarty
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, 1275 Center Drive, BMS J484, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
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39
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Rajewski BH, Makwana KM, Angera IJ, Geremia DK, Zepeda AR, Hallinan GI, Vidal R, Ghetti B, Serrano AL, Del Valle JR. β-Bracelets: Macrocyclic Cross-β Epitope Mimics Based on a Tau Conformational Strain. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:23131-23142. [PMID: 37844142 PMCID: PMC10823581 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c06830] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
The aggregation of misfolded tau into neurotoxic fibrils is linked to the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related tauopathies. Disease-associated conformations of filamentous tau are characterized by hydrophobic interactions between side chains on unique and distant β-strand modules within each protomer. Here, we report the design and diversity-oriented synthesis of β-arch peptide macrocycles composed of the aggregation-prone PHF6 hexapeptide of tau and the cross-β module specific to the AD tau fold. Termed "β-bracelets", these proteomimetics assemble in a sequence- and macrocycle-dependent fashion, resulting in amyloid-like fibrils that feature in-register parallel β-sheet structure. Backbone N-amination of a selected β-bracelet affords soluble inhibitors of tau aggregation. We further demonstrate that the N-aminated macrocycles block the prion-like cellular seeding activity of recombinant tau as well as mature fibrils from AD patient extracts. These studies establish β-bracelets as a new class of cross-β epitope mimics and demonstrate their utility in the rational design of molecules targeting amyloid propagation and seeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin H. Rajewski
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Kamlesh M. Makwana
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Isaac J. Angera
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Danielle K. Geremia
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Anna R. Zepeda
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Grace I. Hallinan
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202, United States
| | - Ruben Vidal
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202, United States
| | - Bernardino Ghetti
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202, United States
| | - Arnaldo L. Serrano
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Juan R. Del Valle
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
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Wang KW, Zhang G, Kuo MH. Frontotemporal Dementia P301L Mutation Potentiates but Is Not Sufficient to Cause the Formation of Cytotoxic Fibrils of Tau. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14996. [PMID: 37834443 PMCID: PMC10573866 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914996] [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: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The P301L mutation in tau protein is a prevalent pathogenic mutation associated with neurodegenerative frontotemporal dementia, FTD. The mechanism by which P301L triggers or facilitates neurodegeneration at the molecular level remains unclear. In this work, we examined the effect of the P301L mutation on the biochemical and biological characteristics of pathologically relevant hyperphosphorylated tau. Hyperphosphorylated P301L tau forms cytotoxic aggregates more efficiently than hyperphosphorylated wildtype tau or unphosphorylated P301L tau in vitro. Mechanistic studies establish that hyperphosphorylated P301L tau exacerbates endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-associated gene upregulation in a neuroblastoma cell line when compared to wildtype hyperphosphorylated tau treatment. Furthermore, the microtubule cytoskeleton is severely disrupted following hyperphosphorylated P301L tau treatment. A hyperphosphorylated tau aggregation inhibitor, apomorphine, also inhibits the harmful effects caused by P301L hyperphosphorylated tau. In short, the P301L single mutation within the core repeat domain of tau renders the underlying hyperphosphorylated tau more potent in eliciting ER stress and cytoskeleton damage. However, the P301L mutation alone, without hyperphosphorylation, is not sufficient to cause these phenotypes. Understanding the conditions and mechanisms whereby selective mutations aggravate the pathogenic activities of tau can provide pivotal clues on novel strategies for drug development for frontotemporal dementia and other related neurodegenerative tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Min-Hao Kuo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (K.-W.W.); (G.Z.)
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Martinez-Valbuena I, Lee S, Santamaria E, Irigoyen JF, Forrest S, Li J, Tanaka H, Couto B, Reyes NG, Qamar H, Karakani AM, Kim A, Senkevich K, Rogaeva E, Fox SH, Tartaglia C, Visanji NP, Andrews T, Lang AE, Kovacs GG. 4R-Tau seeding activity unravels molecular subtypes in patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.28.559953. [PMID: 37808843 PMCID: PMC10557711 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.28.559953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Progressive Supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a 4-repeat (4-R) tauopathy. We hypothesized that the molecular diversity of tau could explain the heterogeneity seen in PSP disease progression. To test this hypothesis, we performed an extensive biochemical characterisation of the high molecular weight tau species (HMW-Tau) in 20 different brain regions of 25 PSP patients. We found a correlation between the HMW-Tau species and tau seeding capacity in the primary motor cortex, where we confirmed that an elevated 4R-Tau seeding activity correlates with a shorter disease duration. To identify factors that contribute to these differences, we performed proteomic and spatial transcriptomic analysis that revealed key mechanistic pathways, in particular those involving the immune system, that defined patients demonstrating high and low tau seeding capacity. These observations suggest that differences in the tau seeding activity may contribute to the considerable heterogeneity seen in disease progression of patients suffering from PSP.
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Hromadkova L, Kim C, Haldiman T, Peng L, Zhu X, Cohen M, de Silva R, Safar JG. Evolving prion-like tau conformers differentially alter postsynaptic proteins in neurons inoculated with distinct isolates of Alzheimer's disease tau. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:174. [PMID: 37723591 PMCID: PMC10507869 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01133-0] [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: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Although accumulation of misfolded tau species has been shown to predict cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies but with the remarkable diversity of clinical manifestations, neuropathology profiles, and time courses of disease progression remaining unexplained by current genetic data. We considered the diversity of misfolded tau conformers present in individual AD cases as an underlying driver of the phenotypic variations of AD and progressive loss of synapses. METHODS To model the mechanism of tau propagation and synaptic toxicity of distinct tau conformers, we inoculated wild-type primary mouse neurons with structurally characterized Sarkosyl-insoluble tau isolates from the frontal cortex of six AD cases and monitored the impact for fourteen days. We analyzed the accumulation rate, tau isoform ratio, and conformational characteristics of de novo-induced tau aggregates with conformationally sensitive immunoassays, and the dynamics of synapse formation, maintenance, and their loss using a panel of pre-and post-synaptic markers. RESULTS At the same concentrations of tau, the different AD tau isolates induced accumulation of misfolded predominantly 4-repeat tau aggregates at different rates in mature neurons, and demonstrated distinct conformational characteristics corresponding to the original AD brain tau. The time-course of the formation of misfolded tau aggregates and colocalization correlated with significant loss of synapses in tau-inoculated cell cultures and the reduction of synaptic connections implicated the disruption of postsynaptic compartment as an early event. CONCLUSIONS The data obtained with mature neurons expressing physiological levels and adult isoforms of tau protein demonstrate markedly different time courses of endogenous tau misfolding and differential patterns of post-synaptic alterations. These and previous biophysical data argue for an ensemble of various misfolded tau aggregates in individual AD brains and template propagation of their homologous conformations in neurons with different rates and primarily postsynaptic interactors. Modeling tau aggregation in mature differentiated neurons provides a platform for investigating divergent molecular mechanisms of tau strain propagation and for identifying common structural features of misfolded tau and critical interactors for new therapeutic targets and approaches in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Hromadkova
- Departments of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Chae Kim
- Departments of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Tracy Haldiman
- Departments of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Lihua Peng
- Departments of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Xiongwei Zhu
- Departments of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
- Departments of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Mark Cohen
- Departments of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
- National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Rohan de Silva
- Reta Lila Weston Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 1PJ, UK
| | - Jiri G Safar
- Departments of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
- Departments of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
- Departments of Neuroscience, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
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Raber J, Stagaman K, Kasschau KD, Davenport C, Lopes L, Nguyen D, Torres ER, Sharpton TJ, Kisby G. Behavioral and Cognitive Performance Following Exposure to Second-Hand Smoke (SHS) from Tobacco Products Associated with Oxidative-Stress-Induced DNA Damage and Repair and Disruption of the Gut Microbiome. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1702. [PMID: 37761842 PMCID: PMC10531154 DOI: 10.3390/genes14091702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to second-hand Smoke (SHS) remains prevalent. The underlying mechanisms of how SHS affects the brain require elucidation. We tested the hypothesis that SHS inhalation drives changes in the gut microbiome, impacting behavioral and cognitive performance as well as neuropathology in two-month-old wild-type (WT) mice and mice expressing wild-type human tau, a genetic model pertinent to Alzheimer's disease mice, following chronic SHS exposure (10 months to ~30 mg/m3). SHS exposure impacted the composition of the gut microbiome as well as the biodiversity and evenness of the gut microbiome in a sex-dependent fashion. This variation in the composition and biodiversity of the gut microbiome is also associated with several measures of cognitive performance. These results support the hypothesis that the gut microbiome contributes to the effect of SHS exposure on cognition. The percentage of 8-OHdG-labeled cells in the CA1 region of the hippocampus was also associated with performance in the novel object recognition test, consistent with urine and serum levels of 8-OHdG serving as a biomarker of cognitive performance in humans. We also assessed the effects of SHS on the percentage of p21-labeled cells, an early cellular marker of senescence that is upregulated in bronchial cells after exposure to cigarette smoke. Nuclear staining of p21-labeled cells was more prominent in larger cells of the prefrontal cortex and CA1 hippocampal neurons of SHS-exposed mice than in sham-exposed mice, and there was a significantly greater percentage of labelled cells in the prefrontal cortex and CA1 region of the hippocampus of SHS than air-exposed mice, suggesting that exposure to SHS may result in accelerated brain aging through oxidative-stress-induced injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Raber
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA;
- Departments of Neurology, and Radiation Medicine, Division of Neuroscience, ONPRC, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Keaton Stagaman
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA; (K.S.); (K.D.K.); (T.J.S.)
| | - Kristin D. Kasschau
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA; (K.S.); (K.D.K.); (T.J.S.)
| | - Conor Davenport
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Northwest, Lebanon, OR 97355, USA; (C.D.); (L.L.); (D.N.)
| | - Leilani Lopes
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Northwest, Lebanon, OR 97355, USA; (C.D.); (L.L.); (D.N.)
| | - Dennis Nguyen
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Northwest, Lebanon, OR 97355, USA; (C.D.); (L.L.); (D.N.)
| | - Eileen Ruth Torres
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA;
| | - Thomas J. Sharpton
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA; (K.S.); (K.D.K.); (T.J.S.)
- Department of Statistics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Glen Kisby
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Northwest, Lebanon, OR 97355, USA; (C.D.); (L.L.); (D.N.)
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Devi G. A how-to guide for a precision medicine approach to the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1213968. [PMID: 37662550 PMCID: PMC10469885 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1213968] [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: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Article purpose The clinical approach to Alzheimer's disease (AD) is challenging, particularly in high-functioning individuals. Accurate diagnosis is crucial, especially given the significant side effects, including brain hemorrhage, of newer monoclonal antibodies approved for treating earlier stages of Alzheimer's. Although early treatment is more effective, early diagnosis is also more difficult. Several clinical mimickers of AD exist either separately, or in conjunction with AD pathology, adding to the diagnostic complexity. To illustrate the clinical decision-making process, this study includes de-identified cases and reviews of the underlying etiology and pathology of Alzheimer's and available therapies to exemplify diagnostic and treatment subtleties. Problem The clinical presentation of Alzheimer's is complex and varied. Multiple other primary brain pathologies present with clinical phenotypes that can be difficult to distinguish from AD. Furthermore, Alzheimer's rarely exists in isolation, as almost all patients also show evidence of other primary brain pathologies, including Lewy body disease and argyrophilic grain disease. The phenotype and progression of AD can vary based on the brain regions affected by pathology, the coexistence and severity of other brain pathologies, the presence and severity of systemic comorbidities such as cardiac disease, the common co-occurrence with psychiatric diagnoses, and genetic risk factors. Additionally, symptoms and progression are influenced by an individual's brain reserve and cognitive reserve, as well as the timing of the diagnosis, which depends on the demographics of both the patient and the diagnosing physician, as well as the availability of biomarkers. Methods The optimal clinical and biomarker strategy for accurately diagnosing AD, common neuropathologic co-morbidities and mimickers, and available medication and non-medication-based treatments are discussed. Real-life examples of cognitive loss illustrate the diagnostic and treatment decision-making process as well as illustrative treatment responses. Implications AD is best considered a syndromic disorder, influenced by a multitude of patient and environmental characteristics. Additionally, AD existing alone is a unicorn, as there are nearly always coexisting other brain pathologies. Accurate diagnosis with biomarkers is essential. Treatment response is affected by the variables involved, and the effective treatment of Alzheimer's disease, as well as its prevention, requires an individualized, precision medicine strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gayatri Devi
- Neurology and Psychiatry, Zucker School of Medicine, Hempstead, NY, United States
- Neurology and Psychiatry, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City, NY, United States
- Park Avenue Neurology, New York City, NY, United States
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Lathuiliere A, Jo Y, Perbet R, Donahue C, Commins C, Quittot N, Fan Z, Bennett RE, Hyman BT. Specific detection of tau seeding activity in Alzheimer's disease using rationally designed biosensor cells. Mol Neurodegener 2023; 18:53. [PMID: 37553663 PMCID: PMC10408046 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00643-2] [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: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prion-like propagation of tau in neurodegenerative disorders implies that misfolded pathological tau can recruit the normal protein and template its aggregation. Here, we report the methods for the development of sensitive biosensor cell lines for the detection of tau seeding activity. RESULTS We performed the rational design of novel tau probes based on the current structural knowledge of pathological tau aggregates in Alzheimer's disease. We generated Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based biosensor stable cell lines and characterized their sensitivity, specificity, and overall ability to detect bioactive tau in human samples. As compared to the reference biosensor line, the optimized probe design resulted in an increased efficiency in the detection of tau seeding. The increased sensitivity allowed for the detection of lower amount of tau seeding competency in human brain samples, while preserving specificity for tau seeds found in Alzheimer's disease. CONCLUSIONS This next generation of FRET-based biosensor cells is a novel tool to study tau seeding activity in Alzheimer's disease human samples, especially in samples with low levels of seeding activity, which may help studying early tau-related pathological events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurelien Lathuiliere
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 114 16Th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Memory Center, Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, Geneva University Hospital and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Youhwa Jo
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 114 16Th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Romain Perbet
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 114 16Th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cameron Donahue
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 114 16Th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Caitlin Commins
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 114 16Th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Noé Quittot
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 114 16Th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zhanyun Fan
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 114 16Th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Rachel E Bennett
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 114 16Th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 114 16Th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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Mate De Gerando A, Welikovitch LA, Khasnavis A, Commins C, Glynn C, Chun JE, Perbet R, Hyman BT. Tau seeding and spreading in vivo is supported by both AD-derived fibrillar and oligomeric tau. Acta Neuropathol 2023; 146:191-210. [PMID: 37341831 PMCID: PMC10329061 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02600-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Insoluble fibrillar tau, the primary constituent of neurofibrillary tangles, has traditionally been thought to be the biologically active, toxic form of tau mediating neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease. More recent studies have implicated soluble oligomeric tau species, referred to as high molecular weight (HMW), due to their properties on size-exclusion chromatography, in tau propagation across neural systems. These two forms of tau have never been directly compared. We prepared sarkosyl-insoluble and HMW tau from the frontal cortex of Alzheimer patients and compared their properties using a variety of biophysical and bioactivity assays. Sarkosyl-insoluble fibrillar tau comprises abundant paired-helical filaments (PHF) as quantified by electron microscopy (EM) and is more resistant to proteinase K, compared to HMW tau, which is mostly in an oligomeric form. Sarkosyl-insoluble and HMW tau are nearly equivalent in potency in HEK cell bioactivity assay for seeding aggregates, and their injection reveals similar local uptake into hippocampal neurons in PS19 Tau transgenic mice. However, the HMW preparation appears to be far more potent in inducing a glial response including Clec7a-positive rod microglia in the absence of neurodegeneration or synapse loss and promotes more rapid propagation of misfolded tau to distal, anatomically connected regions, such as entorhinal and perirhinal cortices. These data suggest that soluble HMW tau has similar properties to fibrillar sarkosyl-insoluble tau with regard to tau seeding potential, but may be equal or even more bioactive with respect to propagation across neural systems and activation of glial responses, both relevant to tau-related Alzheimer phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasie Mate De Gerando
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Lindsay A Welikovitch
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anita Khasnavis
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Caitlin Commins
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Calina Glynn
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Joshua E Chun
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Romain Perbet
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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McMillan PJ, Benbow SJ, Uhrich R, Saxton A, Baum M, Strovas T, Wheeler JM, Baker J, Liachko NF, Keene CD, Latimer CS, Kraemer BC. Tau-RNA complexes inhibit microtubule polymerization and drive disease-relevant conformation change. Brain 2023; 146:3206-3220. [PMID: 36732296 PMCID: PMC10393409 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease and related disorders feature neurofibrillary tangles and other neuropathological lesions composed of detergent-insoluble tau protein. In recent structural biology studies of tau proteinopathy, aggregated tau forms a distinct set of conformational variants specific to the different types of tauopathy disorders. However, the constituents driving the formation of distinct pathological tau conformations on pathway to tau-mediated neurodegeneration remain unknown. Previous work demonstrated RNA can serve as a driver of tau aggregation, and RNA associates with tau containing lesions, but tools for evaluating tau/RNA interactions remain limited. Here, we employed molecular interaction studies to measure the impact of tau/RNA binding on tau microtubule binding and aggregation. To investigate the importance of tau/RNA complexes (TRCs) in neurodegenerative disease, we raised a monoclonal antibody (TRC35) against aggregated tau/RNA complexes. We showed that native tau binds RNA with high affinity but low specificity, and tau binding to RNA competes with tau-mediated microtubule assembly functions. Tau/RNA interaction in vitro promotes the formation of higher molecular weight tau/RNA complexes, which represent an oligomeric tau species. Coexpression of tau and poly(A)45 RNA transgenes in Caenorhabditis elegans exacerbates tau-related phenotypes including neuronal dysfunction and pathological tau accumulation. TRC35 exhibits specificity for Alzheimer's disease-derived detergent-insoluble tau relative to soluble recombinant tau. Immunostaining with TRC35 labels a wide variety of pathological tau lesions in animal models of tauopathy, which are reduced in mice lacking the RNA binding protein MSUT2. TRC-positive lesions are evident in many human tauopathies including Alzheimer's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration and Pick's disease. We also identified ocular pharyngeal muscular dystrophy as a novel tauopathy disorder, where loss of function in the poly(A) RNA binding protein (PABPN1) causes accumulation of pathological tau in tissue from post-mortem human brain. Tau/RNA binding drives tau conformational change and aggregation inhibiting tau-mediated microtubule assembly. Our findings implicate cellular tau/RNA interactions as modulators of both normal tau function and pathological tau toxicity in tauopathy disorders and suggest feasibility for novel therapeutic approaches targeting TRCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela J McMillan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
| | - Sarah J Benbow
- Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
- Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
| | - Rikki Uhrich
- Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
| | - Aleen Saxton
- Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
| | - Misa Baum
- Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
| | - Timothy Strovas
- Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
| | - Jeanna M Wheeler
- Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
| | - Jeremy Baker
- Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
- Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
| | - Nicole F Liachko
- Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
- Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
| | - C Dirk Keene
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Caitlin S Latimer
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Brian C Kraemer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA
- Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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Zeng Z, Vijayan V, Tsay K, Frost MP, Quddus A, Albert A, Vigers M, Woerman AL, Han S. CBD and PSP cell-passaged Tau Seeds Generate Heterogeneous Fibrils with A sub-population Adopting Disease Folds. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.19.549721. [PMID: 37502998 PMCID: PMC10370138 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.19.549721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
The recent discovery by cryo-electron microscopy that the neuropatho-logical hallmarks of different tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease, corticobasal degeneration (CBD), and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), are caused by unique misfolded conformations of the protein tau is among the most profound developments in neurodegenerative disease research. To capitalize on these discoveries for therapeutic development, one must achieve in vitro replication of tau fibrils that adopt the rep-resentative tauopathy disease folds - a grand challenge. To understand whether the commonly used, but imperfect, fragment of the tau pro-tein, K18, is capable of inducing specific protein folds, fibril seeds derived from CBD- and PSP-infected biosensor cells expressing K18, were used to achieve cell-free assembly of naïve, recombinant 4R tau into fibrils without the addition of any cofactors. Using Double Electron Electron Resonance (DEER) spectroscopy, we discovered that cell-passaged patho-logical seeds generate heterogeneous fibrils that are distinct between the CBD and PSP lysate-seeded fibrils, and are also unique from heparin-induced tau fibril populations. Moreover, the lysate-seeded fibrils contain a characteristic sub-population that resembles either the CBD or PSP disease fold, corresponding with the respective starting patient sam-ple. These findings indicate that CBD and PSP patient-derived fibrils retain strain properties after passaging through K18 reporter cells.
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Colom-Cadena M, Davies C, Sirisi S, Lee JE, Simzer EM, Tzioras M, Querol-Vilaseca M, Sánchez-Aced É, Chang YY, Holt K, McGeachan RI, Rose J, Tulloch J, Wilkins L, Smith C, Andrian T, Belbin O, Pujals S, Horrocks MH, Lleó A, Spires-Jones TL. Synaptic oligomeric tau in Alzheimer's disease - A potential culprit in the spread of tau pathology through the brain. Neuron 2023; 111:2170-2183.e6. [PMID: 37192625 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
In Alzheimer's disease, fibrillar tau pathology accumulates and spreads through the brain and synapses are lost. Evidence from mouse models indicates that tau spreads trans-synaptically from pre- to postsynapses and that oligomeric tau is synaptotoxic, but data on synaptic tau in human brain are scarce. Here we used sub-diffraction-limit microscopy to study synaptic tau accumulation in postmortem temporal and occipital cortices of human Alzheimer's and control donors. Oligomeric tau is present in pre- and postsynaptic terminals, even in areas without abundant fibrillar tau deposition. Furthermore, there is a higher proportion of oligomeric tau compared with phosphorylated or misfolded tau found at synaptic terminals. These data suggest that accumulation of oligomeric tau in synapses is an early event in pathogenesis and that tau pathology may progress through the brain via trans-synaptic spread in human disease. Thus, specifically reducing oligomeric tau at synapses may be a promising therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martí Colom-Cadena
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Caitlin Davies
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sònia Sirisi
- Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques Sant Pau - Hospital de Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ji-Eun Lee
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; IRR Chemistry Hub, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, EH16 4 UU Edinburgh, UK
| | - Elizabeth M Simzer
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Makis Tzioras
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Marta Querol-Vilaseca
- Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques Sant Pau - Hospital de Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Érika Sánchez-Aced
- Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques Sant Pau - Hospital de Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ya Yin Chang
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kristjan Holt
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Robert I McGeachan
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jamie Rose
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jane Tulloch
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Lewis Wilkins
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Colin Smith
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences and Sudden Death Brain Bank, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Teodora Andrian
- Nanoscopy for Nanomedicine Lab, Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Olivia Belbin
- Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques Sant Pau - Hospital de Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sílvia Pujals
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mathew H Horrocks
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; IRR Chemistry Hub, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, EH16 4 UU Edinburgh, UK
| | - Alberto Lleó
- Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques Sant Pau - Hospital de Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK.
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Ichimata S, Martinez-Valbuena I, Lee S, Li J, Karakani AM, Kovacs GG. Distinct Molecular Signatures of Amyloid-Beta and Tau in Alzheimer's Disease Associated with Down Syndrome. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11596. [PMID: 37511361 PMCID: PMC10380583 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411596] [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: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Limited comparative data exist on the molecular spectrum of amyloid-beta (Aβ) and tau deposition in individuals with Down syndrome (DS) and sporadic Alzheimer's disease (sAD). We assessed Aβ and tau deposition severity in the temporal lobe and cerebellum of ten DS and ten sAD cases. Immunohistochemistry was performed using antibodies against eight different Aβ epitopes (6F/3D, Aβ38, Aβ39, Aβ40, Aβ42, Aβ43, pyroglutamate Aβ at third glutamic acid (AβNp3E), phosphorylated- (p-)Aβ at 8th serine (AβpSer8)), and six different pathological tau epitopes (p-Ser202/Thr205, p-Thr231, p-Ser396, Alz50, MC1, GT38). Findings were evaluated semi-quantitatively and quantitatively using digital pathology. DS cases had significantly higher neocortical parenchymal deposition (Aβ38, Aβ42, and AβpSer8), and cerebellar parenchymal deposition (Aβ40, Aβ42, AβNp3E, and AβpSer8) than sAD cases. Furthermore, DS cases had a significantly larger mean plaque size (6F/3D, Aβ42, AβNp3E) in the temporal lobe, and significantly greater deposition of cerebral and cerebellar Aβ42 than sAD cases in the quantitative analysis. Western blotting corroborated these findings. Regarding tau pathology, DS cases had significantly more severe cerebral tau deposition than sAD cases, especially in the white matter (p-Ser202/Thr205, p-Thr231, Alz50, and MC1). Greater total tau deposition in the white matter (p-Ser202/Thr205, p-Thr231, and Alz50) of DS cases was confirmed by quantitative analysis. Our data suggest that the Aβ and tau molecular signatures in DS are distinct from those in sAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shojiro Ichimata
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 2S8, Canada; (S.I.); (I.M.-V.); (S.L.); (J.L.); (A.M.K.)
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Department of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-8555, Japan
| | - Ivan Martinez-Valbuena
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 2S8, Canada; (S.I.); (I.M.-V.); (S.L.); (J.L.); (A.M.K.)
| | - Seojin Lee
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 2S8, Canada; (S.I.); (I.M.-V.); (S.L.); (J.L.); (A.M.K.)
| | - Jun Li
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 2S8, Canada; (S.I.); (I.M.-V.); (S.L.); (J.L.); (A.M.K.)
| | - Ali M. Karakani
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 2S8, Canada; (S.I.); (I.M.-V.); (S.L.); (J.L.); (A.M.K.)
| | - Gabor G. Kovacs
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 2S8, Canada; (S.I.); (I.M.-V.); (S.L.); (J.L.); (A.M.K.)
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson’s Disease, Rossy Program for PSP Research and the Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, ON M5T 2S8, Canada
- Laboratory Medicine Program, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada
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