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Dallmeier JD, Gober R, Vontell RT, Barreda A, Dorfsman DA, Davis DA, Sun X, Brzostowicki D, Bennett I, Garamszegi SP, Wander CM, Cohen T, Scott WK. Corpora amylacea negatively correlate with hippocampal tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1286924. [PMID: 38486969 PMCID: PMC10937356 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1286924] [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: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Severity and distribution of aggregated tau and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) are strongly correlated with the clinical presentation of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Clearance of aggregated tau could decrease the rate of NFT formation and delay AD onset. Recent studies implicate corpora amylacea (CA) as a regulator of onset or accumulation of tau pathology. Normally, CA clear brain waste products by amassing cellular debris, which are then extruded into the cerebrospinal fluid to be phagocytosed. The proper functioning of CA may slow progression of AD-associated NFT pathology, and this relationship may be influenced by amount and distribution of phospho-tau (pTau) produced, age, sex, and genetic risk. Objective The goal of this study was to determine if CA size and number are associated with hippocampal location and local pTau severity while accounting for variations in age, sex, and genetic risk. Methods Postmortem brain hippocampal tissue sections from 40 AD and 38 unaffected donors were immunohistochemically stained with AT8 (pTau) and counter stained with periodic acid Schiff (PAS). Stained sections of the CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus were analyzed. The percent area occupied (%AO) of CA, pTau, and NFT was calculated. Pairwise comparisons and regression modeling were used to analyze the influence of age, pTau %AO, and genetic risk on %AO by CA in each region, separately in donors with AD and unaffected donors. Results CA %AO was significantly higher in the CA3 region compared to CA1 in both groups. A significant negative correlation of CA %AO with both pTau %AO and neurofibrillary tangle %AO in the CA3 region of AD brain donors was found. Regression analysis in the CA3 region revealed a significant negative association between CA with both pTau and age. Conclusion We found an increase of CA in the CA3 region, compared to CA1 region, in AD and unaffected donors. This may suggest that the CA3 region is a hub for waste removal. Additionally, the negative correlation between %AO by CA and NFT in the CA3 region of the hippocampus in donors with AD suggests CA could play a role in AD pathologic progression by influencing tau clearance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian D. Dallmeier
- Brain Endowment Bank, Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Ryan Gober
- Brain Endowment Bank, Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Regina T. Vontell
- Brain Endowment Bank, Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
- Department of Neurology, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Ayled Barreda
- Brain Endowment Bank, Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Daniel A. Dorfsman
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - David A. Davis
- Brain Endowment Bank, Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
- Department of Neurology, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Xiaoyan Sun
- Brain Endowment Bank, Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
- Department of Neurology, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Daniel Brzostowicki
- Brain Endowment Bank, Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Illiana Bennett
- Brain Endowment Bank, Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Susanna P. Garamszegi
- Brain Endowment Bank, Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Connor M. Wander
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Todd Cohen
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - William K. Scott
- Brain Endowment Bank, Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
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Wu C, Xing W, Zhang Y, Wang J, Zuo N, Sun F, Liu Q, Liu S. NLRP3/miR-223-3p axis attenuates neuroinflammation induced by chronic intermittent hypoxia. Funct Integr Genomics 2023; 23:342. [PMID: 37991531 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-023-01268-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: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is mainly characterized by chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) with multiple brain injuries. Nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is considered the most important factor inducing and maintaining inflammation. However, the role of NLRP3 and its underlying mechanism in CIH-elicited neuroinflammation remains unclear. We constructed an OSA-related CIH in vivo model and assessed the rats' cognitive behavior in the Morris water maze. The combination of miR-223-3p and NLRP3 was confirmed by the TargetScan database, double luciferase reporter gene experiment, and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) experiment. Western blot and ELISA assay were used to analyze the effects of miR-223-3p targeting NLRP3 on the expression of pyroptotic or inflammatory factors in vivo in CIH rats. Severe cognitive impairment was observed in rats at week 6 post-treatment, with increased inflammatory factors in the blood and hippocampus, heightened NLRP3 expression, and low miR-223-3p levels. And the good binding activity of the two was confirmed by dual luciferase reporter and RIP experiments. Next, we found that silencing NLRP3 or overexpression of miR-223-3p in the CIH model could improve cognitive deficits and reduce the level of proinflammatory factors and pyroptosis factors in rats. Finally, based on silencing NLRP3 or overexpression miR-223-3p, we confirmed that there was a regulatory relationship between miR-223-3p and NLRP3. Our results suggested that the NLRP3/ miR-223-3p axis played a role in attenuating CIH-induced neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Wu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Yijishan Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, No. 2, Zheshanxi Road, Wuhu, 241006, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Non-Coding RNA Basic and Clinical Transformation, Wuhu, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Clinical Research Center for Critical Respiratory Medicine, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Wen Xing
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Non-Coding RNA Basic and Clinical Transformation, Wuhu, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Clinical Research Center for Critical Respiratory Medicine, Wuhu, Anhui, China
- Department of Gerontology, Yijishan Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Yuanxiang Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Jue Wang
- School Doctor Courtyard, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Na Zuo
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Yijishan Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, No. 2, Zheshanxi Road, Wuhu, 241006, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Non-Coding RNA Basic and Clinical Transformation, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Fuqin Sun
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Yijishan Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, No. 2, Zheshanxi Road, Wuhu, 241006, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Non-Coding RNA Basic and Clinical Transformation, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Qi Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Yijishan Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, No. 2, Zheshanxi Road, Wuhu, 241006, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Non-Coding RNA Basic and Clinical Transformation, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Shaofeng Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Yijishan Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, No. 2, Zheshanxi Road, Wuhu, 241006, Anhui, China.
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Non-Coding RNA Basic and Clinical Transformation, Wuhu, Anhui, China.
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Lee JY, Mack AF, Mattheus U, Donato S, Longo R, Tromba G, Shiozawa T, Scheffler K, Hagberg GE. Distribution of corpora amylacea in the human midbrain: using synchrotron radiation phase-contrast microtomography, high-field magnetic resonance imaging, and histology. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1236876. [PMID: 37869518 PMCID: PMC10586329 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1236876] [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: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Corpora amylacea (CA) are polyglucosan aggregated granules that accumulate in the human body throughout aging. In the cerebrum, CA have been found in proximity to ventricular walls, pial surfaces, and blood vessels. However, studies showing their three-dimensional spatial distribution are sparse. In this study, volumetric images of four human brain stems were obtained with MRI and phase-contrast X-ray microtomography, followed up by Periodic acid Schiff stain for validation. CA appeared as hyperintense spheroid structures with diameters up to 30 μm. An automatic pipeline was developed to segment the CA, and the spatial distribution of over 200,000 individual corpora amylacea could be investigated. A threefold-or higher-density of CA was detected in the dorsomedial column of the periaqueductal gray (860-4,200 CA count/mm3) than in the superior colliculus (150-340 CA count/mm3). We estimated that about 2% of the CA were located in the immediate vicinity of the vessels or in the peri-vascular space. While CA in the ependymal lining of the cerebral aqueduct was rare, the sub-pial tissue of the anterior and posterior midbrain contained several CA. In the sample with the highest CA density, quantitative maps obtained with MRI revealed high R2* values and a diamagnetic shift in a region which spatially coincided with the CA dense region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju Young Lee
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, Eberhard Karl's University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- High Field Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andreas F. Mack
- Institute of Clinical Anatomy and Cell Analysis, Eberhard Karl's University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ulrich Mattheus
- Institute of Clinical Anatomy and Cell Analysis, Eberhard Karl's University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sandro Donato
- Department of Physics and STAR-LAB, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
- Division of Frascati, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Frascati, Italy
| | - Renata Longo
- Department of Physics, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
- Division of Trieste, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Thomas Shiozawa
- Institute of Clinical Anatomy and Cell Analysis, Eberhard Karl's University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Klaus Scheffler
- High Field Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Gisela E. Hagberg
- High Field Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Riba M, Romera C, Alsina R, Alsina-Scheer G, Pelegrí C, Vilaplana J, Del Valle J. Analyzing the Virchow pioneering report on brain corpora amylacea: shedding light on recurrent controversies. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:1371-1378. [PMID: 37358661 PMCID: PMC10335943 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02664-5] [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: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
The first report of corpora amylacea (CA) is attributed to Morgagni, who described them in the prostate in the eighteenth century. Nearly a hundred years later, and following the lead started by Purkinje, Virchow described them in the brain. He made a detailed description of the most useful techniques to visualize them, but he failed to describe the cause of why CA do appear, why they are mainly linked with the elderly, and which is their clinical significance. Although in the last two centuries CA have received little attention, recent data have been able to describe that CA accumulate waste products and that some of them can be found in the cerebrospinal fluid and lymphatic nodes, after being released from the brain. Indeed, CA have been renamed to wasteosomes to underline the waste products they gather and to avoid confusion with the term amyloid used by Virchow, now widely related to certain protein deposits found in the brain. Here, after providing a commented English translation of Virchow's findings, we provide a recent update on these structures and their connection with the glymphatic system insufficiency, for which wasteosomes should be considered a hallmark, and how these bodies could serve as diagnostic or prognostic markers of various brain conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Riba
- Secció de Fisiologia, Departament de Bioquímica i Fisiologia, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l'Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
- Centros de Biomedicina en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031, Madrid, Spain
| | - Clara Romera
- Secció de Fisiologia, Departament de Bioquímica i Fisiologia, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l'Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
- Centros de Biomedicina en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raquel Alsina
- Secció de Fisiologia, Departament de Bioquímica i Fisiologia, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l'Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
- Centros de Biomedicina en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Carme Pelegrí
- Secció de Fisiologia, Departament de Bioquímica i Fisiologia, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l'Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
- Centros de Biomedicina en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Vilaplana
- Secció de Fisiologia, Departament de Bioquímica i Fisiologia, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l'Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
- Centros de Biomedicina en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jaume Del Valle
- Secció de Fisiologia, Departament de Bioquímica i Fisiologia, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l'Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08035, Barcelona, Spain.
- Centros de Biomedicina en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031, Madrid, Spain.
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Wasteosomes ( corpora amylacea) as a hallmark of chronic glymphatic insufficiency. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2211326119. [PMID: 36409907 PMCID: PMC9860256 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2211326119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In different organs and tissues, the lymphatic system serves as a drainage system for interstitial fluid and is useful for removing substances that would otherwise accumulate in the interstitium. In the brain, which lacks lymphatic circulation, the drainage and cleaning function is performed by the glymphatic system, called so for its dependence on glial cells and its similar function to that of the lymphatic system. In the present article, we define glymphatic insufficiency as the inability of the glymphatic system to properly perform the brain cleaning function. Furthermore, we propose that corpora amylacea or wasteosomes, which are protective structures that act as waste containers and accumulate waste products, are, in fact, a manifestation of chronic glymphatic insufficiency. Assuming this premise, we provide an explanation that coherently links the formation, distribution, structure, and function of these bodies in the human brain. Moreover, we open up new perspectives in the study of the glymphatic system since wasteosomes can provide information about which variables have the greatest impact on the glymphatic system and which diseases occur with chronic glymphatic insufficiency. For example, based on the presence of wasteosomes, it seems that aging, sleep disorders, and cerebrovascular pathologies have the highest impact on the glymphatic system, whereas neurodegenerative diseases have a more limited impact. Furthermore, as glymphatic insufficiency is a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases, information provided by wasteosomes could help to define the strategies and actions that can prevent glymphatic disruptions, thus limiting the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases.
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Wander CM, Tsujimoto THM, Ervin JF, Wang C, Maranto SM, Bhat V, Dallmeier JD, Wang SHJ, Lin FC, Scott WK, Holtzman DM, Cohen TJ. Corpora amylacea are associated with tau burden and cognitive status in Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022; 10:110. [PMID: 35941704 PMCID: PMC9361643 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01409-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Corpora amylacea (CA) and their murine analogs, periodic acid Schiff (PAS) granules, are age-related, carbohydrate-rich structures that serve as waste repositories for aggregated proteins, damaged cellular organelles, and other cellular debris. The structure, morphology, and suspected functions of CA in the brain imply disease relevance. Despite this, the link between CA and age-related neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's disease (AD), remains poorly defined. We performed a neuropathological analysis of mouse PAS granules and human CA and correlated these findings with AD progression. Increased PAS granule density was observed in symptomatic tau transgenic mice and APOE knock-in mice. Using a cohort of postmortem AD brain samples, we examined CA in cognitively normal and dementia patients across Braak stages with varying APOE status. We identified a Braak-stage dependent bimodal distribution of CA in the dentate gyrus, with CA accumulating and peaking by Braak stages II-III, then steadily declining with increasing tau burden. Refined analysis revealed an association of CA levels with both cognition and APOE status. Finally, tau was detected in whole CA present in human patient cerebrospinal fluid, highlighting CA-tau as a plausible prodromal AD biomarker. Our study connects hallmarks of the aging brain with the emergence of AD pathology and suggests that CA may act as a compensatory factor that becomes depleted with advancing tau burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor M. Wander
- grid.10698.360000000122483208Department of Neurology, UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC USA ,grid.410711.20000 0001 1034 1720Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | | | - John F. Ervin
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Bryan Brain Bank, Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC USA
| | - Chanung Wang
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA
| | - Spencer M. Maranto
- grid.10698.360000000122483208Department of Neurology, UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Vanya Bhat
- grid.10698.360000000122483208Department of Neurology, UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Julian D. Dallmeier
- grid.26790.3a0000 0004 1936 8606Brain Endowment Bank, Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL USA
| | - Shih-Hsiu Jerry Wang
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Bryan Brain Bank, Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC USA ,grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC USA
| | - Feng-Chang Lin
- grid.410711.20000 0001 1034 1720Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - William K. Scott
- grid.26790.3a0000 0004 1936 8606Brain Endowment Bank, Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL USA ,grid.26790.3a0000 0004 1936 8606John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL USA ,grid.26790.3a0000 0004 1936 8606Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL USA
| | - David M. Holtzman
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA
| | - Todd J. Cohen
- grid.10698.360000000122483208Department of Neurology, UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC USA ,grid.410711.20000 0001 1034 1720Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
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