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Anbaraki A, Dindar Z, Mousavi-Jarrahi Z, Ghasemi A, Moeini Z, Evini M, Saboury AA, Seyedarabi A. The novel anti-fibrillary effects of volatile compounds α-asarone and β-caryophyllene on tau protein: Towards promising therapeutic agents for Alzheimer's disease. Int J Biol Macromol 2024:132401. [PMID: 38761902 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132401] [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: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
The abnormal deposition of tau protein is one of the critical causes of tauopathies including Alzheimer's disease (AD). In recent years, there has been great interest in the use of essential oils and volatile compounds in aromatherapy for treating AD, since volatile compounds can directly reach the brain through intranasal administration. The volatile compounds α-asarone (ASA) and β-caryophyllene (BCP) have revealed various important neuroprotective properties, useful in treating AD. In this study, the volatile compounds ASA and BCP were assessed for their effectiveness in preventing tau fibrillation, disassembly of pre-formed tau fibrils, and disaggregation of tau aggregates. SDS-PAGE and AFM analyses revealed that ASA and BCP inhibited tau fibrillation/aggregation and decreased the mean size of tau oligomers. Tau samples treated with ASA and BCP, showed a reduction in ThT and ANS fluorescence intensities, and a decrease in the β-sheet content. Additionally, ASA and BCP disassembled the pre-formed tau fibrils to the granular and linear oligomeric intermediates. Treatment of neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells with tau samples treated with ASA and BCP, revealed protective effects as shown by reduced toxicity of the cells, due to the inhibition of tau fibrillation/aggregation. Overall, ASA and BCP appeared to be promising therapeutic candidates for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afrooz Anbaraki
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Dindar
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Atiyeh Ghasemi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Moeini
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mina Evini
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Akbar Saboury
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Arefeh Seyedarabi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
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2
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Rizzi L, Grinberg LT. Exploring the significance of caspase-cleaved tau in tauopathies and as a complementary pathology to phospho-tau in Alzheimer's disease: implications for biomarker development and therapeutic targeting. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2024; 12:36. [PMID: 38419122 PMCID: PMC10900669 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-024-01744-9] [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: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are neurodegenerative diseases that typically require postmortem examination for a definitive diagnosis. Detecting neurotoxic tau fragments in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum provides an opportunity for in vivo diagnosis and disease monitoring. Current assays primarily focus on total tau or phospho-tau, overlooking other post-translational modifications (PTMs). Caspase-cleaved tau is a significant component of AD neuropathological lesions, and experimental studies confirm the high neurotoxicity of these tau species. Recent evidence indicates that certain caspase-cleaved tau species, such as D13 and D402, are abundant in AD brain neurons and only show a modest degree of co-occurrence with phospho-tau, meaning caspase-truncated tau pathology is partially distinct and complementary to phospho-tau pathology. Furthermore, these caspase-cleaved tau species are nearly absent in 4-repeat tauopathies. In this review, we will discuss the significance of caspase-cleaved tau in the development of tauopathies, specifically emphasizing its role in AD. In addition, we will explore the potential of caspase-cleaved tau as a biomarker and the advantages for drug development targeting caspase-6. Developing specific and sensitive assays for caspase-cleaved tau in biofluids holds promise for improving the diagnosis and monitoring of tauopathies, providing valuable insights into disease progression and treatment efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liara Rizzi
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Sandler Neurosciences Center, University of California San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Lea T Grinberg
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Sandler Neurosciences Center, University of California San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
- Department of Pathology, LIM-22, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Martin SP, Leeman-Markowski BA. Proposed mechanisms of tau: relationships to traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's disease, and epilepsy. Front Neurol 2024; 14:1287545. [PMID: 38249745 PMCID: PMC10797726 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1287545] [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: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and epilepsy share proposed mechanisms of injury, including neuronal excitotoxicity, cascade signaling, and activation of protein biomarkers such as tau. Although tau is typically present intracellularly, in tauopathies, phosphorylated (p-) and hyper-phosphorylated (hp-) tau are released extracellularly, the latter leading to decreased neuronal stability and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Tau cleavage at particular sites increases susceptibility to hyper-phosphorylation, NFT formation, and eventual cell death. The relationship between tau and inflammation, however, is unknown. In this review, we present evidence for an imbalanced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response and inflammatory signaling pathways resulting in atypical p-tau, hp-tau and NFT formation. Further, we propose tau as a biomarker for neuronal injury severity in TBI, AD, and epilepsy. We present a hypothesis of tau phosphorylation as an initial acute neuroprotective response to seizures/TBI. However, if the underlying seizure pathology or TBI recurrence is not effectively treated, and the pathway becomes chronically activated, we propose a "tipping point" hypothesis that identifies a transition of tau phosphorylation from neuroprotective to injurious. We outline the role of amyloid beta (Aβ) as a "last ditch effort" to revert the cell to programmed death signaling, that, when fails, transitions the mechanism from injurious to neurodegenerative. Lastly, we discuss targets along these pathways for therapeutic intervention in AD, TBI, and epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha P. Martin
- Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neurology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
- New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- VA New York Harbor Healthcare System, New York, NY, United States
| | - Beth A. Leeman-Markowski
- Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neurology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
- VA New York Harbor Healthcare System, New York, NY, United States
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4
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Le LTHL, Lee J, Im D, Park S, Hwang K, Lee JH, Jiang Y, Lee Y, Suh YH, Kim HI, Lee MJ. Self-Aggregating Tau Fragments Recapitulate Pathologic Phenotypes and Neurotoxicity of Alzheimer's Disease in Mice. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2302035. [PMID: 37594721 PMCID: PMC10582461 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202302035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
In tauopathy conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), highly soluble and natively unfolded tau polymerizes into an insoluble filament; however, the mechanistic details of this process remain unclear. In the brains of AD patients, only a minor segment of tau forms β-helix-stacked protofilaments, while its flanking regions form disordered fuzzy coats. Here, it is demonstrated that the tau AD nucleation core (tau-AC) sufficiently induced self-aggregation and recruited full-length tau to filaments. Unexpectedly, phospho-mimetic forms of tau-AC (at Ser324 or Ser356) show markedly reduced oligomerization and seeding propensities. Biophysical analysis reveal that the N-terminus of tau-AC facilitates the fibrillization kinetics as a nucleation motif, which becomes sterically shielded through phosphorylation-induced conformational changes in tau-AC. Tau-AC oligomers are efficiently internalized into cells via endocytosis and induced endogenous tau aggregation. In primary hippocampal neurons, tau-AC impaired axon initial segment plasticity upon chronic depolarization and is mislocalized to the somatodendritic compartments. Furthermore, it is observed significantly impaired memory retrieval in mice intrahippocampally injected with tau-AC fibrils, which corresponds to the neuropathological staining and neuronal loss in the brain. These findings identify tau-AC species as a key neuropathological driver in AD, suggesting novel strategies for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ly Thi Huong Luu Le
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologySeoul National University College of MedicineSeoul03080South Korea
- Department of Biomedical SciencesSeoul National University Graduate SchoolSeoul03080South Korea
| | - Jeeyoung Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologySeoul National University College of MedicineSeoul03080South Korea
- Brain Science InstituteKorea Institute of Science and TechnologySeoul02792South Korea
| | - Dongjoon Im
- Department of ChemistryKorea UniversitySeoul02841South Korea
| | - Sunha Park
- Department of Biomedical SciencesSeoul National University Graduate SchoolSeoul03080South Korea
| | - Kyoung‐Doo Hwang
- Department of Biomedical SciencesSeoul National University Graduate SchoolSeoul03080South Korea
- Department of PhysiologySeoul National University College of MedicineSeoul03080South Korea
| | - Jung Hoon Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologySeoul National University College of MedicineSeoul03080South Korea
| | - Yanxialei Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologySeoul National University College of MedicineSeoul03080South Korea
- School of MedicineLinyi UniversityLinyi276000China
| | - Yong‐Seok Lee
- Department of Biomedical SciencesSeoul National University Graduate SchoolSeoul03080South Korea
- Department of PhysiologySeoul National University College of MedicineSeoul03080South Korea
- Neuroscience Research InstituteSeoul National University College of MedicineSeoul03080South Korea
| | - Young Ho Suh
- Department of Biomedical SciencesSeoul National University Graduate SchoolSeoul03080South Korea
- Neuroscience Research InstituteSeoul National University College of MedicineSeoul03080South Korea
| | - Hugh I. Kim
- Department of ChemistryKorea UniversitySeoul02841South Korea
| | - Min Jae Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologySeoul National University College of MedicineSeoul03080South Korea
- Department of Biomedical SciencesSeoul National University Graduate SchoolSeoul03080South Korea
- Ischemic/Hypoxic Disease Institute, Convergence Research Center for DementiaSeoul National University College of MedicineSeoul03080South Korea
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Singh R, Hussain J, Kaur A, Jamdare BG, Pathak D, Garg K, Kaur R, Shankar S, Sunkaria A. The hidden players: Shedding light on the significance of post-translational modifications and miRNAs in Alzheimer's disease development. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 90:102002. [PMID: 37423542 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.102002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent, expensive, lethal, and burdening neurodegenerative disease of this century. The initial stages of this disease are characterized by a reduced ability to encode and store new memories. Subsequent cognitive and behavioral deterioration occurs during the later stages. Abnormal cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP) resulting in amyloid-beta (Aβ) accumulation along with hyperphosphorylation of tau protein are the two characteristic hallmarks of AD. Recently, several post-translational modifications (PTMs) have been identified on both Aβ as well as tau proteins. However, a complete understanding of how different PTMs influence the structure and function of proteins in both healthy and diseased conditions is still lacking. It has been speculated that these PTMs might play vital roles in the progression of AD. In addition, several short non-coding microRNA (miRNA) sequences have been found to be deregulated in the peripheral blood of Alzheimer patients. The miRNAs are single-stranded RNAs that control gene expression by causing mRNA degradation, deadenylation, or translational repression and have been implicated in the regulation of several neuronal and glial activities. The lack of comprehensive understanding regarding disease mechanisms, biomarkers, and therapeutic targets greatly hampers the development of effective strategies for early diagnosis and the identification of viable therapeutic targets. Moreover, existing treatment options for managing the disease have proven to be ineffective and provide only temporary relief. Therefore, understanding the role of miRNAs and PTMs in AD can provide valuable insights into disease mechanisms, aid in the identification of biomarkers, facilitate the discovery of novel therapeutic targets, and inspire innovative treatments for this challenging condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravinder Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005, Punjab, India
| | - Julfequar Hussain
- Department of Biotechnology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005, Punjab, India
| | - Amandeep Kaur
- Department of Biotechnology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005, Punjab, India
| | - Balaji Gokul Jamdare
- Department of Biotechnology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005, Punjab, India
| | - Deepti Pathak
- Department of Biotechnology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005, Punjab, India
| | - Kanchan Garg
- Department of Biotechnology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005, Punjab, India
| | - Ramanpreet Kaur
- Department of Biotechnology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005, Punjab, India
| | - Shivani Shankar
- Department of Biotechnology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005, Punjab, India
| | - Aditya Sunkaria
- Department of Biotechnology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 143005, Punjab, India.
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6
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Pockes S, Walters MA, Ashe KH. Targeting caspase-2 interactions with tau in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Transl Res 2023; 254:34-40. [PMID: 36343883 PMCID: PMC9991976 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2022.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Targeting amyloid-β plaques and tau tangles has failed to provide effective treatments for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). A more fruitful pathway to ADRD therapeutics may be the development of therapies that target common signaling pathways that disrupt synaptic connections and impede communication between neurons. In this review, we present our characterization of a signaling pathway common to several neurological diseases featuring dementia including Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body dementia, and Huntington's disease. This signaling pathway features the cleavage of tau by caspase-2 (Casp2) yielding Δtau314 (Casp2/tau/Δtau314). Through a not yet fully delineated mechanism, Δtau314 catalyzes the mislocalization and accumulation of tau to dendritic spines leading to the internalization of AMPA receptors and the concomitant weakening of synaptic transmission. Here, we review the accumulated evidence supporting Casp2 as a druggable target and its importance in ADRD. Additionally, we provide a brief overview of our initial medicinal chemistry explorations aimed at the preparation of novel, brain penetrant Casp2 inhibitors. We anticipate that this review will spark broader interest in Casp2 as a target for restoring synaptic dysfunction in ADRD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Pockes
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute for Therapeutics Discovery and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
| | - Michael A Walters
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute for Therapeutics Discovery and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
| | - Karen H Ashe
- Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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7
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24-Hydroxycholesterol Induces Tau Proteasome-Dependent Degradation via the SIRT1/PGC1α/Nrf2 Pathway: A Potential Mechanism to Counteract Alzheimer’s Disease. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:antiox12030631. [PMID: 36978879 PMCID: PMC10044740 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12030631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Considerable evidence indicates that cholesterol oxidation products, named oxysterols, play a key role in several events involved in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis. Although the majority of oxysterols causes neuron dysfunction and degeneration, 24-hydroxycholesterol (24-OHC) has recently been thought to be neuroprotective also. The present study aimed at supporting this concept by exploring, in SK-N-BE neuroblastoma cells, whether 24-OHC affected the neuroprotective SIRT1/PGC1α/Nrf2 axis. We demonstrated that 24-OHC, through the up-regulation of the deacetylase SIRT1, was able to increase both PGC1α and Nrf2 expression and protein levels, as well as Nrf2 nuclear translocation. By acting on this neuroprotective pathway, 24-OHC favors tau protein clearance by triggering tau ubiquitination and subsequently its degradation through the ubiquitin–proteasome system. We also observed a modulation of SIRT1, PGC1α, and Nrf2 expression and synthesis in the brain of AD patients with the progression of the disease, suggesting their potential role in neuroprotection. These findings suggest that 24-OHC contributes to tau degradation through the up-regulation of the SIRT1/PGC1α/Nrf2 axis. Overall, the evidence points out the importance of avoiding 24-OHC loss, which can occur in the AD brain, and of limiting SIRT1, PGC1α, and Nrf2 deregulation in order to prevent the neurotoxic accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau and counteract neurodegeneration.
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8
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Polanco JC, Götz J. Exosomal and vesicle-free tau seeds-propagation and convergence in endolysosomal permeabilization. FEBS J 2022; 289:6891-6907. [PMID: 34092031 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
In Alzheimer's disease (AD), β-amyloid peptides aggregate to form amyloid plaques, and the microtubule-associated protein tau forms neurofibrillary tangles. However, severity and duration of AD correlate with the stereotypical emergence of tau tangles throughout the brain, suggestive of a gradual region-to-region spreading of pathological tau. The current notion in the field is that misfolded tau seeds propagate transsynaptically and corrupt the proper folding of soluble tau in recipient neurons. This is supported by accumulating evidence showing that in AD, functional connectivity and not proximity predicts the spreading of tau pathology. Tau seeds can be found in two flavors, vesicle-free, that is, naked as in oligomers and fibrils, or encapsulated by membranes of secreted vesicles known as exosomes. Both types of seeds have been shown to propagate between interconnected neurons. Here, we describe potential ways of how their propagation can be controlled in several subcellular compartments by manipulating mechanisms affecting production, neuron-to-neuron transmission, internalization, endosomal escape, and autophagy. We emphasize that although vesicle-free tau seeds and exosomes differ, they share the ability to trigger endolysosomal permeabilization. Such a mechanistic convergence in endolysosomal permeabilization presents itself as a unique opportunity to target both types of tau seeding. We discuss the cellular response to endolysosomal damage that might be key to control permeabilization, and the significant overlap in the seeding mechanism of proteopathic agents other than tau, which suggests that targeting the endolysosomal pathway could pave the way toward developing broad-spectrum treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Polanco
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research (CJCADR), Queensland Brain Institute (QBI), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Jürgen Götz
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research (CJCADR), Queensland Brain Institute (QBI), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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Dysfunction of Mitochondria in Alzheimer’s Disease: ANT and VDAC Interact with Toxic Proteins and Aid to Determine the Fate of Brain Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147722. [PMID: 35887070 PMCID: PMC9316216 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), certainly the most widespread proteinopathy, has as classical neuropathological hallmarks, two groups of protein aggregates: senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. However, the research interest is rapidly gaining ground in a better understanding of other pathological features, first, of all the mitochondrial dysfunctions. Several pieces of evidence support the hypothesis that abnormal mitochondrial function may trigger aberrant processing of amyloid progenitor protein or tau and thus neurodegeneration. Here, our aim is to emphasize the role played by two ‘bioenergetic’ proteins inserted in the mitochondrial membranes, inner and outer, respectively, that is, the adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT) and the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC), in the progression of AD. To perform this, we will magnify the ANT and VDAC defects, which are measurable hallmarks of mitochondrial dysfunction, and collect all the existing information on their interaction with toxic Alzheimer’s proteins. The pathological convergence of tau and amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) on mitochondria may finally explain why the therapeutic strategies used against the toxic forms of Aβ or tau have not given promising results separately. Furthermore, the crucial role of ANT-1 and VDAC impairment in the onset/progression of AD opens a window for new therapeutic strategies aimed at preserving/improving mitochondrial function, which is suspected to be the driving force leading to plaque and tangle deposition in AD.
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Targeted proteolytic products of τ and α-synuclein in neurodegeneration. Essays Biochem 2021; 65:905-912. [PMID: 34846537 PMCID: PMC8709889 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20210028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
CNS pathological inclusions comprising τ or α-synuclein (αSyn) define a spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases, and these can often present concurrently in the same individuals. The aggregation of both proteins is clearly associated with neurodegeneration and the deleterious properties of each protein is further supported by mutations in each gene (MAPT and SNCA, respectively) resulting in disease. The initiating events in most sporadic neurodegenerative diseases are still unclear but growing evidence suggests that the aberrant proteolytic cleavage of τ and αSyn results in products that can be toxic and/or initiate aggregation that can further spread by a prion-like mechanism. The accumulation of some of these cleavage products can further potentiate the progression of protein aggregation transmission and lead to their accumulation in peripheral biofluids such as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood. The future development of new tools to detect specific τ and αSyn abnormal cleavage products in peripheral biofluids could be useful biomarkers and better understand of the role of unique proteolytic activities could yield therapeutic interventions.
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Root J, Merino P, Nuckols A, Johnson M, Kukar T. Lysosome dysfunction as a cause of neurodegenerative diseases: Lessons from frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 154:105360. [PMID: 33812000 PMCID: PMC8113138 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are fatal neurodegenerative disorders that are thought to exist on a clinical and pathological spectrum. FTD and ALS are linked by shared genetic causes (e.g. C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansions) and neuropathology, such as inclusions of ubiquitinated, misfolded proteins (e.g. TAR DNA-binding protein 43; TDP-43) in the CNS. Furthermore, some genes that cause FTD or ALS when mutated encode proteins that localize to the lysosome or modulate endosome-lysosome function, including lysosomal fusion, cargo trafficking, lysosomal acidification, autophagy, or TFEB activity. In this review, we summarize evidence that lysosomal dysfunction, caused by genetic mutations (e.g. C9orf72, GRN, MAPT, TMEM106B) or toxic-gain of function (e.g. aggregation of TDP-43 or tau), is an important pathogenic disease mechanism in FTD and ALS. Further studies into the normal function of many of these proteins are required and will help uncover the mechanisms that cause lysosomal dysfunction in FTD and ALS. Mutations or polymorphisms in genes that encode proteins important for endosome-lysosome function also occur in other age-dependent neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's (e.g. APOE, PSEN1, APP) and Parkinson's (e.g. GBA, LRRK2, ATP13A2) disease. A more complete understanding of the common and unique features of lysosome dysfunction across the spectrum of neurodegeneration will help guide the development of therapies for these devastating diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Root
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University, School of Medicine, Atlanta 30322, Georgia; Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Emory University, School of Medicine, Atlanta 30322, Georgia
| | - Paola Merino
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University, School of Medicine, Atlanta 30322, Georgia; Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Emory University, School of Medicine, Atlanta 30322, Georgia
| | - Austin Nuckols
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University, School of Medicine, Atlanta 30322, Georgia; Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Emory University, School of Medicine, Atlanta 30322, Georgia
| | - Michelle Johnson
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University, School of Medicine, Atlanta 30322, Georgia; Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Emory University, School of Medicine, Atlanta 30322, Georgia
| | - Thomas Kukar
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University, School of Medicine, Atlanta 30322, Georgia; Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Emory University, School of Medicine, Atlanta 30322, Georgia; Department of Neurology, Emory University, School of Medicine, Atlanta 30322, Georgia.
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12
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Wu R, Li L, Shi R, Zhou Y, Jin N, Gu J, Tung YC, Liu F, Chu D. Dephosphorylation Passivates the Seeding Activity of Oligomeric Tau Derived From Alzheimer's Brain. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:631833. [PMID: 34054426 PMCID: PMC8155256 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.631833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulation of intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), which are constituted of abnormally phosphorylated tau, is one of the neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The oligomeric aggregates of tau in AD brain (AD O-tau) are believed to trigger NFT spreading by seeding normal tau aggregation as toxic seeds, in a prion-like fashion. Here, we revealed the features of AD O-tau by Western blots using antibodies against various epitopes and determined the effect of dephosphorylation on the seeding activity of AD O-tau by capture and seeded aggregation assays. We found that N-terminal truncated and C-terminalhyperphosphorylated tau species were enriched in AD O-tau. Dephosphorylation of AD O-tau by alkaline phosphatasediminished its activity in capturing tau in vitro and ininducing insoluble aggregates in cultured cells. Our resultssuggested that dephosphorylation passivated the seeding activity ofAD O-tau. Inhibition of phosphorylation may be a potentstrategy to prevent the spreading of tau patho3logy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruozhen Wu
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States
| | - Longfei Li
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States
| | - Ruirui Shi
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States
| | - Yan Zhou
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States
| | - Nana Jin
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Jianlan Gu
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States
| | - Yunn Chyn Tung
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States
| | - Dandan Chu
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China
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13
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Medina L, González-Lizárraga F, Dominguez-Meijide A, Ploper D, Parrales V, Sequeira S, Cima-Omori MS, Zweckstetter M, Del Bel E, Michel PP, Outeiro TF, Raisman-Vozari R, Chehín R, Socias SB. Doxycycline Interferes With Tau Aggregation and Reduces Its Neuronal Toxicity. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:635760. [PMID: 33828477 PMCID: PMC8020845 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.635760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are neurodegenerative disorders with increasing incidence and still without cure. The extensive time required for development and approval of novel therapeutics highlights the need for testing and repurposing known safe molecules. Since doxycycline impacts α-synuclein aggregation and toxicity, herein we tested its effect on tau. We found that doxycycline reduces amyloid aggregation of the 2N4R and K18 isoforms of tau protein in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, in a cell free system doxycycline also prevents tau seeding and in cell culture reduces toxicity of tau aggregates. Overall, our results expand the spectrum of action of doxycycline against aggregation-prone proteins, opening novel perspectives for its repurposing as a disease-modifying drug for tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana Medina
- Instituto de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada (IMMCA) (UNT-CONICET-SIPROSA), Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Florencia González-Lizárraga
- Instituto de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada (IMMCA) (UNT-CONICET-SIPROSA), Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Antonio Dominguez-Meijide
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.,Laboratory of Neuroanatomy and Experimental Neurology, Department of Morphological Sciences, Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.,Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Diego Ploper
- Instituto de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada (IMMCA) (UNT-CONICET-SIPROSA), Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Valeria Parrales
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute -ICM, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Sabrina Sequeira
- Instituto de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada (IMMCA) (UNT-CONICET-SIPROSA), Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Maria-Sol Cima-Omori
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Markus Zweckstetter
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany.,Department for NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Elaine Del Bel
- Physiology- Dental School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Patrick P Michel
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute -ICM, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Tiago Fleming Outeiro
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Goettingen, Germany.,Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Rita Raisman-Vozari
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute -ICM, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Rosana Chehín
- Instituto de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada (IMMCA) (UNT-CONICET-SIPROSA), Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Sergio B Socias
- Instituto de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada (IMMCA) (UNT-CONICET-SIPROSA), Tucumán, Argentina
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14
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Dyakin VV, Wisniewski TM, Lajtha A. Racemization in Post-Translational Modifications Relevance to Protein Aging, Aggregation and Neurodegeneration: Tip of the Iceberg. Symmetry (Basel) 2021; 13:455. [PMID: 34350031 PMCID: PMC8330555 DOI: 10.3390/sym13030455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Homochirality of DNA and prevalent chirality of free and protein-bound amino acids in a living organism represents the challenge for modern biochemistry and neuroscience. The idea of an association between age-related disease, neurodegeneration, and racemization originated from the studies of fossils and cataract disease. Under the pressure of new results, this concept has a broader significance linking protein folding, aggregation, and disfunction to an organism's cognitive and behavioral functions. The integrity of cognitive function is provided by a delicate balance between the evolutionarily imposed molecular homo-chirality and the epigenetic/developmental impact of spontaneous and enzymatic racemization. The chirality of amino acids is the crucial player in the modulation the structure and function of proteins, lipids, and DNA. The collapse of homochirality by racemization is the result of the conformational phase transition. The racemization of protein-bound amino acids (spontaneous and enzymatic) occurs through thermal activation over the energy barrier or by the tunnel transfer effect under the energy barrier. The phase transition is achieved through the intermediate state, where the chirality of alpha carbon vanished. From a thermodynamic consideration, the system in the homo-chiral (single enantiomeric) state is characterized by a decreased level of entropy. The oscillating protein chirality is suggesting its distinct significance in the neurotransmission and flow of perceptual information, adaptive associative learning, and cognitive laterality. The common pathological hallmarks of neurodegenerative disorders include protein misfolding, aging, and the deposition of protease-resistant protein aggregates. Each of the landmarks is influenced by racemization. The brain region, cell type, and age-dependent racemization critically influence the functions of many intracellular, membrane-bound, and extracellular proteins including amyloid precursor protein (APP), TAU, PrP, Huntingtin, α-synuclein, myelin basic protein (MBP), and collagen. The amyloid cascade hypothesis in Alzheimer's disease (AD) coexists with the failure of amyloid beta (Aβ) targeting drug therapy. According to our view, racemization should be considered as a critical factor of protein conformation with the potential for inducing order, disorder, misfolding, aggregation, toxicity, and malfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor V. Dyakin
- Virtual Reality Perception Lab (VRPL), The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research (NKI), Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Thomas M. Wisniewski
- Departments of Neurology, Pathology and Psychiatry, Center for Cognitive Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Abel Lajtha
- Center for Neurochemistry, The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research (NKI), Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
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15
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Li L, Shi R, Gu J, Tung YC, Zhou Y, Zhou D, Wu R, Chu D, Jin N, Deng K, Xu J, Gong CX, Iqbal K, Liu F. Alzheimer's disease brain contains tau fractions with differential prion-like activities. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:28. [PMID: 33597014 PMCID: PMC7890974 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01127-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) made of abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related tauopathies. Regional distribution of NFTs is associated with the progression of the disease and has been proposed to be a result of prion-like propagation of misfolded tau. Tau in AD brain is heterogenous and presents in various forms. In the present study, we prepared different tau fractions by sedimentation combined with sarkosyl solubility from AD brains and analyzed their biochemical and pathological properties. We found that tau in oligomeric fraction (O-tau), sarkosyl-insoluble fractions 1 and 2 (SI1-tau and SI2-tau) and monomeric heat-stable fraction (HS-tau) showed differences in truncation, hyperphosphorylation, and resistance to proteinase K. O-tau, SI1-tau, and SI2-tau, but not HS-tau, were hyperphosphorylated at multiple sites and contained SDS- and β-mercaptoethanol–resistant high molecular weight aggregates, which lacked the N-terminal portion of tau. O-tau and SI2-tau displayed more truncation and less hyperphosphorylation than SI1-tau. Resistance to proteinase K was increased from O-tau to SI1-tau to SI2-tau. O-tau and SI1-tau, but not SI2-tau or HS-tau, captured tau from cell lysates and seeded tau aggregation in cultured cells. Heat treatment could not kill the prion-like activity of O-tau to capture normal tau. Hippocampal injection of O-tau into 18-month-old FVB mice induced significant tau aggregation in both ipsilateral and contralateral hippocampi, but SI1-tau only induced tau pathology in the ipsilateral hippocampus, and SI2-tau and HS-tau failed to induce any detectable tau aggregation. These findings suggest that O-tau and SI1-tau have prion-like activities and may serve as seeds to recruit tau and template tau to aggregate, resulting in the propagation of tau pathology. Heterogeneity of tau pathology within AD brain results in different fractions with different biological and prion-like properties, which may pose a major challenge in targeting tau for development of effective therapeutic treatments.
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16
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Jara C, Cerpa W, Tapia-Rojas C, Quintanilla RA. Tau Deletion Prevents Cognitive Impairment and Mitochondrial Dysfunction Age Associated by a Mechanism Dependent on Cyclophilin-D. Front Neurosci 2021; 14:586710. [PMID: 33679286 PMCID: PMC7928299 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.586710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging is an irreversible process and the primary risk factor for the development of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Mitochondrial impairment is a process that generates oxidative damage and ATP deficit; both factors are important in the memory decline showed during normal aging and AD. Tau is a microtubule-associated protein, with a strong influence on both the morphology and physiology of neurons. In AD, tau protein undergoes post-translational modifications, which could play a relevant role in the onset and progression of this disease. Also, these abnormal forms of tau could be present during the physiological aging that could be related to memory impairment present during this stage. We previously showed that tau ablation improves mitochondrial function and cognitive abilities in young wild-type mice. However, the possible contribution of tau during aging that could predispose to the development of AD is unclear. Here, we show that tau deletion prevents cognitive impairment and improves mitochondrial function during normal aging as indicated by a reduction in oxidative damage and increased ATP production. Notably, we observed a decrease in cyclophilin-D (CypD) levels in aged tau−/− mice, resulting in increased calcium buffering and reduced mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening. The mPTP is a mitochondrial structure, whose opening is dependent on CypD expression, and new evidence suggests that this could play an essential role in the neurodegenerative process showed during AD. In contrast, hippocampal CypD overexpression in aged tau−/− mice impairs mitochondrial function evidenced by an ATP deficit, increased mPTP opening, and memory loss; all effects were observed in the AD pathology. Our results indicate that the absence of tau prevents age-associated cognitive impairment by maintaining mitochondrial function and reducing mPTP opening through a CypD-dependent mechanism. These findings are novel and represent an important advance in the study of how tau contributes to the cognitive and mitochondrial failure present during aging and AD in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Jara
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Laboratory of Neurobiology of Aging, Centro de Biología Celular y Biomedicina (CEBICEM), Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
| | - Waldo Cerpa
- Laboratorio de Función y Patología Neuronal, Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Cheril Tapia-Rojas
- Laboratory of Neurobiology of Aging, Centro de Biología Celular y Biomedicina (CEBICEM), Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rodrigo A Quintanilla
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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17
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Exosomes induce endolysosomal permeabilization as a gateway by which exosomal tau seeds escape into the cytosol. Acta Neuropathol 2021; 141:235-256. [PMID: 33417012 PMCID: PMC7847444 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-020-02254-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The microtubule-associated protein tau has a critical role in Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. A proposed pathomechanism in the progression of tauopathies is the trans-synaptic spreading of tau seeds, with a role for exosomes which are secretory nanovesicles generated by late endosomes. Our previous work demonstrated that brain-derived exosomes isolated from tau transgenic rTg4510 mice encapsulate tau seeds with the ability to induce tau aggregation in recipient cells. We had also shown that exosomes can hijack the endosomal pathway to spread through interconnected neurons. Here, we reveal how tau seeds contained within internalized exosomes exploit mechanisms of lysosomal degradation to escape the endosome and induce tau aggregation in the cytosol of HEK293T-derived 'tau biosensor cells'. We found that the majority of the exosome-containing endosomes fused with lysosomes to form endolysosomes. Exosomes induced their permeabilization, irrespective of the presence of tau seeds, or whether the exosomal preparations originated from mouse brains or HEK293T cells. We also found that permeabilization is a conserved mechanism, operating in both non-neuronal tau biosensor cells and primary neurons. However, permeabilization of endolysosomes only occurred in a small fraction of cells, which supports the notion that permeabilization occurs by a thresholded mechanism. Interestingly, tau aggregation was only induced in cells that exhibited permeabilization, presenting this as an escape route of exosomal tau seeds into the cytosol. Overexpression of RAB7, which is required for the formation of endolysosomes, strongly increased tau aggregation. Conversely, inhibition of lysosomal function with alkalinizing agents, or by knocking-down RAB7, decreased tau aggregation. Together, we conclude that the enzymatic activities of lysosomes permeabilize exosomal and endosomal membranes, thereby facilitating access of exosomal tau seeds to cytosolic tau to induce its aggregation. Our data underscore the importance of endosomal membrane integrity in mechanisms of cellular invasion by misfolded proteins that are resistant to lysosomal degradation.
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18
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Balmik AA, Chidambaram H, Dangi A, Marelli UK, Chinnathambi S. HDAC6 ZnF UBP as the Modifier of Tau Structure and Function. Biochemistry 2020; 59:4546-4562. [PMID: 33237772 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Histone deacetylase 6 is a class II histone deacetylase primarily present in the cytoplasm and involved in the regulation of various cellular functions. It consists of two catalytic deacetylase domains and a unique zinc finger ubiquitin binding protein domain, which sets it apart from other HDACs. HDAC6 is known to regulate cellular activities by modifying the function of microtubules, HSP90, and cortactin through deacetylation. Apart from the catalytic activity of HDAC6, it interacts with other proteins through either the SE14 domain or the ZnF UBP domain to modulate their functions. Here, we have studied the role of the HDAC6 ZnF UBP domain as a modifier of Tau aggregation by its direct interaction with the polyproline region/repeat region of Tau. Interaction of HDAC6 ZnF UBP with Tau was found to reduce the propensity of Tau to self-aggregate and to disaggregate preformed aggregates in a concentration-dependent manner and also bring about the conformational changes in Tau protein. The interaction of HDAC6 ZnF UBP with Tau results in its degradation, suggesting either proteolytic activity of HDAC6 ZnF UBP or its role in enhancing autoproteolysis of Tau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Ankur Balmik
- Neurobiology Group, Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201 002, India
| | - Hariharakrishnan Chidambaram
- Neurobiology Group, Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201 002, India
| | - Abha Dangi
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201 002, India.,Central NMR Facility and Division of Organic Chemistry, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, India
| | - Udaya Kiran Marelli
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201 002, India.,Central NMR Facility and Division of Organic Chemistry, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, India
| | - Subashchandrabose Chinnathambi
- Neurobiology Group, Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201 002, India
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19
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Perea JR, Bolós M, Avila J. Microglia in Alzheimer's Disease in the Context of Tau Pathology. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10101439. [PMID: 33066368 PMCID: PMC7602223 DOI: 10.3390/biom10101439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Microglia are the cells that comprise the innate immune system in the brain. First described more than a century ago, these cells were initially assigned a secondary role in the central nervous system (CNS) with respect to the protagonists, neurons. However, the latest advances have revealed the complexity and importance of microglia in neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of dementia associated with aging. This pathology is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ), which forms senile plaques in the neocortex, as well as by the aggregation of hyperphosphorylated tau protein, a process that leads to the development of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Over the past few years, efforts have been focused on studying the interaction between Aβ and microglia, together with the ability of the latter to decrease the levels of this peptide. Given that most clinical trials following this strategy have failed, current endeavors focus on deciphering the molecular mechanisms that trigger the tau-induced inflammatory response of microglia. In this review, we summarize the most recent studies on the physiological and pathological functions of tau protein and microglia. In addition, we analyze the impact of microglial AD-risk genes (APOE, TREM2, and CD33) in tau pathology, and we discuss the role of extracellular soluble tau in neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Ramón Perea
- Department of Molecular Neuropathology, Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), 1 Nicolás Cabrera, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (J.R.P.); (M.B.)
- Network Center for Biomedical Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), 5 Valderrebollo, 28031 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Bolós
- Department of Molecular Neuropathology, Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), 1 Nicolás Cabrera, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (J.R.P.); (M.B.)
- Network Center for Biomedical Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), 5 Valderrebollo, 28031 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Avila
- Department of Molecular Neuropathology, Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), 1 Nicolás Cabrera, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (J.R.P.); (M.B.)
- Network Center for Biomedical Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), 5 Valderrebollo, 28031 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.:+34-196-4564
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20
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Gu J, Xu W, Jin N, Li L, Zhou Y, Chu D, Gong CX, Iqbal K, Liu F. Truncation of Tau selectively facilitates its pathological activities. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:13812-13828. [PMID: 32737201 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.012587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurofibrillary tangles of abnormally hyperphosphorylated Tau are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related tauopathies. Tau is truncated at multiple sites by various proteases in AD brain. Although many studies have reported the effect of truncation on the aggregation of Tau, these studies mostly employed highly artificial conditions, using heparin sulfate or arachidonic acid to induce aggregation. Here, we report for the first time the pathological activities of various truncations of Tau, including site-specific phosphorylation, self-aggregation, binding to hyperphosphorylated and oligomeric Tau isolated from AD brain tissue (AD O-Tau), and aggregation seeded by AD O-Tau. We found that deletion of the first 150 or 230 amino acids (aa) enhanced Tau's site-specific phosphorylation, self-aggregation, and binding to AD O-Tau and aggregation seeded by AD O-Tau, but deletion of the first 50 aa did not produce a significant effect. Deletion of the last 50 aa was found to modulate Tau's site-specific phosphorylation, promote its self-aggregation, and cause it to be captured by and aggregation seeded by AD O-Tau, whereas deletion of the last 20 aa had no such effects. Among the truncated Taus, Tau151-391 showed the highest pathological activities. AD O-Tau induced aggregation of Tau151-391 in vitro and in cultured cells. These findings suggest that the first 150 aa and the last 50 aa protect Tau from pathological characteristics and that their deletions facilitate pathological activities. Thus, inhibition of Tau truncation may represent a potential therapeutic approach to suppress Tau pathology in AD and related tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianlan Gu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wen Xu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Nana Jin
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Longfei Li
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yan Zhou
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dandan Chu
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Cheng-Xin Gong
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA.
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21
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Bocai NI, Marcora MS, Belfiori-Carrasco LF, Morelli L, Castaño EM. Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Tauopathies: Contrasting Human Brain Pathology with Cellular and Animal Models. J Alzheimers Dis 2020; 68:439-458. [PMID: 30775999 DOI: 10.3233/jad-181021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The accumulation and spreading of protein tau in the human brain are major features of neurodegenerative disorders known as tauopathies. In addition to several subcellular abnormalities, tau aggregation within neurons seems capable of triggering endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the consequent unfolded protein response (UPR). In metazoans, full activation of a complex ER-UPR network may restore proteostasis and ER function or, if stress cannot be solved, commit cells to apoptosis. Due to these alternative outcomes (survival or death), the pharmacological manipulation of ER-UPR has become the focus of potential therapies in many human diseases, including tauopathies. Here we update and analyze the experimental data from human brain, cellular, and animal models linking tau accumulation and ER-UPR. We further discuss mechanistic aspects and put the ER-UPR into perspective as a possible therapeutic target in this group of diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia I Bocai
- Laboratory of Amyloidosis and Neurodegeneration, Fundación Instituto Leloir, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María S Marcora
- Laboratory of Amyloidosis and Neurodegeneration, Fundación Instituto Leloir, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lautaro F Belfiori-Carrasco
- Laboratory of Amyloidosis and Neurodegeneration, Fundación Instituto Leloir, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Laura Morelli
- Laboratory of Amyloidosis and Neurodegeneration, Fundación Instituto Leloir, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Eduardo M Castaño
- Laboratory of Amyloidosis and Neurodegeneration, Fundación Instituto Leloir, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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22
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Ukmar-Godec T, Fang P, Ibáñez de Opakua A, Henneberg F, Godec A, Pan KT, Cima-Omori MS, Chari A, Mandelkow E, Urlaub H, Zweckstetter M. Proteasomal degradation of the intrinsically disordered protein tau at single-residue resolution. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaba3916. [PMID: 32832664 PMCID: PMC7439447 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba3916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) can be degraded in a ubiquitin-independent process by the 20S proteasome. Decline in 20S activity characterizes neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we examine 20S degradation of IDP tau, a protein that aggregates into insoluble deposits in Alzheimer's disease. We show that cleavage of tau by the 20S proteasome is most efficient within the aggregation-prone repeat region of tau and generates both short, aggregation-deficient peptides and two long fragments containing residues 1 to 251 and 1 to 218. Phosphorylation of tau by the non-proline-directed Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II inhibits degradation by the 20S proteasome. Phosphorylation of tau by GSK3β, a major proline-directed tau kinase, modulates tau degradation kinetics in a residue-specific manner. The study provides detailed insights into the degradation products of tau generated by the 20S proteasome, the residue specificity of degradation, single-residue degradation kinetics, and their regulation by posttranslational modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. Ukmar-Godec
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, University of Göttingen, Waldweg 33, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - P. Fang
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Research group Mass Spectrometry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - A. Ibáñez de Opakua
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - F. Henneberg
- Department for Structural Dynamics, Max-Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - A. Godec
- Mathematical Biophysics Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - K.-T. Pan
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Research group Mass Spectrometry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - M.-S. Cima-Omori
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - A. Chari
- Department for Structural Dynamics, Max-Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - E. Mandelkow
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Venusberg-Campus 1, Geb. 99, 53127 Bonn, Germany
- CAESAR Research Center, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - H. Urlaub
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Research group Mass Spectrometry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Bioanalytics, Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University Medical Center, Robert-Koch-Strasse 420, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - M. Zweckstetter
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, University of Göttingen, Waldweg 33, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
- Department for NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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23
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Dhanavade MJ, Sonawane KD. Amyloid beta peptide-degrading microbial enzymes and its implication in drug design. 3 Biotech 2020; 10:247. [PMID: 32411571 PMCID: PMC7214582 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-020-02240-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic and progressive neurological brain disorder. AD pathophysiology is mainly represented by formation of neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Neuritic plaques are made up of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides, which play a central role in AD pathogenesis. In AD brain, Aβ peptide accumulates due to overproduction, insufficient clearance and defective proteolytic degradation. The degradation and cleavage mechanism of Aβ peptides by several human enzymes have been discussed previously. In the mean time, numerous experimental and bioinformatics reports indicated the significance of microbial enzymes having potential to degrade Aβ peptides. Thus, there is a need to shift the focus toward the substrate specificity and structure-function relationship of Aβ peptide-degrading microbial enzymes. Hence, in this review, we discussed in vitro and in silico studies of microbial enzymes viz. cysteine protease and zinc metallopeptidases having ability to degrade Aβ peptides. In silico study showed that cysteine protease can cleave Aβ peptide between Lys16-Cys17; similarly, several other enzymes also showed capability to degrade Aβ peptide at different sites. Thus, this review paves the way to explore the role of microbial enzymes in Aβ peptide degradation and to design new lead compounds for AD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maruti J. Dhanavade
- Department of Microbiology, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, Maharashtra 416004 India
| | - Kailas D. Sonawane
- Structural Bioinformatics Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, Maharashtra 416004 India
- Department of Microbiology, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, Maharashtra 416004 India
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24
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Momtaz S, Memariani Z, El-Senduny FF, Sanadgol N, Golab F, Katebi M, Abdolghaffari AH, Farzaei MH, Abdollahi M. Targeting Ubiquitin-Proteasome Pathway by Natural Products: Novel Therapeutic Strategy for Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases. Front Physiol 2020; 11:361. [PMID: 32411012 PMCID: PMC7199656 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Misfolded proteins are the main common feature of neurodegenerative diseases, thereby, normal proteostasis is an important mechanism to regulate the neural survival and the central nervous system functionality. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is a non-lysosomal proteolytic pathway involved in numerous normal functions of the nervous system, modulation of neurotransmitter release, synaptic plasticity, and recycling of membrane receptors or degradation of damaged and regulatory intracellular proteins. Aberrant accumulation of intracellular ubiquitin-positive inclusions has been implicated to a variety of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington disease (HD), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and Multiple Myeloma (MM). Genetic mutation in deubiquitinating enzyme could disrupt UPS and results in destructive effects on neuron survival. To date, various agents were characterized with proteasome-inhibitory potential. Proteins of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, and in particular, E3 ubiquitin ligases, may be promising molecular targets for neurodegenerative drug discovery. Phytochemicals, specifically polyphenols (PPs), were reported to act as proteasome-inhibitors or may modulate the proteasome activity. PPs modify the UPS by means of accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins, suppression of neuronal apoptosis, reduction of neurotoxicity, and improvement of synaptic plasticity and transmission. This is the first comprehensive review on the effect of PPs on UPS. Here, we review the recent findings describing various aspects of UPS dysregulation in neurodegenerative disorders. This review attempts to summarize the latest reports on the neuroprotective properties involved in the proper functioning of natural polyphenolic compounds with implication for targeting ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in the neurodegenerative diseases. We highlight the evidence suggesting that polyphenolic compounds have a dose and disorder dependent effects in improving neurological dysfunctions, and so their mechanism of action could stimulate the UPS, induce the protein degradation or inhibit UPS and reduce protein degradation. Future studies should focus on molecular mechanisms by which PPs can interfere this complex regulatory system at specific stages of the disease development and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeideh Momtaz
- Medicinal Plants Research Center, Institute of Medicinal Plants, ACECR, Karaj, Iran.,Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center (PSRC), The Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (TIPS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Gastrointestinal Pharmacology Interest Group, Universal Scientific Education and Research Network, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Memariani
- Traditional Medicine and History of Medical Sciences Research Center, Health Research Center, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | | | - Nima Sanadgol
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran.,Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Fereshteh Golab
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Majid Katebi
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Hormozgan, Iran
| | - Amir Hossein Abdolghaffari
- Medicinal Plants Research Center, Institute of Medicinal Plants, ACECR, Karaj, Iran.,Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center (PSRC), The Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (TIPS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Gastrointestinal Pharmacology Interest Group, Universal Scientific Education and Research Network, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Toxicology & Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hosein Farzaei
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.,Medical Biology Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Mohammad Abdollahi
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center (PSRC), The Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (TIPS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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25
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Corsetti V, Borreca A, Latina V, Giacovazzo G, Pignataro A, Krashia P, Natale F, Cocco S, Rinaudo M, Malerba F, Florio R, Ciarapica R, Coccurello R, D’Amelio M, Ammassari-Teule M, Grassi C, Calissano P, Amadoro G. Passive immunotherapy for N-truncated tau ameliorates the cognitive deficits in two mouse Alzheimer's disease models. Brain Commun 2020; 2:fcaa039. [PMID: 32954296 PMCID: PMC7425324 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaa039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical and neuropathological studies have shown that tau pathology better correlates with the severity of dementia than amyloid plaque burden, making tau an attractive target for the cure of Alzheimer's disease. We have explored whether passive immunization with the 12A12 monoclonal antibody (26-36aa of tau protein) could improve the Alzheimer's disease phenotype of two well-established mouse models, Tg2576 and 3xTg mice. 12A12 is a cleavage-specific monoclonal antibody which selectively binds the pathologically relevant neurotoxic NH226-230 fragment (i.e. NH2htau) of tau protein without cross-reacting with its full-length physiological form(s). We found out that intravenous administration of 12A12 monoclonal antibody into symptomatic (6 months old) animals: (i) reaches the hippocampus in its biologically active (antigen-binding competent) form and successfully neutralizes its target; (ii) reduces both pathological tau and amyloid precursor protein/amyloidβ metabolisms involved in early disease-associated synaptic deterioration; (iii) improves episodic-like type of learning/memory skills in hippocampal-based novel object recognition and object place recognition behavioural tasks; (iv) restores the specific up-regulation of the activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein involved in consolidation of experience-dependent synaptic plasticity; (v) relieves the loss of dendritic spine connectivity in pyramidal hippocampal CA1 neurons; (vi) rescues the Alzheimer's disease-related electrophysiological deficits in hippocampal long-term potentiation at the CA3-CA1 synapses; and (vii) mitigates the neuroinflammatory response (reactive gliosis). These findings indicate that the 20-22 kDa NH2-terminal tau fragment is crucial target for Alzheimer's disease therapy and prospect immunotherapy with 12A12 monoclonal antibody as safe (normal tau-preserving), beneficial approach in contrasting the early Amyloidβ-dependent and independent neuropathological and cognitive alterations in affected subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Antonella Borreca
- Humanitas University Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Pathology, Neuro Center, 20089 Milan, Italy
- Institute of Neuroscience, 20129 Milan, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Paraskevi Krashia
- IRCSS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy
- Department of Medicine, University Campus Bio-Medico, 00128 Rome, Italy
- Department of Science and Technology for Humans and Environment, University Campus Bio-medico, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Natale
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Cocco
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Rinaudo
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Rita Florio
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), 00161 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Roberto Coccurello
- IRCSS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy
- Institute for Complex Systems (ISC), CNR, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello D’Amelio
- IRCSS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy
- Department of Medicine, University Campus Bio-Medico, 00128 Rome, Italy
- Department of Science and Technology for Humans and Environment, University Campus Bio-medico, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Claudio Grassi
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Institute of Human Physiology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppina Amadoro
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), 00161 Rome, Italy
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology (IFT)–National Research Council (CNR), 00133 Rome, Italy
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26
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Roberts M, Sevastou I, Imaizumi Y, Mistry K, Talma S, Dey M, Gartlon J, Ochiai H, Zhou Z, Akasofu S, Tokuhara N, Ogo M, Aoyama M, Aoyagi H, Strand K, Sajedi E, Agarwala KL, Spidel J, Albone E, Horie K, Staddon JM, de Silva R. Pre-clinical characterisation of E2814, a high-affinity antibody targeting the microtubule-binding repeat domain of tau for passive immunotherapy in Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2020; 8:13. [PMID: 32019610 PMCID: PMC7001291 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-020-0884-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau deposition in the brain is a pathological hallmark of many neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). During the course of these tauopathies, tau spreads throughout the brain via synaptically-connected pathways. Such propagation of pathology is thought to be mediated by tau species ("seeds") containing the microtubule binding region (MTBR) composed of either three repeat (3R) or four repeat (4R) isoforms. The tau MTBR also forms the core of the neuropathological filaments identified in AD brain and other tauopathies. Multiple approaches are being taken to limit tau pathology, including immunotherapy with anti-tau antibodies. Given its key structural role within fibrils, specifically targetting the MTBR with a therapeutic antibody to inhibit tau seeding and aggregation may be a promising strategy to provide disease-modifying treatment for AD and other tauopathies. Therefore, a monoclonal antibody generating campaign was initiated with focus on the MTBR. Herein we describe the pre-clinical generation and characterisation of E2814, a humanised, high affinity, IgG1 antibody recognising the tau MTBR. E2814 and its murine precursor, 7G6, as revealed by epitope mapping, are antibodies bi-epitopic for 4R and mono-epitopic for 3R tau isoforms because they bind to sequence motif HVPGG. Functionally, both antibodies inhibited tau aggregation in vitro. They also immunodepleted a variety of MTBR-containing tau protein species. In an in vivo model of tau seeding and transmission, attenuation of deposition of sarkosyl-insoluble tau in brain could also be observed in response to antibody treatment. In AD brain, E2814 bound different types of tau filaments as shown by immunogold labelling and recognised pathological tau structures by immunohistochemical staining. Tau fragments containing HVPGG epitopes were also found to be elevated in AD brain compared to PSP or control. Taken together, the data reported here have led to E2814 being proposed for clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malcolm Roberts
- Hatfield Research Laboratories, Eisai Limited, Hatfield, UK.
| | - Ioanna Sevastou
- Reta Lila Weston Institute & Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, 1 Wakefield Street, London, UK
| | | | - Kavita Mistry
- Hatfield Research Laboratories, Eisai Limited, Hatfield, UK
| | - Sonia Talma
- Hatfield Research Laboratories, Eisai Limited, Hatfield, UK
| | - Madhurima Dey
- Hatfield Research Laboratories, Eisai Limited, Hatfield, UK
| | - Jane Gartlon
- Hatfield Research Laboratories, Eisai Limited, Hatfield, UK
| | - Hiroshi Ochiai
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Zhi Zhou
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Shigeru Akasofu
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Naoki Tokuhara
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Makoto Ogo
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Muneo Aoyama
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Aoyagi
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Kate Strand
- Reta Lila Weston Institute & Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, 1 Wakefield Street, London, UK
| | - Ezat Sajedi
- Reta Lila Weston Institute & Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, 1 Wakefield Street, London, UK
| | | | | | | | - Kanta Horie
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | | | - Rohan de Silva
- Reta Lila Weston Institute & Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, 1 Wakefield Street, London, UK.
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27
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Papanikolopoulou K, Skoulakis EMC. Altered Proteostasis in Neurodegenerative Tauopathies. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1233:177-194. [PMID: 32274757 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-38266-7_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Tauopathies are a heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative dementias involving perturbations in the levels, phosphorylation or mutations of the neuronal microtubule-binding protein Tau. Tauopathies are characterized by accumulation of hyperphosphorylated Tau leading to formation of a range of aggregates including macromolecular ensembles such as Paired Helical filaments and Neurofibrilary Tangles whose morphology characterizes and differentiates these disease states. Why nonphysiological Tau proteins elude the surveillance normal proteostatic mechanisms and eventually form these macromolecular assemblies is a central mostly unresolved question of cardinal importance for diagnoses and potential therapeutic interventions. We discuss the response of the Ubiquitin-Proteasome system, autophagy and the Endoplasmic Reticulum-Unfolded Protein response in Tauopathy models and patients, revealing interactions of components of these systems with Tau, but also of the effects of pathological Tau on these systems which eventually lead to Tau aggregation and accumulation. These interactions point to potential disease biomarkers and future potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Papanikolopoulou
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre "Alexander Fleming", Vari, Greece
| | - Efthimios M C Skoulakis
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre "Alexander Fleming", Vari, Greece.
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28
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Amadoro G, Latina V, Corsetti V, Calissano P. N-terminal tau truncation in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD): Developing a novel diagnostic and therapeutic approach. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2019; 1866:165584. [PMID: 31676377 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2019.165584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Tau truncation occurs at early stages during the development of human Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathy dementias. Tau cleavage, particularly in its N-terminal projection domain, is able to drive per se neurodegeneration, regardless of its pro-aggregative pathway(s) and in fragment(s)-dependent way. In this short review, we highlight the pathological relevance of the 20-22 kDa NH2-truncated tau fragment which is endowed with potent neurotoxic "gain-of-function" action(s), both in vitro and in vivo. An extensive comment on its clinical value as novel progression/diagnostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target in the context of tau-mediated neurodegeneration is also provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Amadoro
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Viale Regina Elena 295, 00161 Rome, Italy; Institute of Translational Pharmacology (IFT)-CNR, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy.
| | - V Latina
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Viale Regina Elena 295, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - V Corsetti
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Viale Regina Elena 295, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - P Calissano
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Viale Regina Elena 295, 00161 Rome, Italy
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29
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Shoeibi A, Olfati N, Litvan I. Frontrunner in Translation: Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. Front Neurol 2019; 10:1125. [PMID: 31695675 PMCID: PMC6817677 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.01125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a four-repeat tau proteinopathy. Abnormal tau deposition is not unique for PSP and is the basic pathologic finding in some other neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), age-related tauopathy, frontotemporal degeneration, corticobasal degeneration, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. While AD research has mostly been focused on amyloid beta pathology until recently, PSP as a prototype of a primary tauopathy with high clinical-pathologic correlation and a rapid course is a crucial candidate for tau therapeutic research. Several novel approaches to slow disease progression are being developed. It is expected that the benefits of translational research in this disease will extend beyond the PSP population. This article reviews advances in the diagnosis, epidemiology, pathology, hypothesized etiopathogenesis, and biomarkers and disease-modifying therapeutic approaches of PSP that is leading it to become a frontrunner in translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Shoeibi
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Nahid Olfati
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Irene Litvan
- UC San Diego Department of Neurosciences, Parkinson and Other Movement Disorder Center, La Jolla, CA, United States
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30
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Rösler TW, Tayaranian Marvian A, Brendel M, Nykänen NP, Höllerhage M, Schwarz SC, Hopfner F, Koeglsperger T, Respondek G, Schweyer K, Levin J, Villemagne VL, Barthel H, Sabri O, Müller U, Meissner WG, Kovacs GG, Höglinger GU. Four-repeat tauopathies. Prog Neurobiol 2019; 180:101644. [PMID: 31238088 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2019.101644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-associated protein with versatile functions in the dynamic assembly of the neuronal cytoskeleton. Four-repeat (4R-) tauopathies are a group of neurodegenerative diseases defined by cytoplasmic inclusions predominantly composed of tau protein isoforms with four microtubule-binding domains. Progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, argyrophilic grain disease or glial globular tauopathy belong to the group of 4R-tauopathies. The present review provides an introduction in the current concept of 4R-tauopathies, including an overview of the neuropathological and clinical spectrum of these diseases. It describes the genetic and environmental etiological factors, as well as the contemporary knowledge about the pathophysiological mechanisms, including post-translational modifications, aggregation and fragmentation of tau, as well as the role of protein degradation mechanisms. Furthermore, current theories about disease propagation are discussed, involving different extracellular tau species and their cellular release and uptake mechanisms. Finally, molecular diagnostic tools for 4R-tauopathies, including tau-PET and fluid biomarkers, and investigational therapeutic strategies are presented. In summary, we report on 4R-tauopathies as overarching disease concept based on a shared pathophysiological concept, and highlight the challenges and opportunities on the way towards a causal therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W Rösler
- Dept. of Translational Neurodegeneration, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany; Dept. of Neurology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Amir Tayaranian Marvian
- Dept. of Translational Neurodegeneration, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany; Dept. of Neurology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Brendel
- Dept. of Nuclear Medicine, University of Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Niko-Petteri Nykänen
- Dept. of Translational Neurodegeneration, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Höllerhage
- Dept. of Translational Neurodegeneration, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany; Dept. of Neurology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Sigrid C Schwarz
- Dept. of Translational Neurodegeneration, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Koeglsperger
- Dept. of Neurology, University of Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Gesine Respondek
- Dept. of Translational Neurodegeneration, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany; Dept. of Neurology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Kerstin Schweyer
- Dept. of Translational Neurodegeneration, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany; Dept. of Neurology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Johannes Levin
- Dept. of Neurology, University of Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Victor L Villemagne
- Dept. of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC, 3084, Australia; The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Dept. of Medicine, Austin Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Henryk Barthel
- Dept. of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Osama Sabri
- Dept. of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ulrich Müller
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Wassilios G Meissner
- Service de Neurologie, CHU Bordeaux, 33000 Bordeaux, France; Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, 33000 Bordeaux, France; CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, 33000 Bordeaux, France; Dept. of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand; New Zealand Brain Research Institute, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Gabor G Kovacs
- Institute of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Dept. of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Laboratory Medicine Program, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada; Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Günter U Höglinger
- Dept. of Translational Neurodegeneration, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany; Dept. of Neurology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, 81675 Munich, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 81377 Munich, Germany; Dept. of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
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31
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Behrendt A, Bichmann M, Ercan-Herbst E, Haberkant P, Schöndorf DC, Wolf M, Fahim SA, Murolo E, Ehrnhoefer DE. Asparagine endopeptidase cleaves tau at N167 after uptake into microglia. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 130:104518. [PMID: 31229689 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau cleavage by different proteolytic enzymes generates short, aggregation-prone fragments that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Asparagine endopeptidase (AEP) activity in particular has been associated with tau dysfunction and aggregation, and the activity of the protease is increased in both aging and AD. Using a mass spectrometry approach, we identified a novel tau cleavage site at N167 and confirmed its processing by AEP. In combination with the previously known site at N368, we show that AEP cleavage yields a tau fragment that is present in both control and AD brains at similar levels. AEP is a lysosomal enzyme, and our data suggest that it is expressed in microglia rather than in neurons. Accordingly, we observe tau cleavage at N167 and N368 after endocytotic uptake into microglia, but not neurons. However, tau168-368 does not accumulate in microglia and we thus conclude that the fragment is part of a proteolytic cascade leading to tau degradation. While we confirm previous studies showing increased overall AEP activity in AD brains, our data suggests that AEP-mediated cleavage of tau is a physiological event occurring during microglial degradation of the secreted neuronal protein. As a consequence, we caution against preventing AEP-mediated tau cleavage as a therapeutic approach in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Behrendt
- BioMed X Innovation Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 515, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Maria Bichmann
- BioMed X Innovation Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 515, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Ebru Ercan-Herbst
- BioMed X Innovation Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 515, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Per Haberkant
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Meyerhofstraße 1, Heidelberg 69117, Germany
| | - David C Schöndorf
- BioMed X Innovation Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 515, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Michael Wolf
- BioMed X Innovation Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 515, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Salma A Fahim
- BioMed X Innovation Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 515, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Enrico Murolo
- BioMed X Innovation Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 515, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Dagmar E Ehrnhoefer
- BioMed X Innovation Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 515, Heidelberg 69120, Germany.
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32
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Abstract
Sports-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) range in severity from severe to subconcussive. Although technologies exist for clinical diagnosis of more severe injuries, methods for diagnosis of milder forms of brain injury are limited. Developing objective measures to indicate pathogenic processes after a suspected mild TBI is challenging for multiple reasons. The field of biomarker discovery for diagnosing TBI continues to expand, with newly identified candidate biomarkers being reported regularly. Brain-specific biomarkers include proteins derived from neurons and glia, and are often measured to assess neural injury and repair, and to predict outcomes. Ideally, changes in biomarker levels should indicate pathologic events and answer critical questions for accurate diagnosis and prognosis. For example, does the presence or a change in the biomarker level suggest greater vulnerability for sustaining a second concussion or show that the window of increased vulnerability has passed? Likewise, do changes in biomarker levels predict postconcussion syndrome or recovery/repair? Although there are numerous promising candidates for fluid biomarkers that may diagnose mild TBI or concussion, none has reached the clinic to date. In this chapter, we will define biomarkers, discuss the importance of understanding their normal and pathologic functions, and outline some considerations for interpreting detection assay results in TBI. We will then review five proposed blood and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers (tau, neurofilament, ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1, S100β, and glial fibrillary acidic protein) used currently to address TBI. Lastly, we will discuss a future trajectory for developing new, clinically useful fluid biomarkers.
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33
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Papanikolopoulou K, Grammenoudi S, Samiotaki M, Skoulakis EMC. Differential effects of 14-3-3 dimers on Tau phosphorylation, stability and toxicity in vivo. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 27:2244-2261. [PMID: 29659825 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddy129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative dementias collectively known as Tauopathies involve aberrant phosphorylation and aggregation of the neuronal protein Tau. The largely neuronal 14-3-3 proteins are also elevated in the central nervous system (CNS) and cerebrospinal fluid of Tauopathy patients, suggesting functional linkage. We use the simplicity and genetic facility of the Drosophila system to investigate in vivo whether 14-3-3s are causal or synergistic with Tau accumulation in precipitating pathogenesis. Proteomic, biochemical and genetic evidence demonstrate that both Drosophila 14-3-3 proteins interact with human wild-type and mutant Tau on multiple sites irrespective of their phosphorylation state. 14-3-3 dimers regulate steady-state phosphorylation of both wild-type and the R406W mutant Tau, but they are not essential for toxicity of either variant. Moreover, 14-3-3 elevation itself is not pathogenic, but recruitment of dimers on accumulating wild-type Tau increases its steady-state levels ostensibly by occluding access to proteases in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. In contrast, the R406W mutant, which lacks a putative 14-3-3 binding site, responds differentially to elevation of each 14-3-3 isoform. Although excess 14-3-3ζ stabilizes the mutant protein, elevated D14-3-3ɛ has a destabilizing effect probably because of altered 14-3-3 dimer composition. Our collective data demonstrate the complexity of 14-3-3/Tau interactions in vivo and suggest that 14-3-3 attenuation is not appropriate ameliorative treatment of Tauopathies. Finally, we suggest that 'bystander' 14-3-3s are recruited by accumulating Tau with the consequences depending on the composition of available dimers within particular neurons and the Tau variant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Papanikolopoulou
- Division of Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre 'Alexander Fleming', Vari 16672, Greece
| | - Sofia Grammenoudi
- Division of Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre 'Alexander Fleming', Vari 16672, Greece
| | - Martina Samiotaki
- Proteomics Facility, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre 'Alexander Fleming', Vari 16672, Greece
| | - Efthimios M C Skoulakis
- Division of Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre 'Alexander Fleming', Vari 16672, Greece
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34
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Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, is characterized by extracellular β-amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), which are considered as major targets for AD therapies. However, no effective therapy is available to cure or prevent the progression of AD up until now. Accumulation of NFTs, which consist of abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau, is directly correlated with the degree of dementia in AD patients. Emerging evidence indicates that the prion-like seeding and spreading of tau pathology may be the key driver of AD. In the past decades, greater understanding of tau pathway reveals new targets for the development of specific therapies. Here, we review the recent research progress in the mechanism underlying tau pathology in AD and briefly introduce tau-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Chu
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, PR China
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York 10314, United States
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35
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Huseby CJ, Bundschuh R, Kuret J. The role of annealing and fragmentation in human tau aggregation dynamics. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:4728-4737. [PMID: 30745358 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.006943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis is associated with the conversion of monomeric tau protein into filamentous aggregates. Because both toxicity and prion-like spread of pathogenic tau depend in part on aggregate size, the processes that underlie filament formation and size distribution are of special importance. Here, using a combination of biophysical and computational approaches, we investigated the fibrillation dynamics of the human tau isoform 2N4R. We found that tau filaments engage in a previously uncharacterized secondary process involving end-to-end annealing and that rationalization of empirical aggregation data composed of total protomer concentrations and fibril length distributions requires inclusion of this process along with filament fragmentation. We noted that annealing of 2N4R tau filaments is robust, with an intrinsic association rate constant of a magnitude similar to that mediating monomer addition and consistent with diffusion-mediated protein-protein interactions in the absence of long-range attractive forces. In contrast, secondary nucleation on the surface of tau filaments did not detectably contribute to tau aggregation dynamics. These results indicate that tau filament ends engage in a range of homotypic interactions involving monomers, oligomers, and filaments. They further indicate that, in the case of tau protein, fibril annealing and fragmentation along with primary nucleation and elongation are the major processes controlling filament size distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ralf Bundschuh
- From the Interdisciplinary Biophysics Graduate Program.,Departments of Physics, Internal Medicine, and Chemistry and Biochemistry, and
| | - Jeff Kuret
- From the Interdisciplinary Biophysics Graduate Program, .,Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
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36
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Tang M, Harrison J, Deaton CA, Johnson GVW. Tau Clearance Mechanisms. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1184:57-68. [PMID: 32096028 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-32-9358-8_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Efficient quality control mechanisms are essential for a healthy, functional neuron. Recognition and degradation of misfolded, damaged, or potentially toxic proteins, is a crucial aspect of protein quality control. Tau is a protein that is highly expressed in neurons, and plays an important role in modulating a number of physiological processes. Maintaining appropriate levels of tau is key for neuronal health; hence perturbations in tau clearance mechanisms are likely significant contributors to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. In this chapter we will first briefly review the two primary degradative mechanisms that mediate tau clearance: the proteasome system and the autophagy-lysosome pathway. This will be followed by a discussion about what is known about the contribution of each of these pathways to tau clearance. We will also present recent findings on tau degradation through the endolysosomal system. Further, how deficits in these degradative systems may contribute to the accumulation of dysfunctional or toxic forms of tau in neurodegenerative conditions is considered.
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37
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Tapia-Rojas C, Cabezas-Opazo F, Deaton CA, Vergara EH, Johnson GVW, Quintanilla RA. It's all about tau. Prog Neurobiol 2018; 175:54-76. [PMID: 30605723 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2018.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2017] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Tau is a protein that is highly enriched in neurons and was originally defined by its ability to bind and stabilize microtubules. However, it is now becoming evident that the functions of tau extend beyond its ability to modulate microtubule dynamics. Tau plays a role in mediating axonal transport, synaptic structure and function, and neuronal signaling pathways. Although tau plays important physiological roles in neurons, its involvement in neurodegenerative diseases, and most prominently in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease (AD), has directed the majority of tau studies. However, a thorough knowledge of the physiological functions of tau and its post-translational modifications under normal conditions are necessary to provide the foundation for understanding its role in pathological settings. In this review, we will focus on human tau, summarizing tau structure and organization, as well as its posttranslational modifications associated with physiological processes. We will highlight possible mechanisms involved in mediating the turnover of tau and finally discuss newly elucidated tau functions in a physiological context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheril Tapia-Rojas
- Laboratory of Neurobiology of Aging, Centro de Biología Celular y Biomedicina (CEBICEM), Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
| | - Fabian Cabezas-Opazo
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carol A Deaton
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, USA
| | - Erick H Vergara
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gail V W Johnson
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, USA
| | - Rodrigo A Quintanilla
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Centro de Investigación y Estudio del Consumo de Alcohol en Adolescentes (CIIA), Santiago, Chile.
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38
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Li H, Liu CC, Zheng H, Huang TY. Amyloid, tau, pathogen infection and antimicrobial protection in Alzheimer's disease -conformist, nonconformist, and realistic prospects for AD pathogenesis. Transl Neurodegener 2018; 7:34. [PMID: 30603085 PMCID: PMC6306008 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-018-0139-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a fatal disease that threatens the quality of life of an aging population at a global scale. Various hypotheses on the etiology of AD have been developed over the years to guide efforts in search of therapeutic strategies. MAIN BODY In this review, we focus on four AD hypotheses currently relevant to AD onset: the prevailing amyloid cascade hypothesis, the well-recognized tau hypothesis, the increasingly popular pathogen (viral infection) hypothesis, and the infection-related antimicrobial protection hypothesis. In briefly reviewing the main evidence supporting each hypothesis and discussing the questions that need to be addressed, we hope to gain a better understanding of the complicated multi-layered interactions in potential causal and/or risk factors in AD pathogenesis. As a defining feature of AD, the existence of amyloid deposits is likely fundamental to AD onset but is insufficient to wholly reproduce many complexities of the disorder. A similar belief is currently also applied to hyperphosphorylated tau aggregates within neurons, where tau has been postulated to drive neurodegeneration in the presence of pre-existing Aβ plaques in the brain. Although infection of the central nerve system by pathogens such as viruses may increase AD risk, it is yet to be determined whether this phenomenon is applicable to all cases of sporadic AD and whether it is a primary trigger for AD onset. Lastly, the antimicrobial protection hypothesis provides insight into a potential physiological role for Aβ peptides, but how Aβ/microbial interactions affect AD pathogenesis during aging awaits further validation. Nevertheless, this hypothesis cautions potential adverse effects in Aβ-targeting therapies by hindering potential roles for Aβ in anti-viral protection. CONCLUSION AD is a multi-factor complex disorder, which likely requires a combinatorial therapeutic approach to successfully slow or reduce symptomatic memory decline. A better understanding of how various causal and/or risk factors affecting disease onset and progression will enhance the likelihood of conceiving effective treatment paradigms, which may involve personalized treatment strategies for individual patients at varying stages of disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongmei Li
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL USA
| | - Chia-Chen Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL USA
| | - Hui Zheng
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Timothy Y. Huang
- Neuroscience Initiative, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, San Diego, CA USA
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39
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Wu XL, Piña-Crespo J, Zhang YW, Chen XC, Xu HX. Tau-mediated Neurodegeneration and Potential Implications in Diagnosis and Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. Chin Med J (Engl) 2018; 130:2978-2990. [PMID: 29237931 PMCID: PMC5742926 DOI: 10.4103/0366-6999.220313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: To review recent research advances on tau, a major player in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis, a biomarker for AD onset, and potential target for AD therapy. Data Sources: This review was based on a comprehensive search using online literature databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Study Selection: Literature search was based on the following keywords: Alzheimer's disease, tau protein, biomarker, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), therapeutics, plasma, imaging, propagation, spreading, seeding, prion, conformational templating, and posttranslational modification. Relevant articles were carefully reviewed, with no exclusions applied to study design and publication type. Results: Amyloid plaques enriched with extracellular amyloid beta (Aβ) and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles comprised of hyperphosphorylated tau proteins are the two main pathological hallmarks of AD. Although the Aβ hypothesis has dominated AD research for many years, clinical Aβ-targeting strategies have consistently failed to effectively treat AD or prevent AD onset. The research focus in AD has recently shifted to the role of tau in AD. In addition to phosphorylation, tau is acetylated and proteolytically cleaved, which also contribute to its physiological and pathological functions. Emerging evidence characterizing pathological tau propagation and spreading provides new avenues for research into the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying AD pathogenesis. Techniques to detect tau at minute levels in CSF and blood have been developed, and improved tracers have facilitated tau imaging in the brain. These advances have potential to accurately determine tau levels at early diagnostic stages in AD. Given that tau is a potential therapeutic target, anti-tau immunotherapy may potentially be a viable treatment strategy in AD intervention. Conclusion: Detecting changes in tau and targeting tau pathology represent a promising lead in the diagnosis and treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi-Lin Wu
- Neuroscience Initiative, Neuroscience and Aging Research Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Department of Neurology, Fujian Institute of Geriatrics, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fujian Key Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350001, China
| | - Juan Piña-Crespo
- Neuroscience Initiative, Neuroscience and Aging Research Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Yun-Wu Zhang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Xiao-Chun Chen
- Department of Neurology, Fujian Institute of Geriatrics, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fujian Key Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350001, China
| | - Hua-Xi Xu
- Neuroscience Initiative, Neuroscience and Aging Research Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
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40
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Pérez MJ, Jara C, Quintanilla RA. Contribution of Tau Pathology to Mitochondrial Impairment in Neurodegeneration. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:441. [PMID: 30026680 PMCID: PMC6041396 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau is an essential protein that physiologically promotes the assembly and stabilization of microtubules, and participates in neuronal development, axonal transport, and neuronal polarity. However, in a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), tau undergoes pathological modifications in which soluble tau assembles into insoluble filaments, leading to synaptic failure and neurodegeneration. Mitochondria are responsible for energy supply, detoxification, and communication in brain cells, and important evidence suggests that mitochondrial failure could have a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of AD. In this context, our group and others investigated the negative effects of tau pathology on specific neuronal functions. In particular, we observed that the presence of these tau forms could affect mitochondrial function at three different levels: (i) mitochondrial transport, (ii) morphology, and (iii) bioenergetics. Therefore, mitochondrial dysfunction mediated by anomalous tau modifications represents a novel mechanism by which these forms contribute to the pathogenesis of AD. In this review, we will discuss the main results reported on pathological tau modifications and their effects on mitochondrial function and their importance for the synaptic communication and neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- María J Pérez
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Centro de Investigación y Estudio del Consumo de Alcohol en Adolescentes (CIAA), Santiago, Chile
| | - Claudia Jara
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Centro de Investigación y Estudio del Consumo de Alcohol en Adolescentes (CIAA), Santiago, Chile
| | - Rodrigo A Quintanilla
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Centro de Investigación y Estudio del Consumo de Alcohol en Adolescentes (CIAA), Santiago, Chile
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41
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Park S, Lee JH, Jeon JH, Lee MJ. Degradation or aggregation: the ramifications of post-translational modifications on tau. BMB Rep 2018; 51:265-273. [PMID: 29661268 PMCID: PMC6033068 DOI: 10.5483/bmbrep.2018.51.6.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau protein is encoded in the microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) gene and contributes to the stability of microtubules in axons. Despite of its basic isoelectric point and high solubility, tau is often found in intraneuronal filamentous inclusions such as paired helical filaments (PHFs), which are the primary constituent of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). This pathological feature is the nosological entity termed "tauopathies" which notably include Alzheimer's disease (AD). A proteinaceous signature of all tauopathies is hyperphosphorylation of the accumulated tau, which has been extensively studied as a major pharmacological target for AD therapy. However, in addition to phosphorylation events, tau undergoes a number of diverse posttranslational modifications (PTMs) which appear to be controlled by complex crosstalk. It remains to be elucidated which of the PTMs or their combinations have pro-aggregation or anti-aggregation properties. In this review, we outline the consequences of and communications between several key PTMs of tau, such as acetylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination, focusing on their roles in aggregation and degradation. We place emphasis on the structure of tau protofilaments from the human AD brain, which may be good targets to modulate etiological PTMs which cause tau aggregation. [BMB Reports 2018; 51(6): 265-273].
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Affiliation(s)
- Seoyoung Park
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080,
Korea
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080,
Korea
| | - Jung Hoon Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080,
Korea
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080,
Korea
| | - Jun Hyoung Jeon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080,
Korea
| | - Min Jae Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080,
Korea
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080,
Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University Graduate School, Seoul 03080,
Korea
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42
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A silver lining for 24-hydroxycholesterol in Alzheimer's disease: The involvement of the neuroprotective enzyme sirtuin 1. Redox Biol 2018; 17:423-431. [PMID: 29883958 PMCID: PMC6007083 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2018.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Revised: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
It is now established that cholesterol oxidation products (oxysterols) are involved in several events underlying Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. Of note, certain oxysterols cause neuron dysfunction and degeneration but, recently, some of them have been shown also to have neuroprotective effects. The present study, which aimed to understand the potential effects of 24-hydroxycholesterol (24-OH) against the intraneuronal accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau protein, stressed these latter effects. A beneficial effect of 24-OH was demonstrated in SK-N-BE neuroblastoma cells, and is due to its ability to modulate the deacetylase sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), which contributes to preventing the neurotoxic accumulation of the hyperphosphorylated tau protein. Unlike 24-OH, 7-ketocholesterol (7-K) did not modulate the SIRT1-dependent neuroprotective pathway. To confirm the neuroprotective role of 24-OH, in vivo experiments were run on mice that express human tau without spontaneously developing tau pathology (hTau mice), by means of the intracerebroventricular injection of 24-OH. 24-OH, unlike 7-K, was found to completely prevent the hyperphosphorylation of tau induced by amyloid β monomers. These data highlight the importance of preventing the loss of 24-OH in the brain, and of maintaining high levels of the enzyme SIRT1, in order to counteract neurodegeneration. Graphical abstract A hypothetical scheme of the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of 24-OH on hyperphosphorylated tau accumulation.fx1![]() 24-OH, unlike 7-K, upregulates the neuroprotective enzyme SIRT1. 24-OH induces a cell redox imbalance leading to SIRT1 activation. 24-OH prevents the accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau.
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43
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Wegmann S, Eftekharzadeh B, Tepper K, Zoltowska KM, Bennett RE, Dujardin S, Laskowski PR, MacKenzie D, Kamath T, Commins C, Vanderburg C, Roe AD, Fan Z, Molliex AM, Hernandez-Vega A, Muller D, Hyman AA, Mandelkow E, Taylor JP, Hyman BT. Tau protein liquid-liquid phase separation can initiate tau aggregation. EMBO J 2018; 37:e98049. [PMID: 29472250 PMCID: PMC5881631 DOI: 10.15252/embj.201798049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 584] [Impact Index Per Article: 97.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Revised: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The transition between soluble intrinsically disordered tau protein and aggregated tau in neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease is unknown. Here, we propose that soluble tau species can undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) under cellular conditions and that phase-separated tau droplets can serve as an intermediate toward tau aggregate formation. We demonstrate that phosphorylated or mutant aggregation prone recombinant tau undergoes LLPS, as does high molecular weight soluble phospho-tau isolated from human Alzheimer brain. Droplet-like tau can also be observed in neurons and other cells. We found that tau droplets become gel-like in minutes, and over days start to spontaneously form thioflavin-S-positive tau aggregates that are competent of seeding cellular tau aggregation. Since analogous LLPS observations have been made for FUS, hnRNPA1, and TDP43, which aggregate in the context of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, we suggest that LLPS represents a biophysical process with a role in multiple different neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Wegmann
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Bahareh Eftekharzadeh
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Katharina Tepper
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Katarzyna M Zoltowska
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Rachel E Bennett
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Simon Dujardin
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Pawel R Laskowski
- Department for Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Danny MacKenzie
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Tarun Kamath
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Caitlin Commins
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Charles Vanderburg
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Allyson D Roe
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Zhanyun Fan
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Amandine M Molliex
- Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | | | - Daniel Muller
- Department for Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anthony A Hyman
- Department for Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Eckhard Mandelkow
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
- Max-Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Hamburg Outstation c/o DESY, Hamburg, Germany
- CAESAR Research Center, Bonn, Germany
| | - J Paul Taylor
- Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
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44
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AD-Related N-Terminal Truncated Tau Is Sufficient to Recapitulate In Vivo the Early Perturbations of Human Neuropathology: Implications for Immunotherapy. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 55:8124-8153. [PMID: 29508283 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-0974-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The NH2tau 26-44 aa (i.e., NH2htau) is the minimal biologically active moiety of longer 20-22-kDa NH2-truncated form of human tau-a neurotoxic fragment mapping between 26 and 230 amino acids of full-length protein (htau40)-which is detectable in presynaptic terminals and peripheral CSF from patients suffering from AD and other non-AD neurodegenerative diseases. Nevertheless, whether its exogenous administration in healthy nontransgenic mice is able to elicit a neuropathological phenotype resembling human tauopathies has not been yet investigated. We explored the in vivo effects evoked by subchronic intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion of NH2htau or its reverse counterpart into two lines of young (2-month-old) wild-type mice (C57BL/6 and B6SJL). Six days after its accumulation into hippocampal parenchyma, significant impairment in memory/learning performance was detected in NH2htau-treated group in association with reduced synaptic connectivity and neuroinflammatory response. Compromised short-term plasticity in paired-pulse facilitation paradigm (PPF) was detected in the CA3/CA1 synapses from NH2htau-impaired animals along with downregulation in calcineurin (CaN)-stimulated pCREB/c-Fos pathway(s). Importantly, these behavioral, synaptotoxic, and neuropathological effects were independent from the genetic background, occurred prior to frank neuronal loss, and were specific because no alterations were detected in the control group infused with its reverse counterpart. Finally, a 2.0-kDa peptide which biochemically and immunologically resembles the injected NH2htau was endogenously detected in vivo, being present in hippocampal synaptosomal preparations from AD subjects. Given that the identification of the neurotoxic tau species is mandatory to develop a more effective tau-based immunological approach, our evidence can have important translational implications for cure of human tauopathies.
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45
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46
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Zhou Y, Shi J, Chu D, Hu W, Guan Z, Gong CX, Iqbal K, Liu F. Relevance of Phosphorylation and Truncation of Tau to the Etiopathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2018; 10:27. [PMID: 29472853 PMCID: PMC5810298 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Microtubule (MT) associated protein tau is abnormally hyperphosphorylated and aggregated into paired helical filaments (PHFs), which manifest as neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related tauopathies. Hyperphosphorylation and truncation of tau have been linked to the progression of the disease. However, the nature of phosphorylation and truncation of tau in AD brain are not very clear. In the present study we investigated the association of phosphorylation and truncation with high-molecular weight oligomers of tau (HMW-tau) in post-mortem AD brain by western blots. We found that tau from AD brain appears as a smear from low molecular weight (LMW) to HMW tau species in western blots developed with pan-tau antibodies. Similar level of LMW-tau was found in AD and control brains, whereas HMW-tau was found in AD brain only. HMW-tau was hyperphosphorylated at multiple sites and not unphosphorylated at Ser46 or Ser198/199/202. HMW-tau was weakly labeled by tau antibodies 43D against a.a. 6–18 and HT7 against a.a. 159–163 of tau, whereas, the C-terminal antibodies, tau46 and tau46.1, strongly labeled HMW-tau. The ratio of HMW-tau/LMW-tau detected by tau antibodies increased as the epitope of the tau antibodies ranges from N-terminal to C-terminal. The level of tau truncated at Asp421 was increased in AD brain, but was poorly associated with the HMW-tau. These findings suggest that tau pathogenesis involves both hyperphosphorylation and dominantly N-terminal truncation of tau in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Jianhua Shi
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, New York, NY, United States
| | - Dandan Chu
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Wen Hu
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, New York, NY, United States
| | - Zongyu Guan
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Cheng-Xin Gong
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, New York, NY, United States
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, New York, NY, United States
| | - Fei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, New York, NY, United States
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47
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Mead E, Kestoras D, Gibson Y, Hamilton L, Goodson R, Jones S, Eversden S, Davies P, O'Neill M, Hutton M, Szekeres P, Wolak J. Halting of Caspase Activity Protects Tau from MC1-Conformational Change and Aggregation. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 54:1521-1538. [PMID: 27589517 PMCID: PMC5088409 DOI: 10.3233/jad-150960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) are the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease and other tauopathies in which tau, a microtubule-associated protein, loses its ability to stabilize microtubules. Several post-translational modifications including phosphorylation and truncation increase tau’s propensity to aggregate thus forming NFTs; however, the mechanisms underlying tau conformational change and aggregation still remain to be defined. Caspase activation and subsequent proteolytic cleavage of tau is thought to be a potential trigger of this disease-related pathological conformation. The aim of this work was to investigate the link between caspase activation and a disease-related conformational change of tau in a neuroblastoma cell-based model of spontaneous tau aggregation. We demonstrated that caspase induction initiates proteolytic cleavage of tau and generation of conformationally altered and aggregated tau recognized by the MC1 conformational antibody. Most importantly, these events were shown to be attenuated with caspase inhibitors. This implies that therapeutics aimed at inhibiting caspase-mediated tau cleavage may prove beneficial in slowing cleavage and aggregation, thus potentially halting tau pathology and disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Mead
- Lilly Research Centre, Windlesham, Surrey, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Peter Davies
- The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, USA
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48
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Veloria JR, Li L, Breen GAM, Goux WJ. Novel Cell Model for Tauopathy Induced by a Cell-Permeable Tau-Related Peptide. ACS Chem Neurosci 2017; 8:2734-2745. [PMID: 28837764 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.7b00275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present study, a cell penetrating peptide (CPP)-amyloid conjugate was prepared (T-peptide), where the amyloid-forming sequence was homologous to a nucleating sequence from human Tau protein (306VQIVYK311). Kinetic and biophysical studies showed the peptide formed long-lived oligomers which were taken up by endocytosis and localized in perinuclear vesicles and in the cytoplasm of murine hippocampal neuroblastoma cells and human HeLa cells. Thioflavin S (ThS) staining of amyloid colocalized with pathological phosphorylated Tau, suggesting that the peptide was able to seed endogenous wild-type Tau. Subsequent experiments showed that aggregates present in the lysosomes mediated lysosome membrane permeability (LMP). We observed a decrease in total Tau, irrespective of phosphorylation state, consistent with Tau fragmentation by lysosomal proteases. We found cytotoxicity of T-peptide could be abrogated by inhibitors of lysosomal hydrolases and caspases, consistent with a model where Tau fragments processed by the lysosome leak into the cytoplasm and induce toxicity in subsequent downstream steps. It is our hope that the T-peptide system may prove amenable to the evaluation of small molecule inhibitors of cytotoxicity, especially those which target either Tau aggregation or the lysosomal/autophagy system.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R. Veloria
- Department
of Biological Sciences and ‡Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
| | - Lin Li
- Department
of Biological Sciences and ‡Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
| | - Gail A. M. Breen
- Department
of Biological Sciences and ‡Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
| | - Warren J. Goux
- Department
of Biological Sciences and ‡Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
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49
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Prezel E, Elie A, Delaroche J, Stoppin-Mellet V, Bosc C, Serre L, Fourest-Lieuvin A, Andrieux A, Vantard M, Arnal I. Tau can switch microtubule network organizations: from random networks to dynamic and stable bundles. Mol Biol Cell 2017; 29:154-165. [PMID: 29167379 PMCID: PMC5909928 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e17-06-0429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Revised: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau is a neuronal microtubule bundler that is known to stabilize microtubules by promoting their growth and inhibiting their shrinkage. This study reveals novel mechanisms by which tau is able to switch microtubule network organizations via the differential regulation of microtubule bundling and dynamics. In neurons, microtubule networks alternate between single filaments and bundled arrays under the influence of effectors controlling their dynamics and organization. Tau is a microtubule bundler that stabilizes microtubules by stimulating growth and inhibiting shrinkage. The mechanisms by which tau organizes microtubule networks remain poorly understood. Here, we studied the self-organization of microtubules growing in the presence of tau isoforms and mutants. The results show that tau’s ability to induce stable microtubule bundles requires two hexapeptides located in its microtubule-binding domain and is modulated by its projection domain. Site-specific pseudophosphorylation of tau promotes distinct microtubule organizations: stable single microtubules, stable bundles, or dynamic bundles. Disease-related tau mutations increase the formation of highly dynamic bundles. Finally, cryo–electron microscopy experiments indicate that tau and its variants similarly change the microtubule lattice structure by increasing both the protofilament number and lattice defects. Overall, our results uncover novel phosphodependent mechanisms governing tau’s ability to trigger microtubule organization and reveal that disease-related modifications of tau promote specific microtubule organizations that may have a deleterious impact during neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elea Prezel
- Inserm, U1216, Université Grenoble Alpes.,Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, Université Grenoble Alpes
| | - Auréliane Elie
- Inserm, U1216, Université Grenoble Alpes.,Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, Université Grenoble Alpes
| | - Julie Delaroche
- Inserm, U1216, Université Grenoble Alpes.,Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, Université Grenoble Alpes
| | - Virginie Stoppin-Mellet
- Inserm, U1216, Université Grenoble Alpes.,Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, Université Grenoble Alpes
| | - Christophe Bosc
- Inserm, U1216, Université Grenoble Alpes.,Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, Université Grenoble Alpes
| | - Laurence Serre
- Inserm, U1216, Université Grenoble Alpes.,Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, Université Grenoble Alpes.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Grenoble Institut des Neurosci ences, Institut de Biosciences et Biotechnologies de Grenoble, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Anne Fourest-Lieuvin
- Inserm, U1216, Université Grenoble Alpes.,Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, Université Grenoble Alpes.,Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Institut de Biosciences et Biotechnologies de Grenoble, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Annie Andrieux
- Inserm, U1216, Université Grenoble Alpes.,Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, Université Grenoble Alpes.,Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Institut de Biosciences et Biotechnologies de Grenoble, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Marylin Vantard
- Inserm, U1216, Université Grenoble Alpes.,Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, Université Grenoble Alpes.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Grenoble Institut des Neurosci ences, Institut de Biosciences et Biotechnologies de Grenoble, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Isabelle Arnal
- Inserm, U1216, Université Grenoble Alpes .,Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, Université Grenoble Alpes.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Grenoble Institut des Neurosci ences, Institut de Biosciences et Biotechnologies de Grenoble, F-38000 Grenoble, France
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50
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Florenzano F, Veronica C, Ciasca G, Ciotti MT, Pittaluga A, Olivero G, Feligioni M, Iannuzzi F, Latina V, Maria Sciacca MF, Sinopoli A, Milardi D, Pappalardo G, Marco DS, Papi M, Atlante A, Bobba A, Borreca A, Calissano P, Amadoro G. Extracellular truncated tau causes early presynaptic dysfunction associated with Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Oncotarget 2017; 8:64745-64778. [PMID: 29029390 PMCID: PMC5630290 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.17371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The largest part of tau secreted from AD nerve terminals and released in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) is C-terminally truncated, soluble and unaggregated supporting potential extracellular role(s) of NH2 -derived fragments of protein on synaptic dysfunction underlying neurodegenerative tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here we show that sub-toxic doses of extracellular-applied human NH2 tau 26-44 (aka NH 2 htau) -which is the minimal active moiety of neurotoxic 20-22kDa peptide accumulating in vivo at AD synapses and secreted into parenchyma- acutely provokes presynaptic deficit in K+ -evoked glutamate release on hippocampal synaptosomes along with alteration in local Ca2+ dynamics. Neuritic dystrophy, microtubules breakdown, deregulation in presynaptic proteins and loss of mitochondria located at nerve endings are detected in hippocampal cultures only after prolonged exposure to NH 2 htau. The specificity of these biological effects is supported by the lack of any significant change, either on neuronal activity or on cellular integrity, shown by administration of its reverse sequence counterpart which behaves as an inactive control, likely due to a poor conformational flexibility which makes it unable to dynamically perturb biomembrane-like environments. Our results demonstrate that one of the AD-relevant, soluble and secreted N-terminally truncated tau forms can early contribute to pathology outside of neurons causing alterations in synaptic activity at presynaptic level, independently of overt neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Gabriele Ciasca
- Institute of Physics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo F Vito 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Ciotti
- Institute of Cellular Biology and Neuroscience, CNR, IRCSS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Pittaluga
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, University of Genoa, Genoa, Viale Cembrano, Italy
| | - Gunedalina Olivero
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, University of Genoa, Genoa, Viale Cembrano, Italy
| | - Marco Feligioni
- European Brain Research Institute, Rome, Italy
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, Casa Cura Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - Danilo Milardi
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, CNR, Catania, Italy
| | | | - De Spirito Marco
- Institute of Physics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo F Vito 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Papi
- Institute of Physics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo F Vito 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Atlante
- Institute of Biomembranes and Bioenergetics, CNR, Bari, Italy
- Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genoa, Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, Italy
| | - Antonella Bobba
- Institute of Biomembranes and Bioenergetics, CNR, Bari, Italy
- Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genoa, Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, Italy
| | - Antonella Borreca
- Institute of Cellular Biology and Neuroscience, CNR, IRCSS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppina Amadoro
- European Brain Research Institute, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, CNR, Rome, Italy
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