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Ellis MJ, Lekka C, Holden KL, Tulmin H, Seedat F, O'Brien DP, Dhayal S, Zeissler ML, Knudsen JG, Kessler BM, Morgan NG, Todd JA, Richardson SJ, Stefana MI. Identification of high-performing antibodies for the reliable detection of Tau proteoforms by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:87. [PMID: 38761203 PMCID: PMC11102361 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02729-7] [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: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Antibodies are essential research tools whose performance directly impacts research conclusions and reproducibility. Owing to its central role in Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, hundreds of distinct antibody clones have been developed against the microtubule-associated protein Tau and its multiple proteoforms. Despite this breadth of offer, limited understanding of their performance and poor antibody selectivity have hindered research progress. Here, we validate a large panel of Tau antibodies by Western blot (79 reagents) and immunohistochemistry (35 reagents). We address the reagents' ability to detect the target proteoform, selectivity, the impact of protein phosphorylation on antibody binding and performance in human brain samples. While most antibodies detected Tau at high levels, many failed to detect it at lower, endogenous levels. By WB, non-selective binding to other proteins affected over half of the antibodies tested, with several cross-reacting with the related MAP2 protein, whereas the "oligomeric Tau" T22 antibody reacted with monomeric Tau by WB, thus calling into question its specificity to Tau oligomers. Despite the presumption that "total" Tau antibodies are agnostic to post-translational modifications, we found that phosphorylation partially inhibits binding for many such antibodies, including the popular Tau-5 clone. We further combine high-sensitivity reagents, mass-spectrometry proteomics and cDNA sequencing to demonstrate that presumptive Tau "knockout" human cells continue to express residual protein arising through exon skipping, providing evidence of previously unappreciated gene plasticity. Finally, probing of human brain samples with a large panel of antibodies revealed the presence of C-term-truncated versions of all main Tau brain isoforms in both control and tauopathy donors. Ultimately, we identify a validated panel of Tau antibodies that can be employed in Western blotting and/or immunohistochemistry to reliably detect even low levels of Tau expression with high selectivity. This work represents an extensive resource that will enable the re-interpretation of published data, improve reproducibility in Tau research, and overall accelerate scientific progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Ellis
- JDRF/Wellcome Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
| | - Christiana Lekka
- Islet Biology Group, Department of Clinical & Biomedical Sciences, Exeter Centre of Excellence in Diabetes (EXCEED), University of Exeter, RILD Building, Exeter, UK
| | - Katie L Holden
- JDRF/Wellcome Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
| | - Hanna Tulmin
- JDRF/Wellcome Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
| | - Faheem Seedat
- JDRF/Wellcome Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, Women's Centre, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Level 3, Oxford, UK
| | - Darragh P O'Brien
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
| | - Shalinee Dhayal
- Islet Biology Group, Department of Clinical & Biomedical Sciences, Exeter Centre of Excellence in Diabetes (EXCEED), University of Exeter, RILD Building, Exeter, UK
| | - Marie-Louise Zeissler
- Islet Biology Group, Department of Clinical & Biomedical Sciences, Exeter Centre of Excellence in Diabetes (EXCEED), University of Exeter, RILD Building, Exeter, UK
| | - Jakob G Knudsen
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Radcliffe, UK
- Section for Cell Biology and Physiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Benedikt M Kessler
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
| | - Noel G Morgan
- Islet Biology Group, Department of Clinical & Biomedical Sciences, Exeter Centre of Excellence in Diabetes (EXCEED), University of Exeter, RILD Building, Exeter, UK
| | - John A Todd
- JDRF/Wellcome Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
| | - Sarah J Richardson
- Islet Biology Group, Department of Clinical & Biomedical Sciences, Exeter Centre of Excellence in Diabetes (EXCEED), University of Exeter, RILD Building, Exeter, UK
| | - M Irina Stefana
- JDRF/Wellcome Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK.
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Del Giudice KP, Cosgaya M, Zaro I, Ravasi V, Santacruz P, Painous C, Fernández M, Cámara A, Compta Y. Anti-alpha synuclein and anti-tau immunotherapies: Can a cocktail approach work? Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2024; 122:106080. [PMID: 38508903 DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2024.106080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
The hypothesis that neurodegenerative diseases are proteinopathies due to toxic effect of different underlying proteins, such as amyloid-beta and 3+4R-tau in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and alpha-synuclein in Parkinson's disease (PD), while still controversial is supported by several studies in the literature. This has led to conduct clinical trials attempting to reduce the load of these allegedly toxic proteins by immunotherapy, mostly but not solely based on antibodies against these proteins. Already completed clinical trials have ranged from initially negative results to recently partial positive outcomes, specifically for anti-amyloid antibodies in AD but also albeit to lesser degree for anti-synuclein antibodies in PD. Currently, there are several ongoing clinical trials in degenerative parkinsonisms with anti-synuclein approaches in PD and multiple system atrophy (MSA), as well as with anti-tau antibodies in 4R-tauopathies such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). While it can be argued that expectations that part of these clinical trials will be positive can be hope or hype, it is reasonable to consider the future possibility of "cocktail" combination of different antibodies after the available experimental evidence of cross-talk between these proteins and neuropathological evidence of coexistence of these proteinopathies more frequently than expected by chance. Moreover, such "cocktail" approaches are widespread and accepted common practice in other fields such as oncology, and the complexity of neurodegenerative parkinsonisms makes reasonable the option for testing and eventually applying such combined approaches, should these prove useful separately, in the setting of patients with evidence of underlying concomitant proteinopathies, for example through biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsys Patricia Del Giudice
- Parkinson's Disease & Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic I Universitari de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; IDIBAPS, CIBERNED (CB06/05/0018-ISCIII), ERN- RND, UBNeuro, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Marina Cosgaya
- Parkinson's Disease & Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic I Universitari de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; IDIBAPS, CIBERNED (CB06/05/0018-ISCIII), ERN- RND, UBNeuro, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Idoia Zaro
- Parkinson's Disease & Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic I Universitari de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; IDIBAPS, CIBERNED (CB06/05/0018-ISCIII), ERN- RND, UBNeuro, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Valeria Ravasi
- Parkinson's Disease & Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic I Universitari de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; IDIBAPS, CIBERNED (CB06/05/0018-ISCIII), ERN- RND, UBNeuro, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Pilar Santacruz
- Parkinson's Disease & Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic I Universitari de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; IDIBAPS, CIBERNED (CB06/05/0018-ISCIII), ERN- RND, UBNeuro, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Celia Painous
- Parkinson's Disease & Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic I Universitari de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; IDIBAPS, CIBERNED (CB06/05/0018-ISCIII), ERN- RND, UBNeuro, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Manel Fernández
- Parkinson's Disease & Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic I Universitari de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; IDIBAPS, CIBERNED (CB06/05/0018-ISCIII), ERN- RND, UBNeuro, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Ana Cámara
- Parkinson's Disease & Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic I Universitari de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; IDIBAPS, CIBERNED (CB06/05/0018-ISCIII), ERN- RND, UBNeuro, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Yaroslau Compta
- Parkinson's Disease & Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic I Universitari de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; IDIBAPS, CIBERNED (CB06/05/0018-ISCIII), ERN- RND, UBNeuro, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
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Lopes DM, Wells JA, Ma D, Wallis L, Park D, Llewellyn SK, Ahmed Z, Lythgoe MF, Harrison IF. Glymphatic inhibition exacerbates tau propagation in an Alzheimer's disease model. Alzheimers Res Ther 2024; 16:71. [PMID: 38576025 PMCID: PMC10996277 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-024-01439-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aggregation and spread of misfolded amyloid structured proteins, such as tau and α-synuclein, are key pathological features associated with neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. These proteins possess a prion-like property, enabling their transmission from cell to cell leading to propagation throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems. While the mechanisms underlying their intracellular spread are still being elucidated, targeting the extracellular space has emerged as a potential therapeutic approach. The glymphatic system, a brain-wide pathway responsible for clearing extracellular metabolic waste from the central nervous system, has gained attention as a promising target for removing these toxic proteins. METHODS In this study, we investigated the impact of long-term modulation of glymphatic function on tau aggregation and spread by chronically treating a mouse model of tau propagation with a pharmacological inhibitor of AQP4, TGN-020. Thy1-hTau.P301S mice were intracerebrally inoculated with tau into the hippocampus and overlying cortex, and subsequently treated with TGN-020 (3 doses/week, 50 mg/kg TGN-020, i.p.) for 10-weeks. During this time, animal memory was studied using cognitive behavioural tasks, and structural MR images were acquired of the brain in vivo prior to brain extraction for immunohistochemical characterisation. RESULTS Our findings demonstrate increased tau aggregation in the brain and transhemispheric propagation in the hippocampus following the inhibition of glymphatic clearance. Moreover, disruption of the glymphatic system aggravated recognition memory in tau inoculated mice and exacerbated regional changes in brain volume detected in the model. When initiation of drug treatment was delayed for several weeks post-inoculation, the alterations were attenuated. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that by modulating AQP4 function and, consequently, glymphatic clearance, it is possible to modify the propagation and pathological impact of tau in the brain, particularly during the initial stages of the disease. These findings highlight the critical role of the glymphatic system in preserving healthy brain homeostasis and offer valuable insights into the therapeutic implications of targeting this system for managing neurodegenerative diseases characterized by protein aggregation and spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas M Lopes
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Department of Imaging, Division of Medicine, University College London, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Jack A Wells
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Department of Imaging, Division of Medicine, University College London, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Da Ma
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Lauren Wallis
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Department of Imaging, Division of Medicine, University College London, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Daniel Park
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Department of Imaging, Division of Medicine, University College London, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Sophie K Llewellyn
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Department of Imaging, Division of Medicine, University College London, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Zeshan Ahmed
- Neuroscience Next Generation Therapeutics (NGTx), Eli Lilly and Company, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mark F Lythgoe
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Department of Imaging, Division of Medicine, University College London, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Ian F Harrison
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Department of Imaging, Division of Medicine, University College London, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK.
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Felgendreff P, Hosseiniasl SM, Felgendreff L, Amiot BP, Minshew A, Ahmadzada B, Qu Z, Wilken S, Arribas Gomez I, Nyberg SL, Cook CN. Comprehensive analysis of brain injury parameters in a preclinical porcine model of acute liver failure. Front Med (Lausanne) 2024; 11:1363979. [PMID: 38606159 PMCID: PMC11007081 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1363979] [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: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Acute liver failure (ALF) is defined as acute loss of liver function leading to hepatic encephalopathy associated with a high risk of patient death. Brain injury markers in serum and tissue can help detect and monitor ALF-associated brain injury. This study compares different brain injury parameters in plasma and tissue along with the progression of ALF. Method ALF was induced by performing an 85% liver resection. Following the resection, animals were recovered and monitored for up to 48 h or until reaching the predefined endpoint of receiving standard medical therapy (SMT). Blood and serum samples were taken at Tbaseline, T24, and upon reaching the endpoint (Tend). Control animals were euthanized by exsanguination following plasma sampling. Postmortem brain tissue samples were collected from the frontal cortex (FCTx) and cerebellum (Cb) of all animals. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and tau protein and mRNA levels were quantified using ELISA and qRT-PCR in all plasma and brain samples. Plasma neurofilament light (NFL) was also measured using ELISA. Results All ALF animals (n = 4) were euthanized upon showing signs of brain herniation. Evaluation of brain injury biomarkers revealed that GFAP was elevated in ALF animals at T24h and Tend, while Tau and NFL concentrations were unchanged. Moreover, plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels were negatively correlated with total protein and positively correlated with both aspartate transaminase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (AP). Additionally, lower GFAP and tau RNA expressions were observed in the FCTx of the ALF group but not in the CB tissue. Conclusion The current large animal study has identified a strong correlation between GFAP concentration in the blood and markers of ALF. Additionally, the protein and gene expression analyses in the FCTx revealed that this area appears to be susceptible, while the CB is protected from the detrimental impacts of ALF-associated brain swelling. These results warrant further studies to investigate the mechanisms behind this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Felgendreff
- Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplantation Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Lisa Felgendreff
- Department of Journalism and Communication Research, Hannover University of Music, Drama, and Media, Hanover, Germany
| | - Bruce P. Amiot
- Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Anna Minshew
- Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | | | - Zhi Qu
- Transplant Center, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Silvana Wilken
- Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Ines Arribas Gomez
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
| | - Scott L. Nyberg
- Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
- William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and Clinical Regeneration, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Casey N. Cook
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
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Fereydouni-Forouzandeh P, Canet G, Diego-Diàz S, Rocaboy E, Petry S, Whittington RA, Planel E. Western Blot of Tau Protein from Mouse Brains Extracts: How to Avoid Signal Artifacts. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2754:309-321. [PMID: 38512673 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3629-9_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-associated protein enriched in the axonal compartment. Its most well-known function is to bind and stabilize microtubules. In Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases known as tauopathies, tau undergoes several abnormal post-translational modifications including hyperphosphorylation, conformational changes, oligomerization, and aggregation. Numerous mouse models of tauopathies have been developed, and Western blotting remains an invaluable tool in studying tau protein physiological and pathological changes in these models. However, many of the antibodies that have been developed to analyze tau post-translational modifications are mouse monoclonal, which are at risk of producing artifactual signals in Western blotting procedures. This risk does not arise due to their lack of specificity, but rather because the secondary antibodies used to detect them will also react with the heavy chain of endogenous mouse immunoglobulins (Igs), leading to a non-specific signal at the same molecular weight as tau protein (around 50 kDa). Here, we present the use of anti-light-chain secondary antibodies as a simple and efficient technique to prevent non-specific Ig signals around 50 kDa. We demonstrate the efficacy of this method by either eliminating or identifying artifactual signals when using monoclonal antibodies directed at non-phosphorylated epitopes (T49, Tau3R, Tau4R), phosphorylated epitopes (MC6, AT180, CP13), or an abnormal tau conformation (MC1), in wild-type (WT) mice with tau hyperphosphorylation (hypothermic), transgenic mice overexpressing human tau (hTau mice), and tau knockout (TKO) mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Geoffrey Canet
- Université Laval, Faculté de Médecine, Département de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Quebec, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Axe Neurosciences, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Sofia Diego-Diàz
- Université Laval, Faculté de Médecine, Département de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Quebec, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Axe Neurosciences, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Emma Rocaboy
- Université Laval, Faculté de Médecine, Département de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Quebec, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Axe Neurosciences, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Serena Petry
- Université Laval, Faculté de Médecine, Département de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Robert A Whittington
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Emmanuel Planel
- Université Laval, Faculté de Médecine, Département de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Quebec, QC, Canada.
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Axe Neurosciences, Quebec, QC, Canada.
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Paterno G, Bell BM, Riley-DiPaolo A, LaVoie MJ, Giasson BI. Polymerization of recombinant tau core fragments in vitro and seeding studies in cultured cells. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1268360. [PMID: 38161790 PMCID: PMC10757379 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1268360] [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: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The relative polymerization of specific tau protein cores that define Alzheimer's disease, Pick's disease and corticobasal degeneration were investigated using amyloid fluorometry and electron microscopy. In addition, the relative prion-like activities of polymers comprised of these respective tau protein segments were investigated in a cell-based assay. It is demonstrated that the seeding activities of specific tau core fibrils are affected by the presence of pathogenic tau missense mutations and the microtubule binding domain composition of tau. The unique impact of tau phosphorylation on seeding propensity was also investigated by altering stretches of phospho-mimetic and phospho-null residues in the presence of Alzheimer's disease tau core fibrils. These results have important mechanistic implications for mutation and isoform-specific driven pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giavanna Paterno
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Brach M. Bell
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Alexis Riley-DiPaolo
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Matthew J. LaVoie
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Benoit I. Giasson
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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Hromadkova L, Kim C, Haldiman T, Peng L, Zhu X, Cohen M, de Silva R, Safar JG. Evolving prion-like tau conformers differentially alter postsynaptic proteins in neurons inoculated with distinct isolates of Alzheimer's disease tau. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:174. [PMID: 37723591 PMCID: PMC10507869 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01133-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Although accumulation of misfolded tau species has been shown to predict cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies but with the remarkable diversity of clinical manifestations, neuropathology profiles, and time courses of disease progression remaining unexplained by current genetic data. We considered the diversity of misfolded tau conformers present in individual AD cases as an underlying driver of the phenotypic variations of AD and progressive loss of synapses. METHODS To model the mechanism of tau propagation and synaptic toxicity of distinct tau conformers, we inoculated wild-type primary mouse neurons with structurally characterized Sarkosyl-insoluble tau isolates from the frontal cortex of six AD cases and monitored the impact for fourteen days. We analyzed the accumulation rate, tau isoform ratio, and conformational characteristics of de novo-induced tau aggregates with conformationally sensitive immunoassays, and the dynamics of synapse formation, maintenance, and their loss using a panel of pre-and post-synaptic markers. RESULTS At the same concentrations of tau, the different AD tau isolates induced accumulation of misfolded predominantly 4-repeat tau aggregates at different rates in mature neurons, and demonstrated distinct conformational characteristics corresponding to the original AD brain tau. The time-course of the formation of misfolded tau aggregates and colocalization correlated with significant loss of synapses in tau-inoculated cell cultures and the reduction of synaptic connections implicated the disruption of postsynaptic compartment as an early event. CONCLUSIONS The data obtained with mature neurons expressing physiological levels and adult isoforms of tau protein demonstrate markedly different time courses of endogenous tau misfolding and differential patterns of post-synaptic alterations. These and previous biophysical data argue for an ensemble of various misfolded tau aggregates in individual AD brains and template propagation of their homologous conformations in neurons with different rates and primarily postsynaptic interactors. Modeling tau aggregation in mature differentiated neurons provides a platform for investigating divergent molecular mechanisms of tau strain propagation and for identifying common structural features of misfolded tau and critical interactors for new therapeutic targets and approaches in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Hromadkova
- Departments of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Chae Kim
- Departments of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Tracy Haldiman
- Departments of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Lihua Peng
- Departments of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Xiongwei Zhu
- Departments of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
- Departments of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Mark Cohen
- Departments of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
- National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Rohan de Silva
- Reta Lila Weston Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 1PJ, UK
| | - Jiri G Safar
- Departments of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
- Departments of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
- Departments of Neuroscience, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
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8
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Understanding Acquired Brain Injury: A Review. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10092167. [PMID: 36140268 PMCID: PMC9496189 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10092167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Any type of brain injury that transpires post-birth is referred to as Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). In general, ABI does not result from congenital disorders, degenerative diseases, or by brain trauma at birth. Although the human brain is protected from the external world by layers of tissues and bone, floating in nutrient-rich cerebrospinal fluid (CSF); it remains susceptible to harm and impairment. Brain damage resulting from ABI leads to changes in the normal neuronal tissue activity and/or structure in one or multiple areas of the brain, which can often affect normal brain functions. Impairment sustained from an ABI can last anywhere from days to a lifetime depending on the severity of the injury; however, many patients face trouble integrating themselves back into the community due to possible psychological and physiological outcomes. In this review, we discuss ABI pathologies, their types, and cellular mechanisms and summarize the therapeutic approaches for a better understanding of the subject and to create awareness among the public.
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Kim C, Haldiman T, Kang SG, Hromadkova L, Han ZZ, Chen W, Lissemore F, Lerner A, de Silva R, Cohen ML, Westaway D, Safar JG. Distinct populations of highly potent TAU seed conformers in rapidly progressing Alzheimer's disease. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabg0253. [PMID: 34985969 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abg0253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Chae Kim
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Tracy Haldiman
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Sang-Gyun Kang
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2M8, Canada
| | - Lenka Hromadkova
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Zhuang Zhuang Han
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2M8, Canada
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Frances Lissemore
- Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Alan Lerner
- Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Rohan de Silva
- Reta Lila Weston Institute of Neurological Studies and Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 1PJ, UK
| | - Mark L Cohen
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - David Westaway
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2M8, Canada
| | - Jiri G Safar
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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10
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Mena AM, Strafella AP. Imaging pathological tau in atypical parkinsonisms: A review. Clin Park Relat Disord 2022; 7:100155. [PMID: 35880206 PMCID: PMC9307942 DOI: 10.1016/j.prdoa.2022.100155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
[18F]AV-1451 displays mixed results for specificity to 4R CBD- and PSP-tau. [18F]PI-2620 and [18F]PM-PBB3 are the most promising second-generation tau PET tracers. Research using second-generation tau PET tracers in CBD and PSP is still limited. Finding an imaging diagnostic biomarker requires further work with larger samples.
Atypical parkinsonisms (APs) are a group of diseases linked to tau pathology. These include progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD). In the initial stages, these APs may have similar clinical manifestations to Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other parkinsonisms: bradykinesia, postural instability, tremor, and cognitive decline. Because of this, one major hurdle is the accurate early diagnosis of APs. Recent advances in positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer development have allowed for targeting pathological tau in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Currently, work is still in progress for identifying a first-in-class radiotracer for imaging tau in APs. In this review, we evaluate the literature on in vitro and in vivo testing of current tau PET radiotracers in APs. The tau PET tracers assessed include both first-generation tracers ([18F]AV-1451, [18F]FDDNP, [18F]THK derivatives, and [11C]PBB3) and second-generation tracers ([18F]PM-PBB3, [18F]PI-2620, [18F]RO-948, [18F]JNJ-067, [18F]MK-6240, and [18F]CBD-2115). Concerns regarding off-target binding to cerebral white matter and the basal ganglia are still prominent with first-generation tracers, but this seems to have been mediated in a handful of second-generation tracers, including [18F]PI-2620 and [18F]PM-PBB3. Additionally, these two tracers and [18F]MK-6240 show promising results for imaging PSP- and CBD-tau. Overall, [18F]AV-1451 is the most widely studied tracer but the mixed results regarding its efficacy for use in imaging AP-tau is a cause for concern moving forward. Instead, future work may benefit from focusing on the second-generation radiotracers which seem to have a higher specificity for AP-tau than those originally developed for imaging AD-tau.
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11
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Limorenko G, Lashuel HA. Revisiting the grammar of Tau aggregation and pathology formation: how new insights from brain pathology are shaping how we study and target Tauopathies. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 51:513-565. [PMID: 34889934 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00127b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Converging evidence continues to point towards Tau aggregation and pathology formation as central events in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and other Tauopathies. Despite significant advances in understanding the morphological and structural properties of Tau fibrils, many fundamental questions remain about what causes Tau to aggregate in the first place. The exact roles of cofactors, Tau post-translational modifications, and Tau interactome in regulating Tau aggregation, pathology formation, and toxicity remain unknown. Recent studies have put the spotlight on the wide gap between the complexity of Tau structures, aggregation, and pathology formation in the brain and the simplicity of experimental approaches used for modeling these processes in research laboratories. Embracing and deconstructing this complexity is an essential first step to understanding the role of Tau in health and disease. To help deconstruct this complexity and understand its implication for the development of effective Tau targeting diagnostics and therapies, we firstly review how our understanding of Tau aggregation and pathology formation has evolved over the past few decades. Secondly, we present an analysis of new findings and insights from recent studies illustrating the biochemical, structural, and functional heterogeneity of Tau aggregates. Thirdly, we discuss the importance of adopting new experimental approaches that embrace the complexity of Tau aggregation and pathology as an important first step towards developing mechanism- and structure-based therapies that account for the pathological and clinical heterogeneity of Alzheimer's disease and Tauopathies. We believe that this is essential to develop effective diagnostics and therapies to treat these devastating diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galina Limorenko
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Hilal A Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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12
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Lyu C, Da Vela S, Al-Hilaly Y, Marshall KE, Thorogate R, Svergun D, Serpell LC, Pastore A, Hanger DP. The Disease Associated Tau35 Fragment has an Increased Propensity to Aggregate Compared to Full-Length Tau. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:779240. [PMID: 34778381 PMCID: PMC8581542 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.779240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau35 is a truncated form of tau found in human brain in a subset of tauopathies. Tau35 expression in mice recapitulates key features of human disease, including progressive increase in tau phosphorylation, along with cognitive and motor dysfunction. The appearance of aggregated tau suggests that Tau35 may have structural properties distinct from those of other tau species that could account for its pathological role in disease. To address this hypothesis, we performed a structural characterization of monomeric and aggregated Tau35 and compared the results to those of two longer isoforms, 2N3R and 2N4R tau. We used small angle X-ray scattering to show that Tau35, 2N3R and 2N4R tau all behave as disordered monomeric species but Tau35 exhibits higher rigidity. In the presence of the poly-anion heparin, Tau35 increases thioflavin T fluorescence significantly faster and to a greater extent than full-length tau, demonstrating a higher propensity to aggregate. By using atomic force microscopy, circular dichroism, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray fiber diffraction, we provide evidence that Tau35 aggregation is mechanistically and morphologically similar to previously reported tau fibrils but they are more densely packed. These data increase our understanding of the aggregation inducing properties of clinically relevant tau fragments and their potentially damaging role in the pathogenesis of human tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Lyu
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stefano Da Vela
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg Site, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Youssra Al-Hilaly
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Karen E. Marshall
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Thorogate
- London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dmitri Svergun
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg Site, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Louise C. Serpell
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Annalisa Pastore
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Diane P. Hanger
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
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13
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King G, Veros KM, MacLaren DAA, Leigh MPK, Spernyak JA, Clark SD. Human wildtype tau expression in cholinergic pedunculopontine tegmental neurons is sufficient to produce PSP-like behavioural deficits and neuropathology. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:7688-7709. [PMID: 34668254 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is the most common atypical parkinsonism and exhibits hallmark symptomology including motor function impairment and dysexecutive dementia. In contrast to Parkinson's disease, the underlying pathology displays aggregation of the protein tau, which is also seen in disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Currently, there are no pharmacological treatments for PSP, and drug discovery efforts are hindered by the lack of an animal model specific to PSP. Based on previous results and clinical pathology, it was hypothesized that viral deposition of tau in cholinergic neurons within the hindbrain would produce a tauopathy along neural connections to produce PSP-like symptomology and pathology. By using a combination of ChAT-CRE rats and CRE-dependent AAV vectors, wildtype human tau (the PSP-relevant 1N4R isoform; hTau) was expressed in hindbrain cholinergic neurons. Compared to control subjects (GFP), rats with tau expression displayed deficits in a variety of behavioural paradigms: acoustic startle reflex, marble burying, horizontal ladder and hindlimb motor reflex. Postmortem, the hTau rats had significantly reduced number of cholinergic pedunculopontine tegmentum and dopaminergic substantia nigra neurons, as well as abnormal tau deposits. This preclinical model has multiple points of convergence with the clinical features of PSP, some of which distinguish between PSP and Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella King
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Kaliana M Veros
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Joseph A Spernyak
- Department of Cell Stress Biology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Stewart D Clark
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
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14
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Structural mapping techniques distinguish the surfaces of fibrillar 1N3R and 1N4R human tau. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101252. [PMID: 34592311 PMCID: PMC8551503 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101252] [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: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The rigid core of intracellular tau filaments from Alzheimer's disease (AD), Pick's disease (PiD), and Corticobasal disease (CBD) brains has been shown to differ in their cryo-EM atomic structure. Despite providing critical information on the intimate arrangement of a fraction of htau molecule within the fibrillar scaffold, the cryo-EM studies neither yield a complete picture of tau fibrillar assemblies structure nor contribute insights into the surfaces that define their interactions with numerous cellular components. Here, using proteomic approaches such as proteolysis and molecular covalent painting, we mapped the exposed amino acid stretches at the surface and those constituting the fibrillar core of in vitro-assembled fibrils of human htau containing one N-terminal domain and three (1N3R) or four (1N4R) C-terminal microtubule-binding repeat domains as a result of alternative splicing. Using limited proteolysis, we identified the proteolytic fragments composing the molecular “bar-code” for each type of fibril. Our results are in agreement with structural data reported for filamentous tau from AD, PiD, and CBD cases predigested with the protease pronase. Finally, we report two amino acid stretches, exposed to the solvent in 1N4R not in 1N3R htau, which distinguish the surfaces of these two kinds of fibrils. Our findings open new perspectives for the design of highly specific ligands with diagnostic and therapeutic potential.
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15
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Moloney CM, Lowe VJ, Murray ME. Visualization of neurofibrillary tangle maturity in Alzheimer's disease: A clinicopathologic perspective for biomarker research. Alzheimers Dement 2021; 17:1554-1574. [PMID: 33797838 PMCID: PMC8478697 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Neurofibrillary tangles, one of the neuropathologic hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease, have a dynamic lifespan of maturity that associates with progressive neuronal dysfunction and cognitive deficits. As neurofibrillary tangles mature, the biology of the neuron undergoes extensive changes that may impact biomarker recognition and therapeutic targeting. Neurofibrillary tangle maturity encompasses three levels: pretangles, mature tangles, and ghost tangles. In this review, we detail distinct and overlapping characteristics observed in the human brain regarding morphologic changes the neuron undergoes, conversion from intracellular to extracellular space, tau immunostaining patterns, and tau isoform expression changes across the lifespan of the neurofibrillary tangle. Post-translational modifications of tau such as phosphorylation, ubiquitination, conformational events, and truncations are discussed to contextualize tau immunostaining patterns. We summarize accumulated and emerging knowledge of neurofibrillary tangle maturity, discuss the current tools used to interpret the dynamic nature in the postmortem brain, and consider implications for cognitive dysfunction and tau biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Val J. Lowe
- Department of RadiologyMayo ClinicRochesterMinnesotaUSA
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16
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Olszewska DA, Fearon C, McGuigan C, McVeigh TP, Houlden H, Polke JM, Lawlor B, Coen R, Hutchinson M, Hutton M, Beausang A, Delon I, Brett F, Sevastou I, Seto-Salvia N, de Silva R, Lynch T. A clinical, molecular genetics and pathological study of a FTDP-17 family with a heterozygous splicing variant c.823-10G>T at the intron 9/exon 10 of the MAPT gene. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 106:343.e1-343.e8. [PMID: 34274155 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
We report the first clinical-radiological-genetic-molecular-pathological study of a kindred with c.823-10G>T MAPT intronic variant (rs63749974) associated with frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17). We describe the clinical spectrum within this family and emphasize the association between MAPT gene variants and motor neuron disease. This report of a second family with FTDP-17 associated with c.823-10G>T MAPT variant strongly supports pathogenicity of the variant and confirms it is a 4-repeat (4R) tauopathy. This intronic point mutation, probably strengthens the polypyrimidine tract and alters the splicing of exon 10 (10 nucleotides into intron 9) close to the 3' splice site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana A Olszewska
- Department of Neurology, Dublin Neurological Institute, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Conor Fearon
- Department of Neurology, Dublin Neurological Institute, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | | | - Henry Houlden
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - James M Polke
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Brian Lawlor
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Robert Coen
- Mercer's Institute of Aging, St James's Hospital Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Michael Hutton
- Department of Neurology, St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Alan Beausang
- Eli Lilly Research Laboratories, Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, USA
| | - Isabelle Delon
- Department of Neuropathology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Francesca Brett
- East Genomic Laboratory Hub, Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Addenbrooke's Treatment Centre, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ioanna Sevastou
- Department of Neuropathology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Nuria Seto-Salvia
- East Genomic Laboratory Hub, Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Addenbrooke's Treatment Centre, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rohan de Silva
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neuroscience, Reta Lila Weston Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Tim Lynch
- Department of Neurology, Dublin Neurological Institute, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; Health affairs, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Ireland East Hospital Group, Dublin, Ireland.
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17
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Cherry JD, Esnault CD, Baucom ZH, Tripodis Y, Huber BR, Alvarez VE, Stein TD, Dickson DW, McKee AC. Tau isoforms are differentially expressed across the hippocampus in chronic traumatic encephalopathy and Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:86. [PMID: 33980303 PMCID: PMC8114683 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01189-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, characterized by hyperphosphorylated tau, found in individuals with a history of exposure to repetitive head impacts. While the neuropathologic hallmark of CTE is found in the cortex, hippocampal tau has proven to be an important neuropathologic feature to examine the extent of disease severity. However, the hippocampus is also heavily affected in many other tauopathies, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). How CTE and AD differentially affect the hippocampus is unclear. Using immunofluorescent analysis, a detailed histologic characterization of 3R and 4R tau isoforms and their differential accumulation in the temporal cortex in CTE and AD was performed. CTE and AD were both observed to contain mixed 3R and 4R tau isoforms, with 4R predominating in mild disease and 3R increasing proportionally as pathological severity increased. CTE demonstrated high levels of tau in hippocampal subfields CA2 and CA3 compared to CA1. There were also low levels of tau in the subiculum compared to CA1 in CTE. In contrast, AD had higher levels of tau in CA1 and subiculum compared to CA2/3. Direct comparison of the tau burden between AD and CTE demonstrated that CTE had higher tau densities in CA4 and CA2/3, while AD had elevated tau in the subiculum. Amyloid beta pathology did not contribute to tau isoform levels. Finally, it was demonstrated that higher levels of 3R tau correlated to more severe extracellular tau (ghost tangles) pathology. These findings suggest that mixed 3R/4R tauopathies begin as 4R predominant then transition to 3R predominant as pathological severity increases and ghost tangles develop. Overall, this work demonstrates that the relative deposition of tau isoforms among hippocampal subfields can aid in differential diagnosis of AD and CTE, and might help improve specificity of biomarkers for in vivo diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D Cherry
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA.
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA.
| | - Camille D Esnault
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
| | - Zachary H Baucom
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
| | - Yorghos Tripodis
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
| | - Bertrand R Huber
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
| | - Victor E Alvarez
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA
| | - Thor D Stein
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA
| | - Dennis W Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Ann C McKee
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA.
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA.
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA.
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18
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Xu C, Guo J, Li L, Wang X, Zhou Q, Sun D, Zhang S, Li S, Ye J, Liu Y, Liu E, Zeng P, Wang X, Yang Y, Wang JZ. Co-Expression of Three Wild-Type 3R-Tau Isoforms Induces Memory Deficit via Oxidation-Related DNA Damage and Cell Death: A Promising Model for Tauopathies. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 73:1105-1123. [PMID: 31884489 DOI: 10.3233/jad-191132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The three isoforms of 3R-tau are predominantly deposited in neurons bearing neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease (AD), while only 3R-tau accumulation has been detected in Pick's disease (PiD), suggesting the involvement of 3R-tau in neurodegeneration. However, both the role and the molecular mechanism of 3R-tau in neurodegeneration are elusive. Here, we co-expressed three isoforms of human wild-type 3R-tau in adult mouse hippocampal to mimic the pathologic tau accumulating observed in PiD patients. We found that co-expressing three 3R-tau isoforms induced hyperphosphorylation and accumulation of tau proteins; simultaneously, the mice showed remarkable neuron death with synapse and memory deficits. Further in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that co-expressing 3R-tau isoforms caused oxidative stress evidenced by an increased malondialdehyde, and the decreased superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase; the 3R-tau accumulation also induced significant glial activation and DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Notably, the toxic effects of 3R-tau accumulation were efficiently reversed by administration of antioxidants Vitamin E (VitE) and Vitamin C (VitC), respectively. These data reveal that intracellular accumulation of 3R-tau isoforms in adult brain induces significant neuron death and memory deficits with the mechanism involving oxidation-mediated DSBs; and the antioxidants VitE and VitC can efficiently attenuate the toxicities of 3R-tau. Given that no significant cell death has been detected in the currently available wild-type tau-accumulating models, co-expressing 3R-tau isoforms could be a promising model for drug development of tauopathies, such as PiD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Xu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Jing Guo
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Li Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China.,Department of Physiology, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Qiuzhi Zhou
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Dongsheng Sun
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Shujuan Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Shihong Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Jinwang Ye
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Yanchao Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Enjie Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Peng Zeng
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Xiaochuan Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Ying Yang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Jian-Zhi Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China.,Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China
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19
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Shi Y, Murzin AG, Falcon B, Epstein A, Machin J, Tempest P, Newell KL, Vidal R, Garringer HJ, Sahara N, Higuchi M, Ghetti B, Jang MK, Scheres SHW, Goedert M. Cryo-EM structures of tau filaments from Alzheimer's disease with PET ligand APN-1607. Acta Neuropathol 2021; 141:697-708. [PMID: 33723967 PMCID: PMC8043864 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-021-02294-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Tau and Aβ assemblies of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can be visualized in living subjects using positron emission tomography (PET). Tau assemblies comprise paired helical and straight filaments (PHFs and SFs). APN-1607 (PM-PBB3) is a recently described PET ligand for AD and other tau proteinopathies. Since it is not known where in the tau folds PET ligands bind, we used electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) to determine the binding sites of APN-1607 in the Alzheimer fold. We identified two major sites in the β-helix of PHFs and SFs and a third major site in the C-shaped cavity of SFs. In addition, we report that tau filaments from posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) and primary age-related tauopathy (PART) are identical to those from AD. In support, fluorescence labelling showed binding of APN-1607 to intraneuronal inclusions in AD, PART and PCA. Knowledge of the binding modes of APN-1607 to tau filaments may lead to the development of new ligands with increased specificity and binding activity. We show that cryo-EM can be used to identify the binding sites of small molecules in amyloid filaments.
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20
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Peterson KA, Patterson K, Rowe JB. Language impairment in progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal syndrome. J Neurol 2021; 268:796-809. [PMID: 31321513 PMCID: PMC7914167 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-019-09463-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 07/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Although commonly known as movement disorders, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal syndrome (CBS) may present with changes in speech and language alongside or even before motor symptoms. The differential diagnosis of these two disorders can be challenging, especially in the early stages. Here we review their impact on speech and language. We discuss the neurobiological and clinical-phenomenological overlap of PSP and CBS with each other, and with other disorders including non-fluent agrammatic primary progressive aphasia and primary progressive apraxia of speech. Because language impairment is often an early and persistent problem in CBS and PSP, there is a need for improved methods for language screening in primary and secondary care, and more detailed language assessments in tertiary healthcare settings. Improved language assessment may aid differential diagnosis as well as inform clinical management decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie A Peterson
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith Building for Brain and Mind Sciences, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK.
| | - Karalyn Patterson
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith Building for Brain and Mind Sciences, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - James B Rowe
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith Building for Brain and Mind Sciences, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
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21
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Arena JD, Smith DH, Lee EB, Gibbons GS, Irwin DJ, Robinson JL, Lee VMY, Trojanowski JQ, Stewart W, Johnson VE. Tau immunophenotypes in chronic traumatic encephalopathy recapitulate those of ageing and Alzheimer's disease. Brain 2020; 143:1572-1587. [PMID: 32390044 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awaa071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a risk factor for neurodegenerative disease, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Preliminary consensus criteria define the pathognomonic lesion of CTE as patchy tau pathology within neurons and astrocytes at the depths of cortical sulci. However, the specific tau isoform composition and post-translational modifications in CTE remain largely unexplored. Using immunohistochemistry, we performed tau phenotyping of CTE neuropathologies and compared this to a range of tau pathologies, including Alzheimer's disease, primary age-related tauopathy, ageing-related tau astrogliopathy and multiple subtypes of frontotemporal lobar degeneration with tau inclusions. Cases satisfying preliminary consensus diagnostic criteria for CTE neuropathological change (CTE-NC) were identified (athletes, n = 10; long-term survivors of moderate or severe TBI, n = 4) from the Glasgow TBI Archive and Penn Neurodegenerative Disease Brain Bank. In addition, material from a range of autopsy-proven ageing-associated and primary tauopathies in which there was no known history of exposure to TBI was selected as non-injured controls (n = 32). Each case was then stained with a panel of tau antibodies specific for phospho-epitopes (PHF1, CP13, AT100, pS262), microtubule-binding repeat domains (3R, 4R), truncation (Tau-C3) or conformation (GT-7, GT-38) and the extent and distribution of staining assessed. Cell types were confirmed with double immunofluorescent labelling. Results demonstrate that astroglial tau pathology in CTE is composed of 4R-immunoreactive thorn-shaped astrocytes, echoing the morphology and immunophenotype of astrocytes encountered in ageing-related tau astrogliopathy. In contrast, neurofibrillary tangles of CTE contain both 3R and 4R tau, with post-translational modifications and conformations consistent with Alzheimer's disease and primary age-related tauopathy. Our observations establish that the astroglial and neurofibrillary tau pathologies of CTE are phenotypically distinct from each other and recapitulate the tau immunophenotypes encountered in ageing and Alzheimer's disease. As such, the immunohistochemical distinction of CTE neuropathology from other mixed 3R/4R tauopathies of Alzheimer's disease and ageing may rest solely on the pattern and distribution of pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D Arena
- Department of Neurosurgery, Penn Center for Brain Injury and Repair, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Douglas H Smith
- Department of Neurosurgery, Penn Center for Brain Injury and Repair, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Edward B Lee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.,Translational Neuropathology Research Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Garrett S Gibbons
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - David J Irwin
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - John L Robinson
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Virginia M-Y Lee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - John Q Trojanowski
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - William Stewart
- Department of Neuropathology, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow G51 4TF, UK.,Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Victoria E Johnson
- Department of Neurosurgery, Penn Center for Brain Injury and Repair, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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22
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Karikari TK, Keeling S, Hill E, Lantero Rodrı́guez J, Nagel DA, Becker B, Höglund K, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Hill EJ, Moffat KG. Extensive Plasmid Library to Prepare Tau Protein Variants and Study Their Functional Biochemistry. ACS Chem Neurosci 2020; 11:3117-3129. [PMID: 32833429 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau neurofibrillary tangles are key pathological features of Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Recombinant protein technology is vital for studying the structure and function of tau in physiology and aggregation in pathophysiology. However, open-source and well-characterized plasmids for efficiently expressing and purifying different tau variants are lacking. We generated 44 sequence-verified plasmids including those encoding full length (FL) tau-441, its four-repeat microtubule-binding (K18) fragment, and their respective selected familial pathological variants (N279K, V337M, P301L, C291R, and S356T). Moreover, plasmids for expressing single (C291A), double (C291A/C322A), and triple (C291A/C322A/I260C) cysteine-modified variants were generated to study alterations in cysteine content and locations. Furthermore, protocols for producing representative tau forms were developed. We produced and characterized the aggregation behavior of the triple cysteine-modified tau-K18, often used in real-time cell internalization and aggregation studies because it can be fluorescently labeled on a cysteine outside the microtubule-binding core. Similar to the wild type (WT), triple cysteine-modified tau-K18 aggregated by progressive β-sheet enrichment, albeit at a slower rate. On prolonged incubation, cysteine-modified K18 formed paired helical filaments similar to those in Alzheimer's disease, sharing morphological phenotypes with WT tau-K18 filaments. Nonetheless, cysteine-modified tau-K18 filaments were significantly shorter (p = 0.002) and mostly wider than WT filaments, explainable by their different principal filament elongation pathways: vertical (end-to-end) and lateral growth for WT and cysteine-modified, respectively. Cysteine rearrangement may therefore induce filament polymorphism. Together, the plasmid library, the protein production methods, and the new insights into cysteine-dependent aggregation should facilitate further studies and the design of antiaggregation agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas K. Karikari
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K
- Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE 43180, Sweden
| | - Sophie Keeling
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K
| | - Emily Hill
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K
| | - Juan Lantero Rodrı́guez
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE 43180, Sweden
| | - David A. Nagel
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, U.K
| | - Bruno Becker
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE 43180, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal 431 80, Sweden
| | - Kina Höglund
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE 43180, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal 431 80, Sweden
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE 43180, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal 431 80, Sweden
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE 43180, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal 431 80, Sweden
| | - Eric J. Hill
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, U.K
| | - Kevin G. Moffat
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K
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23
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Uchihara T. Neurofibrillary changes undergoing morphological and biochemical changes – How does tau with the profile shift of from four repeat to three repeat spread in Alzheimer brain? Neuropathology 2020; 40:450-459. [DOI: 10.1111/neup.12669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Toshiki Uchihara
- Neurology Clinic with Neuromorphomics Laboratory Nitobe‐Memorial, Nakano General Hospital Nakano Tokyo Japan
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Science Tokyo Medical and Dental University Tokyo Japan
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24
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Spina S, Brown JA, Deng J, Gardner RC, Nana AL, Hwang JHL, Gaus SE, Huang EJ, Kramer JH, Rosen HJ, Kornak J, Neuhaus J, Miller BL, Grinberg LT, Boxer AL, Seeley WW. Neuropathological correlates of structural and functional imaging biomarkers in 4-repeat tauopathies. Brain 2020; 142:2068-2081. [PMID: 31081015 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awz122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Revised: 02/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative dementia syndromes are characterized by spreading of pathological protein deposition along syndrome-specific neural networks. Structural and functional MRI measures can assess the integrity of these networks and have been proposed as biomarkers of disease progression for clinical trials. The relationship between in vivo imaging measures and pathological features, at the single subject level, remains largely unknown. Patient-specific maps of atrophy and seed-based intrinsic connectivity disruption, as compared to normal controls, were obtained for 27 patients subsequently diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy (n = 16, seven males, age at death 68.9 ± 6.0 years, imaging-to-pathology interval = 670.2 ± 425.1 days) or corticobasal degeneration (n = 11, two males, age at death 66.7 ± 5.4 years, imaging-to-pathology interval = 696.2 ± 482.2 days). A linear mixed effect model with crossed random effects was used to test regional and single-subject level associations between post-mortem regional measures of neurodegeneration and tau inclusion burden, on the one hand, and regional volume loss and seed-based intrinsic connectivity reduction, on the other. A significant association was found between tau inclusion burden and in vivo volume loss, at the regional level and independent of neurodegeneration severity, in both progressive supranuclear palsy [n = 340 regions; beta 0.036; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.001, 0.072; P = 0.046] and corticobasal degeneration (n = 215 regions; beta 0.044; 95% CI: 0.009, 0.079; P = 0.013). We also found a significant association between post-mortem neurodegeneration and in vivo volume loss in both progressive supranuclear palsy (n = 340 regions; beta 0.155; 95% CI: 0.061, 0.248; P = 0.001) and corticobasal degeneration (n = 215 regions; beta 0.277; 95% CI: 0.104, 0.450; P = 0.002). We found a significant association between regional neurodegeneration and intrinsic connectivity dysfunction in corticobasal degeneration (n = 215 regions; beta 0.074; 95% CI: 0.005, 0.143; P = 0.035), but no other associations between post-mortem measures of tauopathy and intrinsic connectivity dysfunction reached statistical significance. Our data suggest that in vivo structural imaging measures reflect independent contributions from neurodegeneration and tau burden in progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration. Seed-based measures of intrinsic connectivity dysfunction showed less reliable predictive value when used as in vivo biomarkers of tauopathy. The findings provide important guidance for the use of imaging biomarkers as indirect in vivo assays of microscopic pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Spina
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, USA
| | - Jesse A Brown
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, USA
| | - Jersey Deng
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, USA
| | - Raquel C Gardner
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, USA
| | - Alissa L Nana
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, USA
| | - Ji-Hye L Hwang
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, USA
| | - Stephanie E Gaus
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, USA
| | - Eric J Huang
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, USA
| | - Joel H Kramer
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, USA
| | - Howie J Rosen
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, USA
| | - John Kornak
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, USA
| | - John Neuhaus
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, USA
| | - Bruce L Miller
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, USA
| | - Lea T Grinberg
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, USA
| | - Adam L Boxer
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, USA
| | - William W Seeley
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, USA
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25
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Miki T, Yokota O, Haraguchi T, Ishizu H, Hasegawa M, Ishihara T, Ueno SI, Takenoshita S, Terada S, Yamada N. Factors associated with development and distribution of granular/fuzzy astrocytes in neurodegenerative diseases. Brain Pathol 2020; 30:811-830. [PMID: 32293067 PMCID: PMC7383906 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Granular/fuzzy astrocytes (GFAs), a subtype of “aging‐related tau astrogliopathy,” are noted in cases bearing various neurodegenerative diseases. However, the pathogenic significance of GFAs remains unclear. We immunohistochemically examined the frontal cortex, caudate nucleus, putamen and amygdala in 105 cases composed of argyrophilic grain disease cases (AGD, N = 26), and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP, N = 10), Alzheimer’s disease (AD, N = 20) and primary age‐related tauopathy cases (PART, N = 18) lacking AGD, as well as 31 cases bearing other various neurodegenerative diseases to clarify (i) the distribution patterns of GFAs in AGD, and PSP, AD and PART lacking AGD, (ii) the impacts of major pathological factors and age on GFA formation and (iii) immunohistochemical features useful to understand the formation process of GFAs. In AGD cases, GFAs consistently occurred in the amygdala (100%), followed by the putamen (69.2%) and caudate nucleus and frontal cortex (57.7%, respectively). In PSP cases without AGD, GFAs were almost consistently noted in all regions examined (90–100%). In AD cases without AGD, GFAs were less frequent, developing preferably in the putamen (35.0%) and caudate nucleus (30.0%). PART cases without AGD had GFAs most frequently in the amygdala (35.3%), being more similar to AGD than to AD cases. Ordered logistic regression analyses using all cases demonstrated that the strongest independent factor of GFA formation in the frontal cortex and striatum was the diagnosis of PSP, while that in the amygdala was AGD. The age was not significantly associated with GFA formation in any region. In GFAs in AGD cases, phosphorylation and conformational change of tau, Gallyas‐positive glial threads indistinguishable from those in tufted astrocytes, and the activation of autophagy occurred sequentially. Given these findings, AGD, PSP, AD and PART cases may show distinct distributions of GFAs, which may provide clues to predict the underlying processes of primary tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko Miki
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan
| | - Osamu Yokota
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry, Kinoko Espoir Hospital, Okayama, Japan.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Zikei Institute of Psychiatry, Okayama, Japan.,Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization Minami-Okayama Medical Center, Okayama, Japan
| | - Takashi Haraguchi
- Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization Minami-Okayama Medical Center, Okayama, Japan
| | - Hideki Ishizu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Zikei Institute of Psychiatry, Okayama, Japan
| | - Masato Hasegawa
- Dementia Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takeshi Ishihara
- Department of Psychiatry, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, Japan
| | - Shu-Ichi Ueno
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan
| | - Shintaro Takenoshita
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan
| | - Seishi Terada
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan
| | - Norihito Yamada
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan
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26
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Abstract
Corticobasal degeneration (CBD) is a neurodegenerative tauopathy that is characterised by motor and cognitive disturbances (1–3). A higher frequency of the H1 haplotype of MAPT, the tau gene, is present in cases of CBD than in controls (4,5) and genome-wide association studies have identified additional risk factors (6). By histology, astrocytic plaques are diagnostic of CBD (7,8), as are detergent-insoluble tau fragments of 37 kDa by SDS-PAGE (9). Like progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), globular glial tauopathy (GGT) and argyrophilic grain disease (AGD) (10), CBD is characterised by abundant filamentous tau inclusions that are made of isoforms with four microtubule-binding repeats (4R) (11–15). This distinguishes 4R tauopathies from Pick’s disease, filaments of which are made of three-repeat (3R) tau isoforms, and from Alzheimer’s disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), where both 3R and 4R tau isoforms are found in the filaments (16). Here we report the structures of tau filaments extracted from the brains of three individuals with CBD using electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM). They were identical between cases, but distinct from those of Alzheimer’s disease, Pick’s disease and CTE (17–19). The core of CBD filaments comprises residues K274-E380 of tau, spanning the last residue of R1, the whole of R2, R3 and R4, as well as 12 amino acids after R4. It adopts a novel four-layered fold, which encloses a large non-proteinaceous density. The latter is surrounded by the side chains of lysine residues 290 and 294 from R2 and 370 from the sequence after R4. CBD is the first 4R tauopathy with filaments of known structure.
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27
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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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28
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Naseri NN, Wang H, Guo J, Sharma M, Luo W. The complexity of tau in Alzheimer's disease. Neurosci Lett 2019; 705:183-194. [PMID: 31028844 PMCID: PMC7060758 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2019.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by two major pathological lesions in the brain, amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) composed mainly of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides and hyperphosphorylated tau, respectively. Although accumulation of toxic Aβ species in the brain has been proposed as one of the important early events in AD, continued lack of success of clinical trials based on Aβ-targeting drugs has triggered the field to seek out alternative disease mechanisms and related therapeutic strategies. One of the new approaches is to uncover novel roles of pathological tau during disease progression. This review will primarily focus on recent advances in understanding the contributions of tau to AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nima N Naseri
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA.
| | - Hong Wang
- Eli Lilly and Company, Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, USA
| | - Jennifer Guo
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Manu Sharma
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Wenjie Luo
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA.
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Ebashi M, Toru S, Nakamura A, Kamei S, Yokota T, Hirokawa K, Uchihara T. Detection of AD-specific four repeat tau with deamidated asparagine residue 279-specific fraction purified from 4R tau polyclonal antibody. Acta Neuropathol 2019; 138:163-166. [PMID: 31006065 PMCID: PMC6570692 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-019-02012-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
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Ebashi M, Ito Y, Uematsu M, Nakamura A, Hirokawa K, Kamei S, Uchihara T. How to demix Alzheimer-type and PSP-type tau lesions out of their mixture -hybrid approach to dissect comorbidity. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2019; 7:71. [PMID: 31060611 PMCID: PMC6503360 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-019-0708-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), are shared between progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and Alzheimer disease (AD). Histological distinction of PSP and AD is possible based on the distribution of NFTs. However, neuropathologists may encounter diagnostic difficulty with comorbidity of PSP and AD. In this study, we tried to circumvent this difficulty by analyzing five autopsied brains harboring both PSP and AD pathology. Tau-positive lesions were sorted based on their cell type (neuron versus glia), and tau isoforms: three-repeat (3R) versus four-repeat (4R) tau. 16 regions were selected to map these lesions throughout the brain. 4R-tau lesions were present in all areas examined. Among them, 3R-tau lesions were absent in some areas. These 4R selective (4R+/3R-) areas dictate prototypic distribution of PSP, not usually found in AD, such as pontine nucleus, red nucleus, inferior olivary nucleus, dentate nucleus, globus pallidus and putamen, each contained both glial and neuronal lesions. In contrast, additional 3R-tau lesions were found in hippocampal formation to neocortex, where 3R immunoreactivity (IR) was predominant over the 4R counterpart mainly in neurons as found in AD but not in PSP. Although tau lesions in central grey matter, substantia nigra and locus coeruleus are found in both AD and PSP, 4R-selectivity with glial component suggests PSP origin. Even if the presence of 3 R IR in these areas suggests AD pathology, it does not exclude the involvement of PSP-type lesion because distinction of 4R IR into PSP or AD is not yet possible. Further demixing may be possible if biochemical difference of 4R tau between PSP and AD is identified.
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Kumar H, Udgaonkar JB. Mechanistic approaches to understand the prion-like propagation of aggregates of the human tau protein. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2019; 1867:922-932. [PMID: 30986567 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2019.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The dynamic nature of the tau protein under physiological conditions is likely to be critical for it to perform its diverse functions inside a cell. Under some conditions, this intrinsically disordered protein assembles into pathogenic aggregates that are self-perpetuating, toxic and infectious in nature. The role of liquid-liquid phase separation in the initiation of the aggregation reaction remains to be delineated. Depending on the nature of the aggregate, its structure, and its localization, neurodegenerative disorders with diverse clinical features are manifested. The prion-like mechanism by which these aggregates propagate and spread across the brain is not well understood. Various factors (PTMs, mutations) have been strongly associated with the pathological aggregates of tau. However, little is known about how these factors modulate the pathological properties linked to aggregation. This review describes the current progress towards understanding the mechanism of propagation of tau aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harish Kumar
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru 560065, India
| | - Jayant B Udgaonkar
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru 560065, India; Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune 411008, India.
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Houben S, Leroy K, Ando K, Yilmaz Z, Widomski C, Buée L, Brion JP. Genetic ablation of tau in postnatal neurons rescues decreased adult hippocampal neurogenesis in a tauopathy model. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 127:131-141. [PMID: 30818066 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.02.021] [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: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Impaired adult hippocampal neurogenesis has been reported as a feature of Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies and might contribute to defects in learning and memory in these diseases. To assess the interference of tau pathology, a common key-lesion in these diseases, with adult hippocampal neurogenesis we analyzed adult neurogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus in wild-type mice, Tg30 mice expressing a FTDP-17 mutant tau and the same Tg30 mice deficient for mouse tau (Tg30/tauKO). The volume of the granular layer, the number of granule cells and of neuronal precursors expressing the immature markers DCX or 3R-tau were analyzed in the dentate gyrus (DG) using unbiased stereological methods. The co-localization of neurogenic markers with the human mutant tau was also analyzed. We observed a significant reduction of the volume of the granular layer and of granule cells number in mutant tau Tg30 mice, but not in Tg30/tauKO mice. The number of neuronal precursors expressing the immature markers DCX or 3R-tau (the latter only expressed in wild-type and Tg30 mice) and the number of cells expressing the proliferation marker Ki-67 in the neurogenic subgranular zone of the DG was reduced in Tg30 but not in Tg30/tauKO mice. The density of phosphotau positive cells in the DG and the level of soluble human phosphotau was lower in Tg30/tauKO compared to Tg30 mice. The human mutant tau was expressed in mature granule cells in Tg30 and Tg30/tauKO mice but was not expressed in Sox2 positive neural stem cells and in DCX positive neuronal precursors/immature newborn neurons. These results demonstrate an impairment of adult hippocampal neurogenesis in a FTDP-17 mutant tau mice resulting from a decrease of proliferation affecting the pool of neuronal precursors. The mutant tau was not expressed in precursors cells in these mutant tau mice, suggesting that this neurogenic defect is cell non-autonomous. Interestingly, expression of endogenous wild-type tau in mature granule cells was necessary to observe this toxic effect of human mutant tau, since this impaired adult neurogenesis was rescued by lowering tau expression in Tg30/tauKO mice. These observations suggest that development of tau pathology in granule cells of the dentate gyrus is responsible for reduction of adult hippocampal neurogenesis also in human tauopathies by impairing proliferation of neuronal precursors, and that reduction of tau expression might be an approach to rescue this impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Houben
- Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology, UNI (ULB Neuroscience Institute), Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808, route de Lennik (Bldg G), B-1070 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Karelle Leroy
- Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology, UNI (ULB Neuroscience Institute), Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808, route de Lennik (Bldg G), B-1070 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Kunie Ando
- Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology, UNI (ULB Neuroscience Institute), Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808, route de Lennik (Bldg G), B-1070 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Zehra Yilmaz
- Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology, UNI (ULB Neuroscience Institute), Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808, route de Lennik (Bldg G), B-1070 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Cyprien Widomski
- Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology, UNI (ULB Neuroscience Institute), Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808, route de Lennik (Bldg G), B-1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Luc Buée
- INSERM, U1172. Université de Lille, Lille, France.
| | - Jean-Pierre Brion
- Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology, UNI (ULB Neuroscience Institute), Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808, route de Lennik (Bldg G), B-1070 Brussels, Belgium.
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Barbagallo G, Morelli M, Quattrone A, Chiriaco C, Vaccaro MG, Gullà D, Rocca F, Caracciolo M, Novellino F, Sarica A, Arabia G, Sabatini U, Quattrone A. In vivo evidence for decreased scyllo-inositol levels in the supplementary motor area of patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy: A proton MR spectroscopy study. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2018; 62:185-191. [PMID: 30558837 DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2018.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 12/08/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Several structural and functional neuroimaging studies have shown that the Supplementary Motor Area (SMA) is affected by tau pathology in patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). The aim of the study was to investigate the biochemical profile of SMA in PSP patients, using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). METHODS Sixteen PSP patients and 18 healthy controls participated in this study. 1H-MRS was performed by using a Point RESolving Spectroscopy (PRESS) single-voxel sequence implemented on a 3-T scanner. A voxel of 25 × 25 × 15 mm involving the right and left SMA was acquired in all subjects. Peak areas of N-acetyl-aspartate + N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate (NAA), creatine with phosphocreatine (Cr), glycerophosphocholine + phosphocholine (Cho), glutamate + glutamine (Glx), glutathione (GSH), myo-Inositol (mI) and Scyllo-Inositol (Scyllo) were calculated using a version 6.3-1K of the fitting program LCModel. Comparative analysis was performed on both absolute concentrations and ratio values relative to Cr. RESULTS PSP patients showed a significant decrease in Scyllo concentration and Scyllo/Cr ratio values in SMA, compared to controls, whereas no difference between groups was found for the other ratio values. Of note, the attention and working memory functions were positively related to Scyllo and Scyllo/Cr values in PSP patients. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates that Scyllo and Scyllo/Cr were significantly reduced in the SMA of PSP patients. Because Scyllo seems to be able to protect against formation of toxic fibrils of amyloid-beta fragments and tau oligomers deposition, these preliminary findings may open new perspectives to investigate Scyllo as a new potential disease-modifying therapy for PSP.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maurizio Morelli
- Institute of Neurology, Magna Græcia University, Catanzaro, Italy.
| | - Andrea Quattrone
- Institute of Neurology, Magna Græcia University, Catanzaro, Italy.
| | - Carmelina Chiriaco
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, Catanzaro, Italy.
| | - Maria Grazia Vaccaro
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, Catanzaro, Italy.
| | - Domenico Gullà
- Neuroscience Research Centre, Magna Græcia University, Catanzaro, Italy.
| | - Federico Rocca
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, Catanzaro, Italy.
| | - Manuela Caracciolo
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, Catanzaro, Italy.
| | - Fabiana Novellino
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, Catanzaro, Italy.
| | - Alessia Sarica
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, Catanzaro, Italy.
| | - Gennarina Arabia
- Institute of Neurology, Magna Græcia University, Catanzaro, Italy.
| | - Umberto Sabatini
- Institute of Radiology, Neuroradiology Unit, Magna Graecia University, Catanzaro, Italy.
| | - Aldo Quattrone
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, Catanzaro, Italy; Neuroscience Research Centre, Magna Græcia University, Catanzaro, Italy.
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Nam WH, Choi YP. In vitro generation of tau aggregates conformationally distinct from parent tau seeds of Alzheimer's brain. Prion 2018; 13:1-12. [PMID: 30422056 PMCID: PMC6422395 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2018.1545524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Normal monomeric tau can be converted into pathogenic aggregates and acquire protease resistance in a prion-like manner. This acquisition of partial protease-resistance in tau aggregates has to date only been partially investigated in various studies exploring the prion-like properties of tau. In this study, we induced the aggregation of tau repeat domain (RD) in cultured cells using detergent insoluble fractions of Alzheimer’s brain tissue as seeds. The seeded aggregation of tau RD in cultured cells formed a ~7 kDa protease-resistant fragment in contrast to the ~12 kDa tau fragment characteristic of the AD seeds, suggesting that the in vitro generated tau aggregates were conformationally distinct from parent seeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Won-Hee Nam
- a Laboratory Animal Center, Research Division , Korea Brain Research Institute , Daegu , Republic of Korea
| | - Young Pyo Choi
- a Laboratory Animal Center, Research Division , Korea Brain Research Institute , Daegu , Republic of Korea
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Ishizawa K, Mitsufuji T, Shioda K, Kobayashi A, Komori T, Nakazato Y, Kitamoto T, Araki N, Yamamoto T, Sasaki A. An autopsy report of three kindred in a Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease P105L family with a special reference to prion protein, tau, and beta-amyloid. Brain Behav 2018; 8:e01117. [PMID: 30240140 PMCID: PMC6192393 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Revised: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease P105L (GSS105) is a rare variant of GSS caused by a point mutation of the prion protein (PrP) gene at codon 105 (proline to leucine substitution). It is clinically characterized by spastic paraparesis and dementia and histopathologically defined by PrP-plaques in the brain. This report describes a clinicopathological analysis of three autopsied kindred from a Japanese GSS105 family, plus a topological analysis of PrP, hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau), and beta-amyloid (Aβ). METHODS Using paraffin-embedded sections, we applied histology and single- and multiple-labeling immunohistochemistry for PrP, p-tau, and Aβ to the three cases. Comparative semi-quantitative analyses of tissue injuries and PrP-plaques were also employed. RESULTS Case 1 (45 years old (yo)) and Case 2 (56 yo) are sisters, and Case 3 (49 yo) is the son of Case 2. Case 1 and Case 2 presented with spastic paraparesis followed by dementia, whereas Case 3 presented, not with spastic paraparesis, but with psychiatric symptoms. In Case 1 and Case 2, the brain showed tissue injuries with many PrP-plaques in the cerebral cortices, and the pyramidal tract showed myelin loss/pallor. In Case 3, the brain was least degenerated with a number of PrP-plaques; however, the pyramidal tract remained intact. In addition, p-tau was deposited in all cases, where p-tau was present in or around PrP-plaques. By double-labeling immunohistochemistry, the colocalization of p-tau with PrP-plaques was confirmed. Moreover in Case 2, Aβ was deposited in the cerebral cortices. Interestingly, not only p-tau but also Aβ was colocalized with PrP-plaques. In all cases, both three repeat tau and four repeat tau were associated with PrP-plaques. CONCLUSIONS The clinicopathological diversity of GSS105, which is possible even in the same family, was ascertained. Not only p-tau but also Aβ could be induced by PrP ("secondary degeneration"), facilitating the kaleidoscopic symptoms of GSS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Ishizawa
- Department of NeurologySaitama Medical UniversitySaitamaJapan
- Department of PathologySaitama Medical UniversitySaitamaJapan
| | | | - Kei Shioda
- Department of PathologySaitama Medical UniversitySaitamaJapan
| | - Atsushi Kobayashi
- Hokkaido University Graduate School of Veterinary MedicineHokkaidoJapan
| | - Takashi Komori
- Department of PathologyTokyo Metropolitan Neurological HospitalTokyoJapan
| | | | - Tetsuyuki Kitamoto
- Division of CJD Science and Technology, Department of Prion Research, Center for Translational and Advanced Animal Research on Human DiseasesTohoku University Graduate School of MedicineMiyagiJapan
| | - Nobuo Araki
- Department of NeurologySaitama Medical UniversitySaitamaJapan
| | | | - Atsushi Sasaki
- Department of PathologySaitama Medical UniversitySaitamaJapan
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Valachova B, Brezovakova V, Bugos O, Jadhav S, Smolek T, Novak P, Zilka N. A comparative study on pathological features of transgenic rat lines expressing either three or four repeat misfolded tau. J Comp Neurol 2018; 526:1777-1789. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Revised: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bernadeta Valachova
- Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders; Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences; Bratislava Slovak Republic
- Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE; Bratislava Slovak Republic
| | - Veronika Brezovakova
- Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders; Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences; Bratislava Slovak Republic
| | - Ondrej Bugos
- Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders; Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences; Bratislava Slovak Republic
| | - Santosh Jadhav
- Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders; Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences; Bratislava Slovak Republic
- Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE; Bratislava Slovak Republic
| | - Tomas Smolek
- Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders; Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences; Bratislava Slovak Republic
- Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE; Bratislava Slovak Republic
| | - Petr Novak
- Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders; Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences; Bratislava Slovak Republic
| | - Norbert Zilka
- Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders; Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences; Bratislava Slovak Republic
- Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE; Bratislava Slovak Republic
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Duyckaerts C, Sazdovitch V, Ando K, Seilhean D, Privat N, Yilmaz Z, Peckeu L, Amar E, Comoy E, Maceski A, Lehmann S, Brion JP, Brandel JP, Haïk S. Neuropathology of iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and immunoassay of French cadaver-sourced growth hormone batches suggest possible transmission of tauopathy and long incubation periods for the transmission of Abeta pathology. Acta Neuropathol 2018; 135:201-212. [PMID: 29209767 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-017-1791-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Abeta deposits and tau pathology were investigated in 24 French patients that died from iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease after exposure to cadaver-derived human growth hormone (c-hGH) in the 1980s. Abeta deposits were found only in one case that had experienced one of the longest incubation periods. Three cases had also intracellular tau accumulation. The analysis of 24 batches of c-hGH, produced between 1974 and 1988, demonstrated for the first time the presence of Abeta and tau contaminants in c-hGH (in 17 and 6 batches, respectively). The incubation of prion disease was shorter in the French patients than the incubation times reported in two previously published British series. We interpreted the low incidence of Abeta in this French series as a consequence of the shorter incubation period observed in France, as compared to that observed in the United Kingdom. This concept suggested that a mean incubation period for the development of detectable Abeta deposits would be longer than 18 years after the first exposure. Moreover, we hypothesized that tau pathology might also be transmissible in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Duyckaerts
- Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, UPMC Univ Paris VI UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, Sorbonne Universités, 47 boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France.
- Laboratoire de Neuropathologie R. Escourolle, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, AP-HP, Paris, France.
| | - Véronique Sazdovitch
- Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, UPMC Univ Paris VI UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, Sorbonne Universités, 47 boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France
- Laboratoire de Neuropathologie R. Escourolle, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Kunie Ando
- Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology, Faculty of Medicine, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Danielle Seilhean
- Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, UPMC Univ Paris VI UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, Sorbonne Universités, 47 boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France
- Laboratoire de Neuropathologie R. Escourolle, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Privat
- Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, UPMC Univ Paris VI UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, Sorbonne Universités, 47 boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Zehra Yilmaz
- Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology, Faculty of Medicine, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Laurène Peckeu
- Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, UPMC Univ Paris VI UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, Sorbonne Universités, 47 boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Elodie Amar
- Service de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, Hôpital Lariboisière, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Comoy
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, DRF/iMETI/SEPIA, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Aleksandra Maceski
- Laboratoire de Biochimie Protéomique Clinique, CHU de Montpellier, CRB, INSERM U1183, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Sylvain Lehmann
- Laboratoire de Biochimie Protéomique Clinique, CHU de Montpellier, CRB, INSERM U1183, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Jean-Pierre Brion
- Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology, Faculty of Medicine, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jean-Philippe Brandel
- Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, UPMC Univ Paris VI UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, Sorbonne Universités, 47 boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France
- Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Cellule nationale de référence des MCJ, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Haïk
- Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, UPMC Univ Paris VI UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, Sorbonne Universités, 47 boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France.
- Laboratoire de Neuropathologie R. Escourolle, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, AP-HP, Paris, France.
- Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Cellule nationale de référence des MCJ, AP-HP, Paris, France.
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Štrafela P, Pleško J, Magdič J, Koritnik B, Zupan A, Glavač D, Bresjanac M, Popović M. Familial tauopathy with P364S MAPT mutation: clinical course, neuropathology and ultrastructure of neuronal tau inclusions. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2018; 44:550-562. [PMID: 29215752 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
AIMS This report presents the clinical course, neuropathology and ultrastructure of neuronal tau inclusions of four Slovene relatives with P364S MAPT mutation. METHODS The clinical history of three out of four P364S MAPT mutation carriers was taken. After formalin fixation, thorough sampling of the central nervous system was followed by paraffin embedding, H&E, Gallyas, Bielschowsky and immunostaining with AT8, anti-3R, anti-4R tau, anti-amyloid-β, anti-TDP43 and anti-alpha-synuclein antibodies. The distribution and density of different types of neuronal tau inclusions were semiquantitatively assessed. In addition, the ultrastructure of neuronal tau inclusions was analysed. RESULTS Macroscopic examination of the brains was unremarkable. Microscopically, neuronal tau inclusions of almost all known types were widespread and distributed fairly uniformly in all cases. Pick bodies and swollen neurones were found in only one family member. Mutant tau was composed of 3R and 4R isoforms, with a slight predominance of 3R tau. Composite neuronal tau inclusion (CNTI), found in all four relatives, was a hallmark of the P364S MAPT mutation. CNTI showed compartmental differences in H&E and Gallyas staining, tau isoforms immunolabelling and ultrastructure, displaying fuzzy fibrils in the core and paired twisted tubules at the periphery. CONCLUSIONS P364S MAPT mutation is characterized clinically by a variable combination of frontotemporal dementia, parkinsonism and motor neurone disease of short duration, and neuropathologically by a widespread uniform distribution of all known neuronal tau inclusions in one family member. Two-compartment CNTI is a unique characteristic of the P364S MAPT mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Štrafela
- Department of Pathology, University Clinical Centre Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
| | - J Pleško
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - J Magdič
- Clinic of Neurology, University Clinical Centre Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
| | - B Koritnik
- Institute of Neurophysiology, University Clinical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - A Zupan
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - D Glavač
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - M Bresjanac
- LNPR, Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - M Popović
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Uematsu M, Nakamura A, Ebashi M, Hirokawa K, Takahashi R, Uchihara T. Brainstem tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease is characterized by increase of three repeat tau and independent of amyloid β. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2018; 6:1. [PMID: 29298724 PMCID: PMC5753447 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-017-0501-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Alzheimer-type neuropil threads (NTs) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) are comprised of either 4 repeat (4R)-tau, 3 repeat (3R)-tau, or a mixture of both. In the hippocampus, the number of NFTs, and the proportion of 3R tau progressively increases. If this preferential accumulation of 3R tau also occurs in the brainstem, it may be fundamentally related to progression of Alzheimer pathology. METHODS Midbrain and pontine sections of brainstems from 23 cases (Braak-NFT stages I/II: 8, III/IV: 8, and V/VI: 7) were double immunofluorolabeled for 4R and 3R tau. High-resolution (0.645 μm/pixel), in-focus snapshots were tiled to cover entire brain sections using a virtual slide system. Each lesion was classified by size (NT < 200 μm2 < NFT) and staining profile (3R/4R). In addition, the localization and quantity of amyloid β (Aβ) deposits were examined in adjacent sections for comparison with tau. RESULTS The data sets obtained from approximately 286 gigabytes of image files consisted of 847,763 NTs and 7859 NFTs. The proportion of 3R tau-positive NTs and NFTs in the midbrain, and 3R tau-positive NTs in the pons gradually increased with advancing NFT stages, while the proportion of 3R tau-positive NFTs in the pons was already elevated at early stages. Aβ deposits were absent at NFT stages I/II, and when present at later stages, their regional distribution was different from that of tau. These observations suggest that a progressive increase in the proportion of 3R tau occurs independently of Aβ deposits. CONCLUSIONS This is the first quantitative analysis of NFTs and NTs in the human brainstem. We demonstrate that the proportion of 3R tau in the brainstem neurofibrillary changes increases with disease progression. Because this phenomenon is shared between the brainstem and the hippocampus, this increase may be fundamental to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease.
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Individual variability in the structural properties of neurons in the human inferior olive. Brain Struct Funct 2017; 223:1667-1681. [PMID: 29189906 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1580-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Accepted: 11/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The inferior olive (IO) is the sole source of the climbing fibers innervating the cerebellar cortex. We have previously shown both individual differences in the size and folding pattern of the principal nucleus (IOpr) in humans as well as in the expression of different proteins in IOpr neurons. This high degree of variability was not present in chimpanzee samples. The neurochemical differences might reflect static differences among individuals, but might also reflect age-related processes resulting in alterations of protein synthesis. Several observations support the latter idea. First, accumulation of lipofuscin, the "age pigment" is well documented in IOpr neurons. Second, there are silver- and abnormal tau-immunostained intraneuronal granules in IOpr neurons (Ikeda et al. Neurosci Lett 258:113-116, 1998). Finally, Olszewski and Baxter (Cytoarchitecture of the human brain stem, Second edn. Karger, Basel, 1954) observed an apparent loss of IOpr neurons in older individuals. We have further investigated the possibility of age-related changes in IOpr neurons using silver- and immunostained sections. We found silver-labeled intraneuronal granules in neurons of the IOpr in all human cases studied (n = 17, ages 25-71). We did not, however, confirm immunostaining with antibodies to abnormal tau. There was individual variability in the density of neurons as well as in the expression of the calcium-binding protein calretinin. In the chimpanzee, there were neither silver-stained intraneuronal granules nor irregularities in immunostaining. Overall, the data support the hypothesis that in some, but not all, humans there are functional changes in IOpr neurons and ultimately cell death. Neurochemical changes of IOpr neurons may contribute to age-related changes in motor and cognitive skills mediated by the cerebellum.
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Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the second most common cause of dementia following Alzheimer's disease (AD). Between 20 and 50% of cases are familial. Mutations in MAPT, GRN and C9orf72 are found in 60% of familial FTD cases. C9orf72 mutations are the most common and account for 25%. Rarer mutations (<5%) occur in other genes such as VPC, CHMP2B, TARDP, FUS, ITM2B, TBK1 and TBP. The diagnosis is often challenging due to symptom overlap with AD and other conditions. We review the genetics, clinical presentations, neuroimaging, neuropathology, animal studies and therapeutic trials in FTD. We describe clinical scenarios including the original family with the tau stem loop mutation (+14) and also the recently discovered 'missing tau' mutation +15 that 'closed the loop' in 2015.
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Coakeley S, Strafella AP. Imaging tau pathology in Parkinsonisms. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2017; 3:22. [PMID: 28685158 PMCID: PMC5491530 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-017-0023-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Revised: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent development of positron emission tomography radiotracers targeting pathological tau in vivo has led to numerous human trials. While investigations have primarily focused on the most common tauopathy, Alzheimer's disease, it is imperative that testing also be performed in parkinsonian tauopathies, such as progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, and frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17. Tau aggregates differ in isoforms and conformations across disorders, and as a result one radiotracer may not be appropriate for all tauopathies. In this review, we evaluate the preclinical and clinical reports of current tau radiotracers in parkinsonian disorders. These radiotracers include [18F]FDDNP, [11C]PBB3, [18F]THK-5317, [18F]THK-5351, and [18F]AV-1451 ([18F]T807). There are concerns of off-target binding with [18F]FDDNP and [11C]PBB3, which may increase the signal to noise ratio and thereby decrease the efficacy of these radiotracers. Testing in [18F]THK-5317, [18F]THK-5351, and [18F]AV-1451 has been performed in progressive supranuclear palsy, while [18F]THK-5317 and [18F]AV-1451 have also been tested in corticobasal degeneration patients. [18F]THK-5317 and [18F]THK-5351 have demonstrated binding in brain regions known to be afflicted with pathological tau; however, due to small sample sizes these studies should be replicated before concluding their appropriateness in parkinsonian tauopathies. [18F]AV-1451 has demonstrated mixed results in progressive supranuclear palsy patients and post-mortem analysis shows minimal to no binding to non-Alzheimer's disease tauopathies brain slices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Coakeley
- Research Imaging Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
- Division of Brain, Imaging and Behaviour—Systems Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, UHN, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Antonio P. Strafella
- Research Imaging Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
- Division of Brain, Imaging and Behaviour—Systems Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, UHN, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
- Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorder Unit and E.J. Safra Parkinson Disease Program, Neurology Division, Dept. of Medicine, Toronto Western Hospital, UHN, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
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Kelly SC, He B, Perez SE, Ginsberg SD, Mufson EJ, Counts SE. Locus coeruleus cellular and molecular pathology during the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2017; 5:8. [PMID: 28109312 PMCID: PMC5251221 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-017-0411-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 172] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
A major feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the loss of noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) projection neurons that mediate attention, memory, and arousal. However, the extent to which the LC projection system degenerates during the initial stages of AD is still under investigation. To address this question, we performed tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry and unbiased stereology of noradrenergic LC neurons in tissue harvested postmortem from subjects who died with a clinical diagnosis of no cognitive impairment (NCI), amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI, a putative prodromal AD stage), or mild/moderate AD. Stereologic estimates of total LC neuron number revealed a 30% loss during the transition from NCI to aMCI, with an additional 25% loss of LC neurons in AD. Decreases in noradrenergic LC neuron number were significantly associated with worsening antemortem global cognitive function as well as poorer performance on neuropsychological tests of episodic memory, semantic memory, working memory, perceptual speed, and visuospatial ability. Reduced LC neuron numbers were also associated with increased postmortem neuropathology. To examine the cellular and molecular pathogenic processes underlying LC neurodegeneration in aMCI, we performed single population microarray analysis. These studies revealed significant reductions in select functional classes of mRNAs regulating mitochondrial respiration, redox homeostasis, and neuritic structural plasticity in neurons accessed from both aMCI and AD subjects compared to NCI. Specific gene expression levels within these functional classes were also associated with global cognitive deterioration and neuropathological burden. Taken together, these observations suggest that noradrenergic LC cellular and molecular pathology is a prominent feature of prodromal disease that contributes to cognitive dysfunction. Moreover, they lend support to a rational basis for targeting LC neuroprotection as a disease modifying strategy.
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Uchihara T, Endo K, Kondo H, Okabayashi S, Shimozawa N, Yasutomi Y, Adachi E, Kimura N. Tau pathology in aged cynomolgus monkeys is progressive supranuclear palsy/corticobasal degeneration- but not Alzheimer disease-like -Ultrastructural mapping of tau by EDX. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2016; 4:118. [PMID: 27842611 PMCID: PMC5109723 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-016-0385-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Concomitant deposition of amyloid -beta protein (Aβ) and neuronal tau as neurofibrillary tangles in the human brain is a hallmark of Alzheimer disease (AD). Because these deposits increase during normal aging, it has been proposed that aging brains may also undergo AD-like changes. To investigate the neuropathological changes that occur in the aging primate brain, we examined 21 brains of cynomolgus monkeys (7–36 years old) for Aβ- and tau-positive lesions. We found, 1) extensive deposition of Aβ in brains of cynomolgus monkeys over 25 years of age, 2) selective deposition of 4-repeat tau as pretangles in neurons, and as coiled body-like structures in oligodendroglia-like cells and astrocytes, 3) preferential distribution of tau in the basal ganglia and neocortex rather than the hippocampus, and 4) age-associated increases in 30–34 kDa AT8- and RD4-positive tau fragments in sarkosyl-insoluble fractions. We further labeled tau-positive structures using diaminobezidine enhanced with nickel, and visualized nickel-labeled structures by energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis of ultrathin sections. This allowed us to distinguish between nickel-labeled tau and background electron-dense structures, and we found that tau localized to 20–25 nm straight filaments in oligodendroglia-like cells and neurons. Our results indicate that the cytopathology and distribution of tau deposits in aged cynomolgus brains resemble those of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD) rather than AD. Thus, even in the presence of Aβ, age-associated deposition of tau in non-human primates likely does not occur through AD-associated mechanisms.
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45
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Perez-Soriano A, Stoessl AJ. Tau imaging in progressive supranuclear palsy. Mov Disord 2016; 32:91-93. [DOI: 10.1002/mds.26851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 10/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Perez-Soriano
- Division of Neurology and Pacific Parkinson's Research Centre; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health; Vancouver BC Canada
| | - A. Jon Stoessl
- Division of Neurology and Pacific Parkinson's Research Centre; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health; Vancouver BC Canada
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Ishiki A, Harada R, Okamura N, Tomita N, Rowe CC, Villemagne VL, Yanai K, Kudo Y, Arai H, Furumoto S, Tashiro M, Furukawa K. Tau imaging with [18F]THK-5351 in progressive supranuclear palsy. Eur J Neurol 2016; 24:130-136. [DOI: 10.1111/ene.13164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Ishiki
- Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology; Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer; Tohoku University; Sendai Japan
| | - R. Harada
- Division of Neuro-imaging; Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer; Tohoku University; Sendai Japan
| | - N. Okamura
- Department of Pharmacology; Tohoku University School of Medicine; Sendai Japan
- Division of Pharmacology; Faculty of Medicine; Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University; Sendai Japan
| | - N. Tomita
- Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology; Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer; Tohoku University; Sendai Japan
| | - C. C. Rowe
- Centre for PET; Austin Health; Heidelberg Victoria Australia
| | - V. L. Villemagne
- Centre for PET; Austin Health; Heidelberg Victoria Australia
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health; The University of Melbourne; Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - K. Yanai
- Department of Pharmacology; Tohoku University School of Medicine; Sendai Japan
| | - Y. Kudo
- Division of Neuro-imaging; Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer; Tohoku University; Sendai Japan
| | - H. Arai
- Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology; Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer; Tohoku University; Sendai Japan
| | - S. Furumoto
- Division of Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry; Cyclotron and Radioisotope Center; Tohoku University; Sendai Japan
| | - M. Tashiro
- Division of Cyclotron Nuclear Medicine; Cyclotron and Radioisotope Center; Tohoku University; Sendai Japan
| | - K. Furukawa
- Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology; Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer; Tohoku University; Sendai Japan
- Division of Community of Medicine; Faculty of Medicine; Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University; Sendai Japan
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47
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Schoch KM, DeVos SL, Miller RL, Chun SJ, Norrbom M, Wozniak DF, Dawson HN, Bennett CF, Rigo F, Miller TM. Increased 4R-Tau Induces Pathological Changes in a Human-Tau Mouse Model. Neuron 2016; 90:941-7. [PMID: 27210553 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.04.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Revised: 11/19/2015] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Pathological evidence for selective four-repeat (4R) tau deposition in certain dementias and exon 10-positioned MAPT mutations together suggest a 4R-specific role in causing disease. However, direct assessments of 4R toxicity have not yet been accomplished in vivo. Increasing 4R-tau expression without change to total tau in human tau-expressing mice induced more severe seizures and nesting behavior abnormality, increased tau phosphorylation, and produced a shift toward oligomeric tau. Exon 10 skipping could also be accomplished in vivo, providing support for a 4R-tau targeted approach to target 4R-tau toxicity and, in cases of primary MAPT mutation, eliminate the disease-causing mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen M Schoch
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Sarah L DeVos
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Rebecca L Miller
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | | | | | - David F Wozniak
- Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110
| | - Hana N Dawson
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710
| | | | - Frank Rigo
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA 92010
| | - Timothy M Miller
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110.
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48
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Sander K, Lashley T, Gami P, Gendron T, Lythgoe MF, Rohrer JD, Schott JM, Revesz T, Fox NC, Årstad E. Characterization of tau positron emission tomography tracer [ 18F]AV-1451 binding to postmortem tissue in Alzheimer's disease, primary tauopathies, and other dementias. Alzheimers Dement 2016; 12:1116-1124. [PMID: 26892233 DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2016.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2015] [Revised: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Aggregation of tau is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases, and tau imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) may allow early diagnosis and treatment monitoring. We assessed binding of the PET tracer [18F]AV-1451 in a range of dementias. METHODS Phosphorimaging was used to quantify binding to postmortem brain tissue from 33 patients with different, histopathologically characterized, neurodegenerative dementias. RESULTS [18F]AV-1451 showed high specific binding in cases with Alzheimer's disease (AD), moderate binding in Pick's disease and frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism-17, and low but displaceable binding in corticobasal degeneration, progressive supranuclear palsy, non-tau proteinopathies, and in controls without pathology. Tracer binding did not correlate with tau load within disease groups. DISCUSSION [18F]AV-1451 binds to tau in AD, and some other tauopathies. However, evidence for a non-tau binding site and lack of correlation between tracer binding and antibody staining suggest that reliable quantification of tau load with this tracer is problematic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Sander
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Department of Chemistry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Tammaryn Lashley
- Institute of Neurology, Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Queen Square Brain Bank, University College London, London, UK
| | - Priya Gami
- Institute of Neurology, Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Queen Square Brain Bank, University College London, London, UK
| | - Thibault Gendron
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Department of Chemistry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Mark F Lythgoe
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jonathan D Rohrer
- Institute of Neurology, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Dementia Research Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jonathan M Schott
- Institute of Neurology, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Dementia Research Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | - Tamas Revesz
- Institute of Neurology, Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Queen Square Brain Bank, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nick C Fox
- Institute of Neurology, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Dementia Research Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | - Erik Årstad
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Department of Chemistry, University College London, London, UK.
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Irwin DJ, Brettschneider J, McMillan CT, Cooper F, Olm C, Arnold SE, Van Deerlin VM, Seeley WW, Miller BL, Lee EB, Lee VMY, Grossman M, Trojanowski JQ. Deep clinical and neuropathological phenotyping of Pick disease. Ann Neurol 2015; 79:272-87. [PMID: 26583316 DOI: 10.1002/ana.24559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Revised: 11/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To characterize sequential patterns of regional neuropathology and clinical symptoms in a well-characterized cohort of 21 patients with autopsy-confirmed Pick disease. METHODS Detailed neuropathological examination using 70μm and traditional 6μm sections was performed using thioflavin-S staining and immunohistochemistry for phosphorylated tau, 3R and 4R tau isoforms, ubiquitin, and C-terminally truncated tau. Patterns of regional tau deposition were correlated with clinical data. In a subset of cases (n = 5), converging evidence was obtained using antemortem neuroimaging measures of gray and white matter integrity. RESULTS Four sequential patterns of pathological tau deposition were identified starting in frontotemporal limbic/paralimbic and neocortical regions (phase I). Sequential involvement was seen in subcortical structures, including basal ganglia, locus coeruleus, and raphe nuclei (phase II), followed by primary motor cortex and precerebellar nuclei (phase III) and finally visual cortex in the most severe (phase IV) cases. Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia was the predominant clinical phenotype (18 of 21), but all patients eventually developed a social comportment disorder. Pathological tau phases reflected the evolution of clinical symptoms and degeneration on serial antemortem neuroimaging, directly correlated with disease duration and inversely correlated with brain weight at autopsy. The majority of neuronal and glial tau inclusions were 3R tau-positive and 4R tau-negative in sporadic cases. There was a relative abundance of mature tau pathology markers in frontotemporal limbic/paralimbic regions compared to neocortical regions. INTERPRETATION Pick disease tau neuropathology may originate in limbic/paralimbic cortices. The patterns of tau pathology observed here provide novel insights into the natural history and biology of tau-mediated neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Irwin
- University of Pennsylvania Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.,Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | | | - Corey T McMillan
- University of Pennsylvania Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Felicia Cooper
- University of Pennsylvania Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.,Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Christopher Olm
- University of Pennsylvania Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Steven E Arnold
- Brain-Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Vivianna M Van Deerlin
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - William W Seeley
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Bruce L Miller
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Edward B Lee
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.,Translational Neuropathology Research Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Virginia M-Y Lee
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Murray Grossman
- University of Pennsylvania Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - John Q Trojanowski
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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Kimura T, Hatsuta H, Masuda-Suzukake M, Hosokawa M, Ishiguro K, Akiyama H, Murayama S, Hasegawa M, Hisanaga SI. The Abundance of Nonphosphorylated Tau in Mouse and Human Tauopathy Brains Revealed by the Use of Phos-Tag Method. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2015; 186:398-409. [PMID: 26687814 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2015.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Revised: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 10/21/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Tauopathies are neurodegenerative diseases characterized by aggregates of hyperphosphorylated tau. Previous studies have identified many disease-related phosphorylation sites on tau. However, it is not understood how tau is hyperphosphorylated and what extent these sites are phosphorylated in both diseased and normal brains. Most previous studies have used phospho-specific antibodies to analyze tau phosphorylation. These results are useful but do not provide information about nonphosphorylated tau. Here, we applied the method of Phos-tag SDS-PAGE, in which phosphorylated tau was separated from nonphosphorylated tau in vivo. Among heterogeneously phosphorylated tau species in adult mouse brains, the nonphosphorylated 0N4R isoform was detected most abundantly. In contrast, perinatal tau and tau in cold water-stressed mice were all phosphorylated with a similar extent of phosphorylation. In normal elderly human brains, nonphosphorylated 0N3R and 0N4R tau were most abundant. A slightly higher phosphorylation of tau, which may represent the early step of hyperphosphorylation, was increased in Alzheimer disease patients at Braak stage V. Tau with this phosphorylation state was pelleted by centrifugation, and sarkosyl-soluble tau in either Alzheimer disease or corticobasal degeneration brains showed phosphorylation profiles similar to tau in normal human brain, suggesting that hyperphosphorylation occurs in aggregated tau. These results indicate that tau molecules are present in multiple phosphorylation states in vivo, and nonphosphorylated forms are highly expressed among them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taeko Kimura
- Department of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Hiroyuki Hatsuta
- Department of Neuropathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masami Masuda-Suzukake
- Department of Dementia and Higher Brain Function, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masato Hosokawa
- Department of Dementia and Higher Brain Function, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koichi Ishiguro
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Akiyama
- Department of Dementia and Higher Brain Function, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shigeo Murayama
- Department of Neuropathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masato Hasegawa
- Department of Dementia and Higher Brain Function, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shin-ichi Hisanaga
- Department of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan.
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