1
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Hole KL, Zhu B, Huggon L, Brown JT, Mason JM, Williams RJ. Tau P301L disengages from the proteosome core complex and neurogranin coincident with enhanced neuronal network excitability. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:429. [PMID: 38890273 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06815-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Tauopathies are characterised by the pathological accumulation of misfolded tau. The emerging view is that toxic tau species drive synaptic dysfunction and potentially tau propagation before measurable neurodegeneration is evident, but the underlying molecular events are not well defined. Human non-mutated 0N4R tau (tauWT) and P301L mutant 0N4R tau (tauP301L) were expressed in mouse primary cortical neurons using adeno-associated viruses to monitor early molecular changes and synaptic function before the onset of neuronal loss. In this model tauP301L was differentially phosphorylated relative to tauwt with a notable increase in phosphorylation at ser262. Affinity purification - mass spectrometry combined with tandem mass tagging was used to quantitatively compare the tauWT and tauP301L interactomes. This revealed an enrichment of tauP301L with ribosomal proteins but a decreased interaction with the proteasome core complex and reduced tauP301L degradation. Differences in the interaction of tauP301L with members of a key synaptic calcium-calmodulin signalling pathway were also identified, most notably, increased association with CaMKII but reduced association with calcineurin and the candidate AD biomarker neurogranin. Decreased association of neurogranin to tauP301L corresponded with the appearance of enhanced levels of extracellular neurogranin suggestive of potential release or leakage from synapses. Finally, analysis of neuronal network activity using micro-electrode arrays showed that overexpression of tauP301L promoted basal hyperexcitability coincident with these changes in the tau interactome and implicating tau in specific early alterations in synaptic function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katriona L Hole
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Bangfu Zhu
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Laura Huggon
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jon T Brown
- Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Jody M Mason
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UK
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2
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Giraldo-Berrio D, Mendivil-Perez M, Velez-Pardo C, Jimenez-Del-Rio M. Rotenone Induces a Neuropathological Phenotype in Cholinergic-like Neurons Resembling Parkinson's Disease Dementia (PDD). Neurotox Res 2024; 42:28. [PMID: 38842585 PMCID: PMC11156752 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-024-00705-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease with dementia (PDD) is a neurological disorder that clinically and neuropathologically overlaps with Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although it is assumed that alpha-synuclein ( α -Syn), amyloid beta (A β ), and the protein Tau might synergistically induce cholinergic neuronal degeneration, presently the pathological mechanism of PDD remains unclear. Therefore, it is essential to delve into the cellular and molecular aspects of this neurological entity to identify potential targets for prevention and treatment strategies. Cholinergic-like neurons (ChLNs) were exposed to rotenone (ROT, 10 μ M) for 24 h. ROT provokes loss of Δ Ψ m , generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), phosphorylation of leucine-rich repeated kinase 2 (LRRK2 at Ser935) concomitantly with phosphorylation of α -synuclein ( α -Syn, Ser129), induces accumulation of intracellular A β (iA β ), oxidized DJ-1 (Cys106), as well as phosphorylation of TAU (Ser202/Thr205), increases the phosphorylation of c-JUN (Ser63/Ser73), and increases expression of proapoptotic proteins TP53, PUMA, and cleaved caspase 3 (CC3) in ChLNs. These neuropathological features resemble those reproduced in presenilin 1 (PSEN1) E280A ChLNs. Interestingly, anti-oxidant and anti-amyloid cannabidiol (CBD), JNK inhibitor SP600125 (SP), TP53 inhibitor pifithrin- α (PFT), and LRRK2 kinase inhibitor PF-06447475 (PF475) significantly diminish ROT-induced oxidative stress (OS), proteinaceous, and cell death markers in ChLNs compared to naïve ChLNs. In conclusion, ROT induces p- α -Syn, iA β , p-Tau, and cell death in ChLNs, recapitulating the neuropathology findings in PDD. Our report provides an excellent in vitro model to test for potential therapeutic strategies against PDD. Our data suggest that ROT induces a neuropathologic phenotype in ChLNs similar to that caused by the mutation PSEN1 E280A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Giraldo-Berrio
- Neuroscience Research Group, Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia (UdeA), Calle 70 No. 52-21, and Calle 62 # 52-59, Building 1, Room 412, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia
| | - Miguel Mendivil-Perez
- Neuroscience Research Group, Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia (UdeA), Calle 70 No. 52-21, and Calle 62 # 52-59, Building 1, Room 412, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia
| | - Carlos Velez-Pardo
- Neuroscience Research Group, Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia (UdeA), Calle 70 No. 52-21, and Calle 62 # 52-59, Building 1, Room 412, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia.
| | - Marlene Jimenez-Del-Rio
- Neuroscience Research Group, Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia (UdeA), Calle 70 No. 52-21, and Calle 62 # 52-59, Building 1, Room 412, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia.
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3
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Warren HT, Saeger HN, Tombari RJ, Chytil M, Rasmussen K, Olson DE. Psychoplastogenic DYRK1A Inhibitors with Therapeutic Effects Relevant to Alzheimer's Disease. J Med Chem 2024; 67:6922-6937. [PMID: 38648167 PMCID: PMC11152242 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01696] [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] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Tauopathy, neuronal atrophy, and psychological impairments are hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, that currently lack efficacious clinical treatments capable of rectifying these issues. To address these unmet needs, we used rational drug design to combine the pharmacophores of DYRK1A inhibitors and isoDMTs to develop psychoplastogenic DYRK1A inhibitors. Using this approach, we discovered a nonhallucinogenic compound capable of promoting cortical neuron growth and suppressing tau hyperphosphorylation while also having the potential to mitigate the biological and psychological symptoms of dementia. Together, our results suggest that hybridization of the DYRK1A and psychoplastogen pharmacophores represents a promising strategy for identifying compounds that might address the cognitive as well as the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hunter T. Warren
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Hannah N. Saeger
- Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Robert J. Tombari
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Milan Chytil
- Delix Therapeutics, Inc., Bedford, MA 01730, USA
| | | | - David. E. Olson
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95618, USA
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
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4
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Sultanakhmetov G, Limlingan SJM, Fukuchi A, Tsuda K, Suzuki H, Kato I, Saito T, Weitemier AZ, Ando K. Mark4 ablation attenuates pathological phenotypes in a mouse model of tauopathy. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae136. [PMID: 38712317 PMCID: PMC11073748 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae136] [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: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Accumulation of abnormally phosphorylated tau proteins is linked to various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia. Microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 4 (MARK4) has been genetically and pathologically associated with Alzheimer's disease and reported to enhance tau phosphorylation and toxicity in Drosophila and mouse traumatic brain-injury models but not in mammalian tauopathy models. To investigate the role of MARK4 in tau-mediated neuropathology, we crossed P301S tauopathy model (PS19) and Mark4 knockout mice. We performed behaviour, biochemical and histology analyses to evaluate changes in PS19 pathological phenotype with and without Mark4. Here, we demonstrated that Mark4 deletion ameliorated the tau pathology in a mouse model of tauopathy. In particular, we found that PS19 with Mark4 knockout showed improved mortality and memory compared with those bearing an intact Mark4 gene. These phenotypes were accompanied by reduced neurodegeneration and astrogliosis in response to the reduction of pathological forms of tau, such as those phosphorylated at Ser356, AT8-positive tau and thioflavin S-positive tau. Our data indicate that MARK4 critically contributes to tau-mediated neuropathology, suggesting that MARK4 inhibition may serve as a therapeutic avenue for tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grigorii Sultanakhmetov
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | - Sophia Jobien M Limlingan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | - Aoi Fukuchi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | - Keisuke Tsuda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Suzuki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | - Iori Kato
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | - Taro Saito
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | - Adam Z Weitemier
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | - Kanae Ando
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
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5
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Li W, Li JY. Overlaps and divergences between tauopathies and synucleinopathies: a duet of neurodegeneration. Transl Neurodegener 2024; 13:16. [PMID: 38528629 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-024-00407-y] [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] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Proteinopathy, defined as the abnormal accumulation of proteins that eventually leads to cell death, is one of the most significant pathological features of neurodegenerative diseases. Tauopathies, represented by Alzheimer's disease (AD), and synucleinopathies, represented by Parkinson's disease (PD), show similarities in multiple aspects. AD manifests extrapyramidal symptoms while dementia is also a major sign of advanced PD. We and other researchers have sequentially shown the cross-seeding phenomenon of α-synuclein (α-syn) and tau, reinforcing pathologies between synucleinopathies and tauopathies. The highly overlapping clinical and pathological features imply shared pathogenic mechanisms between the two groups of disease. The diagnostic and therapeutic strategies seemingly appropriate for one distinct neurodegenerative disease may also apply to a broader spectrum. Therefore, a clear understanding of the overlaps and divergences between tauopathy and synucleinopathy is critical for unraveling the nature of the complicated associations among neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we discuss the shared and diverse characteristics of tauopathies and synucleinopathies from aspects of genetic causes, clinical manifestations, pathological progression and potential common therapeutic approaches targeting the pathology, in the aim to provide a timely update for setting the scheme of disease classification and provide novel insights into the therapeutic development for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Li
- Health Sciences Institute, Key Laboratory of Major Chronic Diseases of Nervous System of Liaoning Province, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, China
| | - Jia-Yi Li
- Health Sciences Institute, Key Laboratory of Major Chronic Diseases of Nervous System of Liaoning Province, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, China.
- Neural Plasticity and Repair Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Lund University, BMC A10, 22184, Lund, Sweden.
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6
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Mammeri NE, Dregni AJ, Duan P, Hong M. Structures of AT8 and PHF1 phosphomimetic tau: Insights into the posttranslational modification code of tau aggregation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2316175121. [PMID: 38408247 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2316175121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The microtubule-associated protein tau aggregates into amyloid fibrils in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. In these tauopathies, tau is hyperphosphorylated, suggesting that this posttranslational modification (PTM) may induce tau aggregation. Tau is also phosphorylated in normal developing brains. To investigate how tau phosphorylation induces amyloid fibrils, here we report the atomic structures of two phosphomimetic full-length tau fibrils assembled without anionic cofactors. We mutated key Ser and Thr residues to Glu in two regions of the protein. One construct contains three Glu mutations at the epitope of the anti-phospho-tau antibody AT8 (AT8-3E tau), whereas the other construct contains four Glu mutations at the epitope of the antibody PHF1 (PHF1-4E tau). Solid-state NMR data show that both phosphomimetic tau mutants form homogeneous fibrils with a single set of chemical shifts. The AT8-3E tau rigid core extends from the R3 repeat to the C terminus, whereas the PHF1-4E tau rigid core spans R2, R3, and R4 repeats. Cryoelectron microscopy data show that AT8-3E tau forms a triangular multi-layered core, whereas PHF1-4E tau forms a triple-stranded core. Interestingly, a construct combining all seven Glu mutations exhibits the same conformation as PHF1-4E tau. Scalar-coupled NMR data additionally reveal the dynamics and shape of the fuzzy coat surrounding the rigid cores. These results demonstrate that specific PTMs induce structurally specific tau aggregates, and the phosphorylation code of tau contains redundancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia El Mammeri
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Aurelio J Dregni
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Pu Duan
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Mei Hong
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
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7
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Gong Y, Laheji F, Berenson A, Li Y, Moser A, Qian A, Frosch M, Sadjadi R, Hahn R, Maguire CA, Eichler F. Role of Basal Forebrain Neurons in Adrenomyeloneuropathy in Mice and Humans. Ann Neurol 2024; 95:442-458. [PMID: 38062617 PMCID: PMC10949091 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy is caused by mutations in the peroxisomal half-transporter ABCD1. The most common manifestation is adrenomyeloneuropathy, a hereditary spastic paraplegia of adulthood. The present study set out to understand the role of neuronal ABCD1 in mice and humans with adrenomyeloneuropathy. METHODS Neuronal expression of ABCD1 during development was assessed in mice and humans. ABCD1-deficient mice and human brain tissues were examined for corresponding pathology. Next, we silenced ABCD1 in cholinergic Sh-sy5y neurons to investigate its impact on neuronal function. Finally, we tested adeno-associated virus vector-mediated ABCD1 delivery to the brain in mice with adrenomyeloneuropathy. RESULTS ABCD1 is highly expressed in neurons located in the periaqueductal gray matter, basal forebrain and hypothalamus. In ABCD1-deficient mice (Abcd1-/y), these structures showed mild accumulations of α-synuclein. Similarly, healthy human controls had high expression of ABCD1 in deep gray nuclei, whereas X-ALD patients showed increased levels of phosphorylated tau, gliosis, and complement activation in those same regions, albeit not to the degree seen in neurodegenerative tauopathies. Silencing ABCD1 in Sh-sy5y neurons impaired expression of functional proteins and decreased acetylcholine levels, similar to observations in plasma of Abcd1-/y mice. Notably, hind limb clasping in Abcd1-/y mice was corrected through transduction of ABCD1 in basal forebrain neurons following intracerebroventricular gene delivery. INTERPRETATION Our study suggests that the basal forebrain-cortical cholinergic pathway may contribute to dysfunction in adrenomyeloneuropathy. Rescuing peroxisomal transport activity in basal forebrain neurons and supporting glial cells might represent a viable therapeutic strategy. ANN NEUROL 2024;95:442-458.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Gong
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Fiza Laheji
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Anna Berenson
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Yedda Li
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Ann Moser
- Peroxisome Disease Lab, Hugo W Moser Research Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - April Qian
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Matthew Frosch
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Neuropathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Reza Sadjadi
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Ryan Hahn
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Casey A. Maguire
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Florian Eichler
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston
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8
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Alhadidy MM, Kanaan NM. Biochemical approaches to assess the impact of post-translational modifications on pathogenic tau conformations using recombinant protein. Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:301-318. [PMID: 38348781 PMCID: PMC10903483 DOI: 10.1042/bst20230596] [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: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Tau protein is associated with many neurodegenerative disorders known as tauopathies. Aggregates of tau are thought of as a main contributor to neurodegeneration in these diseases. Increasingly, evidence points to earlier, soluble conformations of abnormally modified monomers and multimeric tau as toxic forms of tau. The biological processes driving tau from physiological species to pathogenic conformations remain poorly understood, but certain avenues are currently under investigation including the functional consequences of various pathological tau changes (e.g. mutations, post-translational modifications (PTMs), and protein-protein interactions). PTMs can regulate several aspects of tau biology such as proteasomal and autophagic clearance, solubility, and aggregation. Moreover, PTMs can contribute to the transition of tau from normal to pathogenic conformations. However, our understating of how PTMs specifically regulate the transition of tau into pathogenic conformations is partly impeded by the relative lack of structured frameworks to assess and quantify these conformations. In this review, we describe a set of approaches that includes several in vitro assays to determine the contribution of PTMs to tau's transition into known pathogenic conformations. The approaches begin with different methods to create recombinant tau proteins carrying specific PTMs followed by validation of the PTMs status. Then, we describe a set of biochemical and biophysical assays that assess the contribution of a given PTM to different tau conformations, including aggregation, oligomerization, exposure of the phosphatase-activating domain, and seeding. Together, these approaches can facilitate the advancement of our understanding of the relationships between PTMs and tau conformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed M. Alhadidy
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, U.S.A
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, U.S.A
| | - Nicholas M. Kanaan
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, U.S.A
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, U.S.A
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9
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Ludwig BA, Forbes CR, Zondlo NJ. N-Terminal Proline Editing for the Synthesis of Peptides with Mercaptoproline and Selenoproline: Mechanistic Insights Lead to Greater Efficiency in Proline Native Chemical Ligation. ACS Chem Biol 2024; 19:536-550. [PMID: 38324914 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Native chemical ligation (NCL) at proline has been limited by cost and synthetic access. In addition, prior examples of NCL using mercaptoproline have exhibited stalling of the reaction after thioester exchange, due to inefficient S → N acyl transfer. Herein, we develop methods, using inexpensive Boc-4R-hydroxyproline, for the solid-phase synthesis of peptides containing N-terminal 4R-mercaptoproline and 4R-selenoproline. The synthesis proceeds via proline editing on the N-terminus of fully synthesized peptides on the solid phase, converting an N-terminal Boc-4R-hydroxyproline to the 4S-bromoproline, followed by an SN2 reaction with potassium thioacetate or selenobenzoic acid. After cleavage from the resin and deprotection, peptides with functionalized N-terminal proline amino acids were obtained. NCL reactions with mercaptoproline proceeded slowly under standard NCL conditions, with the S-acyl transthioesterification intermediate observed as a major species. Computational investigations indicated that the bicyclic intermediates and transition states for S → N acyl transfer are sufficiently low in energy (10-15 kcal mol-1 above starting material) that ring strain cannot explain the slow S → N acyl transfer. Instead, the bicyclic zwitterionic tetrahedral intermediate has a low barrier for reversion to the S-acyl intermediate, causing reversion to the thioester (reverse reaction) to occur preferentially over elimination to generate the amide (forward reaction). We hypothesized that a buffer capable of general acid and/or general base catalysis could promote S → N acyl transfer and thus achieve greater efficiency in proline NCL. In the presence of 2 M imidazole at pH 6.8, NCL with mercaptoproline proceeded efficiently to generate the peptide with a native amide bond. NCL with selenoproline also proceeded efficiently to generate the desired products when a thiophenol thioester was employed as a ligation partner. After desulfurization or deselenization, the products obtained were identical to those synthesized directly, confirming that the solid-phase proline editing reactions proceeded stereospecifically and without epimerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brice A Ludwig
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Christina R Forbes
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Neal J Zondlo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
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10
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Jacquemin C, Villain N, Azevedo R, Boluda S, Thévenot EA, Fenaille F, Lamari F, Becher F. Evaluation of SP3 for antibody-free quantification of tau in CSF mimic and brain by mass spectrometry. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (CHICHESTER, ENGLAND) 2024; 30:65-75. [PMID: 38258392 DOI: 10.1177/14690667231218912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Tubulin-associated unit (tau) has an important role in the pathogenesis and the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies. In view of the diversity of tau proteoforms, antibody-free methods represent a good approach for unbiased quantification. We adapted and evaluated the single-pot, solid-phase-enhanced sample-preparation (SP3) protocol for antibody-free extraction of the tau protein in cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) mimic and in human brain. A total of 13 non-modified peptides were quantified by high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) after digestion of tau by trypsin. We significantly improved the basic SP3 protocol by carefully optimizing the organic solvents and incubation time for tau binding, as well as the digestion step for the release directly from the SP3 beads of the 13 tau peptides. These optimizations proved to be primarily beneficial for the most hydrophilic tau peptides, increasing the sequence coverage of recombinant tau. Mean recovery in CSF mimic of the 13 non-modified peptides was of 53%, with LODs ranging from 0.75 to 10 ng/mL. Next, we tested the optimized SP3 protocol on pathological tau extracted from the soluble fraction from an AD brain sample (middle frontal gyrus). We could successfully identify and quantify biologically relevant tau peptides including representative peptides of two isoforms and two phospho-peptides (pTau217 and pTau181).
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Jacquemin
- Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, INRAE, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Nicolas Villain
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Memory and Alzheimer's Disease, Assistance Publique - Hopitaux de Paris, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Rita Azevedo
- Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, INRAE, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Susana Boluda
- Department of Neuropathology Raymond Escourolle, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) Sorbonne, Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Etienne A Thévenot
- Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, INRAE, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - François Fenaille
- Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, INRAE, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Foudil Lamari
- Service de Biochimie Métabolique, AP-HP Sorbonne, Paris Brain Institute (ICM) Inserm - Sorbonne Université, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - François Becher
- Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, INRAE, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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11
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Pounot K, Piersson C, Goring AK, Rosu F, Gabelica V, Weik M, Han S, Fichou Y. Mutations in Tau Protein Promote Aggregation by Favoring Extended Conformations. JACS AU 2024; 4:92-100. [PMID: 38274251 PMCID: PMC10806773 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.3c00550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Amyloid aggregation of the intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) tau is involved in several diseases, called tauopathies. Some tauopathies can be inherited due to mutations in the gene encoding tau, which might favor the formation of tau amyloid fibrils. This work aims at deciphering the mechanisms through which the disease-associated single-point mutations promote amyloid formation. We combined biochemical and biophysical characterization, notably, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), to study six different FTDP-17 derived mutations. We found that the mutations promote aggregation to different degrees and can modulate tau conformational ensembles, intermolecular interactions, and liquid-liquid phase separation propensity. In particular, we found a good correlation between the aggregation lag time of the mutants and their radii of gyration. We show that mutations disfavor intramolecular protein interactions, which in turn favor extended conformations and promote amyloid aggregation. This work proposes a new connection between the structural features of tau monomers and their propensity to aggregate, providing a novel assay to evaluate the aggregation propensity of IDPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Pounot
- Univ.
Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Clara Piersson
- Univ.
Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, IECB, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Andrew K. Goring
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Frédéric Rosu
- Univ.
Bordeaux, CNRS, INSERM, IECB, UAR3033, US01, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - Valérie Gabelica
- Univ.
Bordeaux, CNRS, INSERM, IECB, UAR3033, US01, F-33600 Pessac, France
- Univ.
Bordeaux, CNRS, INSERM, ARNA, UMR5320, U1212, IECB, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Martin Weik
- Univ.
Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Songi Han
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of California
Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of California Santa Barbara, Santa
Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Yann Fichou
- Univ.
Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, CBMN, UMR 5248, IECB, 33600 Pessac, France
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12
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Shi H, Zhao Y. Modulation of Tau Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease by Dietary Bioactive Compounds. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:831. [PMID: 38255905 PMCID: PMC10815728 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-associated protein essential for microtubule assembly and stability in neurons. The abnormal intracellular accumulation of tau aggregates is a major characteristic of brains from patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies. In AD, the presence of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), which is composed of hyperphosphorylated tau protein, is positively correlated with the severity of the cognitive decline. Evidence suggests that the accumulation and aggregation of tau cause synaptic dysfunction and neuronal degeneration. Thus, the prevention of abnormal tau phosphorylation and elimination of tau aggregates have been proposed as therapeutic strategies for AD. However, currently tau-targeting therapies for AD and other tauopathies are limited. A number of dietary bioactive compounds have been found to modulate the posttranslational modifications of tau, including phosphorylation, small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) mediated modification (SUMOylation) and acetylation, as well as inhibit tau aggregation and/or promote tau degradation. The advantages of using these dietary components over synthetic substances in AD prevention and intervention are their safety and accessibility. This review summarizes the mechanisms leading to tau pathology in AD and highlights the effects of bioactive compounds on the hyperphosphorylation, aggregation and clearance of tau protein. The potential of using these bioactive compounds for AD prevention and intervention is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huahua Shi
- Department of Bioengineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Weihai 264209, China;
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Department of Bioengineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Weihai 264209, China;
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
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13
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Taylor LW, Simzer EM, Pimblett C, Lacey-Solymar OTT, McGeachan RI, Meftah S, Rose JL, Spires-Jones MP, Holt K, Catterson JH, Koch H, Liaquat I, Clarke JH, Skidmore J, Smith C, Booker SA, Brennan PM, Spires-Jones TL, Durrant CS. p-tau Ser356 is associated with Alzheimer's disease pathology and is lowered in brain slice cultures using the NUAK inhibitor WZ4003. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:7. [PMID: 38175261 PMCID: PMC10766794 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02667-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Tau hyperphosphorylation and aggregation is a common feature of many dementia-causing neurodegenerative diseases. Tau can be phosphorylated at up to 85 different sites, and there is increasing interest in whether tau phosphorylation at specific epitopes, by specific kinases, plays an important role in disease progression. The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-related enzyme NUAK1 has been identified as a potential mediator of tau pathology, whereby NUAK1-mediated phosphorylation of tau at Ser356 prevents the degradation of tau by the proteasome, further exacerbating tau hyperphosphorylation and accumulation. This study provides a detailed characterisation of the association of p-tau Ser356 with progression of Alzheimer's disease pathology, identifying a Braak stage-dependent increase in p-tau Ser356 protein levels and an almost ubiquitous presence in neurofibrillary tangles. We also demonstrate, using sub-diffraction-limit resolution array tomography imaging, that p-tau Ser356 co-localises with synapses in AD postmortem brain tissue, increasing evidence that this form of tau may play important roles in AD progression. To assess the potential impacts of pharmacological NUAK inhibition in an ex vivo system that retains multiple cell types and brain-relevant neuronal architecture, we treated postnatal mouse organotypic brain slice cultures from wildtype or APP/PS1 littermates with the commercially available NUAK1/2 inhibitor WZ4003. Whilst there were no genotype-specific effects, we found that WZ4003 results in a culture-phase-dependent loss of total tau and p-tau Ser356, which corresponds with a reduction in neuronal and synaptic proteins. By contrast, application of WZ4003 to live human brain slice cultures results in a specific lowering of p-tau Ser356, alongside increased neuronal tubulin protein. This work identifies differential responses of postnatal mouse organotypic brain slice cultures and adult human brain slice cultures to NUAK1 inhibition that will be important to consider in future work developing tau-targeting therapeutics for human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lewis W Taylor
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Elizabeth M Simzer
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Claire Pimblett
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Robert I McGeachan
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- The Hospital for Small Animals, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Soraya Meftah
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jamie L Rose
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Kristján Holt
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - James H Catterson
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Henner Koch
- Department of Neurology, Epileptology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Imran Liaquat
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, 51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jonathan H Clarke
- The ALBORADA Drug Discovery Institute, University of Cambridge, Island Research Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - John Skidmore
- The ALBORADA Drug Discovery Institute, University of Cambridge, Island Research Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Colin Smith
- The Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sam A Booker
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Paul M Brennan
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, 51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
- The Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Cancer Research UK Brain Tumour Centre of Excellence, CRUK Edinburgh Centre, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Claire S Durrant
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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14
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El Hajjar L, Bridot C, Nguyen M, Cantrelle FX, Landrieu I, Smet-Nocca C. Phosphorylation of Tau Protein by CDK2/cyclin A and GSK3β Recombinant Kinases: Analysis of Phosphorylation Patterns by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2754:271-306. [PMID: 38512672 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3629-9_15] [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
Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of proteins can be investigated by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy as a powerful analytical tool to define modification sites, their relative stoichiometry, and crosstalk between modifications. As a Structural Biology method, NMR provides important additional information on changes in protein conformation and dynamics upon modification as well as a mapping of binding sites upon biomolecular interactions. Indeed, PTMs not only mediate functional modulation in protein-protein interactions, but can also induce diverse structural responses with different biological outcomes. Here we present protocols that have been developed for the production and phosphorylation of the neuronal tau protein. Under its aggregated form, tau is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases named tauopathies involving tau dysfunction and/or mutations. As a common feature shared by various tauopathies, tau aggregates are found into a form displaying an increased, abnormal phosphorylation, also referred to hyperphosphorylation. We have used NMR to investigate the phosphorylation patterns of tau induced by several kinases or cell extracts, how phosphorylation affects the local and overall conformation of tau, its interactions with partners (proteins, DNA, small-molecules, etc.) including tubulin and microtubules, and its capacity to form insoluble fibrillar aggregates. We present here detailed protocols for in vitro phosphorylation of tau by the recombinant kinases CDK2/cyclin A and GSK3β, the production of the recombinant kinases thereof, as well as the analytical characterization of phosphorylated tau by NMR spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa El Hajjar
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
- CNRS EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France
| | - Clarisse Bridot
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
- CNRS EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France
| | - Marine Nguyen
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
- CNRS EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France
| | - François-Xavier Cantrelle
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
- CNRS EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France
| | - Isabelle Landrieu
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
- CNRS, EMR9002 BSI Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France
- LabEx (Laboratory of Excellence) DISTALZ (Development of Innovative Strategies for a Transdisciplinary Approach to Alzheimer's Disease ANR-11-LABX-01), Lille, France
| | - Caroline Smet-Nocca
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France.
- CNRS EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France.
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15
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Ayoub CA, Moore KI, Kuret J. Quantification of Methylation and Phosphorylation Stoichiometry. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2754:221-235. [PMID: 38512670 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3629-9_13] [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
Tauopathies including Alzheimer's disease (AD) are neurodegenerative disorders accompanied by the conversion of functional forms of the microtubule associated protein Tau into non-functional aggregates. A variety of post-translational modifications (PTMs) on Tau precede or accompany the conversion, placing them in position to modulate Tau function as well as its propensity to aggregate. Although Tau PTMs can be characterized by their sites of modification, their total stoichiometry when summed over all sites also is an important metric of their potential impact on function. Here we provide a protocol for rapidly producing recombinant Tau with enzyme-specific PTMs at high stoichiometry in vitro and demonstrate its utility in the context of hyperphosphorylation. Additionally, protocols for estimating phosphorylation and methylation stoichiometry on Tau proteins isolated from any source are presented. Together these methods support experimentation on Tau PTM function over a wide range of experimental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Ayoub
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Khadijah I Moore
- Interdisciplinary Biophysics Graduate Program, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jeff Kuret
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA.
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16
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de la Monte SM, Tong M. Agent Orange Herbicidal Toxin-Initiation of Alzheimer-Type Neurodegeneration. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 97:1703-1726. [PMID: 38306038 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230881] [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] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Background Agent Orange (AO) is a Vietnam War-era herbicide that contains a 1 : 1 ratio of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T). Emerging evidence suggests that AO exposures cause toxic and degenerative pathologies that may increase the risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Objective This study investigates the effects of the two main AO constituents on key molecular and biochemical indices of AD-type neurodegeneration. Methods Long Evans rat frontal lobe slice cultures treated with 250μg/ml of 2,4-D, 2,4,5-T, or both (D + T) were evaluated for cytotoxicity, oxidative injury, mitochondrial function, and AD biomarker expression. Results Treatment with the AO constituents caused histopathological changes corresponding to neuronal, white matter, and endothelial cell degeneration, and molecular/biochemical abnormalities indicative of cytotoxic injury, lipid peroxidation, DNA damage, and increased immunoreactivity to activated Caspase 3, glial fibrillary acidic protein, ubiquitin, tau, paired-helical filament phosphorylated tau, AβPP, Aβ, and choline acetyltransferase. Nearly all indices of cellular injury and degeneration were more pronounced in the D + T compared with 2,4-D or 2,4,5-T treated cultures. Conclusions Exposures to AO herbicidal chemicals damage frontal lobe brain tissue with molecular and biochemical abnormalities that mimic pathologies associated with early-stage AD-type neurodegeneration. Additional research is needed to evaluate the long-term effects of AO exposures in relation to aging and progressive neurodegeneration in Vietnam War Veterans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne M de la Monte
- Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Neurology, and Neurosurgery, Rhode Island Hospital, Lifespan Academic Institutions, and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, Lifespan Academic Institutions, and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Ming Tong
- Department of Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, Lifespan Academic Institutions, and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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17
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Keenan RJ, Daykin H, Metha J, Cornthwaite-Duncan L, Wright DK, Clarke K, Oberrauch S, Brian M, Stephenson S, Nowell CJ, Allocca G, Barnham KJ, Hoyer D, Jacobson LH. Orexin 2 receptor antagonism sex-dependently improves sleep/wakefulness and cognitive performance in tau transgenic mice. Br J Pharmacol 2024; 181:87-106. [PMID: 37553894 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16212] [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: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Tau pathology contributes to a bidirectional relationship between sleep disruption and neurodegenerative disease. Tau transgenic rTg4510 mice model tauopathy symptoms, including sleep/wake disturbances, which manifest as marked hyperarousal. This phenotype can be prevented by early transgene suppression; however, whether hyperarousal can be rescued after onset is unknown. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Three 8-week experiments were conducted with wild-type and rTg4510 mice after age of onset of hyperarousal (4.5 months): (1) Tau transgene suppression with doxycycline (200 ppm); (2) inactive phase rapid eye movement (REM) sleep enhancement with the dual orexin receptor antagonist suvorexant (50 mg·kg-1 ·day-1 ); or (3) Active phase non-NREM (NREM) and REM sleep enhancement using the selective orexin 2 (OX2 ) receptor antagonist MK-1064 (40 mg·kg-1 ·day-1 ). Sleep was assessed using polysomnography, cognition using the Barnes maze, and tau pathology using immunoblotting and/or immunohistochemistry. KEY RESULTS Tau transgene suppression improved tauopathy and hippocampal-dependent spatial memory, but did not modify hyperarousal. Pharmacological rescue of REM sleep deficits did not improve spatial memory or tau pathology. In contrast, normalising hyperarousal by increasing both NREM and REM sleep via OX2 receptor antagonism restored spatial memory, independently of tauopathy, but only in male rTg4510 mice. OX2 receptor antagonism induced only short-lived hypnotic responses in female rTg4510 mice and did not improve spatial memory, indicating a tau- and sex-dependent disruption of OX2 receptor signalling. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Pharmacologically reducing hyperarousal corrects tau-induced sleep/wake and cognitive deficits. Tauopathy causes sex-dependent disruptions of OX2 receptor signalling/function, which may have implications for choice of hypnotic therapeutics in tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Keenan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Heather Daykin
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jeremy Metha
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Finance, Faculty of Business and Economics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Linda Cornthwaite-Duncan
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - David K Wright
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kyra Clarke
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sara Oberrauch
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Maddison Brian
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sarah Stephenson
- Bruce Lefroy Centre, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Cameron J Nowell
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Giancarlo Allocca
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Somnivore Inc. Ltd Pty, Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kevin J Barnham
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Daniel Hoyer
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Laura H Jacobson
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Melbourne Dementia Research Centre, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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18
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Sun K, Patel T, Kang SG, Yarahmady A, Srinivasan M, Julien O, Heras J, Mok SA. Disease-Associated Mutations in Tau Encode for Changes in Aggregate Structure Conformation. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:4282-4297. [PMID: 38054595 PMCID: PMC10741665 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The accumulation of tau fibrils is associated with neurodegenerative diseases, which are collectively termed tauopathies. Cryo-EM studies have shown that the packed fibril core of tau adopts distinct structures in different tauopathies, such as Alzheimer's disease, corticobasal degeneration, and progressive supranuclear palsy. A subset of tauopathies are linked to missense mutations in the tau protein, but it is not clear whether these mutations impact the structure of tau fibrils. To answer this question, we developed a high-throughput protein purification platform and purified a panel of 37 tau variants using the full-length 0N4R splice isoform. Each of these variants was used to create fibrils in vitro, and their relative structures were studied using a high-throughput protease sensitivity platform. We find that a subset of the disease-associated mutations form fibrils that resemble wild-type tau, while others are strikingly different. The impact of mutations on tau structure was not clearly associated with either the location of the mutation or the relative kinetics of fibril assembly, suggesting that tau mutations alter the packed core structures through a complex molecular mechanism. Together, these studies show that single-point mutations can impact the assembly of tau into fibrils, providing insight into its association with pathology and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerry
T. Sun
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H7
| | - Tark Patel
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H7
| | - Sang-Gyun Kang
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H7
| | - Allan Yarahmady
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H7
| | - Mahalashmi Srinivasan
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H7
| | - Olivier Julien
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H7
| | - Jónathan Heras
- Department
of Mathematics and Computer Sciences, University
of La Rioja, Logroño, Spain 26004
| | - Sue-Ann Mok
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H7
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19
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Smith ED, Vo Q, Giasson BI, Borchelt DR, Prokop S, Chakrabarty P. Human tauopathy strains defined by phosphorylation in R1-R2 repeat domains of tau. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:172. [PMID: 37891635 PMCID: PMC10612232 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01664-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Distinctive post-translational modifications (PTM) characterize tau inclusions found in tauopathy patients. Using detergent-insoluble tau isolated from Alzheimer's disease (AD-tau) or Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP-tau) patients, we provide insights into whether phosphorylation of critical residues determine templated tau seeding. Our initial data with phosphorylation-ablating mutations (Ser/Thr → Ala) on select sites of P301L tau showed no changes in seeding efficacy by AD-tau or PSP-tau. Interestingly, when specific sites in the R1-R2 repeat domains (Ser262/Thr263/Ser289/Ser305) were mutated to phosphorylation-mimicking amino acid Glu, it substantially reduced the seeding efficiency of AD-tau, but not PSP-tau seeds. The resultant detergent-insoluble tau shows deficient phosphorylation on AT8, AT100, AT180 and PHF1 epitopes, indicating inter-domain cooperativity. We further identify Ser305 as a critical determinant of AD-tau-specific seeding, whereby the phospho-mimicking Ser305Glu tau abrogates seeding by AD-tau but not PSP-tau. This suggests that phosphorylation on Ser305 could be related to the formation of disease-specific tau strains. Our results highlight the existence of a phospho-PTM code in tau seeding and further demonstrate the distinctive nature of this code in 4R tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan D Smith
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, 1275 Center Drive, BMS J484, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Quan Vo
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, 1275 Center Drive, BMS J484, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Benoit I Giasson
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, 1275 Center Drive, BMS J484, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - David R Borchelt
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, 1275 Center Drive, BMS J484, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Stefan Prokop
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, 1275 Center Drive, BMS J484, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Pathology, Immunology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Paramita Chakrabarty
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, 1275 Center Drive, BMS J484, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
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20
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Zhang X, Tang L, Yang J, Meng L, Chen J, Zhou L, Wang J, Xiong M, Zhang Z. Soluble TREM2 ameliorates tau phosphorylation and cognitive deficits through activating transgelin-2 in Alzheimer's disease. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6670. [PMID: 37865646 PMCID: PMC10590452 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42505-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) is a transmembrane protein that is predominantly expressed by microglia in the brain. The proteolytic shedding of TREM2 results in the release of soluble TREM2 (sTREM2), which is increased in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). It remains unknown whether sTREM2 regulates the pathogenesis of AD. Here we identified transgelin-2 (TG2) expressed on neurons as the receptor for sTREM2. The microglia-derived sTREM2 binds to TG2, induces RhoA phosphorylation at S188, and deactivates the RhoA-ROCK-GSK3β pathway, ameliorating tau phosphorylation. The sTREM2 (77-89) fragment, which is the minimal active sequence of sTREM2 to activate TG2, mimics the inhibitory effect of sTREM2 on tau phosphorylation. Overexpression of sTREM2 or administration of the active peptide rescues tau pathology and behavioral defects in the tau P301S transgenic mice. Together, these findings demonstrate that the sTREM2-TG2 interaction mediates the cross-talk between microglia and neurons. sTREM2 and its active peptide may be a potential therapeutic intervention for tauopathies including AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingyu Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Li Tang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Jiaolong Yang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Lanxia Meng
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Jiehui Chen
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Lingyan Zhou
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Jiangyu Wang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Min Xiong
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Zhentao Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China.
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21
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Gangolli M, Pajevic S, Kim JH, Hutchinson EB, Benjamini D, Basser PJ. Correspondence of mean apparent propagator MRI metrics with phosphorylated tau and astrogliosis in chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcad253. [PMID: 37901038 PMCID: PMC10600571 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad253] [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: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a neurodegenerative disease that is diagnosed and staged based on the localization and extent of phosphorylated tau pathology. Although its identification remains the primary diagnostic criteria to distinguish chronic traumatic encephalopathy from other tauopathies, the hyperphosphorylated tau that accumulates in neurofibrillary tangles in cortical grey matter and perivascular regions is often accompanied by concomitant pathology such as astrogliosis. Mean apparent propagator MRI is a clinically feasible diffusion MRI method that is suitable to characterize microstructure of complex biological media efficiently and comprehensively. We performed quantitative correlations between propagator metrics and underlying phosphorylated tau and astroglial pathology in a cross-sectional study of 10 ex vivo human tissue specimens with 'high chronic traumatic encephalopathy' at 0.25 mm isotropic voxels. Linear mixed effects analysis of regions of interest showed significant relationships of phosphorylated tau with propagator-estimated non-Gaussianity in cortical grey matter (P = 0.002) and of astrogliosis with propagator anisotropy in superficial cortical white matter (P = 0.0009). The positive correlation between phosphorylated tau and non-Gaussianity was found to be modest but significant (R2 = 0.44, P = 6.0 × 10-5) using linear regression. We developed an unsupervised clustering algorithm with non-Gaussianity and propagator anisotropy as inputs, which was able to identify voxels in superficial cortical white matter that corresponded to astrocytes that were accumulated at the grey-white matter interface. Our results suggest that mean apparent propagator MRI at high spatial resolution provides a means to not only identify phosphorylated tau pathology but also detect regions with astrocytic pathology and may therefore prove diagnostically valuable in the evaluation of concomitant pathology in cortical tissue with complex microstructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihika Gangolli
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
- Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sinisa Pajevic
- Section on Critical Brain Dynamics, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Section on Quantitative Imaging and Tissue Sciences, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Joong Hee Kim
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
- Laboratory of Functional and Molecular Imaging, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Elizabeth B Hutchinson
- Section on Quantitative Imaging and Tissue Sciences, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 20892, USA
| | - Dan Benjamini
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
- Multiscale Imaging and Integrative Biophysics Unit, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Peter J Basser
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
- Section on Quantitative Imaging and Tissue Sciences, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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22
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Cook BE, Nag S, Arakawa R, Lin EYS, Stratman N, Guckian K, Hering H, Lulla M, Choi J, Salinas C, Genung NE, Morén AF, Bolin M, Boscutti G, Plisson C, Martarello L, Halldin C, Kaliszczak MA. Development of a PET Tracer for OGA with Improved Kinetics in the Living Brain. J Nucl Med 2023; 64:1588-1593. [PMID: 37934021 PMCID: PMC10586483 DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.122.265225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
O-GlcNAcylation is thought to play a role in the development of tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease because of its ability to modulate tau's aggregation propensity. O-GlcNAcylation is regulated by 2 enzymes: O-GlcNAc transferase and O-GlcNAcase (OGA). Development of a PET tracer would therefore be an essential tool for developing therapeutic small-molecule inhibitors of OGA, enabling clinical testing of target engagement and dose selection. Methods: A collection of small-molecule compounds was screened for inhibitory activity and high-affinity binding to OGA, as well as favorable PET tracer attributes (multidrug resistance protein 1 efflux, central nervous system PET multiparameter optimization, etc.). Two lead compounds with high affinity and selectivity for OGA were selected for further profiling, including OGA binding to tissue homogenate using a radioligand competition binding assay. In vivo pharmacokinetics were established using a microdosing approach with unlabeled compounds in rats. In vivo imaging studies were performed in rodents and nonhuman primates (NHPs) with 11C-labeled compounds. Results: Two selected candidates, BIO-735 and BIO-578, displayed promising attributes in vitro. After radiolabeling with tritium, [3H]BIO-735 and [3H]BIO-578 binding in rodent brain homogenates demonstrated dissociation constants of 0.6 and 2.3 nM, respectively. Binding was inhibited, concentration-dependently, by homologous compounds and thiamet G, a well-characterized and structurally diverse OGA inhibitor. Imaging studies in rats and NHPs showed both tracers had high uptake in the brain and inhibition of binding to OGA in the presence of a nonradioactive compound. However, only BIO-578 demonstrated reversible binding kinetics within the time frame of a PET study with a 11C-labeled molecule to enable quantification using kinetic modeling. Specificity of tracer uptake was confirmed with a 10 mg/kg blocking dose of thiamet G. Conclusion: We describe the development and testing of 2 11C PET tracers targeting the protein OGA. The lead compound BIO-578 demonstrated high affinity and selectivity for OGA in rodent and human postmortem brain tissue, leading to its further testing in NHPs. NHP PET imaging studies showed that the tracer had excellent brain kinetics, with full inhibition of specific binding by thiamet G. These results suggest that the tracer [11C]BIO-578 is well suited for further characterization in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sangram Nag
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden; and
| | - Ryosuke Arakawa
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden; and
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Anton Forsberg Morén
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden; and
| | - Martin Bolin
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden; and
| | | | | | | | - Christer Halldin
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden; and
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23
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Cario A, Berger CL. Tau, microtubule dynamics, and axonal transport: New paradigms for neurodegenerative disease. Bioessays 2023; 45:e2200138. [PMID: 37489532 PMCID: PMC10630968 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202200138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
The etiology of Tauopathies, a diverse class of neurodegenerative diseases associated with the Microtubule Associated Protein (MAP) Tau, is usually described by a common mechanism in which Tau dysfunction results in the loss of axonal microtubule stability. Here, we reexamine and build upon the canonical disease model to encompass other Tau functions. In addition to regulating microtubule dynamics, Tau acts as a modulator of motor proteins, a signaling hub, and a scaffolding protein. This diverse array of functions is related to the dynamic nature of Tau isoform expression, post-translational modification (PTM), and conformational flexibility. Thus, there is no single mechanism that can describe Tau dysfunction. The effects of specific pathogenic mutations or aberrant PTMs need to be examined on all of the various functions of Tau in order to understand the unique etiology of each disease state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisa Cario
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405
| | - Christopher L. Berger
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405
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24
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Górska A, Markiewicz-Gospodarek A, Markiewicz R, Chilimoniuk Z, Borowski B, Trubalski M, Czarnek K. Distribution of Iron, Copper, Zinc and Cadmium in Glia, Their Influence on Glial Cells and Relationship with Neurodegenerative Diseases. Brain Sci 2023; 13:911. [PMID: 37371389 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13060911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent data on the distribution and influence of copper, zinc and cadmium in glial cells are summarized. This review also examines the relationship between those metals and their role in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson disease and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which have become a great challenge for today's physicians. The studies suggest that among glial cells, iron has the highest concentration in oligodendrocytes, copper in astrocytes and zinc in the glia of hippocampus and cortex. Previous studies have shown neurotoxic effects of copper, iron and manganese, while zinc can have a bidirectional effect, i.e., neurotoxic but also neuroprotective effects depending on the dose and disease state. Recent data point to the association of metals with neurodegeneration through their role in the modulation of protein aggregation. Metals can accumulate in the brain with aging and may be associated with age-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Górska
- Department of Human Anatomy, Medical University of Lublin, 4 Jaczewskiego St., 20-090 Lublin, Poland
| | | | - Renata Markiewicz
- Department of Psychiatric Nursing, Medical University of Lublin, 18 Szkolna St., 20-124 Lublin, Poland
| | - Zuzanna Chilimoniuk
- Student Scientific Group at the Department of Family Medicine, 6a (SPSK1) Langiewicza St., 20-032 Lublin, Poland
| | - Bartosz Borowski
- Students Scientific Association at the Department of Human Anatomy, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
| | - Mateusz Trubalski
- Students Scientific Association at the Department of Human Anatomy, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Czarnek
- Institute of Health Sciences, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Konstantynów 1 H, 20-708 Lublin, Poland
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25
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Nadel CM, Thwin AC, Callahan M, Lee K, Connelly E, Craik CS, Southworth DR, Gestwicki JE. The E3 Ubiquitin Ligase, CHIP/STUB1, Inhibits Aggregation of Phosphorylated Proteoforms of Microtubule-associated Protein Tau (MAPT). J Mol Biol 2023; 435:168026. [PMID: 37330289 PMCID: PMC10491737 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Hyper-phosphorylated tau accumulates as insoluble fibrils in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias. The strong correlation between phosphorylated tau and disease has led to an interest in understanding how cellular factors discriminate it from normal tau. Here, we screen a panel of chaperones containing tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domains to identify those that might selectively interact with phosphorylated tau. We find that the E3 ubiquitin ligase, CHIP/STUB1, binds 10-fold more strongly to phosphorylated tau than unmodified tau. The presence of even sub-stoichiometric concentrations of CHIP strongly suppresses aggregation and seeding of phosphorylated tau. We also find that CHIP promotes rapid ubiquitination of phosphorylated tau, but not unmodified tau, in vitro. Binding to phosphorylated tau requires CHIP's TPR domain, but the binding mode is partially distinct from the canonical one. In cells, CHIP restricts seeding by phosphorylated tau, suggesting that it could be an important barrier in cell-to-cell spreading. Together, these findings show that CHIP recognizes a phosphorylation-dependent degron on tau, establishing a pathway for regulating the solubility and turnover of this pathological proteoform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cory M Nadel
- Departments of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA; Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA
| | - Aye C Thwin
- Biochemistry & Biophysics and the University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA; Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA
| | - Matthew Callahan
- Departments of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA; Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA
| | - Kanghyun Lee
- Biochemistry & Biophysics and the University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA; Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA
| | - Emily Connelly
- Departments of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA
| | - Charles S Craik
- Departments of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA
| | - Daniel R Southworth
- Biochemistry & Biophysics and the University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA; Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA.
| | - Jason E Gestwicki
- Departments of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA; Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94508, USA.
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26
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Yu J, Wang X, Ren F, Zhang J, Shen J, Liu H, Zhou J. An easy and straightforward synthesized nano calcium phosphate for highly capture of multiply phosphorylated peptides. Anal Chim Acta 2023; 1257:341150. [PMID: 37062565 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2023.341150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Multisite phosphorylation of proteins regulates various cellular life activities, however, the capture of low abundance multi-phosphopeptides from biosamples and identification of phosphorylation sites are largely limited due to the limited enrichment materials and their unclear interactions with multi-phosphopeptides. Here we propose using two cheap raw materials (CaCl2·2H2O and Na2HPO4·12H2O) in 10 min at room temperature to synthesize the structurally simple Nanometric Calcium Phosphate (CaP) to resolve this challenge. The current results showed that the "simple" CaP has good selection specificity, high sensitivity and stability for multi-phosphopeptides enrichment and the identification of phosphorylation sites, which facilitate the popularization and application of phosphoproteomics research. Further, the interaction of CaP and multi-phosphopeptides were qualitatively characterized at the molecular/atomic level and the high affinity between them was quantified by the isothermal titration microcalorimeter based on the laws of thermodynamics. The results indicated that the interaction was a spontaneous (ΔG < 0) exothermic reaction with enthalpy reduction (ΔH < 0) and driven mainly by hydrogen bond and electrostatic interaction process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialin Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Xinhui Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Fangkun Ren
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Jingyi Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Jian Shen
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jiangsu Key Laboratory Biofunctional Materials, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Hailong Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Jiahong Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
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27
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Rayman JB. Focusing on oligomeric tau as a therapeutic target in Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2023:1-11. [PMID: 37140480 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2023.2206561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Tau has commanded much attention as a potential therapeutic target in neurodegenerative diseases. Tau pathology is a hallmark of primary tauopathies, such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal syndrome (CBS), and subtypes of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), as well as secondary tauopathies, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). The development of tau therapeutics must reconcile with the structural complexity of the tau proteome, as well as an incomplete understanding of the role of tau in both physiology and disease. AREAS COVERED This review offers a current perspective on tau biology, discusses key barriers to the development of effective tau-based therapeutics, and promotes the idea that pathogenic (as opposed to merely pathological) tau should be at the center of drug development efforts. EXPERT OPINION An efficacious tau therapeutic will exhibit several primary features: 1) selectivity for pathogenic tau versus other tau species; 2) blood-brain barrier and cell membrane permeability, enabling access to intracellular tau in disease-relevant brain regions; and 3) minimal toxicity. Oligomeric tau is proposed as a major pathogenic form of tau and a compelling drug target in tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph B Rayman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Experimental Therapeutics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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28
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Luciani M, Montalbano M, Troncone L, Bacchin C, Uchida K, Daniele G, Jacobs Wolf B, Butler HM, Kiel J, Berto S, Gensemer C, Moore K, Morningstar J, Diteepeng T, Albayram O, Abisambra JF, Norris RA, Di Salvo TG, Prosser B, Kayed R, del Monte F. Big tau aggregation disrupts microtubule tyrosination and causes myocardial diastolic dysfunction: from discovery to therapy. Eur Heart J 2023; 44:1560-1570. [PMID: 37122097 PMCID: PMC10324644 DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehad205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, the molecular lesions that characterize Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other forms of dementia, are emerging as determinants of proteinopathies 'beyond the brain'. This study aims to establish tau's putative pathophysiological mechanistic roles and potential future therapeutic targeting of tau in heart failure (HF). METHODS AND RESULTS A mouse model of tauopathy and human myocardial and brain tissue from patients with HF, AD, and controls was employed in this study. Tau protein expression was examined together with its distribution, and in vitro tau-related pathophysiological mechanisms were identified using a variety of biochemical, imaging, and functional approaches. A novel tau-targeting immunotherapy was tested to explore tau-targeted therapeutic potential in HF. Tau is expressed in normal and diseased human hearts, in contradistinction to the current oft-cited observation that tau is expressed specifically in the brain. Notably, the main cardiac isoform is high-molecular-weight (HMW) tau (also known as big tau), and hyperphosphorylated tau segregates in aggregates in HF and AD hearts. As previously described for amyloid-beta, the tauopathy phenotype in human myocardium is of diastolic dysfunction. Perturbation in the tubulin code, specifically a loss of tyrosinated microtubules, emerged as a potential mechanism of myocardial tauopathy. Monoclonal anti-tau antibody therapy improved myocardial function and clearance of toxic aggregates in mice, supporting tau as a potential target for novel HF immunotherapy. CONCLUSION The study presents new mechanistic evidence and potential treatment for the brain-heart tauopathy axis in myocardial and brain degenerative diseases and ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Luciani
- Center for Translational and Experimental Cardiology, University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 100 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mauro Montalbano
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, TX 77555-1045 USA
| | - Luca Troncone
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Mass General Research Institute, Mass General Brigham, 149 13th St., Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Camilla Bacchin
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 96 Jonathan Lucas St., Charleston, SC 2942, USA
| | - Keita Uchida
- Department of Physiology, University of Pennsylvania, 415 Curie Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Gianlorenzo Daniele
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 96 Jonathan Lucas St., Charleston, SC 2942, USA
| | - Bethany Jacobs Wolf
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 135 Cannon St., Charleston, SC 2942, USA
| | - Helen M Butler
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 96 Jonathan Lucas St., Charleston, SC 2942, USA
| | - Justin Kiel
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 68 President Street, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Stefano Berto
- Department of Neuroscience Medical, University of South Carolina, 68 President St., Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Cortney Gensemer
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave., Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Kelsey Moore
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave., Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Jordan Morningstar
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave., Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Thamonwan Diteepeng
- Center for Translational and Experimental Cardiology, University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 100 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Onder Albayram
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 68 President Street, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - José F Abisambra
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida Health, 1275 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Russell A Norris
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave., Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Thomas G Di Salvo
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 30 Courtenay Drive, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Benjamin Prosser
- Department of Physiology, University of Pennsylvania, 415 Curie Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Rakez Kayed
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, TX 77555-1045 USA
| | - Federica del Monte
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 96 Jonathan Lucas St., Charleston, SC 2942, USA
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, Bologna 40054, Italy
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Mass General Brigham, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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29
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Varte V, Munkelwitz JW, Rincon-Limas DE. Insights from Drosophila on Aβ- and tau-induced mitochondrial dysfunction: mechanisms and tools. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1184080. [PMID: 37139514 PMCID: PMC10150963 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1184080] [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: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative dementia in older adults worldwide. Sadly, there are no disease-modifying therapies available for treatment due to the multifactorial complexity of the disease. AD is pathologically characterized by extracellular deposition of amyloid beta (Aβ) and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyperphosphorylated tau. Increasing evidence suggest that Aβ also accumulates intracellularly, which may contribute to the pathological mitochondrial dysfunction observed in AD. According with the mitochondrial cascade hypothesis, mitochondrial dysfunction precedes clinical decline and thus targeting mitochondria may result in new therapeutic strategies. Unfortunately, the precise mechanisms connecting mitochondrial dysfunction with AD are largely unknown. In this review, we will discuss how the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is contributing to answer mechanistic questions in the field, from mitochondrial oxidative stress and calcium dysregulation to mitophagy and mitochondrial fusion and fission. In particular, we will highlight specific mitochondrial insults caused by Aβ and tau in transgenic flies and will also discuss a variety of genetic tools and sensors available to study mitochondrial biology in this flexible organism. Areas of opportunity and future directions will be also considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanlalrinchhani Varte
- Department of Neurology, McKnight Brain Institute, Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Jeremy W. Munkelwitz
- Department of Neurology, McKnight Brain Institute, Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Diego E. Rincon-Limas
- Department of Neurology, McKnight Brain Institute, Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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Man VH, He X, Han F, Cai L, Wang L, Niu T, Zhai J, Ji B, Gao J, Wang J. Phosphorylation at Ser289 Enhances the Oligomerization of Tau Repeat R2. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:1351-1361. [PMID: 36786552 PMCID: PMC10032562 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
In tauopathies such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), aberrant phosphorylation causes the dissociation of tau proteins from microtubules. The dissociated tau then aggregates into sequent forms from soluble oligomers to paired helical filaments and insoluble neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). NFTs is a hallmark of AD, while oligomers are found to be the most toxic form of the tau aggregates. Therefore, understanding tau oligomerization with regard to abnormal phosphorylation is important for the therapeutic development of AD. In this study, we investigated the impact of phosphorylated Ser289, one of the 40 aberrant phosphorylation sites of full-length tau proteins, on monomeric and dimeric structures of tau repeat R2 peptides. We carried out intensive replica exchange molecular dynamics simulation with a total simulation time of up to 0.1 ms. Our result showed that the phosphorylation significantly affected the structures of both the monomer and the dimer. For the monomer, the phosphorylation enhanced ordered-disordered structural transition and intramolecular interaction, leading to more compactness of the phosphorylated R2 compared to the wild-type one. As to the dimer, the phosphorylation increased intermolecular interaction and β-sheet formation, which can accelerate the oligomerization of R2 peptides. This result suggests that the phosphorylation at Ser289 is likely to promote tau aggregation. We also observed a phosphorylated Ser289-Na+-phosphorylated Ser289 bridge in the phosphorylated R2 dimer, suggesting an important role of cation ions in tau aggregation. Our findings suggest that phosphorylation at Ser289 should be taken into account in the inhibitor screening of tau oligomerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viet Hoang Man
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening
Center, School of Pharmacy, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Xibing He
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening
Center, School of Pharmacy, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Fengyang Han
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening
Center, School of Pharmacy, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Lianjin Cai
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening
Center, School of Pharmacy, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Luxuan Wang
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening
Center, School of Pharmacy, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Taoyu Niu
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening
Center, School of Pharmacy, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Jingchen Zhai
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening
Center, School of Pharmacy, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Beihong Ji
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening
Center, School of Pharmacy, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Jie Gao
- Department
of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University
Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Junmei Wang
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening
Center, School of Pharmacy, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
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Impaired Extracellular Proteostasis in Patients with Heart Failure. Arch Med Res 2023; 54:211-222. [PMID: 36797157 DOI: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2023.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Proteostasis impairment and the consequent increase of amyloid burden in the myocardium have been associated with heart failure (HF) development and poor prognosis. A better knowledge of the protein aggregation process in biofluids could assist the development and monitoring of tailored interventions. AIM To compare the proteostasis status and protein's secondary structures in plasma samples of patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), and age-matched individuals. METHODS A total of 42 participants were enrolled in 3 groups: 14 patients with HFpEF, 14 patients with HFrEF, and 14 age-matched individuals. Proteostasis-related markers were analyzed by immunoblotting techniques. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy in Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) was applied to assess changes in the protein's conformational profile. RESULTS Patients with HFrEF showed an elevated concentration of oligomeric proteic species and reduced clusterin levels. ATR-FTIR spectroscopy coupled with multivariate analysis allowed the discrimination of HF patients from age-matched individuals in the protein amide I absorption region (1700-1600 cm-1), reflecting changes in protein conformation, with a sensitivity of 73 and a specificity of 81%. Further analysis of FTIR spectra showed significantly reduced random coils levels in both HF phenotypes. Also, compared to the age-matched group, the levels of structures related to fibril formation were significantly increased in patients with HFrEF, whereas the β-turns were significantly increased in patients with HFpEF. CONCLUSION Both HF phenotypes showed a compromised extracellular proteostasis and different protein conformational changes, suggesting a less efficient protein quality control system.
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Chen J, Ma W, Yu J, Wang X, Qian H, Li P, Ye H, Han Y, Su Z, Gao M, Huang Y. (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate, a Polyphenol from Green Tea, Regulates the Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation of Alzheimer's-Related Protein Tau. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023; 71:1982-1993. [PMID: 36688583 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c07799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The microtubule-associated protein tau is involved in Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Recently, tau has been shown to undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), which is implicated in the physiological function and pathological aggregation of tau. In this report, we demonstrate that the green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) promotes the formation of liquid tau droplets at neutral pH by creating a network of hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds, mainly with the proline-rich domain of tau. We further show that EGCG oxidation, tau phosphorylation, and the chemical structure of the polyphenol influence the efficacy of EGCG in facilitating tau LLPS. Complementary to the inhibitory activity of EGCG in tau fibrillization, our findings provide novel insights into the biological activity of EGCG and offer new clues for future studies on the molecular mechanism by which EGCG alleviates neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingxin Chen
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), and Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
| | - Wanyao Ma
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), and Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
| | - Jiangchuan Yu
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), and Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
| | - Xi Wang
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), and Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
| | - Hongling Qian
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), and Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
| | - Ping Li
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), and Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
| | - Haiqiong Ye
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), and Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
| | - Yue Han
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), and Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
| | - Zhengding Su
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), and Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
| | - Meng Gao
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), and Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
| | - Yongqi Huang
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), and Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
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Man VH, He X, Gao J, Wang J. Phosphorylation of Tau R2 Repeat Destabilizes Its Binding to Microtubules: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:458-467. [PMID: 36669127 PMCID: PMC10032563 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphorylation, the most popular post-translational modification of tau protein, plays an important role in regulating tau physiological functions. However, aberrant phosphorylation attenuates the binding affinity of tau to a microtubule (MT), resulting in MT destabilization followed by accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. There are in total 85 potential phosphorylation sites in a full-length tau protein, and about half of them are abnormal as they occur in tau of Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain only. In this work, we investigated the impact of abnormal Ser289, Ser293, and Ser289/Ser293 phosphorylation on tau R2-MT binding and the conformation of tau R2 using molecular dynamics simulation. We found that the phosphorylation significantly affected R2-MT interaction and reduced the binding affinity of tau R2 peptides to MTs. Free energy decomposition analysis suggested that the post-translational modified residues themselves made a significant contribution to destabilize tau repeat R2-MT binding. Therefore, the phosphorylation may attenuate the binding affinity of tau to MTs. Additionally, the phosphorylation also enhanced helix-coil transition of monomeric R2 peptides, which may result in the acceleration of tau aggregation. Since these phosphorylated sites have not been examined in previous experimental studies, our finding through all-atom molecular dynamics simulations and free energy analysis can inspire experimental scientists to investigate the impact of the phosphorylation on MT binding and aggregation of full-length tau and the pathological roles of the phosphorylation at those sites in AD development through in vitro/in vivo assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viet Hoang Man
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening
Center, School of Pharmacy, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania15261, United States
| | - Xibing He
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening
Center, School of Pharmacy, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania15261, United States
| | - Jie Gao
- Department
of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University
Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio43210, United States
| | - Junmei Wang
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening
Center, School of Pharmacy, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania15261, United States
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Li L, Nguyen B, Mullapudi V, Saelices L, Joachimiak LA. Disease-associated patterns of acetylation stabilize tau fibril formation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.10.523459. [PMID: 36711822 PMCID: PMC9882070 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.10.523459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Assembly of the microtubule-associated protein into tauopathy fibril conformations dictates the pathology of a diversity of diseases. Recent cryogenic Electron Microscopy (cryo-EM) structures have uncovered distinct fibril conformations in different tauopathies but it remains unknown how these structures fold from a single protein sequence. It has been proposed that post-translational modifications may drive tau assembly but no direct mechanism for how modifications drive assembly has emerged. Leveraging established aggregation-regulating tau fragments that are normally inert, we tested the effect of chemical modification of lysines with acetyl groups on tau fragment conversion into amyloid aggregates. We identify specific patterns of acetylation that flank amyloidogenic motifs on the tau fragments that drive rapid fibril assembly. To understand how this pattern of acetylation may drive assembly, we determined a 3.9 Å cryo-EM structure of an amyloid fibril assembled from an acetylated tau fragment. The structure uncovers how lysine acetylation patterns mediate gain-of-function interactions to promote amyloid assembly. Comparison of the structure to an ex vivo tau fibril conformation from Pick's Disease reveals regions of high structural similarity. Finally, we show that our lysine- acetylated sequences exhibit fibril assembly activity in cell-based tau aggregation assays. Our data uncover the dual role of lysine residues in limiting aggregation while their acetylation leads to stabilizing pro-aggregation interactions. Design of tau sequence with specific acetylation patterns may lead to controllable tau aggregation to direct folding of tau into distinct folds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- Center for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
| | - Binh Nguyen
- Center for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
| | - Vishruth Mullapudi
- Center for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
| | - Lorena Saelices
- Center for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
- Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
| | - Lukasz A. Joachimiak
- Center for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
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Hu D, Jin Y, Hou X, Zhu Y, Chen D, Tai J, Chen Q, Shi C, Ye J, Wu M, Zhang H, Lu Y. Application of Marine Natural Products against Alzheimer's Disease: Past, Present and Future. Mar Drugs 2023; 21:md21010043. [PMID: 36662216 PMCID: PMC9867307 DOI: 10.3390/md21010043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disease, is one of the most intractable illnesses which affects the elderly. Clinically manifested as various impairments in memory, language, cognition, visuospatial skills, executive function, etc., the symptoms gradually aggravated over time. The drugs currently used clinically can slow down the deterioration of AD and relieve symptoms but cannot completely cure them. The drugs are mainly acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI) and non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NDMAR) antagonists. The pathogenesis of AD is inconclusive, but it is often associated with the expression of beta-amyloid. Abnormal deposition of amyloid and hyperphosphorylation of tau protein in the brain have been key targets for past, current, and future drug development for the disease. At present, researchers are paying more and more attention to excavate natural compounds which can be effective against Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative pathologies. Marine natural products have been demonstrated to be the most prospective candidates of these compounds, and some have presented significant neuroprotection functions. Consequently, we intend to describe the potential effect of bioactive compounds derived from marine organisms, including polysaccharides, carotenoids, polyphenols, sterols and alkaloids as drug candidates, to further discover novel and efficacious drug compounds which are effective against AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Hu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Seafood, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, China
| | - Yating Jin
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Seafood, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, China
| | - Xiangqi Hou
- Hangzhou WeChampion Biotech. Inc., Hangzhou 310030, China
| | - Yinlong Zhu
- Zhejiang Chiral Medicine Chemicals Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 311227, China
| | - Danting Chen
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Seafood, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, China
| | - Jingjing Tai
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Seafood, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, China
| | - Qianqian Chen
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Seafood, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, China
| | - Cui Shi
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Seafood, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, China
| | - Jing Ye
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Seafood, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, China
| | - Mengxu Wu
- Hangzhou WeChampion Biotech. Inc., Hangzhou 310030, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Hangzhou WeChampion Biotech. Inc., Hangzhou 310030, China
| | - Yanbin Lu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Products Processing of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Seafood, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-571-87103135
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Kao DS, Du Y, DeMarco AG, Min S, Hall MC, Rochet JC, Tao WA. Identification of Novel Kinases of Tau Using Fluorescence Complementation Mass Spectrometry (FCMS). Mol Cell Proteomics 2022; 21:100441. [PMID: 36379402 PMCID: PMC9755369 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcpro.2022.100441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperphosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein Tau is a major hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Understanding the protein kinases that phosphorylate Tau is critical for the development of new drugs that target Tau phosphorylation. At present, the repertoire of the Tau kinases remains incomplete, and methods to uncover novel upstream protein kinases are still limited. Here, we apply our newly developed proteomic strategy, fluorescence complementation mass spectrometry, to identify novel kinase candidates of Tau. By constructing Tau- and kinase-fluorescent fragment library, we detected 59 Tau-associated kinases, including 23 known kinases of Tau and 36 novel candidate kinases. In the validation phase using in vitro phosphorylation, among 15 candidate kinases we attempted to purify and test, four candidate kinases, OXSR1 (oxidative-stress responsive gene 1), DAPK2 (death-associated protein kinase 2), CSK (C-terminal SRC kinase), and ZAP70 (zeta chain of T-cell receptor-associated protein kinase 70), displayed the ability to phosphorylate Tau in time-course experiments. Furthermore, coexpression of these four kinases along with Tau increased the phosphorylation of Tau in human neuroglioma H4 cells. We demonstrate that fluorescence complementation mass spectrometry is a powerful proteomic strategy to systematically identify potential kinases that can phosphorylate Tau in cells. Our discovery of new candidate kinases of Tau can present new opportunities for developing Alzheimer's disease therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Der-Shyang Kao
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Yanyan Du
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Andrew G DeMarco
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Sehong Min
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Mark C Hall
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Jean-Christophe Rochet
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - W Andy Tao
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
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Opportunities and challenges in delivering biologics for Alzheimer's disease by low-intensity ultrasound. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 189:114517. [PMID: 36030018 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Low-intensity ultrasound combined with intravenously injected microbubbles (US+MB) is a novel treatment modality for brain disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), safely and transiently allowing therapeutic agents to overcome the blood-brain barrier (BBB) that constitutes a major barrier for therapeutic agents. Here, we first provide an update on immunotherapies in AD and how US+MB has been applied to AD mouse models and in clinical trials, considering the ultrasound and microbubble parameter space. In the second half of the review, we compare different in vitro BBB models and discuss strategies for combining US+MB with BBB modulators (targeting molecules such as claudin-5), and highlight the insight provided by super-resolution microscopy. Finally, we conclude with a short discussion on how in vitro findings can inform the design of animal studies, and how the insight gained may aid treatment optimization in the clinical ultrasound space.
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Song L, Oseid DE, Wells EA, Robinson AS. The Interplay between GSK3β and Tau Ser262 Phosphorylation during the Progression of Tau Pathology. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231911610. [PMID: 36232909 PMCID: PMC9569960 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau hyperphosphorylation has been linked directly to the formation of toxic neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in tauopathies, however, prior to NFT formation, the sequence of pathological events involving tau phosphorylation remains unclear. Here, the effect of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) on tau pathology was examined independently for each step of transcellular propagation; namely, tau intracellular aggregation, release, cellular uptake and seeding activity. We find that overexpression of GSK3β-induced phosphorylated 0N4R tau led to a higher level of tau oligomerization in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells than wild type 0N4R, as determined by several orthogonal assays. Interestingly, the presence of GSK3β also enhanced tau release. Further, we demonstrated that cells endocytosed more monomeric tau protein when pre-phosphorylated by GSK3β. Using an extracellular vesicle (EVs)-assisted tau neuronal delivery system, we show that exosomal GSK3β-phosphorylated tau, when added to differentiated SH-SY5Y cells, induced more efficient tau transfer, showing much higher total tau levels and increased tau aggregate formation as compared to wild type exosomal tau. The role of a primary tau phosphorylation site targeted by microtubule-affinity regulating kinases (MARKs), Ser262, was tested by pseudo-phosphorylation using site-directed mutagenesis to aspartate (S262D). S262D tau overexpression significantly enhanced tau release and intracellular tau accumulation, which were concurrent with the increase of pathological states of tau, as determined by immunodetection. Importantly, phosphorylation-induced tau accumulation was augmented by co-transfecting S262D tau with GSK3β, suggesting a possible interplay between Ser262 phosphorylation and GSK3β activity in tau pathology. Lastly, we found that pre-treatment of cells with amyloid-β (Aβ) further tau phosphorylation and accumulation when Ser262 pre-phosphorylation was present, suggesting that S262 may be a primary mediator of Aβ-induced tau toxicity. These findings provide a potential therapeutic target for treating tau-related disorders by targeting specific phospho-tau isoforms and further elucidate the GSK3β-mediated pathological seeding mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqing Song
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Daniel E. Oseid
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Evan A. Wells
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Anne Skaja Robinson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-412-268-7673
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de Fisenne MA, Yilmaz Z, De Decker R, Suain V, Buée L, Ando K, Brion JP, Leroy K. Alzheimer PHF-tau aggregates do not spread tau pathology to the brain via the Retino-tectal projection after intraocular injection in mouse models. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 174:105875. [PMID: 36154878 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), a neuronal lesion found in Alzheimer's disease (AD), are composed of fibrillary aggregates of modified forms of tau proteins. The propagation of NFT follows neuroanatomical pathways suggesting that synaptically connected neurons could transmit tau pathology by the recruitment of normal tau in a prion-like manner. Moreover, the intracerebral injection of pathological tau from AD brains induces the seeding of normal tau in mouse brain. Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease has been transmitted after ocular transplants of cornea or sclera and the scrapie agent can spread across the retino-tectal pathway after intraocular injection of scrapie mouse brain homogenates. In AD, a tau pathology has been detected in the retina. To investigate the potential risk of tau pathology transmission during eye surgery using AD tissue material, we have analysed the development of tau pathology in the visual pathway of mice models expressing murine tau, wild-type or mutant human tau after intraocular injection of pathological tau proteins from AD brains. Although these pathological tau proteins were internalized in retinal ganglion cells, they did not induce aggregation of endogenous tau nor propagation of a tau pathology in the retino-tectal pathway after a 6-month incubation period. These results suggest that retinal ganglion cells exhibit a resistance to develop a tau pathology, and that eye surgery is not a major iatrogenic risk of transmission of tau pathology, contrary to what has been observed for transmission of infectious prions in prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- M-A de Fisenne
- Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculty of Medicine, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Z Yilmaz
- Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculty of Medicine, Brussels, Belgium
| | - R De Decker
- Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculty of Medicine, Brussels, Belgium
| | - V Suain
- Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculty of Medicine, Brussels, Belgium
| | - L Buée
- INSERM, U837. Université de Lille 2, Lille, France
| | - K Ando
- Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculty of Medicine, Brussels, Belgium
| | - J-P Brion
- Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculty of Medicine, Brussels, Belgium
| | - K Leroy
- Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculty of Medicine, Brussels, Belgium.
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40
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Mumtaz I, Ayaz MO, Khan MS, Manzoor U, Ganayee MA, Bhat AQ, Dar GH, Alghamdi BS, Hashem AM, Dar MJ, Ashraf GM, Maqbool T. Clinical relevance of biomarkers, new therapeutic approaches, and role of post-translational modifications in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:977411. [PMID: 36158539 PMCID: PMC9490081 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.977411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes progressive loss of cognitive functions like thinking, memory, reasoning, behavioral abilities, and social skills thus affecting the ability of a person to perform normal daily functions independently. There is no definitive cure for this disease, and treatment options available for the management of the disease are not very effective as well. Based on histopathology, AD is characterized by the accumulation of insoluble deposits of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Although several molecular events contribute to the formation of these insoluble deposits, the aberrant post-translational modifications (PTMs) of AD-related proteins (like APP, Aβ, tau, and BACE1) are also known to be involved in the onset and progression of this disease. However, early diagnosis of the disease as well as the development of effective therapeutic approaches is impeded by lack of proper clinical biomarkers. In this review, we summarized the current status and clinical relevance of biomarkers from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), blood and extracellular vesicles involved in onset and progression of AD. Moreover, we highlight the effects of several PTMs on the AD-related proteins, and provide an insight how these modifications impact the structure and function of proteins leading to AD pathology. Finally, for disease-modifying therapeutics, novel approaches, and targets are discussed for the successful treatment and management of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibtisam Mumtaz
- Laboratory of Nanotherapeutics and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Nanotechnology, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India
| | - Mir Owais Ayaz
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology, Department of Cancer Pharmacology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, India
- Centre for Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad, Utter Pradesh, India
| | - Mohamad Sultan Khan
- Neurobiology and Molecular Chronobiology Laboratory, Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Umar Manzoor
- Laboratory of Immune and Inflammatory Disease, Jeju Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju, South Korea
| | - Mohd Azhardin Ganayee
- Laboratory of Nanotherapeutics and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Nanotechnology, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
| | - Aadil Qadir Bhat
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology, Department of Cancer Pharmacology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, India
- Centre for Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad, Utter Pradesh, India
| | - Ghulam Hassan Dar
- Sri Pratap College, Cluster University Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Badrah S. Alghamdi
- Department of Physiology, Neuroscience Unit, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Pre-clinical Research Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Anwar M. Hashem
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Vaccines and Immunotherapy Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohd Jamal Dar
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology, Department of Cancer Pharmacology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, India
- Centre for Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad, Utter Pradesh, India
| | - Gulam Md. Ashraf
- Pre-clinical Research Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tariq Maqbool
- Laboratory of Nanotherapeutics and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Nanotechnology, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India
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41
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Onder S, Biberoglu K, Yuksel M, Tacal O. Toluidine blue O attenuates tau phosphorylation in N2a-APPSwe cells. Chem Biol Interact 2022; 366:110126. [PMID: 36027949 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2022.110126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by extracellular amyloid plaques composed of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ), intracellular neurofibrillary tangles containing hyperphosphorylated tau protein and neuronal loss. Most of the FDA-approved AD drugs currently on the market are cholinesterase inhibitors, which are only effective in relieving the symptoms of AD. However, recent studies in AD drug discovery focus on multi-targeted strategies, including anti-amyloid and anti-tau therapy. In the current study, we have investigated the effects of toluidine blue O (TBO), a cholinesterase inhibitor, on amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing, tau phosphorylation, and tau kinases/phosphatase in N2a mouse neuroblastoma cells stably expressing the Swedish mutation of human APP695 (N2a-APPSwe). The results demonstrated that TBO reduces Aβ40/42 levels by decreasing expression levels of β-secretase 1 (BACE1), presenilin 1 (PS1) and total APP without causing cytotoxic effects in N2a-APPSwe cells. TBO also decreased the levels of both total tau and phosphorylated tau at residues Ser202/Thr205, Thr181, Ser396 and Ser 396/Ser404. Moreover, when the possible mechanisms underlying its effects on tau pathology were explored, TBO was found to decrease tau phosphorylation at those sites by reducing the expression levels of Akt, GSK-3β, Cdk5, inactive p-PP2A and increasing the expression levels of p-Akt Ser473 and inactive p-GSK-3β Ser9. Our new data support the idea that TBO may be a promising multi-target drug candidate for the treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seda Onder
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hacettepe University, 06100, Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Kevser Biberoglu
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hacettepe University, 06100, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Melike Yuksel
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hacettepe University, 06100, Ankara, Turkey; Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine and Byrd Alzheimer's Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33613, USA
| | - Ozden Tacal
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hacettepe University, 06100, Ankara, Turkey.
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42
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Specific phosphorylation of microtubule-associated protein 2c by extracellular signal-regulated kinase reduces interactions at its Pro-rich regions. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102384. [PMID: 35987383 PMCID: PMC9520037 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) is an important neuronal target of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) involved in Raf signaling pathways, but mechanistic details of MAP2 phosphorylation are unclear. Here, we used NMR spectroscopy to quantitatively describe the kinetics of phosphorylation of individual serines and threonines in the embryonic MAP2 variant MAP2c. We carried out real-time monitoring of phosphorylation to discover major phosphorylation sites that were not identified in previous studies relying on specific antibodies. Our comparison with phosphorylation of MAP2c by a model cyclin-dependent kinase CDK2 and with phosphorylation of the MAP2c homolog Tau revealed differences in phosphorylation profiles that explain specificity of regulation of biological functions of MAP2c and Tau. To probe the molecular basis of the regulatory effect of ERK2, we investigated the interactions of phosphorylated and unphosphorylated MAP2c by NMR with single-residue resolution. As ERK2 phosphorylates mostly outside the regions binding microtubules, we studied the binding of proteins other than tubulin, namely regulatory subunit RIIα of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), adaptor protein Grb2, Src homology domain 3 of tyrosine kinases Fyn and Abl, and ERK2 itself. We found ERK2 phosphorylation interfered mostly with binding to proline-rich regions of MAP2c. Furthermore, our NMR experiments in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell lysates showed that the kinetics of dephosphorylation are compatible with in-cell NMR studies and that residues targeted by ERK2 and PKA are efficiently phosphorylated in the cell lysates. Taken together, our results provide a deeper characterization of MAP2c phosphorylation and its effects on interactions with other proteins.
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43
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Grunhaus D, Molina ER, Cohen R, Stein T, Friedler A, Hurevich M. Accelerated Multiphosphorylated Peptide Synthesis. Org Process Res Dev 2022; 26:2492-2497. [PMID: 36032360 PMCID: PMC9397535 DOI: 10.1021/acs.oprd.2c00164] [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] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Preparing phosphorylated peptides with multiple adjacent
phosphorylations
is synthetically difficult, leads to β-elimination, results
in low yields, and is extremely slow. We combined synthetic chemical
methodologies with computational studies and engineering approaches
to develop a strategy that takes advantage of fast stirring, high
temperature, and a very low concentration of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene
(DBU) to produce multiphosphorylated peptides at an extremely rapid
time and high purity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Grunhaus
- The Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
| | - Estefanía Rossich Molina
- The Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
| | - Roni Cohen
- The Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
| | - Tamar Stein
- The Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
| | - Assaf Friedler
- The Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
| | - Mattan Hurevich
- The Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
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Stefanoska K, Gajwani M, Tan ARP, Ahel HI, Asih PR, Volkerling A, Poljak A, Ittner A. Alzheimer's disease: Ablating single master site abolishes tau hyperphosphorylation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabl8809. [PMID: 35857446 PMCID: PMC9258953 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl8809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Hyperphosphorylation of the neuronal tau protein is a hallmark of neurodegenerative tauopathies such as Alzheimer's disease. A central unanswered question is why tau becomes progressively hyperphosphorylated. Here, we show that tau phosphorylation is governed by interdependence- a mechanistic link between initial site-specific and subsequent multi-site phosphorylation. Systematic assessment of site interdependence identified distinct residues (threonine-50, threonine-69, and threonine-181) as master sites that determine propagation of phosphorylation at multiple epitopes. CRISPR point mutation and expression of human tau in Alzheimer's mice showed that site interdependence governs physiologic and amyloid-associated multi-site phosphorylation and cognitive deficits, respectively. Combined targeting of master sites and p38α, the most central tau kinase linked to interdependence, synergistically ablated hyperphosphorylation. In summary, our work delineates how complex tau phosphorylation arises to inform therapeutic and biomarker design for tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristie Stefanoska
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Corresponding author. (A.I.); (K.S.)
| | - Mehul Gajwani
- Dementia Research Centre, Faculty of Health, Human and Medical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Clayton,Victoria, Australia
| | - Amanda R. P. Tan
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Holly I. Ahel
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Human and Medical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Prita R. Asih
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Alexander Volkerling
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Anne Poljak
- Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Facility, Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Arne Ittner
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Corresponding author. (A.I.); (K.S.)
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Roth A, Sander A, Oswald MS, Gärtner F, Knippschild U, Bischof J. Comprehensive Characterization of CK1δ-Mediated Tau Phosphorylation in Alzheimer’s Disease. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:872171. [PMID: 36203870 PMCID: PMC9531328 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.872171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A main pathological event in Alzheimer’s disease is the generation of neurofibrillary tangles originating from hyperphosphorylated and subsequently aggregated tau proteins. Previous reports demonstrated the critical involvement of members of the protein kinase family CK1 in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease by hyperphosphorylation of tau. However, precise mechanisms and effects of CK1-mediated tau phosphorylation are still not fully understood. In this study, we analyzed recombinant tau441 phosphorylated by CK1δ in vitro via mass spectrometry and identified ten potential phosphorylation sites, five of them are associated to Alzheimer’s disease. To confirm these results, in vitro kinase assays and two-dimensional phosphopeptide analyses were performed with tau441 phosphomutants confirming Alzheimer’s disease-associated residues Ser68/Thr71 and Ser289 as CK1δ-specific phosphorylation sites. Treatment of differentiated human neural progenitor cells with PF-670462 and Western blot analysis identified Ser214 as CK1δ-targeted phosphorylation site. The use of an in vitro tau aggregation assay demonstrated a possible role of CK1δ in tau aggregation. Results obtained in this study highlight the potential of CK1δ to be a promising target in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
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46
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Trans-channel fluorescence learning improves high-content screening for Alzheimer’s disease therapeutics. NAT MACH INTELL 2022; 4:583-595. [DOI: 10.1038/s42256-022-00490-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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47
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Annadurai N, Malina L, Malohlava J, Hajdúch M, Das V. Tau R2 and R3 are essential regions for tau aggregation, seeding and propagation. Biochimie 2022; 200:79-86. [PMID: 35623497 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2022.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Tauopathies are characterised by intracellular deposits of fibrillar tau tangles. However, the interneuronal spread of pathological tau species precedes the development of major tau burdens. Two amyloid motifs, VQIINK in repeat 2 and VQIVYK in repeat 3, of tau repeat domain, assemble into β-sheet-rich fibrils on their own but alone do not form seed-competent fibrils. In contrast, the entire R3 region self-aggregates and forms seed-competent fibrils. Our study aimed to identify the minimal regions in the tau repeat domain that define seeding and its impact on intracellular tau phosphorylation and aggregation. Using peptides of individual repeats, we show that R2, like R3, forms seed-competent fibrils when assembled in the presence of heparin. However, R3, but not R2, forms seed-competent fibrils when assembled without heparin, even though both R2 and R3 have identical N-terminal hexapeptide and cysteine residue sequences. Moreover, cysteine to alanine substitution in R3 abrogates its self-aggregation and seeding potency. Tau RD P301S biosensor cells and Tau P301L (0N4R)-expressing HEK293 cells seeded with R2 and R3 fibrils show the induction of pathological phosphorylation of tau at Ser262/Ser396/Ser404 positions and oligomerisation of native tau. Protein fractions of biosensor cells seeded with R2 and R3 fibrils reseed endogenous tau aggregation when introduced into a fresh set of biosensor cells. Our findings suggest that R3 may be the minimal region for pathological seed generation under physiological conditions, whereas R2 might need polyanionic cofactors to generate pathogenic seeds. Lastly, R2 and R3 fibrils induce template-induced misfolding and pathological hyperphosphorylation of intracellular tau, making intracellular tau seed-competent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narendran Annadurai
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Malina
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University in Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Malohlava
- Department of Medical Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University in Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Marián Hajdúch
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic; Czech Advanced Technologies and Research Institute (CATRIN), Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University Olomouc, Krizkovskeho 511/8, 77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Viswanath Das
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic; Czech Advanced Technologies and Research Institute (CATRIN), Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University Olomouc, Krizkovskeho 511/8, 77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
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48
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Landrieu I, Dupré E, Sinnaeve D, El Hajjar L, Smet-Nocca C. Deciphering the Structure and Formation of Amyloids in Neurodegenerative Diseases With Chemical Biology Tools. Front Chem 2022; 10:886382. [PMID: 35646824 PMCID: PMC9133342 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.886382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein aggregation into highly ordered, regularly repeated cross-β sheet structures called amyloid fibrils is closely associated to human disorders such as neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, or systemic diseases like type II diabetes. Yet, in some cases, such as the HET-s prion, amyloids have biological functions. High-resolution structures of amyloids fibrils from cryo-electron microscopy have very recently highlighted their ultrastructural organization and polymorphisms. However, the molecular mechanisms and the role of co-factors (posttranslational modifications, non-proteinaceous components and other proteins) acting on the fibril formation are still poorly understood. Whether amyloid fibrils play a toxic or protective role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases remains to be elucidated. Furthermore, such aberrant protein-protein interactions challenge the search of small-molecule drugs or immunotherapy approaches targeting amyloid formation. In this review, we describe how chemical biology tools contribute to new insights on the mode of action of amyloidogenic proteins and peptides, defining their structural signature and aggregation pathways by capturing their molecular details and conformational heterogeneity. Challenging the imagination of scientists, this constantly expanding field provides crucial tools to unravel mechanistic detail of amyloid formation such as semisynthetic proteins and small-molecule sensors of conformational changes and/or aggregation. Protein engineering methods and bioorthogonal chemistry for the introduction of protein chemical modifications are additional fruitful strategies to tackle the challenge of understanding amyloid formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Landrieu
- University Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
- CNRS EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France
| | - Elian Dupré
- University Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
- CNRS EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France
| | - Davy Sinnaeve
- University Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
- CNRS EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France
| | - Léa El Hajjar
- University Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
- CNRS EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France
| | - Caroline Smet-Nocca
- University Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
- CNRS EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France
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49
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Tok S, Maurin H, Delay C, Crauwels D, Manyakov NV, Van Der Elst W, Moechars D, Drinkenburg WHIM. Neurophysiological effects of human-derived pathological tau conformers in the APPKM670/671NL.PS1/L166P amyloid mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Sci Rep 2022; 12:7784. [PMID: 35546164 PMCID: PMC9094605 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11582-1] [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: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by two main pathological hallmarks: amyloid plaques and intracellular tau neurofibrillary tangles. However, a majority of studies focus on the individual pathologies and seldom on the interaction between the two pathologies. Herein, we present the longitudinal neuropathological and neurophysiological effects of a combined amyloid-tau model by hippocampal seeding of human-derived tau pathology in the APP.PS1/L166P amyloid animal model. We statistically assessed both neurophysiological and pathological changes using linear mixed modelling to determine if factors such as the age at which animals were seeded, genotype, seeding or buffer, brain region where pathology was quantified, and time-post injection differentially affect these outcomes. We report that AT8-positive tau pathology progressively develops and is facilitated by the amount of amyloid pathology present at the time of injection. The amount of AT8-positive tau pathology was influenced by the interaction of age at which the animal was injected, genotype, and time after injection. Baseline pathology-related power spectra and Higuchi Fractal Dimension (HFD) score alterations were noted in APP.PS1/L166P before any manipulations were performed, indicating a baseline difference associated with genotype. We also report immediate localized hippocampal dysfunction in the electroencephalography (EEG) power spectra associated with tau seeding which returned to comparable levels at 1 month-post-injection. Longitudinal effects of seeding indicated that tau-seeded wild-type mice showed an increase in gamma power earlier than buffer control comparisons which was influenced by the age at which the animal was injected. A reduction of hippocampal broadband power spectra was noted in tau-seeded wild-type mice, but absent in APP.PS1 animals. HFD scores appeared to detect subtle effects associated with tau seeding in APP.PS1 animals, which was differentially influenced by genotype. Notably, while tau histopathological changes were present, a lack of overt longitudinal electrophysiological alterations was noted, particularly in APP.PS1 animals that feature both pathologies after seeding, reiterating and underscoring the difficulty and complexity associated with elucidating physiologically relevant and translatable biomarkers of Alzheimer’s Disease at the early stages of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Tok
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium. .,Faculty of Science and Engineering, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - H Maurin
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - C Delay
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - D Crauwels
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - N V Manyakov
- Data Sciences, Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - W Van Der Elst
- Quantitative Sciences Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - D Moechars
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - W H I M Drinkenburg
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium.,Faculty of Science and Engineering, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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50
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Samluk L, Ostapczuk P, Dziembowska M. Long-term mitochondrial stress induces early steps of Tau aggregation by increasing reactive oxygen species levels and affecting cellular proteostasis. Mol Biol Cell 2022; 33:ar67. [PMID: 35446108 PMCID: PMC9635289 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e21-11-0553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence indicates that mitochondrial dysfunction is involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Both of these conditions are often associated with an increase in protein aggregation. However, still unknown are the specific defects of mitochondrial biology that play a critical role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, in which Tau protein aggregates are observed in the brains of some patients. Here, we report that long-term mitochondrial stress triggered Tau dimerization, which is the first step of protein aggregation. Mitochondrial dysfunction was induced in HEK293T cells that received prolonged treatment with rotenone and in HEK293T cells with the knockout of NDUFA11 protein. To monitor changes in Tau protein aggregation, we took advantage of the bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay using HEK293T cells that were transfected with plasmids that encoded Tau. Inhibition of the ISR with ISRIB induced Tau dimerization, whereas ISR activation with salubrinal, guanabenz, and sephin1 partially reversed this process. Cells that were treated with ROS scavengers, N-acetyl-l-cysteine or MitoQ, significantly reduced the amount of ROS and Tau dimerization, indicating the involvement of oxidative stress in Tau aggregation. Our results indicate that long-term mitochondrial stress may induce early steps of Tau protein aggregation by affecting oxidative balance and cellular proteostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz Samluk
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, S. Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Ostapczuk
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, S. Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Magdalena Dziembowska
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, S. Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
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