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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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Hromadkova L, Kim C, Haldiman T, Peng L, Zhu X, Cohen M, de Silva R, Safar JG. Evolving prion-like tau conformers differentially alter postsynaptic proteins in neurons inoculated with distinct isolates of Alzheimer's disease tau. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:174. [PMID: 37723591 PMCID: PMC10507869 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01133-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Although accumulation of misfolded tau species has been shown to predict cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies but with the remarkable diversity of clinical manifestations, neuropathology profiles, and time courses of disease progression remaining unexplained by current genetic data. We considered the diversity of misfolded tau conformers present in individual AD cases as an underlying driver of the phenotypic variations of AD and progressive loss of synapses. METHODS To model the mechanism of tau propagation and synaptic toxicity of distinct tau conformers, we inoculated wild-type primary mouse neurons with structurally characterized Sarkosyl-insoluble tau isolates from the frontal cortex of six AD cases and monitored the impact for fourteen days. We analyzed the accumulation rate, tau isoform ratio, and conformational characteristics of de novo-induced tau aggregates with conformationally sensitive immunoassays, and the dynamics of synapse formation, maintenance, and their loss using a panel of pre-and post-synaptic markers. RESULTS At the same concentrations of tau, the different AD tau isolates induced accumulation of misfolded predominantly 4-repeat tau aggregates at different rates in mature neurons, and demonstrated distinct conformational characteristics corresponding to the original AD brain tau. The time-course of the formation of misfolded tau aggregates and colocalization correlated with significant loss of synapses in tau-inoculated cell cultures and the reduction of synaptic connections implicated the disruption of postsynaptic compartment as an early event. CONCLUSIONS The data obtained with mature neurons expressing physiological levels and adult isoforms of tau protein demonstrate markedly different time courses of endogenous tau misfolding and differential patterns of post-synaptic alterations. These and previous biophysical data argue for an ensemble of various misfolded tau aggregates in individual AD brains and template propagation of their homologous conformations in neurons with different rates and primarily postsynaptic interactors. Modeling tau aggregation in mature differentiated neurons provides a platform for investigating divergent molecular mechanisms of tau strain propagation and for identifying common structural features of misfolded tau and critical interactors for new therapeutic targets and approaches in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Hromadkova
- Departments of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Chae Kim
- Departments of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Tracy Haldiman
- Departments of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Lihua Peng
- Departments of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Xiongwei Zhu
- Departments of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
- Departments of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Mark Cohen
- Departments of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
- National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Rohan de Silva
- Reta Lila Weston Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 1PJ, UK
| | - Jiri G Safar
- Departments of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2085 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
- Departments of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
- Departments of Neuroscience, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
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Lathuiliere A, Jo Y, Perbet R, Donahue C, Commins C, Quittot N, Fan Z, Bennett RE, Hyman BT. Specific detection of tau seeding activity in Alzheimer's disease using rationally designed biosensor cells. Mol Neurodegener 2023; 18:53. [PMID: 37553663 PMCID: PMC10408046 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00643-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prion-like propagation of tau in neurodegenerative disorders implies that misfolded pathological tau can recruit the normal protein and template its aggregation. Here, we report the methods for the development of sensitive biosensor cell lines for the detection of tau seeding activity. RESULTS We performed the rational design of novel tau probes based on the current structural knowledge of pathological tau aggregates in Alzheimer's disease. We generated Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based biosensor stable cell lines and characterized their sensitivity, specificity, and overall ability to detect bioactive tau in human samples. As compared to the reference biosensor line, the optimized probe design resulted in an increased efficiency in the detection of tau seeding. The increased sensitivity allowed for the detection of lower amount of tau seeding competency in human brain samples, while preserving specificity for tau seeds found in Alzheimer's disease. CONCLUSIONS This next generation of FRET-based biosensor cells is a novel tool to study tau seeding activity in Alzheimer's disease human samples, especially in samples with low levels of seeding activity, which may help studying early tau-related pathological events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurelien Lathuiliere
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 114 16Th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Memory Center, Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, Geneva University Hospital and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Youhwa Jo
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 114 16Th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Romain Perbet
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 114 16Th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cameron Donahue
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 114 16Th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Caitlin Commins
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 114 16Th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Noé Quittot
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 114 16Th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zhanyun Fan
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 114 16Th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Rachel E Bennett
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 114 16Th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 114 16Th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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Masquelier E, Taxon E, Liang SP, Al Sabeh Y, Sepunaru L, Gordon MJ, Morse DE. A new electrochemical method that mimics phosphorylation of the core tau peptide K18 enables kinetic and structural analysis of intermediates and assembly. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:103011. [PMID: 36781124 PMCID: PMC10024187 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.103011] [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: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau protein's reversible assembly and binding of microtubules in brain neurons are regulated by charge-neutralizing phosphorylation, while its hyperphosphorylation drives the irreversible formation of cytotoxic filaments associated with neurodegenerative diseases. However, the structural changes that facilitate these diverse functions are unclear. Here, we analyzed K18, a core peptide of tau, using newly developed spectroelectrochemical instrumentation that enables electroreduction as a surrogate for charge neutralization by phosphorylation, with simultaneous, real-time quantitative analyses of the resulting conformational transitions and assembly. We observed a tipping point between behaviors that paralleled the transition between tau's physiologically required, reversible folding and assembly and the irreversibility of assemblies. The resulting rapidly electroassembled structures represent the first fibrillar tangles of K18 that have been formed in vitro at room temperature without using heparin or other charge-complementary anionic partners. These methods make it possible to (i) trigger and analyze in real time the early stages of conformational transitions and assembly without the need for preformed seeds, heterogenous coacervation, or crowding; (ii) kinetically resolve and potentially isolate never-before-seen early intermediates in these processes; and (iii) develop assays for additional factors and mechanisms that can direct the trajectory of assembly from physiologically benign and reversible to potentially pathological and irreversible structures. We anticipate wide applicability of these methods to other amyloidogenic systems and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloise Masquelier
- Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA; Materials Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Esther Taxon
- Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA; Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Sheng-Ping Liang
- Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Yahya Al Sabeh
- Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA; Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Lior Sepunaru
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Michael J Gordon
- Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA; Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Daniel E Morse
- Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA; Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA.
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Quantitative super-resolution imaging of pathological aggregates reveals distinct toxicity profiles in different synucleinopathies. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2205591119. [PMID: 36206368 PMCID: PMC9573094 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2205591119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein aggregation is a hallmark of major neurodegenerative disorders. Increasing data suggest that smaller aggregates cause higher toxic response than filamentous aggregates (fibrils). However, the size of small aggregates has challenged their detection within biologically relevant environments. Here, we report approaches to quantitatively super-resolve aggregates in live cells and ex vivo brain tissues. We show that Amytracker 630 (AT630), a commercial aggregate-activated fluorophore, has outstanding photophysical properties that enable super-resolution imaging of α-synuclein, tau, and amyloid-β aggregates, achieving ∼4 nm precision. Applying AT630 to AppNL-G-F mouse brain tissues or aggregates extracted from a Parkinson's disease donor, we demonstrate excellent agreement with antibodies specific for amyloid-β or α-synuclein, respectively, confirming the specificity of AT630. Subsequently, we use AT630 to reveal a linear relationship between α-synuclein aggregate size and cellular toxicity and discovered that aggregates smaller than 450 ± 60 nm (aggregate450nm) readily penetrated the plasma membrane. We determine aggregate450nm concentrations in six Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies donor samples and show that aggregates in different synucleinopathies demonstrate distinct potency in toxicity. We further show that cell-penetrating aggregates are surrounded by proteasomes, which assemble into foci to gradually process aggregates. Our results suggest that the plasma membrane effectively filters out fibrils but is vulnerable to penetration by aggregates of 450 ± 60 nm. Together, our findings present an exciting strategy to determine specificity of aggregate toxicity within heterogeneous samples. Our approach to quantitatively measure these toxic aggregates in biological environments opens possibilities to molecular examinations of disease mechanisms under physiological conditions.
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Fernandes AR, Dujardin S, Maté de Gérando A, Hyman BT, Frosch MP. Impact of Sterilization Methods on the Seeding Ability of Human Tau Proteopathic Seeds. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2021; 80:912-921. [PMID: 34498073 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlab087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The protein tau, when misfolded in neurodegenerative diseases, has several prion-like properties including being able to spread by cell-to-cell transfer, induce templated seeding, and exist in distinct conformational strains. These properties of transmission may present health hazards when lesion-containing biospecimens are used in research and neuropathology laboratories. We evaluated the impact standard sterilization and cleaning methods have on the capacity of tau seeds to induce aggregation. We employed a previously developed, highly sensitive FRET-based biosensor assay to assess remnant tau seeding after exposure to these procedures. For tau species derived from human Alzheimer disease tissue (brain homogenate and sarkosyl-insoluble fibrils), both autoclaving and incubation in 90.6% formic acid were sufficient to reduce tau bioactivity. By contrast, boiling was not always effective in completely blocking bioactivity in the seeding assay. Notably, only formic acid incubation was able to produce a similar reduction in tissue from a P301L mutant tau mouse model of tauopathy. Our study highlights nuances in methods for inactivation of tau seeding which may support adapted tissue processing procedures, especially in research settings. These findings also highlight the importance of universal precautions when handling human neuropathological and research laboratory materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Analiese R Fernandes
- From the Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Simon Dujardin
- From the Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA (SD, AMdG, BTH, MPF)
| | - Anastasie Maté de Gérando
- From the Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA (SD, AMdG, BTH, MPF)
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- From the Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA (SD, AMdG, BTH, MPF).,C.S. Kubik Laboratory for Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Matthew P Frosch
- From the Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA (SD, AMdG, BTH, MPF).,C.S. Kubik Laboratory for Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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