1
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Neven J, Issayama LK, Dewachter I, Wilson DM. Genomic stress and impaired DNA repair in Alzheimer disease. DNA Repair (Amst) 2024; 139:103678. [PMID: 38669748 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2024.103678] [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: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most prominent form of dementia and has received considerable attention due to its growing burden on economic, healthcare and basic societal infrastructures. The two major neuropathological hallmarks of AD, i.e., extracellular amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide plaques and intracellular hyperphosphorylated Tau neurofibrillary tangles, have been the focus of much research, with an eye on understanding underlying disease mechanisms and identifying novel therapeutic avenues. One often overlooked aspect of AD is how Aβ and Tau may, through indirect and direct mechanisms, affect genome integrity. Herein, we review evidence that Aβ and Tau abnormalities induce excessive genomic stress and impair genome maintenance mechanisms, events that can promote DNA damage-induced neuronal cell loss and associated brain atrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolien Neven
- Hasselt University, Biomedical Research Institute, BIOMED, Hasselt 3500, Belgium
| | - Luidy Kazuo Issayama
- Hasselt University, Biomedical Research Institute, BIOMED, Hasselt 3500, Belgium
| | - Ilse Dewachter
- Hasselt University, Biomedical Research Institute, BIOMED, Hasselt 3500, Belgium
| | - David M Wilson
- Hasselt University, Biomedical Research Institute, BIOMED, Hasselt 3500, Belgium.
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2
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Advani D, Kumar P. Uncovering Cell Cycle Dysregulations and Associated Mechanisms in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Disorders: A Glimpse of Hope for Repurposed Drugs. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04130-7. [PMID: 38532240 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04130-7] [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: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
The cell cycle is the sequence of events orchestrated by a complex network of cell cycle proteins. Unlike normal cells, mature neurons subsist in a quiescent state of the cell cycle, and aberrant cell cycle activation triggers neuronal death accompanied by neurodegeneration. The periodicity of cell cycle events is choreographed by various mechanisms, including DNA damage repair, oxidative stress, neurotrophin activity, and ubiquitin-mediated degradation. Given the relevance of cell cycle processes in cancer and neurodegeneration, this review delineates the overlapping cell cycle events, signaling pathways, and mechanisms associated with cell cycle aberrations in cancer and the major neurodegenerative disorders. We suggest that dysregulation of some common fundamental signaling processes triggers anomalous cell cycle activation in cancer cells and neurons. We discussed the possible use of cell cycle inhibitors for neurodegenerative disorders and described the associated challenges. We propose that a greater understanding of the common mechanisms driving cell cycle aberrations in cancer and neurodegenerative disorders will open a new avenue for the development of repurposed drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dia Advani
- Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University (Formerly Delhi College of Engineering), Shahbad Daulatpur, Bawana Road, New Delhi, Delhi, 110042, India
| | - Pravir Kumar
- Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University (Formerly Delhi College of Engineering), Shahbad Daulatpur, Bawana Road, New Delhi, Delhi, 110042, India.
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3
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Huang Z. Evidence that Alzheimer's Disease Is a Disease of Competitive Synaptic Plasticity Gone Awry. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 99:447-470. [PMID: 38669548 PMCID: PMC11119021 DOI: 10.3233/jad-240042] [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: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Mounting evidence indicates that a physiological function of amyloid-β (Aβ) is to mediate neural activity-dependent homeostatic and competitive synaptic plasticity in the brain. I have previously summarized the lines of evidence supporting this hypothesis and highlighted the similarities between Aβ and anti-microbial peptides in mediating cell/synapse competition. In cell competition, anti-microbial peptides deploy a multitude of mechanisms to ensure both self-protection and competitor elimination. Here I review recent studies showing that similar mechanisms are at play in Aβ-mediated synapse competition and perturbations in these mechanisms underpin Alzheimer's disease (AD). Specifically, I discuss evidence that Aβ and ApoE, two crucial players in AD, co-operate in the regulation of synapse competition. Glial ApoE promotes self-protection by increasing the production of trophic monomeric Aβ and inhibiting its assembly into toxic oligomers. Conversely, Aβ oligomers, once assembled, promote the elimination of competitor synapses via direct toxic activity and amplification of "eat-me" signals promoting the elimination of weak synapses. I further summarize evidence that neuronal ApoE may be part of a gene regulatory network that normally promotes competitive plasticity, explaining the selective vulnerability of ApoE expressing neurons in AD brains. Lastly, I discuss evidence that sleep may be key to Aβ-orchestrated plasticity, in which sleep is not only induced by Aβ but is also required for Aβ-mediated plasticity, underlining the link between sleep and AD. Together, these results strongly argue that AD is a disease of competitive synaptic plasticity gone awry, a novel perspective that may promote AD research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Huang
- Departments of Neuroscience and Neurology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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4
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Sun JKL, Wong GCN, Chow KHM. Cross-talk between DNA damage response and the central carbon metabolic network underlies selective vulnerability of Purkinje neurons in ataxia-telangiectasia. J Neurochem 2023; 166:654-677. [PMID: 37319113 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15881] [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] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Cerebellar ataxia is often the first and irreversible outcome in the disease of ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T), as a consequence of selective cerebellar Purkinje neuronal degeneration. A-T is an autosomal recessive disorder resulting from the loss-of-function mutations of the ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated ATM gene. Over years of research, it now becomes clear that functional ATM-a serine/threonine kinase protein product of the ATM gene-plays critical roles in regulating both cellular DNA damage response and central carbon metabolic network in multiple subcellular locations. The key question arises is how cerebellar Purkinje neurons become selectively vulnerable when all other cell types in the brain are suffering from the very same defects in ATM function. This review intended to comprehensively elaborate the unexpected linkages between these two seemingly independent cellular functions and the regulatory roles of ATM involved, their integrated impacts on both physical and functional properties, hence the introduction of selective vulnerability to Purkinje neurons in the disease will be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacquelyne Ka-Li Sun
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Genper Chi-Ngai Wong
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Kim Hei-Man Chow
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Gerald Choa Neuroscience Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Nexus of Rare Neurodegenerative Diseases, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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5
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Li X, Yang S, Wang S, Shi Y, Dai Y, Zhang X, Liu Y, Guo Y, He J, Xiu M. Regulation and mechanism of Astragalus polysaccharide on ameliorating aging in Drosophila melanogaster. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 234:123632. [PMID: 36801290 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) is a notable bioactive component of Astragalus membranaceus and has been extensively investigated for its pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, neuroprotection, and anticancer effects. However, the beneficial effects and mechanisms of APS on anti-aging diseases remain largely unknown. Here, we utilized the classic model organism Drosophila melanogaster to investigate the beneficial effects and mechanism of APS on aging-related intestinal homeostasis imbalance, sleeping disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. The results showed that administration of APS significantly attenuated age-associated disruption of the intestinal barrier, loss of gastrointestinal acid-base balance, reduction in intestinal length, overproliferation of the intestinal stem cells (ISCs), and sleeping disorders upon aging. Furthermore, APS supplementation delayed the onset of Alzheimer's phenotypes in Aβ42-induced Alzheimer's disease (AD) flies, including the extension of lifespan and the increase in motility, but without rescuing neurobehavioral deficits in the AD model of taupathy and Parkinson's disease (PD) model of Pink1 mutation. In addition, transcriptomics was used to dissect updated mechanisms of APS on anti-aging, such as JAK-STAT signaling, Toll signaling, and IMD signaling pathways. Taken together, these studies indicate that APS plays a beneficial role in modulating aging-related diseases, thereby as a potential natural drug to delay aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Li
- College of Public Health, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China; Institute of Infection, the First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Shipei Yang
- Provincial-level Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine of Major Diseases and The Prevention and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in Gansu Colleges and University, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China; College of Basic Medicine, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Shuwei Wang
- College of Public Health, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yan Shi
- Provincial-level Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine of Major Diseases and The Prevention and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in Gansu Colleges and University, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China; College of Basic Medicine, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yuting Dai
- College of Public Health, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xueyan Zhang
- College of Public Health, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yongqi Liu
- Provincial-level Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine of Major Diseases and The Prevention and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in Gansu Colleges and University, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory for Transfer of Dunhuang Medicine at the Provincial and Ministerial Level, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yaqiong Guo
- Second Provincial People's Hospital of Gansu, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jianzheng He
- Provincial-level Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine of Major Diseases and The Prevention and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in Gansu Colleges and University, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China; College of Basic Medicine, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory for Transfer of Dunhuang Medicine at the Provincial and Ministerial Level, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Minghui Xiu
- College of Public Health, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory for Transfer of Dunhuang Medicine at the Provincial and Ministerial Level, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China.
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6
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Wen Y, Zhang L, Li N, Tong A, Zhao C. Nutritional assessment models for Alzheimer's disease: Advances and perspectives. FOOD FRONTIERS 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/fft2.216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yuxi Wen
- College of Marine Sciences Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou China
- Universidade de Vigo, Nutrition and Bromatology Group, Department of Analytical and Food Chemistry Faculty of Sciences Ourense Spain
| | - Lizhu Zhang
- College of Food Science Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou China
| | - Na Li
- College of Food Science Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou China
| | - Aijun Tong
- College of Food Science Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou China
| | - Chao Zhao
- College of Marine Sciences Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou China
- Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou China
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7
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Wong GCN, Chow KHM. DNA Damage Response-Associated Cell Cycle Re-Entry and Neuronal Senescence in Brain Aging and Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 94:S429-S451. [PMID: 35848025 PMCID: PMC10473156 DOI: 10.3233/jad-220203] [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] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Chronological aging is by far the strongest risk factor for age-related dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Senescent cells accumulated in the aging and Alzheimer's disease brains are now recognized as the keys to describing such an association. Cellular senescence is a classic phenomenon characterized by stable cell arrest, which is thought to be applicable only to dividing cells. Emerging evidence indicates that fully differentiated post-mitotic neurons are also capable of becoming senescent, with roles in contributing to both brain aging and disease pathogenesis. The key question that arises is the identity of the upstream triggers and the molecular mechanisms that underly such changes. Here, we highlight the potential role of persistent DNA damage response as the major driver of senescent phenotypes and discuss the current evidence and molecular mechanisms that connect DNA repair infidelity, cell cycle re-entry and terminal fate decision in committing neuronal cell senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genper Chi-Ngai Wong
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Kim Hei-Man Chow
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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8
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Failure of DNA double-strand break repair by tau mediates Alzheimer's disease pathology in vitro. Commun Biol 2022; 5:358. [PMID: 35418705 PMCID: PMC9008043 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03312-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA double-strand break (DSB) is the most severe form of DNA damage and accumulates with age, in which cytoskeletal proteins are polymerized to repair DSB in dividing cells. Since tau is a microtubule-associated protein, we investigate whether DSB is involved in tau pathologies in Alzheimer's disease (AD). First, immunohistochemistry reveals the frequent coexistence of DSB and phosphorylated tau in the cortex of AD patients. In vitro studies using primary mouse cortical neurons show that non-p-tau accumulates perinuclearly together with the tubulin after DSB induction with etoposide, followed by the accumulation of phosphorylated tau. Moreover, the knockdown of endogenous tau exacerbates DSB in neurons, suggesting the protective role of tau on DNA repair. Interestingly, synergistic exposure of neurons to microtubule disassembly and the DSB strikingly augments aberrant p-tau aggregation and apoptosis. These data suggest that DSB plays a pivotal role in AD-tau pathology and that the failure of DSB repair leads to tauopathy.
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9
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Giong HK, Subramanian M, Yu K, Lee JS. Non-Rodent Genetic Animal Models for Studying Tauopathy: Review of Drosophila, Zebrafish, and C. elegans Models. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:8465. [PMID: 34445171 PMCID: PMC8395099 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathy refers to a group of progressive neurodegenerative diseases, including frontotemporal lobar degeneration and Alzheimer's disease, which correlate with the malfunction of microtubule-associated protein Tau (MAPT) due to abnormal hyperphosphorylation, leading to the formation of intracellular aggregates in the brain. Despite extensive efforts to understand tauopathy and develop an efficient therapy, our knowledge is still far from complete. To find a solution for this group of devastating diseases, several animal models that mimic diverse disease phenotypes of tauopathy have been developed. Rodents are the dominating tauopathy models because of their similarity to humans and established disease lines, as well as experimental approaches. However, powerful genetic animal models using Drosophila, zebrafish, and C. elegans have also been developed for modeling tauopathy and have contributed to understanding the pathophysiology of tauopathy. The success of these models stems from the short lifespans, versatile genetic tools, real-time in-vivo imaging, low maintenance costs, and the capability for high-throughput screening. In this review, we summarize the main findings on mechanisms of tauopathy and discuss the current tauopathy models of these non-rodent genetic animals, highlighting their key advantages and limitations in tauopathy research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoi-Khoanh Giong
- Disease Target Structure Research Center, KRIBB, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea; (H.-K.G.); (M.S.)
- KRIBB School, University of Science and Technology, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea
- Dementia DTC R&D Convergence Program, KIST, Hwarang-ro 14 gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02792, Korea
| | - Manivannan Subramanian
- Disease Target Structure Research Center, KRIBB, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea; (H.-K.G.); (M.S.)
- Dementia DTC R&D Convergence Program, KIST, Hwarang-ro 14 gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02792, Korea
| | - Kweon Yu
- Disease Target Structure Research Center, KRIBB, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea; (H.-K.G.); (M.S.)
- KRIBB School, University of Science and Technology, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea
- Dementia DTC R&D Convergence Program, KIST, Hwarang-ro 14 gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02792, Korea
| | - Jeong-Soo Lee
- Disease Target Structure Research Center, KRIBB, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea; (H.-K.G.); (M.S.)
- KRIBB School, University of Science and Technology, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea
- Dementia DTC R&D Convergence Program, KIST, Hwarang-ro 14 gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02792, Korea
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10
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He J, Li X, Yang S, Li Y, Lin X, Xiu M, Li X, Liu Y. Gastrodin extends the lifespan and protects against neurodegeneration in the Drosophila PINK1 model of Parkinson's disease. Food Funct 2021; 12:7816-7824. [PMID: 34232246 DOI: 10.1039/d1fo00847a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Gastrodin is the main bioactive ingredient of a famous Chinese herb Rhizoma Gastrodiae. Many studies have reported that gastrodin has antioxidative and neuroprotective effects, although its effect on longevity and the mechanism of neuroprotection have not been well studied. Here, we use Drosophila melanogaster as a model to investigate the longevity and neuroprotective effects of gastrodin. Gastrodin significantly extended the lifespan, increased the climbing ability, enhanced the resistance to oxidative stress, increased the enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and promoted the expression of anti-oxidative genes in old flies. The food intake, reproduction and starvation resistance were not affected in flies treated with gastrodin. Moreover, gastrodin delayed the onset of Parkinson-like phenotypes in Pink1B9 mutant flies, including the prolongation of the lifespan, rescue of the climbing ability, rescue of the progressive loss of a cluster of dopaminergic neurons in the protocerebral posterial lateral 1 region, and increase of the dopamine content in the brain. Gastrodin did not ameliorate the tau-induced neurobehavioral deficits in the fly AD model of taupathy. Together, these results indicate that gastrodin could prolong the lifespan by regulating the antioxidant ability, and protect against neurodegeneration in the Pink1B9 model of PD. This suggests that gastrodin can be considered as an ideal therapeutic candidate for drug development towards anti-aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianzheng He
- Provincial-Level Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine of Major Diseases and The Prevention and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in Gansu Colleges and University, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou 730000, China.
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11
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Turab Naqvi AA, Hasan GM, Hassan MI. Targeting Tau Hyperphosphorylation via Kinase Inhibition: Strategy to Address Alzheimer's Disease. Curr Top Med Chem 2021; 20:1059-1073. [PMID: 31903881 DOI: 10.2174/1568026620666200106125910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Microtubule-associated protein tau is involved in the tubulin binding leading to microtubule stabilization in neuronal cells which is essential for stabilization of neuron cytoskeleton. The regulation of tau activity is accommodated by several kinases which phosphorylate tau protein on specific sites. In pathological conditions, abnormal activity of tau kinases such as glycogen synthase kinase-3 β (GSK3β), cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5), c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs), extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) and microtubule affinity regulating kinase (MARK) lead to tau hyperphosphorylation. Hyperphosphorylation of tau protein leads to aggregation of tau into paired helical filaments like structures which are major constituents of neurofibrillary tangles, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. In this review, we discuss various tau protein kinases and their association with tau hyperphosphorylation. We also discuss various strategies and the advancements made in the area of Alzheimer's disease drug development by designing effective and specific inhibitors for such kinases using traditional in vitro/in vivo methods and state of the art in silico techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Abu Turab Naqvi
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi - 110025, India
| | - Gulam Mustafa Hasan
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 173, Al-Kharj - 11942, Saudi Arabia
| | - Md Imtaiyaz Hassan
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi - 110025, India
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12
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Oba T, Saito T, Asada A, Shimizu S, Iijima KM, Ando K. Microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 4 with an Alzheimer's disease-related mutation promotes tau accumulation and exacerbates neurodegeneration. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:17138-17147. [PMID: 33020179 PMCID: PMC7863894 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.014420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 09/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulation of the microtubule-associated protein tau is associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). In AD brain, tau is abnormally phosphorylated at many sites, and phosphorylation at Ser-262 and Ser-356 plays critical roles in tau accumulation and toxicity. Microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 4 (MARK4) phosphorylates tau at those sites, and a double de novo mutation in the linker region of MARK4, ΔG316E317D, is associated with an elevated risk of AD. However, it remains unclear how this mutation affects phosphorylation, aggregation, and accumulation of tau and tau-induced neurodegeneration. Here, we report that MARK4ΔG316E317D increases the abundance of highly phosphorylated, insoluble tau species and exacerbates neurodegeneration via Ser-262/356-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Using transgenic Drosophila expressing human MARK4 (MARK4wt) or a mutant version of MARK4 (MARK4ΔG316E317D), we found that coexpression of MARK4wt and MARK4ΔG316E317D increased total tau levels and enhanced tau-induced neurodegeneration and that MARK4ΔG316E317D had more potent effects than MARK4wt Interestingly, the in vitro kinase activities of MARK4wt and MARK4ΔG316E317D were similar. When tau phosphorylation at Ser-262 and Ser-356 was blocked by alanine substitutions, MARK4wt did not promote tau accumulation or exacerbate neurodegeneration, whereas coexpression of MARK4ΔG316E317D did. Both MARK4wt and MARK4ΔG316E317D increased the levels of oligomeric forms of tau; however, only MARK4ΔG316E317D further increased the detergent insolubility of tau in vivo Together, these findings suggest that MARK4ΔG316E317D increases tau levels and exacerbates tau toxicity via a novel gain-of-function mechanism and that modification in this region of MARK4 may affect disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiya Oba
- Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Taro Saito
- Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akiko Asada
- Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sawako Shimizu
- Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koichi M Iijima
- Department of Alzheimer's Disease Research, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu, Japan; Department of Experimental Gerontology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kanae Ando
- Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan.
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13
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Colnaghi L, Rondelli D, Muzi-Falconi M, Sertic S. Tau and DNA Damage in Neurodegeneration. Brain Sci 2020; 10:E946. [PMID: 33297375 PMCID: PMC7762255 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10120946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders are a family of incurable conditions. Among them, Alzheimer's disease and tauopathies are the most common. Pathological features of these two disorders are synaptic loss, neuronal cell death and increased DNA damage. A key pathological protein for the onset and progression of the conditions is the protein tau, a microtubule-binding protein highly expressed in neurons and encoded by the MAPT (microtubule-associated protein tau) gene. Tau is predominantly a cytosolic protein that interacts with numerous other proteins and molecules. Recent findings, however, have highlighted new and unexpected roles for tau in the nucleus of neuronal cells. This review summarizes the functions of tau in the metabolism of DNA, describing them in the context of the disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Colnaghi
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Negri 2, 20156 Milan, Italy
| | - Diego Rondelli
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy; (D.R.); (M.M.-F.)
| | - Marco Muzi-Falconi
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy; (D.R.); (M.M.-F.)
| | - Sarah Sertic
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy; (D.R.); (M.M.-F.)
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14
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Papin S, Paganetti P. Emerging Evidences for an Implication of the Neurodegeneration-Associated Protein TAU in Cancer. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10110862. [PMID: 33207722 PMCID: PMC7696480 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10110862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders and cancer may appear unrelated illnesses. Yet, epidemiologic studies indicate an inverse correlation between their respective incidences for specific cancers. Possibly explaining these findings, increasing evidence indicates that common molecular pathways are involved, often in opposite manner, in the pathogenesis of both disease families. Genetic mutations in the MAPT gene encoding for TAU protein cause an inherited form of frontotemporal dementia, a neurodegenerative disorder, but also increase the risk of developing cancer. Assigning TAU at the interface between cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, two major aging-linked disease families, offers a possible clue for the epidemiological observation inversely correlating these human illnesses. In addition, the expression level of TAU is recognized as a prognostic marker for cancer, as well as a modifier of cancer resistance to chemotherapy. Because of its microtubule-binding properties, TAU may interfere with the mechanism of action of taxanes, a class of chemotherapeutic drugs designed to stabilize the microtubule network and impair cell division. Indeed, a low TAU expression is associated to a better response to taxanes. Although TAU main binding partners are microtubules, TAU is able to relocate to subcellular sites devoid of microtubules and is also able to bind to cancer-linked proteins, suggesting a role of TAU in modulating microtubule-independent cellular pathways associated to oncogenesis. This concept is strengthened by experimental evidence linking TAU to P53 signaling, DNA stability and protection, processes that protect against cancer. This review aims at collecting literature data supporting the association between TAU and cancer. We will first summarize the evidence linking neurodegenerative disorders and cancer, then published data supporting a role of TAU as a modifier of the efficacy of chemotherapies and of the oncogenic process. We will finish by addressing from a mechanistic point of view the role of TAU in de-regulating critical cancer pathways, including the interaction of TAU with cancer-associated proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Papin
- Neurodegeneration Research Group, Laboratory for Biomedical Neurosciences, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Via ai Söi 24, CH-6807 Torricella-Taverne, Switzerland;
| | - Paolo Paganetti
- Neurodegeneration Research Group, Laboratory for Biomedical Neurosciences, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Via ai Söi 24, CH-6807 Torricella-Taverne, Switzerland;
- Faculty of Biomedical Neurosciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, CH-6900 Lugano, Switzerland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +41-91-811-7250
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15
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Tau affects P53 function and cell fate during the DNA damage response. Commun Biol 2020; 3:245. [PMID: 32427887 PMCID: PMC7237658 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-0975-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells are constantly exposed to DNA damaging insults. To protect the organism, cells developed a complex molecular response coordinated by P53, the master regulator of DNA repair, cell division and cell fate. DNA damage accumulation and abnormal cell fate decision may represent a pathomechanism shared by aging-associated disorders such as cancer and neurodegeneration. Here, we examined this hypothesis in the context of tauopathies, a neurodegenerative disorder group characterized by Tau protein deposition. For this, the response to an acute DNA damage was studied in neuroblastoma cells with depleted Tau, as a model of loss-of-function. Under these conditions, altered P53 stability and activity result in reduced cell death and increased cell senescence. This newly discovered function of Tau involves abnormal modification of P53 and its E3 ubiquitin ligase MDM2. Considering the medical need with vast social implications caused by neurodegeneration and cancer, our study may reform our approach to disease-modifying therapies. Martina Sola, Claudia Magrin et al. study the relation between Tau and P53 in response to DNA damage. They uncover an important role for Tau in regulating the stability, and activity of P53 post translationally. Their findings provide insights to potentially common pathways in neurodegenerative disease and cancer.
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16
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Samimi N, Asada A, Ando K. Tau Abnormalities and Autophagic Defects in Neurodegenerative Disorders; A Feed-forward Cycle. Galen Med J 2020; 9:e1681. [PMID: 34466566 PMCID: PMC8343705 DOI: 10.31661/gmj.v9i0.1681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal deposition of misfolded proteins is a neuropathological characteristic shared by many neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Generation of excessive amounts of aggregated proteins and impairment of degradation systems for misfolded proteins such as autophagy can lead to accumulation of proteins in diseased neurons. Molecules that contribute to both these effects are emerging as critical players in disease pathogenesis. Furthermore, impairment of autophagy under disease conditions can be both a cause and a consequence of abnormal protein accumulation. Specifically, disease-causing proteins can impair autophagy, which further enhances the accumulation of abnormal proteins. In this short review, we focus on the relationship between the microtubule-associated protein tau and autophagy to highlight a feed-forward mechanism in disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nastaran Samimi
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Akiko Asada
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kanae Ando
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
- Correspondence to: Kanae Ando, Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192- 0397, Japan Telephone Number: +81-42-677-2769 Email Address:
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Schwab N, Grenier K, Hazrati LN. DNA repair deficiency and senescence in concussed professional athletes involved in contact sports. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2019; 7:182. [PMID: 31727161 PMCID: PMC6857343 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-019-0822-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) leads to diverse symptoms including mood disorders, cognitive decline, and behavioral changes. In some individuals, these symptoms become chronic and persist in the long-term and can confer an increased risk of neurodegenerative disease and dementia diagnosis later in life. Despite the severity of its consequences, the pathophysiological mechanism of mTBI remains unknown. In this post-mortem case series, we assessed DNA damage-induced cellular senescence pathways in 38 professional athletes with a history of repeated mTBI and ten controls with no mTBI history. We assessed clinical presentation, neuropathological changes, load of DNA damage, morphological markers of cellular senescence, and expression of genes involved in DNA damage signaling, DNA repair, and cellular senescence including the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Twenty-eight brains with past history of repeated mTBI history had DNA damage within ependymal cells, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. DNA damage burden was increased in brains with proteinopathy compared to those without. Cases also showed hallmark features of cellular senescence in glial cells including astrocytic swelling, beading of glial cell processes, loss of H3K27Me3 (trimethylation at lysine 27 of histone H3) and lamin B1 expression, and increased expression of cellular senescence and SASP pathways. Neurons showed a spectrum of changes including loss of emerin nuclear membrane expression, loss of Brahma-related gene-1 (BRG1 or SMARCA4) expression, loss of myelin basic protein (MBP) axonal expression, and translocation of intranuclear tau to the cytoplasm. Expression of DNA repair proteins was decreased in mTBI brains. mTBI brains showed substantial evidence of DNA damage and cellular senescence. Decreased expression of DNA repair genes suggests inefficient DNA repair pathways in this cohort, conferring susceptibly to cellular senescence and subsequent brain dysfunction after mTBI. We therefore suggest that brains of contact-sports athletes are characterized by deficient DNA repair and DNA damage-induced cellular senescence and propose that this may affect neurons and be the driver of brain dysfunction in mTBI, predisposing the progression to neurodegenerative diseases. This study provides novel targets for diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, and represents viable targets for future treatments.
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Saito T, Oba T, Shimizu S, Asada A, Iijima KM, Ando K. Cdk5 increases MARK4 activity and augments pathological tau accumulation and toxicity through tau phosphorylation at Ser262. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 28:3062-3071. [DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddz120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Hyperphosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein tau is associated with many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. Microtubule affinity-regulating kinases (MARK) 1–4 and cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) are tau kinases under physiological and pathological conditions. However, their functional relationship remains elusive. Here, we report a novel mechanism by which Cdk5 activates MARK4 and augments tau phosphorylation, accumulation and toxicity. MARK4 is highly phosphorylated at multiple sites in the brain and in cultured neurons, and inhibition of Cdk5 activity reduces phosphorylation levels of MARK4. MARK4 is known to be activated by phosphorylation at its activation loop by liver kinase B1 (LKB1). In contrast, Cdk5 increased phosphorylation of MARK4 in the spacer domain, but not in the activation loop, and enhanced its kinase activity, suggesting a novel mechanism by which Cdk5 regulates MARK4 activity. We also demonstrated that co-expression of Cdk5 and MARK4 in mammalian cultured cells significantly increased the levels of tau phosphorylation at both Cdk5 target sites (SP/TP sites) and MARK target sites (Ser262), as well as the levels of total tau. Furthermore, using a Drosophila model of tau toxicity, we demonstrated that Cdk5 promoted tau accumulation and tau-induced neurodegeneration via increasing tau phosphorylation levels at Ser262 by a fly ortholog of MARK, Par-1. This study suggests a novel mechanism by which Cdk5 and MARK4 synergistically increase tau phosphorylation and accumulation, consequently promoting neurodegeneration in disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taro Saito
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshiya Oba
- Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sawako Shimizu
- Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akiko Asada
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koichi M Iijima
- Department of Alzheimer’s Disease Research, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu, Aichi, Japan
- Department of Experimental Gerontology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Kanae Ando
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
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Bjørklund G, Aaseth J, Dadar M, Chirumbolo S. Molecular Targets in Alzheimer’s Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2019; 56:7032-7044. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-019-1563-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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20
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El Hajjar J, Chatoo W, Hanna R, Nkanza P, Tétreault N, Tse YC, Wong TP, Abdouh M, Bernier G. Heterochromatic genome instability and neurodegeneration sharing similarities with Alzheimer's disease in old Bmi1+/- mice. Sci Rep 2019; 9:594. [PMID: 30679733 PMCID: PMC6346086 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37444-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia. However, representative experimental models of AD have remained difficult to produce because of the disease’s uncertain origin. The Polycomb group protein BMI1 regulates chromatin compaction and gene silencing. BMI1 expression is abundant in adult brain neurons but down-regulated in AD brains. We show here that mice lacking one allele of Bmi1 (Bmi1+/−) develop normally but present with age cognitive deficits and neurodegeneration sharing similarities with AD. Bmi1+/− mice also transgenic for the amyloid beta precursor protein died prematurely and present aggravated disease. Loss of heterochromatin and DNA damage response (DDR) at repetitive DNA sequences were predominant in Bmi1+/− mouse neurons and inhibition of the DDR mitigated the amyloid and Tau phenotype. Heterochromatin anomalies and DDR at repetitive DNA sequences were also found in AD brains. Aging Bmi1+/− mice may thus represent an interesting model to identify and study novel pathogenic mechanisms related to AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jida El Hajjar
- Stem Cell and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, 5415 Boul. l'Assomption, Montreal, H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Wassim Chatoo
- Stem Cell and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, 5415 Boul. l'Assomption, Montreal, H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Roy Hanna
- Stem Cell and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, 5415 Boul. l'Assomption, Montreal, H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Patrick Nkanza
- Stem Cell and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, 5415 Boul. l'Assomption, Montreal, H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Nicolas Tétreault
- Stem Cell and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, 5415 Boul. l'Assomption, Montreal, H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Yiu Chung Tse
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.,Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Canada
| | - Tak Pan Wong
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.,Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Canada
| | - Mohamed Abdouh
- Stem Cell and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, 5415 Boul. l'Assomption, Montreal, H1T 2M4, Canada
| | - Gilbert Bernier
- Stem Cell and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, 5415 Boul. l'Assomption, Montreal, H1T 2M4, Canada. .,Department of Neurosciences, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada.
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21
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Chiku T, Hayashishita M, Saito T, Oka M, Shinno K, Ohtake Y, Shimizu S, Asada A, Hisanaga SI, Iijima KM, Ando K. S6K/p70S6K1 protects against tau-mediated neurodegeneration by decreasing the level of tau phosphorylated at Ser262 in a Drosophila model of tauopathy. Neurobiol Aging 2018; 71:255-264. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/29/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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22
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Kaluski S, Portillo M, Besnard A, Stein D, Einav M, Zhong L, Ueberham U, Arendt T, Mostoslavsky R, Sahay A, Toiber D. Neuroprotective Functions for the Histone Deacetylase SIRT6. Cell Rep 2017; 18:3052-3062. [PMID: 28355558 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2016] [Revised: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The histone deacetylase SIRT6 promotes DNA repair, but its activity declines with age with a concomitant accumulation of DNA damage. Furthermore, SIRT6 knockout mice exhibit an accelerated aging phenotype and die prematurely. Here, we report that brain-specific SIRT6-deficient mice survive but present behavioral defects with major learning impairments by 4 months of age. Moreover, the brains of these mice show increased signs of DNA damage, cell death, and hyperphosphorylated Tau-a critical mark in several neurodegenerative diseases. Mechanistically, SIRT6 regulates Tau protein stability and phosphorylation through increased activation of the kinase GSK3α/β. Finally, SIRT6 mRNA and protein levels are reduced in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Taken together, our results suggest that SIRT6 is critical to maintain genomic stability in the brain and that its loss leads to toxic Tau stability and phosphorylation. Therefore, SIRT6 and its downstream signaling could be targeted in Alzheimer's disease and age-related neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shai Kaluski
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Miguel Portillo
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Antoine Besnard
- The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and The MGH Center for Regenerative Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Daniel Stein
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Monica Einav
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Lei Zhong
- The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and The MGH Center for Regenerative Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Uwe Ueberham
- Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 19, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas Arendt
- Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 19, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Raul Mostoslavsky
- The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and The MGH Center for Regenerative Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Amar Sahay
- The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and The MGH Center for Regenerative Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Debra Toiber
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel.
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Fernius J, Starkenberg A, Pokrzywa M, Thor S. Human TTBK1, TTBK2 and MARK1 kinase toxicity in Drosophila melanogaster is exacerbated by co-expression of human Tau. Biol Open 2017; 6:1013-1023. [PMID: 28711868 PMCID: PMC5550906 DOI: 10.1242/bio.022749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau protein is involved in numerous human neurodegenerative diseases, and Tau hyper-phosphorylation has been linked to Tau aggregation and toxicity. Previous studies have addressed toxicity and phospho-biology of human Tau (hTau) in Drosophila melanogaster. However, hTau transgenes have most often been randomly inserted in the genome, thus making it difficult to compare between different hTau isoforms and phospho-mutants. In addition, many studies have expressed hTau also in mitotic cells, causing non-physiological toxic effects. Here, we overcome these confounds by integrating UAS-hTau isoform transgenes into specific genomic loci, and express hTau post-mitotically in the Drosophila nervous system. Lifespan and locomotor analyses show that all six of the hTau isoforms elicit similar toxicity in flies, although hTau2N3R showed somewhat elevated toxicity. To determine if Tau phosphorylation is responsible for toxicity, we analyzed the effects of co-expressing hTau isoforms together with Tau-kinases, focusing on TTBK1, TTBK2 and MARK1. We observed toxicity when expressing each of the three kinases alone, or in combination. Kinase toxicity was enhanced by hTau co-expression, with strongest co-toxicity for TTBK1. Mutagenesis and phosphorylation analysis indicates that hTau-MARK1 combinatorial toxicity may be due to direct phosphorylation of hTau, while hTau-TTBK1/2 combinatorial toxicity may result from independent toxicity mechanisms. Summary: Tau hyper-phosphorylation has been linked to toxicity, but the Tau isoforms, kinases and residues remain unclear. Using the Drosophila model, we find evidence for involvement of TTBK and MARK kinases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josefin Fernius
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, Linkoping SE-581 85, Sweden
| | - Annika Starkenberg
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, Linkoping SE-581 85, Sweden
| | - Malgorzata Pokrzywa
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, Linkoping SE-581 85, Sweden
| | - Stefan Thor
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, Linkoping SE-581 85, Sweden
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24
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25
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Majd S, Power JHT, Koblar SA, Grantham HJM. Early glycogen synthase kinase-3β and protein phosphatase 2A independent tau dephosphorylation during global brain ischaemia and reperfusion following cardiac arrest and the role of the adenosine monophosphate kinase pathway. Eur J Neurosci 2016; 44:1987-97. [PMID: 27177932 PMCID: PMC5089632 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2015] [Revised: 04/27/2016] [Accepted: 04/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal tau phosphorylation (p‐tau) has been shown after hypoxic damage to the brain associated with traumatic brain injury and stroke. As the level of p‐tau is controlled by Glycogen Synthase Kinase (GSK)‐3β, Protein Phosphatase 2A (PP2A) and Adenosine Monophosphate Kinase (AMPK), different activity levels of these enzymes could be involved in tau phosphorylation following ischaemia. This study assessed the effects of global brain ischaemia/reperfusion on the immediate status of p‐tau in a rat model of cardiac arrest (CA) followed by cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). We reported an early dephosphorylation of tau at its AMPK sensitive residues, Ser396 and Ser262after 2 min of ischaemia, which did not recover during the first two hours of reperfusion, while the tau phosphorylation at GSK‐3β sensitive but AMPK insensitive residues, Ser202/Thr205 (AT8), as well as the total amount of tau remained unchanged. Our data showed no alteration in the activities of GSK‐3β and PP2A during similar episodes of ischaemia of up to 8 min and reperfusion of up to 2 h, and 4 weeks recovery. Dephosphorylation of AMPK followed the same pattern as tau dephosphorylation during ischaemia/reperfusion. Catalase, another AMPK downstream substrate also showed a similar pattern of decline to p‐AMPK, in ischaemic/reperfusion groups. This suggests the involvement of AMPK in changing the p‐tau levels, indicating that tau dephosphorylation following ischaemia is not dependent on GSK‐3β or PP2A activity, but is associated with AMPK dephosphorylation. We propose that a reduction in AMPK activity is a possible early mechanism responsible for tau dephosphorylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shohreh Majd
- Centre for Neuroscience, Neuronal Injury and Repair Laboratory, School of Medicine, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - John H T Power
- Department of Human Physiology, School of Medicine, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Simon A Koblar
- School of Medicine, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (TQEH) Campus, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Hugh J M Grantham
- Centre for Neuroscience, Neuronal Injury and Repair Laboratory, School of Medicine, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, 5042, Australia
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26
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Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Tau Phosphorylation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/7657_2015_84] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
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27
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Peng F, Zhao Y, Huang X, Chen C, Sun L, Zhuang L, Xue L. Loss of Polo ameliorates APP-induced Alzheimer's disease-like symptoms in Drosophila. Sci Rep 2015; 5:16816. [PMID: 26597721 PMCID: PMC4657023 DOI: 10.1038/srep16816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The amyloid precursor protein (APP) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Despite extensive studies, little is known about the regulation of APP’s functions in vivo. Here we report that expression of human APP in Drosophila, in the same temporal-spatial pattern as its homolog APPL, induced morphological defects in wings and larval NMJ, larva and adult locomotion dysfunctions, male choice disorder and lifespan shortening. To identify additional genes that modulate APP functions, we performed a genetic screen and found that loss of Polo, a key regulator of cell cycle, partially suppressed APP-induced morphological and behavioral defects in larval and adult stages. Finally, we showed that eye-specific expression of APP induced retina degeneration and cell cycle re-entry, both phenotypes were mildly ameliorated by loss of Polo. These results suggest Polo is an important in vivo regulator of the pathological functions of APP, and provide insight into the role of cell cycle re-entry in AD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Peng
- Institute of Intervention Vessel, Shanghai 10th People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yu Zhao
- Institute of Intervention Vessel, Shanghai 10th People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xirui Huang
- Institute of Intervention Vessel, Shanghai 10th People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Changyan Chen
- Institute of Intervention Vessel, Shanghai 10th People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Lili Sun
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, P.R. China
| | - Luming Zhuang
- Institute of Intervention Vessel, Shanghai 10th People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Lei Xue
- Institute of Intervention Vessel, Shanghai 10th People's Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
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28
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Liu QF, Lee JH, Kim YM, Lee S, Hong YK, Hwang S, Oh Y, Lee K, Yun HS, Lee IS, Jeon S, Chin YW, Koo BS, Cho KS. In Vivo Screening of Traditional Medicinal Plants for Neuroprotective Activity against Aβ42 Cytotoxicity by Using Drosophila Models of Alzheimer's Disease. Biol Pharm Bull 2015; 38:1891-901. [PMID: 26458335 DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b15-00459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by progressive neuronal loss with amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) plaques. Despite several drugs currently used to treat AD, their beneficial effects on AD progress remains under debate. Here, we established a rapid in vivo screening system using Drosophila AD models to assess the neuroprotective activities of medicinal plants that have been used in traditional Chinese medicine. Among 23 medicinal plants tested, the extracts from five plants, Coriandrum sativum, Nardostachys jatamansi, Polygonum multiflorum (P. multiflorum), Rehmannia glutinosa, and Sorbus commixta (S. commixta), showed protective effects against the Aβ42 neurotoxicity. We further characterized the neuroprotective activity of ethanol extracts from P. multiflorum and S. commixta. Aβ42-expressing flies that we used showed AD neurological phenotypes, such as decreased survival and motility and increased cell death and reactive oxygen species level. However, feeding these flies extracts from P. multiflorum or S. commixta showed strong suppression of such phenotypes. Similar results were observed in human cells, so that the treatment of P. multiflorum and S. commixta extracts increased the viability of Aβ-treated SH-SY5Y cells. Moreover, 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-D-glucoside, one of the main constituents of P. multiflorum, also showed similar protective activity against Aβ42 cytotoxicity in both Drosophila and human cells. Taken together, our results suggest that both P. multiflorum and S. commixta have therapeutic potential for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as AD.
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The Ambiguous Relationship of Oxidative Stress, Tau Hyperphosphorylation, and Autophagy Dysfunction in Alzheimer's Disease. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2015; 2015:352723. [PMID: 26171115 PMCID: PMC4485995 DOI: 10.1155/2015/352723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2014] [Revised: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. The pathological hallmarks of AD are amyloid plaques [aggregates of amyloid-beta (Aβ)] and neurofibrillary tangles (aggregates of tau). Growing evidence suggests that tau accumulation is pathologically more relevant to the development of neurodegeneration and cognitive decline in AD patients than Aβ plaques. Oxidative stress is a prominent early event in the pathogenesis of AD and is therefore believed to contribute to tau hyperphosphorylation. Several studies have shown that the autophagic pathway in neurons is important under physiological and pathological conditions. Therefore, this pathway plays a crucial role for the degradation of endogenous soluble tau. However, the relationship between oxidative stress, tau protein hyperphosphorylation, autophagy dysregulation, and neuronal cell death in AD remains unclear. Here, we review the latest progress in AD, with a special emphasis on oxidative stress, tau hyperphosphorylation, and autophagy. We also discuss the relationship of these three factors in AD.
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Takada S, Collins ER, Kurahashi K. The FHA domain determines Drosophila Chk2/Mnk localization to key mitotic structures and is essential for early embryonic DNA damage responses. Mol Biol Cell 2015; 26:1811-28. [PMID: 25808488 PMCID: PMC4436828 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e14-07-1238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2014] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA damage responses, including mitotic centrosome inactivation, cell-cycle delay in mitosis, and nuclear dropping from embryo cortex, maintain genome integrity in syncytial Drosophila embryos. A conserved signaling kinase, Chk2, known as Mnk/Loki, is essential for the responses. Here we demonstrate that functional EGFP-Mnk expressed from a transgene localizes to the nucleus, centrosomes, interkinetochore/centromere region, midbody, and pseudocleavage furrows without DNA damage and in addition forms numerous foci/aggregates on mitotic chromosomes upon DNA damage. We expressed EGFP-tagged Mnk deletion or point mutation variants and investigated domain functions of Mnk in vivo. A triple mutation in the phosphopeptide-binding site of the forkhead-associated (FHA) domain disrupted normal Mnk localization except to the nucleus. The mutation also disrupted Mnk foci formation on chromosomes upon DNA damage. FHA mutations and deletion of the SQ/TQ-cluster domain (SCD) abolished Mnk transphosphorylations and autophosphorylations, indicative of kinase activation after DNA damage. A potent NLS was found at the C-terminus, which is required for normal Mnk function. We propose that the FHA domain in Mnk plays essential dual functions in mediating embryonic DNA damage responses by means of its phosphopeptide-binding ability: activating Mnk in the nucleus upon DNA damage and recruiting Mnk to multiple subcellular structures independently of DNA damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeko Takada
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Eric R Collins
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Kayo Kurahashi
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
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31
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Dujardin S, Colin M, Buée L. Invited review: Animal models of tauopathies and their implications for research/translation into the clinic. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2015; 41:59-80. [DOI: 10.1111/nan.12200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2014] [Accepted: 11/23/2014] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Simon Dujardin
- Inserm, UMR1172 Jean-Pierre Aubert Research Centre; Lille France
- Faculté de Médecine; Université de Lille; France
- Memory Clinic; CHRU; Lille France
| | - Morvane Colin
- Inserm, UMR1172 Jean-Pierre Aubert Research Centre; Lille France
- Faculté de Médecine; Université de Lille; France
- Memory Clinic; CHRU; Lille France
| | - Luc Buée
- Inserm, UMR1172 Jean-Pierre Aubert Research Centre; Lille France
- Faculté de Médecine; Université de Lille; France
- Memory Clinic; CHRU; Lille France
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32
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Ali Y, Ruan K, Grace Zhai R. Drosophila Models of Tauopathy. Mov Disord 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-405195-9.00054-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
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33
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Papanikolopoulou K, Skoulakis EMC. Temporally distinct phosphorylations differentiate Tau-dependent learning deficits and premature mortality in Drosophila. Hum Mol Genet 2014; 24:2065-77. [PMID: 25524708 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddu726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormally phosphorylated Tau protein, the major component of neurofibrillary tangles, is critical in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and related Tauopathies. We used Drosophila to examine the role of key disease-associated phosphorylation sites on Tau-mediated neurotoxicity. We present evidence that the late-appearing phosphorylation on Ser(238) rather than hyperphosphorylation per se is essential for Tau toxicity underlying premature mortality in adult flies. This site is also occupied at the time of neurodegeneration onset in a mouse Tauopathy model and in damaged brain areas of confirmed Tauopathy patients, suggesting a similar critical role on Tau toxicity in humans. In contrast, occupation of Ser(262) is necessary for Tau-dependent learning deficits in adult Drosophila. Significantly, occupation of Ser(262) precedes and is required for Ser(238) phosphorylation, and these temporally distinct phosphorylations likely reflect conformational changes. Because sequential occupation of Ser(262) and Ser(238) is required for the progression from Tau-mediated learning deficits to premature mortality in Drosophila, they may also play similar roles in the escalating symptom severity in Tauopathy patients, congruent with their presence in damaged regions of their brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Papanikolopoulou
- Division of Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre 'Alexander Fleming', Vari 16672, Greece
| | - Efthimios M C Skoulakis
- Division of Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre 'Alexander Fleming', Vari 16672, Greece
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Tenreiro S, Eckermann K, Outeiro TF. Protein phosphorylation in neurodegeneration: friend or foe? Front Mol Neurosci 2014; 7:42. [PMID: 24860424 PMCID: PMC4026737 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2014.00042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2014] [Accepted: 04/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein misfolding and aggregation is a common hallmark in neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and fronto-temporal dementia (FTD). In these disorders, the misfolding and aggregation of specific proteins occurs alongside neuronal degeneration in somewhat specific brain areas, depending on the disorder and the stage of the disease. However, we still do not fully understand the mechanisms governing protein aggregation, and whether this constitutes a protective or detrimental process. In PD, alpha-synuclein (aSyn) forms protein aggregates, known as Lewy bodies, and is phosphorylated at serine 129. Other residues have also been shown to be phosphorylated, but the significance of phosphorylation in the biology and pathophysiology of the protein is still controversial. In AD and in FTD, hyperphosphorylation of tau protein causes its misfolding and aggregation. Again, our understanding of the precise consequences of tau phosphorylation in the biology and pathophysiology of the protein is still limited. Through the use of a variety of model organisms and technical approaches, we are now gaining stronger insight into the effects of phosphorylation in the behavior of these proteins. In this review, we cover recent findings in the field and discuss how targeting phosphorylation events might be used for therapeutic intervention in these devastating diseases of the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Tenreiro
- Cell and Molecular Neuroscience Unit, Instituto de Medicina Molecular Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Katrin Eckermann
- Department of Neurology, Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University Medical Center Göttingen Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tiago F Outeiro
- Cell and Molecular Neuroscience Unit, Instituto de Medicina Molecular Lisboa, Portugal ; Instituto de Fisiologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa Lisboa, Portugal ; Department of NeuroDegeneration and Restorative Research, Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University Medical Center Göttingen Göttingen, Germany
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35
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Wainaina MN, Chen Z, Zhong C. Environmental factors in the development and progression of late-onset Alzheimer's disease. Neurosci Bull 2014; 30:253-70. [PMID: 24664867 PMCID: PMC5562669 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-013-1425-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2013] [Accepted: 01/23/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized by gradual loss of synapses and neurons, but its pathogenesis remains to be clarified. Neurons live in an environment constituted by neurons themselves and glial cells. In this review, we propose that the neuronal degeneration in the AD brain is partially caused by diverse environmental factors. We first discuss various environmental stresses and the corresponding responses at different levels. Then we propose some mechanisms underlying the specific pathological changes, in particular, hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis dysfunction at the systemic level; cerebrovascular dysfunction, metal toxicity, glial activation, and Aβ toxicity at the intercellular level; and kinase-phosphatase imbalance and epigenetic modification at the intracellular level. Finally, we discuss the possibility of developing new strategies for the prevention and treatment of LOAD from the perspective of environmental stress. We conclude that environmental factors play a significant role in the development of LOAD through multiple pathological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moses N. Wainaina
- Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital; State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
- Pwani University, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Zhichun Chen
- Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital; State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Chunjiu Zhong
- Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital; State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
- Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032 China
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36
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Evaluation of traditional medicines for neurodegenerative diseases using Drosophila models. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2014; 2014:967462. [PMID: 24790636 PMCID: PMC3984789 DOI: 10.1155/2014/967462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2013] [Revised: 02/17/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Drosophila is one of the oldest and most powerful genetic models and has led to novel insights into a variety of biological processes. Recently, Drosophila has emerged as a model system to study human diseases, including several important neurodegenerative diseases. Because of the genomic similarity between Drosophila and humans, Drosophila neurodegenerative disease models exhibit a variety of human-disease-like phenotypes, facilitating fast and cost-effective in vivo genetic modifier screening and drug evaluation. Using these models, many disease-associated genetic factors have been identified, leading to the identification of compelling drug candidates. Recently, the safety and efficacy of traditional medicines for human diseases have been evaluated in various animal disease models. Despite the advantages of the Drosophila model, its usage in the evaluation of traditional medicines is only nascent. Here, we introduce the Drosophila model for neurodegenerative diseases and some examples demonstrating the successful application of Drosophila models in the evaluation of traditional medicines.
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37
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Prüßing K, Voigt A, Schulz JB. Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism for Alzheimer's disease. Mol Neurodegener 2013; 8:35. [PMID: 24267573 PMCID: PMC4222597 DOI: 10.1186/1750-1326-8-35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2013] [Accepted: 11/13/2013] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster provides an important resource for in vivo modifier screens of neurodegenerative diseases. To study the underlying pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, fly models that address Tau or amyloid toxicity have been developed. Overexpression of human wild-type or mutant Tau causes age-dependent neurodegeneration, axonal transport defects and early death. Large-scale screens utilizing a neurodegenerative phenotype induced by eye-specific overexpression of human Tau have identified several kinases and phosphatases, apoptotic regulators and cytoskeleton proteins as determinants of Tau toxicity in vivo. The APP ortholog of Drosophila (dAPPl) shares the characteristic domains with vertebrate APP family members, but does not contain the human Aβ42 domain. To circumvent this drawback, researches have developed strategies by either direct secretion of human Aβ42 or triple transgenic flies expressing human APP, β-secretase and Drosophila γ-secretase presenilin (dPsn). Here, we provide a brief overview of how fly models of AD have contributed to our knowledge of the pathomechanisms of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Prüßing
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center, RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, D-52074 Aachen, Germany.
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38
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Mendoza J, Sekiya M, Taniguchi T, Iijima KM, Wang R, Ando K. Global analysis of phosphorylation of tau by the checkpoint kinases Chk1 and Chk2 in vitro. J Proteome Res 2013; 12:2654-65. [PMID: 23550703 DOI: 10.1021/pr400008f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Hyperphosphorylation of microtubule-associated protein tau is thought to contribute to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. We previously showed that DNA damage-activated cell cycle checkpoint kinases Chk1 and Chk2 phosphorylate tau at an AD-related site and enhance tau toxicity, suggesting potential roles of these kinases in AD. The purpose of this study is to systematically identify which sites in tau are directly phosphorylated by Chk1 and Chk2. Using recombinant human tau phosphorylated by Chk1 and Chk2 in vitro, we first analyzed tau phosphorylation at the AD-related sites by Western blot with phospho-tau-specific antibodies. Second, to globally identify phosphorylated sites in tau, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS(3)) was employed. These systematic analyses identified a total of 27 Ser/Thr residues as Chk1- or Chk2- target sites. None of them were proline-directed kinase targets. Many of these sites are located within the microtubule-binding domain and C-terminal domain, whose phosphorylation has been shown to reduce tau binding to microtubules and/or has been implicated in tau toxicity. Among these 27 sites, 13 sites have been identified to be phosphorylated in AD brains. Since DNA damage is accumulated in diseased brains, Chk1 and Chk2 may be involved in tau phosphorylation and toxicity in AD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jhoana Mendoza
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, Box 1498, New York, New York 10029, United States
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39
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Tau Hyperphosphorylation is Associated with Spatial Learning and Memory After Exposure to Benzo[a]pyrene in SD Rats. Neurotox Res 2013; 24:461-71. [DOI: 10.1007/s12640-013-9387-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2013] [Revised: 03/06/2013] [Accepted: 03/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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40
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DuBoff B, Götz J, Feany MB. Tau promotes neurodegeneration via DRP1 mislocalization in vivo. Neuron 2012; 75:618-32. [PMID: 22920254 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.06.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 269] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/01/2012] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondrial abnormalities have been documented in Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative disorders, but the causal relationship between mitochondrial changes and neurodegeneration, and the specific mechanisms promoting mitochondrial dysfunction, are unclear. Here, we find that expression of human tau results in elongation of mitochondria in both Drosophila and mouse neurons. Elongation is accompanied by mitochondrial dysfunction and cell cycle-mediated cell death, which can be rescued in vivo by genetically restoring the proper balance of mitochondrial fission and fusion. We have previously demonstrated that stabilization of actin by tau is critical for neurotoxicity of the protein. Here, we demonstrate a conserved role for actin and myosin in regulating mitochondrial fission and show that excess actin stabilization inhibits association of the fission protein DRP1 with mitochondria, leading to mitochondrial elongation and subsequent neurotoxicity. Our results thus identify actin-mediated disruption of mitochondrial dynamics as a direct mechanism of tau toxicity in neurons in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian DuBoff
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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41
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Iijima-Ando K, Sekiya M, Maruko-Otake A, Ohtake Y, Suzuki E, Lu B, Iijima KM. Loss of axonal mitochondria promotes tau-mediated neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's disease-related tau phosphorylation via PAR-1. PLoS Genet 2012; 8:e1002918. [PMID: 22952452 PMCID: PMC3431335 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2011] [Accepted: 07/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal phosphorylation and toxicity of a microtubule-associated protein tau are involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, what pathological conditions trigger tau abnormality in AD is not fully understood. A reduction in the number of mitochondria in the axon has been implicated in AD. In this study, we investigated whether and how loss of axonal mitochondria promotes tau phosphorylation and toxicity in vivo. Using transgenic Drosophila expressing human tau, we found that RNAi–mediated knockdown of milton or Miro, an adaptor protein essential for axonal transport of mitochondria, enhanced human tau-induced neurodegeneration. Tau phosphorylation at an AD–related site Ser262 increased with knockdown of milton or Miro; and partitioning defective-1 (PAR-1), the Drosophila homolog of mammalian microtubule affinity-regulating kinase, mediated this increase of tau phosphorylation. Tau phosphorylation at Ser262 has been reported to promote tau detachment from microtubules, and we found that the levels of microtubule-unbound free tau increased by milton knockdown. Blocking tau phosphorylation at Ser262 site by PAR-1 knockdown or by mutating the Ser262 site to unphosphorylatable alanine suppressed the enhancement of tau-induced neurodegeneration caused by milton knockdown. Furthermore, knockdown of milton or Miro increased the levels of active PAR-1. These results suggest that an increase in tau phosphorylation at Ser262 through PAR-1 contributes to tau-mediated neurodegeneration under a pathological condition in which axonal mitochondria is depleted. Intriguingly, we found that knockdown of milton or Miro alone caused late-onset neurodegeneration in the fly brain, and this neurodegeneration could be suppressed by knockdown of Drosophila tau or PAR-1. Our results suggest that loss of axonal mitochondria may play an important role in tau phosphorylation and toxicity in the pathogenesis of AD. Abnormal phosphorylation and toxicity of a microtubule-associated protein tau are involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Tau is phosphorylated at multiple sites, and phosphorylation of tau regulates its microtubule binding and physiological functions such as regulation of microtubule stability. Abnormal phosphorylation of tau occurs in the AD brains and is thought to cause tau toxicity; however, what pathological conditions trigger abnormal phosphorylation and toxicity of tau in AD is not fully understood. Since a reduction in the number of mitochondria in the axon has been observed in the AD brains, we investigated whether and how loss of axonal mitochondria promotes tau phosphorylation and toxicity. Using transgenic flies expressing human tau, we found that knockdown of milton or Miro, an adaptor protein essential for axonal transport of mitochondria, enhanced human tau-induced neurodegeneration. This study demonstrates that loss of axonal mitochondria caused by milton knockdown increases tau phosphorylation at an AD–related site through partitioning defective-1 (PAR-1), promotes detachment of tau from microtubules, and enhances tau-mediated neurodegeneration. Our results suggest that loss of axonal mitochondria may play an important role in tau phosphorylation and toxicity in the pathogenesis of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanae Iijima-Ando
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Pathobiology, Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail: (KI-A); (KMI)
| | - Michiko Sekiya
- Laboratory of Neurobiology and Genetics, Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Akiko Maruko-Otake
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Pathobiology, Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Laboratory of Neurobiology and Genetics, Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Yosuke Ohtake
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Pathobiology, Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Emiko Suzuki
- Gene Network Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan
- Department of Genetics, SOKENDAI, Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Bingwei Lu
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Koichi M. Iijima
- Laboratory of Neurobiology and Genetics, Department of Neuroscience, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail: (KI-A); (KMI)
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Drosophila models of tauopathies: what have we learned? Int J Alzheimers Dis 2012; 2012:970980. [PMID: 22701808 PMCID: PMC3373119 DOI: 10.1155/2012/970980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2012] [Accepted: 04/08/2012] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Aggregates of the microtubule-associated protein Tau are neuropathological hallmark lesions in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related primary tauopathies. In addition, Tau is genetically implicated in a number of human neurodegenerative disorders including frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). The exact mechanism by which Tau exerts its neurotoxicity is incompletely understood. Here, we give an overview of how studies using the genetic model organism Drosophila over the past decade have contributed to the molecular understanding of Tau neurotoxicity. We compare the different available readouts for Tau neurotoxicity in flies and review the molecular pathways in which Tau has been implicated. Finally, we emphasize that the integration of genome-wide approaches in human or mice with high-throughput genetic validation in Drosophila is a fruitful approach.
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43
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Yoshida H, Goedert M. Phosphorylation of microtubule-associated protein tau by AMPK-related kinases. J Neurochem 2011; 120:165-76. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2011.07523.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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44
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Mao P, Reddy PH. Aging and amyloid beta-induced oxidative DNA damage and mitochondrial dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease: implications for early intervention and therapeutics. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2011; 1812:1359-70. [PMID: 21871956 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2011.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 215] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2011] [Revised: 08/10/2011] [Accepted: 08/10/2011] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting thousands of people in the world and effective treatment is still not available. Over two decades of intense research using AD postmortem brains, transgenic mouse and cell models of amyloid precursor protein and tau revealed that amyloid beta (Aβ) and hyperphosphorylated tau are synergistically involved in triggering disease progression. Accumulating evidence also revealed that aging and amyloid beta-induced oxidative DNA damage and mitochondrial dysfunction initiate and contributes to the development and progression of the disease. The purpose of this article is to summarize the latest progress in aging and AD, with a special emphasis on the mitochondria, oxidative DNA damage including methods of its measurement. It also discusses the therapeutic approaches against oxidative DNA damage and treatment strategies in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peizhong Mao
- Neurogenetics Laboratory, Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
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45
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Reinecke JB, DeVos SL, McGrath JP, Shepard AM, Goncharoff DK, Tait DN, Fleming SR, Vincent MP, Steinhilb ML. Implicating calpain in tau-mediated toxicity in vivo. PLoS One 2011; 6:e23865. [PMID: 21858230 PMCID: PMC3157467 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2011] [Accepted: 07/26/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease and other related neurodegenerative disorders known as tauopathies are characterized by the accumulation of abnormally phosphorylated and aggregated forms of the microtubule-associated protein tau. Several laboratories have identified a 17 kD proteolytic fragment of tau in degenerating neurons and in numerous cell culture models that is generated by calpain cleavage and speculated to contribute to tau toxicity. In the current study, we employed a Drosophila tauopathy model to investigate the importance of calpain-mediated tau proteolysis in contributing to tau neurotoxicity in an animal model of human neurodegenerative disease. We found that mutations that disrupted endogenous calpainA or calpainB activity in transgenic flies suppressed tau toxicity. Expression of a calpain-resistant form of tau in Drosophila revealed that mutating the putative calpain cleavage sites that produce the 17 kD fragment was sufficient to abrogate tau toxicity in vivo. Furthermore, we found significant toxicity in the fly retina associated with expression of only the 17 kD tau fragment. Collectively, our data implicate calpain-mediated proteolysis of tau as an important pathway mediating tau neurotoxicity in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- James B. Reinecke
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Sarah L. DeVos
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States of America
| | - James P. McGrath
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Amanda M. Shepard
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Dustin K. Goncharoff
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Don N. Tait
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Samantha R. Fleming
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Michael P. Vincent
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Michelle L. Steinhilb
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Corbo CP, Alonso ADC. Therapeutic targets in Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2011; 98:47-83. [PMID: 21199770 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-385506-0.00002-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is characterized histopathologically by the presence of plaques, mainly composed of Abeta amyloid and the tangles, mainly composed of hyperphosphorylated tau. To date, there is no treatment that can reverse the disease, and all the current therapeutics is directed to cope with the symptoms of the disease. Here we describe the efforts dedicated to attack the plaques and, in more detail, the process of neurofibrillary degeneration, linked to the presence of the hyperphosphorylated microtubule associated protein tau. We have identified the different putative targets for therapeutics and the current knowledge on them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher P Corbo
- College of Staten Island, Program in evelopmental Neuroscience, The Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY), Staten Island, New York, USA
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Papanikolopoulou K, Skoulakis EMC. The power and richness of modelling tauopathies in Drosophila. Mol Neurobiol 2011; 44:122-33. [PMID: 21681411 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-011-8193-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2011] [Accepted: 06/06/2011] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Tauopathies are a group of neurodegenerative disorders characterised by altered levels of phosphorylation or mutations in the neuronal microtubule protein Tau. The heterogeneous pathology of tauopathies suggests differential susceptibility of different neuronal types to wild-type and mutant Tau. The genetic power and facility of the Drosophila model has been instrumental in exploring the molecular aetiologies of tauopathies, identifying additional proteins likely contributing to neuronal dysfunction and toxicity and novel Tau phosphorylations mediating them. Importantly, recent results indicate tissue- and temporal-specific effects on dysfunction and toxicity coupled with differential effects of distinct Tau isoforms within them. Therefore, they reveal an unexpected richness of the Drosophila model that, coupled with its molecular genetic power, will likely play a significant role in our understanding of multiple tauopathies potentially leading to their differential treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Papanikolopoulou
- Institute of Cellular and Developmental Biology, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre Alexander Fleming, Vari 16672, Greece.
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Sultan A, Nesslany F, Violet M, Bégard S, Loyens A, Talahari S, Mansuroglu Z, Marzin D, Sergeant N, Humez S, Colin M, Bonnefoy E, Buée L, Galas MC. Nuclear tau, a key player in neuronal DNA protection. J Biol Chem 2010; 286:4566-75. [PMID: 21131359 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.199976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 286] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau, a neuronal protein involved in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer disease, which is primarily described as a microtubule-associated protein, has also been observed in the nuclei of neuronal and non-neuronal cells. However, the function of the nuclear form of Tau in neurons has not yet been elucidated. In this work, we demonstrate that acute oxidative stress and mild heat stress (HS) induce the accumulation of dephosphorylated Tau in neuronal nuclei. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, we demonstrate that the capacity of endogenous Tau to interact with neuronal DNA increased following HS. Comet assays performed on both wild-type and Tau-deficient neuronal cultures showed that Tau fully protected neuronal genomic DNA against HS-induced damage. Interestingly, HS-induced DNA damage observed in Tau-deficient cells was completely rescued after the overexpression of human Tau targeted to the nucleus. These results highlight a novel role for nuclear Tau as a key player in early stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Sultan
- Inserm UMR837, Alzheimer and Tauopathies, 1 rue Michel Polonovski, 59045 Lille, France
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Iijima K, Gatt A, Iijima-Ando K. Tau Ser262 phosphorylation is critical for Abeta42-induced tau toxicity in a transgenic Drosophila model of Alzheimer's disease. Hum Mol Genet 2010; 19:2947-57. [PMID: 20466736 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddq200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The amyloid-beta 42 (Abeta42) peptide has been suggested to promote tau phosphorylation and toxicity in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis; however, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Using transgenic Drosophila expressing both human Abeta42 and tau, we show here that tau phosphorylation at Ser262 plays a critical role in Abeta42-induced tau toxicity. Co-expression of Abeta42 increased tau phosphorylation at AD-related sites including Ser262, and enhanced tau-induced neurodegeneration. In contrast, formation of either sarkosyl-insoluble tau or paired helical filaments was not induced by Abeta42. Co-expression of Abeta42 and tau carrying the non-phosphorylatable Ser262Ala mutation did not cause neurodegeneration, suggesting that the Ser262 phosphorylation site is required for the pathogenic interaction between Abeta42 and tau. We have recently reported that the DNA damage-activated Checkpoint kinase 2 (Chk2) phosphorylates tau at Ser262 and enhances tau toxicity in a transgenic Drosophila model. We detected that expression of Chk2, as well as a number of genes involved in DNA repair pathways, was increased in the Abeta42 fly brains. The induction of a DNA repair response is protective against Abeta42 toxicity, since blocking the function of the tumor suppressor p53, a key transcription factor for the induction of DNA repair genes, in neurons exacerbated Abeta42-induced neuronal dysfunction. Our results demonstrate that tau phosphorylation at Ser262 is crucial for Abeta42-induced tau toxicity in vivo, and suggest a new model of AD progression in which activation of DNA repair pathways is protective against Abeta42 toxicity but may trigger tau phosphorylation and toxicity in AD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koichi Iijima
- Laboratory of Genetics and Neurobiology, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
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