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Ciurea AV, Mohan AG, Covache-Busuioc RA, Costin HP, Glavan LA, Corlatescu AD, Saceleanu VM. Unraveling Molecular and Genetic Insights into Neurodegenerative Diseases: Advances in Understanding Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's Diseases and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10809. [PMID: 37445986 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are, according to recent studies, one of the main causes of disability and death worldwide. Interest in molecular genetics has started to experience exponential growth thanks to numerous advancements in technology, shifts in the understanding of the disease as a phenomenon, and the change in the perspective regarding gene editing and the advantages of this action. The aim of this paper is to analyze the newest approaches in genetics and molecular sciences regarding four of the most important neurodegenerative disorders: Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We intend through this review to focus on the newest treatment, diagnosis, and predictions regarding this large group of diseases, in order to obtain a more accurate analysis and to identify the emerging signs that could lead to a better outcome in order to increase both the quality and the life span of the patient. Moreover, this review could provide evidence of future possible novel therapies that target the specific genes and that could be useful to be taken into consideration when the classical approaches fail to shed light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandru Vlad Ciurea
- Department of Neurosurgery, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
- Neurosurgery Department, Sanador Clinical Hospital, 010991 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Aurel George Mohan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Bihor County Emergency Clinical Hospital, 410167 Oradea, Romania
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Oradea University, 410610 Oradea, Romania
| | | | - Horia-Petre Costin
- Department of Neurosurgery, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Luca-Andrei Glavan
- Department of Neurosurgery, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Antonio-Daniel Corlatescu
- Department of Neurosurgery, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Vicentiu Mircea Saceleanu
- Neurosurgery Department, Sibiu County Emergency Hospital, 550245 Sibiu, Romania
- Neurosurgery Department, "Lucian Blaga" University of Medicine, 550024 Sibiu, Romania
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2
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Shafei R, Woollacott IOC, Mummery CJ, Bocchetta M, Guerreiro R, Bras J, Warren JD, Lashley T, Jaunmuktane Z, Rohrer JD. Two pathologically confirmed cases of novel mutations in the MAPT gene causing frontotemporal dementia. Neurobiol Aging 2019; 87:141.e15-141.e20. [PMID: 31870644 PMCID: PMC7082764 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
MAPT mutations were the first discovered genetic cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in 1998. Since that time, over 60 MAPT mutations have been identified, usually causing behavioral variant FTD and/or parkinsonism clinically. We describe 2 novel MAPT mutations, D252V and G389_I392del, each presenting in a patient with behavioral variant FTD and associated language and cognitive deficits. Neuroimaging revealed asymmetrical left greater than right temporal lobe atrophy in the first case, and bifrontal atrophy in the second case. Disease duration was 8 years and 5 years, respectively. Postmortem examination in both patients revealed a 3-repeat predominant tauopathy, similar in appearance to Pick's disease. These 2 mutations add to the literature on genetic FTD, both presenting with similar clinical and imaging features to previously described cases, and pathologically showing a primary tauopathy similar to a number of other MAPT mutations. Over 60 MAPT mutations are currently described—we describe 2 novel mutations: p.D252V and p.G389_I392del. Both novel mutations are associated with a frontotemporal dementia clinical syndrome similar to previously described MAPT mutations. Both the novel mutations are associated with a primary 3-repeat tauopathy at postmortem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachelle Shafei
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ione O C Woollacott
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Catherine J Mummery
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Martina Bocchetta
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rita Guerreiro
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA; Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Jose Bras
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA; Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Jason D Warren
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Tammaryn Lashley
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK; Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Zane Jaunmuktane
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Jonathan D Rohrer
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.
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Strang KH, Golde TE, Giasson BI. MAPT mutations, tauopathy, and mechanisms of neurodegeneration. J Transl Med 2019; 99:912-928. [PMID: 30742061 PMCID: PMC7289372 DOI: 10.1038/s41374-019-0197-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), a prominent pathological feature is the aberrant aggregation and inclusion formation of the microtubule-associated protein tau. Because of the pathological association, these disorders are often referred to as tauopathies. Mutations in the MAPT gene that encodes tau can cause frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17), providing the clearest evidence that tauopathy plays a causal role in neurodegeneration. However, large gaps in our knowledge remain regarding how various FTDP-17-linked tau mutations promote tau aggregation and neurodegeneration, and, more generally, how the tauopathy is linked to neurodegeneration. Herein, we review what is known about how FTDP-17-linked pathogenic MAPT mutations cause disease, with a major focus on the prion-like properties of wild-type and mutant tau proteins. The hypothesized mechanisms by which mutations in the MAPT gene promote tauopathy are quite varied and may not provide definitive insights into how tauopathy arises in the absence of mutation. Further, differences in the ability of tau and mutant tau proteins to support prion-like propagation in various model systems raise questions about the generalizability of this mechanism in various tauopathies. Notably, understanding the mechanisms of tauopathy induction and spread and tau-induced neurodegeneration has important implications for tau-targeting therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin H. Strang
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Todd E. Golde
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA,McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Benoit I. Giasson
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA,McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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Forrest SL, Halliday GM, McCann H, McGeachie AB, McGinley CV, Hodges JR, Piguet O, Kwok JB, Spillantini MG, Kril JJ. Heritability in frontotemporal tauopathies. ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA: DIAGNOSIS, ASSESSMENT & DISEASE MONITORING 2019; 11:115-124. [PMID: 30723775 PMCID: PMC6351353 DOI: 10.1016/j.dadm.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Exploring the degree of heritability in a large cohort of frontotemporal lobar degeneration with tau-immunopositive inclusions (FTLD-tau) and determining if different FTLD-tau subtypes are associated with stronger heritability will provide important insight into disease pathogenesis. Methods Using modified Goldman pedigree classifications, heritability was examined in pathologically proven FTLD-tau cases with dementia at any time (n = 124) from the Sydney-Cambridge collection. Results Thirteen percent of the FTLD-tau cohort have a suggested autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance, 25% have some family history, and 62% apparently sporadic. MAPT mutations were found in 9% of cases. Globular glial tauopathy was associated with the strongest heritability with 40% having a suggested autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance followed by corticobasal degeneration (19%), Pick's disease (8%), and progressive supranuclear palsy (6%). Discussion Similar to clinical frontotemporal dementia syndromes, heritability varies between pathological subtypes. Further identification of a genetic link in cases with strong heritability await discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelley L Forrest
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Charles Perkins Centre and Discipline of Pathology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Glenda M Halliday
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Brain and Mind Centre and Central Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | | | | | - Ciara V McGinley
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Charles Perkins Centre and Discipline of Pathology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - John R Hodges
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Brain and Mind Centre and Central Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Sydney, Australia
| | - Olivier Piguet
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Sydney, Australia.,Brain and Mind Centre and School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - John B Kwok
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Brain and Mind Centre and Central Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Maria G Spillantini
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jillian J Kril
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Charles Perkins Centre and Discipline of Pathology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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5
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Presymptomatic change in microRNAs modulates Tau pathology. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9251. [PMID: 29915328 PMCID: PMC6006352 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27527-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRs) are 18~23 nucleotides long non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression. To explore whether miR alterations in tauopathy contribute to pathological conditions, we first determined which hippocampal miRs are altered at the presymptomatic and symptomatic stages of tauopathy using rTg4510 mice (Tau mice), a well-characterized tauopathy model. miR-RNA pairing analysis using QIAGEN Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) revealed 401 genes that can be regulated by 71 miRs altered in Tau hippocampi at the presymptomatic stage. Among several miRs confirmed with real-time qPCR, miR142 (−3p and −5p) in Tau hippocampi were significantly upregulated by two-weeks of age and onward. Transcriptome studies by RNAseq and IPA revealed several overlapping biological and disease associated pathways affected by either Tau or miR142 overexpression, including Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (Stat3) and Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 2 (Tnfr2) signaling pathways. Similar to what was observed in Tau brains, overexpressing miR142 in wildtype cortical neurons augments mRNA levels of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (Gfap) and Colony Stimulating Factor 1 (Csf1), accompanied by a significant increase in microglia and reactive astrocyte numbers. Taken together, our study suggests that miR alterations by Tau overexpression may contribute to the neuroinflammation observed in Tau brains.
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Aldag M, Armstrong RC, Bandak F, Bellgowan PSF, Bentley T, Biggerstaff S, Caravelli K, Cmarik J, Crowder A, DeGraba TJ, Dittmer TA, Ellenbogen RG, Greene C, Gupta RK, Hicks R, Hoffman S, Latta RC, Leggieri MJ, Marion D, Mazzoli R, McCrea M, O'Donnell J, Packer M, Petro JB, Rasmussen TE, Sammons-Jackson W, Shoge R, Tepe V, Tremaine LA, Zheng J. The Biological Basis of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy following Blast Injury: A Literature Review. J Neurotrauma 2018; 34:S26-S43. [PMID: 28937953 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2017.5218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The United States Department of Defense Blast Injury Research Program Coordinating Office organized the 2015 International State-of-the-Science meeting to explore links between blast-related head injury and the development of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Before the meeting, the planning committee examined articles published between 2005 and October 2015 and prepared this literature review, which summarized broadly CTE research and addressed questions about the pathophysiological basis of CTE and its relationship to blast- and nonblast-related head injury. It served to inform participants objectively and help focus meeting discussion on identifying knowledge gaps and priority research areas. CTE is described generally as a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting persons exposed to head injury. Affected individuals have been participants primarily in contact sports and military personnel, some of whom were exposed to blast. The symptomatology of CTE overlaps with Alzheimer's disease and includes neurological and cognitive deficits, psychiatric and behavioral problems, and dementia. There are no validated diagnostic criteria, and neuropathological evidence of CTE has come exclusively from autopsy examination of subjects with histories of exposure to head injury. The perivascular accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) at the depths of cortical sulci is thought to be unique to CTE and has been proposed as a diagnostic requirement, although the contribution of p-tau and other reported pathologies to the development of clinical symptoms of CTE are unknown. The literature on CTE is limited and is focused predominantly on head injuries unrelated to blast exposure (e.g., football players and boxers). In addition, comparative analyses of clinical case reports has been challenging because of small case numbers, selection biases, methodological differences, and lack of matched controls, particularly for blast-exposed individuals. Consequently, the existing literature is not sufficient to determine whether the development of CTE is associated with head injury frequency (e.g., single vs. multiple exposures) or head injury type (e.g., impact, nonimpact, blast-related). Moreover, the incidence and prevalence of CTE in at-risk populations is unknown. Future research priorities should include identifying additional risk factors, pursuing population-based longitudinal studies, and developing the ability to detect and diagnose CTE in living persons using validated criteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt Aldag
- 1 Booz Allen Hamilton , McLean, Virginia
| | - Regina C Armstrong
- 2 Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Faris Bandak
- 3 Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency , Arlington, Virginia
| | | | | | - Sean Biggerstaff
- 6 Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense , Health Affairs, Falls Church, Virginia
| | | | - Joan Cmarik
- 7 Office of the Principal Assistant for Acquisition, United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command , Frederick, Maryland
| | - Alicia Crowder
- 8 Combat Casualty Care Research Program , United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland
| | | | | | - Richard G Ellenbogen
- 10 Departments of Neurological Surgery and Global Health Medicine, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
| | - Colin Greene
- 11 Joint Trauma Analysis and Prevention of Injuries in Combat Program, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Raj K Gupta
- 12 Department of Defense Blast Injury Research Program Coordinating Office, United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command , Frederick, Maryland
| | | | | | | | - Michael J Leggieri
- 12 Department of Defense Blast Injury Research Program Coordinating Office, United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command , Frederick, Maryland
| | - Donald Marion
- 16 Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center , Silver Spring, Maryland
| | | | | | | | - Mark Packer
- 20 Hearing Center of Excellence , Lackland, Texas
| | - James B Petro
- 21 Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Research and Engineering, Arlington, Virginia
| | - Todd E Rasmussen
- 8 Combat Casualty Care Research Program , United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland
| | - Wendy Sammons-Jackson
- 22 Office of the Principal Assistant for Research and Technology , United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland
| | - Richard Shoge
- 23 Military Operational Medicine Research Program, United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command , Fort Detrick, Maryland
| | | | | | - James Zheng
- 25 Program Executive Office Soldier , Fort Belvoir, Virginia
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7
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Forrest SL, Kril JJ, Stevens CH, Kwok JB, Hallupp M, Kim WS, Huang Y, McGinley CV, Werka H, Kiernan MC, Götz J, Spillantini MG, Hodges JR, Ittner LM, Halliday GM. Retiring the term FTDP-17 as MAPT mutations are genetic forms of sporadic frontotemporal tauopathies. Brain 2018; 141:521-534. [PMID: 29253099 PMCID: PMC5888940 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awx328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
See Josephs (doi:10.1093/brain/awx367) for a scientific commentary on this article.In many neurodegenerative disorders, familial forms have provided important insights into the pathogenesis of their corresponding sporadic forms. The first mutations associated with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) were found in the microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) gene on chromosome 17 in families with frontotemporal degeneration and parkinsonism (FTDP-17). However, it was soon discovered that 50% of these families had a nearby mutation in progranulin. Regardless, the original FTDP-17 nomenclature has been retained for patients with MAPT mutations, with such patients currently classified independently from the different sporadic forms of FTLD with tau-immunoreactive inclusions (FTLD-tau). The separate classification of familial FTLD with MAPT mutations implies that familial forms cannot inform on the pathogenesis of the different sporadic forms of FTLD-tau. To test this assumption, this study pathologically assessed all FTLD-tau cases with a known MAPT mutation held by the Sydney and Cambridge Brain Banks, and compared them to four cases of four subtypes of sporadic FTLD-tau, in addition to published case reports. Ten FTLD-tau cases with a MAPT mutation (K257T, S305S, P301L, IVS10+16, R406W) were screened for the core differentiating neuropathological features used to diagnose the different sporadic FTLD-tau subtypes to determine whether the categorical separation of MAPT mutations from sporadic FTLD-tau is valid. Compared with sporadic cases, FTLD-tau cases with MAPT mutations had similar mean disease duration but were younger at age of symptom onset (55 ± 4 years versus 70 ± 6 years). Interestingly, FTLD-tau cases with MAPT mutations had similar patterns and severity of neuropathological features to sporadic FTLD-tau subtypes and could be classified into: Pick's disease (K257T), corticobasal degeneration (S305S, IVS10+16, R406W), progressive supranuclear palsy (S305S) or globular glial tauopathy (P301L, IVS10+16). The finding that the S305S mutation could be classified into two tauopathies suggests additional modifying factors. Assessment of our cases and previous reports suggests that distinct MAPT mutations result in particular FTLD-tau subtypes, supporting the concept that they are likely to inform on the varied cellular mechanisms involved in distinctive forms of sporadic FTLD-tau. As such, FTLD-tau cases with MAPT mutations should be considered familial forms of FTLD-tau subtypes rather than a separate FTDP-17 category, and continued research on the effects of different mutations more focused on modelling their impact to produce the very different sporadic FTLD-tau pathologies in animal and cellular models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelley L Forrest
- Charles Perkins Centre and Discipline of Pathology, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Jillian J Kril
- Charles Perkins Centre and Discipline of Pathology, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Claire H Stevens
- Dementia Research Unit, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Australia
| | - John B Kwok
- Brain and Mind Centre and Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Australia
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Australia
| | - Marianne Hallupp
- Brain and Mind Centre and Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Woojin S Kim
- Brain and Mind Centre and Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Australia
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Australia
| | - Yue Huang
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ciara V McGinley
- Charles Perkins Centre and Discipline of Pathology, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Hellen Werka
- Charles Perkins Centre and Discipline of Pathology, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Matthew C Kiernan
- Brain and Mind Centre and Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Jürgen Götz
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Australia
| | | | - John R Hodges
- Brain and Mind Centre and Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Australia
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lars M Ittner
- Dementia Research Unit, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Australia
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Glenda M Halliday
- Brain and Mind Centre and Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Australia
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Australia
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Fujii H, Takahashi T, Mukai T, Tanaka S, Hosomi N, Maruyama H, Sakai N, Matsumoto M. Modifications of tau protein after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion in rats are similar to those occurring in Alzheimer's disease - Hyperphosphorylation and cleavage of 4- and 3-repeat tau. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2017; 37:2441-2457. [PMID: 27629097 PMCID: PMC5531343 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x16668889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies have suggested a close relationship between cerebral ischemia and Alzheimer's disease (AD). To clarify the pathological association of tau dynamics in both diseases, we performed comprehensive studies on the posttranslational modification of tau in cerebral ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) in rats. The present study suggests that both 4-repeat and 3-repeat tau isoforms are hyperphosphorylated in cerebral I/R, similar to the case in AD. The generation of a 60-kDa Asp421-truncated tau in cerebral I/R preceded the emergence of a 17-kDa 3-repeat tau fragment and a 25-kDa 4-repeat tau fragment. The regional redistribution of tau from the neuropil to neuronal perikarya in our stroke model is thought to share similarity with that occurring in AD. In addition, immunofluorescence staining revealed the formation of axonal varicosities in cerebral I/R. Altered tau distribution may influence microtubule stability, disturbances in axonal transport, and the resulting formation of axonal varicosities. The staining profiles of granules in the ischemic cortex that were immunopositive for RD3, RD4, and AT8 in neuronal perikarya and that were argyrophilic on Gallyas-Braak staining were similar to those in AD. These findings suggest that transient cerebral ischemia shares a common pathology with AD, in the modification of tau protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Fujii
- 1 Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Takahashi
- 1 Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Tomoya Mukai
- 1 Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan.,2 Department of Stroke Medicine, Kawasaki Medical School Hospital, Kawasaki, Japan
| | - Shigeru Tanaka
- 3 Department of Molecular and Pharmacological Neuroscience, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Naohisa Hosomi
- 1 Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Maruyama
- 1 Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Norio Sakai
- 3 Department of Molecular and Pharmacological Neuroscience, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Masayasu Matsumoto
- 1 Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan
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9
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Mann DMA, Snowden JS. Frontotemporal lobar degeneration: Pathogenesis, pathology and pathways to phenotype. Brain Pathol 2017; 27:723-736. [PMID: 28100023 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (FTLD) is a clinically, pathologically and genetically heterogeneous group of disorders that affect principally the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. There are three major associated clinical syndromes, behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), semantic dementia (SD) and progressive non-fluent aphasia (PNFA); three principal histologies, involving tau, TDP-43 and FUS proteins; and mutations in three major genes, MAPT, GRN and C9orf72, along with several other less common gene mutations. All three clinical syndromes can exist separately or in combination with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). SD is exclusively a TDP-43 proteinopathy, and PNFA may be so, with both showing tight clinical, histological and genetic inter-relationships. bvFTD is more of a challenge with overlapping histological and genetic features, involvement of any of the three aggregating proteins, and changes in any of the three major genes. However, when ALS is present, all cases show a clear histological phenotype with TDP-43 aggregated proteins, and familial forms are associated with expansions in C9orf72. TDP-43 and FUS are nuclear carrier proteins involved in the regulation of RNA metabolism, whereas tau protein - the product of MAPT - is responsible for the assembly/disassembly of microtubules, which are vital for intracellular transport. Mutations in TDP-43 and FUS genes are linked to clinical ALS rather than FTLD (with or without ALS), suggesting that clinical ALS may be a disorder of RNA metabolism. Conversely, the protein products of GRN and C9orf72, along with those of the other minor genes, appear to form part of the cellular protein degradation machinery. It is possible therefore that FTLD is a reflection of dysfunction within lysosomal/proteasomal systems resulting in failure to remove potentially neurotoxic (TDP-43 and tau) aggregates, which ultimately overwhelm capacity to function. Spread of aggregates along distinct pathways may account for the different clinical phenotypes, and patterns of progression of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M A Mann
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, University of Manchester, Salford Royal Hospital, Salford, M6 8HD, UK
| | - Julie S Snowden
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, University of Manchester, Salford Royal Hospital, Salford, M6 8HD, UK.,Cerebral Function Unit, Greater Manchester Neurosciences Centre, Salford Royal Hospital, Stott Lane, Salford, M6 8HD, UK
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10
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Arendt T, Stieler JT, Holzer M. Tau and tauopathies. Brain Res Bull 2016; 126:238-292. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2016.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 333] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Revised: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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A Novel Tau Mutation in Exon 12, p.Q336H, Causes Hereditary Pick Disease. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2016; 74:1042-52. [PMID: 26426266 DOI: 10.1097/nen.0000000000000248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Pick disease (PiD) is a frontotemporal lobar degeneration with distinctive neuronal inclusions (Pick bodies) that are enriched in 3-repeat (3R) tau. Although mostly sporadic, mutations in the tau gene (MAPT) have been reported. We screened 24 cases of neuropathologically confirmed PiD for MAPT mutations and found a novel mutation (c.1008G>C, p.Q336H) in 1 patient. Pathogenicity was confirmed on microtubule assembly and tau filament formation assays. The patient was compared with sporadic PiD and PiD associated with MAPT mutations from a review of the literature. The patient had behavioral changes at 55 years of age, followed by reduced verbal fluency, parkinsonism, and death at 63 years of age. His mother and maternal uncle had similar symptoms. Recombinant tau with p.Q336H mutation formed filaments faster than wild-type tau, especially with 3R tau. It also promoted more microtubule assembly than wild-type tau. We conclude that mutations in MAPT, including p.Q336H, can be associated with clinical, pathologic, and biochemical features that are similar to those in sporadic PiD. The pathomechanism of p.Q336H, and another previously reported variant at the same codon (p.Q336R), seems to be unique to MAPT mutations in that they not only predispose to abnormal tau filament formation but also facilitate microtubule assembly in a 3R tau-dependent manner.
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12
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Fontana F, Siva K, Denti MA. A network of RNA and protein interactions in Fronto Temporal Dementia. Front Mol Neurosci 2015; 8:9. [PMID: 25852467 PMCID: PMC4365750 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2015.00009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by degeneration of the fronto temporal lobes and abnormal protein inclusions. It exhibits a broad clinicopathological spectrum and has been linked to mutations in seven different genes. We will provide a picture, which connects the products of these genes, albeit diverse in nature and function, in a network. Despite the paucity of information available for some of these genes, we believe that RNA processing and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression might constitute a common theme in the network. Recent studies have unraveled the role of mutations affecting the functions of RNA binding proteins and regulation of microRNAs. This review will combine all the recent findings on genes involved in the pathogenesis of FTD, highlighting the importance of a common network of interactions in order to study and decipher the heterogeneous clinical manifestations associated with FTD. This approach could be helpful for the research of potential therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Fontana
- Laboratory of RNA Biology and Biotechnology, Centre for Integrative Biology, University of TrentoTrento, Italy
| | - Kavitha Siva
- Laboratory of RNA Biology and Biotechnology, Centre for Integrative Biology, University of TrentoTrento, Italy
| | - Michela A. Denti
- Laboratory of RNA Biology and Biotechnology, Centre for Integrative Biology, University of TrentoTrento, Italy
- CNR, Institute of NeurosciencePadua, Italy
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13
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Ghetti B, Oblak AL, Boeve BF, Johnson KA, Dickerson BC, Goedert M. Invited review: Frontotemporal dementia caused by microtubule-associated protein tau gene (MAPT) mutations: a chameleon for neuropathology and neuroimaging. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2015; 41:24-46. [PMID: 25556536 PMCID: PMC4329416 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 305] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hereditary frontotemporal dementia associated with mutations in the microtubule-associated protein tau gene (MAPT) is a protean disorder. Three neuropathologic subtypes can be recognized, based on the presence of inclusions made of tau isoforms with three and four repeats, predominantly three repeats and mostly four repeats. This is relevant for establishing a correlation between structural magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography using tracers specific for aggregated tau. Longitudinal studies will be essential to determine the evolution of anatomical alterations from the asymptomatic stage to the various phases of disease following the onset of symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Ghetti
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of MedicineIndianapolis, USA
| | - A L Oblak
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of MedicineIndianapolis, USA
| | - B F Boeve
- Department of Neurology, Mayo ClinicRochester, USA
| | - K A Johnson
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBoston, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBoston, USA
| | - B C Dickerson
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBoston, USA
| | - M Goedert
- Medical Research Council, Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridge, UK
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Iqbal K, Gong CX, Liu F. Hyperphosphorylation-induced tau oligomers. Front Neurol 2013; 4:112. [PMID: 23966973 PMCID: PMC3744035 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2013.00112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 07/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In normal adult brain the microtubule associated protein (MAP) tau contains 2-3 phosphates per mol of the protein and at this level of phosphorylation it is a soluble cytosolic protein. The normal brain tau interacts with tubulin and promotes its assembly into microtubules and stabilizes these fibrils. In Alzheimer disease (AD) brain tau is three to fourfold hyperphosphorylated. The abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau binds to normal tau instead of the tubulin and this binding leads to the formation of tau oligomers. The tau oligomers can be sedimented at 200,000 × g whereas the normal tau under these conditions remains in the supernatant. The abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau is capable of sequestering not only normal tau but also MAP MAP1 and MAP2 and causing disruption of the microtubule network promoted by these proteins. Unlike Aβ and prion protein (PrP) oligomers, tau oligomerization in AD and related tauopathies is hyperphosphorylation-dependent; in vitro dephosphorylation of AD P-tau with protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) inhibits and rehyperphosphorylation of the PP2A-AD P-tau with more than one combination of tau protein kinases promotes its oligomerization. In physiological assembly conditions the AD P-tau readily self-assembles into paired helical filaments. Missense tau mutations found in frontotemporal dementia apparently lead to tau oligomerization and neurofibrillary pathology by promoting its abnormal hyperphosphorylation. Dysregulation of the alternative splicing of tau that alters the 1:1 ratio of the 3-repeat: 4-repeat taus such as in Down syndrome, Pick disease, and progressive supranuclear palsy leads to the abnormal hyperphosphorylation of tau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities , Staten Island, NY , USA
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15
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Malyshev I. The Role of HSP70 in the Protection of: (A) The Brain in Alzheimer’s Disease and (B) The Heart in Cardiac Surgery. IMMUNITY, TUMORS AND AGING: THE ROLE OF HSP70 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-5943-5_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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16
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Whitwell JL, Weigand SD, Boeve BF, Senjem ML, Gunter JL, DeJesus-Hernandez M, Rutherford NJ, Baker M, Knopman DS, Wszolek ZK, Parisi JE, Dickson DW, Petersen RC, Rademakers R, Jack CR, Josephs KA. Neuroimaging signatures of frontotemporal dementia genetics: C9ORF72, tau, progranulin and sporadics. Brain 2012; 135:794-806. [PMID: 22366795 PMCID: PMC3286334 DOI: 10.1093/brain/aws001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 290] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A major recent discovery was the identification of an expansion of a non-coding GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat in the C9ORF72 gene in patients with frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Mutations in two other genes are known to account for familial frontotemporal dementia: microtubule-associated protein tau and progranulin. Although imaging features have been previously reported in subjects with mutations in tau and progranulin, no imaging features have been published in C9ORF72. Furthermore, it remains unknown whether there are differences in atrophy patterns across these mutations, and whether regional differences could help differentiate C9ORF72 from the other two mutations at the single-subject level. We aimed to determine the regional pattern of brain atrophy associated with the C9ORF72 gene mutation, and to determine which regions best differentiate C9ORF72 from subjects with mutations in tau and progranulin, and from sporadic frontotemporal dementia. A total of 76 subjects, including 56 with a clinical diagnosis of behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia and a mutation in one of these genes (19 with C9ORF72 mutations, 25 with tau mutations and 12 with progranulin mutations) and 20 sporadic subjects with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (including 50% with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), with magnetic resonance imaging were included in this study. Voxel-based morphometry was used to assess and compare patterns of grey matter atrophy. Atlas-based parcellation was performed utilizing the automated anatomical labelling atlas and Statistical Parametric Mapping software to compute volumes of 37 regions of interest. Hemispheric asymmetry was calculated. Penalized multinomial logistic regression was utilized to create a prediction model to discriminate among groups using regional volumes and asymmetry score. Principal component analysis assessed for variance within groups. C9ORF72 was associated with symmetric atrophy predominantly involving dorsolateral, medial and orbitofrontal lobes, with additional loss in anterior temporal lobes, parietal lobes, occipital lobes and cerebellum. In contrast, striking anteromedial temporal atrophy was associated with tau mutations and temporoparietal atrophy was associated with progranulin mutations. The sporadic group was associated with frontal and anterior temporal atrophy. A conservative penalized multinomial logistic regression model identified 14 variables that could accurately classify subjects, including frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital and cerebellum volume. The principal component analysis revealed similar degrees of heterogeneity within all disease groups. Patterns of atrophy therefore differed across subjects with C9ORF72, tau and progranulin mutations and sporadic frontotemporal dementia. Our analysis suggested that imaging has the potential to be useful to help differentiate C9ORF72 from these other groups at the single-subject level.
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Variation in MAPT is not a contributing factor to the incomplete penetrance in LHON. Mitochondrion 2011; 11:620-2. [PMID: 21397051 PMCID: PMC3115022 DOI: 10.1016/j.mito.2011.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2010] [Accepted: 03/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a common cause of inherited blindness, primarily due to one of three mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations. LHON, which has an unexplained variable penetrance and pathology, is characterised by disruption of the mitochondrial respiratory chain ultimately resulting in degeneration of the retinal ganglion cells. Phosphorylation of the tau protein is known to cause neurodegeneration and variation in MAPT has been associated with a range of neurodegenerative disorders. Given the relationship between MAPT variation and altered mitochondrial respiratory chain function, we hypothesised that MAPT variation could contribute to the risk of blindness in LHON mtDNA mutation carriers. We studied MAPT variation in a large, well characterised LHON cohort, but were unable to find an association between MAPT genetic variation and visual failure in LHON mtDNA mutation carriers. Our findings suggest that genetic variation in MAPT is unlikely to make a major contribution to the risk of blindness among LHON mutation carriers.
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Anfossi M, Vuono R, Maletta R, Virdee K, Mirabelli M, Colao R, Puccio G, Bernardi L, Frangipane F, Gallo M, Geracitano S, Tomaino C, Curcio SAM, Zannino G, Lamenza F, Duyckaerts C, Spillantini MG, Losso MA, Bruni AC. Compound heterozygosity of 2 novel MAPT mutations in frontotemporal dementia. Neurobiol Aging 2011; 32:757.e1-757.e11. [PMID: 21295377 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2010.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2010] [Revised: 11/16/2010] [Accepted: 12/21/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Intronic MAPT mutations altering exon 10 splicing lead mainly to an increase of 4Rtau. The objective of this study is to report clinical, genetic, and neuropathological data of an apparently sporadic early onset frontotemporal dementia (FTD) case associated with 2 novel intronic MAPT gene mutations IVS10+4A > C and IVS9-15T > C that increase 3Rtau. Methods and subjects used are clinical, neuroradiological, and neuropathological examination; molecular genetics of MAPT, PGRN, and other relevant genes. Exon 10 splicing tested with minigene constructs. Tau deposits detected by immunohistochemistry. Sarkosyl-insoluble and soluble tau investigated by immunoblotting. Two novel MAPT mutations IVS10+4A > C and the IVS9-15T > C transmitted by the unaffected parents were identified. Semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses on minigenes and in brain tissue showed that both mutations cause an increase of tau mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) transcripts lacking exon 10 only in the patient. Immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting of the patient's brain revealed tau deposits composed mostly of 3Rtau isoforms with a predominance of the shorter 3Rtau isoforms. The compound heterozygosity of the patient increasing 3Rtau seems to be responsible for the disease and furthermore suggests that sporadic cases can be caused by genetic mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Anfossi
- Regional Neurogenetic Centre, ASP Catanzaro, Lamezia Terme (CZ), Italy
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19
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Mort M, Evani US, Krishnan VG, Kamati KK, Baenziger PH, Bagchi A, Peters BJ, Sathyesh R, Li B, Sun Y, Xue B, Shah NH, Kann MG, Cooper DN, Radivojac P, Mooney SD. In silico functional profiling of human disease-associated and polymorphic amino acid substitutions. Hum Mutat 2010; 31:335-46. [PMID: 20052762 DOI: 10.1002/humu.21192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
An important challenge in translational bioinformatics is to understand how genetic variation gives rise to molecular changes at the protein level that can precipitate both monogenic and complex disease. To this end, we compiled datasets of human disease-associated amino acid substitutions (AAS) in the contexts of inherited monogenic disease, complex disease, functional polymorphisms with no known disease association, and somatic mutations in cancer, and compared them with respect to predicted functional sites in proteins. Using the sequence homology-based tool SIFT to estimate the proportion of deleterious AAS in each dataset, only complex disease AAS were found to be indistinguishable from neutral polymorphic AAS. Investigation of monogenic disease AAS predicted to be nondeleterious by SIFT were characterized by a significant enrichment for inherited AAS within solvent accessible residues, regions of intrinsic protein disorder, and an association with the loss or gain of various posttranslational modifications. Sites of structural and/or functional interest were therefore surmised to constitute useful additional features with which to identify the molecular disruptions caused by deleterious AAS. A range of bioinformatic tools, designed to predict structural and functional sites in protein sequences, were then employed to demonstrate that intrinsic biases exist in terms of the distribution of different types of human AAS with respect to specific structural, functional and pathological features. Our Web tool, designed to potentiate the functional profiling of novel AAS, has been made available at http://profile.mutdb.org/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Mort
- Institute of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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20
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Serotonin transporter and saitohin genes in risk of Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar dementia: preliminary findings. Neurol Sci 2010; 31:741-9. [PMID: 20852909 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-010-0400-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2009] [Accepted: 08/26/2010] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Serotonergic transmission impairment and abnormal phosphorylation of tau protein have been implicated in the physiopathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal lobar dementia (FTLD). Associations between a functional polymorphism (5-HTTLPR), in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene, and susceptibility to sporadic AD and FTLD have been reported. A polymorphism (Q7R) in saitohin gene inside the microtubule-associated protein tau gene has also been related to dementia. To determine the possible role of the two polymorphisms in susceptibility to AD and FTLD, we performed a case-control study collecting 218 Italian sporadic dementia patients and 54 controls. We found a significant excess of 5-HTTLPR short alleles and an interaction between 5-HTTLPR and Q7R polymorphisms in demented subjects. Our study confirms the role of 5-HTTLPR as a potential susceptibility factor for sporadic dementia in the Italian population, and suggests a possible interaction between 5-HTTLPR and Q7R polymorphisms in neurodegenerative diseases.
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21
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Abstract
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is a clinically and pathologically heterogeneous syndrome, characterized by progressive decline in behaviour or language associated with degeneration of the frontal and anterior temporal lobes. While the seminal cases were described at the turn of the 20th century, FTLD has only recently been appreciated as a leading cause of dementia, particularly in patients presenting before the age of 65 years. Three distinct clinical variants of FTLD have been described: (i) behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia, characterized by changes in behaviour and personality in association with frontal-predominant cortical degeneration; (ii) semantic dementia, a syndrome of progressive loss of knowledge about words and objects associated with anterior temporal neuronal loss; and (iii) progressive nonfluent aphasia, characterized by effortful language output, loss of grammar and motor speech deficits in the setting of left perisylvian cortical atrophy. The majority of pathologies associated with FTLD clinical syndromes include either tau-positive (FTLD-TAU) or TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43)-positive (FTLD-TDP) inclusion bodies. FTLD overlaps clinically and pathologically with the atypical parkinsonian disorders corticobasal degeneration and progressive supranuclear palsy, and with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The majority of familial FTLD cases are caused by mutations in the genes encoding microtubule-associated protein tau (leading to FTLD-TAU) or progranulin (leading to FTLD-TDP). The clinical and pathological heterogeneity of FTLD poses a significant diagnostic challenge, and in vivo prediction of underlying histopathology can be significantly improved by supplementing the clinical evaluation with genetic tests and emerging biological markers. Current pharmacotherapy for FTLD focuses on manipulating serotonergic or dopaminergic neurotransmitter systems to ameliorate behavioural or motor symptoms. However, recent advances in FTLD genetics and molecular pathology make the prospect of biologically driven, disease-specific therapies for FTLD seem closer than ever.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gil D Rabinovici
- Memory & Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
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22
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Abstract
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is a highly familial condition and is increasingly being recognized as an important form of dementia. The literature published on this disease is often difficult to collate due to the wide range in nomenclature used. Thankfully, consensus recommendations have now been published to address this issue and hopefully the community will adopt these as intended. Much progress has been made in our understanding of the clinical, pathological and genetic understanding of FTLD in recent years. Progranulin and TDP-43 have recently been identified as new important proteins involved in the pathophysiology of FTLD and this latter protein may have potential as a biomarker of this disease. However, much remains before we have a full picture of the genes that cause FTLD and the biological pathways in which they function. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current concepts and recent advances in our knowledge of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- S M Pickering-Brown
- Clinical Neurosciences Research Group, Faculty of Human and Medical Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
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Ichihara K, Uchihara T, Nakamura A, Suzuki Y, Mizutani T. Selective Deposition of 4-Repeat Tau in Cerebral Infarcts. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2009; 68:1029-36. [DOI: 10.1097/nen.0b013e3181b56bf4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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Koren J, Jinwal UK, Lee DC, Jones JR, Shults CL, Johnson AG, Anderson LJ, Dickey CA. Chaperone signalling complexes in Alzheimer's disease. J Cell Mol Med 2009; 13:619-30. [PMID: 19449461 PMCID: PMC2749087 DOI: 10.1111/j.1582-4934.2008.00557.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular chaperones and heat shock proteins (Hsp) have emerged as critical regulators of proteins associated with neurodegenerative disease pathologies. The very nature of the chaperone system, which is to maintain protein quality control, means that most nascent proteins come in contact with chaperone proteins. Thus, amyloid precursor protein (APP), members of the gamma-secretase complex (presenilin 1 [PS1] collectively), the microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) as well as a number of neuroinflammatory components are all in contact with chaperones from the moment of their production. Chaperones are often grouped together as one machine presenting abnormal or mutant proteins to the proteasome for degradation, but this is not at all the case. In fact, the chaperone family consists of more than 100 proteins in mammalian cells, and the primary role for most of these proteins is to protect clients following synthesis and during stress; only as a last resort do they facilitate protein degradation. To the best of our current knowledge, the chaperone system in eukaryotic cells revolves around the ATPase activities of Hsp70 and Hsp90, the two primary chaperone scaffolds. Other chaperones and co-chaperones manipulate the ATPase activities of Hsp70 and Hsp90, facilitating either folding of the client or its degradation. In the case of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a number of studies have recently emerged describing the impact that these chaperones have on the proteotoxic effects of tau and amyloid-β accumulation. Here, we present the current understandings of chaperone biology and examine the literature investigating these proteins in the context of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Koren
- Johnnie B. Byrd Sr. Alzheimer's Center and Research Institute, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
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25
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Hippocampal sclerosis with four-repeat tau-positive round inclusions in the dentate gyrus: a new type of four-repeat tauopathy. Acta Neuropathol 2009; 117:713-8. [PMID: 19360425 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-009-0531-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2009] [Revised: 03/30/2009] [Accepted: 03/30/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Hippocampal sclerosis is defined as selective neuronal loss and gliosis of the hippocampus with heterogeneous etiologies, including neurodegenerative tauopathies. We report a 78-year-old woman who presented with depression, in whom postmortem examination revealed almost complete loss of neurons with gliosis in the subiculum and CA1-3 regions of the hippocampus and abundant neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions in the dentate gyrus. The inclusions were round, slightly basophilic and argyrophilic, resembling Pick bodies. However, they were Gallyas- and 4-repeat tau-positive, and 3-repeat tau- and ubiquitin-negative. To our knowledge, the histopathological features in this case were different from those in hippocampal sclerosis or 4-repeat tauopathies reported previously. It is likely that this case is a new variant of 4-repeat tauopathy presenting with hippocampal sclerosis.
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Gendron TF, Petrucelli L. The role of tau in neurodegeneration. Mol Neurodegener 2009; 4:13. [PMID: 19284597 PMCID: PMC2663562 DOI: 10.1186/1750-1326-4-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 295] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2009] [Accepted: 03/11/2009] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the identification of tau as the main component of neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies, and the discovery that mutations in the tau gene cause frontotemporal dementia, much effort has been directed towards determining how the aggregation of tau into fibrillar inclusions causes neuronal death. As evidence emerges that tau-mediated neuronal death can occur even in the absence of tangle formation, a growing number of studies are focusing on understanding how abnormalities in tau (e.g. aberrant phosphorylation, glycosylation or truncation) confer toxicity. Though data obtained from experimental models of tauopathies strongly support the involvement of pathologically modified tau and tau aggregates in neurodegeneration, the exact neurotoxic species remain unclear, as do the mechanism(s) by which they cause neuronal death. Nonetheless, it is believed that tau-mediated neurodegeneration is likely to result from a combination of toxic gains of function as well as from the loss of normal tau function. To truly appreciate the detrimental consequences of aberrant tau function, a better understanding of all functions carried out by tau, including but not limited to the role of tau in microtubule assembly and stabilization, is required. This review will summarize what is currently known regarding the involvement of tau in the initiation and development of neurodegeneration in tauopathies, and will also highlight some of the remaining questions in need of further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania F Gendron
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
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27
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Zhou J, Yu Q, Zou T. Alternative splicing of exon 10 in the tau gene as a target for treatment of tauopathies. BMC Neurosci 2008; 9 Suppl 2:S10. [PMID: 19090983 PMCID: PMC2604894 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2202-9-s2-s10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau aggregation is one of the major features in Alzheimer's disease and in several other tauopathies, including frontotemporal dementia with Parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17), and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). More than 35 mutations in the tau gene have been identified from FTDP-17 patients. A group of these mutations alters splicing of exon 10, resulting in an increase in exon 10 inclusion into tau mRNA. Abnormal splicing with inclusion of exon 10 into tau mRNA has also been observed in PSP and AD patients. These results indicate that abnormal splicing of exon 10, leading to the production of tau with exon 10, is probably one of the mechanisms by which tau accumulates and aggregates in tauopathic brains. Therefore, modulation of exon 10 splicing in the tau gene could potentially be targeted to prevent tauopathies. To identify small molecules or compounds that could potentially be developed into drugs to treat tauopathies, we established a cell-based high-throughput screening assay. In this review, we will discuss how realistic, specific biological molecules can be found to regulate exon 10 splicing in the tau gene for potential treatment of tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhua Zhou
- Department of Medicine, Program in Neuroscience, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Qingming Yu
- Department of Medicine, Program in Neuroscience, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Tie Zou
- Department of Medicine, Program in Neuroscience, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
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28
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LeBoeuf AC, Levy SF, Gaylord M, Bhattacharya A, Singh AK, Jordan MA, Wilson L, Feinstein SC. FTDP-17 mutations in Tau alter the regulation of microtubule dynamics: an "alternative core" model for normal and pathological Tau action. J Biol Chem 2008; 283:36406-15. [PMID: 18940799 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m803519200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations affecting either the structure or regulation of the microtubule-associated protein Tau cause neuronal cell death and dementia. However, the molecular mechanisms mediating these deleterious effects remain unclear. Among the most characterized activities of Tau is the ability to regulate microtubule dynamics, known to be essential for proper cell function and viability. Here we have tested the hypothesis that Tau mutations causing neurodegeneration also alter the ability of Tau to regulate the dynamic instability behaviors of microtubules. Using in vitro microtubule dynamics assays to assess average microtubule growth rates, microtubule growth rate distributions, and catastrophe frequencies, we found that all tested mutants possessing amino acid substitutions or deletions mapping to either the repeat or interrepeat regions of Tau do indeed compromise its ability to regulate microtubule dynamics. Further mutational analyses suggest a novel mechanism of Tau regulatory action based on an "alternative core" of microtubule binding and regulatory activities composed of two repeats and the interrepeat between them. In this model, the interrepeat serves as the primary regulator of microtubule dynamics, whereas the flanking repeats serve as tethers to properly position the interrepeat on the microtubule. Importantly, since there are multiple interrepeats on each Tau molecule, there are also multiple cores on each Tau molecule, each with distinct mechanistic capabilities, thereby providing significant regulatory potential. Taken together, the data are consistent with a microtubule misregulation mechanism for Tau-mediated neuronal cell death and provide a novel mechanistic model for normal and pathological Tau action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adria C LeBoeuf
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Molecular and Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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Parkinsonism and impaired axonal transport in a mouse model of frontotemporal dementia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2008; 105:15997-6002. [PMID: 18832465 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0808084105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is characterized by cognitive and behavioral changes and, in a significant subset of patients, Parkinsonism. Histopathologically, FTD frequently presents with tau-containing lesions, which in familial cases result from mutations in the MAPT gene encoding tau. Here we present a novel transgenic mouse strain (K3) that expresses human tau carrying the FTD mutation K369I. K3 mice develop a progressive histopathology that is reminiscent of that in human FTD with the K369I mutation. In addition, K3 mice show early-onset memory impairment and amyotrophy in the absence of overt neurodegeneration. Different from our previously generated tau transgenic strains, the K3 mice express the transgene in the substantia nigra (SN) and show an early-onset motor phenotype that reproduces Parkinsonism with tremor, bradykinesia, abnormal gait, and postural instability. Interestingly, motor performance of young, but not old, K3 mice improves upon L-dopa treatment, which bears similarities to Parkinsonism in FTD. The early-onset symptoms in the K3 mice are mechanistically related to selectively impaired anterograde axonal transport of distinct cargos, which precedes the loss of dopaminergic SN neurons that occurs in aged mice. The impaired axonal transport in SN neurons affects, among others, vesicles containing the dopamine-synthesizing enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase. Distinct modes of transport are also impaired in sciatic nerves, which may explain amyotrophy. Together, the K3 mice are a unique model of FTD-associated Parkinsonism, with pathomechanistic implications for the human pathologic process.
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Chang E, Kim S, Yin H, Nagaraja HN, Kuret J. Pathogenic missense MAPT mutations differentially modulate tau aggregation propensity at nucleation and extension steps. J Neurochem 2008; 107:1113-23. [PMID: 18803694 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2008.05692.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Mutations in the MAPT gene encoding tau protein lead to neurofibrillary lesion formation, neurodegeneration, and cognitive decline associated with frontotemporal lobar degeneration. While some pathogenic mutations affect MAPT introns, resulting in abnormal splicing patterns, the majority occur in the tau coding sequence leading to single amino acid changes in tau primary structure. Depending on their location within the polypeptide chain, tau missense mutations have been reported to augment aggregation propensity. To determine the mechanisms underlying mutation-associated changes in aggregation behavior, the fibrillization of recombinant pathogenic mutants R5L, G272V, P301L, V337M, and R406W prepared in a full-length four-repeat human tau background was examined in vitro as a function of time and submicromolar tau concentrations using electron microscopy assay methods. Kinetic constants for nucleation and extension phases of aggregation were then estimated by direct measurement and mathematical simulation. Results indicated that the mutants differ from each other and from wild-type tau in their aggregation propensity. G272V and P301L mutations increased the rates of both filament nucleation and extension reactions, whereas R5L and V337M increased only the nucleation phase. R406W did not differ from wild-type in any kinetic parameter. The results show that missense mutations can directly promote tau filament formation at different stages of the aggregation pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Chang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
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31
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Liu F, Gong CX. Tau exon 10 alternative splicing and tauopathies. Mol Neurodegener 2008; 3:8. [PMID: 18616804 PMCID: PMC2483273 DOI: 10.1186/1750-1326-3-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 203] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2008] [Accepted: 07/10/2008] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Abnormalities of microtubule-associated protein tau play a central role in neurofibrillary degeneration in several neurodegenerative disorders that collectively called tauopathies. Six isoforms of tau are expressed in adult human brain, which result from alternative splicing of pre-mRNA generated from a single tau gene. Alternative splicing of tau exon 10 results in tau isoforms containing either three or four microtubule-binding repeats (3R-tau and 4R-tau, respectively). Approximately equal levels of 3R-tau and 4R-tau are expressed in normal adult human brain, but the 3R-tau/4R-tau ratio is altered in the brains in several tauopathies. Discovery of silence mutations and intronic mutations of tau gene in some individuals with frontotemporal dementia with Parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17), which only disrupt tau exon 10 splicing but do not alter tau's primary sequence, demonstrates that dysregulation of tau exon 10 alternative splicing and consequently of 3R-tau/4R-tau balance is sufficient to cause neurodegeneration and dementia. Here, we review the gene structure, transcripts and protein isoforms of tau, followed by the regulation of exon 10 splicing that determines the expression of 3R-tau or 4R-tau. Finally, dysregulation of exon 10 splicing of tau in several tauopathies is discussed. Understanding the molecular mechanisms by which tau exon 10 splicing is regulated and how it is disrupted in tauopathies will provide new insight into the mechanisms of these tauopathies and help identify new therapeutic targets to treat these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York 10314, USA.
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Shemesh OA, Erez H, Ginzburg I, Spira ME. Tau-Induced Traffic Jams Reflect Organelles Accumulation at Points of Microtubule Polar Mismatching. Traffic 2008; 9:458-71. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0854.2007.00695.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Wang JZ, Liu F. Microtubule-associated protein tau in development, degeneration and protection of neurons. Prog Neurobiol 2008; 85:148-75. [PMID: 18448228 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2008.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 278] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2007] [Revised: 12/29/2007] [Accepted: 03/13/2008] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
As a principal neuronal microtubule-associated protein, tau has been recognized to play major roles in promoting microtubule assembly and stabilizing the microtubules and to maintain the normal morphology of the neurons. Recent studies suggest that tau, upon alternative mRNA splicing and multiple posttranslational modifications, may participate in the regulations of intracellular signal transduction, development and viability of the neurons. Furthermore, tau gene mutations, aberrant mRNA splicing and abnormal posttranslational modifications, such as hyperphosphorylation, have also been found in a number of neurodegenerative disorders, collectively known as tauopathies. Therefore, changes in expression of the tau gene, alternative splicing of its mRNA and its posttranslational modification can modulate the normal architecture and functions of neurons as well as in a situation of tauopathies, such as Alzheimer's disease. The primary aim of this review is to summarize the latest developments and perspectives in our understanding about the roles of tau, especially hyperphosphorylation, in the development, degeneration and protection of neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Zhi Wang
- Pathophysiology Department, Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, PR China.
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A novel transgenic mouse expressing double mutant tau driven by its natural promoter exhibits tauopathy characteristics. Exp Neurol 2008; 212:71-84. [PMID: 18490011 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2008.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2007] [Revised: 02/20/2008] [Accepted: 03/04/2008] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The neurofibrillary-tangles (NTFs), characteristic of tauopathies including Alzheimer's-disease (AD), are the pathological features which correlate best with dementia. The objective of our study was to generate an authentic transgenic (tg) animal model for NFT pathology in tauopathy/AD. Previous NFT-tg mice were driven by non-related/non-homologous promoters. Our strategy was to use the natural tau promoter for expressing the human-tau (htau) gene with two mutations K257T/P301S (double mutant, DM) associated with severe phenotypes of frontotemporal-dementia in humans. Cellular, biochemical, behavioral and electrophysiological studies were subsequently conducted. The tg mice showed a tolerated physiological level of the DM-htau protein, mostly in cortex and hippocampus. The mice demonstrated tauopathy-like characteristics, which increased with age, that included NFT-related pathology, astrogliosis, argyrophilic plaque-like (amyloid-free) structures in brain, with memory deficits and signs of anxiety. Moreover, the tg mice showed a robust synaptic plasticity deficit selectively expressed in a severe impairment in their ability to maintain hippocampal long-term-potentiation (LTP) in response to stimulation of the perforant path, providing evidence that "tau-pathology only" is sufficient to cause this memory and learning-associated deficit. This is a unique mutant-htau-tg model which presents a wide spectrum of features characteristic of tauopathy/AD, which does not show unrelated motor deficits described in other models of tauopathy. In addition, expressing the DM-htau in a neuronal cell model resulted in tau-aggregation, as well as impaired microtubule arrangement. Both animal and cell models, which were regulated under the natural tau promoter (of rat origin), provide authentic and reliable models for tauopathy, and offer valuable tools for understanding the molecular events underlying tauopathies including AD.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review addresses the latest developments in the genetics of frontotemporal lobar degeneration. 'Frontotemporal lobar degeneration' is the clinical term used to describe a heterogeneous neurodegenerative syndrome that includes frontotemporal dementia, semantic dementia, progressive nonfluent aphasia and progressive apraxia. Up to 40% of patients with frontotemporal lobar degeneration have a family history of a similar disorder in a first-degree relative, highlighting a significant genetic contribution to the aetiology of this disorder. RECENT FINDINGS Four genes that cause autosomal frontotemporal lobar degeneration have already been identified, including two that are only 1.7 megabases apart on chromosome 17. SUMMARY Although much progress has been made in our understanding of the genetics of frontotemporal lobar degeneration in recent years, the majority of the genetic causes of this syndrome remains to be identified.
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Neuropathology of Hereditary Forms of Frontotemporal Dementia and Parkinsonism. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2008; 89:393-414. [DOI: 10.1016/s0072-9752(07)01237-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Richardson A, Neary D. Clinical aspects of hereditary frontotemporal dementia. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2008; 89:365-376. [PMID: 18631760 DOI: 10.1016/s0072-9752(07)01234-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Richardson
- Clinical Neuroscience Group, Cerebral Function Unit, Greater Manchester Neuroscience Centre, Hope Hospital, Salford, UK
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39
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40
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Rabinovici GD, Rascovsky K, Miller BL. Frontotemporal lobar degeneration: clinical and pathologic overview. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2008; 89:343-64. [PMID: 18631759 DOI: 10.1016/s0072-9752(07)01233-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-associated protein involved in microtubule assembly and stabilization. Filamentous deposits made of tau constitute a major defining characteristic of several neurodegenerative diseases known as tauopathies including Alzheimer's disease. The involvement of tau in neurodegeneration has been clarified by the identification of genetic mutations in the tau gene in cases with familial frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17). Although the mechanism through which tau mutations lead to neuronal death is still unresolved, it is clear that tau mutations lead to formation of tau filaments that have a different morphology, contain different types of tau isoforms and produce distinct tau deposits. The range of tau pathology identified in FTDP-17 recapitulates the tau pathology present in sporadic tauopathies and indicates that tau dysfunction plays a major role also in these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Gasparini
- Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Abstract
This article describes the remarkable progress that has been made over the past decade in identifying the genetic contribution to frontotemporal dementia. The clinical and neuropathologic features of frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 and the nature of the mutations in the progranulin and microtubule-associated protein tau genes are emphasized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristoffer Haugarvoll
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
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43
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Pickering-Brown SM. Progranulin and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Acta Neuropathol 2007; 114:39-47. [PMID: 17572900 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-007-0241-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2007] [Revised: 05/18/2007] [Accepted: 05/18/2007] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration is the term used to describe the non-Alzheimer clinical syndromes of frontotemporal dementia, semantic dementia and progressive non-fluent aphasia, regardless of the underlying neuropathological features. Considerable progress has been made in recent years in our understanding of the aetiology of this disorder, notably the identification of mutations in tau and progranulin genes, both on chromosome 17q21. Mutations in tau appear to affect the ability of tau to bind microtubules and/or increase this protein's ability to form fibrils. In contrast, progranulin mutations cause haploinsufficiency leading to TDP-43 accumulation. These genes collectively account for 10-20% of FTLD. However, it is clear that much remains to be discovered before our knowledge of this heterogeneous condition is complete.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart M Pickering-Brown
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Stopford Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK.
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44
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Abstract
Tau protein is involved in microtubule assembly and stabilization. Filamentous deposits made of tau constitute a defining characteristic of several neurodegenerative diseases. The relevance of tau dysfunction for neurodegeneration has been clarified through the identification of mutations in the Tau gene in cases with frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17). Although the mechanisms by which these mutations lead to nerve cell death are only incompletely understood, it is clear that they cause the formation of tau filaments with distinct morphologies and isoform compositions. The range of tau pathology identified in FTDP-17 recapitulates that in sporadic tauopathies, indicating a major role for tau dysfunction in these diseases.
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45
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Van Deerlin VM, Forman MS, Farmer JM, Grossman M, Joyce S, Crowe A, Trojanowski JQ, Lee VMY, Chatterjee A. Biochemical and pathological characterization of frontotemporal dementia due to a Leu266Val mutation in microtubule-associated protein tau in an African American individual. Acta Neuropathol 2007; 113:471-9. [PMID: 17072625 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-006-0155-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2006] [Revised: 10/02/2006] [Accepted: 10/03/2006] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a clinically heterogeneous disorder characterized by alterations in language and/or behavior, often in association with Parkinsonism or motor neuron disease. A familial form of FTD is associated with mutations in the microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) gene. We report here on the clinical, neuroimaging, cerebral spinal fluid biomarker, genetic, biochemical and postmortem neuropathological analyses of a case of familial FTD with a Leu266Val MAPT mutation which results in a very early age of onset and a rapid course of disease. This is also the first reported case of any MAPT mutation in an individual of African American ethnicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivianna M Van Deerlin
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research and Institute on Aging, University of Pennsylvania, 3600 Spruce St., 3 Maloney Bldg., Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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46
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Quadros A, Weeks OI, Ait-Ghezala G. Role of tau in Alzheimer's dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. J Appl Biomed 2007. [DOI: 10.32725/jab.2007.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
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47
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Pickering-Brown SM. The complex aetiology of frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Exp Neurol 2007; 206:1-10. [PMID: 17509568 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2007.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2006] [Revised: 02/26/2007] [Accepted: 03/16/2007] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is now a widely recognised form of dementia. This heterogeneous disease has been of particular interest to geneticists due to its high rate of heritability with up to 40% of patients reporting a family history of the disease in at least one extra family member. There have been several chromosome loci linked to this disorder and three genes have already been identified. Remarkably, it has been recently demonstrated that 2 of these are only 1.7 Mb from one another on chromosome 17q21, these being tau and progranulin. The identification of these genes has contributed greatly to our understanding of the differing neuropathologies associated with FTLD. Furthermore, the discovery that TDP-43 is a component of the neuronal inclusions seen in the most common neuropathological subtype has also helped expand the biochemical pathways that are the focus of much FTLD research. Nevertheless, other genes causing FTLD remain to be identified and their biology elucidated before we have a complete understanding of the complex aetiology of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart M Pickering-Brown
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Stopford Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, and Hope Hospital, Salford, M6 8HD, UK.
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Yoshiyama Y, Higuchi M, Zhang B, Huang SM, Iwata N, Saido TC, Maeda J, Suhara T, Trojanowski JQ, Lee VMY. Synapse loss and microglial activation precede tangles in a P301S tauopathy mouse model. Neuron 2007; 53:337-51. [PMID: 17270732 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2007.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1424] [Impact Index Per Article: 83.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2006] [Revised: 12/06/2006] [Accepted: 01/10/2007] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Filamentous tau inclusions are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related tauopathies, but earlier pathologies may herald disease onset. To investigate this, we studied wild-type and P301S mutant human tau transgenic (Tg) mice. Filamentous tau lesions developed in P301S Tg mice at 6 months of age, and progressively accumulated in association with striking neuron loss as well as hippocampal and entorhinal cortical atrophy by 9-12 months of age. Remarkably, hippocampal synapse loss and impaired synaptic function were detected in 3 month old P301S Tg mice before fibrillary tau tangles emerged. Prominent microglial activation also preceded tangle formation. Importantly, immunosuppression of young P301S Tg mice with FK506 attenuated tau pathology and increased lifespan, thereby linking neuroinflammation to early progression of tauopathies. Thus, hippocampal synaptic pathology and microgliosis may be the earliest manifestations of neurodegenerative tauopathies, and abrogation of tau-induced microglial activation could retard progression of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasumasa Yoshiyama
- The Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Abstract
Tau proteins are building blocks of the filaments that form neurofibrillary tangles of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related neurodegenerative tauopathies. It was recently reported that two VQIXXK motifs in the microtubule (MT) binding region, named PHF6 and PHF6*, are responsible for tau fibrillization. However, the exact role each of these motifs plays in this process has not been analyzed in detail. Using a recombinant human tau fragment containing only the four MT-binding repeats (K18), we show that deletion of either PHF6 or PHF6* affected tau assembly but only PHF6 is essential for filament formation, suggesting a critical role of this motif. To determine the amino acid residues within PHF6 that are required for tau fibrillization, a series of deletion and mutation constructs targeting this motif were generated. Deletion of VQI in either PHF6 or PHF6* lessened but did not eliminate K18 fibrillization. However, removal of the single K311 residue from PHF6 completely abrogated the fibril formation of K18. K311D mutation of K18 inhibited tau filament formation, while K311A and K311R mutations had no effect. These data imply that charge change at position 311 is important in tau fibril formation. A similar requirement of nonnegative charge at this position for fibrillization was observed with the full-length human tau isoform (T40), and data from these studies indicate that the formation of fibrils by T40K311D and T40K311P mutants is repressed at the nucleation phase. These findings provide important insights into the mechanisms of tau fibrillization and suggest targets for AD drug discovery to ameliorate neurodegeneration mediated by filamentous tau pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenkai Li
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
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Wang LN, Zhu MW, Feng YQ, Wang JH. Pick's disease with Pick bodies combined with progressive supranuclear palsy without tuft-shaped astrocytes: a clinical, neuroradiologic and pathological study of an autopsied case. Neuropathology 2006; 26:222-30. [PMID: 16771179 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1789.2006.00671.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
We report clinical, neuroradiologic features, and neuropathologic findings of a 76-year-old man with coexistent Pick's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy. The patient presented with loss of recent memory, abnormal behavior and change in personality at the age of 60. The symptoms were progressive. Three years later, repetitive or compulsive behavior became prominent. About 9 years after onset, he had difficulty moving and became bedridden because of a fracture of his left leg. His condition gradually deteriorated and he developed mutism and became vegetative. The patient died from pneumonia 16 years after the onset of symptoms. Serial MRI scans showed progressive cortex atrophy, especially in the bilateral frontal and temporal lobes. Macroscopic inspection showed severe atrophy of the whole brain, including cerebrum, brainstem and cerebellum. Microscopic observations showed extensive superficial spongiosis and severe neuronal loss with gliosis in the second and third cortical layers in the frontal, temporal and parietal cortex. There were Pick cells and argyrophilic Pick bodies, which were tau- and ubiquitin-positive in neurons of layers II-III of the above-mentioned cortex. Numerous argyrophilic Pick bodies were observed in the hippocampus, especially in the dentate fascia. In addition, moderate to severe loss of neurons was found with gliosis and a lot of Gallyas/tau-positive globus neurofibrillary tangles in the caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, thalamus, substantia nigra, locus coeruleus and dentate nucleus. Numerous thorned-astrocytes and coiled bodies but no-tuft shaped astrocytes were noted in the basal ganglion, brainstem and cerebellar white matter. In conclusion, these histopathological features were compatible with classical Pick's disease and coexistence with progressive supranuclear palsy without tuft-shaped astrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu-Ning Wang
- Department of Geriatric Neurology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, no. 28 Fuxing Road, Beijing 100853, China.
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