1
|
Dion W, Tao Y, Chambers M, Zhao S, Arbuckle RK, Sun M, Kubra S, Nie Y, Ye M, Larsen MB, Camarco D, Ickes E, DuPont C, Wang H, Wang B, Liu S, Pi S, Chen BB, Chen Y, Chen X, Zhu B. Nuclear speckle rejuvenation alleviates proteinopathies at the expense of YAP1. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.18.590103. [PMID: 38659924 PMCID: PMC11042303 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.18.590103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Current treatments targeting individual protein quality control have limited efficacy in alleviating proteinopathies, highlighting the prerequisite for a common upstream druggable target capable of global proteostasis modulation. Building on our prior research establishing nuclear speckles as pivotal organelles responsible for global proteostasis transcriptional control, we aim to alleviate proteinopathies through nuclear speckle rejuvenation. We identified pyrvinium pamoate as a small-molecule nuclear speckle rejuvenator that enhances protein quality control while suppressing YAP1 signaling via decreasing the surface tension of nuclear speckle condensates through interaction with the intrinsically disordered region of nuclear speckle scaffold protein SON. In pre-clinical models, pyrvinium pamoate reduced tauopathy and alleviated retina degeneration by promoting autophagy and ubiquitin-proteasome system. Aberrant nuclear speckle morphology, reduced protein quality control and increased YAP1 activity were also observed in human tauopathies. Our study uncovers novel therapeutic targets for tackling protein misfolding disorders within an expanded proteostasis framework encompassing nuclear speckles and YAP1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William Dion
- Aging Institute of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
| | - Yuren Tao
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, U.S.A
| | - Maci Chambers
- Aging Institute of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
| | - Shanshan Zhao
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, U.S.A
| | - Riley K. Arbuckle
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA, U.S.A
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Michelle Sun
- Aging Institute of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
| | - Syeda Kubra
- Aging Institute of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
| | - Yuhang Nie
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, U.S.A
| | - Megan Ye
- Aging Institute of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
| | - Mads B. Larsen
- Aging Institute of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
| | - Daniel Camarco
- Aging Institute of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
| | - Eleanor Ickes
- Aging Institute of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
| | - Claire DuPont
- Aging Institute of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
| | - Haokun Wang
- Aging Institute of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
| | - Bingjie Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA, U.S.A
| | - Silvia Liu
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
| | - Shaohua Pi
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA, U.S.A
| | - Bill B Chen
- Aging Institute of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
| | - Yuanyuan Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA, U.S.A
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA, U.S.A
| | - Xu Chen
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, U.S.A
| | - Bokai Zhu
- Aging Institute of UPMC, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Pádua MS, Guil-Guerrero JL, Prates JAM, Lopes PA. Insights on the Use of Transgenic Mice Models in Alzheimer's Disease Research. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2805. [PMID: 38474051 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), the leading cause of dementia, presents a significant global health challenge with no known cure to date. Central to our understanding of AD pathogenesis is the β-amyloid cascade hypothesis, which underlies drug research and discovery efforts. Despite extensive studies, no animal models of AD have completely validated this hypothesis. Effective AD models are essential for accurately replicating key pathological features of the disease, notably the formation of β-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. These pathological markers are primarily driven by mutations in the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin 1 (PS1) genes in familial AD (FAD) and by tau protein mutations for the tangle pathology. Transgenic mice models have been instrumental in AD research, heavily relying on the overexpression of mutated APP genes to simulate disease conditions. However, these models do not entirely replicate the human condition of AD. This review aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the historical and ongoing research efforts in AD, particularly through the use of transgenic mice models. It is focused on the benefits gathered from these transgenic mice models in understanding β-amyloid toxicity and the broader biological underpinnings of AD. Additionally, the review critically assesses the application of these models in the preclinical testing of new therapeutic interventions, highlighting the gap between animal models and human clinical realities. This analysis underscores the need for refinement in AD research methodologies to bridge this gap and enhance the translational value of preclinical studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mafalda Soares Pádua
- CIISA-Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal
- Laboratório Associado para Ciência Animal e Veterinária (AL4AnimalS), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - José L Guil-Guerrero
- Departamento de Tecnología de Alimentos, Universidad de Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - José A M Prates
- CIISA-Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal
- Laboratório Associado para Ciência Animal e Veterinária (AL4AnimalS), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Paula Alexandra Lopes
- CIISA-Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal
- Laboratório Associado para Ciência Animal e Veterinária (AL4AnimalS), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Bali S, Singh R, Wydorski PM, Wosztyl A, Perez VA, Chen D, Rizo J, Joachimiak LA. Ensemble-based design of tau to inhibit aggregation while preserving biological activity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.13.571598. [PMID: 38168322 PMCID: PMC10760154 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.13.571598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The microtubule-associated protein tau is implicated in neurodegenerative diseases characterized by amyloid formation. Mutations associated with frontotemporal dementia increase tau aggregation propensity and disrupt its endogenous microtubule-binding activity. The structural relationship between aggregation propensity and biological activity remains unclear. We employed a multi-disciplinary approach, including computational modeling, NMR, cross-linking mass spectrometry, and cell models to design tau sequences that stabilize its structural ensemble. Our findings reveal that substitutions near the conserved 'PGGG' beta-turn motif can modulate local conformation, more stably engaging in interactions with the 306 VQIVYK 311 amyloid motif to decrease aggregation in vitro and in cells. Designed tau sequences maintain microtubule binding and explain why 3R isoforms of tau exhibit reduced pathogenesis over 4R isoforms. We propose a simple mechanism to reduce the formation of pathogenic species while preserving biological function, offering insights for therapeutic strategies aimed at reducing protein misfolding in neurodegenerative diseases.
Collapse
|
4
|
Van Dam D, Valkenburg F, Van Kolen K, Pintelon I, Timmermans JP, De Deyn PP. Behavioral and Neuropathological Phenotyping of the Tau58/2 and Tau58/4 Transgenic Mouse Models for FTDP-17. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2088. [PMID: 37895469 PMCID: PMC10608666 DOI: 10.3390/life13102088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Tau58/2 and Tau58/4 mouse lines expressing 0N4R tau with a P301S mutation mimic aspects of frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17). In a side-by-side comparison, we report the age-dependent development of cognitive, motor, and behavioral deficits in comparison with the spatial-temporal evolution of cellular tau pathology in both models. METHODS We applied the SHIRPA primary screen and specific neuromotor, behavioral, and cognitive paradigms. The spatiotemporal development of tau pathology was investigated immunohistochemically. Levels of sarkosyl-insoluble paired helical filaments were determined via a MesoScale Discovery biomarker assay. RESULTS Neuromotor impairments developed from age 3 months in both models. On electron microscopy, spinal cord neurofibrillary pathology was visible in mice aged 3 months; however, AT8 immunoreactivity was not yet observed in Tau58/4 mice. Behavioral abnormalities and memory deficits occurred at a later stage (>9 months) when tau pathology was fully disseminated throughout the brain. Spatiotemporally, tau pathology spread from the spinal cord via the midbrain to the frontal cortex, while the hippocampus was relatively spared, thus explaining the late onset of cognitive deficits. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate the face and construct validity of both Tau58 models, which may provide new, valuable insights into the pathologic effects of tau species in vivo and may consequently facilitate the development of new therapeutic targets to delay or halt neurodegenerative processes occurring in tauopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Debby Van Dam
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Behavior, Experimental Neurobiology Unit, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium;
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Femke Valkenburg
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Behavior, Experimental Neurobiology Unit, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium;
| | - Kristof Van Kolen
- Neuroscience Department, Janssen Research and Development, 2340 Beerse, Belgium;
| | - Isabel Pintelon
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium; (I.P.); (J.-P.T.)
| | - Jean-Pierre Timmermans
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium; (I.P.); (J.-P.T.)
| | - Peter Paul De Deyn
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Behavior, Experimental Neurobiology Unit, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium;
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Emmerson JT, Malcolm JC, Do Carmo S, Nguyen P, Breuillaud L, Martinez-Trujillo JC, Cuello AC. Neuronal loss and inflammation preceding fibrillary tau pathology in a rat model with early human-like tauopathy. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 187:106317. [PMID: 37802153 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In tauopathies such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), the microtubule associated protein tau undergoes conformational and posttranslational modifications in a gradual, staged pathological process. While brain atrophy and cognitive decline are well-established in the advanced stages of tauopathy, it is unclear how the early pathological processes manifest prior to extensive neurodegeneration. For these studies we have applied a transgenic rat model of human-like tauopathy in its heterozygous form, named McGill-R955-hTau. The goal of the present study was to investigate whether lifelong accumulation of mutated human tau could reveal the earliest tau pathological processes in a context of advanced aging, and, at stages before the overt aggregated or fibrillary tau deposition. We characterized the phenotype of heterozygous R955-hTau rats at three endpoints, 10, 18 and 24-26 months of age, focusing on markers of cognitive capabilities, progressive tau pathology, neuronal health, neuroinflammation and brain ultrastructural integrity, using immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. Heterozygous R955-hTau transgenic rats feature a modest, life-long accumulation of mutated human tau that led to tau hyperphosphorylation and produced deficits in learning and memory tasks after 24 months of age. Such impairments coincided with more extensive tau hyperphosphorylation in the brain at residues pThr231 and with evidence of oligomerization. Importantly, aged R955-hTau rats presented evidence of neuroinflammation, detriments to myelin morphology and detectable hippocampal neuronal loss in the absence of overt neurofibrillary lesions and brain atrophy. The slow-progressing tauopathy of R955-hTau rats should allow to better delineate the temporal progression of tau pathological events and therefore to distinguish early indicators of tauopathy as having the capability to induce degenerative events in the aged CNS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua T Emmerson
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Janice C Malcolm
- Department of Cell Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal H3A 0C7, Canada
| | - Sonia Do Carmo
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Phuoc Nguyen
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Lionel Breuillaud
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Julio C Martinez-Trujillo
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Robarts Research Institute and Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, ON N6A 5B7, Canada; Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - A Claudio Cuello
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal H3G 1Y6, Canada; Department of Cell Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal H3A 0C7, Canada; Visiting Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Oxford University, Oxford, UK, OX1 3QT.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Schweighauser M, Murzin AG, Macdonald J, Lavenir I, Crowther RA, Scheres SHW, Goedert M. Cryo-EM structures of tau filaments from the brains of mice transgenic for human mutant P301S Tau. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:160. [PMID: 37798679 PMCID: PMC10552433 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01658-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Mice transgenic for human mutant P301S tau are widely used as models for human tauopathies. They develop neurodegeneration and abundant filamentous inclusions made of human mutant four-repeat tau. Here we used electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) to determine the structures of tau filaments from the brains of Tg2541 and PS19 mice. Both lines express human P301S tau (0N4R for Tg2541 and 1N4R for PS19) on mixed genetic backgrounds and downstream of different promoters (murine Thy1 for Tg2541 and murine Prnp for PS19). The structures of tau filaments from Tg2541 and PS19 mice differ from each other and those of wild-type tau filaments from human brains. The structures of tau filaments from the brains of humans with mutations P301L, P301S or P301T in MAPT are not known. Filaments from the brains of Tg2541 and PS19 mice share a substructure at the junction of repeats 2 and 3, which comprises residues I297-V312 of tau and includes the P301S mutation. The filament core from the brainstem of Tg2541 mice consists of residues K274-H329 of tau and two disconnected protein densities. Two non-proteinaceous densities are also in evidence. The filament core from the cerebral cortex of line PS19 extends from residues G271-P364 of tau. One strong non-proteinaceous density is also present. Unlike the tau filaments from human brains, the sequences following repeat 4 are missing from the cores of tau filaments from the brains of Tg2541 and PS19 mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexey G Murzin
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Isabelle Lavenir
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Sjors H W Scheres
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Michel Goedert
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Zhao X, Zeng W, Xu H, Sun Z, Hu Y, Peng B, McBride JD, Duan J, Deng J, Zhang B, Kim SJ, Zoll B, Saito T, Sasaguri H, Saido TC, Ballatore C, Yao H, Wang Z, Trojanowski JQ, Brunden KR, Lee VMY, He Z. A microtubule stabilizer ameliorates protein pathogenesis and neurodegeneration in mouse models of repetitive traumatic brain injury. Sci Transl Med 2023; 15:eabo6889. [PMID: 37703352 PMCID: PMC10787216 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abo6889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Tau pathogenesis is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although the events leading to initial tau misfolding and subsequent tau spreading in patient brains are largely unknown, traumatic brain injury (TBI) may be a risk factor for tau-mediated neurodegeneration. Using a repetitive TBI (rTBI) paradigm, we report that rTBI induced somatic accumulation of phosphorylated and misfolded tau, as well as neurodegeneration across multiple brain areas in 7-month-old tau transgenic PS19 mice but not wild-type (WT) mice. rTBI accelerated somatic tau pathology in younger PS19 mice and WT mice only after inoculation with tau preformed fibrils and AD brain-derived pathological tau (AD-tau), respectively, suggesting that tau seeds are needed for rTBI-induced somatic tau pathology. rTBI further disrupted axonal microtubules and induced punctate tau and TAR DNA binding protein 43 (TDP-43) pathology in the optic tracts of WT mice. These changes in the optic tract were associated with a decline of visual function. Treatment with a brain-penetrant microtubule-stabilizing molecule reduced rTBI-induced tau, TDP-43 pathogenesis, and neurodegeneration in the optic tract as well as visual dysfunction. Treatment with the microtubule stabilizer also alleviated rTBI-induced tau pathology in the cortices of AD-tau-inoculated WT mice. These results indicate that rTBI facilitates abnormal microtubule organization, pathological tau formation, and neurodegeneration and suggest microtubule stabilization as a potential therapeutic avenue for TBI-induced neurodegeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Zhao
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wen Zeng
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hong Xu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Zihan Sun
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yingxin Hu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Beibei Peng
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Jennifer D McBride
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jiangtao Duan
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Juan Deng
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Soo-Jung Kim
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Bryan Zoll
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Takashi Saito
- Laboratory of Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Department of Neurocognitive Science, Institute of Brain Science, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Science, Nagoya, Aichi 467-8601, Japan
| | - Hiroki Sasaguri
- Laboratory of Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Takaomi C Saido
- Laboratory of Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Carlo Ballatore
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Haishan Yao
- Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Zhaoyin Wang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - John Q Trojanowski
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kurt R Brunden
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Virginia M-Y Lee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Zhuohao He
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Brackhan M, Arribas-Blazquez M, Lastres-Becker I. Aging, NRF2, and TAU: A Perfect Match for Neurodegeneration? Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1564. [PMID: 37627559 PMCID: PMC10451380 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12081564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the trigger for the neurodegenerative disease process is unknown, the relevance of aging stands out as a major risk for the development of neurodegeneration. In this review, we highlighted the relationship between the different cellular mechanisms that occur as a consequence of aging and transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (NRF2) and the connection with the TAU protein. We focused on the relevance of NRF2 in the main processes involved in neurodegeneration and associated with aging, such as genomic instability, protein degradation systems (proteasomes/autophagy), cellular senescence, and stem cell exhaustion, as well as inflammation. We also analyzed the effect of aging on TAU protein levels and its aggregation and spread process. Finally, we investigated the interconnection between NRF2 and TAU and the relevance of alterations in the NRF2 signaling pathway in both primary and secondary tauopathies. All these points highlight NRF2 as a possible therapeutic target for tauopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mirjam Brackhan
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Paz (IdiPaz), 28029 Madrid, Spain;
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas “Alberto Sols” UAM-CSIC, c/Arturo Duperier 4, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marina Arribas-Blazquez
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Avda. Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain;
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Lastres-Becker
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas “Alberto Sols” UAM-CSIC, c/Arturo Duperier 4, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Institute Teófilo Hernando for Drug Discovery, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28031 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Emmerson JT, Do Carmo S, Liu Y, Shalhoub A, Liu A, Bonomo Q, Malcolm JC, Breuillaud L, Cuello AC. Progressive human-like tauopathy with downstream neurodegeneration and neurovascular compromise in a transgenic rat model. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 184:106227. [PMID: 37454780 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies, including frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), clinically present with progressive cognitive decline and the deposition of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in the brain. Neurovascular compromise is also prevalent in AD and FTD however the relationship between tau and the neurovascular unit is less understood relative to other degenerative phenotypes. Current animal models confer the ability to recapitulate aspects of the CNS tauopathies, however, existing models either display overaggressive phenotypes, or do not develop neuronal loss or genuine neurofibrillary lesions. In this report, we communicate the longitudinal characterization of brain tauopathy in a novel transgenic rat model, coded McGill-R955-hTau. The model expresses the longest isoform of human P301S tau. Homozygous R955-hTau rats displayed a robust, progressive accumulation of mutated human tau leading to the detection of tau hyperphosphorylation and cognitive deficits accelerating from 14 months of age. This model features extensive tau hyperphosphorylation with endogenous tau recruitment, authentic neurofibrillary lesions, and tau-associated neuronal loss, ventricular dilation, decreased brain volume, and gliosis in aged rats. Further, we demonstrate how neurovascular integrity becomes compromised at aged life stages using a combination of electron microscopy, injection of the tracer horseradish peroxidase and immunohistochemical approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua T Emmerson
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal H3G1Y6, Canada
| | - Sonia Do Carmo
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal H3G1Y6, Canada
| | - Yingying Liu
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal H3G1Y6, Canada
| | - Ali Shalhoub
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal H3A 0C7, Canada
| | - Ai Liu
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Quentin Bonomo
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Janice C Malcolm
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal H3A 0C7, Canada
| | - Lionel Breuillaud
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal H3G1Y6, Canada
| | - A Claudio Cuello
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal H3G1Y6, Canada; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal H3A 1A1, Canada; Department of Pharmacology, Oxford University, Oxford OX13QT, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Mesulam MM, Gefen T, Flanagan M, Castellani R, Jamshidi P, Barbieri E, Sridhar J, Kawles A, Weintraub S, Geula C, Rogalski E. Frontotemporal Degeneration with Transactive Response DNA-Binding Protein Type C at the Anterior Temporal Lobe. Ann Neurol 2023; 94:1-12. [PMID: 37183762 PMCID: PMC10330481 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The anatomical distribution of most neurodegenerative diseases shows considerable interindividual variations. In contrast, frontotemporal lobar degeneration with transactive response DNA-binding protein type C (TDP-C) shows a consistent predilection for the anterior temporal lobe (ATL). The relatively selective atrophy of ATL in TDP-C patients has highlighted the importance of this region for complex cognitive and behavioral functions. This review includes observations on 28 TDP-C patients, 18 with semantic primary progressive aphasia and 10 with other syndromes. Longitudinal imaging allowed the delineation of progression trajectories. At post-mortem examination, the pathognomonic feature of TDP-C consisted of long, thick neurites found predominantly in superficial cortical layers. These neurites may represent dystrophic apical dendrites of layer III and V pyramidal neurons that are known to play pivotal roles in complex cortical computations. Other types of frontotemporal lobar degeneration TDP, such as TDP-A and TDP-B, are not associated with long dystrophic neurites in the cerebral cortex, and do not show similar predilection patterns for ATL. Research is beginning to identify molecular, structural, and immunological differences between pathological TDP-43 in TDP-C versus TDP-A and B. Parallel investigations based on proteomics, somatic mutations, and genome-wide association studies are detecting molecular features that could conceivably mediate the selective vulnerability of ATL to TDP-C. Future work will focus on characterizing the distinctive features of the abnormal TDP-C neurites, the mechanisms of neurotoxicity, initial cellular targets within the ATL, trajectory of spread, and the nature of ATL-specific markers that modulate vulnerability to TDP-C. ANN NEUROL 2023;94:1-12.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marek-Marsel Mesulam
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Tamar Gefen
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Margaret Flanagan
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Rudolph Castellani
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Pouya Jamshidi
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Elena Barbieri
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jaiashre Sridhar
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Allegra Kawles
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sandra Weintraub
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Changiz Geula
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Emily Rogalski
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Kam K, Vetter K, Tejiram RA, Pettibone WD, Shim K, Audrain M, Yu L, Daehn IS, Ehrlich ME, Varga AW. Effect of Aging and a Dual Orexin Receptor Antagonist on Sleep Architecture and Non-REM Oscillations Including an REM Behavior Disorder Phenotype in the PS19 Mouse Model of Tauopathy. J Neurosci 2023; 43:4738-4749. [PMID: 37230765 PMCID: PMC10286944 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1828-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The impact of tau pathology on sleep microarchitecture features, including slow oscillations, spindles, and their coupling, has been understudied, despite the proposed importance of these electrophysiological features toward learning and memory. Dual orexin receptor antagonists (DORAs) are known to promote sleep, but whether and how they affect sleep microarchitecture in the setting of tauopathy is unknown. In the PS19 mouse model of tauopathy MAPT (microtubule-associated protein tau) P301S (both male and female), young PS19 mice 2-3 months old show a sleep electrophysiology signature with markedly reduced spindle duration and power and elevated slow oscillation (SO) density compared with littermate controls, although there is no significant tau hyperphosphorylation, tangle formation, or neurodegeneration at this age. With aging, there is evidence for sleep disruption in PS19 mice, characterized by reduced REM duration, increased non-REM and REM fragmentation, and more frequent brief arousals at the macrolevel and reduced spindle density, SO density, and spindle-SO coupling at the microlevel. In ∼33% of aged PS19 mice, we unexpectedly observed abnormal goal-directed behaviors in REM, including mastication, paw grasp, and forelimb/hindlimb extension, seemingly consistent with REM behavior disorder (RBD). Oral administration of DORA-12 in aged PS19 mice increased non-REM and REM duration, albeit with shorter bout lengths, and increased spindle density, spindle duration, and SO density without change to spindle-SO coupling, power in either the SO or spindle bands, or the arousal index. We observed a significant effect of DORA-12 on objective measures of RBD, thereby encouraging future exploration of DORA effects on sleep-mediated cognition and RBD treatment.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The specific effect of tauopathy on sleep macroarchitecture and microarchitecture throughout aging remains unknown. Our key findings include the following: (1) the identification of a sleep EEG signature constituting an early biomarker of impending tauopathy; (2) sleep physiology deteriorates with aging that are also markers of off-line cognitive processing; (3) the novel observation that dream enactment behaviors reminiscent of RBD occur, likely the first such observation in a tauopathy model; and (4) a dual orexin receptor antagonist is capable of restoring several of the sleep macroarchitecture and microarchitecture abnormalities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Korey Kam
- Catherine and Henry J. Gaisman Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Kenny Vetter
- Catherine and Henry J. Gaisman Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Rachel A Tejiram
- Catherine and Henry J. Gaisman Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Ward D Pettibone
- Catherine and Henry J. Gaisman Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Kaitlyn Shim
- Catherine and Henry J. Gaisman Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Mickael Audrain
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Liping Yu
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Ilse S Daehn
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Michelle E Ehrlich
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Andrew W Varga
- Catherine and Henry J. Gaisman Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Bijttebier S, Rodrigues Martins D, Mertens L, Grauwen K, Bruinzeel W, Willems R, Bartolomé-Nebreda JM, Theunis C, Bretteville A, Ebneth A, Dillen L. IP-LC-MSMS Enables Identification of Three Tau O-GlcNAcylation Sites as O-GlcNAcase Inhibition Pharmacodynamic Readout in Transgenic Mice Overexpressing Human Tau. J Proteome Res 2023; 22:1309-1321. [PMID: 36888912 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.2c00822] [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] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
O-β-linked N-acetylglucosaminylation (O-GlcNAcylation) modulates tau phosphorylation and aggregation: the pharmacological increase of tau O-GlcNAcylation upon treatment with inhibitors of O-GlcNAc hydrolase (OGA) constitutes a potential strategy to tackle neurodegenerative diseases. Analysis of tau O-GlcNAcylation could potentially be used as a pharmacodynamic biomarker both in preclinical and clinical studies. The goal of the current study was to confirm tau O-GlcNAcylation at S400 as a pharmacodynamic readout of OGA inhibition in P301S transgenic mice overexpressing human tau and treated with the OGA inhibitor Thiamet G and to explore if additional O-GlcNAcylation sites on tau could be identified. As a first step, an immunoprecipitation-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (IP-LC-MS) methodology was developed to monitor changes in O-GlcNAcylation around S400 of tau in mouse brain homogenate (BH) extracts. Second, additional O-GlcNAc sites were identified in in-house produced recombinant O-GlcNAcylated human tau at relatively high concentrations, thereby facilitating collection of informative LC-MS data for identification of low-concentration O-GlcNAc-tryptic tau peptides in human transgenic mouse BH extracts. This strategy enabled, for the first time, identification of three low abundant N-terminal and mid-domain O-GlcNAc sites of tau (at S208, S191, and S184 or S185) in human transgenic mouse BH. Data are openly available at data.mendeley.com (doi: 10.17632/jp57yk9469.1; doi: 10.17632/8n5j45dnd8.1; doi: 10.17632/h5vdrx4n3d.1).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastiaan Bijttebier
- Bioanalytical Discovery & Development Sciences, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | | | - Liesbeth Mertens
- R&D Neurosciences, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Karolien Grauwen
- R&D Neurosciences, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Wouter Bruinzeel
- R&D Structural & Protein Sciences, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Roland Willems
- R&D Neurosciences, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | | | - Clara Theunis
- R&D Neurosciences, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | | | - Andreas Ebneth
- R&D Neurosciences, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Lieve Dillen
- Bioanalytical Discovery & Development Sciences, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
CSF1R inhibitors induce a sex-specific resilient microglial phenotype and functional rescue in a tauopathy mouse model. Nat Commun 2023; 14:118. [PMID: 36624100 PMCID: PMC9829908 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35753-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Microglia are central to pathogenesis in many neurological conditions. Drugs targeting colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF1R) to block microglial proliferation in preclinical disease models have shown mixed outcomes, thus the therapeutic potential of this approach remains unclear. Here, we show that CSF1R inhibitors given by multiple dosing paradigms in the Tg2541 tauopathy mouse model cause a sex-independent reduction in pathogenic tau and reversion of non-microglial gene expression patterns toward a normal wild type signature. Despite greater drug exposure in male mice, only female mice have functional rescue and extended survival. A dose-dependent upregulation of immediate early genes and neurotransmitter dysregulation are observed in the brains of male mice only, indicating that excitotoxicity may preclude functional benefits. Drug-resilient microglia in male mice exhibit morphological and gene expression patterns consistent with increased neuroinflammatory signaling, suggesting a mechanistic basis for sex-specific excitotoxicity. Complete microglial ablation is neither required nor desirable for neuroprotection and therapeutics targeting microglia must consider sex-dependent effects.
Collapse
|
14
|
Brandebura AN, Paumier A, Onur TS, Allen NJ. Astrocyte contribution to dysfunction, risk and progression in neurodegenerative disorders. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:23-39. [PMID: 36316501 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-022-00641-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 92.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing appreciation that non-neuronal cells contribute to the initiation, progression and pathology of diverse neurodegenerative disorders. This Review focuses on the role of astrocytes in disorders including Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, Huntington disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The important roles astrocytes have in supporting neuronal function in the healthy brain are considered, along with studies that have demonstrated how the physiological properties of astrocytes are altered in neurodegenerative disorders and may explain their contribution to neurodegeneration. Further, the question of whether in neurodegenerative disorders with specific genetic mutations these mutations directly impact on astrocyte function, and may suggest a driving role for astrocytes in disease initiation, is discussed. A summary of how astrocyte transcriptomic and proteomic signatures are altered during the progression of neurodegenerative disorders and may relate to functional changes is provided. Given the central role of astrocytes in neurodegenerative disorders, potential strategies to target these cells for future therapeutic avenues are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N Brandebura
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Adrien Paumier
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Tarik S Onur
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Nicola J Allen
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Increase in Tau Pathology in P290S Mapt Knock-In Mice Crossed with App NL-G-F Mice. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0247-22.2022. [PMID: 36635241 PMCID: PMC9770019 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0247-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is characterized by the pathologic assembly of amyloid β (Aβ) peptide, which deposits into extracellular plaques, and tau, which accumulates in intraneuronal inclusions. To investigate the link between Aβ and tau pathologies, experimental models featuring both pathologies are needed. We developed a mouse model featuring both tau and Aβ pathologies by knocking the P290S mutation into murine Mapt and crossing these Mapt P290S knock-in (KI) mice with the App NL-G-F KI line. Mapt P290S KI mice developed a small number of tau inclusions, which increased with age. The amount of tau pathology was significantly larger in App NL-G-F xMapt P290S KI mice from 18 months of age onward. Tau pathology was higher in limbic areas, including hippocampus, amygdala, and piriform/entorhinal cortex. We also observed AT100-positive and Gallyas-Braak-silver-positive dystrophic neurites containing assembled filamentous tau, as visualized by in situ electron microscopy. Using a cell-based tau seeding assay, we showed that Sarkosyl-insoluble brain extracts from both 18-month-old Mapt P290S KI and App NL-G-F xMapt P290S KI mice were seed competent, with brain extracts from double-KI mice seeding significantly more than those from the Mapt P290S KI mice. Finally, we showed that App NL-G-F xMapt P290S KI mice had neurodegeneration in the piriform cortex from 18 months of age. We suggest that App NL-G-F xMapt P290S KI mice provide a good model for studying the interactions of aggregation-prone tau, Aβ, neuritic plaques, neurodegeneration, and aging.
Collapse
|
16
|
A Patient with Corticobasal Syndrome and Progressive Non-Fluent Aphasia (CBS-PNFA), with Variants in ATP7B, SETX, SORL1, and FOXP1 Genes. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13122361. [PMID: 36553628 PMCID: PMC9778325 DOI: 10.3390/genes13122361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Our aim was to analyze the phenotypic-genetic correlations in a patient diagnosed with early onset corticobasal syndrome with progressive non-fluent aphasia (CBS-PNFA), characterized by predominant apraxia of speech, accompanied by prominent right-sided upper-limb limb-kinetic apraxia, alien limb phenomenon, synkinesis, myoclonus, mild cortical sensory loss, and right-sided hemispatial neglect. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) identified rare single heterozygous variants in ATP7B (c.3207C>A), SORL1 (c.352G>A), SETX (c.2385_2387delAAA), and FOXP1 (c.1762G>A) genes. The functional analysis revealed that the deletion in the SETX gene changed the splicing pattern, which was accompanied by lower SETX mRNA levels in the patient's fibroblasts, suggesting loss-of-function as the underlying mechanism. In addition, the patient's fibroblasts demonstrated altered mitochondrial architecture with decreased connectivity, compared to the control individuals. This is the first association of the CBS-PNFA phenotype with the most common ATP7B pathogenic variant p.H1069Q, previously linked to Wilson's disease, and early onset Parkinson's disease. This study expands the complex clinical spectrum related to variants in well-known disease genes, such as ATP7B, SORL1, SETX, and FOXP1, corroborating the hypothesis of oligogenic inheritance. To date, the FOXP1 gene has been linked exclusively to neurodevelopmental speech disorders, while our study highlights its possible relevance for adult-onset progressive apraxia of speech, which guarantees further study.
Collapse
|
17
|
Zecca C, Tortelli R, Carrera P, Dell'Abate MT, Logroscino G, Ferrari M. Genotype-phenotype correlation in the spectrum of frontotemporal dementia-parkinsonian syndromes and advanced diagnostic approaches. Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci 2022; 60:171-188. [PMID: 36510705 DOI: 10.1080/10408363.2022.2150833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The term frontotemporal dementia (FTD) refers to a group of progressive neurodegenerative disorders characterized mainly by atrophy of the frontal and anterior temporal lobes. Based on clinical presentation, three main clinical syndromes have traditionally been described: behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), non-fluent/agrammatic primary progressive aphasia (nfPPA), and semantic variant PPA (svPPA). However, over the last 20 years, it has been recognized that cognitive phenotypes often overlap with motor phenotypes, either motor neuron diseases or parkinsonian signs and/or syndromes like progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and cortico-basal syndrome (CBS). Furthermore, FTD-related genes are characterized by genetic pleiotropy and can cause, even in the same family, pure motor phenotypes, findings that underlie the clinical continuum of the spectrum, which has pure cognitive and pure motor phenotypes as the extremes. The genotype-phenotype correlation of the spectrum, FTD-motor neuron disease, has been well defined and extensively investigated, while the continuum, FTD-parkinsonism, lacks a comprehensive review. In this narrative review, we describe the current knowledge about the genotype-phenotype correlation of the spectrum, FTD-parkinsonism, focusing on the phenotypes that are less frequent than bvFTD, namely nfPPA, svPPA, PSP, CBS, and cognitive-motor overlapping phenotypes (i.e. PPA + PSP). From a pathological point of view, they are characterized mainly by the presence of phosphorylated-tau inclusions, either 4 R or 3 R. The genetic correlate of the spectrum can be heterogeneous, although some variants seem to lead preferentially to specific clinical syndromes. Furthermore, we critically review the contribution of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) in disentangling the complex heritability of the FTD-parkinsonism spectrum and in defining the genotype-phenotype correlation of the entire clinical scenario, owing to the ability of these techniques to test multiple genes, and so to allow detailed investigations of the overlapping phenotypes. Finally, we conclude with the importance of a detailed genetic characterization and we offer to patients and families the chance to be included in future randomized clinical trials focused on autosomal dominant forms of FTLD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Zecca
- Department of Clinical Research in Neurology, Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Pia Fondazione Card G. Panico Hospital, Tricase, Italy
| | - Rosanna Tortelli
- Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery and Translational Area, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Paola Carrera
- Unit of Genomics for Human Disease Diagnosis and Clinical Molecular Biology Laboratory, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Dell'Abate
- Department of Clinical Research in Neurology, Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Pia Fondazione Card G. Panico Hospital, Tricase, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Logroscino
- Department of Clinical Research in Neurology, Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Pia Fondazione Card G. Panico Hospital, Tricase, Italy.,Department of Basic Medicine Sciences, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Rawat P, Sehar U, Bisht J, Selman A, Culberson J, Reddy PH. Phosphorylated Tau in Alzheimer's Disease and Other Tauopathies. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:12841. [PMID: 36361631 PMCID: PMC9654278 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232112841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia in elderly people. Amyloid beta (Aβ) deposits and neurofibrillary tangles are the major pathological features in an Alzheimer's brain. These proteins are highly expressed in nerve cells and found in most tissues. Tau primarily provides stabilization to microtubules in the part of axons and dendrites. However, tau in a pathological state becomes hyperphosphorylated, causing tau dysfunction and leading to synaptic impairment and degeneration of neurons. This article presents a summary of the role of tau, phosphorylated tau (p-tau) in AD, and other tauopathies. Tauopathies, including Pick's disease, frontotemporal dementia, corticobasal degeneration, Alzheimer's disease, argyrophilic grain disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and Huntington's disease, are the result of misprocessing and accumulation of tau within the neuronal and glial cells. This article also focuses on current research on the post-translational modifications and genetics of tau, tau pathology, the role of tau in tauopathies and the development of new drugs targeting p-tau, and the therapeutics for treating and possibly preventing tauopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Rawat
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Ujala Sehar
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Jasbir Bisht
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Ashley Selman
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - John Culberson
- Department of Family Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - P. Hemachandra Reddy
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
- Nutritional Sciences Department, College Human Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
- Department of Neurology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
- Department of Public Health, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Korde DS, Humpel C. Spreading of P301S Aggregated Tau Investigated in Organotypic Mouse Brain Slice Cultures. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12091164. [PMID: 36139003 PMCID: PMC9496515 DOI: 10.3390/biom12091164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau pathology extends throughout the brain in a prion-like fashion through connected brain regions. However, the details of the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. The present study aims to examine the spreading of P301S aggregated tau, a mutation that is implicated in tauopathies, using organotypic slice cultures. Coronal hippocampal organotypic brain slices (170 µm) were prepared from postnatal (day 8–10) C57BL6 wild-type mice. Collagen hydrogels loaded with P301S aggregated tau were applied to slices and the spread of tau was assessed by immunohistochemistry after 8 weeks in culture. Collagen hydrogels prove to be an effective protein delivery system subject to natural degradation in 14 days and they release tau proteins up to 8 weeks. Slices with un- and hyperphosphorylated P301S aggregated tau demonstrate significant spreading to the ventral parts of the hippocampal slices compared to empty collagen hydrogels after 8 weeks. Moreover, the spread of P301S aggregated tau occurs in a time-dependent manner, which was interrupted when the neuroanatomical pathways are lesioned. We illustrate that the spreading of tau can be investigated in organotypic slice cultures using collagen hydrogels to achieve a localized application and slow release of tau proteins. P301S aggregated tau significantly spreads to the ventral areas of the slices, suggesting that the disease-relevant aggregated tau form possesses spreading potential. Thus, the results offer a novel experimental approach to investigate tau pathology.
Collapse
|
20
|
Aquino Nunez W, Combs B, Gamblin TC, Ackley BD. Age-dependent accumulation of tau aggregation in Caenorhabditis elegans. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2022; 3:928574. [PMID: 36062211 PMCID: PMC9437221 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2022.928574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Aging is the primary risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related disorders (ADRDs). Tau aggregation is a hallmark of AD and other tauopathies. Even in normal aging, tau aggregation is found in brains, but in disease states, significantly more aggregated tau is present in brain regions demonstrating synaptic degeneration and neuronal loss. It is unclear how tau aggregation and aging interact to give rise to the phenotypes observed in disease states. Most AD/ADRD animal models have focused on late stages, after significant tau aggregation has occurred. There are fewer where we can observe the early aggregation events and progression during aging. In an attempt to address this gap, we created C. elegans models expressing a GFP-tagged version of the human tau protein. Here we examined how tau-gfp behaved during aging, comparing wild-type tau (hTau40), a disease-associated mutation (P301S), and an aggregation-prone variant (3PO). We measured age-dependent changes in GFP intensity and correlated those changes to normal aging in the nematode. We found differences in tau stability and accumulation depending on the tau variant expressed. hTau40GFP and P301SGFP were localized to axons and cell bodies, while 3POGFP was more concentrated within cell bodies. Expression of 3POGFP resulted in decreased lifespan and variations in locomotor rate, consistent with a pathological effect. Finally, we found that the human tau interacted genetically with the C. elegans ortholog of human tau, ptl-1, where the loss of ptl-1 significantly accelerated the time to death in animals expressing 3PO.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wendy Aquino Nunez
- Laboratory Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
| | - Benjamin Combs
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, United States
| | - T. Chris Gamblin
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Brian D. Ackley
- Laboratory Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Mori K, Ikeda M. Biological basis and psychiatric symptoms in frontotemporal dementia. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2022; 76:351-360. [PMID: 35557018 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.13375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by focal degeneration of the frontal and temporal lobes, clinically presenting with disinhibited behavior, personality changes, progressive non-fluent aphasia and/or impaired semantic memory. Research progress has been made in re-organizing the clinical concept of frontotemporal dementia and neuropathological classification based on multiple accumulating proteins. Alongside this progress a list of genetic mutations or variants that are causative or increase the risk of frontotemporal dementia have been identified and some of these gene products are extensively studied. However, there are still a lot of points that need to be overcome, including lack of specific diagnostic biomarker which enable antemortem diagnosis of underlying neurodegenerative process, and lack of disease modifying therapy which could prevent disease progression. Early and precise diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia is urgently required. In this context, how to define prodromal frontotemporal dementia and early differential diagnosis from primary psychiatric disorders are also important issues. In this review we will summarize and discuss current understanding of biological basis and psychiatric symptoms in frontotemporal dementia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kohji Mori
- Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Manabu Ikeda
- Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Zhou X, Sumrow L, Tashiro K, Sutherland L, Liu D, Qin T, Kato M, Liszczak G, McKnight SL. Mutations linked to neurological disease enhance self-association of low-complexity protein sequences. Science 2022; 377:eabn5582. [PMID: 35771920 PMCID: PMC9610444 DOI: 10.1126/science.abn5582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Protein domains of low sequence complexity do not fold into stable, three-dimensional structures. Nevertheless, proteins with these sequences assist in many aspects of cell organization, including assembly of nuclear and cytoplasmic structures not surrounded by membranes. The dynamic nature of these cellular assemblies is caused by the ability of low-complexity domains (LCDs) to transiently self-associate through labile, cross-β structures. Mechanistic studies useful for the study of LCD self-association have evolved over the past decade in the form of simple assays of phase separation. Here, we have used such assays to demonstrate that the interactions responsible for LCD self-association can be dictated by labile protein structures poised close to equilibrium between the folded and unfolded states. Furthermore, missense mutations causing Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, frontotemporal dementia, and Alzheimer's disease manifest their pathophysiology in vitro and in cultured cell systems by enhancing the stability of otherwise labile molecular structures formed upon LCD self-association.
Collapse
|
23
|
Luo JJ, Wallace W, Kusiak JW. A tough trek in the development of an anti-amyloid therapy for Alzheimer's disease: Do we see hope in the distance? J Neurol Sci 2022; 438:120294. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2022.120294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
|
24
|
Koga S, Josephs KA, Aiba I, Yoshida M, Dickson DW. Neuropathology and emerging biomarkers in corticobasal syndrome. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2022; 93:jnnp-2021-328586. [PMID: 35697501 PMCID: PMC9380481 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2021-328586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Corticobasal syndrome (CBS) is a clinical syndrome characterised by progressive asymmetric limb rigidity and apraxia with dystonia, myoclonus, cortical sensory loss and alien limb phenomenon. Corticobasal degeneration (CBD) is one of the most common underlying pathologies of CBS, but other disorders, such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43 inclusions, are also associated with this syndrome.In this review, we describe common and rare neuropathological findings in CBS, including tauopathies, synucleinopathies, TDP-43 proteinopathies, fused in sarcoma proteinopathy, prion disease (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) and cerebrovascular disease, based on a narrative review of the literature and clinicopathological studies from two brain banks. Genetic mutations associated with CBS, including GRN and MAPT, are also reviewed. Clinicopathological studies on neurodegenerative disorders associated with CBS have shown that regardless of the underlying pathology, frontoparietal, as well as motor and premotor pathology is associated with CBS. Clinical features that can predict the underlying pathology of CBS remain unclear. Using AD-related biomarkers (ie, amyloid and tau positron emission tomography (PET) and fluid biomarkers), CBS caused by AD often can be differentiated from other causes of CBS. Tau PET may help distinguish AD from other tauopathies and non-tauopathies, but it remains challenging to differentiate non-AD tauopathies, especially PSP and CBD. Although the current clinical diagnostic criteria for CBS have suboptimal sensitivity and specificity, emerging biomarkers hold promise for future improvements in the diagnosis of underlying pathology in patients with CBS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shunsuke Koga
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
| | - Keith A Josephs
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Ikuko Aiba
- Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization Higashinagoya National Hospital, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Mari Yoshida
- Institute for Medical Science of Aging, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Aichi, Japan
| | - Dennis W Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Kametani F, Hasegawa M. Structures of tau and α-synuclein filaments from brains of patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Neurochem Int 2022; 158:105362. [PMID: 35659527 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2022.105362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Intracellular accumulations and aggregates of abnormal protein, consisting of amyloid-like fibrils, are common neuropathological features of many neurodegenerative diseases. The distributions and spreading of these pathological proteins are closely correlated with clinical symptoms and progression. Recent evidence supports the idea that template-mediated amplification of amyloid-like fibrils and intracellular propagation of fibril seeds are the main mechanisms by which pathological features spread along the neural circuits in the brain. Here, we review recent developments in the structural analysis of amyloid-like fibrils from brains of patients with various types of tauopathy and alpha-synucleinopathy, focusing on cryo-electron microscopy and mass analysis, and we discuss their relevance to the mechanisms of template-mediated amplification and intracellular propagation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fuyuki Kametani
- Department of Brain and Neurosciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Japan.
| | - Masato Hasegawa
- Department of Brain and Neurosciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Singh G, Liu P, Yao KR, Strasser JM, Hlynialuk C, Leinonen-Wright K, Teravskis PJ, Choquette JM, Ikramuddin J, Bresinsky M, Nelson KM, Liao D, Ashe KH, Walters MA, Pockes S. Caspase-2 Inhibitor Blocks Tau Truncation and Restores Excitatory Neurotransmission in Neurons Modeling FTDP-17 Tauopathy. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022; 13:1549-1557. [PMID: 35522720 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptic and cognitive deficits mediated by a severe reduction in excitatory neurotransmission caused by a disproportionate accumulation of the neuronal protein tau in dendritic spines is a fundamental mechanism that has been found repeatedly in models of tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and traumatic brain injury. Synapses thus damaged may contribute to dementia, among the most feared cause of debilitation in the elderly, and currently there are no treatments to repair them. Caspase-2 (Casp2) is an essential component of this pathological cascade. Although it is believed that Casp2 exerts its effects by hydrolyzing tau at aspartate-314, forming Δtau314, it is also possible that a noncatalytic mechanism is involved because catalytically dead Casp2 is biologically active in at least one relevant cellular pathway, that is, autophagy. To decipher whether the pathological effects of Casp2 on synaptic function are due to its catalytic or noncatalytic properties, we discovered and characterized a new Casp2 inhibitor, compound 1 [pKi (Casp2) = 8.12], which is 123-fold selective versus Casp3 and >2000-fold selective versus Casp1, Casp6, Casp7, and Casp9. In an in vitro assay based on Casp2-mediated cleavage of tau, compound 1 blocked the production of Δtau314. Importantly, compound 1 prevented tau from accumulating excessively in dendritic spines and rescued excitatory neurotransmission in cultured primary rat hippocampal neurons expressing the P301S tau variant linked to FTDP-17, a familial tauopathy. These results support the further development of small-molecule Casp2 inhibitors to treat synaptic deficits in tauopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gurpreet Singh
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Peng Liu
- Department of Neurology, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Katherine R. Yao
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Jessica M. Strasser
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Chris Hlynialuk
- Department of Neurology, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Kailee Leinonen-Wright
- Department of Neurology, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Peter J. Teravskis
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Jessica M. Choquette
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Junaid Ikramuddin
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Merlin Bresinsky
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Kathryn M. Nelson
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Dezhi Liao
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Karen H. Ashe
- Department of Neurology, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
- Veterans Administration Medical Center, GRECC, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417, United States
| | - Michael A. Walters
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Steffen Pockes
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
- Department of Neurology, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Xia Y, Prokop S, Bell BM, Gorion KMM, Croft CL, Nasif L, Xu G, Riffe CJ, Manaois AN, Strang KH, Quintin SS, Paterno G, Tansey MG, Borchelt DR, Golde TE, Giasson BI. Pathogenic tau recruits wild-type tau into brain inclusions and induces gut degeneration in transgenic SPAM mice. Commun Biol 2022; 5:446. [PMID: 35550593 PMCID: PMC9098443 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03373-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathological tau inclusions are neuropathologic hallmarks of many neurodegenerative diseases. We generated and characterized a transgenic mouse model expressing pathogenic human tau with S320F and P301S aggregating mutations (SPAM) at transgene levels below endogenous mouse tau protein levels. This mouse model develops a predictable temporal progression of tau pathology in the brain with biochemical and ultrastructural properties akin to authentic tau inclusions. Surprisingly, pathogenic human tau extensively recruited endogenous mouse tau into insoluble aggregates. Despite the early onset and rapid progressive nature of tau pathology, major neuroinflammatory and transcriptional changes were only detectable at later time points. Moreover, tau SPAM mice are the first model to develop loss of enteric neurons due to tau accumulation resulting in a lethal phenotype. With moderate transgene expression, rapidly progressing tau pathology, and a highly predictable lethal phenotype, the tau SPAM model reveals new associations of tau neurotoxicity in the brain and intestinal tract.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuxing Xia
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - Stefan Prokop
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - Brach M. Bell
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - Kimberly-Marie M. Gorion
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - Cara L. Croft
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - Lith Nasif
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - Guilian Xu
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - Cara J. Riffe
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - Alyssa N. Manaois
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - Kevin H. Strang
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - Stephan S. Quintin
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - Giavanna Paterno
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - Malú Gámez Tansey
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - David R. Borchelt
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - Todd E. Golde
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| | - Benoit I. Giasson
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA ,grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Gallo D, Ruiz A, Sánchez-Juan P. Genetic architecture of primary tauopathies. Neuroscience 2022; 518:27-37. [PMID: 35609758 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Primary Tauopathies are a group of diseases defined by the accumulation of Tau, in which the alteration of this protein is the primary driver of the neurodegenerative process. In addition to the classical syndromes (Pick's disease (PiD), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD), and argyrophilic grain disease (AGD)), new entities, like primary age-related Tauopathy (PART), have been recently described. Except for the classical Richardson's syndrome phenotype in PSP, the correlation between the clinical picture of the primary Tauopathies and underlying pathology is poor. This fact has challenged genetic studies. However, thanks to multicenter collaborations, several genome-wide association studies are helping us unravel the genetic structure of these diseases. The most relevant risk factor revealed by these studies is the Tau gene (MAPT), which, in addition to mutations causing rare familial forms, plays a fundamental role in sporadic cases of PSP and CBD in which there is a strong predominance of the H1 and H1c haplotypes. But outside of MAPT, several other genes have been robustly associated with PSP. These findings, pointing towards multifactorial causation, imply the participation of several pathways involving the myelin sheath integrity, the endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein response, microglia, intracellular vesicle trafficking, or the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Additionally, GWAS show a high degree of genetic overlap across different Tauopathies. This is especially salient between PSP and CBD, but also GWAS studying the recently described PART phenotype shows genetic overlap with genes that promote Tau pathology and with others associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Collapse
|
29
|
Riley KJ, Graner BD, Veronesi MC. The tauopathies: Neuroimaging characteristics and emerging experimental therapies. J Neuroimaging 2022; 32:565-581. [PMID: 35470528 PMCID: PMC9545715 DOI: 10.1111/jon.13001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The tauopathies are a heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative disorders in which the prevailing underlying disease process is intracellular deposition of abnormal misfolded tau protein. Diseases often categorized as tauopathies include progressive supranuclear palsy, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, corticobasal degeneration, and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Tauopathies can be classified through clinical assessment, imaging findings, histologic validation, or molecular biomarkers tied to the underlying disease mechanism. Many tauopathies vary in their clinical presentation and overlap substantially in presentation, making clinical diagnosis of a specific primary tauopathy difficult. Anatomic imaging findings are also rarely specific to a single tauopathy, and when present may not manifest until well after the point at which therapy may be most impactful. Molecular biomarkers hold the most promise for patient care and form a platform upon which emerging diagnostic and therapeutic applications could be developed. One of the most exciting developments utilizing these molecular biomarkers for assessment of tau deposition within the brain is tau‐PET imaging utilizing novel ligands that specifically target tau protein. This review will discuss the background, significance, and clinical presentation of each tauopathy with additional attention to the pathologic mechanisms at the protein level. The imaging characteristics will be outlined with select examples of emerging imaging techniques. Finally, current treatment options and emerging therapies will be discussed. This is by no means a comprehensive review of the literature but is instead intended for the practicing radiologist as an overview of a rapidly evolving topic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kalen J Riley
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Brian D Graner
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Michael C Veronesi
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Kühn R, Mahajan A, Canoll P, Hargus G. Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Models of Frontotemporal Dementia With Tau Pathology. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:766773. [PMID: 34858989 PMCID: PMC8631302 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.766773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative dementias are the most common group of neurodegenerative diseases affecting more than 40 million people worldwide. One of these diseases is frontotemporal dementia (FTD), an early onset dementia and one of the leading causes of dementia in people under the age of 60. FTD is a heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative disorders with pathological accumulation of particular proteins in neurons and glial cells including the microtubule-associated protein tau, which is deposited in its hyperphosphorylated form in about half of all patients with FTD. As for other patients with dementia, there is currently no cure for patients with FTD and thus several lines of research focus on the characterization of underlying pathogenic mechanisms with the goal to identify therapeutic targets. In this review, we provide an overview of reported disease phenotypes in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons and glial cells from patients with tau-associated FTD with the aim to highlight recent progress in this fast-moving field of iPSC disease modeling. We put a particular focus on genetic forms of the disease that are linked to mutations in the gene encoding tau and summarize mutation-associated changes in FTD patient cells related to tau splicing and tau phosphorylation, microtubule function and cell metabolism as well as calcium homeostasis and cellular stress. In addition, we discuss challenges and limitations but also opportunities using differentiated patient-derived iPSCs for disease modeling and biomedical research on neurodegenerative diseases including FTD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebekka Kühn
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Aayushi Mahajan
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Peter Canoll
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Gunnar Hargus
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.,Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Tau activates microglia via the PQBP1-cGAS-STING pathway to promote brain inflammation. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6565. [PMID: 34782623 PMCID: PMC8592984 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26851-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain inflammation generally accompanies and accelerates neurodegeneration. Here we report a microglial mechanism in which polyglutamine binding protein 1 (PQBP1) senses extrinsic tau 3R/4R proteins by direct interaction and triggers an innate immune response by activating a cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway. Tamoxifen-inducible and microglia-specific depletion of PQBP1 in primary culture in vitro and mouse brain in vivo shows that PQBP1 is essential for sensing-tau to induce nuclear translocation of nuclear factor κB (NFκB), NFκB-dependent transcription of inflammation genes, brain inflammation in vivo, and eventually mouse cognitive impairment. Collectively, PQBP1 is an intracellular receptor in the cGAS-STING pathway not only for cDNA of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) but also for the transmissible neurodegenerative disease protein tau. This study characterises a mechanism of brain inflammation that is common to virus infection and neurodegenerative disorders.
Collapse
|
32
|
Shi Y, Zhang W, Yang Y, Murzin AG, Falcon B, Kotecha A, van Beers M, Tarutani A, Kametani F, Garringer HJ, Vidal R, Hallinan GI, Lashley T, Saito Y, Murayama S, Yoshida M, Tanaka H, Kakita A, Ikeuchi T, Robinson AC, Mann DMA, Kovacs GG, Revesz T, Ghetti B, Hasegawa M, Goedert M, Scheres SHW. Structure-based classification of tauopathies. Nature 2021; 598:359-363. [PMID: 34588692 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03911-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 359] [Impact Index Per Article: 119.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The ordered assembly of tau protein into filaments characterizes several neurodegenerative diseases, which are called tauopathies. It was previously reported that, by cryo-electron microscopy, the structures of tau filaments from Alzheimer's disease1,2, Pick's disease3, chronic traumatic encephalopathy4 and corticobasal degeneration5 are distinct. Here we show that the structures of tau filaments from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) define a new three-layered fold. Moreover, the structures of tau filaments from globular glial tauopathy are similar to those from PSP. The tau filament fold of argyrophilic grain disease (AGD) differs, instead resembling the four-layered fold of corticobasal degeneration. The AGD fold is also observed in ageing-related tau astrogliopathy. Tau protofilament structures from inherited cases of mutations at positions +3 or +16 in intron 10 of MAPT (the microtubule-associated protein tau gene) are also identical to those from AGD, suggesting that relative overproduction of four-repeat tau can give rise to the AGD fold. Finally, the structures of tau filaments from cases of familial British dementia and familial Danish dementia are the same as those from cases of Alzheimer's disease and primary age-related tauopathy. These findings suggest a hierarchical classification of tauopathies on the basis of their filament folds, which complements clinical diagnosis and neuropathology and also allows the identification of new entities-as we show for a case diagnosed as PSP, but with filament structures that are intermediate between those of globular glial tauopathy and PSP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Shi
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Yang Yang
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | - Abhay Kotecha
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | | | - Airi Tarutani
- Department of Brain and Neurosciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Fuyuki Kametani
- Department of Brain and Neurosciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Holly J Garringer
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Ruben Vidal
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Grace I Hallinan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Tammaryn Lashley
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Yuko Saito
- Department of Neuropathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shigeo Murayama
- Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, University of Osaka, Osaka, Japan
| | - Mari Yoshida
- Institute for Medical Science of Aging, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Japan
| | - Hidetomo Tanaka
- Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Akiyoshi Kakita
- Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Takeshi Ikeuchi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Andrew C Robinson
- Clinical Sciences Building, University of Manchester, Salford Royal Foundation Trust, Salford, UK
| | - David M A Mann
- Clinical Sciences Building, University of Manchester, Salford Royal Foundation Trust, Salford, UK
| | - Gabor G Kovacs
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Institute of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tamas Revesz
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Bernardino Ghetti
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Masato Hasegawa
- Department of Brain and Neurosciences, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Wen J, Hong L, Krainer G, Yao QQ, Knowles TPJ, Wu S, Perrett S. Conformational Expansion of Tau in Condensates Promotes Irreversible Aggregation. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:13056-13064. [PMID: 34374536 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c03078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of proteins into biomolecular condensates has emerged as a fundamental principle underpinning cellular function and malfunction. Indeed, many human pathologies, including protein misfolding diseases, are linked to aberrant liquid-to-solid phase transitions, and disease-associated protein aggregates often nucleate through phase separation. The molecular level determinants that promote pathological phase transitions remain, however, poorly understood. Here we study LLPS of the microtubule-associated protein Tau, whose aberrant aggregation is associated with a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Using single molecule spectroscopy, we probe directly the conformational changes that the protein undergoes as a result of LLPS. We perform single-molecule FRET and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy experiments to monitor the intra- and intermolecular changes and demonstrate that the N- and C-terminal regions of Tau become extended, thus exposing the microtubule-binding region. These changes facilitate intermolecular interactions and allow for the formation of nanoscale clusters of Tau. Our results suggest that these clusters can promote the fibrillization of Tau, which can be dramatically accelerated by disease-related mutations P301L and P301S. Our findings thus provide important molecular insights into the mechanism of protein phase separation and the conversion of protein condensates from functional liquid assemblies to pathological aggregates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jitao Wen
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Liu Hong
- School of Mathematics, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Georg Krainer
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Qiong-Qiong Yao
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K.,Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, U.K
| | - Si Wu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Sarah Perrett
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Proteomic Analysis of Hydromethylthionine in the Line 66 Model of Frontotemporal Dementia Demonstrates Actions on Tau-Dependent and Tau-Independent Networks. Cells 2021; 10:cells10082162. [PMID: 34440931 PMCID: PMC8391171 DOI: 10.3390/cells10082162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal aggregation of tau is the pathological hallmark of tauopathies including frontotemporal dementia (FTD). We have generated tau-transgenic mice that express the aggregation-prone P301S human tau (line 66). These mice present with early-onset, high tau load in brain and FTD-like behavioural deficiencies. Several of these behavioural phenotypes and tau pathology are reversed by treatment with hydromethylthionine but key pathways underlying these corrections remain elusive. In two proteomic experiments, line 66 mice were compared with wild-type mice and then vehicle and hydromethylthionine treatments of line 66 mice were compared. The brain proteome was investigated using two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry to identify protein networks and pathways that were altered due to tau overexpression or modified by hydromethylthionine treatment. Overexpression of mutant tau induced metabolic/mitochondrial dysfunction, changes in synaptic transmission and in stress responses, and these functions were recovered by hydromethylthionine. Other pathways, such as NRF2, oxidative phosphorylation and protein ubiquitination were activated by hydromethylthionine, presumably independent of its function as a tau aggregation inhibitor. Our results suggest that hydromethylthionine recovers cellular activity in both a tau-dependent and a tau-independent fashion that could lead to a wide-spread improvement of homeostatic function in the FTD brain.
Collapse
|
35
|
Bentham P, Staff RT, Schelter BO, Shiells H, Harrington CR, Wischik CM. Long-Term Hydromethylthionine Treatment Is Associated with Delayed Clinical Onset and Slowing of Cerebral Atrophy in a Pre-Symptomatic P301S MAPT Mutation Carrier. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 83:1017-1023. [PMID: 34366349 PMCID: PMC8543267 DOI: 10.3233/jad-210390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
One of the mutations in the microtubule-associated protein tau, P301S, is causative for dominantly inherited frontotemporal dementia characterized by extensive tau pathology for which no licensed treatment is available. Hydromethylthionine is a potent tau aggregation inhibitor. We report treatment of an asymptomatic carrier of the P301S mutation using hydromethylthionine over a 5-year period beginning at the mean age of onset of clinical decline in the family. During the period of treatment, the rates of progression of cerebral atrophy were reduced by 61%–66% in frontal and temporal lobes, and the patient remained clinically asymptomatic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Roger T Staff
- Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, NHS Grampian, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Bjoern O Schelter
- TauRx Therapeutics Ltd., Aberdeen, UK.,Institute for Complex Systems and Mathematical Biology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | | | - Charles R Harrington
- TauRx Therapeutics Ltd., Aberdeen, UK.,School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Claude M Wischik
- TauRx Therapeutics Ltd., Aberdeen, UK.,School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, UK
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Wilson D, Le Heron C, Anderson T. Corticobasal syndrome: a practical guide. Pract Neurol 2021. [DOI: 10.1136/practneurol-2020-002835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Corticobasal syndrome is a disorder of movement, cognition and behaviour with several possible underlying pathologies, including corticobasal degeneration. It presents insidiously and is slowly progressive. Clinicians should consider the diagnosis in people presenting with any combination of extrapyramidal features (with poor response to levodopa), apraxia or other parietal signs, aphasia and alien-limb phenomena. Neuroimaging showing asymmetrical perirolandic cortical changes supports the diagnosis, while advanced neuroimaging may give insight into the underlying pathology. Identifying corticobasal syndrome carries some management implications (especially if protein-based treatments arise in the future) and prognostic significance. Its treatment is largely symptomatic and is best undertaken within a multidisciplinary setting, including a neurologist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech language therapist, psychiatrist and, ultimately, a palliative care clinician. Corticobasal syndrome can be a confusing entity for neurologists, not least because it has over time evolved from being considered predominantly as a movement disorder to a condition spanning a wide range of cognitive and motor manifestations. In this practical review, we attempt to disentangle this syndrome and provide clarity around diagnosis, its underlying pathological substrates, key clinical features and potential treatments.
Collapse
|
37
|
Kamath TV, Klickstein N, Commins C, Fernandes AR, Oakley DH, Frosch MP, Hyman BT, Dujardin S. Kinetics of tau aggregation reveals patient-specific tau characteristics among Alzheimer's cases. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcab096. [PMID: 34222869 PMCID: PMC8244646 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The accumulation of tau aggregates throughout the human brain is the hallmark of a number of neurodegenerative conditions classified as tauopathies. Increasing evidence shows that tau aggregation occurs in a 'prion-like' manner, in which a small amount of misfolded tau protein can induce other, naïve tau proteins to aggregate. Tau aggregates have been found to differ structurally among different tauopathies. Recently, however, we have suggested that tau oligomeric species may differ biochemically among individual patients with sporadic Alzheimer disease, and have also showed that the bioactivity of the tau species, measured using a cell-based bioassay, also varied among individuals. Here, we adopted a live-cell imaging approach to the standard cell-based bioassay to explore further whether the kinetics of aggregation also differentiated these patients. We found that aggregation can be observed to follow a consistent pattern in all cases, with a lag phase, a growth phase and a plateau phase, which each provide quantitative parameters by which we characterize the aggregation kinetics. The length of the lag phase and magnitude of the plateau phase are both dependent upon the concentration of seeding-competent tau, the relative enrichment of which differs among patients. The slope of the growth phase correlates with morphological differences in the tau aggregates, which may be reflective of underlying structural differences. This kinetic assay confirms and refines the concept of heterogeneity in the characteristics of tau proteopathic seeds among individuals with Alzheimer's disease and is a method by which future studies may characterize longitudinal changes in tau aggregation and the cellular processes which may influence these changes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tarun V Kamath
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Naomi Klickstein
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Caitlin Commins
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Analiese R Fernandes
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Derek H Oakley
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- C.S. Kubik Laboratory for Neuropathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Matthew P Frosch
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- C.S. Kubik Laboratory for Neuropathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Simon Dujardin
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Devitt G, Crisford A, Rice W, Weismiller HA, Fan Z, Commins C, Hyman BT, Margittai M, Mahajan S, Mudher A. Conformational fingerprinting of tau variants and strains by Raman spectroscopy. RSC Adv 2021; 11:8899-8915. [PMID: 34381596 PMCID: PMC8330415 DOI: 10.1039/d1ra00870f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are a group of disorders in which the deposition of abnormally folded tau protein accompanies neurodegeneration. The development of methods for detection and classification of pathological changes in protein conformation are desirable for understanding the factors that influence the structural polymorphism of aggregates in tauopathies. We have previously demonstrated the utility of Raman spectroscopy for the characterization and discrimination of different protein aggregates, including tau, based on their unique conformational signatures. Building on this, in the present study, we assess the utility of Raman spectroscopy for characterizing and distinguishing different conformers of the same protein which in the case of tau are unique tau strains generated in vitro. We now investigate the impact of aggregation environment, cofactors, post-translational modification and primary sequence on the Raman fingerprint of tau fibrils. Using quantitative conformational fingerprinting and multivariate statistical analysis, we found that the aggregation of tau in different buffer conditions resulted in the formation of distinct fibril strains. Unique spectral markers were identified for tau fibrils generated using heparin or RNA cofactors, as well as for phosphorylated tau. We also determined that the primary sequence of the tau monomer influenced the conformational signature of the resulting tau fibril, including 2N4R, 0N3R, K18 and P301S tau variants. These results highlight the conformational polymorphism of tau fibrils, which is reflected in the wide range of associated neurological disorders. Furthermore, the analyses presented in this study provide a benchmark for the Raman spectroscopic characterization of tau strains, which may shed light on how the aggregation environment, cofactors and post-translational modifications influence tau conformation in vivo in future studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- George Devitt
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton Highfield Southampton SO17 1BJ UK .,School of Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton Highfield Southampton SO17 1BJ UK.,Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton Highfield Southampton SO17 1BJ UK
| | - Anna Crisford
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton Highfield Southampton SO17 1BJ UK .,School of Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton Highfield Southampton SO17 1BJ UK
| | - William Rice
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton Highfield Southampton SO17 1BJ UK
| | - Hilary A Weismiller
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Denver 2190 E. Iliff Ave. Denver CO 80208 USA
| | - Zhanyun Fan
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital Charlestown MA 02129 USA
| | - Caitlin Commins
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital Charlestown MA 02129 USA
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital Charlestown MA 02129 USA
| | - Martin Margittai
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Denver 2190 E. Iliff Ave. Denver CO 80208 USA
| | - Sumeet Mahajan
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton Highfield Southampton SO17 1BJ UK.,Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton Highfield Southampton SO17 1BJ UK
| | - Amrit Mudher
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton Highfield Southampton SO17 1BJ UK .,Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton Highfield Southampton SO17 1BJ UK
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Arienti F, Lazzeri G, Vizziello M, Monfrini E, Bresolin N, Saetti MC, Picillo M, Franco G, Di Fonzo A. Unravelling Genetic Factors Underlying Corticobasal Syndrome: A Systematic Review. Cells 2021; 10:171. [PMID: 33467748 PMCID: PMC7830591 DOI: 10.3390/cells10010171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Corticobasal syndrome (CBS) is an atypical parkinsonian presentation characterized by heterogeneous clinical features and different underlying neuropathology. Most CBS cases are sporadic; nevertheless, reports of families and isolated individuals with genetically determined CBS have been reported. In this systematic review, we analyze the demographical, clinical, radiological, and anatomopathological features of genetically confirmed cases of CBS. A systematic search was performed using the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases, included all publications in English from 1 January 1999 through 1 August 2020. We found forty publications with fifty-eight eligible cases. A second search for publications dealing with genetic risk factors for CBS led to the review of eight additional articles. GRN was the most common gene involved in CBS, representing 28 out of 58 cases, followed by MAPT, C9ORF72, and PRNP. A set of symptoms was shown to be significantly more common in GRN-CBS patients, including visuospatial impairment, behavioral changes, aphasia, and language alterations. In addition, specific demographical, clinical, biochemical, and radiological features may suggest mutations in other genes. We suggest a diagnostic algorithm to help in identifying potential genetic cases of CBS in order to improve the diagnostic accuracy and to better understand the still poorly defined underlying pathogenetic process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Federica Arienti
- Dino Ferrari Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Neuroscience Section, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; (F.A.); (G.L.); (M.V.); (E.M.); (M.C.S.)
| | - Giulia Lazzeri
- Dino Ferrari Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Neuroscience Section, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; (F.A.); (G.L.); (M.V.); (E.M.); (M.C.S.)
| | - Maria Vizziello
- Dino Ferrari Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Neuroscience Section, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; (F.A.); (G.L.); (M.V.); (E.M.); (M.C.S.)
| | - Edoardo Monfrini
- Dino Ferrari Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Neuroscience Section, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; (F.A.); (G.L.); (M.V.); (E.M.); (M.C.S.)
| | - Nereo Bresolin
- Foundation IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neurology Unit, 20122 Milan, Italy; (N.B.); (G.F.)
| | - Maria Cristina Saetti
- Dino Ferrari Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Neuroscience Section, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; (F.A.); (G.L.); (M.V.); (E.M.); (M.C.S.)
| | - Marina Picillo
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Neuroscience Section, University of Salerno, 84084 Salerno, Italy;
| | - Giulia Franco
- Foundation IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neurology Unit, 20122 Milan, Italy; (N.B.); (G.F.)
| | - Alessio Di Fonzo
- Foundation IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neurology Unit, 20122 Milan, Italy; (N.B.); (G.F.)
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Kreilaus F, Masanetz R, Watt G, Przybyla M, Ittner A, Ittner L, Karl T. The behavioural phenotype of 14-month-old female TAU58/2 transgenic mice. Behav Brain Res 2021; 397:112943. [PMID: 33017638 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) exhibit intracellular inclusions [neurofibrillary tangles (NFT's)] of microtubule-associated protein tau that contributes to neuronal dysfunction and death. Mutations in the microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) gene leads to tau hyperphosphorylation and promotes NFT formation. The TAU58/2 transgenic mouse model expresses mutant human tau (P301S mutation) and exhibits behavioural abnormalities relevant to dementia in early adulthood. Here we comprehensively determined the behavioural phenotype of TAU58/2 transgenic female mice at 14 months of age using test paradigms relevant to FTD and AD. TAU58/2 females showed a significant motor deficit and lower bodyweight compared to WT littermates. Transgenic females failed to habituate to the test arena in the light-dark test. Interestingly, transgenics did not exhibit an anxiolytic-like phenotype and intermediate-term spatial learning in the cheeseboard test was intact. However, a significant learning deficit was detected in the 1st trial across test days indicating impaired long-term spatial memory. In addition, the preference for a previously rewarded location was absent in transgenic females during probe trial testing. Finally, TAU58/2 mice had a defective acoustic startle response and impaired sensorimotor gating. In conclusion TAU58/2 mice exhibit several behavioural deficits that resemble those observed in human FTD and AD. Additionally, we observed a novel startle response deficit in these mice. At 14 months of age, TAU58/2 females represent a later disease stage and are therefore a potentially useful model to test efficacy of therapeutics to reverse or ameliorate behavioural deficits in post-onset tauopapthy-related neurodegenerative disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Kreilaus
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, NSW 2560, Australia
| | - Rebecca Masanetz
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, NSW 2560, Australia; Faculty of Medical and Life Sciences, Hochschule Furtwangen University, 78054 Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany
| | - Georgia Watt
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, NSW 2560, Australia
| | - Magdalena Przybyla
- Dementia Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Arne Ittner
- Dementia Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Lars Ittner
- Dementia Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Tim Karl
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, NSW 2560, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), NSW 2031, Australia; School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, NSW 2052, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Di J, Siddique I, Li Z, Malki G, Hornung S, Dutta S, Hurst I, Ishaaya E, Wang A, Tu S, Boghos A, Ericsson I, Klärner FG, Schrader T, Bitan G. The molecular tweezer CLR01 improves behavioral deficits and reduces tau pathology in P301S-tau transgenic mice. ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY 2021; 13:6. [PMID: 33397489 PMCID: PMC7784007 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-020-00743-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Molecular tweezers (MTs) are broad-spectrum inhibitors of abnormal protein aggregation. A lead MT, called CLR01, has been demonstrated to inhibit the aggregation and toxicity of multiple amyloidogenic proteins in vitro and in vivo. Previously, we evaluated the effect of CLR01 in the 3 × Tg mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, which overexpresses mutant human presenilin 1, amyloid β-protein precursor, and tau and found that subcutaneous administration of the compound for 1 month led to a robust reduction of amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and microgliosis. CLR01 also has been demonstrated to inhibit tau aggregation in vitro and tau seeding in cell culture, yet because in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in the 3 × Tg model, tau hyperphosphorylation and aggregation are thought to be downstream of Aβ insults, the study in this model left open the question whether CLR01 affected tau in vivo directly or indirectly. METHODS To determine if CLR01 could ameliorate tau pathology directly in vivo, we tested the compound similarly using the P301S-tau (line PS19) mouse model. Mice were administered 0.3 or 1.0 mg/kg per day CLR01 and tested for muscle strength and behavioral deficits, including anxiety- and disinhibition-like behavior. Their brains then were analyzed by immunohistochemical and biochemical assays for pathological forms of tau, neurodegeneration, and glial pathology. RESULTS CLR01 treatment ameliorated muscle-strength deterioration, anxiety-, and disinhibition-like behavior. Improved phenotype was associated with decreased levels of pathologic tau forms, suggesting that CLR01 exerts a direct effect on tau in vivo. Limitations of the study included a relatively short treatment period of the mice at an age in which full pathology is not yet developed. In addition, high variability in this model lowered the statistical significance of the findings of some outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that CLR01 is a particularly attractive candidate for the treatment of AD because it targets simultaneously the two major pathogenic proteins instigating and propagating the disease, amyloid β-protein (Aβ), and tau, respectively. In addition, our study suggests that CLR01 can be used for the treatment of other tauopathies in the absence of amyloid pathology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Di
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Gordon Neuroscience Research Building, Room 451, 635 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7334, USA
| | - Ibrar Siddique
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Gordon Neuroscience Research Building, Room 451, 635 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7334, USA
| | - Zizheng Li
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Gordon Neuroscience Research Building, Room 451, 635 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7334, USA
| | - Ghattas Malki
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Gordon Neuroscience Research Building, Room 451, 635 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7334, USA
| | - Simon Hornung
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Gordon Neuroscience Research Building, Room 451, 635 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7334, USA.,Present Address: Division of Peptide Biochemistry, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Suman Dutta
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Gordon Neuroscience Research Building, Room 451, 635 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7334, USA
| | - Ian Hurst
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Gordon Neuroscience Research Building, Room 451, 635 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7334, USA
| | - Ella Ishaaya
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Gordon Neuroscience Research Building, Room 451, 635 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7334, USA
| | - Austin Wang
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Gordon Neuroscience Research Building, Room 451, 635 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7334, USA
| | - Sally Tu
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Gordon Neuroscience Research Building, Room 451, 635 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7334, USA
| | - Ani Boghos
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Gordon Neuroscience Research Building, Room 451, 635 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7334, USA
| | - Ida Ericsson
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Gordon Neuroscience Research Building, Room 451, 635 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7334, USA
| | | | - Thomas Schrader
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Gal Bitan
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Gordon Neuroscience Research Building, Room 451, 635 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7334, USA. .,Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. .,Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Aberrant role of ALK in tau proteinopathy through autophagosomal dysregulation. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:5542-5556. [PMID: 33452442 PMCID: PMC8758490 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-01003-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Proteinopathy in neurodegenerative diseases is typically characterized by deteriorating activity of specific protein aggregates. In tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), tau protein abnormally accumulates and induces dysfunction of the affected neurons. Despite active identification of tau modifications responsible for tau aggregation, a critical modulator inducing tau proteinopathy by affecting its protein degradation flux is not known. Here, we report that anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), a receptor tyrosine kinase, is crucial for the tau-mediated AD pathology. ALK caused abnormal accumulation of highly phosphorylated tau in the somatodendritic region of neurons through its tyrosine kinase activity. ALK-induced LC3-positive axon swelling and loss of spine density, leading to tau-dependent neuronal degeneration. Notably, ALK activation in neurons impaired Stx17-dependent autophagosome maturation and this defect was reversed by a dominant-negative Grb2. In a Drosophila melanogaster model, transgenic flies neuronally expressing active Drosophila Alk exhibited the aggravated tau rough eye phenotype with retinal degeneration and shortened lifespan. In contrast, expression of kinase-dead Alk blocked these phenotypes. Consistent with the previous RNAseq analysis showing upregulation of ALK expression in AD [1], ALK levels were significantly elevated in the brains of AD patients showing autophagosomal defects. Injection of an ALK.Fc-lentivirus exacerbated memory impairment in 3xTg-AD mice. Conversely, pharmacologic inhibition of ALK activity with inhibitors reversed the memory impairment and tau accumulation in both 3xTg-AD and tauC3 (caspase-cleaved tau) transgenic mice. Together, we propose that aberrantly activated ALK is a bona fide mediator of tau proteinopathy that disrupts autophagosome maturation and causes tau accumulation and aggregation, leading to neuronal dysfunction in AD.
Collapse
|
43
|
Goedert M, Spillantini MG, Falcon B, Zhang W, Newell KL, Hasegawa M, Scheres SHW, Ghetti B. Tau Protein and Frontotemporal Dementias. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1281:177-199. [PMID: 33433876 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-51140-1_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Filamentous inclusions of tau protein are found in cases of inherited and sporadic frontotemporal dementias (FTDs). Mutations in MAPT, the tau gene, cause approximately 5% of cases of FTD. They proved that dysfunction of tau protein is sufficient to cause neurodegeneration and dementia. Clinically and pathologically, cases with MAPT mutations can resemble sporadic diseases, such as Pick's disease, globular glial tauopathy, progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration. The structures of tau filaments from Pick's disease and corticobasal degeneration, determined by electron cryo-microscopy, revealed the presence of specific tau folds in each disease, with no inter-individual variation. The same was true of chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Kathy L Newell
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Masato Hasegawa
- Department of Dementia and Higher Brain Function, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Bernardino Ghetti
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Kametani F, Yoshida M, Matsubara T, Murayama S, Saito Y, Kawakami I, Onaya M, Tanaka H, Kakita A, Robinson AC, Mann DMA, Hasegawa M. Comparison of Common and Disease-Specific Post-translational Modifications of Pathological Tau Associated With a Wide Range of Tauopathies. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:581936. [PMID: 33250706 PMCID: PMC7672045 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.581936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are the most common type of neurodegenerative proteinopathy, being characterized by cytoplasmic aggregates of hyperphosphorylated tau protein. The formation and morphologies of these tau inclusions, the distribution of the lesions and related metabolic changes in cytoplasm differ among different tauopathies. The aim of this study was to examine whether there are differences in the post-translational modifications (PTMs) in the pathological tau proteins. We analyzed sarkosyl-insoluble pathological tau proteins prepared from brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease, Pick's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, globular glial tauopathy, and frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonisms linked to chromosome 17 with tau inclusions using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. In pathological tau proteins associated with a wide range of tauopathies, 170 PTMs in total were identified including new PTMs. Among them, common PTMs were localized in the N- and C-terminal flanking regions of the microtubule binding repeats and PTMs, which were considered to be disease-specific, were found in microtubule binding repeats forming filament core. These suggested that the differences in PTMs reflected the differences in tau filament core structures in each disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fuyuki Kametani
- Department of Brain and Neuroscience, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mari Yoshida
- Institute for Medical Science of Aging, Aichi Medical University, Aichi, Japan
| | - Tomoyasu Matsubara
- Department of Neuropathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shigeo Murayama
- Institute for Medical Science of Aging, Aichi Medical University, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yuko Saito
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, National Center Hospital, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ito Kawakami
- Department of Brain and Neuroscience, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mitsumoto Onaya
- Department of Psychiatry, National Hospital Organization Shimofusa Psychiatric Medical Center, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hidetomo Tanaka
- Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Akiyoshi Kakita
- Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Andrew C. Robinson
- Division of Neuroscience & Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Manchester, Salford, United Kingdom
| | - David M. A. Mann
- Division of Neuroscience & Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Manchester, Salford, United Kingdom
| | - Masato Hasegawa
- Department of Brain and Neuroscience, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Goedert M. Tau proteinopathies and the prion concept. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 175:239-259. [PMID: 32958235 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The ordered assembly of a small number of proteins into amyloid filaments is central to age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Tau is the most commonly affected of these proteins. In sporadic diseases, assemblies of tau form in a stochastic manner in certain brain regions, from where they appear to spread in a deterministic way, giving rise to disease symptoms. Over the past decade, multiple lines of evidence have shown that assembled tau behaves like a prion. More recently, electron cryo-microscopy of tau filaments has shown that distinct conformers are present in different diseases, with no inter-individual variation for a given disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michel Goedert
- MRC Laboratory Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Yang T, Liu H, Tran KC, Leng A, Massa SM, Longo FM. Small-molecule modulation of the p75 neurotrophin receptor inhibits a wide range of tau molecular pathologies and their sequelae in P301S tauopathy mice. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2020; 8:156. [PMID: 32891185 PMCID: PMC7487850 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-020-01034-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In tauopathies, phosphorylation, acetylation, cleavage and other modifications of tau drive intracellular generation of diverse forms of toxic tau aggregates and associated seeding activity, which have been implicated in subsequent synaptic failure and neurodegeneration. Suppression of this wide range of pathogenic species, seeding and toxicity mechanisms, while preserving the physiological roles of tau, presents a key therapeutic goal. Identification and targeting of signaling networks that influence a broad spectrum of tau pathogenic mechanisms might prevent or reverse synaptic degeneration and modify disease outcomes. The p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) modulates such networks, including activation of multiple tau kinases, calpain and rhoA-cofilin activity. The orally bioavailable small-molecule p75NTR modulator, LM11A-31, was administered to tauP301S mice for 3 months starting at 6 months of age, when tau pathology was well established. LM11A-31 was found to reduce: excess activation of hippocampal cdk5 and JNK kinases and calpain; excess cofilin phosphorylation, tau phosphorylation, acetylation and cleavage; accumulation of multiple forms of insoluble tau aggregates and filaments; and, microglial activation. Hippocampal extracts from treated mice had substantially reduced tau seeding activity. LM11A-31 treatment also led to a reversal of pyramidal neuron dendritic spine loss, decreased loss of dendritic complexity and improvement in performance of hippocampal behaviors. These studies identify a therapeutically tractable upstream signaling module regulating a wide spectrum of basic mechanisms underlying tauopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tao Yang
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Room H3160, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Harry Liu
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Room H3160, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Kevin C Tran
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Room H3160, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Albert Leng
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Room H3160, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Stephen M Massa
- Department of Neurology, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System and University of California, San Francisco, 4150 Clement St., San Francisco, CA, 94121, USA.
| | - Frank M Longo
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Room H3160, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Functional Alterations in the Olfactory Neuronal Circuit Occur before Hippocampal Plasticity Deficits in the P301S Mouse Model of Tauopathy: Implications for Early Diagnosis and Translational Research in Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21155431. [PMID: 32751531 PMCID: PMC7432464 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by neuronal loss and impaired synaptic transmission, ultimately leading to cognitive deficits. Early in the disease, the olfactory track seems most sensitive to tauopathy, while most plasticity studies focused on the hippocampal circuits. Functional network connectivity (FC) and long-term potentiation (LTP), considered as the plasticity substrate of learning and memory, were longitudinally assessed in mice of the P301S model of tauopathy following the course (time and location) of progressively neurodegenerative pathology (i.e., at 3, 6, and 9 months of age) and in their wild type (WT) littermates. Using in vivo local field potential (LFP) recordings, early (at three months) dampening in the gamma oscillatory activity and impairments in the phase-amplitude theta-gamma coupling (PAC) were found in the olfactory bulb (OB) circuit of P301S mice, which were maintained through the whole course of pathology development. In contrast, LFP oscillatory activity and PAC indices were normal in the entorhinal cortex, hippocampal CA1 and CA3 nuclei. Field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP) recordings from the Shaffer collateral (SC)-CA1 hippocampal stratum pyramidal revealed a significant altered synaptic LTP response to high-frequency stimulation (HFS): at three months of age, no significant difference between genotypes was found in basal synaptic activity, while signs of a deficit in short term plasticity were revealed by alterations in the fEPSPs. At six months of age, a slight deviance was found in basal synaptic activity and significant differences were observed in the LTP response. The alterations in network oscillations at the OB level and impairments in the functioning of the SC-CA1 pyramidal synapses strongly suggest that the progression of tau pathology elicited a brain area, activity-dependent disturbance in functional synaptic transmission. These findings point to early major alterations of neuronal activity in the OB circuit prior to the disturbance of hippocampal synaptic plasticity, possibly involving tauopathy in the anomalous FC. Further research should determine whether those early deficits in the OB network oscillations and FC are possible mechanisms that potentially promote the emergence of hippocampal synaptic impairments during the progression of tauopathy.
Collapse
|
48
|
A soluble truncated tau species related to cognitive dysfunction is elevated in the brain of cognitively impaired human individuals. Sci Rep 2020; 10:3869. [PMID: 32123248 PMCID: PMC7052165 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60777-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurofibrillary tangles are a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, and their levels correlate with the severity of cognitive dysfunction in humans. However, experimental evidence suggests that soluble tau species cause cognitive deficits and memory impairment. Our recent study suggests that caspase-2 (Casp2)-catalyzed tau cleavage at aspartate 314 mediates synaptic dysfunction and memory impairment in mouse and cellular models of neurodegenerative disorders. Δtau314, the C-terminally-truncated cleavage products, are soluble and present in human brain. In addition, levels of Δtau314 proteins are elevated in the brain of the cognitively impaired individuals compared to the cognitively normal individuals, indicating a possible role for Δtau314 proteins in cognitive deterioration. Here we show that (1) Δtau314 proteins are present in the inferior temporal gyrus of human brains; (2) Δtau314 proteins are generated from all six tau splicing isoforms, (3) levels of both Casp2 and Δtau314 proteins are elevated in cognitively impaired individuals compared to cognitively normal individuals, and (4) levels of Δtau314 proteins show a modest predictive value for dementia. These findings advance our understanding of the characteristics of Δtau314 proteins and their relevance to cognitive dysfunction and shed light on the contribution of Casp2-mediated Δtau314 production to cognitive deterioration.
Collapse
|
49
|
Abstract
Objectives: Recently, new criteria for sensitive and specific clinical diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) have been addressed while distinct clinical phenotypes of the disorder have been increasingly described in the literature. This study aimed to describe past and present aspects of the disease as well as to highlight the cognitive and behavioral profile of PSP patients in relation to the underlying pathology, genetics and treatment procedures.Methods: A Medline and Scopus search was performed to identify articles published on this topic. Articles published solely in English were considered.Results: The most common clinical characteristics of PSP included early postural instability and falls, vertical supranuclear gaze palsy, parkinsonism with poor response to levodopa and pseudobulbar palsy. Frontal dysfunction and verbal fluency deficits were the most distinct cognitive impairments in PSP while memory, visuospatial and social cognition could also be affected. Apathy and impulsivity were also present in PSP patients and had significant impact on relatives and caregivers.Conclusions: PSP is a neurodegenerative disorder with prominent tau neuropathology. Movement, motivation and communication impairments in patients with PSP may limit participation in everyday living activities. Comprehensive neuropsychological assessments are of significant importance for PSP cognitive evaluation. Pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic approaches could be applied in order to relieve patients and improve quality of life.Clinical Implications: Executive dysfunction is the most notable cognitive impairment and dominates the neuropsychological profile of patients with PSP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kleopatra H Schulpis
- Institute of Child Health, Research Center, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Nassor F, Jarray R, Biard DSF, Maïza A, Papy-Garcia D, Pavoni S, Deslys JP, Yates F. Long Term Gene Expression in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Cerebral Organoids to Model a Neurodegenerative Disease. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:14. [PMID: 32116560 PMCID: PMC7026130 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human brain organoids (mini-brains) consist of self-organized three-dimensional (3D) neural tissue which can be derived from reprogrammed adult cells and maintained for months in culture. These 3D structures manifest substantial potential for the modeling of neurodegenerative diseases and pave the way for personalized medicine. However, as these 3D brain models can express the whole human genetic complexity, it is critical to have access to isogenic mini-brains that only differ in specific and controlled genetic variables. Genetic engineering based on retroviral vectors is incompatible with the long-term modeling needed here and implies a risk of random integration while methods using CRISPR-Cas9 are still too complex to adapt to stem cells. We demonstrate in this study that our strategy which relies on an episomal plasmid vector derived from the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) offers a simple and robust approach, avoiding the remaining caveats of mini-brain models. For this proof-of-concept, we used a normal tau protein with a fluorescent tag and a mutant genetic form (P301S) leading to Fronto-Temporal Dementia. Isogenic cell lines were obtained which were stable for more than 30 passages expressing either form. We show that the presence of the plasmid in the cells does not interfere with the mini-brain differentiation protocol and obtain the development of a pathologically relevant phenotype in cerebral organoids, with pathological hyperphosphorylation of the tau protein. Such a simple and versatile genetic strategy opens up the full potential of human organoids to contribute to disease modeling, personalized medicine and testing of therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ferid Nassor
- Service d'Etude des Prions et des Infections Atypiques (SEPIA), Institut François Jacob, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA), Université Paris Saclay, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France.,CellTechs Laboratory, Sup'Biotech, Villejuif, France
| | - Rafika Jarray
- Service d'Etude des Prions et des Infections Atypiques (SEPIA), Institut François Jacob, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA), Université Paris Saclay, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France.,CellTechs Laboratory, Sup'Biotech, Villejuif, France
| | - Denis S F Biard
- Service d'Etude des Prions et des Infections Atypiques (SEPIA), Institut François Jacob, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA), Université Paris Saclay, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Auriane Maïza
- Glycobiology, Cell Growth, Tissue Repair and Regeneration (Gly-CRRET), UPEC 4397, Université Paris Est Créteil, Créteil, France
| | - Dulce Papy-Garcia
- Glycobiology, Cell Growth, Tissue Repair and Regeneration (Gly-CRRET), UPEC 4397, Université Paris Est Créteil, Créteil, France
| | - Serena Pavoni
- Service d'Etude des Prions et des Infections Atypiques (SEPIA), Institut François Jacob, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA), Université Paris Saclay, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Jean-Philippe Deslys
- Service d'Etude des Prions et des Infections Atypiques (SEPIA), Institut François Jacob, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA), Université Paris Saclay, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Frank Yates
- Service d'Etude des Prions et des Infections Atypiques (SEPIA), Institut François Jacob, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA), Université Paris Saclay, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France.,CellTechs Laboratory, Sup'Biotech, Villejuif, France
| |
Collapse
|