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Li W, Li JY. Overlaps and divergences between tauopathies and synucleinopathies: a duet of neurodegeneration. Transl Neurodegener 2024; 13:16. [PMID: 38528629 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-024-00407-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Proteinopathy, defined as the abnormal accumulation of proteins that eventually leads to cell death, is one of the most significant pathological features of neurodegenerative diseases. Tauopathies, represented by Alzheimer's disease (AD), and synucleinopathies, represented by Parkinson's disease (PD), show similarities in multiple aspects. AD manifests extrapyramidal symptoms while dementia is also a major sign of advanced PD. We and other researchers have sequentially shown the cross-seeding phenomenon of α-synuclein (α-syn) and tau, reinforcing pathologies between synucleinopathies and tauopathies. The highly overlapping clinical and pathological features imply shared pathogenic mechanisms between the two groups of disease. The diagnostic and therapeutic strategies seemingly appropriate for one distinct neurodegenerative disease may also apply to a broader spectrum. Therefore, a clear understanding of the overlaps and divergences between tauopathy and synucleinopathy is critical for unraveling the nature of the complicated associations among neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we discuss the shared and diverse characteristics of tauopathies and synucleinopathies from aspects of genetic causes, clinical manifestations, pathological progression and potential common therapeutic approaches targeting the pathology, in the aim to provide a timely update for setting the scheme of disease classification and provide novel insights into the therapeutic development for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Li
- Health Sciences Institute, Key Laboratory of Major Chronic Diseases of Nervous System of Liaoning Province, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, China
| | - Jia-Yi Li
- Health Sciences Institute, Key Laboratory of Major Chronic Diseases of Nervous System of Liaoning Province, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, China.
- Neural Plasticity and Repair Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Lund University, BMC A10, 22184, Lund, Sweden.
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2
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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.
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Leveille E, Ross OA, Gan-Or Z. Tau and MAPT genetics in tauopathies and synucleinopathies. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2021; 90:142-154. [PMID: 34593302 DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2021.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
MAPT encodes the microtubule-associated protein tau, which is the main component of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and found in other protein aggregates. These aggregates are among the pathological hallmarks of primary tauopathies such as frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Abnormal tau can also be observed in secondary tauopathies such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and synucleinopathies such as Parkinson's disease (PD). On top of pathological findings, genetic data also links MAPT to these disorders. MAPT variations are a cause or risk factors for many tauopathies and synucleinopathies and are associated with certain clinical and pathological features in affected individuals. In addition to clinical, pathological, and genetic overlap, evidence also suggests that tau and alpha-synuclein may interact on the molecular level, and thus might collaborate in the neurodegenerative process. Understanding the role of MAPT variations in tauopathies and synucleinopathies is therefore essential to elucidate the role of tau in the pathogenesis and phenotype of those disorders, and ultimately to develop targeted therapies. In this review, we describe the role of MAPT genetic variations in tauopathies and synucleinopathies, several genotype-phenotype and pathological features, and discuss their implications for the classification and treatment of those disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Owen A Ross
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA; Department of Clinical Genomics, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Ziv Gan-Or
- The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-hospital), McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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4
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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.
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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
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Strang KH, Golde TE, Giasson BI. MAPT mutations, tauopathy, and mechanisms of neurodegeneration. J Transl Med 2019; 99:912-928. [PMID: 30742061 PMCID: PMC7289372 DOI: 10.1038/s41374-019-0197-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), a prominent pathological feature is the aberrant aggregation and inclusion formation of the microtubule-associated protein tau. Because of the pathological association, these disorders are often referred to as tauopathies. Mutations in the MAPT gene that encodes tau can cause frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17), providing the clearest evidence that tauopathy plays a causal role in neurodegeneration. However, large gaps in our knowledge remain regarding how various FTDP-17-linked tau mutations promote tau aggregation and neurodegeneration, and, more generally, how the tauopathy is linked to neurodegeneration. Herein, we review what is known about how FTDP-17-linked pathogenic MAPT mutations cause disease, with a major focus on the prion-like properties of wild-type and mutant tau proteins. The hypothesized mechanisms by which mutations in the MAPT gene promote tauopathy are quite varied and may not provide definitive insights into how tauopathy arises in the absence of mutation. Further, differences in the ability of tau and mutant tau proteins to support prion-like propagation in various model systems raise questions about the generalizability of this mechanism in various tauopathies. Notably, understanding the mechanisms of tauopathy induction and spread and tau-induced neurodegeneration has important implications for tau-targeting therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin H. Strang
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Todd E. Golde
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA,McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Benoit I. Giasson
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA,McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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6
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Globular glial tauopathy caused by MAPT P301T mutation: clinical and neuropathological findings. J Neurol 2019; 266:2396-2405. [DOI: 10.1007/s00415-019-09414-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Zhang W, Falcon B, Murzin AG, Fan J, Crowther RA, Goedert M, Scheres SH. Heparin-induced tau filaments are polymorphic and differ from those in Alzheimer's and Pick's diseases. eLife 2019; 8:43584. [PMID: 30720432 PMCID: PMC6375701 DOI: 10.7554/elife.43584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 259] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Assembly of microtubule-associated protein tau into filamentous inclusions underlies a range of neurodegenerative diseases. Tau filaments adopt different conformations in Alzheimer’s and Pick’s diseases. Here, we used cryo- and immuno- electron microscopy to characterise filaments that were assembled from recombinant full-length human tau with four (2N4R) or three (2N3R) microtubule-binding repeats in the presence of heparin. 2N4R tau assembles into multiple types of filaments, and the structures of three types reveal similar ‘kinked hairpin’ folds, in which the second and third repeats pack against each other. 2N3R tau filaments are structurally homogeneous, and adopt a dimeric core, where the third repeats of two tau molecules pack in a parallel manner. The heparin-induced tau filaments differ from those of Alzheimer’s or Pick’s disease, which have larger cores with different repeat compositions. Our results illustrate the structural versatility of amyloid filaments, and raise questions about the relevance of in vitro assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Zhang
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin Falcon
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Alexey G Murzin
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Juan Fan
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Michel Goedert
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Molinuevo JL, Minguillon C, Rami L, Gispert JD. The Rationale Behind the New Alzheimer's Disease Conceptualization: Lessons Learned During the Last Decades. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 62:1067-1077. [PMID: 29562531 PMCID: PMC5869992 DOI: 10.3233/jad-170698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
In the last decades, progress in neuroimaging techniques and cerebrospinal fluid assays has enabled the characterization of several Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers. This knowledge has shifted the conceptualization of AD from a clinical-pathological construct, where its diagnosis required the presence of dementia with distinct pathologic features, toward a clinical-biological one that recognizes AD as a pathological continuum with a clinical picture that ranges from normal cognition to a dementia stage. Specifically, AD is now divided into three stages: preclinical (abnormal biomarkers and no or only subtle cognitive impairment), mild cognitive impairment or prodromal AD (abnormal pathophysiological biomarkers and episodic memory impairment), and dementia (abnormal biomarkers and clear cognitive and functional impairment). The possibility of assessing AD pathophysiology in vivo before the onset of clinical symptoms in the preclinical stage provides the unprecedented opportunity to intervene at earlier stages of the continuum in secondary prevention trials. Currently, large cohort studies of cognitively healthy participants are undergoing with the main aim of disentangling the natural history of AD to identify individuals with an increased risk of developing AD in the near future to be recruited in these clinical trials. In this paper, we review how the concept of AD has changed over the years as well as discuss the implications of this conceptual change.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Luis Molinuevo
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center, Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Madrid, Spain
- Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clínic, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carolina Minguillon
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center, Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lorena Rami
- Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clínic, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Domingo Gispert
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center, Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain
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9
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Arendt T, Stieler JT, Holzer M. Tau and tauopathies. Brain Res Bull 2016; 126:238-292. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2016.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 333] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Revised: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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10
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Fontana F, Siva K, Denti MA. A network of RNA and protein interactions in Fronto Temporal Dementia. Front Mol Neurosci 2015; 8:9. [PMID: 25852467 PMCID: PMC4365750 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2015.00009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by degeneration of the fronto temporal lobes and abnormal protein inclusions. It exhibits a broad clinicopathological spectrum and has been linked to mutations in seven different genes. We will provide a picture, which connects the products of these genes, albeit diverse in nature and function, in a network. Despite the paucity of information available for some of these genes, we believe that RNA processing and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression might constitute a common theme in the network. Recent studies have unraveled the role of mutations affecting the functions of RNA binding proteins and regulation of microRNAs. This review will combine all the recent findings on genes involved in the pathogenesis of FTD, highlighting the importance of a common network of interactions in order to study and decipher the heterogeneous clinical manifestations associated with FTD. This approach could be helpful for the research of potential therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Fontana
- Laboratory of RNA Biology and Biotechnology, Centre for Integrative Biology, University of TrentoTrento, Italy
| | - Kavitha Siva
- Laboratory of RNA Biology and Biotechnology, Centre for Integrative Biology, University of TrentoTrento, Italy
| | - Michela A. Denti
- Laboratory of RNA Biology and Biotechnology, Centre for Integrative Biology, University of TrentoTrento, Italy
- CNR, Institute of NeurosciencePadua, Italy
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Ghetti B, Oblak AL, Boeve BF, Johnson KA, Dickerson BC, Goedert M. Invited review: Frontotemporal dementia caused by microtubule-associated protein tau gene (MAPT) mutations: a chameleon for neuropathology and neuroimaging. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2015; 41:24-46. [PMID: 25556536 PMCID: PMC4329416 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 305] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hereditary frontotemporal dementia associated with mutations in the microtubule-associated protein tau gene (MAPT) is a protean disorder. Three neuropathologic subtypes can be recognized, based on the presence of inclusions made of tau isoforms with three and four repeats, predominantly three repeats and mostly four repeats. This is relevant for establishing a correlation between structural magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography using tracers specific for aggregated tau. Longitudinal studies will be essential to determine the evolution of anatomical alterations from the asymptomatic stage to the various phases of disease following the onset of symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Ghetti
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of MedicineIndianapolis, USA
| | - A L Oblak
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of MedicineIndianapolis, USA
| | - B F Boeve
- Department of Neurology, Mayo ClinicRochester, USA
| | - K A Johnson
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBoston, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBoston, USA
| | - B C Dickerson
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBoston, USA
| | - M Goedert
- Medical Research Council, Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridge, UK
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