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Lee BH, Cevizci M, Lieblich SE, Ibrahim M, Wen Y, Eid RS, Lamers Y, Duarte-Guterman P, Galea LAM. Exploring the parity paradox: Differential effects on neuroplasticity and inflammation by APOEe4 genotype at middle age. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 120:54-70. [PMID: 38772427 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Female sex and Apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 genotype are top non-modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although female-unique experiences like parity (pregnancy and motherhood) have positive effects on neuroplasticity at middle age, previous pregnancy may also contribute to AD risk. To explore these seemingly paradoxical long-term effects of parity, we investigated the impact of parity with APOEε4 genotype by examining behavioural and neural biomarkers of brain health in middle-aged female rats. Our findings show that primiparous (parous one time) hAPOEε4 rats display increased use of a non-spatial cognitive strategy and exhibit decreased number and recruitment of new-born neurons in the ventral dentate gyrus of the hippocampus in response to spatial working memory retrieval. Furthermore, primiparity and hAPOEε4 genotype synergistically modulate inflammatory markers in the ventral hippocampus. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that previous parity in hAPOEε4 rats confers an added risk to present with reduced activity and engagement of the hippocampus as well as elevated pro-inflammatory signaling, and underscore the importance of considering female-specific factors and genotype in health research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bonnie H Lee
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Melike Cevizci
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Stephanie E Lieblich
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Muna Ibrahim
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Yanhua Wen
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Rand S Eid
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Yvonne Lamers
- Food Nutrition and Health Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Paula Duarte-Guterman
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Liisa A M Galea
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, ON, Canada.
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2
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Majkutewicz I, Kurowska-Rucińska E, Ruciński J, Myślińska D, Grembecka B, Mantej J, Dzik KP. Diverse Efficacy of Dimethyl Fumarate in Alleviating the Late Streptozotocin-Induced Cognitive Impairment and Neuropathological Features in Rat. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04024-8. [PMID: 38430351 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04024-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Our previous study showed that dimethyl fumarate (DMF) treatment performed within three weeks after intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of streptozotocin (STZ) attenuated spatial memory impairment, hippocampal neurodegeneration, and neuroinflammation in rats. The present study is aimed at verifying the hypothesis that DMF alleviates late effects of STZ (6 months after ICV injection) which reflects advanced stage of the Alzheimer's disease (AD) in human patients. Spatial memory was assessed with Morris water maze (MWM), general brain level of amyloid β (Aβ) and p-tau was measured by western blot, immunofluorescent labelling of active microglia (IBA1), Aβ and p-tau and histological assay of neurodegeneration (Fluoro-Jade C) were performed in hippocampus and cortex. Two-week oral therapy with DMF normalized spatial memory disrupted by STZ but had no influence on general brain level of Aβ and p-tau. However, immunofluorescence showed local reduction of Aβ aggregates number in parietal cortex and p-tau+ cells in CA2 hippocampal area. Microgliosis was alleviated by DMF in CA1 area and parietal cortex. DMF-treated STZ injected rats showed higher number of Aβ containing microglia than untreated group in CA2 and frontal cortex, which may be the result of increased phagocytic activity in these areas after DMF treatment. STZ-induced neurodegeneration was alleviated by DMF in dentate gyrus and frontal cortex. In conclusion DMF treatment exerts beneficial effect on spatial memory in the rat model of late stage of AD, but weakly influences neuropathological features, as only local reduction in number of Aβ aggregates, p-tau containing cells, neurodegeneration, and microgliosis was found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irena Majkutewicz
- Department of Animal and Human Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.
| | | | - Jan Ruciński
- Department of Animal and Human Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Dorota Myślińska
- Department of Animal and Human Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Beata Grembecka
- Department of Animal and Human Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Jagoda Mantej
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Katarzyna P Dzik
- Department of Animal and Human Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
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3
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Lee Y, Morrow EM. Quantitative Measurement of Tau Aggregation in Genetically Modified Rats with Neurodegeneration. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2761:291-299. [PMID: 38427245 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3662-6_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Animal models of neurodegenerative diseases have helped us to better understand the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. However, recent failure to translate pre-clinical model studies to the clinic urges us to develop more rigorous and faithful animal models in neurodegenerative diseases. As genetic manipulation of rats becomes much more accessible due to availability of CRISPR-Cas9 and other genomic editing toolboxes, rats have been emerging as a new model system for neurodegenerative diseases. Even though mouse models have been dominant over the last decades, rats may provide advantages over mice. Rats are more genetically and physiologically closer to humans than to mice. Also, certain rat models can represent deposition of tau, which is one of the key pathological features of Alzheimer's diseases and tauopathies. However, there is an unmet need for standardized, rigorous testing in rat models. We adopted two commonly used biochemical and immunofluorescence methods from mice and human postmortem brains to measure tau aggregation. Due to the intrinsic differences between mice and rats, e.g., size of rat brains, certain equipment is required for rat models to study tau pathologies. Along with specific tools, here we describe the detailed methods for rat models of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- YouJin Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Carney Institute for Brain Science, and Brown Institute for Translational Science (BITS), Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
| | - Eric M Morrow
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Carney Institute for Brain Science, and Brown Institute for Translational Science (BITS), Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
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4
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D'Adamio L. Transfixed by transgenics: how pathology assumptions are slowing progress in Alzheimer's disease and related dementia research. EMBO Mol Med 2023; 15:e18479. [PMID: 37750482 PMCID: PMC10630870 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202318479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Model organisms of human diseases are invaluable tools for unraveling pathogenic mechanisms, identifying potential targets for drug development, and evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of candidates in preclinical trials. The utility of model organisms hinges upon their ability to faithfully replicate the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of the human disease. For rodent models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD-related dementias (ADRD), the limited translatability to human disease raises concerns about their overall utility. What factors contribute to this limitation? Is AD inherently too complex to be accurately modeled in nonhumans? Is the divergence between rodent brains and the human brain so pronounced that rodents are unsuitable as model organisms for AD? Or is it plausible that the commonly used rodent models don't capture the genuine pathogenic mechanisms underlying these diseases? This editorial discusses the challenges associated with transgenic models of AD and ADRD and offers some alternative approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciano D'Adamio
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience New Jersey Medical School, Brain Health Institute, Jacqueline Krieger Klein Center in Alzheimer's Disease and Neurodegeneration Research, RutgersThe State University of New JerseyNewarkNJUSA
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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.
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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.
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6
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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.
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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.
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7
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Concepcion FA, Ekstrom NA, Khan MN, Estes OO, Poolos NP. Progressive Dysregulation of Tau Phosphorylation in an Animal Model of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. Neuroscience 2023; 522:42-56. [PMID: 37142182 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Tau is an intracellular protein known to undergo hyperphosphorylation and subsequent neuro-toxic aggregation in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, tau expression and phosphorylation at three canonical loci known to be hyperphosphorylated in AD (S202/T205, T181, and T231) were studied in the rat pilocarpine status epilepticus (SE) model of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). We measured tau expression at two time points of chronic epilepsy: two months and four months post-SE. Both time points parallel human TLE of at least several years. In the whole hippocampal formation at two months post-SE, we observed modestly reduced total tau levels compared to naïve controls, but no significant reduction of S202/T205 phosphorylation levels. In the whole hippocampal formation from four month post-SE rats, total tau expression had reverted to normal, but there was a significant reduction in S202/T205 tau phosphorylation levels that was also seen in CA1 and CA3. No change in phosphorylation was seen at the T181 and T231 tau loci. In somatosensory cortex, outside of the seizure onset zone, no changes in tau expression or phosphorylation were seen at the later time point. We conclude that total tau expression and phosphorylation in an animal model of TLE studied do not show hyperphosphorylation at the three AD canonical tau loci. Instead, the S202/T205 locus showed progressive dephosphorylation. This suggests that changes in tau expression may play a different role in epilepsy than in AD. Further study is needed to understand how these changes in tau may impact neuronal excitability in chronic epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- F A Concepcion
- Department of Neurology and Regional Epilepsy Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - N A Ekstrom
- Department of Neurology and Regional Epilepsy Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - M N Khan
- Department of Neurology and Regional Epilepsy Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - O O Estes
- Department of Neurology and Regional Epilepsy Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - N P Poolos
- Department of Neurology and Regional Epilepsy Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
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Olfati N, Ghodsi H, Bayram E, Litvan I. Why Therapeutic Trials Fail in Primary Tauopathies. Mov Disord 2023; 38:545-550. [PMID: 36670054 PMCID: PMC10398638 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nahid Olfati
- Parkinson and Other Movement Disorders Center, Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Hamidreza Ghodsi
- Parkinson and Other Movement Disorders Center, Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ece Bayram
- Parkinson and Other Movement Disorders Center, Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Irene Litvan
- Parkinson and Other Movement Disorders Center, Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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9
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Langer Horvat L, Španić Popovački E, Babić Leko M, Zubčić K, Horvat L, Mustapić M, Hof PR, Šimić G. Anterograde and Retrograde Propagation of Inoculated Human Tau Fibrils and Tau Oligomers in a Non-Transgenic Rat Tauopathy Model. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1004. [PMID: 37189622 PMCID: PMC10135744 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11041004] [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: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The tauopathy of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is first observed in the brainstem and entorhinal cortex, spreading trans-synaptically along specific pathways to other brain regions with recognizable patterns. Tau propagation occurs retrogradely and anterogradely (trans-synaptically) along a given pathway and through exosomes and microglial cells. Some aspects of in vivo tau spreading have been replicated in transgenic mice models expressing a mutated human MAPT (tau) gene and in wild-type mice. In this study, we aimed to characterize the propagation of different forms of tau species in non-transgenic 3-4 months old wild-type rats after a single unilateral injection of human tau oligomers and tau fibrils into the medial entorhinal cortex (mEC). We determined whether different variants of the inoculated human tau protein, tau fibrils, and tau oligomers, would induce similar neurofibrillary changes and propagate in an AD-related pattern, and how tau-related pathological changes would correlate with presumed cognitive impairment. We injected human tau fibrils and tau oligomers stereotaxically into the mEC and examined the distribution of tau-related changes at 3 days and 4, 8, and 11 months post-injection using antibodies AT8 and MC1, which reveal early phosphorylation and aberrant conformation of tau, respectively, HT7, anti-synaptophysin, and the Gallyas silver staining method. Human tau oligomers and tau fibrils exhibited some similarities and some differences in their ability to seed and propagate tau-related changes. Both human tau fibrils and tau oligomers rapidly propagated from the mEC anterogradely into the hippocampus and various parts of the neocortex. However, using a human tau-specific HT7 antibody, 3 days post-injection we found inoculated human tau oligomers in the red nucleus, primary motor, and primary somatosensory cortex, a finding not seen in animals inoculated with human tau fibrils. In animals inoculated with human tau fibrils, 3 days post-injection the HT7 antibody showed fibrils in the pontine reticular nucleus, a finding explained only by uptake of human tau fibrils by incoming presynaptic fibers to the mEC and retrograde transport of inoculated human tau fibrils to the brainstem. Rats inoculated with human tau fibrils showed as early as 4 months after inoculation a spread of phosphorylated tau protein at the AT8 epitopes throughout the brain, dramatically faster propagation of neurofibrillary changes than with human tau oligomers. The overall severity of tau protein changes 4, 8, and 11 months after inoculation of human tau oligomers and tau fibrils correlated well with spatial working memory and cognition impairments, as measured by the T-maze spontaneous alternation, novel object recognition, and object location tests. We concluded that this non-trangenic rat model of tauopathy, especially when using human tau fibrils, demonstrates rapidly developing pathologic alterations in neurons, synapses, and identifiable pathways together with cognitive and behavioral changes, through the anterograde and retrograde spreading of neurofibrillary degeneration. Therefore, it represents a promising model for future experimental studies of primary and secondary tauopathies, especially AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Langer Horvat
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ena Španić Popovački
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Mirjana Babić Leko
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Klara Zubčić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Luka Horvat
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Maja Mustapić
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, and Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer’s Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Goran Šimić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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10
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Moore KBE, Hung TJ, Fortin JS. Hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) and drug discovery in the context of Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103487. [PMID: 36634842 PMCID: PMC9975055 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, characterized by intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and extracellular β-amyloid (βA) plaques. No disease-modifying therapy is currently available to prevent the progression of, or cure, the disease. Misfolded hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) is considered a pivotal point in the pathogenesis of AD and other tauopathies. Compelling evidence suggests that it is a key driver of the accumulation of NFTs and can be directly correlated with the extent of dementia in patients with AD. Therefore, inhibiting tau hyperphosphorylation-induced aggregation could be a viable strategy to discover and develop therapeutics for patients with AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendall B E Moore
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, 625 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Ta-Jung Hung
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, 625 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Jessica S Fortin
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, 625 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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11
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Bac B, Hicheri C, Weiss C, Buell A, Vilcek N, Spaeni C, Geula C, Savas JN, Disterhoft JF. The TgF344-AD rat: behavioral and proteomic changes associated with aging and protein expression in a transgenic rat model of Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 123:98-110. [PMID: 36657371 PMCID: PMC10118906 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Animal models of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) are attractive tools for preclinical, prodromal drug testing. The TgF344-AD (Tg) rat exhibits cognitive deficits and 5 major hallmarks of AD. Here we show that spatial water maze (WMZ) memory deficits and proteomic differences in dorsal CA1 were present in young Tg rats. Aged learning-unimpaired (AU) and aged learning-impaired (AI) proteome associated changes were identified and differed by sex. Levels of phosphorylated tau, reactive astrocytes and microglia were significantly increased in aged Tg rats and correlated with the WMZ learning index (LI); in contrast, no significant correlation was present between amyloid plaques or insoluble Aβ levels and LI. Neuroinflammatory markers were also significantly correlated with LI and increased in female Tg rats. The anti-inflammatory marker, triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-2 (TREM2), was significantly reduced in aged impaired Tg rats and correlated with LI. Identifying and understanding mechanisms that allow for healthy aging by overcoming genetic drivers for AD, and/or promoting drivers for successful aging, are important for developing successful therapeutics against AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birsu Bac
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Cheima Hicheri
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Craig Weiss
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Amelia Buell
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Natalia Vilcek
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Claudia Spaeni
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Changiz Geula
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jeffrey N Savas
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - John F Disterhoft
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
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12
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Hossain I, Blennow K, Posti JP, Zetterberg H. Tau as a fluid biomarker of concussion and neurodegeneration. CONCUSSION (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2022; 7:CNC98. [PMID: 36687115 PMCID: PMC9841393 DOI: 10.2217/cnc-2022-0004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Concussion is predominant among the vast number of traumatic brain injuries that occur worldwide. Difficulties in timely identification, whether concussion led to neuronal injury or not, diagnosis and the lack of prognostic tools for adequate management could lead this type of brain injury to progressive neurodegenerative diseases. Tau has been extensively studied in recent years, particularly in repetitive mild traumatic brain injuries and sports-related concussions. Tauopathies, the group of neurodegenerative diseases, have also been studied with advanced functional imaging. Nevertheless, neurodegenerative diseases, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, are still conclusively diagnosed at autopsy. Here, we discuss the diagnostic dilemma and the relationship between concussion and neurodegenerative diseases and review the literature on tau as a promising biomarker for concussion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iftakher Hossain
- Department of Neurosurgery, Neurocenter, Turku University Hospital, Finland,Turku Brain Injury Center, Turku University Hospital, Finland,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Turku, Finland,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Neurosurgery Unit, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK,Author for correspondence: Tel.: +358 2 313 0282;
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Institute of Neuroscience & Physiology, Department of Psychiatry & Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden,Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Jussi P Posti
- Department of Neurosurgery, Neurocenter, Turku University Hospital, Finland,Turku Brain Injury Center, Turku University Hospital, Finland,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Turku, Finland
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Institute of Neuroscience & Physiology, Department of Psychiatry & Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden,Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden,Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK,UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, UK,Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong, China
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13
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Lee Y, Miller MR, Fernandez MA, Berg EL, Prada AM, Ouyang Q, Schmidt M, Silverman JL, Young-Pearse TL, Morrow EM. Early lysosome defects precede neurodegeneration with amyloid-β and tau aggregation in NHE6-null rat brain. Brain 2022; 145:3187-3202. [PMID: 34928329 PMCID: PMC10147331 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Loss-of-function mutations in the X-linked endosomal Na+/H+ exchanger 6 (NHE6) cause Christianson syndrome in males. Christianson syndrome involves endosome dysfunction leading to early cerebellar degeneration, as well as later-onset cortical and subcortical neurodegeneration, potentially including tau deposition as reported in post-mortem studies. In addition, there is reported evidence of modulation of amyloid-β levels in experimental models wherein NHE6 expression was targeted. We have recently shown that loss of NHE6 causes defects in endosome maturation and trafficking underlying lysosome deficiency in primary mouse neurons in vitro. For in vivo studies, rat models may have an advantage over mouse models for the study of neurodegeneration, as rat brain can demonstrate robust deposition of endogenously-expressed amyloid-β and tau in certain pathological states. Mouse models generally do not show the accumulation of insoluble, endogenously-expressed (non-transgenic) tau or amyloid-β. Therefore, to study neurodegeneration in Christianson syndrome and the possibility of amyloid-β and tau pathology, we generated an NHE6-null rat model of Christianson syndrome using CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing. Here, we present the sequence of pathogenic events in neurodegenerating NHE6-null male rat brains across the lifespan. NHE6-null rats demonstrated an early and rapid loss of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum, as well as a more protracted neurodegenerative course in the cerebrum. In both the cerebellum and cerebrum, lysosome deficiency is an early pathogenic event, preceding autophagic dysfunction. Microglial and astrocyte activation also occur early. In the hippocampus and cortex, lysosome defects precede loss of pyramidal cells. Importantly, we subsequently observed biochemical and in situ evidence of both amyloid-β and tau aggregation in the aged NHE6-null hippocampus and cortex (but not in the cerebellum). Tau deposition is widely distributed, including cortical and subcortical distributions. Interestingly, we observed tau deposition in both neurons and glia, as has been reported in Christianson syndrome post-mortem studies previously. In summary, this experimental model is among very few examples of a genetically modified animal that exhibits neurodegeneration with deposition of endogenously-expressed amyloid-β and tau. This NHE6-null rat will serve as a new robust model for Christianson syndrome. Furthermore, these studies provide evidence for linkages between endolysosome dysfunction and neurodegeneration involving protein aggregations, including amyloid-β and tau. Therefore these studies may provide insight into mechanisms of more common neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
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Affiliation(s)
- YouJin Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Carney Institute for Brain Science and Brown Institute for Translational Science (BITS), Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Morgan R Miller
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Carney Institute for Brain Science and Brown Institute for Translational Science (BITS), Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Marty A Fernandez
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elizabeth L Berg
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Adriana M Prada
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Carney Institute for Brain Science and Brown Institute for Translational Science (BITS), Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Qing Ouyang
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Carney Institute for Brain Science and Brown Institute for Translational Science (BITS), Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Michael Schmidt
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Carney Institute for Brain Science and Brown Institute for Translational Science (BITS), Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Jill L Silverman
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Tracy L Young-Pearse
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eric M Morrow
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Carney Institute for Brain Science and Brown Institute for Translational Science (BITS), Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
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14
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Tau isoform-specific enhancement of L-type calcium current and augmentation of afterhyperpolarization in rat hippocampal neurons. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15231. [PMID: 36075936 PMCID: PMC9458744 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18648-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulation of tau is observed in dementia, with human tau displaying 6 isoforms grouped by whether they display either 3 or 4 C-terminal repeat domains (3R or 4R) and exhibit no (0N), one (1N) or two (2N) N terminal repeats. Overexpression of 4R0N-tau in rat hippocampal slices enhanced the L-type calcium (Ca2+) current-dependent components of the medium and slow afterhyperpolarizations (AHPs). Overexpression of both 4R0N-tau and 4R2N-tau augmented CaV1.2-mediated L-type currents when expressed in tsA-201 cells, an effect not observed with the third 4R isoform, 4R1N-tau. Current enhancement was only observed when the pore-forming subunit was co-expressed with CaVβ3 and not CaVβ2a subunits. Non-stationary noise analysis indicated that enhanced Ca2+ channel current arose from a larger number of functional channels. 4R0N-tau and CaVβ3 were found to be physically associated by co-immunoprecipitation. In contrast, the 4R1N-tau isoform that did not augment expressed macroscopic L-type Ca2+ current exhibited greatly reduced binding to CaVβ3. These data suggest that physical association between tau and the CaVβ3 subunit stabilises functional L-type channels in the membrane, increasing channel number and Ca2+ influx. Enhancing the Ca2+-dependent component of AHPs would produce cognitive impairment that underlie those seen in the early phases of tauopathies.
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15
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Marciante AB, Howard J, Kelly MN, Santiago Moreno J, Allen LL, Gonzalez-Rothi EJ, Mitchell GS. Dose-dependent phosphorylation of endogenous Tau by intermittent hypoxia in rat brain. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2022; 133:561-571. [PMID: 35861520 PMCID: PMC9448341 DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00332.2022] [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: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Intermittent hypoxia, or intermittent low oxygen interspersed with normal oxygen levels, has differential effects that depend on the "dose" of hypoxic episodes (duration, severity, number per day, and number of days). Whereas "low dose" daily acute intermittent hypoxia (dAIH) elicits neuroprotection and neuroplasticity, "high dose" chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) similar to that experienced during sleep apnea elicits neuropathology. Sleep apnea is comorbid in >50% of patients with Alzheimer's disease-a progressive, neurodegenerative disease associated with brain amyloid and chronic Tau dysregulation (pathology). Although patients with sleep apnea present with higher Tau levels, it is unknown if sleep apnea through attendant CIH contributes to onset of Tau pathology. We hypothesized CIH characteristic of moderate sleep apnea would increase dysregulation of phosphorylated Tau (phospho-Tau) species in Sprague-Dawley rat hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Conversely, we hypothesized that dAIH, a promising neurotherapeutic, has minimal impact on Tau phosphorylation. We report a dose-dependent intermittent hypoxia effect, with region-specific increases in 1) phospho-Tau species associated with human Tauopathies in the soluble form and 2) accumulated phospho-Tau in the insoluble fraction. The latter observation was particularly evident with higher CIH intensities. This important and novel finding is consistent with the idea that sleep apnea and attendant CIH have the potential to accelerate the progression of Alzheimer's disease and/or other Tauopathies.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Sleep apnea is highly prevalent in people with Alzheimer's disease, suggesting the potential to accelerate disease onset and/or progression. These studies demonstrate that intermittent hypoxia (IH) induces dose-dependent, region-specific Tau phosphorylation, and are the first to indicate that higher IH "doses" elicit both endogenous, (rat) Tau hyperphosphorylation and accumulation in the hippocampus. These findings are essential for development and implementation of new treatment strategies that minimize sleep apnea and its adverse impact on neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandria B Marciante
- Breathing Research and Therapeutics Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - John Howard
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Mia N Kelly
- Breathing Research and Therapeutics Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Juan Santiago Moreno
- Breathing Research and Therapeutics Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Latoya L Allen
- Breathing Research and Therapeutics Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Elisa J Gonzalez-Rothi
- Breathing Research and Therapeutics Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Gordon S Mitchell
- Breathing Research and Therapeutics Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
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16
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Pham H, Yin T, D’Adamio L. Initial assessment of the spatial learning, reversal, and sequencing task capabilities of knock-in rats with humanizing mutations in the Aβ-coding region of App. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263546. [PMID: 35507596 PMCID: PMC9067689 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Model organisms mimicking the pathogenesis of human diseases are useful for identifying pathogenic mechanisms and testing therapeutic efficacy of compounds targeting them. Models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD) aim to reproduce the brain pathology associated with these neurodegenerative disorders. Transgenic models, which involve random insertion of disease-causing genes under the control of artificial promoters, are efficient means of doing so. There are confounding factors associated with transgenic approaches, however, including target gene overexpression, dysregulation of endogenous gene expression at transgenes' integration sites, and limitations in mimicking loss-of-function mechanisms. Furthermore, the choice of species is important, and there are anatomical, physiological, and cognitive reasons for favoring the rat over the mouse, which has been the standard for models of neurodegeneration and dementia. We report an initial assessment of the spatial learning, reversal, and sequencing task capabilities of knock-in (KI) Long-Evans rats with humanizing mutations in the Aβ-coding region of App, which encodes amyloid precursor protein (Apph/h rats), using the IntelliCage, an automated operant social home cage system, at 6-8 weeks of age, then again at 4-5 months of age. These rats were previously generated as control organisms for studies on neurodegeneration involving other knock-in rat models from our lab. Apph/h rats of either sex can acquire place learning and reversal tasks. They can also acquire a diagonal sequencing task by 6-8 weeks of age, but not a more advanced serial reversal task involving alternating diagonals, even by 4-5 months of age. Thus, longitudinal behavioral analysis with the IntelliCage system can be useful to determine, in follow-up studies, whether KI rat models of Familial AD (FAD), sporadic late onset AD (LOAD), and of ADRD develop aging-dependent learning and memory deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoa Pham
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience New Jersey Medical School, Brain Health Institute, Jacqueline Krieger Klein Center in Alzheimer’s Disease and Neurodegeneration Research, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, United States of America
| | - Tao Yin
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience New Jersey Medical School, Brain Health Institute, Jacqueline Krieger Klein Center in Alzheimer’s Disease and Neurodegeneration Research, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, United States of America
| | - Luciano D’Adamio
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience New Jersey Medical School, Brain Health Institute, Jacqueline Krieger Klein Center in Alzheimer’s Disease and Neurodegeneration Research, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, United States of America
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17
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Posti JP, Tenovuo O. Blood-based biomarkers and traumatic brain injury-A clinical perspective. Acta Neurol Scand 2022; 146:389-399. [PMID: 35383879 DOI: 10.1111/ane.13620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Blood-based biomarkers are promising tools to complement clinical variables and imaging findings in the diagnosis, monitoring and outcome prediction of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Several promising biomarker candidates have been found for various clinical questions, but the translation of TBI biomarkers into clinical applications has been negligible. Measured biomarker levels are influenced by patient-related variables such as age, blood-brain barrier integrity and renal and liver function. It is not yet fully understood how biomarkers enter the bloodstream from the interstitial fluid of the brain. In addition, the diagnostic performance of TBI biomarkers is affected by sampling timing and analytical methods. In this focused review, the clinical aspects of glial fibrillary acidic protein, neurofilament light, S100 calcium-binding protein B, tau and ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 are examined. Current findings and clinical caveats are addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jussi P. Posti
- Neurocenter Department of Neurosurgery and Turku Brain Injury Center Turku University Hospital and University of Turku Turku Finland
| | - Olli Tenovuo
- Neurocenter Turku Brain Injury Center Turku University Hospital and University of Turku Turku Finland
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18
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Pang K, Jiang R, Zhang W, Yang Z, Li LL, Shimozawa M, Tambaro S, Mayer J, Zhang B, Li M, Wang J, Liu H, Yang A, Chen X, Liu J, Winblad B, Han H, Jiang T, Wang W, Nilsson P, Guo W, Lu B. An App knock-in rat model for Alzheimer's disease exhibiting Aβ and tau pathologies, neuronal death and cognitive impairments. Cell Res 2022; 32:157-175. [PMID: 34789895 PMCID: PMC8807612 DOI: 10.1038/s41422-021-00582-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A major obstacle in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research is the lack of predictive and translatable animal models that reflect disease progression and drug efficacy. Transgenic mice overexpressing amyloid precursor protein (App) gene manifest non-physiological and ectopic expression of APP and its fragments in the brain, which is not observed in AD patients. The App knock-in mice circumvented some of these problems, but they do not exhibit tau pathology and neuronal death. We have generated a rat model, with three familiar App mutations and humanized Aβ sequence knocked into the rat App gene. Without altering the levels of full-length APP and other APP fragments, this model exhibits pathologies and disease progression resembling those in human patients: deposit of Aβ plaques in relevant brain regions, microglia activation and gliosis, progressive synaptic degeneration and AD-relevant cognitive deficits. Interestingly, we have observed tau pathology, neuronal apoptosis and necroptosis and brain atrophy, phenotypes rarely seen in other APP models. This App knock-in rat model may serve as a useful tool for AD research, identifying new drug targets and biomarkers, and testing therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keliang Pang
- grid.12527.330000 0001 0662 3178School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China ,grid.12527.330000 0001 0662 3178R&D Center for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Brain Diseases, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong China ,grid.24696.3f0000 0004 0369 153XBeijing Tiantan Hospital, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Richeng Jiang
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden ,grid.430605.40000 0004 1758 4110Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhengyi Yang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lin-Lin Li
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Research Center for Brain-inspired Intelligence, National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, School of Future Technology, University of CAS, and CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Makoto Shimozawa
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Simone Tambaro
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johanna Mayer
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Baogui Zhang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Man Li
- grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiesi Wang
- grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hang Liu
- grid.12527.330000 0001 0662 3178School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China ,grid.12527.330000 0001 0662 3178R&D Center for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Brain Diseases, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong China ,grid.24696.3f0000 0004 0369 153XBeijing Tiantan Hospital, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ailing Yang
- grid.12527.330000 0001 0662 3178School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xi Chen
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Research Center for Brain-inspired Intelligence, National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, School of Future Technology, University of CAS, and CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiazheng Liu
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Research Center for Brain-inspired Intelligence, National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, School of Future Technology, University of CAS, and CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Bengt Winblad
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden ,grid.24381.3c0000 0000 9241 5705Theme Aging, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Hua Han
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Research Center for Brain-inspired Intelligence, National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, School of Future Technology, University of CAS, and CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Tianzi Jiang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Weiwen Wang
- grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Per Nilsson
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Wei Guo
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. .,R&D Center for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Brain Diseases, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. .,Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
| | - Bai Lu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. .,R&D Center for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Brain Diseases, Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. .,Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
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19
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Klonarakis M, De Vos M, Woo E, Ralph L, Thacker JS, Gil-Mohapel J. The three sisters of fate: Genetics, pathophysiology and outcomes of animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 135:104541. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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20
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Mckean NE, Handley RR, Snell RG. A Review of the Current Mammalian Models of Alzheimer's Disease and Challenges That Need to Be Overcome. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:13168. [PMID: 34884970 PMCID: PMC8658123 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222313168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the looming health crises of the near future. Increasing lifespans and better medical treatment for other conditions mean that the prevalence of this disease is expected to triple by 2050. The impact of AD includes both the large toll on individuals and their families as well as a large financial cost to society. So far, we have no way to prevent, slow, or cure the disease. Current medications can only alleviate some of the symptoms temporarily. Many animal models of AD have been created, with the first transgenic mouse model in 1995. Mouse models have been beset by challenges, and no mouse model fully captures the symptomatology of AD without multiple genetic mutations and/or transgenes, some of which have never been implicated in human AD. Over 25 years later, many mouse models have been given an AD-like disease and then 'cured' in the lab, only for the treatments to fail in clinical trials. This review argues that small animal models are insufficient for modelling complex disorders such as AD. In order to find effective treatments for AD, we need to create large animal models with brains and lifespan that are closer to humans, and underlying genetics that already predispose them to AD-like phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Elizabeth Mckean
- Applied Translational Genetics Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, 3a Symonds Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand; (N.E.M.); (R.R.H.)
- Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Renee Robyn Handley
- Applied Translational Genetics Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, 3a Symonds Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand; (N.E.M.); (R.R.H.)
- Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Russell Grant Snell
- Applied Translational Genetics Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, 3a Symonds Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand; (N.E.M.); (R.R.H.)
- Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
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21
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Sexton C, Snyder H, Beher D, Boxer AL, Brannelly P, Brion JP, Buée L, Cacace AM, Chételat G, Citron M, DeVos SL, Diaz K, Feldman HH, Frost B, Goate AM, Gold M, Hyman B, Johnson K, Karch CM, Kerwin DR, Koroshetz WJ, Litvan I, Morris HR, Mummery CJ, Mutamba J, Patterson MC, Quiroz YT, Rabinovici GD, Rommel A, Shulman MB, Toledo-Sherman LM, Weninger S, Wildsmith KR, Worley SL, Carrillo MC. Current directions in tau research: Highlights from Tau 2020. Alzheimers Dement 2021; 18:988-1007. [PMID: 34581500 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Studies supporting a strong association between tau deposition and neuronal loss, neurodegeneration, and cognitive decline have heightened the allure of tau and tau-related mechanisms as therapeutic targets. In February 2020, leading tau experts from around the world convened for the first-ever Tau2020 Global Conference in Washington, DC, co-organized and cosponsored by the Rainwater Charitable Foundation, the Alzheimer's Association, and CurePSP. Representing academia, industry, government, and the philanthropic sector, presenters and attendees discussed recent advances and current directions in tau research. The meeting provided a unique opportunity to move tau research forward by fostering global partnerships among academia, industry, and other stakeholders and by providing support for new drug discovery programs, groundbreaking research, and emerging tau researchers. The meeting also provided an opportunity for experts to present critical research-advancing tools and insights that are now rapidly accelerating the pace of tau research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Adam L Boxer
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Pat Brannelly
- Alzheimer's Disease Data Initiative, Kirkland, WI, USA
| | - Jean-Pierre Brion
- Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology, Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Luc Buée
- Univ Lille, Inserm, CHU-Lille, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition, Place de Verdun, Lille, France
| | | | - Gaël Chételat
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, INSERM, U1237, PhIND "Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders", Institut Blood and Brain @ Caen-Normandie, Cyceron, Caen, France
| | - Martin Citron
- Neuroscience TA, Braine l'Alleud, UCB Biopharma, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sarah L DeVos
- Translational Sciences, Denali Therapeutics, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Howard H Feldman
- Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Bess Frost
- Sam & Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's & Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Cell Systems & Anatomy, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Alison M Goate
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Department of Neuroscience, Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michael Gold
- AbbVie, Neurosciences Development, North Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Bradley Hyman
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Keith Johnson
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Celeste M Karch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Diana R Kerwin
- Kerwin Medical Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Walter J Koroshetz
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Irene Litvan
- Parkinson and Other Movement Disorders Center, Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Huw R Morris
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neuroscience, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Catherine J Mummery
- Dementia Research Centre, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Marc C Patterson
- Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics and Medical Genetics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Yakeel T Quiroz
- Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Gil D Rabinovici
- Memory & Aging Center, Departments of Neurology, Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Amy Rommel
- Tau Consortium, Rainwater Charitable Foundation, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - Melanie B Shulman
- Neurodegeneration Development Unit, Biogen, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | - Kristin R Wildsmith
- Department of Biomarker Development, Genentech, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Susan L Worley
- Independent science writer, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, USA
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22
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Hier DB, Obafemi-Ajayi T, Thimgan MS, Olbricht GR, Azizi S, Allen B, Hadi BA, Wunsch DC. Blood biomarkers for mild traumatic brain injury: a selective review of unresolved issues. Biomark Res 2021; 9:70. [PMID: 34530937 PMCID: PMC8447604 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-021-00325-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The use of blood biomarkers after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) has been widely studied. We have identified eight unresolved issues related to the use of five commonly investigated blood biomarkers: neurofilament light chain, ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase-L1, tau, S100B, and glial acidic fibrillary protein. We conducted a focused literature review of unresolved issues in three areas: mode of entry into and exit from the blood, kinetics of blood biomarkers in the blood, and predictive capacity of the blood biomarkers after mTBI. Findings Although a disruption of the blood brain barrier has been demonstrated in mild and severe traumatic brain injury, biomarkers can enter the blood through pathways that do not require a breach in this barrier. A definitive accounting for the pathways that biomarkers follow from the brain to the blood after mTBI has not been performed. Although preliminary investigations of blood biomarkers kinetics after TBI are available, our current knowledge is incomplete and definitive studies are needed. Optimal sampling times for biomarkers after mTBI have not been established. Kinetic models of blood biomarkers can be informative, but more precise estimates of kinetic parameters are needed. Confounding factors for blood biomarker levels have been identified, but corrections for these factors are not routinely made. Little evidence has emerged to date to suggest that blood biomarker levels correlate with clinical measures of mTBI severity. The significance of elevated biomarker levels thirty or more days following mTBI is uncertain. Blood biomarkers have shown a modest but not definitive ability to distinguish concussed from non-concussed subjects, to detect sub-concussive hits to the head, and to predict recovery from mTBI. Blood biomarkers have performed best at distinguishing CT scan positive from CT scan negative subjects after mTBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B Hier
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 65401, USA.
| | - Tayo Obafemi-Ajayi
- Cooperative Engineering Program, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO 65897, United States
| | - Matthew S Thimgan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 65409, United States
| | - Gayla R Olbricht
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 65409, United States
| | - Sima Azizi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 65401, USA
| | - Blaine Allen
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 65401, USA
| | - Bassam A Hadi
- Department of Surgery, Mercy Hospital, St. Louis MO, Missouri, MO 63141, United States
| | - Donald C Wunsch
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 65401, USA.,National Science Foundation, ECCS Division, Virginia, 22314, USA
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23
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A familial Danish dementia rat shows impaired presynaptic and postsynaptic glutamatergic transmission. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101089. [PMID: 34416235 PMCID: PMC8429969 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Familial British dementia and familial Danish dementia are neurodegenerative disorders caused by mutations in the gene integral membrane protein 2B (ITM2b) encoding BRI2, which tunes excitatory synaptic transmission at both presynaptic and postsynaptic termini. In addition, BRI2 interacts with and modulates proteolytic processing of amyloid-β precursor protein (APP), whose mutations cause familial forms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) (familial AD). To study the pathogenic mechanisms triggered by the Danish mutation, we generated rats carrying the Danish mutation in the rat Itm2b gene (Itm2bD rats). Given the BRI2/APP interaction and the widely accepted relevance of human amyloid β (Aβ), a proteolytic product of APP, to AD, Itm2bD rats were engineered to express two humanized App alleles and produce human Aβ. Here, we studied young Itm2bD rats to investigate early pathogenic changes in these diseases. We found that periadolescent Itm2bD rats not only present subtle changes in human Aβ levels along with decreased spontaneous glutamate release and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor–mediated responses but also had increased short-term synaptic facilitation in the hippocampal Schaeffer-collateral pathway. These alterations in excitatory interneuronal communication can impair learning and memory processes and were akin to those observed in adult mice producing rodent Aβ and carrying either the Danish or British mutations in the mouse Itm2b gene. Collectively, the data show that the pathogenic Danish mutation alters the physiological function of BRI2 at glutamatergic synapses across species and early in life. Future studies will determine whether this phenomenon represents an early pathogenic event in human dementia.
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24
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Niu J, Iqbal K, Liu F, Hu W. Rats Display Sexual Dimorphism in Phosphorylation of Brain Tau with Age. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 82:855-869. [PMID: 34092647 DOI: 10.3233/jad-210341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Women have a two-fold higher risk than men to Alzheimer's disease (AD) at midlife. Larger brain tau burden was consistently shown in older women than age-matched men. The biological basis for this gender disparity remains elusive. OBJECTIVE We sought to know whether tau expression and phosphorylation physiologically differ between males and females. METHODS We used western blots and immunohistochemistry to compare the levels of total tau and phosphorylated tau in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex (EC) between sexes in Wistar rats at 40 days, and 8 and 20 months of age. RESULTS We detected no statistically significant difference in total tau, 3R-tau, and 4R-tau between sexes. However, female rats exhibited lower levels of tau unphosphorylated at the Tau-1 site at 40 days of age. At 8 months of age, females showed higher levels of tau phosphorylated at Ser190, Ser387, and Ser395 (Ser199, Ser396, and Ser404 of human tau, respectively) than males in EC. At 20 months of age, both brain regions of female rats consistently showed higher levels than males of tau phosphorylated at Ser253, Ser387, PHF-1 (Ser387/395), and Ser413 sites, which correspond to Ser262, Ser396, Ser396/404, and Ser422 of human tau, respectively. CONCLUSION Rats of both sexes have comparable levels of total tau, 3R-tau, and 4R-tau, whereas females exhibit higher levels of tau phosphorylated at multiple sites that are implicated in AD tau pathology, indicating a sexual dimorphism of tau phosphorylation that may potentially underlie the disparity in brain tau burden and risk for AD between sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Niu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Wen Hu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
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25
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Selvarani R, Mohammed S, Richardson A. Effect of rapamycin on aging and age-related diseases-past and future. GeroScience 2021; 43:1135-1158. [PMID: 33037985 PMCID: PMC8190242 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-020-00274-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2009, rapamycin was reported to increase the lifespan of mice when implemented later in life. This observation resulted in a sea-change in how researchers viewed aging. This was the first evidence that a pharmacological agent could have an impact on aging when administered later in life, i.e., an intervention that did not have to be implemented early in life before the negative impact of aging. Over the past decade, there has been an explosion in the number of reports studying the effect of rapamycin on various diseases, physiological functions, and biochemical processes in mice. In this review, we focus on those areas in which there is strong evidence for rapamycin's effect on aging and age-related diseases in mice, e.g., lifespan, cardiac disease/function, central nervous system, immune system, and cell senescence. We conclude that it is time that pre-clinical studies be focused on taking rapamycin to the clinic, e.g., as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramasamy Selvarani
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Sabira Mohammed
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Arlan Richardson
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
- Oklahoma City VA Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
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26
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Pentkowski NS, Rogge-Obando KK, Donaldson TN, Bouquin SJ, Clark BJ. Anxiety and Alzheimer's disease: Behavioral analysis and neural basis in rodent models of Alzheimer's-related neuropathology. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:647-658. [PMID: 33979573 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology is commonly associated with cognitive decline but is also composed of neuropsychiatric symptoms including psychological distress and alterations in mood, including anxiety and depression. Emotional dysfunction in AD is frequently modeled using tests of anxiety-like behavior in transgenic rodents. These tests often include the elevated plus-maze, light/dark test and open field test. In this review, we describe prototypical behavioral paradigms used to examine emotional dysfunction in transgenic models of AD, specifically anxiety-like behavior. Next, we summarize the results of studies examining anxiety-like behavior in transgenic rodents, noting that the behavioral outcomes using these paradigms have produced inconsistent results. We suggest that future research will benefit from using a battery of tests to examine emotional behavior in transgenic AD models. We conclude by discussing putative, overlapping neurobiological mechanisms underlying AD-related neuropathology, stress and anxiety-like behavior reported in AD models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan S Pentkowski
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87109, Mexico.
| | | | - Tia N Donaldson
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87109, Mexico
| | - Samuel J Bouquin
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87109, Mexico
| | - Benjamin J Clark
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87109, Mexico.
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27
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A freeze-and-thaw-induced fragment of the microtubule-associated protein tau in rat brain extracts: implications for the biochemical assessment of neurotoxicity. Biosci Rep 2021; 41:227937. [PMID: 33629708 PMCID: PMC7990086 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20203980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-associated protein (MAP) responsible for controlling the stabilization of microtubules in neurons. Tau function is regulated by phosphorylation. However, in some neurological diseases Tau becomes aberrantly hyperphosphorylated, which contributes to the pathogenesis of neurological diseases, known as tauopathies. Western blotting (WB) has been widely employed to determine Tau levels in neurological disease models. However, Tau quantification by WB should be interpreted with care, as this approach has been recognized as prone to produce artifactual results if not properly performed. In the present study, our goal was to evaluate the influence of a freeze-and-thaw cycle, a common procedure preceding WB, to the integrity of Tau in brain homogenates from rats, 3xTg-AD mice and human samples. Homogenates were prepared in ice-cold RIPA buffer supplemented with protease/phosphatase inhibitors. Immediately after centrifugation, an aliquot of the extracts was analyzed via WB to quantify total and phosphorylated Tau levels. The remaining aliquots of the same extracts were stored for at least 2 weeks at either −20 or −80°C and then subjected to WB. Extracts from rodent brains submitted to freeze-and-thaw presented a ∼25 kDa fragment immunoreactive to anti-Tau antibodies. An in-gel digestion followed by mass spectrometry (MS) analysis in excised bands revealed this ∼25 kDa species corresponds to a Tau fragment. Freeze-and-thaw-induced Tau proteolysis was detected even when extracts were stored at −80°C. This phenomenon was not observed in human samples at any storage condition tested. Based on these findings, we strongly recommend the use of fresh extracts of brain samples in molecular analysis of Tau levels in rodents.
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28
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Kumarasamy M, Sosnik A. Heterocellular spheroids of the neurovascular blood-brain barrier as a platform for personalized nanoneuromedicine. iScience 2021; 24:102183. [PMID: 33718835 PMCID: PMC7921813 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanoneuromedicine investigates nanotechnology to target the brain and treat neurological diseases. In this work, we biofabricated heterocellular spheroids comprising human brain microvascular endothelial cells, brain vascular pericytes and astrocytes combined with primary cortical neurons and microglia isolated from neonate rats. The structure and function are characterized by confocal laser scanning and light sheet fluorescence microscopy, electron microscopy, western blotting, and RNA sequencing. The spheroid bulk is formed by neural cells and microglia and the surface by endothelial cells and they upregulate key structural and functional proteins of the blood-brain barrier. These cellular constructs are utilized to preliminary screen the permeability of polymeric, metallic, and ceramic nanoparticles (NPs). Findings reveal that penetration and distribution patterns depend on the NP type and that microglia would play a key role in this pathway, highlighting the promise of this platform to investigate the interaction of different nanomaterials with the central nervous system in nanomedicine, nanosafety and nanotoxicology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murali Kumarasamy
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Nanomaterials Science, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, De-Jur Bldg. Office 607, Technion City, 3200003 Haifa, Israel
| | - Alejandro Sosnik
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Nanomaterials Science, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, De-Jur Bldg. Office 607, Technion City, 3200003 Haifa, Israel
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29
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Habif M, Do Carmo S, Báez MV, Colettis NC, Cercato MC, Salas DA, Acutain MF, Sister CL, Berkowicz VL, Canal MP, González Garello T, Cuello AC, Jerusalinsky DA. Early Long-Term Memory Impairment and Changes in the Expression of Synaptic Plasticity-Associated Genes, in the McGill-R-Thy1-APP Rat Model of Alzheimer's-Like Brain Amyloidosis. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 12:585873. [PMID: 33551786 PMCID: PMC7862771 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.585873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Accruing evidence supports the hypothesis that memory deficits in early Alzheimer Disease (AD) might be due to synaptic failure caused by accumulation of intracellular amyloid beta (Aβ) oligomers, then secreted to the extracellular media. Transgenic mouse AD models provide valuable information on AD pathology. However, the failure to translate these findings to humans calls for models that better recapitulate the human pathology. McGill-R-Thy1-APP transgenic (Tg) rat expresses the human amyloid precursor protein (APP751) with the Swedish and Indiana mutations (of familial AD), leading to an AD-like slow-progressing brain amyloid pathology. Therefore, it offers a unique opportunity to investigate learning and memory abilities at early stages of AD, when Aβ accumulation is restricted to the intracellular compartment, prior to plaque deposition. Our goal was to further investigate early deficits in memory, particularly long-term memory in McGill-R-Thy1-APP heterozygous (Tg+/–) rats. Short-term- and long-term habituation to an open field were preserved in 3-, 4-, and 6-month-old (Tg+/–). However, long-term memory of inhibitory avoidance to a foot-shock, novel object-recognition and social approaching behavior were seriously impaired in 4-month-old (Tg+/–) male rats, suggesting that they are unable to either consolidate and/or evoke such associative and discriminative memories with aversive, emotional and spatial components. The long-term memory deficits were accompanied by increased transcript levels of genes relevant to synaptic plasticity, learning and memory processing in the hippocampus, such as Grin2b, Dlg4, Camk2b, and Syn1. Our findings indicate that in addition to the previously well-documented deficits in learning and memory, McGill-R-Thy1-APP rats display particular long-term-memory deficits and deep social behavior alterations at pre-plaque early stages of the pathology. This highlights the importance of Aβ oligomers and emphasizes the validity of the model to study AD-like early processes, with potentially predictive value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martín Habif
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurotoxins (LaN&N), Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia (IBCN) "Prof. Eduardo De Robertis" (Universidad de Buenos Aires - CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sonia Do Carmo
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - María Verónica Báez
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurotoxins (LaN&N), Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia (IBCN) "Prof. Eduardo De Robertis" (Universidad de Buenos Aires - CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Natalia Claudia Colettis
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurotoxins (LaN&N), Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia (IBCN) "Prof. Eduardo De Robertis" (Universidad de Buenos Aires - CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Magalí Cecilia Cercato
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurotoxins (LaN&N), Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia (IBCN) "Prof. Eduardo De Robertis" (Universidad de Buenos Aires - CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Daniela Alejandra Salas
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurotoxins (LaN&N), Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia (IBCN) "Prof. Eduardo De Robertis" (Universidad de Buenos Aires - CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Florencia Acutain
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurotoxins (LaN&N), Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia (IBCN) "Prof. Eduardo De Robertis" (Universidad de Buenos Aires - CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Caterina Laura Sister
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurotoxins (LaN&N), Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia (IBCN) "Prof. Eduardo De Robertis" (Universidad de Buenos Aires - CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Valeria Laura Berkowicz
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurotoxins (LaN&N), Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia (IBCN) "Prof. Eduardo De Robertis" (Universidad de Buenos Aires - CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Pilar Canal
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurotoxins (LaN&N), Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia (IBCN) "Prof. Eduardo De Robertis" (Universidad de Buenos Aires - CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Tomás González Garello
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurotoxins (LaN&N), Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia (IBCN) "Prof. Eduardo De Robertis" (Universidad de Buenos Aires - CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - A Claudio Cuello
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Diana Alicia Jerusalinsky
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurotoxins (LaN&N), Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia (IBCN) "Prof. Eduardo De Robertis" (Universidad de Buenos Aires - CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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30
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Brain and blood biomarkers of tauopathy and neuronal injury in humans and rats with neurobehavioral syndromes following blast exposure. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:5940-5954. [PMID: 32094584 PMCID: PMC7484380 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-0674-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a risk factor for the later development of neurodegenerative diseases that may have various underlying pathologies. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in particular is associated with repetitive mild TBI (mTBI) and is characterized pathologically by aggregation of hyperphosphorylated tau into neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). CTE may be suspected when behavior, cognition, and/or memory deteriorate following repetitive mTBI. Exposure to blast overpressure from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) has been implicated as a potential antecedent for CTE amongst Iraq and Afghanistan Warfighters. In this study, we identified biomarker signatures in rats exposed to repetitive low-level blast that develop chronic anxiety-related traits and in human veterans exposed to IED blasts in theater with behavioral, cognitive, and/or memory complaints. Rats exposed to repetitive low-level blasts accumulated abnormal hyperphosphorylated tau in neuronal perikarya and perivascular astroglial processes. Using positron emission tomography (PET) and the [18F]AV1451 (flortaucipir) tau ligand, we found that five of 10 veterans exhibited excessive retention of [18F]AV1451 at the white/gray matter junction in frontal, parietal, and temporal brain regions, a typical localization of CTE tauopathy. We also observed elevated levels of neurofilament light (NfL) chain protein in the plasma of veterans displaying excess [18F]AV1451 retention. These findings suggest an association linking blast injury, tauopathy, and neuronal injury. Further study is required to determine whether clinical, neuroimaging, and/or fluid biomarker signatures can improve the diagnosis of long-term neuropsychiatric sequelae of mTBI.
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31
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Sleep/Wake Behavior and EEG Signatures of the TgF344-AD Rat Model at the Prodromal Stage. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21239290. [PMID: 33291462 PMCID: PMC7730237 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21239290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Transgenic modification of the two most common genes (APPsw, PS1ΔE9) related to familial Alzheimer's disease (AD) in rats has produced a rodent model that develops pathognomonic signs of AD without genetic tau-protein modification. We used 17-month-old AD rats (n = 8) and age-matched controls (AC, n = 7) to evaluate differences in sleep behavior and EEG features during wakefulness (WAKE), non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM), and rapid eye movement sleep (REM) over 24-h EEG recording (12:12h dark-light cycle). We discovered that AD rats had more sleep-wake transitions and an increased probability of shorter REM and NREM bouts. AD rats also expressed a more uniform distribution of the relative spectral power. Through analysis of information content in the EEG using entropy of difference, AD animals demonstrated less EEG information during WAKE, but more information during NREM. This seems to indicate a limited range of changes in EEG activity that could be caused by an AD-induced change in inhibitory network function as reflected by increased GABAAR-β2 expression but no increase in GAD-67 in AD animals. In conclusion, this transgenic rat model of Alzheimer's disease demonstrates less obvious EEG features of WAKE during wakefulness and less canonical features of sleep during sleep.
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Carter CS, Richardson A, Huffman DM, Austad S. Bring Back the Rat! J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2020; 75:405-415. [PMID: 31894235 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glz298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
As 2020 is "The Year of the Rat" in the Chinese astrological calendar, it seems an appropriate time to consider whether we should bring back the laboratory rat to front-and-center in research on the basic biology of mammalian aging. Beginning in the 1970s, aging research with rats became common, peaking in 1992 but then declined dramatically by 2018 as the mouse became preeminent. The purpose of this review is to highlight some of the historical contributions as well as current advantages of the rat as a mammalian model of human aging, because we suspect at least a generation of researchers is no longer aware of this history or these advantages. Herein, we compare and contrast the mouse and rat in the context of several biological domains relevant to their use as appropriate models of aging: phylogeny/domestication, longevity interventions, pathology/physiology, and behavior/cognition. It is not the goal of this review to give a complete characterization of the differences between mice and rats, but to provide important examples of why using rats as well as mice is important to advance our understanding of the biology of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christy S Carter
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham
| | - Arlan Richardson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Reynolds Oklahoma Center on Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, and the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center
| | - Derek M Huffman
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, and Institute for Aging Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Steven Austad
- Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham
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Kang SG, Eskandari-Sedighi G, Hromadkova L, Safar JG, Westaway D. Cellular Biology of Tau Diversity and Pathogenic Conformers. Front Neurol 2020; 11:590199. [PMID: 33304310 PMCID: PMC7693435 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.590199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau accumulation is a prominent feature in a variety of neurodegenerative disorders and remarkable effort has been expended working out the biochemistry and cell biology of this cytoplasmic protein. Tau's wayward properties may derive from germline mutations in the case of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD-MAPT) but may also be prompted by less understood cues—perhaps environmental or from molecular damage as a consequence of chronological aging—in the case of idiopathic tauopathies. Tau properties are undoubtedly affected by its covalent structure and in this respect tau protein is not only subject to changes in length produced by alternative splicing and endoproteolysis, but different types of posttranslational modifications that affect different amino acid residues. Another layer of complexity concerns alternate conformations—“conformers”—of the same covalent structures; in vivo conformers can encompass soluble oligomeric species, ramified fibrillar structures evident by light and electron microscopy and other forms of the protein that have undergone liquid-liquid phase separation to make demixed liquid droplets. Biological concepts based upon conformers have been charted previously for templated replication mechanisms for prion proteins built of the PrP polypeptide; these are now providing useful explanations to feature tau pathobiology, including how this protein accumulates within cells and how it can exhibit predictable patterns of spread across different neuroanatomical regions of an affected brain. In sum, the documented, intrinsic heterogeneity of tau forms and conformers now begins to speak to a fundamental basis for diversity in clinical presentation of tauopathy sub-types. In terms of interventions, emphasis upon subclinical events may be worthwhile, noting that irrevocable cell loss and ramified protein assemblies feature at end-stage tauopathy, whereas earlier events may offer better opportunities for diverting pathogenic processes. Nonetheless, the complexity of tau sub-types, which may be present even within intermediate disease stages, likely mitigates against one-size-fits-all therapeutic strategies and may require a suite of interventions. We consider the extent to which animal models of tauopathy can be reasonably enrolled in the campaign to produce such interventions and to slow the otherwise inexorable march of disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Gyun Kang
- Center for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | - Lenka Hromadkova
- Department of Neurology and Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Jiri G Safar
- Department of Neurology and Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - David Westaway
- Center for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Serneels L, T'Syen D, Perez-Benito L, Theys T, Holt MG, De Strooper B. Modeling the β-secretase cleavage site and humanizing amyloid-beta precursor protein in rat and mouse to study Alzheimer's disease. Mol Neurodegener 2020; 15:60. [PMID: 33076948 PMCID: PMC7574558 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-020-00399-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Three amino acid differences between rodent and human APP affect medically important features, including β-secretase cleavage of APP and Aβ peptide aggregation (De Strooper et al., EMBO J 14:4932-38, 1995; Ueno et al., Biochemistry 53:7523-30, 2014; Bush, 2003, Trends Neurosci 26:207–14). Most rodent models for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are, therefore, based on the human APP sequence, expressed from artificial mini-genes randomly inserted in the rodent genome. While these models mimic rather well various biochemical aspects of the disease, such as Aβ-aggregation, they are also prone to overexpression artifacts and to complex phenotypical alterations, due to genes affected in or close to the insertion site(s) of the mini-genes (Sasaguri et al., EMBO J 36:2473-87, 2017; Goodwin et al., Genome Res 29:494-505, 2019). Knock-in strategies which introduce clinical mutants in a humanized endogenous rodent APP sequence (Saito et al., Nat Neurosci 17:661-3, 2014) represent useful improvements, but need to be compared with appropriate humanized wildtype (WT) mice. Methods Computational modelling of the human β-CTF bound to BACE1 was used to study the differential processing of rodent and human APP. We humanized the three pivotal residues we identified G676R, F681Y and R684H (labeled according to the human APP770 isoform) in the mouse and rat genomes using a CRISPR-Cas9 approach. These new models, termed mouse and rat Apphu/hu, express APP from the endogenous promotor. We also introduced the early-onset familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD) mutation M139T into the endogenous Rat Psen1 gene. Results We show that introducing these three amino acid substitutions into the rodent sequence lowers the affinity of the APP substrate for BACE1 cleavage. The effect on β-secretase processing was confirmed as both humanized rodent models produce three times more (human) Aβ compared to the original WT strain. These models represent suitable controls, or starting points, for studying the effect of transgenes or knock-in mutations on APP processing (Saito et al., Nat Neurosci 17:661-3, 2014). We introduced the early-onset familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD) mutation M139T into the endogenous Rat Psen1 gene and provide an initial characterization of Aβ processing in this novel rat AD model. Conclusion The different humanized APP models (rat and mouse) expressing human Aβ and PSEN1 M139T are valuable controls to study APP processing in vivo allowing the use of a human Aβ ELISA which is more sensitive than the equivalent system for rodents. These animals will be made available to the research community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lutgarde Serneels
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dries T'Syen
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laura Perez-Benito
- Computational Chemistry, Janssen Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Tom Theys
- Department of Neurosciences, Research Group Experimental Neurosurgery and Neuroanatomy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Matthew G Holt
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bart De Strooper
- Centre for Brain and Disease Research, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), Leuven, Belgium. .,Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. .,UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, UK.
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Michalicova A, Majerova P, Kovac A. Tau Protein and Its Role in Blood-Brain Barrier Dysfunction. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:570045. [PMID: 33100967 PMCID: PMC7554615 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.570045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) plays a crucial role in maintaining the specialized microenvironment of the central nervous system (CNS). In aging, the stability of the BBB declines and the permeability increases. The list of CNS pathologies involving BBB dysfunction is growing. The opening of the BBB and subsequent infiltration of serum components to the brain can lead to a host of processes resulting in progressive synaptic, neuronal dysfunction, and detrimental neuroinflammatory changes. Such processes have been implicated in different diseases, including vascular dementia, stroke, Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, hypoxia, ischemia, and diabetes mellitus. The BBB damage is also observed in tauopathies that lack amyloid-β overproduction, suggesting a role for tau in BBB damage. Tauopathies represent a heterogeneous group of around 20 different neurodegenerative diseases characterized by abnormal deposition of the MAPT in cells of the nervous system. Neuropathology of tauopathies is defined as intracellular accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) consisting of aggregated hyper- and abnormal phosphorylation of tau protein and neuroinflammation. Disruption of the BBB found in tauopathies is driven by chronic neuroinflammation. Production of pro-inflammatory signaling molecules such as cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules by glial cells, neurons, and endothelial cells determine the integrity of the BBB and migration of immune cells into the brain. The inflammatory processes promote structural changes in capillaries such as fragmentation, thickening, atrophy of pericytes, accumulation of laminin in the basement membrane, and increased permeability of blood vessels to plasma proteins. Here, we summarize the knowledge about the role of tau protein in BBB structural and functional changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alena Michalicova
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Petra Majerova
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Andrej Kovac
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Kosice, Slovakia
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Myers A, McGonigle P. Overview of Transgenic Mouse Models for Alzheimer's Disease. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 89:e81. [PMID: 31532917 DOI: 10.1002/cpns.81] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
This review describes several transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a devastating neurodegenerative disorder that causes progressive cognitive decline and is diagnosed postmortem by the presence of extracellular amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and intraneuronal tau neurofibrillary tangles in the cerebral cortex. Currently there is no intervention that cures, prevents, or even slows disease progression. Its complex etiology and pathology pose significant challenges for animal model development, and there is no single model that faithfully recapitulates both the pathological aspects and behavioral phenotypes of AD. Nearly 200 transgenic rodent models of AD have been generated primarily based on mutations linked to Aβ protein misprocessing in the familial form of the disease. More recent models incorporate mutations in tau protein, as well as mutations associated with the sporadic form of the disease. The salient features, strengths, limitations, and key differentiators for the most commonly used and best characterized of these models are considered here. While the translational utility of many of these models to assess the potential of novel therapeutics is in dispute, knowledge of the different models available and a detailed understanding of their features can aid in the selection of the optimal model to explore disease mechanisms or evaluate candidate medications. We comment on the predictive utility of these models considering recent clinical trial failures and discuss trends and future directions in the development of models for AD based on the plethora of clinical data that have been generated over the last decade. © 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariana Myers
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California
| | - Paul McGonigle
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Tambini MD, Norris KA, D'Adamio L. Opposite changes in APP processing and human Aβ levels in rats carrying either a protective or a pathogenic APP mutation. eLife 2020; 9:52612. [PMID: 32022689 PMCID: PMC7018507 DOI: 10.7554/elife.52612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cleavage of APP by BACE1/β-secretase initiates the amyloidogenic cascade leading to Amyloid-β (Aβ) production. α-Secretase initiates the non-amyloidogenic pathway preventing Aβ production. Several APP mutations cause familial Alzheimer's disease (AD), while the Icelandic APP mutation near the BACE1-cleavage site protects from sporadic dementia, emphasizing APP's role in dementia pathogenesis. To study APP protective/pathogenic mechanisms, we generated knock-in rats carrying either the protective (Appp) or the pathogenic Swedish mutation (Apps), also located near the BACE1-cleavage site. α-Cleavage is favored over β-processing in Appp rats. Consequently, non-amyloidogenic and amyloidogenic APP metabolites are increased and decreased, respectively. The reverse APP processing shift occurs in Apps rats. These opposite effects on APP β/α-processing suggest that protection from and pathogenesis of dementia depend upon combinatorial and opposite alterations in APP metabolism rather than simply on Aβ levels. The Icelandic mutation also protects from aging-dependent cognitive decline, suggesting that similar mechanisms underlie physiological cognitive aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc D Tambini
- Department of Pharmacology Physiology & Neuroscience New Jersey Medical School, Brain Health Institute, Jacqueline Krieger Klein Center in Alzheimer's Disease and Neurodegeneration Research, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, United States
| | - Kelly A Norris
- Department of Pharmacology Physiology & Neuroscience New Jersey Medical School, Brain Health Institute, Jacqueline Krieger Klein Center in Alzheimer's Disease and Neurodegeneration Research, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, United States
| | - Luciano D'Adamio
- Department of Pharmacology Physiology & Neuroscience New Jersey Medical School, Brain Health Institute, Jacqueline Krieger Klein Center in Alzheimer's Disease and Neurodegeneration Research, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, United States
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The effects of mild closed head injuries on tauopathy and cognitive deficits in rodents: Primary results in wild type and rTg4510 mice, and a systematic review. Exp Neurol 2020; 326:113180. [PMID: 31930992 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2020.113180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
In humans, the majority of sustained traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are classified as 'mild' and most often a result of a closed head injury (CHI). The effects of a non-penetrating CHI are not benign and may lead to chronic pathology and behavioral dysfunction, which could be worsened by repeated head injury. Clinical-neuropathological correlation studies provide evidence that conversion of tau into abnormally phosphorylated proteotoxic intermediates (p-tau) could be part of the pathophysiology triggered by a single TBI and enhanced by repeated TBIs. However, the link between p-tau and CHI in rodents remains controversial. To address this question experimentally, we induced a single CHI or two CHIs to WT or rTg4510 mice. We found that 2× CHI increased tau phosphorylation in WT mice and rTg4510 mice. Behavioral characterization in WT mice found chronic deficits in the radial arm water maze in 2× CHI mice that had partially resolved in the 1× CHI mice. Moreover, using Manganese-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging with R1 mapping - a novel functional neuroimaging technique - we found greater deficits in the rTg4510 mice following 2× CHI compared to 1× CHI. To integrate our findings with prior work in the field, we conducted a systematic review of rodent mild repetitive CHI studies. Following Prisma guidelines, we identified 25 original peer-reviewed papers. Results from our experiments, as well as our systematic review, provide compelling evidence that tau phosphorylation is modified by experimental mild TBI studies; however, changes in p-tau levels are not universally reported. Together, our results provide evidence that repetitive TBIs can result in worse and more persistent neurological deficits compared to a single TBI, but the direct link between the worsened outcome and elevated p-tau could not be established.
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Joel Z, Izquierdo P, Salih DA, Richardson JC, Cummings DM, Edwards FA. Improving Mouse Models for Dementia. Are All the Effects in Tau Mouse Models Due to Overexpression? COLD SPRING HARBOR SYMPOSIA ON QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 2019; 83:151-161. [PMID: 30745408 DOI: 10.1101/sqb.2018.83.037531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Mouse models of Alzheimer's disease have commonly used transgenic overexpression of genes involved in production of amyloid β (APP and/or PSEN1/2) or Tau (MAPT) with mutations that result in familial forms of dementia. We discuss possible improvements that may create full models while avoiding the problems of overexpression and report synaptic results in APPKI models. We stress use of inappropriate controls without overexpression of the normal human protein and the mismatch between the learning deficits reported in mice with plaques but no tangles and the human condition. We focus on Tau overexpression, including new data that support previous reports of the grossly nonlinear relationship between Tau overexpression and neurofibrillary tangle load, with a twofold increase in Tau protein, resulting in a 100-fold increase in tangle density. These data also support the hypothesis that a high concentration of soluble Tau, in overexpression models, plays an important direct role in neurodegeneration, rather than only via aggregation. Finally, we hypothesize that there is an optimal concentration range over which Tau can bind to microtubules and a threshold beyond which much of the overexpressed protein is unable to bind. The excess thus causes toxicity in ways not necessarily related to the process in human dementias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zelah Joel
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Pablo Izquierdo
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Dervis A Salih
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Jill C Richardson
- Neurosciences Therapeutic Area, GlaxoSmithKline R&D, Stevenage, SG1 2NY, United Kingdom
| | - Damian M Cummings
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Frances A Edwards
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
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Galloway CR, Ravipati K, Singh S, Lebois EP, Cohen RM, Levey AI, Manns JR. Hippocampal place cell dysfunction and the effects of muscarinic M 1 receptor agonism in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease. Hippocampus 2018; 28:568-585. [PMID: 29742799 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Revised: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that disproportionately impacts memory and the hippocampus. However, it is unclear how AD pathology influences the activity of surviving neurons in the hippocampus to contribute to the memory symptoms in AD. One well-understood connection between spatial memory and neuronal activity in healthy brains is the activity of place cells, neurons in the hippocampus that fire preferentially in a specific location of a given environment (the place field of the place cell). In the present study, place cells were recorded from the hippocampus in a recently-developed rat model of AD (Tg-F344 AD) at an age (12-20 months) at which the AD rats showed marked spatial memory deficits. Place cells in the CA2 and CA3 pyramidal regions of the hippocampus in AD rats showed sharply reduced spatial fidelity relative to wild-type (WT) rats. In contrast, spiking activity of place cells recorded in region CA1 in AD rats showed good spatial fidelity that was similar to CA1 place cells in WT rats. Oral administration of the M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor agonist VU0364572 impacted place cell firing rates in CA1 and CA2/3 hippocampal regions, but did not improve the spatial fidelity of CA2/3 hippocampal place cells in AD rats. The results indicated that, to the extent the spatial memory impairment in AD rats was attributable to hippocampal dysfunction, the memory impairment was more attributable to dysfunction in hippocampal regions CA2 and CA3 rather than CA1.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kaushik Ravipati
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology Program, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Suyashi Singh
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology Program, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Evan P Lebois
- Internal Medicine Research Unit, Pfizer Inc, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Robert M Cohen
- Department of Psychiatry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Allan I Levey
- Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Joseph R Manns
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
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Smolek T, Jadhav S, Brezovakova V, Cubinkova V, Valachova B, Novak P, Zilka N. First-in-Rat Study of Human Alzheimer's Disease Tau Propagation. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:621-631. [PMID: 29770957 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1102-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
One of the key features of misfolded tau in human neurodegenerative disorders is its propagation from one brain area into many others. In the last decade, in vivo tau spreading has been replicated in several mouse transgenic models expressing mutated human tau as well as in normal non-transgenic mice. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that insoluble tau isolated from human AD brain induces full-blown neurofibrillary pathology in a sporadic rat model of tauopathy expressing non-mutated truncated tau protein. By using specific monoclonal antibodies, we were able to monitor the spreading of tau isolated from human brain directly in the rat hippocampus. We found that exogenous human AD tau was able to spread from the area of injection and induce tau pathology. Interestingly, solubilisation of insoluble AD tau completely abolished the capability of tau protein to induce and spread of neurofibrillary pathology in the rat brain. Our results show that exogenous tau is able to induce and drive neurofibrillary pathology in rat model for human tauopathy in a similar way as it was described in various mouse transgenic models. Rat tau spreading model has many advantages over mouse and other organisms including size and complexity, and thus is highly suitable for identification of pathogenic mechanism of tau spreading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Smolek
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, Dubravska 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.,Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Dvořákovo nábrežie 10, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Santosh Jadhav
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, Dubravska 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.,Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Dvořákovo nábrežie 10, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Veronika Brezovakova
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, Dubravska 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Veronika Cubinkova
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, Dubravska 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.,Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Dvořákovo nábrežie 10, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Bernadeta Valachova
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, Dubravska 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Petr Novak
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, Dubravska 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.,Axon Neuroscience CRM Services SE, Dvořákovo nábrežie 10, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Norbert Zilka
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, Dubravska 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovak Republic. .,Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Dvořákovo nábrežie 10, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
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Valachova B, Brezovakova V, Bugos O, Jadhav S, Smolek T, Novak P, Zilka N. A comparative study on pathological features of transgenic rat lines expressing either three or four repeat misfolded tau. J Comp Neurol 2018; 526:1777-1789. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Revised: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bernadeta Valachova
- Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders; Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences; Bratislava Slovak Republic
- Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE; Bratislava Slovak Republic
| | - Veronika Brezovakova
- Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders; Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences; Bratislava Slovak Republic
| | - Ondrej Bugos
- Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders; Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences; Bratislava Slovak Republic
| | - Santosh Jadhav
- Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders; Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences; Bratislava Slovak Republic
- Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE; Bratislava Slovak Republic
| | - Tomas Smolek
- Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders; Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences; Bratislava Slovak Republic
- Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE; Bratislava Slovak Republic
| | - Petr Novak
- Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders; Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences; Bratislava Slovak Republic
| | - Norbert Zilka
- Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders; Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences; Bratislava Slovak Republic
- Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE; Bratislava Slovak Republic
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Abstract
Rodents (especially Mus musculus and Rattus norvegicus) have been the most widely used models in biomedical research for many years. A notable shift has taken place over the last two decades, with mice taking a more and more prominent role in biomedical science compared to rats. This shift was primarily instigated by the availability of a much larger genetic toolbox for mice, particularly embryonic-stem-cell-based targeting technology for gene disruption. With the recent emergence of tools for altering the rat genome, notably genome-editing technologies, the technological gap between the two organisms is closing, and it is becoming more important to consider the physiological, anatomical, biochemical and pharmacological differences between rats and mice when choosing the right model system for a specific biological question. The aim of this short review and accompanying poster is to highlight some of the most important differences, and to discuss their impact on studies of human diseases, with a special focus on neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Ellenbroek
- School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6041, New Zealand
| | - Jiun Youn
- School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6041, New Zealand
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44
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Sotiropoulos I, Galas MC, Silva JM, Skoulakis E, Wegmann S, Maina MB, Blum D, Sayas CL, Mandelkow EM, Mandelkow E, Spillantini MG, Sousa N, Avila J, Medina M, Mudher A, Buee L. Atypical, non-standard functions of the microtubule associated Tau protein. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2017; 5:91. [PMID: 29187252 PMCID: PMC5707803 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-017-0489-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the discovery of the microtubule-associated protein Tau (MAPT) over 40 years ago, most studies have focused on Tau's role in microtubule stability and regulation, as well as on the neuropathological consequences of Tau hyperphosphorylation and aggregation in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains. In recent years, however, research efforts identified new interaction partners and different sub-cellular localizations for Tau suggesting additional roles beyond its standard function as microtubule regulating protein. Moreover, despite the increasing research focus on AD over the last decades, Tau was only recently considered as a promising therapeutic target for the treatment and prevention of AD as well as for neurological pathologies beyond AD e.g. epilepsy, excitotoxicity, and environmental stress. This review will focus on atypical, non-standard roles of Tau on neuronal function and dysfunction in AD and other neurological pathologies providing novel insights about neuroplastic and neuropathological implications of Tau in both the central and the peripheral nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Sotiropoulos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), Medical School, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Braga, Portugal.
| | | | - Joana M Silva
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), Medical School, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Braga, Portugal
| | - Efthimios Skoulakis
- Division of Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre "Alexander Fleming", 16672, Vari, Greece
| | - Susanne Wegmann
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Laboratory, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Mahmoud Bukar Maina
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 9QG, UK
| | - David Blum
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, UMR-S 1172 - JPArc, 59000, Lille, France
| | - Carmen Laura Sayas
- Centre for Biomedical Research of the Canary Islands (CIBICAN), Institute for Biomedical Technologies (ITB), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Tenerife, Spain
| | - Eva-Maria Mandelkow
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany; CAESAR Research Institute, Bonn, Germany; Max-Planck-Institute for Metabolism Research, Köln, Germany
| | - Eckhard Mandelkow
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany; CAESAR Research Institute, Bonn, Germany; Max-Planck-Institute for Metabolism Research, Köln, Germany
| | | | - Nuno Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), Medical School, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Braga, Portugal
| | - Jesus Avila
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Valderrebollo 5, 28041, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" CSIC-UAM, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Medina
- CIBERNED, Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Madrid, Spain
- CIEN Foundation, Queen Sofia Foundation Alzheimer Center, Madrid, Spain
| | - Amrit Mudher
- Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Southampton Highfield Campus, Center for Biological Sciences, Southampton, UK
| | - Luc Buee
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, UMR-S 1172 - JPArc, 59000, Lille, France
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45
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Kulbe JR, Hall ED. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy-integration of canonical traumatic brain injury secondary injury mechanisms with tau pathology. Prog Neurobiol 2017; 158:15-44. [PMID: 28851546 PMCID: PMC5671903 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2017.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Revised: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, a new neurodegenerative tauopathy labeled Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), has been identified that is believed to be primarily a sequela of repeated mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), often referred to as concussion, that occurs in athletes participating in contact sports (e.g. boxing, American football, Australian football, rugby, soccer, ice hockey) or in military combatants, especially after blast-induced injuries. Since the identification of CTE, and its neuropathological finding of deposits of hyperphosphorylated tau protein, mechanistic attention has been on lumping the disorder together with various other non-traumatic neurodegenerative tauopathies. Indeed, brains from suspected CTE cases that have come to autopsy have been confirmed to have deposits of hyperphosphorylated tau in locations that make its anatomical distribution distinct for other tauopathies. The fact that these individuals experienced repetitive TBI episodes during their athletic or military careers suggests that the secondary injury mechanisms that have been extensively characterized in acute TBI preclinical models, and in TBI patients, including glutamate excitotoxicity, intracellular calcium overload, mitochondrial dysfunction, free radical-induced oxidative damage and neuroinflammation, may contribute to the brain damage associated with CTE. Thus, the current review begins with an in depth analysis of what is known about the tau protein and its functions and dysfunctions followed by a discussion of the major TBI secondary injury mechanisms, and how the latter have been shown to contribute to tau pathology. The value of this review is that it might lead to improved neuroprotective strategies for either prophylactically attenuating the development of CTE or slowing its progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline R Kulbe
- Spinal Cord & Brain Injury Research Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, United States; Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, United States
| | - Edward D Hall
- Spinal Cord & Brain Injury Research Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, United States; Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, United States.
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46
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Hu W, Wu F, Zhang Y, Gong CX, Iqbal K, Liu F. Expression of Tau Pathology-Related Proteins in Different Brain Regions: A Molecular Basis of Tau Pathogenesis. Front Aging Neurosci 2017; 9:311. [PMID: 29021756 PMCID: PMC5623682 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubule-associated protein tau is hyperphosphorylated and aggregated in affected neurons in Alzheimer disease (AD) brains. The tau pathology starts from the entorhinal cortex (EC), spreads to the hippocampus and frontal and temporal cortices, and finally to all isocortex areas, but the cerebellum is spared from tau lesions. The molecular basis of differential vulnerability of different brain regions to tau pathology is not understood. In the present study, we analyzed brain regional expressions of tau and tau pathology-related proteins. We found that tau was hyperphosphorylated at multiple sites in the frontal cortex (FC), but not in the cerebellum, from AD brain. The level of tau expression in the cerebellum was about 1/4 of that seen in the frontal and temporal cortices in human brain. In the rat brain, the expression level of tau with three microtubule-binding repeats (3R-tau) was comparable in the hippocampus, EC, FC, parietal-temporal cortex (PTC), occipital-temporal cortex (OTC), striatum, thalamus, olfactory bulb (OB) and cerebellum. However, the expression level of 4R-tau was the highest in the EC and the lowest in the cerebellum. Tau phosphatases, kinases, microtubule-related proteins and other tau pathology-related proteins were also expressed in a region-specific manner in the rat brain. These results suggest that higher levels of tau and tau kinases in the EC and low levels of these proteins in the cerebellum may accounts for the vulnerability and resistance of these representative brain regions to the development of tau pathology, respectively. The present study provides the regional expression profiles of tau and tau pathology-related proteins in the brain, which may help understand the brain regional vulnerability to tau pathology in neurodegenerative tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Hu
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States.,Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu Province and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Feng Wu
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States
| | - Yanchong Zhang
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States.,Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu Province and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Cheng-Xin Gong
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States.,Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu Province and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China
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47
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Does neuroinflammation drive the relationship between tau hyperphosphorylation and dementia development following traumatic brain injury? Brain Behav Immun 2017; 60:369-382. [PMID: 27686843 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2016.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2016] [Revised: 09/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is linked to an increased risk for the later development of dementia. This encompasses a variety of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), with AD linked to history of moderate-severe TBI and CTE to a history of repeated concussion. Of note, both AD and CTE are characterized by the abnormal accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau aggregates, which are thought to play an important role in the development of neurodegeneration. Hyperphosphorylation of tau leads to destabilization of microtubules, interrupting axonal transport, whilst tau aggregates are associated with synaptic dysfunction. The exact mechanisms via which TBI may promote the later tauopathy and its role in the later development of dementia are yet to be fully determined. Following TBI, it is proposed that axonal injury may provide the initial perturbation of tau, by promoting its dissociation from microtubules, facilitating its phosphorylation and aggregation. Altered tau dynamics may then be exacerbated by the chronic persistent inflammatory response that has been shown to persist for decades following the initial impact. Importantly, immune activation has been shown to play a role in accelerating disease progression in other tauopathies, with pro-inflammatory cytokines, like IL-1β, shown to activate kinases that promote tau hyperphosphorylation. Thus, targeting the inflammatory response in the sub-acute phase following TBI may represent a promising target to halt the alterations in tau dynamics that may precede overt neurodegeneration and later development of dementia.
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48
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McAteer KM, Corrigan F, Thornton E, Turner RJ, Vink R. Short and Long Term Behavioral and Pathological Changes in a Novel Rodent Model of Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0160220. [PMID: 27505027 PMCID: PMC4978416 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A history of concussion, particularly repeated injury, has been linked to an increased risk for the development of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is characterized by abnormal accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau and deficits in learning and memory. As yet the mechanisms associated with the development of CTE are unknown. Accordingly, the aim of the current study was to develop and characterize a novel model of repetitive mTBI that accurately reproduces the key short and long-term functional and histopathological features seen clinically. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to receive 0, 1 or 3x mTBI spaced five days apart using a modified version of the Marmarou impact-acceleration diffuse-TBI model to deliver 110G of linear force. Functional outcomes were assessed six and twelve weeks post-injury, with histopathology assessed twenty-four hours and twelve weeks post-injury. Repetitive mTBI resulted in mild spatial and recognition memory deficits as reflected by increased escape latency on the Barnes maze and decreased time spent in the novel arm of the Y maze. There was a trend towards increased anxiety-like behavior, with decreased time spent in the inner portion of the open field. At 24 hours and 12 weeks post injury, repetitive mTBI animals showed increased tau phosphorylation and microglial activation within the cortex. Increases in APP immunoreactivity were observed in repetitive mTBI animals at 12 weeks indicating long-term changes in axonal integrity. This novel model of repetitive mTBI with its persistent cognitive deficits, neuroinflammation, axonal injury and tau hyperphosphorylation, thus represents a clinically relevant experimental approach to further explore the underlying pathogenesis of CTE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly M. McAteer
- Adelaide Centre for Neuroscience Research, School of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Frances Corrigan
- Adelaide Centre for Neuroscience Research, School of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Emma Thornton
- Adelaide Centre for Neuroscience Research, School of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Renee Jade Turner
- Adelaide Centre for Neuroscience Research, School of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Robert Vink
- Sansom Institute for Health Research, The University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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49
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Yetman MJ, Fowler SW, Jankowsky JL. Humanized Tau Mice with Regionalized Amyloid Exhibit Behavioral Deficits but No Pathological Interaction. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153724. [PMID: 27070146 PMCID: PMC4829202 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2016] [Accepted: 04/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) researchers have struggled for decades to draw a causal link between extracellular Aβ aggregation and intraneuronal accumulation of microtubule-associated protein tau. The amyloid cascade hypothesis posits that Aβ deposition promotes tau hyperphosphorylation, tangle formation, cell loss, vascular damage, and dementia. While the genetics of familial AD and the pathological staging of sporadic disease support this sequence of events, attempts to examine the molecular mechanism in transgenic animal models have largely relied on models of other inherited tauopathies as the basis for testing the interaction with Aβ. In an effort to more accurately model the relationship between Aβ and wild-type tau in AD, we intercrossed mice that overproduce human Aβ with a tau substitution model in which all 6 isoforms of the human protein are expressed in animals lacking murine tau. We selected an amyloid model in which pathology was biased towards the entorhinal region so that we could further examine whether the anticipated changes in tau phosphorylation occurred at the site of Aβ deposition or in synaptically connected regions. We found that Aβ and tau had independent effects on locomotion, learning, and memory, but found no behavioral evidence for an interaction between the two transgenes. Moreover, we saw no indication of amyloid-induced changes in the phosphorylation or aggregation of human tau either within the entorhinal area or elsewhere. These findings suggest that robust amyloid pathology within the medial temporal lobe has little effect on the metabolism of wild type human tau in this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Yetman
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Stephanie W. Fowler
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Joanna L. Jankowsky
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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50
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Sala Frigerio C, De Strooper B. Alzheimer's Disease Mechanisms and Emerging Roads to Novel Therapeutics. Annu Rev Neurosci 2016; 39:57-79. [PMID: 27050320 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-070815-014015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Ten years of remarkable progress in understanding the fundamental biochemistry of Alzheimer's disease have been followed by ten years of remarkable and increasing clinical insight into the natural progression of the disorder. The concept of a long, intermediary, prodromal phase between the first appearance of amyloid plaques and tangles and the manifestation of dementia is now well established. The major challenge for the next decade is to chart the many cellular processes that underlie this phase and link the biochemical alterations to the clinical manifestation of Alzheimer's disease. We discuss here how genetics, new cell culture systems, and improved animal models will fuel this work. We anticipate that the resulting novel insights will provide a basis for further drug development for this terrible disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Sala Frigerio
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Leuven 3000, Belgium; , .,Center for Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium.,Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience & Disease (LIND), KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Bart De Strooper
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Leuven 3000, Belgium; , .,Center for Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium.,Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience & Disease (LIND), KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium.,Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3BG London, United Kingdom
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