1
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Rexach JE, Cheng Y, Chen L, Polioudakis D, Lin LC, Mitri V, Elkins A, Han X, Yamakawa M, Yin A, Calini D, Kawaguchi R, Ou J, Huang J, Williams C, Robinson J, Gaus SE, Spina S, Lee EB, Grinberg LT, Vinters H, Trojanowski JQ, Seeley WW, Malhotra D, Geschwind DH. Cross-disorder and disease-specific pathways in dementia revealed by single-cell genomics. Cell 2024:S0092-8674(24)00910-3. [PMID: 39265576 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.08.019] [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: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/14/2024]
Abstract
The development of successful therapeutics for dementias requires an understanding of their shared and distinct molecular features in the human brain. We performed single-nuclear RNA-seq and ATAC-seq in Alzheimer's disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), analyzing 41 participants and ∼1 million cells (RNA + ATAC) from three brain regions varying in vulnerability and pathological burden. We identify 32 shared, disease-associated cell types and 14 that are disease specific. Disease-specific cell states represent glial-immune mechanisms and selective neuronal vulnerability impacting layer 5 intratelencephalic neurons in AD, layer 2/3 intratelencephalic neurons in FTD, and layer 5/6 near-projection neurons in PSP. We identify disease-associated gene regulatory networks and cells impacted by causal genetic risk, which differ by disorder. These data illustrate the heterogeneous spectrum of glial and neuronal compositional and gene expression alterations in different dementias and identify therapeutic targets by revealing shared and disease-specific cell states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E Rexach
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Yuyan Cheng
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Lawrence Chen
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Damon Polioudakis
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Li-Chun Lin
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Vivianne Mitri
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Andrew Elkins
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Xia Han
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Mai Yamakawa
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Anna Yin
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Daniela Calini
- Neuroscience and Rare Diseases, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, F. Hoffman-LaRoche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Riki Kawaguchi
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jing Ou
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jerry Huang
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Christopher Williams
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - John Robinson
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Stephanie E Gaus
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Salvatore Spina
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Edward B Lee
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lea T Grinberg
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Harry Vinters
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - John Q Trojanowski
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - William W Seeley
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Dheeraj Malhotra
- Neuroscience and Rare Diseases, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, F. Hoffman-LaRoche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Institute of Precision Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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Kampmann M. Molecular and cellular mechanisms of selective vulnerability in neurodegenerative diseases. Nat Rev Neurosci 2024; 25:351-371. [PMID: 38575768 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-024-00806-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
The selective vulnerability of specific neuronal subtypes is a hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases. In this Review, I summarize our current understanding of the brain regions and cell types that are selectively vulnerable in different neurodegenerative diseases and describe the proposed underlying cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous mechanisms. I highlight how recent methodological innovations - including single-cell transcriptomics, CRISPR-based screens and human cell-based models of disease - are enabling new breakthroughs in our understanding of selective vulnerability. An understanding of the molecular mechanisms that determine selective vulnerability and resilience would shed light on the key processes that drive neurodegeneration and point to potential therapeutic strategies to protect vulnerable cell populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Kampmann
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Ohm DT, Xie SX, Capp N, Arezoumandan S, Cousins KAQ, Rascovsky K, Wolk DA, Van Deerlin VM, Lee EB, McMillan CT, Irwin DJ. Cytoarchitectonic gradients of laminar degeneration in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.05.588259. [PMID: 38644997 PMCID: PMC11030243 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.05.588259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is a clinical syndrome primarily caused by either tau (bvFTD-tau) or TDP-43 (bvFTD-TDP) proteinopathies. We previously found lower cortical layers and dorsolateral regions accumulate greater tau than TDP-43 pathology; however, patterns of laminar neurodegeneration across diverse cytoarchitecture in bvFTD is understudied. We hypothesized that bvFTD-tau and bvFTD-TDP have distinct laminar distributions of pyramidal neurodegeneration along cortical gradients, a topologic order of cytoarchitectonic subregions based on increasing pyramidal density and laminar differentiation. Here, we tested this hypothesis in a frontal cortical gradient consisting of five cytoarchitectonic types (i.e., periallocortex, agranular mesocortex, dysgranular mesocortex, eulaminate-I isocortex, eulaminate-II isocortex) spanning anterior cingulate, paracingulate, orbitofrontal, and mid-frontal gyri in bvFTD-tau (n=27), bvFTD-TDP (n=47), and healthy controls (HC; n=32). We immunostained all tissue for total neurons (NeuN; neuronal-nuclear protein) and pyramidal neurons (SMI32; non-phosphorylated neurofilament) and digitally quantified NeuN-immunoreactivity (ir) and SMI32-ir in supragranular II-III, infragranular V-VI, and all I-VI layers in each cytoarchitectonic type. We used linear mixed-effects models adjusted for demographic and biologic variables to compare SMI32-ir between groups and examine relationships with the cortical gradient, long-range pathways, and clinical symptoms. We found regional and laminar distributions of SMI32-ir expected for HC, validating our measures within the cortical gradient framework. While SMI32-ir loss was not related to the cortical gradient in bvFTD-TDP, SMI32-ir progressively decreased along the cortical gradient of bvFTD-tau and included greater SMI32-ir loss in supragranular eulaminate-II isocortex in bvFTD-tau vs bvFTD-TDP ( p =0.039). In a structural model for long-range laminar connectivity between infragranular mesocortex and supragranular isocortex, we found a larger laminar ratio of mesocortex-to-isocortex SMI32-ir in bvFTD-tau vs bvFTD-TDP ( p =0.019), suggesting select long-projecting pathways may contribute to isocortical-predominant degeneration in bvFTD-tau. In cytoarchitectonic types with the highest NeuN-ir, we found lower SMI32-ir in bvFTD-tau vs bvFTD-TDP ( p =0.047), suggesting pyramidal neurodegeneration may occur earlier in bvFTD-tau. Lastly, we found that reduced SMI32-ir related to behavioral severity and frontal-mediated letter fluency, not temporal-mediated confrontation naming, demonstrating the clinical relevance and specificity of frontal pyramidal neurodegeneration to bvFTD-related symptoms. Our data suggest loss of neurofilament-rich pyramidal neurons is a clinically relevant feature of bvFTD that selectively worsens along a frontal cortical gradient in bvFTD-tau, not bvFTD-TDP. Therefore, tau-mediated degeneration may preferentially involve pyramidal-rich layers that connect more distant cytoarchitectonic types. Moreover, the hierarchical arrangement of cytoarchitecture along cortical gradients may be an important neuroanatomical framework for identifying which types of cells and pathways are differentially involved between proteinopathies.
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Zimmer TS, Orr AL, Orr AG. Astrocytes in selective vulnerability to neurodegenerative disease. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:289-302. [PMID: 38521710 PMCID: PMC11006581 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Selective vulnerability of specific brain regions and cell populations is a hallmark of neurodegenerative disorders. Mechanisms of selective vulnerability involve neuronal heterogeneity, functional specializations, and differential sensitivities to stressors and pathogenic factors. In this review we discuss the growing body of literature suggesting that, like neurons, astrocytes are heterogeneous and specialized, respond to and integrate diverse inputs, and induce selective effects on brain function. In disease, astrocytes undergo specific, context-dependent changes that promote different pathogenic trajectories and functional outcomes. We propose that astrocytes contribute to selective vulnerability through maladaptive transitions to context-divergent phenotypes that impair specific brain regions and functions. Further studies on the multifaceted roles of astrocytes in disease may provide new therapeutic approaches to enhance resilience against neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Till S Zimmer
- Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Adam L Orr
- Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anna G Orr
- Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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Levy R. The prefrontal cortex: from monkey to man. Brain 2024; 147:794-815. [PMID: 37972282 PMCID: PMC10907097 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex is so important to human beings that, if deprived of it, our behaviour is reduced to action-reactions and automatisms, with no ability to make deliberate decisions. Why does the prefrontal cortex hold such importance in humans? In answer, this review draws on the proximity between humans and other primates, which enables us, through comparative anatomical-functional analysis, to understand the cognitive functions we have in common and specify those that distinguish humans from their closest cousins. First, a focus on the lateral region of the prefrontal cortex illustrates the existence of a continuum between rhesus monkeys (the most studied primates in neuroscience) and humans for most of the major cognitive functions in which this region of the brain plays a central role. This continuum involves the presence of elementary mental operations in the rhesus monkey (e.g. working memory or response inhibition) that are constitutive of 'macro-functions' such as planning, problem-solving and even language production. Second, the human prefrontal cortex has developed dramatically compared to that of other primates. This increase seems to concern the most anterior part (the frontopolar cortex). In humans, the development of the most anterior prefrontal cortex is associated with three major and interrelated cognitive changes: (i) a greater working memory capacity, allowing for greater integration of past experiences and prospective futures; (ii) a greater capacity to link discontinuous or distant data, whether temporal or semantic; and (iii) a greater capacity for abstraction, allowing humans to classify knowledge in different ways, to engage in analogical reasoning or to acquire abstract values that give rise to our beliefs and morals. Together, these new skills enable us, among other things, to develop highly sophisticated social interactions based on language, enabling us to conceive beliefs and moral judgements and to conceptualize, create and extend our vision of our environment beyond what we can physically grasp. Finally, a model of the transition of prefrontal functions between humans and non-human primates concludes this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Levy
- AP–HP, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Department of Neurology, Sorbonne Université, Institute of Memory and Alzheimer’s Disease, 75013 Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM U1127, CNRS 7225, Paris Brain Institute- ICM, 75013 Paris, France
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6
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Broce IJ, Sirkis DW, Nillo RM, Bonham LW, Lee SE, Miller BL, Castruita PA, Sturm VE, Sugrue LS, Desikan RS, Yokoyama JS. C9orf72 gene networks in the human brain correlate with cortical thickness in C9-FTD and implicate vulnerable cell types. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1258996. [PMID: 38469573 PMCID: PMC10925697 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1258996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction A hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE) intronic to chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72) is recognized as the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and ALS-FTD. Identifying genes that show similar regional co-expression patterns to C9orf72 may help identify novel gene targets and biological mechanisms that mediate selective vulnerability to ALS and FTD pathogenesis. Methods We leveraged mRNA expression data in healthy brain from the Allen Human Brain Atlas to evaluate C9orf72 co-expression patterns. To do this, we correlated average C9orf72 expression values in 51 regions across different anatomical divisions (cortex, subcortex, and cerebellum) with average gene expression values for 15,633 protein-coding genes, including 54 genes known to be associated with ALS, FTD, or ALS-FTD. We then performed imaging transcriptomic analyses to evaluate whether the identified C9orf72 co-expressed genes correlated with patterns of cortical thickness in symptomatic C9orf72 pathogenic HRE carriers (n = 19) compared to controls (n = 23). Lastly, we explored whether genes with significant C9orf72 imaging transcriptomic correlations (i.e., "C9orf72 imaging transcriptomic network") were enriched in specific cell populations in the brain and enriched for specific biological and molecular pathways. Results A total of 2,120 genes showed an anatomical distribution of gene expression in the brain similar to C9orf72 and significantly correlated with patterns of cortical thickness in C9orf72 HRE carriers. This C9orf72 imaging transcriptomic network was differentially expressed in cell populations previously implicated in ALS and FTD, including layer 5b cells, cholinergic neurons in the spinal cord and brainstem and medium spiny neurons of the striatum, and was enriched for biological and molecular pathways associated with protein ubiquitination, autophagy, cellular response to DNA damage, endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi vesicle-mediated transport, among others. Conclusion Considered together, we identified a network of C9orf72 associated genes that may influence selective regional and cell-type-specific vulnerabilities in ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris J. Broce
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Daniel W. Sirkis
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Ryan M. Nillo
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Luke W. Bonham
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Suzee E. Lee
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Bruce L. Miller
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Patricia A. Castruita
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Virginia E. Sturm
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Leo S. Sugrue
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Rahul S. Desikan
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Jennifer S. Yokoyama
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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Sfera A, Andronescu L, Britt WG, Himsl K, Klein C, Rahman L, Kozlakidis Z. Receptor-Independent Therapies for Forensic Detainees with Schizophrenia-Dementia Comorbidity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15797. [PMID: 37958780 PMCID: PMC10647468 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115797] [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: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Forensic institutions throughout the world house patients with severe psychiatric illness and history of criminal violations. Improved medical care, hygiene, psychiatric treatment, and nutrition led to an unmatched longevity in this population, which previously lived, on average, 15 to 20 years shorter than the public at large. On the other hand, longevity has contributed to increased prevalence of age-related diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders, which complicate clinical management, increasing healthcare expenditures. Forensic institutions, originally intended for the treatment of younger individuals, are ill-equipped for the growing number of older offenders. Moreover, as antipsychotic drugs became available in 1950s and 1960s, we are observing the first generation of forensic detainees who have aged on dopamine-blocking agents. Although the consequences of long-term treatment with these agents are unclear, schizophrenia-associated gray matter loss may contribute to the development of early dementia. Taken together, increased lifespan and the subsequent cognitive deficit observed in long-term forensic institutions raise questions and dilemmas unencountered by the previous generations of clinicians. These include: does the presence of neurocognitive dysfunction justify antipsychotic dose reduction or discontinuation despite a lifelong history of schizophrenia and violent behavior? Should neurolipidomic interventions become the standard of care in elderly individuals with lifelong schizophrenia and dementia? Can patients with schizophrenia and dementia meet the Dusky standard to stand trial? Should neurocognitive disorders in the elderly with lifelong schizophrenia be treated differently than age-related neurodegeneration? In this article, we hypothesize that gray matter loss is the core symptom of schizophrenia which leads to dementia. We hypothesize further that strategies to delay or stop gray matter depletion would not only improve the schizophrenia sustained recovery, but also avert the development of major neurocognitive disorders in people living with schizophrenia. Based on this hypothesis, we suggest utilization of both receptor-dependent and independent therapeutics for chronic psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adonis Sfera
- Paton State Hospital, 3102 Highland Ave, Patton, CA 92369, USA; (L.A.); (K.H.)
- School of Behavioral Health, Loma Linda University, 11139 Anderson St., Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Riverside 900 University Ave, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Luminita Andronescu
- Paton State Hospital, 3102 Highland Ave, Patton, CA 92369, USA; (L.A.); (K.H.)
| | - William G. Britt
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA;
| | - Kiera Himsl
- Paton State Hospital, 3102 Highland Ave, Patton, CA 92369, USA; (L.A.); (K.H.)
| | - Carolina Klein
- California Department of State Hospitals, Sacramento, CA 95814, USA;
| | - Leah Rahman
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, 1585 E 13th Ave, Eugene, OR 97403, USA;
| | - Zisis Kozlakidis
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, 69366 Lyon Cedex, France;
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8
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Rexach JE, Cheng Y, Chen L, Polioudakis D, Lin LC, Mitri V, Elkins A, Yin A, Calini D, Kawaguchi R, Ou J, Huang J, Williams C, Robinson J, Gaus SE, Spina S, Lee EB, Grinberg LT, Vinters H, Trojanowski JQ, Seeley WW, Malhotra D, Geschwind DH. Disease-specific selective vulnerability and neuroimmune pathways in dementia revealed by single cell genomics. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.29.560245. [PMID: 37808727 PMCID: PMC10557766 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.29.560245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
The development of successful therapeutics for dementias requires an understanding of their shared and distinct molecular features in the human brain. We performed single-nuclear RNAseq and ATACseq in Alzheimer disease (AD), Frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), analyzing 40 participants, yielding over 1.4M cells from three brain regions ranging in vulnerability and pathological burden. We identify 35 shared disease-associated cell types and 14 that are disease-specific, replicating those previously identified in AD. Disease - specific cell states represent molecular features of disease-specific glial-immune mechanisms and neuronal vulnerability in each disorder, layer 4/5 intra-telencephalic neurons in AD, layer 2/3 intra-telencephalic neurons in FTD, and layer 5/6 near-projection neurons in PSP. We infer intrinsic disease-associated gene regulatory networks, which we empirically validate by chromatin footprinting. We find that causal genetic risk acts in specific neuronal and glial cells that differ across disorders, primarily non-neuronal cells in AD and specific neuronal subtypes in FTD and PSP. These data illustrate the heterogeneous spectrum of glial and neuronal composition and gene expression alterations in different dementias and identify new therapeutic targets by revealing shared and disease-specific cell states.
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9
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Froberg JE, Durak O, Macklis JD. Development of nanoRibo-seq enables study of regulated translation by cortical neuron subtypes, showing uORF translation in synaptic-axonal genes. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112995. [PMID: 37624698 PMCID: PMC10591829 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Investigation of translation in rare cell types or subcellular contexts is challenging due to large input requirements for standard approaches. Here, we present "nanoRibo-seq" an optimized approach using 102- to 103-fold less input material than bulk approaches. nanoRibo-seq exhibits rigorous quality control features consistent with quantification of ribosome protected fragments with as few as 1,000 cells. We compare translatomes of two closely related cortical neuron subtypes, callosal projection neurons (CPN) and subcerebral projection neurons (SCPN), during their early postnatal development. We find that, while translational efficiency is highly correlated between CPN and SCPN, several dozen mRNAs are differentially translated. We further examine upstream open reading frame (uORF) translation and identify that mRNAs involved in synapse organization and axon development are highly enriched for uORF translation in both subtypes. nanoRibo-seq enables investigation of translational regulation of rare cell types in vivo and offers a flexible approach for globally quantifying translation from limited input material.
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Affiliation(s)
- John E Froberg
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Omer Durak
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Macklis
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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Grossman M, Seeley WW, Boxer AL, Hillis AE, Knopman DS, Ljubenov PA, Miller B, Piguet O, Rademakers R, Whitwell JL, Zetterberg H, van Swieten JC. Frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2023; 9:40. [PMID: 37563165 DOI: 10.1038/s41572-023-00447-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is one of the most common causes of early-onset dementia and presents with early social-emotional-behavioural and/or language changes that can be accompanied by a pyramidal or extrapyramidal motor disorder. About 20-25% of individuals with FTLD are estimated to carry a mutation associated with a specific FTLD pathology. The discovery of these mutations has led to important advances in potentially disease-modifying treatments that aim to slow progression or delay disease onset and has improved understanding of brain functioning. In both mutation carriers and those with sporadic disease, the most common underlying diagnoses are linked to neuronal and glial inclusions containing tau (FTLD-tau) or TDP-43 (FTLD-TDP), although 5-10% of patients may have inclusions containing proteins from the FUS-Ewing sarcoma-TAF15 family (FTLD-FET). Biomarkers definitively identifying specific pathological entities in sporadic disease have been elusive, which has impeded development of disease-modifying treatments. Nevertheless, disease-monitoring biofluid and imaging biomarkers are becoming increasingly sophisticated and are likely to serve as useful measures of treatment response during trials of disease-modifying treatments. Symptomatic trials using novel approaches such as transcranial direct current stimulation are also beginning to show promise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murray Grossman
- Department of Neurology and Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - William W Seeley
- Departments of Neurology and Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Adam L Boxer
- Departments of Neurology and Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Argye E Hillis
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Peter A Ljubenov
- Departments of Neurology and Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Bruce Miller
- Departments of Neurology and Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Olivier Piguet
- School of Psychology and Brain and Mind Center, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rosa Rademakers
- VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
- 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, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London, UK
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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11
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Broce IJ, Sirkis DW, Nillo RM, Bonham LW, Lee SE, Miller B, Castruita P, Sturm VE, Sugrue LS, Desikan RS, Yokoyama JS. C9orf72 gene networks in the human brain correlate with cortical thickness in C9-FTD and implicate vulnerable cell types. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.17.549377. [PMID: 37503230 PMCID: PMC10370095 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.17.549377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Introduction A hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE) intronic to chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72) is recognized as the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and ALS-FTD. Identifying genes that show similar regional co-expression patterns to C9orf72 may help identify novel gene targets and biological mechanisms that mediate selective vulnerability to ALS and FTD pathogenesis. Methods We leveraged mRNA expression data in healthy brain from the Allen Human Brain Atlas to evaluate C9orf72 co-expression patterns. To do this, we correlated average C9orf72 expression values in 51 regions across different anatomical divisions (cortex, subcortex, cerebellum) with average gene expression values for 15,633 protein-coding genes, including 50 genes known to be associated with ALS, FTD, or ALS-FTD. We then evaluated whether the identified C9orf72 co-expressed genes correlated with patterns of cortical thickness in symptomatic C9orf72 pathogenic HRE carriers (n=19). Lastly, we explored whether genes with significant C9orf72 radiogenomic correlations (i.e., 'C9orf72 gene network') were enriched in specific cell populations in the brain and enriched for specific biological and molecular pathways. Results A total of 1,748 genes showed an anatomical distribution of gene expression in the brain similar to C9orf72 and significantly correlated with patterns of cortical thickness in C9orf72 HRE carriers. This C9orf72 gene network was differentially expressed in cell populations previously implicated in ALS and FTD, including layer 5b cells, cholinergic motor neurons in the spinal cord, and medium spiny neurons of the striatum, and was enriched for biological and molecular pathways associated with multiple neurotransmitter systems, protein ubiquitination, autophagy, and MAPK signaling, among others. Conclusions Considered together, we identified a network of C9orf72-associated genes that may influence selective regional and cell-type-specific vulnerabilities in ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris J. Broce
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Daniel W. Sirkis
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Ryan M. Nillo
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Luke W. Bonham
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Suzee E. Lee
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Bruce Miller
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Patricia Castruita
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Virginia E. Sturm
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, and Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Leo S. Sugrue
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Rahul S. Desikan
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Jennifer S. Yokoyama
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, and Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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12
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Giannini LA, Mol MO, Rajicic A, van Buuren R, Sarkar L, Arezoumandan S, Ohm DT, Irwin DJ, Rozemuller AJ, van Swieten JC, Seelaar H. Presymptomatic and early pathological features of MAPT-associated frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:126. [PMID: 37533060 PMCID: PMC10394953 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01588-9] [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: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Early pathological features of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) due to MAPT pathogenic variants (FTLD-MAPT) are understudied, since early-stage tissue is rarely available. Here, we report unique pathological data from three presymptomatic/early-stage MAPT variant carriers (FTLD Clinical Dementia Rating [FTLD-CDR] = 0-1). We examined neuronal degeneration semi-quantitatively and digitally quantified tau burden in 18 grey matter (9 cortical, 9 subcortical) and 13 white matter (9 cortical, 4 subcortical) regions. We compared presymptomatic/early-stage pathology to an intermediate/end-stage cohort (FTLD-CDR = 2-3) with the same variants (2 L315R, 10 P301L, 6 G272V), and developed a clinicopathological staging model for P301L and G272V variants. The 68-year-old presymptomatic L315R carrier (FTLD-CDR = 0) had limited tau burden morphologically similar to L315R end-stage carriers in middle frontal, antero-inferior temporal, amygdala, (para-)hippocampus and striatum, along with age-related Alzheimer's disease neuropathological change. The 59-year-old prodromal P301L carrier (FTLD-CDR = 0.5) had highest tau burden in anterior cingulate, anterior temporal, middle/superior frontal, and fronto-insular cortex, and amygdala. The 45-year-old early-stage G272V carrier (FTLD-CDR = 1) had highest tau burden in superior frontal and anterior cingulate cortex, subiculum and CA1. The severity and distribution of tau burden showed some regional variability between variants at presymptomatic/early-stage, while neuronal degeneration, mild-to-moderate, was similarly distributed in frontotemporal regions. Early-stage tau burden and neuronal degeneration were both less severe than in intermediate-/end-stage cases. In a subset of regions (10 GM, 8 WM) used for clinicopathological staging, clinical severity correlated strongly with neuronal degeneration (rho = 0.72, p < 0.001), less strongly with GM tau burden (rho = 0.57, p = 0.006), and did not with WM tau burden (p = 0.9). Clinicopathological staging showed variant-specific patterns of early tau pathology and progression across stages. These unique data demonstrate that tau pathology and neuronal degeneration are present already at the presymptomatic/early-stage of FTLD-MAPT, though less severely compared to intermediate/end-stage disease. Moreover, early pathological patterns, especially of tau burden, differ partly between specific MAPT variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Aa Giannini
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, 3015 GD, The Netherlands
| | - Merel O Mol
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, 3015 GD, The Netherlands
| | - Ana Rajicic
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, 3015 GD, The Netherlands
| | - Renee van Buuren
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, 3015 GD, The Netherlands
| | - Lana Sarkar
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, 3015 GD, The Netherlands
| | - Sanaz Arezoumandan
- Digital Neuropathology Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Daniel T Ohm
- Digital Neuropathology Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - David J Irwin
- Digital Neuropathology Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Annemieke Jm Rozemuller
- Department of Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam University Medical Center, location VUmc, Amsterdam, 1081 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - John C van Swieten
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, 3015 GD, The Netherlands
| | - Harro Seelaar
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, 3015 GD, The Netherlands.
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13
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Torok J, Anand C, Verma P, Raj A. Connectome-based biophysics models of Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and prognosis. Transl Res 2023; 254:13-23. [PMID: 36031051 PMCID: PMC11019890 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2022.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
With the increasing prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) among aging populations and the limited therapeutic options available to slow or reverse its progression, the need has never been greater for improved diagnostic tools for identifying patients in the preclinical and prodomal phases of AD. Biophysics models of the connectome-based spread of amyloid-beta (Aβ) and microtubule-associated protein tau (τ) have enjoyed recent success as tools for predicting the time course of AD-related pathological changes. However, given the complex etiology of AD, which involves not only connectome-based spread of protein pathology but also the interactions of many molecular and cellular players over multiple spatiotemporal scales, more robust, complete biophysics models are needed to better understand AD pathophysiology and ultimately provide accurate patient-specific diagnoses and prognoses. Here we discuss several areas of active research in AD whose insights can be used to enhance the mathematical modeling of AD pathology as well as recent attempts at developing improved connectome-based biophysics models. These efforts toward a comprehensive yet parsimonious mathematical description of AD hold great promise for improving both the diagnosis of patients at risk for AD and our mechanistic understanding of how AD progresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Torok
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
| | - Chaitali Anand
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Parul Verma
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Ashish Raj
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley and University of California, San Francisco, Berkeley, California; Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York.
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14
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Vandenbulcke M, Van de Vliet L, Sun J, Huang YA, Van Den Bossche MJA, Sunaert S, Peeters R, Zhu Q, Vanduffel W, de Gelder B, De Winter FL, Van den Stock J. A paleo-neurologic investigation of the social brain hypothesis in frontotemporal dementia. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:622-633. [PMID: 35253853 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The social brain hypothesis posits that a disproportionate encephalization in primates enabled to adapt behavior to a social context. Also, it has been proposed that phylogenetically recent brain areas are disproportionally affected by neurodegeneration. Using structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging, the present study investigates brain-behavior associations and neural integrity of hyperspecialized and domain-general cortical social brain areas in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). The results revealed that both structure and function of hyperspecialized social areas in the middle portion of the superior temporal sulcus (STS) are compromised in bvFTD, while no deterioration was observed in domain general social areas in the posterior STS. While the structural findings adhered to an anterior-posterior gradient, the functional group differences only occurred in the hyperspecialized locations. Activity in specialized regions was associated with structural integrity of the amygdala and with social deficits in bvFTD. In conclusion, the results are in line with the paleo-neurology hypothesis positing that neurodegeneration primarily hits cortical areas showing increased specialization, but also with the compatible alternative explanation that anterior STS regions degenerate earlier, based on stronger connections to and trans-neuronal spreading from regions affected early in bvFTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Vandenbulcke
- Neuropsychiatry, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium.,Geriatric Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Laura Van de Vliet
- Neuropsychiatry, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Jiaze Sun
- Neuropsychiatry, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Yun-An Huang
- Neuropsychiatry, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Maarten J A Van Den Bossche
- Neuropsychiatry, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium.,Geriatric Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Stefan Sunaert
- Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium.,Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Ron Peeters
- Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium.,Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Qi Zhu
- Laboratory for Neuro- and Psychophysiology, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Wim Vanduffel
- Laboratory for Neuro- and Psychophysiology, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium.,Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.,Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02144, USA
| | - Beatrice de Gelder
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht 6229 EV, The Netherlands.,Department of Computer Science, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - François-Laurent De Winter
- Neuropsychiatry, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium.,Geriatric Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Jan Van den Stock
- Neuropsychiatry, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium.,Geriatric Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
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15
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Giannini LAA, Ohm DT, Rozemuller AJM, Dratch L, Suh E, van Deerlin VM, Trojanowski JQ, Lee EB, van Swieten JC, Grossman M, Seelaar H, Irwin DJ. Isoform-specific patterns of tau burden and neuronal degeneration in MAPT-associated frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Acta Neuropathol 2022; 144:1065-1084. [PMID: 36066634 PMCID: PMC9995405 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-022-02487-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration with MAPT pathogenic variants (FTLD-MAPT) has heterogeneous tau pathological inclusions postmortem, consisting of three-repeat (3R) or four-repeat (4R) tau isoforms, or a combination (3R + 4R). Here, we studied grey matter tau burden, its relation to neuronal degeneration, and regional patterns of pathology in different isoform groups of FTLD-MAPT. We included 38 FTLD-MAPT autopsy cases with 10 different MAPT pathogenic variants, grouped based on predominant tau isoform(s). In up to eleven regions (ten cortical and one striatal), we quantified grey matter tau burden using digital histopathological analysis and assigned semi-quantitative ratings for neuronal degeneration (i.e. 0-4) and separate burden of glial and neuronal tau inclusions (i.e. 0-3). We used mixed modelling to compare pathology measures (1) across the entire cohort and (2) within isoform groups. In the total cohort, tau burden and neuronal degeneration were positively associated and most severe in the anterior temporal, anterior cingulate and transentorhinal cortices. Isoform groups showed distinctive features of tau burden and neuronal degeneration. Across all regions, the 3R isoform group had lower tau burden compared to the 4R group (p = 0.008), while at the same time showing more severe neuronal degeneration than the 4R group (p = 0.002). The 3R + 4R group had an intermediate profile with relatively high tau burden along with relatively severe neuronal degeneration. Neuronal tau inclusions were most frequent in the 4R group (p < 0.001 vs. 3R), while cortical glial tau inclusions were most frequent in the 3R + 4R and 4R groups (p ≤ 0.009 vs. 3R). Regionally, neuronal degeneration was consistently most severe in the anterior temporal cortex within each isoform group. In contrast, the regions with the highest tau burden differed in isoform groups (3R: striatum; 3R + 4R: striatum, inferior parietal lobule, middle frontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex; 4R: transentorhinal cortex, anterior temporal cortex, fusiform gyrus). We conclude that FTLD-MAPT isoform groups show distinctive features of overall neuronal degeneration and regional tau burden, but all share pronounced anterior temporal neuronal degeneration. These data suggest that distinct isoform-related mechanisms of genetic tauopathies, with slightly divergent tau distribution, may share similar regional vulnerability to neurodegeneration within the frontotemporal paralimbic networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia A A Giannini
- Alzheimer Center, Department of Neurology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Doctor Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel T Ohm
- Digital Neuropathology Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (FTDC), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3600 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Annemieke J M Rozemuller
- Department of Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laynie Dratch
- Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (FTDC), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3600 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - EunRan Suh
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Vivianna M van Deerlin
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - John Q Trojanowski
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Edward B Lee
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Translational Neuropathology Research Laboratory, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - John C van Swieten
- Alzheimer Center, Department of Neurology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Doctor Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Murray Grossman
- Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (FTDC), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3600 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Harro Seelaar
- Alzheimer Center, Department of Neurology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Doctor Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - David J Irwin
- Digital Neuropathology Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (FTDC), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3600 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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16
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A Novel Tandem-Tag Purification Strategy for Challenging Disordered Proteins. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12111566. [DOI: 10.3390/biom12111566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) lack well-defined 3D structures and can only be described as ensembles of different conformations. This high degree of flexibility allows them to interact promiscuously and makes them capable of fulfilling unique and versatile regulatory roles in cellular processes. These functional benefits make IDPs widespread in nature, existing in every living organism from bacteria and fungi to plants and animals. Due to their open and exposed structural state, IDPs are much more prone to proteolytic degradation than their globular counterparts. Therefore, the purification of recombinant IDPs requires extra care and caution, such as maintaining low temperature throughout the purification, the use of protease inhibitor cocktails and fast workflow. Even so, in the case of long IDP targets, the appearance of truncated by-products often seems unavoidable. The separation of these unwanted proteins can be very challenging due to their similarity to the parent target protein. Here, we describe a tandem-tag purification method that offers a remedy to this problem. It contains only common affinity-chromatography steps (HisTrap and Heparin) to ensure low cost, easy access and scaling-up for possible industrial use. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated with four examples, Tau-441 and two of its fragments and the transactivation domain (AF1) of androgen receptor.
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17
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Taniguchi M, Iwahashi M, Oka Y, Tiong SYX, Sato M. Fezf2-positive fork cell-like neurons in the mouse insular cortex. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274170. [PMID: 36067159 PMCID: PMC9447900 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The fork cell and von Economo neuron, which are found in the insular cortex and/or the anterior cingulate cortex, are defined by their unique morphologies. Their shapes are not pyramidal; the fork cell has two primary apical dendrites and the von Economo neurons are spindle-shaped (bipolar). Presence of such neurons are reported only in the higher animals, especially in human and great ape, indicating that they are specific for most evolved species. Although it is likely that these neurons are involved in higher brain function, lack of results with experimental animals makes further investigation difficult. We here ask whether equivalent neurons exist in the mouse insular cortex. In human, Fezf2 has been reported to be highly expressed in these morphologically distinctive neurons and thus, we examined the detailed morphology of Fezf2-positive neurons in the mouse brain. Although von Economo-like neurons were not identified, Fezf2-positive fork cell-like neurons with two characteristic apical dendrites, were discovered. Examination with electron microscope indicated that these neurons did not embrace capillaries, rather they held another cell. We here term such neurons as holding neurons. We further observed several molecules, including neuromedin B (NMB) and gastrin releasing peptide (GRP) that are known to be localized in the fork cells and/or von Economo cells in human, were localized in the mouse insular cortex. Based on these observations, it is likely that an equivalent of the fork cell is present in the mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manabu Taniguchi
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Misaki Iwahashi
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Oka
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Molecular Brain Science, Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development (UGSCD), Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Sheena Y. X. Tiong
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Molecular Brain Science, Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development (UGSCD), Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Faculty of Science, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Makoto Sato
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Molecular Brain Science, Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development (UGSCD), Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
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18
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Signature laminar distributions of pathology in frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Acta Neuropathol 2022; 143:363-382. [PMID: 34997851 PMCID: PMC8858288 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-021-02402-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) with either tau (FTLD-tau) or TDP-43 (FTLD-TDP) inclusions are distinct proteinopathies that frequently cause similar frontotemporal dementia (FTD) clinical syndromes. FTD syndromes often display macroscopic signatures of neurodegeneration at the level of regions and networks, but it is unclear if subregional laminar pathology display patterns unique to proteinopathy or clinical syndrome. We hypothesized that FTLD-tau and FTLD-TDP accumulate pathology in relatively distinct cortical layers independent of clinical syndrome, with greater involvement of lower layers in FTLD-tau. The current study examined 170 patients with either FTLD-tau (n = 73) or FTLD-TDP (n = 97) spanning dementia and motor phenotypes in the FTD spectrum. We digitally measured the percent area occupied by tau and TDP-43 pathology in upper layers (I-III), lower layers (IV-VI), and juxtacortical white matter (WM) from isocortical regions in both hemispheres where available. Linear mixed-effects models compared ratios of upper to lower layer pathology between FTLD groups and investigated relationships with regions, WM pathology, and global cognitive impairment while adjusting for demographics. We found lower ratios of layer pathology in FTLD-tau and higher ratios of layer pathology in FTLD-TDP, reflecting lower layer-predominant tau pathology and upper layer-predominant TDP-43 pathology, respectively (p < 0.001). FTLD-tau displayed lower ratios of layer pathology related to greater WM tau pathology (p = 0.002) and to earlier involved/severe pathology regions (p = 0.007). In contrast, FTLD-TDP displayed higher ratios of layer pathology not related to either WM pathology or regional severity. Greater cognitive impairment was associated with higher ratios of layer pathology in FTLD-tau (p = 0.018), but was not related to ratios of layer pathology in FTLD-TDP. Lower layer-predominant tau pathology and upper layer-predominant TDP-43 pathology are proteinopathy-specific, regardless of clinical syndromes or regional networks that define these syndromes. Thus, patterns of laminar change may provide a useful anatomical framework for investigating how degeneration of select cells and corresponding laminar circuits influence large-scale networks and clinical symptomology in FTLD.
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19
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Wang Y, Huang C, Guo Q, Chu H. Aquaporin-4 and Cognitive Disorders. Aging Dis 2022; 13:61-72. [PMID: 35111362 PMCID: PMC8782559 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2021.0731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) is the most abundantly expressed aquaporin in the central nervous system (CNS) and is an integral part of the glymphatic system that cannot be ignored. The CNS has the glymphatic system instead of the conventional lymphatic system. The glymphatic system plays an essential role in the pathophysiological processes of many cognitive disorders. AQP4 shows noteworthy changes in various cognitive disorders and is part of the pathogenesis of these diseases. For this reason, AQP4 has attracted attention as a potential and promising target for regulating and even reversing cognitive dysfunction. This review will summarize the role of AQP4 in the pathophysiological processes of several cognitive disorders as reported in recent studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Wang
- 1Department of Gerontology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Chuyi Huang
- 2Health Management Center, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai China
| | - Qihao Guo
- 1Department of Gerontology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Heling Chu
- 1Department of Gerontology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
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20
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Fuentealba-Villarroel FJ, Renner J, Hilbig A, Bruton OJ, Rasia-Filho AA. Spindle-Shaped Neurons in the Human Posteromedial (Precuneus) Cortex. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2022; 13:769228. [PMID: 35087390 PMCID: PMC8787311 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2021.769228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The human posteromedial cortex (PMC), which includes the precuneus (PC), represents a multimodal brain area implicated in emotion, conscious awareness, spatial cognition, and social behavior. Here, we describe the presence of Nissl-stained elongated spindle-shaped neurons (suggestive of von Economo neurons, VENs) in the cortical layer V of the anterior and central PC of adult humans. The adapted "single-section" Golgi method for postmortem tissue was used to study these neurons close to pyramidal ones in layer V until merging with layer VI polymorphic cells. From three-dimensional (3D) reconstructed images, we describe the cell body, two main longitudinally oriented ascending and descending dendrites as well as the occurrence of spines from proximal to distal segments. The primary dendritic shafts give rise to thin collateral branches with a radial orientation, and pleomorphic spines were observed with a sparse to moderate density along the dendritic length. Other spindle-shaped cells were observed with straight dendritic shafts and rare branches or with an axon emerging from the soma. We discuss the morphology of these cells and those considered VENs in cortical areas forming integrated brain networks for higher-order activities. The presence of spindle-shaped neurons and the current discussion on the morphology of putative VENs address the need for an in-depth neurochemical and transcriptomic characterization of the PC cytoarchitecture. These findings would include these spindle-shaped cells in the synaptic and information processing by the default mode network and for general intelligence in healthy individuals and in neuropsychiatric disorders involving the PC in the context of the PMC functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Javier Fuentealba-Villarroel
- Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Josué Renner
- Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Arlete Hilbig
- Department of Medical Clinics/Neurology, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Oliver J Bruton
- Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Alberto A Rasia-Filho
- Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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21
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Singleton EH, Pijnenburg YAL, Gami-Patel P, Boon BDC, Bouwman F, Papma JM, Seelaar H, Scheltens P, Grinberg LT, Spina S, Nana AL, Rabinovici GD, Seeley WW, Ossenkoppele R, Dijkstra AA. The behavioral variant of Alzheimer's disease does not show a selective loss of Von Economo and phylogenetically related neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex. Alzheimers Res Ther 2022; 14:11. [PMID: 35057846 PMCID: PMC8772094 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-021-00947-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The neurobiological origins of the early and predominant behavioral changes seen in the behavioral variant of Alzheimer's disease (bvAD) remain unclear. A selective loss of Von Economo neurons (VENs) and phylogenetically related neurons have been observed in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and several psychiatric diseases. Here, we assessed whether these specific neuronal populations show a selective loss in bvAD. METHODS VENs and GABA receptor subunit theta (GABRQ)-immunoreactive pyramidal neurons of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) were quantified in post-mortem tissue of patients with bvAD (n = 9) and compared to typical AD (tAD, n = 6), bvFTD due to frontotemporal lobar degeneration based on TDP-43 pathology (FTLD, n = 18) and controls (n = 13) using ANCOVAs adjusted for age and Bonferroni corrected. In addition, ratios of VENs and GABRQ-immunoreactive (GABRQ-ir) pyramidal neurons over all Layer 5 neurons were compared between groups to correct for overall Layer 5 neuronal loss. RESULTS The number of VENs or GABRQ-ir neurons did not differ significantly between bvAD (VENs: 26.0 ± 15.3, GABRQ-ir pyramidal: 260.4 ± 87.1) and tAD (VENs: 32.0 ± 18.1, p = 1.00, GABRQ-ir pyramidal: 349.8 ± 109.6, p = 0.38) and controls (VENs: 33.5 ± 20.3, p = 1.00, GABRQ-ir pyramidal: 339.4 ± 95.9, p = 0.37). Compared to bvFTD, patients with bvAD showed significantly more GABRQ-ir pyramidal neurons (bvFTD: 140.5 ± 82.658, p = 0.01) and no significant differences in number of VENs (bvFTD: 10.9 ± 13.8, p = 0.13). Results were similar when assessing the number of VENs and GABRQ-ir relative to all neurons of Layer 5. DISCUSSION VENs and phylogenetically related neurons did not show a selective loss in the ACC in patients with bvAD. Our results suggest that, unlike in bvFTD, the clinical presentation in bvAD may not be related to the loss of VENs and related neurons in the ACC.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. H. Singleton
- grid.509540.d0000 0004 6880 3010Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Y. A. L. Pijnenburg
- grid.509540.d0000 0004 6880 3010Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - P. Gami-Patel
- grid.509540.d0000 0004 6880 3010Department of Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - B. D. C. Boon
- grid.509540.d0000 0004 6880 3010Department of Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - F. Bouwman
- grid.509540.d0000 0004 6880 3010Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J. M. Papma
- grid.5645.2000000040459992XNeurology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands ,grid.5645.2000000040459992XRadiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - H. Seelaar
- grid.5645.2000000040459992XNeurology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - P. Scheltens
- grid.509540.d0000 0004 6880 3010Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - L. T. Grinberg
- grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Departments of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA ,grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Departments of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - S. Spina
- grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Departments of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - A. L. Nana
- grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Departments of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - G. D. Rabinovici
- grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Departments of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA ,grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - W. W. Seeley
- grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Departments of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA ,grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Departments of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - R. Ossenkoppele
- grid.509540.d0000 0004 6880 3010Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands ,grid.4514.40000 0001 0930 2361Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - A. A. Dijkstra
- grid.509540.d0000 0004 6880 3010Department of Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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22
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Banovac I, Sedmak D, Judaš M, Petanjek Z. Von Economo Neurons - Primate-Specific or Commonplace in the Mammalian Brain? Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:714611. [PMID: 34539353 PMCID: PMC8440978 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.714611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The pioneering work by von Economo in 1925 on the cytoarchitectonics of the cerebral cortex revealed a specialized and unique cell type in the adult human fronto-insular (FI) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). In modern studies, these neurons are termed von Economo neurons (VENs). In his work, von Economo described them as stick, rod or corkscrew cells because of their extremely elongated and relatively thin cell body clearly distinguishable from common oval or spindle-shaped infragranular principal neurons. Before von Economo, in 1899 Cajal depicted the unique somato-dendritic morphology of such cells with extremely elongated soma in the FI. However, although VENs are increasingly investigated, Cajal’s observation is still mainly being neglected. On Golgi staining in humans, VENs have a thick and long basal trunk with horizontally oriented terminal branching (basilar skirt) from where the axon arises. They are clearly distinguishable from a spectrum of modified pyramidal neurons found in infragranular layers, including oval or spindle-shaped principal neurons. Spindle-shaped cells with highly elongated cell body were also observed in the ACC of great apes, but despite similarities in soma shape, their dendritic and axonal morphology has still not been described in sufficient detail. Studies identifying VENs in non-human species are predominantly done on Nissl or anti-NeuN staining. In most of these studies, the dendritic and axonal morphology of the analyzed cells was not demonstrated and many of the cells found on Nissl or anti-NeuN staining had a cell body shape characteristic for common oval or spindle-shaped cells. Here we present an extensive literature overview on VENs, which demonstrates that human VENs are specialized elongated principal cells with unique somato-dendritic morphology found abundantly in the FI and ACC of the human brain. More research is needed to properly evaluate the presence of such specialized cells in other primates and non-primate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Banovac
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.,Croatian Institute for Brain Research and Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dora Sedmak
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.,Croatian Institute for Brain Research and Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Miloš Judaš
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research and Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Zdravko Petanjek
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.,Croatian Institute for Brain Research and Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
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23
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High-content image-based analysis and proteomic profiling identifies Tau phosphorylation inhibitors in a human iPSC-derived glutamatergic neuronal model of tauopathy. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17029. [PMID: 34426604 PMCID: PMC8382845 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96227-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in MAPT (microtubule-associated protein tau) cause frontotemporal dementia (FTD). MAPT mutations are associated with abnormal tau phosphorylation levels and accumulation of misfolded tau protein that can propagate between neurons ultimately leading to cell death (tauopathy). Recently, a p.A152T tau variant was identified as a risk factor for FTD, Alzheimer's disease, and synucleinopathies. Here we used induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from a patient carrying this p.A152T variant to create a robust, functional cellular assay system for probing pathophysiological tau accumulation and phosphorylation. Using stably transduced iPSC-derived neural progenitor cells engineered to enable inducible expression of the pro-neural transcription factor Neurogenin 2 (Ngn2), we generated disease-relevant, cortical-like glutamatergic neurons in a scalable, high-throughput screening compatible format. Utilizing automated confocal microscopy, and an advanced image-processing pipeline optimized for analysis of morphologically complex human neuronal cultures, we report quantitative, subcellular localization-specific effects of multiple kinase inhibitors on tau, including ones under clinical investigation not previously reported to affect tau phosphorylation. These results demonstrate the potential for using patient iPSC-derived ex vivo models of tauopathy as genetically accurate, disease-relevant systems to probe tau biochemistry and support the discovery of novel therapeutics for tauopathies.
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24
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Schwab K, Melis V, Harrington CR, Wischik CM, Magbagbeolu M, Theuring F, Riedel G. Proteomic Analysis of Hydromethylthionine in the Line 66 Model of Frontotemporal Dementia Demonstrates Actions on Tau-Dependent and Tau-Independent Networks. Cells 2021; 10:2162. [PMID: 34440931 PMCID: PMC8391171 DOI: 10.3390/cells10082162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal aggregation of tau is the pathological hallmark of tauopathies including frontotemporal dementia (FTD). We have generated tau-transgenic mice that express the aggregation-prone P301S human tau (line 66). These mice present with early-onset, high tau load in brain and FTD-like behavioural deficiencies. Several of these behavioural phenotypes and tau pathology are reversed by treatment with hydromethylthionine but key pathways underlying these corrections remain elusive. In two proteomic experiments, line 66 mice were compared with wild-type mice and then vehicle and hydromethylthionine treatments of line 66 mice were compared. The brain proteome was investigated using two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry to identify protein networks and pathways that were altered due to tau overexpression or modified by hydromethylthionine treatment. Overexpression of mutant tau induced metabolic/mitochondrial dysfunction, changes in synaptic transmission and in stress responses, and these functions were recovered by hydromethylthionine. Other pathways, such as NRF2, oxidative phosphorylation and protein ubiquitination were activated by hydromethylthionine, presumably independent of its function as a tau aggregation inhibitor. Our results suggest that hydromethylthionine recovers cellular activity in both a tau-dependent and a tau-independent fashion that could lead to a wide-spread improvement of homeostatic function in the FTD brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karima Schwab
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK; (K.S.); (V.M.); (C.R.H.); (C.M.W.)
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hessische Str. 3-4, 10115 Berlin, Germany; (M.M.); (F.T.)
| | - Valeria Melis
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK; (K.S.); (V.M.); (C.R.H.); (C.M.W.)
| | - Charles R. Harrington
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK; (K.S.); (V.M.); (C.R.H.); (C.M.W.)
- TauRx Therapeutics Ltd., 395 King Street, Aberdeen AB24 5RP, UK
| | - Claude M. Wischik
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK; (K.S.); (V.M.); (C.R.H.); (C.M.W.)
- TauRx Therapeutics Ltd., 395 King Street, Aberdeen AB24 5RP, UK
| | - Mandy Magbagbeolu
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hessische Str. 3-4, 10115 Berlin, Germany; (M.M.); (F.T.)
| | - Franz Theuring
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hessische Str. 3-4, 10115 Berlin, Germany; (M.M.); (F.T.)
| | - Gernot Riedel
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK; (K.S.); (V.M.); (C.R.H.); (C.M.W.)
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25
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Bowles KR, Silva MC, Whitney K, Bertucci T, Berlind JE, Lai JD, Garza JC, Boles NC, Mahali S, Strang KH, Marsh JA, Chen C, Pugh DA, Liu Y, Gordon RE, Goderie SK, Chowdhury R, Lotz S, Lane K, Crary JF, Haggarty SJ, Karch CM, Ichida JK, Goate AM, Temple S. ELAVL4, splicing, and glutamatergic dysfunction precede neuron loss in MAPT mutation cerebral organoids. Cell 2021; 184:4547-4563.e17. [PMID: 34314701 PMCID: PMC8635409 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) because of MAPT mutation causes pathological accumulation of tau and glutamatergic cortical neuronal death by unknown mechanisms. We used human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cerebral organoids expressing tau-V337M and isogenic corrected controls to discover early alterations because of the mutation that precede neurodegeneration. At 2 months, mutant organoids show upregulated expression of MAPT, glutamatergic signaling pathways, and regulators, including the RNA-binding protein ELAVL4, and increased stress granules. Over the following 4 months, mutant organoids accumulate splicing changes, disruption of autophagy function, and build-up of tau and P-tau-S396. By 6 months, tau-V337M organoids show specific loss of glutamatergic neurons as seen in individuals with FTD. Mutant neurons are susceptible to glutamate toxicity, which can be rescued pharmacologically by the PIKFYVE kinase inhibitor apilimod. Our results demonstrate a sequence of events that precede neurodegeneration, revealing molecular pathways associated with glutamate signaling as potential targets for therapeutic intervention in FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn R Bowles
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Friedman Brain Institute, Departments of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Neuroscience, and Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS), New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - M Catarina Silva
- Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Medicine, Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Kristen Whitney
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Friedman Brain Institute, Departments of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Neuroscience, and Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS), New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Pathology, Neuropathology Brain Bank and Research Core, ISMMS, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | | | - Joshua E Berlind
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Jesse D Lai
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Amgen Research, One Amgen Center Dr., Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA
| | - Jacob C Garza
- Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Medicine, Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | | | - Sidhartha Mahali
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Kevin H Strang
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Friedman Brain Institute, Departments of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Neuroscience, and Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS), New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Pathology, Neuropathology Brain Bank and Research Core, ISMMS, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Jacob A Marsh
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Cynthia Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Derian A Pugh
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Friedman Brain Institute, Departments of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Neuroscience, and Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS), New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Yiyuan Liu
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Friedman Brain Institute, Departments of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Neuroscience, and Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS), New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Ronald E Gordon
- Department of Pathology, Neuropathology Brain Bank and Research Core, ISMMS, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | | | | | - Steven Lotz
- Neural Stem Cell Institute, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA
| | - Keith Lane
- Neural Stem Cell Institute, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA
| | - John F Crary
- Department of Pathology, Neuropathology Brain Bank and Research Core, ISMMS, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Stephen J Haggarty
- Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Medicine, Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Celeste M Karch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Justin K Ichida
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Alison M Goate
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Friedman Brain Institute, Departments of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Neuroscience, and Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS), New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Sally Temple
- Neural Stem Cell Institute, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA.
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26
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Is there a “g-neuron”? Establishing a systematic link between general intelligence (g) and the von Economo neuron. INTELLIGENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2021.101540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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27
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Jacot-Descombes S, Keshav N, Brosch CMS, Wicinski B, Warda T, Norcliffe-Kaufmann L, Kaufmann H, Varghese M, Hof PR. Von Economo Neuron Pathology in Familial Dysautonomia: Quantitative Assessment and Possible Implications. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2021; 79:1072-1083. [PMID: 32954436 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlaa095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Von Economo neurons (VENs) and fork cells are principally located in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the frontoinsular cortex (FI). Both of these regions integrate inputs from the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and are involved in decision-making and perception of the emotional states of self and others. Familial dysautonomia (FD) is an orphan disorder characterized by autonomic dysfunction and behavioral abnormalities including repetitive behavior and emotional rigidity, which are also seen in autism spectrum disorder. To understand a possible link between the ANS and the cortical regions implicated in emotion regulation we studied VENs and fork cells in an autonomic disorder. We determined the densities of VENs, fork cells, and pyramidal neurons and the ratio of VENs and fork cells to pyramidal neurons in ACC and FI in 4 FD patient and 6 matched control brains using a stereologic approach. We identified alterations in densities of VENs and pyramidal neurons and their distributions in the ACC and FI in FD brains. These data suggest that alterations in migration and numbers of VENs may be involved in FD pathophysiology thereby supporting the notion of a functional link between VENs, the ANS and the peripheral nervous system in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Jacot-Descombes
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience.,Friedman Brain Institute.,Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; University Center of Legal Medicine, Lausanne - Geneva, Geneva University Hospitals
| | - Neha Keshav
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience.,Friedman Brain Institute.,Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment
| | - Carla Micaela Santos Brosch
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience.,Department of Mental Health and Psychiatry, University Hospitals and School of Medicine Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bridget Wicinski
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience.,Friedman Brain Institute
| | - Tahia Warda
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience.,Friedman Brain Institute
| | - Lucy Norcliffe-Kaufmann
- Department of Neurology, Dysautonomia Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Horacio Kaufmann
- Department of Neurology, Dysautonomia Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Merina Varghese
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience.,Friedman Brain Institute
| | - Patrick R Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience.,Friedman Brain Institute.,Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment
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28
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Clarke MTM, St-Onge F, Beauregard JM, Bocchetta M, Todd E, Cash DM, Rohrer JD, Laforce R. Early anterior cingulate involvement is seen in presymptomatic MAPT P301L mutation carriers. ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY 2021; 13:42. [PMID: 33568215 PMCID: PMC7876816 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-021-00777-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Background PET imaging of glucose metabolism has revealed presymptomatic abnormalities in genetic FTD but has not been explored in MAPT P301L mutation carriers. This study aimed to explore the patterns of presymptomatic hypometabolism and atrophy in MAPT P301L mutation carriers. Methods Eighteen asymptomatic members from five families with a P301L MAPT mutation were recruited to the study, six mutation carriers, and twelve mutation-negative controls. All participants underwent standard behavioural and cognitive assessment as well as [18F]FDG-PET and 3D T1-weighted MRI brain scans. Regional standardised uptake value ratios (SUVR) for the PET scan and volumes calculated from an automated segmentation for the MRI were obtained and compared between the mutation carrier and control groups. Results The mean (standard deviation) estimated years from symptom onset was 12.5 (3.6) in the mutation carrier group with a range of 7 to 18 years. No differences in cognition were seen between the groups, and all mutation carriers had a global CDR plus NACC FTLD of 0. Significant reduction in [18F] FDG uptake in the anterior cingulate was seen in mutation carriers (mean 1.25 [standard deviation 0.07]) compared to controls (1.36 [0.09]). A similar significant reduction was also seen in grey matter volume in the anterior cingulate in mutation carriers (0.60% [0.06%]) compared to controls (0.68% [0.08%]). No other group differences were seen in other regions. Conclusions Anterior cingulate hypometabolism and atrophy are both apparent presymptomatically in a cohort of P301L MAPT mutation carriers. Such a specific marker may prove to be helpful in stratification of presymptomatic mutation carriers in future trials. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13195-021-00777-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mica T M Clarke
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
| | - Frédéric St-Onge
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Clinique Interdisciplinaire de Mémoire (CIME), Département des Sciences Neurologiques, CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Faculté de Médecine, Département de médecine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | | | - Martina Bocchetta
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Emily Todd
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - David M Cash
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Jonathan D Rohrer
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Robert Laforce
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Clinique Interdisciplinaire de Mémoire (CIME), Département des Sciences Neurologiques, CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Faculté de Médecine, Département de médecine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,CHU de Québec, Québec, QC, Canada
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29
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Correa-Júnior ND, Renner J, Fuentealba-Villarroel F, Hilbig A, Rasia-Filho AA. Dendritic and Spine Heterogeneity of von Economo Neurons in the Human Cingulate Cortex. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2020; 12:25. [PMID: 32733229 PMCID: PMC7360805 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2020.00025] [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: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The human cingulate cortex (CC), included in the paralimbic cortex, participates in emotion, visceral responses, attention, cognition, and social behaviors. The CC has spindle-shaped/fusiform cell body neurons in its layer V, the von Economo neurons (VENs). VENs have further developed in primates, and the characterization of human VENs can benefit from the detailed descriptions of the shape of dendrites and spines. Here, we advance this issue and studied VENs in the anterior and midcingulate cortex from four neurologically normal adult subjects. We used the thionin technique and the adapted “single-section” Golgi method for light microscopy. Three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions were carried out for the visualization of Golgi-impregnated VENs’ cell body, ascending and descending dendrites, and collateral branches. We also looked for the presence, density, and shape of spines from proximal to distal dendrites. These neurons have a similar aspect for the soma, but features of spiny dendrites evidenced a morphological heterogeneity of CC VENs. Only for the description of this continuum of shapes, we labeled the most common feature as VEN 1, which has main dendritic shafts but few branches and sparse spines. VEN 2 shows an intermediate aspect, whereas VEN 3 displays the most profuse dendritic ramification and more spines with varied shapes from proximal to distal branches. Morphometric data exemplify the dendritic features of these cells. The heterogeneity of the dendritic architecture and spines suggests additional functional implications for the synaptic and information processing in VENs in integrated networks of normal and, possibly, neurological/psychiatric conditions involving the human CC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nivaldo D Correa-Júnior
- Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Josué Renner
- Laboratory of Morphology and Physiology, Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | - Arlete Hilbig
- Department of Medical Clinics/Neurology, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Alberto A Rasia-Filho
- Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Laboratory of Morphology and Physiology, Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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30
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Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) encompasses a group of clinical syndromes, including behavioral-variant FTD, nonfluent variant primary progressive aphasia, semantic variant primary progressive aphasia, FTD motor neuron disease, progressive supranuclear palsy syndrome, and corticobasal syndrome. Early on in its course, FTD is commonly seen in psychiatric clinics. We review the clinical features and diagnostic criteria in FTD spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyan Younes
- UCSF Memory and Aging Center, Box 1207, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, Suite 190, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
| | - Bruce L Miller
- UCSF Memory and Aging Center, Box 1207, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, Suite 190, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. https://twitter.com/brucemillerucsf
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