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Sun K, Patel T, Kang SG, Yarahmady A, Srinivasan M, Julien O, Heras J, Mok SA. Disease-Associated Mutations in Tau Encode for Changes in Aggregate Structure Conformation. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:4282-4297. [PMID: 38054595 PMCID: PMC10741665 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The accumulation of tau fibrils is associated with neurodegenerative diseases, which are collectively termed tauopathies. Cryo-EM studies have shown that the packed fibril core of tau adopts distinct structures in different tauopathies, such as Alzheimer's disease, corticobasal degeneration, and progressive supranuclear palsy. A subset of tauopathies are linked to missense mutations in the tau protein, but it is not clear whether these mutations impact the structure of tau fibrils. To answer this question, we developed a high-throughput protein purification platform and purified a panel of 37 tau variants using the full-length 0N4R splice isoform. Each of these variants was used to create fibrils in vitro, and their relative structures were studied using a high-throughput protease sensitivity platform. We find that a subset of the disease-associated mutations form fibrils that resemble wild-type tau, while others are strikingly different. The impact of mutations on tau structure was not clearly associated with either the location of the mutation or the relative kinetics of fibril assembly, suggesting that tau mutations alter the packed core structures through a complex molecular mechanism. Together, these studies show that single-point mutations can impact the assembly of tau into fibrils, providing insight into its association with pathology and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerry
T. Sun
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H7
| | - Tark Patel
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H7
| | - Sang-Gyun Kang
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H7
| | - Allan Yarahmady
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H7
| | - Mahalashmi Srinivasan
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H7
| | - Olivier Julien
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H7
| | - Jónathan Heras
- Department
of Mathematics and Computer Sciences, University
of La Rioja, Logroño, Spain 26004
| | - Sue-Ann Mok
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H7
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Bhagat R, Minaya MA, Renganathan A, Mehra M, Marsh J, Martinez R, Eteleeb AM, Nana AL, Spina S, Seeley WW, Grinberg LT, Karch CM. Long non-coding RNA SNHG8 drives stress granule formation in tauopathies. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4889-4901. [PMID: 37730840 PMCID: PMC10914599 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02237-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Tauopathies are a heterogenous group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by tau aggregation in the brain. In a subset of tauopathies, rare mutations in the MAPT gene, which encodes the tau protein, are sufficient to cause disease; however, the events downstream of MAPT mutations are poorly understood. Here, we investigate the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), transcripts >200 nucleotides with low/no coding potential that regulate transcription and translation, and their role in tauopathy. Using stem cell derived neurons from patients carrying a MAPT p.P301L, IVS10 + 16, or p.R406W mutation and CRISPR-corrected isogenic controls, we identified transcriptomic changes that occur as a function of the MAPT mutant allele. We identified 15 lncRNAs that were commonly differentially expressed across the three MAPT mutations. The commonly differentially expressed lncRNAs interact with RNA-binding proteins that regulate stress granule formation. Among these lncRNAs, SNHG8 was significantly reduced in a mouse model of tauopathy and in FTLD-tau, progressive supranuclear palsy, and Alzheimer's disease brains. We show that SNHG8 interacts with tau and stress granule-associated RNA-binding protein TIA1. Overexpression of mutant tau in vitro is sufficient to reduce SNHG8 expression and induce stress granule formation. Rescuing SNHG8 expression leads to reduced stress granule formation and reduced TIA1 levels in immortalized cells and in MAPT mutant neurons, suggesting that dysregulation of this non-coding RNA is a causal factor driving stress granule formation via TIA1 in tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reshma Bhagat
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Miguel A Minaya
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Arun Renganathan
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Muneshwar Mehra
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jacob Marsh
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rita Martinez
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Abdallah M Eteleeb
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Alissa L Nana
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Salvatore Spina
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - William W Seeley
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lea T Grinberg
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Celeste M Karch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.
- Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.
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Bertucci T, Bowles KR, Lotz S, Qi L, Stevens K, Goderie SK, Borden S, Oja LM, Lane K, Lotz R, Lotz H, Chowdhury R, Joy S, Arduini BL, Butler DC, Miller M, Baron H, Sandhof CA, Silva MC, Haggarty SJ, Karch CM, Geschwind DH, Goate AM, Temple S. Improved Protocol for Reproducible Human Cortical Organoids Reveals Early Alterations in Metabolism with MAPT Mutations. bioRxiv 2023:2023.07.11.548571. [PMID: 37503195 PMCID: PMC10369860 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.11.548571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Cerebral cortical-enriched organoids derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are valuable models for studying neurodevelopment, disease mechanisms, and therapeutic development. However, recognized limitations include the high variability of organoids across hPSC donor lines and experimental replicates. We report a 96-slitwell method for efficient, scalable, reproducible cortical organoid production. When hPSCs were cultured with controlled-release FGF2 and an SB431542 concentration appropriate for their TGFBR1 / ALK5 expression level, organoid cortical patterning and reproducibility were significantly improved. Well-patterned organoids included 16 neuronal and glial subtypes by single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), frequent neural progenitor rosettes and robust BCL11B+ and TBR1+ deep layer cortical neurons at 2 months by immunohistochemistry. In contrast, poorly-patterned organoids contain mesendoderm-related cells, identifiable by negative QC markers including COL1A2 . Using this improved protocol, we demonstrate increased sensitivity to study the impact of different MAPT mutations from patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), revealing early changes in key metabolic pathways.
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Davis SE, Cook AK, Hall JA, Voskobiynyk Y, Carullo NV, Boyle NR, Hakim AR, Anderson KM, Hobdy KP, Pugh DA, Murchison CF, McMeekin LJ, Simmons M, Margolies KA, Cowell RM, Nana AL, Spina S, Grinberg LT, Miller BL, Seeley WW, Arrant AE. Patients with sporadic FTLD exhibit similar increases in lysosomal proteins and storage material as patients with FTD due to GRN mutations. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:70. [PMID: 37118844 PMCID: PMC10148425 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01571-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Loss of function progranulin (GRN) mutations are a major autosomal dominant cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Patients with FTD due to GRN mutations (FTD-GRN) develop frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43 pathology type A (FTLD-TDP type A) and exhibit elevated levels of lysosomal proteins and storage material in frontal cortex, perhaps indicating lysosomal dysfunction as a mechanism of disease. To investigate whether patients with sporadic FTLD exhibit similar signs of lysosomal dysfunction, we compared lysosomal protein levels, transcript levels, and storage material in patients with FTD-GRN or sporadic FTLD-TDP type A. We analyzed samples from frontal cortex, a degenerated brain region, and occipital cortex, a relatively spared brain region. In frontal cortex, patients with sporadic FTLD-TDP type A exhibited similar increases in lysosomal protein levels, transcript levels, and storage material as patients with FTD-GRN. In occipital cortex of both patient groups, most lysosomal measures did not differ from controls. Frontal cortex from a transgenic mouse model of TDP-opathy had similar increases in cathepsin D and lysosomal storage material, showing that TDP-opathy and neurodegeneration can drive these changes independently of progranulin. To investigate these changes in additional FTLD subtypes, we analyzed frontal cortical samples from patients with sporadic FTLD-TDP type C or Pick's disease, an FTLD-tau subtype. All sporadic FTLD groups had similar increases in cathepsin D activity, lysosomal membrane proteins, and storage material as FTD-GRN patients. However, patients with FTLD-TDP type C or Pick's disease did not have similar increases in lysosomal transcripts as patients with FTD-GRN or sporadic FTLD-TDP type A. Based on these data, accumulation of lysosomal proteins and storage material may be a common aspect of end-stage FTLD. However, the unique changes in gene expression in patients with FTD-GRN or sporadic FTLD-TDP type A may indicate distinct underlying lysosomal changes among FTLD subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Skylar E Davis
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Anna K Cook
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Justin A Hall
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Yuliya Voskobiynyk
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Nancy V Carullo
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Nicholas R Boyle
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Ahmad R Hakim
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Kristian M Anderson
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Kierra P Hobdy
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Derian A Pugh
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Charles F Murchison
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Laura J McMeekin
- Department of Neuroscience, Southern Research, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Micah Simmons
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Southern Research, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | | | - Rita M Cowell
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Southern Research, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Alissa L Nana
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Salvatore Spina
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lea T Grinberg
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Bruce L Miller
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - William W Seeley
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Andrew E Arrant
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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Bhagat R, Minaya MA, Renganathan A, Mehra M, Marsh J, Martinez R, Nana AL, Spina S, Seeley WW, Grinberg LT, Karch CM. Long non-coding RNA SNHG8 drives stress granule formation in tauopathies. medRxiv 2023:2023.02.27.23286548. [PMID: 36909621 PMCID: PMC10002771 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.27.23286548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Tauopathies are a heterogenous group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by tau aggregation in the brain. In a subset of tauopathies, rare mutations in the MAPT gene, which encodes the tau protein, are sufficient to cause disease; however, the events downstream of MAPT mutations are poorly understood. Here, we investigate the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), transcripts >200 nucleotides with low/no coding potential that regulate transcription and translation, and their role in tauopathy. Using stem cell derived neurons from patients carrying a MAPT p.P301L, IVS10+16, or p.R406W mutation, and CRISPR-corrected isogenic controls, we identified transcriptomic changes that occur as a function of the MAPT mutant allele. We identified 15 lncRNAs that were commonly differentially expressed across the three MAPT mutations. The commonly differentially expressed lncRNAs interact with RNA-binding proteins that regulate stress granule formation. Among these lncRNAs, SNHG8 was significantly reduced in a mouse model of tauopathy and in FTLD-tau, progressive supranuclear palsy, and Alzheimer’s disease brains. We show that SNHG8 interacts with tau and stress granule-associated RNA-binding protein TIA1. Overexpression of mutant tau in vitro is sufficient to reduce SNHG8 expression and induce stress granule formation. Rescuing SNHG8 expression leads to reduced stress granule formation and reduced TIA1 levels, suggesting that dysregulation of this non-coding RNA is a causal factor driving stress granule formation via TIA1 in tauopathies.
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Minaya MA, Mahali S, Iyer AK, Eteleeb AM, Martinez R, Huang G, Budde J, Temple S, Nana AL, Seeley WW, Spina S, Grinberg LT, Harari O, Karch CM. Conserved gene signatures shared among MAPT mutations reveal defects in calcium signaling. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1051494. [PMID: 36845551 PMCID: PMC9948093 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1051494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: More than 50 mutations in the MAPT gene result in heterogeneous forms of frontotemporal lobar dementia with tau inclusions (FTLD-Tau). However, early pathogenic events that lead to disease and the degree to which they are common across MAPT mutations remain poorly understood. The goal of this study is to determine whether there is a common molecular signature of FTLD-Tau. Methods: We analyzed genes differentially expressed in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons (iPSC-neurons) that represent the three major categories of MAPT mutations: splicing (IVS10 + 16), exon 10 (p.P301L), and C-terminal (p.R406W) compared with isogenic controls. The genes that were commonly differentially expressed in MAPT IVS10 + 16, p.P301L, and p.R406W neurons were enriched in trans-synaptic signaling, neuronal processes, and lysosomal function. Many of these pathways are sensitive to disruptions in calcium homeostasis. One gene, CALB1, was significantly reduced across the three MAPT mutant iPSC-neurons and in a mouse model of tau accumulation. We observed a significant reduction in calcium levels in MAPT mutant neurons compared with isogenic controls, pointing to a functional consequence of this disrupted gene expression. Finally, a subset of genes commonly differentially expressed across MAPT mutations were also dysregulated in brains from MAPT mutation carriers and to a lesser extent in brains from sporadic Alzheimer disease and progressive supranuclear palsy, suggesting that molecular signatures relevant to genetic and sporadic forms of tauopathy are captured in a dish. The results from this study demonstrate that iPSC-neurons capture molecular processes that occur in human brains and can be used to pinpoint common molecular pathways involving synaptic and lysosomal function and neuronal development, which may be regulated by disruptions in calcium homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A. Minaya
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, United States
| | - Sidhartha Mahali
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, United States
| | - Abhirami K. Iyer
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, United States
| | - Abdallah M. Eteleeb
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, United States
| | - Rita Martinez
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, United States
| | - Guangming Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, United States
| | - John Budde
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, United States
| | - Sally Temple
- Neural Stem Cell Institute, Rensselaer, NY, United States
| | - Alissa L. Nana
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - William W. Seeley
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Salvatore Spina
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Lea T. Grinberg
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Oscar Harari
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, United States
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, United States
- NeuroGenomics and Informatics Center, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, United States
| | - Celeste M. Karch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, United States
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, United States
- NeuroGenomics and Informatics Center, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, United States
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