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Dando O, McGeachan R, McQueen J, Baxter P, Rockley N, McAlister H, Prasad A, He X, King D, Rose J, Jones PB, Tulloch J, Chandran S, Smith C, Hardingham G, Spires-Jones TL. Synaptic gene expression changes in frontotemporal dementia due to the MAPT 10+16 mutation. medRxiv 2024:2024.04.09.24305501. [PMID: 38645146 PMCID: PMC11030522 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.09.24305501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Mutations in the MAPT gene encoding tau protein can cause autosomal dominant neurodegenerative tauopathies including frontotemporal dementia (often with Parkinsonism). In Alzheimer's disease, the most common tauopathy, synapse loss is the strongest pathological correlate of cognitive decline. Recently, PET imaging with synaptic tracers revealed clinically relevant loss of synapses in primary tauopathies; however, the molecular mechanisms leading to synapse degeneration in primary tauopathies remain largely unknown. In this study, we examined post-mortem brain tissue from people who died with frontotemporal dementia with tau pathology (FTDtau) caused by the MAPT intronic exon 10+16 mutation, which increases splice variants containing exon 10 resulting in higher levels of tau with four microtubule binding domains. We used RNA sequencing and histopathology to examine temporal cortex and visual cortex, to look for molecular phenotypes compared to age, sex, and RNA integrity matched participants who died without neurological disease (n=12 per group). Bulk tissue RNA sequencing reveals substantial downregulation of gene expression associated with synaptic function. Upregulated biological pathways in human MAPT 10+16 brain included those involved in transcriptional regulation, DNA damage response, and neuroinflammation. Histopathology confirmed increased pathological tau accumulation in FTDtau cortex as well as a loss of presynaptic protein staining, and region-specific increased colocalization of phospho-tau with synapses in temporal cortex. Our data indicate that synaptic pathology likely contributes to pathogenesis in FTDtau caused by the MAPT 10+16 mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owen Dando
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Robert McGeachan
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jamie McQueen
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Baxter
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Nathan Rockley
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah McAlister
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Adharsh Prasad
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Xin He
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Declan King
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jamie Rose
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jane Tulloch
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Colin Smith
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Giles Hardingham
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Spires-Jones TL. Comments about comments: peer review and the amazing editorial board of Brain Communications. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae029. [PMID: 38444910 PMCID: PMC10914439 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Our editor discusses our editorial board members, who come from eight countries on four continents, and wider issues of the peer review system.
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Colom-Cadena M, Toombs J, Simzer E, Holt K, McGeachan R, Tulloch J, Jackson RJ, Catterson JH, Spires-Jones MP, Rose J, Waybright L, Caggiano AO, King D, Gobbo F, Davies C, Hooley M, Dunnett S, Tempelaar R, Meftah S, Tzioras M, Hamby ME, Izzo NJ, Catalano SM, Durrant CS, Smith C, Dando O, Spires-Jones TL. Transmembrane protein 97 is a potential synaptic amyloid beta receptor in human Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:32. [PMID: 38319380 PMCID: PMC10847197 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02679-6] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Synapse loss correlates with cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease, and soluble oligomeric amyloid beta (Aβ) is implicated in synaptic dysfunction and loss. An important knowledge gap is the lack of understanding of how Aβ leads to synapse degeneration. In particular, there has been difficulty in determining whether there is a synaptic receptor that binds Aβ and mediates toxicity. While many candidates have been observed in model systems, their relevance to human AD brain remains unknown. This is in part due to methodological limitations preventing visualization of Aβ binding at individual synapses. To overcome this limitation, we combined two high resolution microscopy techniques: array tomography and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) to image over 1 million individual synaptic terminals in temporal cortex from AD (n = 11) and control cases (n = 9). Within presynapses and post-synaptic densities, oligomeric Aβ generates a FRET signal with transmembrane protein 97. Further, Aβ generates a FRET signal with cellular prion protein, and post-synaptic density 95 within post synapses. Transmembrane protein 97 is also present in a higher proportion of post synapses in Alzheimer's brain compared to controls. We inhibited Aβ/transmembrane protein 97 interaction in a mouse model of amyloidopathy by treating with the allosteric modulator CT1812. CT1812 drug concentration correlated negatively with synaptic FRET signal between transmembrane protein 97 and Aβ. In human-induced pluripotent stem cell derived neurons, transmembrane protein 97 is present in synapses and colocalizes with Aβ when neurons are challenged with human Alzheimer's brain homogenate. Transcriptional changes are induced by Aβ including changes in genes involved in neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. CT1812 treatment of these neurons caused changes in gene sets involved in synaptic function. These data support a role for transmembrane protein 97 in the synaptic binding of Aβ in human Alzheimer's disease brain where it may mediate synaptotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martí Colom-Cadena
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Jamie Toombs
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Elizabeth Simzer
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Kristjan Holt
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Robert McGeachan
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Jane Tulloch
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Rosemary J Jackson
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
- MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02129, USA
| | - James H Catterson
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Maxwell P Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Jamie Rose
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | | | | | - Declan King
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Francesco Gobbo
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Caitlin Davies
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Monique Hooley
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Sophie Dunnett
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Robert Tempelaar
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Soraya Meftah
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Makis Tzioras
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
- Scottish Brain Sciences, Edinburgh, EH12 9DQ, UK
| | - Mary E Hamby
- Cognition Therapeutics Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, 15203, USA
| | | | | | - Claire S Durrant
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Colin Smith
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences and Sudden Death Brain Bank, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4HB, UK
| | - Owen Dando
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK.
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Pagnon de la Vega M, Syvänen S, Giedraitis V, Hooley M, Konstantinidis E, Meier SR, Rokka J, Eriksson J, Aguilar X, Spires-Jones TL, Lannfelt L, Nilsson LNG, Erlandsson A, Hultqvist G, Ingelsson M, Sehlin D. Altered amyloid-β structure markedly reduces gliosis in the brain of mice harboring the Uppsala APP deletion. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2024; 12:22. [PMID: 38317196 PMCID: PMC10845526 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-024-01734-x] [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: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Deposition of amyloid beta (Aβ) into plaques is a major hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Different amyloid precursor protein (APP) mutations cause early-onset AD by altering the production or aggregation properties of Aβ. We recently identified the Uppsala APP mutation (APPUpp), which causes Aβ pathology by a triple mechanism: increased β-secretase and altered α-secretase APP cleavage, leading to increased formation of a unique Aβ conformer that rapidly aggregates and deposits in the brain. The aim of this study was to further explore the effects of APPUpp in a transgenic mouse model (tg-UppSwe), expressing human APP with the APPUpp mutation together with the APPSwe mutation. Aβ pathology was studied in tg-UppSwe brains at different ages, using ELISA and immunohistochemistry. In vivo PET imaging with three different PET radioligands was conducted in aged tg-UppSwe mice and two other mouse models; tg-ArcSwe and tg-Swe. Finally, glial responses to Aβ pathology were studied in cell culture models and mouse brain tissue, using ELISA and immunohistochemistry. Tg-UppSwe mice displayed increased β-secretase cleavage and suppressed α-secretase cleavage, resulting in AβUpp42 dominated diffuse plaque pathology appearing from the age of 5-6 months. The γ-secretase cleavage was not affected. Contrary to tg-ArcSwe and tg-Swe mice, tg-UppSwe mice were [11C]PiB-PET negative. Antibody-based PET with the 3D6 ligand visualized Aβ pathology in all models, whereas the Aβ protofibril selective mAb158 ligand did not give any signals in tg-UppSwe mice. Moreover, unlike the other two models, tg-UppSwe mice displayed a very faint glial response to the Aβ pathology. The tg-UppSwe mouse model thus recapitulates several pathological features of the Uppsala APP mutation carriers. The presumed unique structural features of AβUpp42 aggregates were found to affect their interaction with anti-Aβ antibodies and profoundly modify the Aβ-mediated glial response, which may be important aspects to consider for further development of AD therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Pagnon de la Vega
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stina Syvänen
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Vilmantas Giedraitis
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Monique Hooley
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Evangelos Konstantinidis
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Silvio R Meier
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Johanna Rokka
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jonas Eriksson
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Division of Organic Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- PET Centre, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ximena Aguilar
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Lars Lannfelt
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- BioArctic AB, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lars N G Nilsson
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Anna Erlandsson
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Martin Ingelsson
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Departments of Medicine and Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Dag Sehlin
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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5
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Taylor LW, Simzer EM, Pimblett C, Lacey-Solymar OTT, McGeachan RI, Meftah S, Rose JL, Spires-Jones MP, Holt K, Catterson JH, Koch H, Liaquat I, Clarke JH, Skidmore J, Smith C, Booker SA, Brennan PM, Spires-Jones TL, Durrant CS. p-tau Ser356 is associated with Alzheimer's disease pathology and is lowered in brain slice cultures using the NUAK inhibitor WZ4003. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:7. [PMID: 38175261 PMCID: PMC10766794 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02667-w] [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: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Tau hyperphosphorylation and aggregation is a common feature of many dementia-causing neurodegenerative diseases. Tau can be phosphorylated at up to 85 different sites, and there is increasing interest in whether tau phosphorylation at specific epitopes, by specific kinases, plays an important role in disease progression. The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-related enzyme NUAK1 has been identified as a potential mediator of tau pathology, whereby NUAK1-mediated phosphorylation of tau at Ser356 prevents the degradation of tau by the proteasome, further exacerbating tau hyperphosphorylation and accumulation. This study provides a detailed characterisation of the association of p-tau Ser356 with progression of Alzheimer's disease pathology, identifying a Braak stage-dependent increase in p-tau Ser356 protein levels and an almost ubiquitous presence in neurofibrillary tangles. We also demonstrate, using sub-diffraction-limit resolution array tomography imaging, that p-tau Ser356 co-localises with synapses in AD postmortem brain tissue, increasing evidence that this form of tau may play important roles in AD progression. To assess the potential impacts of pharmacological NUAK inhibition in an ex vivo system that retains multiple cell types and brain-relevant neuronal architecture, we treated postnatal mouse organotypic brain slice cultures from wildtype or APP/PS1 littermates with the commercially available NUAK1/2 inhibitor WZ4003. Whilst there were no genotype-specific effects, we found that WZ4003 results in a culture-phase-dependent loss of total tau and p-tau Ser356, which corresponds with a reduction in neuronal and synaptic proteins. By contrast, application of WZ4003 to live human brain slice cultures results in a specific lowering of p-tau Ser356, alongside increased neuronal tubulin protein. This work identifies differential responses of postnatal mouse organotypic brain slice cultures and adult human brain slice cultures to NUAK1 inhibition that will be important to consider in future work developing tau-targeting therapeutics for human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lewis W Taylor
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Elizabeth M Simzer
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Claire Pimblett
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Robert I McGeachan
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- The Hospital for Small Animals, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Soraya Meftah
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jamie L Rose
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Kristján Holt
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - James H Catterson
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Henner Koch
- Department of Neurology, Epileptology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Imran Liaquat
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, 51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jonathan H Clarke
- The ALBORADA Drug Discovery Institute, University of Cambridge, Island Research Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - John Skidmore
- The ALBORADA Drug Discovery Institute, University of Cambridge, Island Research Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Colin Smith
- The Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sam A Booker
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Paul M Brennan
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, 51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
- The Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Cancer Research UK Brain Tumour Centre of Excellence, CRUK Edinburgh Centre, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Claire S Durrant
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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6
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Spires-Jones TL. Brain Communications 2023 early career researcher paper prize. Brain Commun 2023; 6:fcad335. [PMID: 38162908 PMCID: PMC10755345 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Our editor invites nominations for the early career researcher paper prize for an article published in Brain Communications in 2023.
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7
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Daniels MJD, Lefevre L, Szymkowiak S, Drake A, McCulloch L, Tzioras M, Barrington J, Dando OR, He X, Mohammad M, Sasaguri H, Saito T, Saido TC, Spires-Jones TL, McColl BW. Cystatin F ( Cst7) drives sex-dependent changes in microglia in an amyloid-driven model of Alzheimer's disease. eLife 2023; 12:e85279. [PMID: 38085657 PMCID: PMC10715728 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Microglial endolysosomal (dys)function is strongly implicated in neurodegenerative disease. Transcriptomic studies show that a microglial state characterised by a set of genes involved in endolysosomal function is induced in both mouse Alzheimer's disease (AD) models and human AD brain, and that the emergence of this state is emphasised in females. Cst7 (encoding cystatin F) is among the most highly upregulated genes in these microglia. However, despite such striking and robust upregulation, the function of Cst7 in neurodegenerative disease is not understood. Here, we crossed Cst7-/- mice with the AppNL-G-F mouse to test the role of Cst7 in a model of amyloid-driven AD. Surprisingly, we found that Cst7 plays a sexually dimorphic role regulating microglia in this model. In females, Cst7-/-AppNL-G-F microglia had greater endolysosomal gene expression, lysosomal burden, and amyloid beta (Aβ) burden in vivo and were more phagocytic in vitro. However, in males, Cst7-/-AppNL-G-F microglia were less inflammatory and had a reduction in lysosomal burden but had no change in Aβ burden. Overall, our study reveals functional roles for one of the most commonly upregulated genes in microglia across disease models, and the sex-specific profiles of Cst7-/--altered microglial disease phenotypes. More broadly, the findings raise important implications for AD including crucial questions on sexual dimorphism in neurodegenerative disease and the interplay between endolysosomal and inflammatory pathways in AD pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael JD Daniels
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Lucas Lefevre
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Stefan Szymkowiak
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Alice Drake
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Laura McCulloch
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Makis Tzioras
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Jack Barrington
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Owen R Dando
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Xin He
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Mehreen Mohammad
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Hiroki Sasaguri
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental UniversityTokyoJapan
- Laboratory for Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Brain Science InstituteWakoJapan
| | - Takashi Saito
- Laboratory for Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Brain Science InstituteWakoJapan
- Department of Neuroscience and Pathobiology, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya UniversityNagoyaJapan
- Department of Neurocognitive Science, Institute of Brain Science, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical SciencesNagoyaJapan
| | - Takaomi C Saido
- Laboratory for Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Brain Science InstituteWakoJapan
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Barry W McColl
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
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8
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Catterson JH, Minkley L, Aspe S, Judd-Mole S, Moura S, Dyson MC, Rajasingam A, Woodling NS, Atilano ML, Ahmad M, Durrant CS, Spires-Jones TL, Partridge L. Protein retention in the endoplasmic reticulum rescues Aβ toxicity in Drosophila. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 132:154-174. [PMID: 37837732 PMCID: PMC10940166 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.09.008] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid β (Aβ) accumulation is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. In adult Drosophila brains, human Aβ overexpression harms climbing and lifespan. It's uncertain whether Aβ is intrinsically toxic or activates downstream neurodegeneration pathways. Our study uncovers a novel protective role against Aβ toxicity: intra-endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein accumulation with a focus on laminin and collagen subunits. Despite high Aβ, laminin B1 (LanB1) overexpression robustly counters toxicity, suggesting a potential Aβ resistance mechanism. Other laminin subunits and collagen IV also alleviate Aβ toxicity; combining them with LanB1 augments the effect. Imaging reveals ER retention of LanB1 without altering Aβ secretion. LanB1's rescue function operates independently of the IRE1α/XBP1 ER stress response. ER-targeted GFP overexpression also mitigates Aβ toxicity, highlighting broader ER protein retention advantages. Proof-of-principle tests in murine hippocampal slices using mouse Lamb1 demonstrate ER retention in transduced cells, indicating a conserved mechanism. Though ER protein retention generally harms, it could paradoxically counter neuronal Aβ toxicity, offering a new therapeutic avenue for Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- James H Catterson
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK; Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, Scotland, UK
| | - Lucy Minkley
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Salomé Aspe
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Sebastian Judd-Mole
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Sofia Moura
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Miranda C Dyson
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Arjunan Rajasingam
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Nathaniel S Woodling
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Magda L Atilano
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Mumtaz Ahmad
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Claire S Durrant
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, Scotland, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, Scotland, UK
| | - Linda Partridge
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK; Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Joseph-Stelzmann-Strasse 9b, 50931 Cologne, Germany.
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9
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Tzioras M, Daniels MJD, Davies C, Baxter P, King D, McKay S, Varga B, Popovic K, Hernandez M, Stevenson AJ, Barrington J, Drinkwater E, Borella J, Holloway RK, Tulloch J, Moss J, Latta C, Kandasamy J, Sokol D, Smith C, Miron VE, Káradóttir RT, Hardingham GE, Henstridge CM, Brennan PM, McColl BW, Spires-Jones TL. Human astrocytes and microglia show augmented ingestion of synapses in Alzheimer's disease via MFG-E8. Cell Rep Med 2023; 4:101175. [PMID: 37652017 PMCID: PMC10518633 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [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: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Synapse loss correlates with cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Data from mouse models suggests microglia are important for synapse degeneration, but direct human evidence for any glial involvement in synapse removal in human AD remains to be established. Here we observe astrocytes and microglia from human brains contain greater amounts of synaptic protein in AD compared with non-disease controls, and that proximity to amyloid-β plaques and the APOE4 risk gene exacerbate this effect. In culture, mouse and human astrocytes and primary mouse and human microglia phagocytose AD patient-derived synapses more than synapses from controls. Inhibiting interactions of MFG-E8 rescues the elevated engulfment of AD synapses by astrocytes and microglia without affecting control synapse uptake. Thus, AD promotes increased synapse ingestion by human glial cells at least in part via an MFG-E8 opsonophagocytic mechanism with potential for targeted therapeutic manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makis Tzioras
- UK Dementia Research Institute, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Michael J D Daniels
- UK Dementia Research Institute, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Caitlin Davies
- UK Dementia Research Institute, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Paul Baxter
- UK Dementia Research Institute, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Declan King
- UK Dementia Research Institute, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Sean McKay
- UK Dementia Research Institute, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Balazs Varga
- Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Karla Popovic
- UK Dementia Research Institute, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Madison Hernandez
- UK Dementia Research Institute, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Anna J Stevenson
- UK Dementia Research Institute, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Jack Barrington
- UK Dementia Research Institute, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Elizabeth Drinkwater
- UK Dementia Research Institute, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Julia Borella
- UK Dementia Research Institute, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Rebecca K Holloway
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Jane Tulloch
- UK Dementia Research Institute, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Jonathan Moss
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK; The Roslin Institute, the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Clare Latta
- UK Dementia Research Institute, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Jothy Kandasamy
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, UK
| | - Drahoslav Sokol
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, UK
| | - Colin Smith
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Veronique E Miron
- UK Dementia Research Institute, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK; Barlo Multiple Sclerosis Centre at St. Michael's Hospital, Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada
| | | | - Giles E Hardingham
- UK Dementia Research Institute, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | | | - Paul M Brennan
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, UK; Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Barry W McColl
- UK Dementia Research Institute, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK.
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- UK Dementia Research Institute, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK.
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10
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Spires-Jones TL, Belin D. Put your publication money where your mouth is. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcad220. [PMID: 37663129 PMCID: PMC10469097 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Two members of our Editorial Board discuss how the proceeds from article processing charges from Brain Communications and our sister journal Brain are put back into the translational neuroscience community.
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11
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Colom-Cadena M, Davies C, Sirisi S, Lee JE, Simzer EM, Tzioras M, Querol-Vilaseca M, Sánchez-Aced É, Chang YY, Holt K, McGeachan RI, Rose J, Tulloch J, Wilkins L, Smith C, Andrian T, Belbin O, Pujals S, Horrocks MH, Lleó A, Spires-Jones TL. Synaptic oligomeric tau in Alzheimer's disease - A potential culprit in the spread of tau pathology through the brain. Neuron 2023; 111:2170-2183.e6. [PMID: 37192625 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [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: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
In Alzheimer's disease, fibrillar tau pathology accumulates and spreads through the brain and synapses are lost. Evidence from mouse models indicates that tau spreads trans-synaptically from pre- to postsynapses and that oligomeric tau is synaptotoxic, but data on synaptic tau in human brain are scarce. Here we used sub-diffraction-limit microscopy to study synaptic tau accumulation in postmortem temporal and occipital cortices of human Alzheimer's and control donors. Oligomeric tau is present in pre- and postsynaptic terminals, even in areas without abundant fibrillar tau deposition. Furthermore, there is a higher proportion of oligomeric tau compared with phosphorylated or misfolded tau found at synaptic terminals. These data suggest that accumulation of oligomeric tau in synapses is an early event in pathogenesis and that tau pathology may progress through the brain via trans-synaptic spread in human disease. Thus, specifically reducing oligomeric tau at synapses may be a promising therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martí Colom-Cadena
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Caitlin Davies
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sònia Sirisi
- Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques Sant Pau - Hospital de Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ji-Eun Lee
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; IRR Chemistry Hub, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, EH16 4 UU Edinburgh, UK
| | - Elizabeth M Simzer
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Makis Tzioras
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Marta Querol-Vilaseca
- Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques Sant Pau - Hospital de Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Érika Sánchez-Aced
- Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques Sant Pau - Hospital de Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ya Yin Chang
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kristjan Holt
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Robert I McGeachan
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jamie Rose
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jane Tulloch
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Lewis Wilkins
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Colin Smith
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences and Sudden Death Brain Bank, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Teodora Andrian
- Nanoscopy for Nanomedicine Lab, Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Olivia Belbin
- Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques Sant Pau - Hospital de Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sílvia Pujals
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mathew H Horrocks
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; IRR Chemistry Hub, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, EH16 4 UU Edinburgh, UK
| | - Alberto Lleó
- Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques Sant Pau - Hospital de Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK.
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12
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Mouofo EN, Spires-Jones TL. Reeling from news that reelin defends the brain against Alzheimer's. Cell Rep Med 2023; 4:101111. [PMID: 37467729 PMCID: PMC10394162 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
In a recent study, Lopera and colleagues investigate a person with extreme resilience to autosomal-dominant familial Alzheimer's disease, which they attribute to a rare variant in the RELN gene encoding reelin.1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edmond N Mouofo
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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13
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King D, Holt K, Toombs J, He X, Dando O, Okely JA, Tzioras M, Rose J, Gunn C, Correia A, Montero C, McAlister H, Tulloch J, Lamont D, Taylor AM, Harris SE, Redmond P, Cox SR, Henstridge CM, Deary IJ, Smith C, Spires-Jones TL. Synaptic resilience is associated with maintained cognition during ageing. Alzheimers Dement 2023; 19:2560-2574. [PMID: 36547260 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [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: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION It remains unclear why age increases risk of Alzheimer's disease and why some people experience age-related cognitive decline in the absence of dementia. Here we test the hypothesis that resilience to molecular changes in synapses contribute to healthy cognitive ageing. METHODS We examined post-mortem brain tissue from people in mid-life (n = 15), healthy ageing with either maintained cognition (n = 9) or lifetime cognitive decline (n = 8), and Alzheimer's disease (n = 13). Synapses were examined with high resolution imaging, proteomics, and RNA sequencing. Stem cell-derived neurons were challenged with Alzheimer's brain homogenate. RESULTS Synaptic pathology increased, and expression of genes involved in synaptic signaling decreased between mid-life, healthy ageing and Alzheimer's. In contrast, brain tissue and neurons from people with maintained cognition during ageing exhibited decreases in synaptic signaling genes compared to people with cognitive decline. DISCUSSION Efficient synaptic networks without pathological protein accumulation may contribute to maintained cognition during ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Declan King
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kris Holt
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jamie Toombs
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Xin He
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Owen Dando
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Judith A Okely
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Makis Tzioras
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jamie Rose
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ciaran Gunn
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Adele Correia
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Carmen Montero
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Hannah McAlister
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jane Tulloch
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Douglas Lamont
- FingerPrints Proteomics Facility, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Adele M Taylor
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sarah E Harris
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Paul Redmond
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Simon R Cox
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Ian J Deary
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Colin Smith
- Neuropathology, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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14
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Saunders TS, Pozzolo FE, Heslegrave A, King D, McGeachan RI, Spires-Jones MP, Harris SE, Ritchie C, Muniz-Terrera G, Deary IJ, Cox SR, Zetterberg H, Spires-Jones TL. Predictive blood biomarkers and brain changes associated with age-related cognitive decline. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcad113. [PMID: 37180996 PMCID: PMC10167767 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Growing evidence supports the use of plasma levels of tau phosphorylated at threonine 181, amyloid-β, neurofilament light and glial fibrillary acidic protein as promising biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease. While these blood biomarkers are promising for distinguishing people with Alzheimer's disease from healthy controls, their predictive validity for age-related cognitive decline without dementia remains unclear. Further, while tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 is a promising biomarker, the distribution of this phospho-epitope of tau in the brain is unknown. Here, we tested whether plasma levels of tau phosphorylated at threonine 181, amyloid-β, neurofilament light and fibrillary acidic protein predict cognitive decline between ages 72 and 82 in 195 participants in the Lothian birth cohorts 1936 study of cognitive ageing. We further examined post-mortem brain samples from temporal cortex to determine the distribution of tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 in the brain. Several forms of tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 have been shown to contribute to synapse degeneration in Alzheimer's disease, which correlates closely with cognitive decline in this form of dementia, but to date, there have not been investigations of whether tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 is found in synapses in Alzheimer's disease or healthy ageing brain. It was also previously unclear whether tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 accumulated in dystrophic neurites around plaques, which could contribute to tau leakage to the periphery due to impaired membrane integrity in dystrophies. Brain homogenate and biochemically enriched synaptic fractions were examined with western blot to examine tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 levels between groups (n = 10-12 per group), and synaptic and astrocytic localization of tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 were examined using array tomography (n = 6-15 per group), and localization of tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 in plaque-associated dystrophic neurites with associated gliosis were examined with standard immunofluorescence (n = 8-9 per group). Elevated baseline plasma tau phosphorylated at threonine 181, neurofilament light and fibrillary acidic protein predicted steeper general cognitive decline during ageing. Further, increasing tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 over time predicted general cognitive decline in females only. Change in plasma tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 remained a significant predictor of g factor decline when taking into account Alzheimer's disease polygenic risk score, indicating that the increase of blood tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 in this cohort was not only due to incipient Alzheimer's disease. Tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 was observed in synapses and astrocytes in both healthy ageing and Alzheimer's disease brain. We observed that a significantly higher proportion of synapses contain tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 in Alzheimer's disease relative to aged controls. Aged controls with pre-morbid lifetime cognitive resilience had significantly more tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 in fibrillary acidic protein-positive astrocytes than those with pre-morbid lifetime cognitive decline. Further, tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 was found in dystrophic neurites around plaques and in some neurofibrillary tangles. The presence of tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 in plaque-associated dystrophies may be a source of leakage of tau out of neurons that eventually enters the blood. Together, these data indicate that plasma tau phosphorylated at threonine 181, neurofilament light and fibrillary acidic protein may be useful biomarkers of age-related cognitive decline, and that efficient clearance of tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 by astrocytes may promote cognitive resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler S Saunders
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
- Edinburgh Dementia Prevention & Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Francesca E Pozzolo
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Amanda Heslegrave
- United Kingdom UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Declan King
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Robert I McGeachan
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Maxwell P Spires-Jones
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Sarah E Harris
- Lothian Birth Cohort studies, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9AD, UK
| | - Craig Ritchie
- Edinburgh Dementia Prevention & Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Graciela Muniz-Terrera
- Edinburgh Dementia Prevention & Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
- Department of Social Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, USA
- Latin American Institute for Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago 3485, Chile
| | - Ian J Deary
- Lothian Birth Cohort studies, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9AD, UK
| | - Simon R Cox
- Lothian Birth Cohort studies, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9AD, UK
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- United Kingdom UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, S-431 80 Molndal, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, S-431 80 Molndal, Sweden
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
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15
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Spires-Jones TL. Brain Communications early career researcher paper prize. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcac328. [PMID: 36643000 PMCID: PMC9832510 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Our editor introduces an early career researcher prize for the first author of a paper published in Brain Communications in 2022.
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16
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Gospodinova KO, Olsen D, Kaas M, Anderson SM, Phillips J, Walker RM, Bermingham ML, Payne AL, Giannopoulos P, Pandya D, Spires-Jones TL, Abbott CM, Porteous DJ, Glerup S, Evans KL. Loss of SORCS2 is Associated with Neuronal DNA Double-Strand Breaks. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2023; 43:237-249. [PMID: 34741697 PMCID: PMC9813074 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-021-01163-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
SORCS2 is one of five proteins that constitute the Vps10p-domain receptor family. Members of this family play important roles in cellular processes linked to neuronal survival, differentiation and function. Genetic and functional studies implicate SORCS2 in cognitive function, as well as in neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. DNA damage and DNA repair deficits are linked to ageing and neurodegeneration, and transient neuronal DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) also occur as a result of neuronal activity. Here, we report a novel role for SORCS2 in DSB formation. We show that SorCS2 loss is associated with elevated DSB levels in the mouse dentate gyrus and that knocking out SORCS2 in a human neuronal cell line increased Topoisomerase IIβ-dependent DSB formation and reduced neuronal viability. Neuronal stimulation had no impact on levels of DNA breaks in vitro, suggesting that the observed differences may not be the result of aberrant neuronal activity in these cells. Our findings are consistent with studies linking the VPS10 receptors and DNA damage to neurodegenerative conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina O. Gospodinova
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU UK
| | - Ditte Olsen
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mathias Kaas
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Susan M. Anderson
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU UK
| | - Jonathan Phillips
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU UK
| | - Rosie M. Walker
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU UK ,Present Address: University of Edinburgh, Chancellor’s Building, 49, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
| | - Mairead L. Bermingham
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU UK
| | - Abigail L. Payne
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU UK
| | - Panagiotis Giannopoulos
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU UK
| | - Divya Pandya
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU UK
| | - Tara L. Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
| | - Catherine M. Abbott
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU UK
| | - David J. Porteous
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU UK
| | - Simon Glerup
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Kathryn L. Evans
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU UK
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17
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Spires-Jones TL. Should we standardize PhD training in neuroscience? Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcad028. [PMID: 36874553 PMCID: PMC9981870 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Our editor discusses the need for standardization of neuroscience PhD training in the UK.
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18
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McNamara NB, Munro DAD, Bestard-Cuche N, Uyeda A, Bogie JFJ, Hoffmann A, Holloway RK, Molina-Gonzalez I, Askew KE, Mitchell S, Mungall W, Dodds M, Dittmayer C, Moss J, Rose J, Szymkowiak S, Amann L, McColl BW, Prinz M, Spires-Jones TL, Stenzel W, Horsburgh K, Hendriks JJA, Pridans C, Muramatsu R, Williams A, Priller J, Miron VE. Microglia regulate central nervous system myelin growth and integrity. Nature 2023; 613:120-129. [PMID: 36517604 PMCID: PMC9812791 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05534-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 71.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Myelin is required for the function of neuronal axons in the central nervous system, but the mechanisms that support myelin health are unclear. Although macrophages in the central nervous system have been implicated in myelin health1, it is unknown which macrophage populations are involved and which aspects they influence. Here we show that resident microglia are crucial for the maintenance of myelin health in adulthood in both mice and humans. We demonstrate that microglia are dispensable for developmental myelin ensheathment. However, they are required for subsequent regulation of myelin growth and associated cognitive function, and for preservation of myelin integrity by preventing its degeneration. We show that loss of myelin health due to the absence of microglia is associated with the appearance of a myelinating oligodendrocyte state with altered lipid metabolism. Moreover, this mechanism is regulated through disruption of the TGFβ1-TGFβR1 axis. Our findings highlight microglia as promising therapeutic targets for conditions in which myelin growth and integrity are dysregulated, such as in ageing and neurodegenerative disease2,3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niamh B McNamara
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Chancellor's Building, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - David A D Munro
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, Chancellor's Building, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Nadine Bestard-Cuche
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Akiko Uyeda
- Departments of Molecular Pharmacology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Jeroen F J Bogie
- Department of Immunology and Infection, Biomedical Research Institute, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
- University MS Centre, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Alana Hoffmann
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Chancellor's Building, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Rebecca K Holloway
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Chancellor's Building, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Barlo Multiple Sclerosis Centre, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Immunology, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Irene Molina-Gonzalez
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Chancellor's Building, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Katharine E Askew
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Chancellor's Building, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Stephen Mitchell
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, King's Buildings, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - William Mungall
- Biological and Veterinary Services, Chancellor's Building, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Michael Dodds
- Biological and Veterinary Services, Chancellor's Building, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Carsten Dittmayer
- Department of Neuropathology and Neurocure Clinical Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonathan Moss
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jamie Rose
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Chancellor's Building, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Stefan Szymkowiak
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Chancellor's Building, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Lukas Amann
- Institute of Neuropathology, Centre for Basics in NeuroModulation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Barry W McColl
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Chancellor's Building, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Marco Prinz
- Institute of Neuropathology, Centre for Basics in NeuroModulation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Chancellor's Building, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Werner Stenzel
- Department of Neuropathology and Neurocure Clinical Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Karen Horsburgh
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Chancellor's Building, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jerome J A Hendriks
- Department of Immunology and Infection, Biomedical Research Institute, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
- University MS Centre, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Clare Pridans
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Muir Maxwell Epilepsy Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Rieko Muramatsu
- Departments of Molecular Pharmacology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Anna Williams
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Josef Priller
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, Chancellor's Building, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Neuropsychiatry and Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and DZNE, Berlin, Germany
| | - Veronique E Miron
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Chancellor's Building, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
- Barlo Multiple Sclerosis Centre, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Immunology, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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19
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Davies C, Tulloch J, Yip E, Currie L, Colom-Cadena M, Wegmann S, Hyman BT, Wilkins L, Hooley M, Tzioras M, Spires-Jones TL. Apolipoprotein E isoform does not influence trans-synaptic spread of tau pathology in a mouse model. Brain Neurosci Adv 2023; 7:23982128231191046. [PMID: 37600228 PMCID: PMC10433884 DOI: 10.1177/23982128231191046] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
A key hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau in neurofibrillary tangles. This occurs alongside neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Pathological tau propagates through the AD brain in a defined manner, which correlates with neuron and synapse loss and cognitive decline. One proposed mechanism of tau spread is through synaptically connected brain structures. Apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) genotype is the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset AD and is associated with increased tau burden. Whether the apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype influences neurodegeneration via tau spread is currently unknown. Here, we demonstrate that virally expressed human tau (with the P301L mutation) injected into mouse entorhinal cortex at 5-6 months or 15-16 months of age spreads trans-synaptically to the hippocampus by 14 weeks post-injection. Injections of tau in mice expressing human APOE2, APOE3 or APOE4, as well as APOE knock-outs, showed that tau can spread trans-synaptically in all genotypes and that APOE genotype and age do not affect the spread of tau. These data suggest that APOE genotype is not directly linked to synaptic spread of tau in our model, but other mechanisms involving non-cell autonomous manners of tau spread are still possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin Davies
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jane Tulloch
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ellie Yip
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Lydia Currie
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Marti Colom-Cadena
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Susanne Wegmann
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lewis Wilkins
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Monique Hooley
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Makis Tzioras
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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20
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Abstract
Alzheimer disease (AD) is characterized by progressive cognitive decline in older individuals accompanied by the presence of two pathological protein aggregates - amyloid-β and phosphorylated tau - in the brain. The disease results in brain atrophy caused by neuronal loss and synapse degeneration. Synaptic loss strongly correlates with cognitive decline in both humans and animal models of AD. Indeed, evidence suggests that soluble forms of amyloid-β and tau can cause synaptotoxicity and spread through neural circuits. These pathological changes are accompanied by an altered phenotype in the glial cells of the brain - one hypothesis is that glia excessively ingest synapses and modulate the trans-synaptic spread of pathology. To date, effective therapies for the treatment or prevention of AD are lacking, but understanding how synaptic degeneration occurs will be essential for the development of new interventions. Here, we highlight the mechanisms through which synapses degenerate in the AD brain, and discuss key questions that still need to be answered. We also cover the ways in which our understanding of the mechanisms of synaptic degeneration is leading to new therapeutic approaches for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makis Tzioras
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Robert I McGeachan
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,The Hospital for Small Animals, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Claire S Durrant
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. .,UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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21
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Spires-Jones TL, Belin D. Impact fact(or) fiction? Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac261. [PMID: 36382225 PMCID: PMC9642097 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
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22
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Porsteinsson AP, Rangaraju S, Spires-Jones TL, O'Banion MK. Alzheimer's disease and related dementias: From risk factors to disease pathogenesis. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 56:5337-5341. [PMID: 36324230 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anton P Porsteinsson
- Department of Psychiatry and Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Srikant Rangaraju
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - M Kerry O'Banion
- Department of Neuroscience and Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
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23
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Drinkwater E, Davies C, Spires-Jones TL. Potential neurobiological links between social isolation and Alzheimer's disease risk. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 56:5397-5412. [PMID: 34184343 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
It is estimated that 40% of dementia cases could be prevented by modification of lifestyle factors that associate with disease risk. One of these potentially modifiable lifestyle factors is social isolation. In this review, we discuss what is known about associations between social isolation and Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia. This is particularly relevant in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic when social isolation has been enforced with potential emerging negative impacts on cognition. While there are neurobiological mechanisms emerging that may account for the observed epidemiological associations between social isolation and Alzheimer's disease, more fundamental research is needed to fully understand the brain changes induced by isolation that may make people vulnerable to disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Caitlin Davies
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Translational Neuroscience PhD Programme, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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24
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Laszlo ZI, Hindley N, Sanchez Avila A, Kline RA, Eaton SL, Lamont DJ, Smith C, Spires-Jones TL, Wishart TM, Henstridge CM. Synaptic proteomics reveal distinct molecular signatures of cognitive change and C9ORF72 repeat expansion in the human ALS cortex. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022; 10:156. [DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01455-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractIncreasing evidence suggests synaptic dysfunction is a central and possibly triggering factor in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Despite this, we still know very little about the molecular profile of an ALS synapse. To address this gap, we designed a synaptic proteomics experiment to perform an unbiased assessment of the synaptic proteome in the ALS brain. We isolated synaptoneurosomes from fresh-frozen post-mortem human cortex (11 controls and 18 ALS) and stratified the ALS group based on cognitive profile (Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS score)) and presence of a C9ORF72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion (C9ORF72-RE). This allowed us to assess regional differences and the impact of phenotype and genotype on the synaptic proteome, using Tandem Mass Tagging-based proteomics. We identified over 6000 proteins in our synaptoneurosomes and using robust bioinformatics analysis we validated the strong enrichment of synapses. We found more than 30 ALS-associated proteins in synaptoneurosomes, including TDP-43, FUS, SOD1 and C9ORF72. We identified almost 500 proteins with altered expression levels in ALS, with region-specific changes highlighting proteins and pathways with intriguing links to neurophysiology and pathology. Stratifying the ALS cohort by cognitive status revealed almost 150 specific alterations in cognitively impaired ALS synaptic preparations. Stratifying by C9ORF72-RE status revealed 330 protein alterations in the C9ORF72-RE +ve group, with KEGG pathway analysis highlighting strong enrichment for postsynaptic dysfunction, related to glutamatergic receptor signalling. We have validated some of these changes by western blot and at a single synapse level using array tomography imaging. In summary, we have generated the first unbiased map of the human ALS synaptic proteome, revealing novel insight into this key compartment in ALS pathophysiology and highlighting the influence of cognitive decline and C9ORF72-RE on synaptic composition.
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25
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Spires-Jones TL. How do we prevent scientific fraud? Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac217. [PMID: 36072645 PMCID: PMC9445174 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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26
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Rupawala H, Shah K, Davies C, Rose J, Colom-Cadena M, Peng X, Granat L, Aljuhani M, Mizuno K, Troakes C, Perez-Nievas BG, Morgan A, So PW, Hortobagyi T, Spires-Jones TL, Noble W, Giese KP. Cysteine string protein alpha accumulates with early pre-synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac192. [PMID: 35928052 PMCID: PMC9345313 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In Alzheimer’s disease, synapse loss causes memory and cognitive impairment. However, the mechanisms underlying synaptic degeneration in Alzheimer’s disease are not well understood. In the hippocampus, alterations in the level of cysteine string protein alpha, a molecular co-chaperone at the pre-synaptic terminal, occur prior to reductions in synaptophysin, suggesting that it is a very sensitive marker of synapse degeneration in Alzheimer’s. Here, we identify putative extracellular accumulations of cysteine string alpha protein, which are proximal to beta-amyloid deposits in post-mortem human Alzheimer’s brain and in the brain of a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Cysteine string protein alpha, at least some of which is phosphorylated at serine 10, accumulates near the core of beta-amyloid deposits and does not co-localize with hyperphosphorylated tau, dystrophic neurites or glial cells. Using super-resolution microscopy and array tomography, cysteine string protein alpha was found to accumulate to a greater extent than other pre-synaptic proteins and at a comparatively great distance from the plaque core. This indicates that cysteine string protein alpha is most sensitive to being released from pre-synapses at low concentrations of beta-amyloid oligomers. Cysteine string protein alpha accumulations were also evident in other neurodegenerative diseases, including some fronto-temporal lobar dementias and Lewy body diseases, but only in the presence of amyloid plaques. Our findings are consistent with suggestions that pre-synapses are affected early in Alzheimer’s disease, and they demonstrate that cysteine string protein alpha is a more sensitive marker for early pre-synaptic dysfunction than traditional synaptic markers. We suggest that cysteine string protein alpha should be used as a pathological marker for early synaptic disruption caused by beta-amyloid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huzefa Rupawala
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience , 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX , UK
| | - Keshvi Shah
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience , 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX , UK
| | - Caitlin Davies
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and the UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh , 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ , UK
| | - Jamie Rose
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and the UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh , 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ , UK
| | - Marti Colom-Cadena
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and the UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh , 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ , UK
| | - Xianhui Peng
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience , 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX , UK
| | - Lucy Granat
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience , 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX , UK
| | - Manal Aljuhani
- Department of Neuroimaging, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience , 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX , UK
| | - Keiko Mizuno
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience , 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX , UK
| | - Claire Troakes
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience , 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX , UK
| | - Beatriz Gomez Perez-Nievas
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience , 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX , UK
| | - Alan Morgan
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool , Liverpool L69 3BX , UK
| | - Po-Wah So
- Department of Neuroimaging, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience , 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX , UK
| | - Tibor Hortobagyi
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience , 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX , UK
- Department of Neurology, ELKH-DE Cerebrovascular and Neurodegenerative Research Group, University of Debrecen , 4032 Debrecen , Hungary
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and the UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh , 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ , UK
| | - Wendy Noble
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience , 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX , UK
| | - Karl Peter Giese
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience , 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX , UK
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27
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Spires-Jones TL. Your brain is amazing: Let’s keep it that way. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac160. [PMID: 35873919 PMCID: PMC9305202 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh , EH8 9JZ Edinburgh , UK
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28
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Marescotti M, Loreto F, Spires-Jones TL. Gender representation in science publication: evidence from Brain Communications. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac077. [PMID: 35663379 PMCID: PMC9155249 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The persistent underrepresentation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM) points to the need to continue promoting the awareness and understanding of this phenomenon. Being one of the main outputs of scientific work, academic publications provide the opportunity to quantify the gender gap in science as well as to identify possible sources of bias and areas of improvement. Brain Communications is a 'young' journal founded in 2019, committed to transparent publication of rigorous work in neuroscience, neurology and psychiatry. For all manuscripts (n = 796) received by the journal between 2019 and 2021, we analysed the gender of all authors (n = 7721) and reviewers (n = 4492). Overall, women were 35.3% of all authors and 31.3% of invited reviewers. A considerably higher proportion of women was found in first authorship (42.4%) than in last authorship positions (24.9%). The representation of women authors and reviewers decreased further in the months following COVID-19 restrictions, suggesting a possible exacerbating role of the pandemic on existing disparities in science publication. The proportion of manuscripts accepted for publication was not significantly different according to the gender of the first, middle or last authors, meaning we found no evidence of gender bias within the review or editorial decision-making processes at Brain Communications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Marescotti
- University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh, UK
- Brain Communications Editorial Office, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Flavia Loreto
- Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Tara L. Spires-Jones
- University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh, UK
- Brain Communications Editorial Office, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Spires-Jones TL. OUP accepted manuscript. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac028. [PMID: 35261975 PMCID: PMC8896755 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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Yeap J, Sathyaprakash C, Toombs J, Tulloch J, Scutariu C, Rose J, Burr K, Davies C, Colom-Cadena M, Chandran S, Large CH, Rowan MJM, Gunthorpe MJ, Spires-Jones TL. Reducing voltage-dependent potassium channel Kv3.4 levels ameliorates synapse loss in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Brain Neurosci Adv 2022; 6:23982128221086464. [PMID: 35359460 PMCID: PMC8961358 DOI: 10.1177/23982128221086464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Synapse loss is associated with cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease, and owing to their plastic nature, synapses are an ideal target for therapeutic intervention. Oligomeric amyloid beta around amyloid plaques is known to contribute to synapse loss in mouse models and is associated with synapse loss in human Alzheimer's disease brain tissue, but the mechanisms leading from Aβ to synapse loss remain unclear. Recent data suggest that the fast-activating and -inactivating voltage-gated potassium channel subtype 3.4 (Kv3.4) may play a role in Aβ-mediated neurotoxicity. Here, we tested whether this channel could also be involved in Aβ synaptotoxicity. Using adeno-associated virus and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats technology, we reduced Kv3.4 expression in neurons of the somatosensory cortex of APP/PS1 mice. These mice express human familial Alzheimer's disease-associated mutations in amyloid precursor protein and presenilin-1 and develop amyloid plaques and plaque-associated synapse loss similar to that observed in Alzheimer's disease brain. We observe that reducing Kv3.4 levels ameliorates dendritic spine loss and changes spine morphology compared to control virus. In support of translational relevance, Kv3.4 protein was observed in human Alzheimer's disease and control brain and is associated with synapses in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cortical neurons. We also noted morphological changes in induced pluripotent stem cell neurones challenged with human Alzheimer's disease-derived brain homogenate containing Aβ but, in this in vitro model, total mRNA levels of Kv3.4 were found to be reduced, perhaps as an early compensatory mechanism for Aβ-induced damage. Overall, our results suggest that approaches to reduce Kv3.4 expression and/or function in the Alzheimer's disease brain could be protective against Aβ-induced synaptic alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yeap
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Chaitra Sathyaprakash
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jamie Toombs
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jane Tulloch
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Cristina Scutariu
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jamie Rose
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Karen Burr
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Caitlin Davies
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Marti Colom-Cadena
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Charles H Large
- Autifony Therapeutics Limited, Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, Stevenage, UK
| | | | - Martin J Gunthorpe
- Autifony Therapeutics Limited, Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, Stevenage, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Spires-Jones TL. OUP accepted manuscript. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac099. [PMID: 35528231 PMCID: PMC9070528 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Petrozziello T, Bordt EA, Mills AN, Kim SE, Sapp E, Devlin BA, Obeng-Marnu AA, Farhan SMK, Amaral AC, Dujardin S, Dooley PM, Henstridge C, Oakley DH, Neueder A, Hyman BT, Spires-Jones TL, Bilbo SD, Vakili K, Cudkowicz ME, Berry JD, DiFiglia M, Silva MC, Haggarty SJ, Sadri-Vakili G. Targeting Tau Mitigates Mitochondrial Fragmentation and Oxidative Stress in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Mol Neurobiol 2021; 59:683-702. [PMID: 34757590 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-021-02557-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms underlying amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is crucial for the development of new therapies. Previous studies have demonstrated that mitochondrial dysfunction is a key pathogenetic event in ALS. Interestingly, studies in Alzheimer's disease (AD) post-mortem brain and animal models link alterations in mitochondrial function to interactions between hyperphosphorylated tau and dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1), the GTPase involved in mitochondrial fission. Recent evidence suggest that tau may be involved in ALS pathogenesis, therefore, we sought to determine whether hyperphosphorylated tau may lead to mitochondrial fragmentation and dysfunction in ALS and whether reducing tau may provide a novel therapeutic approach. Our findings demonstrated that pTau-S396 is mis-localized to synapses in post-mortem motor cortex (mCTX) across ALS subtypes. Additionally, the treatment with ALS synaptoneurosomes (SNs), enriched in pTau-S396, increased oxidative stress, induced mitochondrial fragmentation, and altered mitochondrial connectivity without affecting cell survival in vitro. Furthermore, pTau-S396 interacted with DRP1, and similar to pTau-S396, DRP1 accumulated in SNs across ALS subtypes, suggesting increases in mitochondrial fragmentation in ALS. As previously reported, electron microscopy revealed a significant decrease in mitochondria density and length in ALS mCTX. Lastly, reducing tau levels with QC-01-175, a selective tau degrader, prevented ALS SNs-induced mitochondrial fragmentation and oxidative stress in vitro. Collectively, our findings suggest that increases in pTau-S396 may lead to mitochondrial fragmentation and oxidative stress in ALS and decreasing tau may provide a novel strategy to mitigate mitochondrial dysfunction in ALS. pTau-S396 mis-localizes to synapses in ALS. ALS synaptoneurosomes (SNs), enriched in pTau-S396, increase oxidative stress and induce mitochondrial fragmentation in vitro. pTau-S396 interacts with the pro-fission GTPase DRP1 in ALS. Reducing tau with a selective degrader, QC-01-175, mitigates ALS SNs-induced mitochondrial fragmentation and increases in oxidative stress in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Petrozziello
- Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Mass General, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Evan A Bordt
- Department of Pediatrics, Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Alexandra N Mills
- Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Mass General, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Spencer E Kim
- Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Mass General, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Ellen Sapp
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Benjamin A Devlin
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Abigail A Obeng-Marnu
- Department of Pediatrics, Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Sali M K Farhan
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.,Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 7 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Ana C Amaral
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Simon Dujardin
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Patrick M Dooley
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Christopher Henstridge
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Division of Systems Medicine, Neuroscience, Ninewells hospital & Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Derek H Oakley
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Andreas Neueder
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Staci D Bilbo
- Department of Pediatrics, Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02129, USA.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Khashayar Vakili
- Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02125, USA
| | - Merit E Cudkowicz
- Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Mass General, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02129, USA
| | - James D Berry
- Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Mass General, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Marian DiFiglia
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - M Catarina Silva
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA.,Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Stephen J Haggarty
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA.,Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Ghazaleh Sadri-Vakili
- Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Mass General, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02129, USA. .,MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Bldg 114 16th Street, R2200, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences; The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Barton SK, Gregory JM, Selvaraj BT, McDade K, Henstridge CM, Spires-Jones TL, James OG, Mehta AR, Story D, Burr K, Magnani D, Isaacs AM, Smith C, Chandran S. Dysregulation in Subcellular Localization of Myelin Basic Protein mRNA Does Not Result in Altered Myelination in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:705306. [PMID: 34539336 PMCID: PMC8440970 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.705306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathological hallmarks of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), including protein misfolding, are well established in oligodendrocytes. More recently, an RNA trafficking deficit of key myelin proteins has been suggested in oligodendrocytes in ALS but the extent to which this affects myelination and the relative contribution of this to disease pathogenesis is unclear. ALS autopsy research findings showing demyelination contrasts with the routine clinical-pathological workup of ALS cases where it is rare to see white matter abnormalities other than simple Wallerian degeneration secondary to widespread neuronal loss. To begin to address this apparent variance, we undertook a comprehensive evaluation of myelination at an RNA, protein and structural level using human pathological material from sporadic ALS patients, genetic ALS patients (harboring C9orf72 mutation) and age- and sex-matched non-neurological controls. We performed (i) quantitative spatial profiling of the mRNA transcript encoding myelin basic protein (MBP), (ii) quantification of MBP protein and (iii) the first quantitative structural assessment of myelination in ALS post-mortem specimens by electron microscopy. We show no differences in MBP protein levels or ultrastructural myelination, despite a significant dysregulation in the subcellular trafficking of MBP mRNA in ALS patients compared to controls. We therefore confirm that whilst there are cell autonomous mRNA trafficking deficits affecting oligodendrocytes in ALS, this has no effect on myelin structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha K. Barton
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jenna M. Gregory
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Bhuvaneish T. Selvaraj
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Karina McDade
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher M. Henstridge
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Tara L. Spires-Jones
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Owen G. James
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Arpan R. Mehta
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - David Story
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Karen Burr
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Dario Magnani
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Adrian M. Isaacs
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Colin Smith
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Hillary RF, Stevenson AJ, Cox SR, McCartney DL, Harris SE, Seeboth A, Higham J, Sproul D, Taylor AM, Redmond P, Corley J, Pattie A, Hernández MDCV, Muñoz-Maniega S, Bastin ME, Wardlaw JM, Horvath S, Ritchie CW, Spires-Jones TL, McIntosh AM, Evans KL, Deary IJ, Marioni RE. An epigenetic predictor of death captures multi-modal measures of brain health. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:3806-3816. [PMID: 31796892 PMCID: PMC8550950 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0616-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Individuals of the same chronological age exhibit disparate rates of biological ageing. Consequently, a number of methodologies have been proposed to determine biological age and primarily exploit variation at the level of DNA methylation (DNAm). A novel epigenetic clock, termed 'DNAm GrimAge' has outperformed its predecessors in predicting the risk of mortality as well as many age-related morbidities. However, the association between DNAm GrimAge and cognitive or neuroimaging phenotypes remains unknown. We explore these associations in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (n = 709, mean age 73 years). Higher DNAm GrimAge was strongly associated with all-cause mortality over the eighth decade (Hazard Ratio per standard deviation increase in GrimAge: 1.81, P < 2.0 × 10-16). Higher DNAm GrimAge was associated with lower age 11 IQ (β = -0.11), lower age 73 general cognitive ability (β = -0.18), decreased brain volume (β = -0.25) and increased brain white matter hyperintensities (β = 0.17). There was tentative evidence for a longitudinal association between DNAm GrimAge and cognitive decline from age 70 to 79. Sixty-nine of 137 health- and brain-related phenotypes tested were significantly associated with GrimAge. Adjusting all models for childhood intelligence attenuated to non-significance a small number of associations (12/69 associations; 6 of which were cognitive traits), but not the association with general cognitive ability (33.9% attenuation). Higher DNAm GrimAge associates with lower cognitive ability and brain vascular lesions in older age, independently of early-life cognitive ability. This epigenetic predictor of mortality associates with different measures of brain health and may aid in the prediction of age-related cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert F Hillary
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Anna J Stevenson
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Simon R Cox
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Daniel L McCartney
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sarah E Harris
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Anne Seeboth
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jon Higham
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Duncan Sproul
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Adele M Taylor
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Paul Redmond
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Janie Corley
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Alison Pattie
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Maria Del C Valdés Hernández
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Neuroimaging Sciences, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Susana Muñoz-Maniega
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Neuroimaging Sciences, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mark E Bastin
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Neuroimaging Sciences, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Joanna M Wardlaw
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Neuroimaging Sciences, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Steve Horvath
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Craig W Ritchie
- Edinburgh Dementia Prevention, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Andrew M McIntosh
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kathryn L Evans
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Riccardo E Marioni
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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Kurucu H, Colom-Cadena M, Davies C, Wilkins L, King D, Rose J, Tzioras M, Tulloch JH, Smith C, Spires-Jones TL. Inhibitory synapse loss and accumulation of amyloid beta in inhibitory presynaptic terminals in Alzheimer's disease. Eur J Neurol 2021; 29:1311-1323. [PMID: 34331352 DOI: 10.1111/ene.15043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Synapse degeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD) correlates strongly with cognitive decline. There is well-established excitatory synapse loss in AD with known contributions of pathological amyloid beta (Aβ) to excitatory synapse dysfunction and loss. Despite clear changes in circuit excitability in AD and model systems, relatively little is known about pathology in inhibitory synapses. METHODS Here human postmortem brain samples (n = 5 control, 10 AD cases) from temporal and occipital cortices were examined to investigate whether inhibitory synapses and neurons are lost in AD and whether Aβ may contribute to inhibitory synapse degeneration. Inhibitory neurons were counted in all six cortical layers using stereology software, and array tomography was used to examine synapse density and the accumulation of Aβ in synaptic terminals. RESULTS Differing inhibitory neuron densities were observed in the different cortical layers. The highest inhibitory neuron density was observed in layer 4 in both brain regions and the visual cortex had a higher inhibitory neuron density than the temporal cortex. There was significantly lower inhibitory neuron density in AD than in control cases in all six cortical layers. High-resolution array tomography imaging revealed plaque-associated loss of inhibitory synapses and accumulation of Aβ in a small subset of inhibitory presynaptic terminals with the most accumulation near amyloid plaques. CONCLUSIONS Inhibitory neuron and synapse loss in AD may contribute to disrupted excitatory/inhibitory balance and cognitive decline. Future work is warranted to determine whether targeting inhibitory synapse loss could be a useful therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hatice Kurucu
- University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Martí Colom-Cadena
- University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Caitlin Davies
- University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Lewis Wilkins
- University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Declan King
- University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jamie Rose
- University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Makis Tzioras
- University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jane H Tulloch
- University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Colin Smith
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences and Sudden Death Brain Bank, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
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38
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara L Spires-Jones
- UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, the University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
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Gadd DA, Stevenson AJ, Hillary RF, McCartney DL, Wrobel N, McCafferty S, Murphy L, Russ TC, Harris SE, Redmond P, Taylor AM, Smith C, Rose J, Millar T, Spires-Jones TL, Cox SR, Marioni RE. Epigenetic predictors of lifestyle traits applied to the blood and brain. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcab082. [PMID: 34041477 PMCID: PMC8134833 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Modifiable lifestyle factors influence the risk of developing many neurological diseases. These factors have been extensively linked with blood-based genome-wide DNA methylation, but it is unclear if the signatures from blood translate to the target tissue of interest-the brain. To investigate this, we apply blood-derived epigenetic predictors of four lifestyle traits to genome-wide DNA methylation from five post-mortem brain regions and the last blood sample prior to death in 14 individuals in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936. Using these matched samples, we found that correlations between blood and brain DNA methylation scores for smoking, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, alcohol and body mass index were highly variable across brain regions. Smoking scores in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex had the strongest correlations with smoking scores in blood (r = 0.5, n = 14, P = 0.07) and smoking behaviour (r = 0.56, n = 9, P = 0.12). This was also the brain region which exhibited the largest correlations for DNA methylation at site cg05575921 - the single strongest correlate of smoking in blood-in relation to blood (r = 0.61, n = 14, P = 0.02) and smoking behaviour (r = -0.65, n = 9, P = 0.06). This suggested a particular vulnerability to smoking-related differential methylation in this region. Our work contributes to understanding how lifestyle factors affect the brain and suggest that lifestyle-related DNA methylation is likely to be both brain region dependent and in many cases poorly proxied for by blood. Though these pilot data provide a rarely-available opportunity for the comparison of methylation patterns across multiple brain regions and the blood, due to the limited sample size available our results must be considered as preliminary and should therefore be used as a basis for further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danni A Gadd
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh 2XU, UK
| | - Anna J Stevenson
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh 2XU, UK
| | - Robert F Hillary
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh 2XU, UK
| | - Daniel L McCartney
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh 2XU, UK
| | - Nicola Wrobel
- Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility, Western General Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Sarah McCafferty
- Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility, Western General Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Lee Murphy
- Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility, Western General Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Tom C Russ
- Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
- Lothian Birth Cohorts group, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Sarah E Harris
- Lothian Birth Cohorts group, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Paul Redmond
- Lothian Birth Cohorts group, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Adele M Taylor
- Lothian Birth Cohorts group, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Colin Smith
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Jamie Rose
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Tracey Millar
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Simon R Cox
- Lothian Birth Cohorts group, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Riccardo E Marioni
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh 2XU, UK
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40
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Zoupi L, Booker SA, Eigel D, Werner C, Kind PC, Spires-Jones TL, Newland B, Williams AC. Selective vulnerability of inhibitory networks in multiple sclerosis. Acta Neuropathol 2021; 141:415-429. [PMID: 33449171 PMCID: PMC7882577 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-020-02258-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
In multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, neurodegeneration is detected early in the disease course and is associated with the long-term disability of patients. Neurodegeneration is linked to both inflammation and demyelination, but its exact cause remains unknown. This gap in knowledge contributes to the current lack of treatments for the neurodegenerative phase of MS. Here we ask if neurodegeneration in MS affects specific neuronal components and if it is the result of demyelination. Neuropathological examination of secondary progressive MS motor cortices revealed a selective vulnerability of inhibitory interneurons in MS. The generation of a rodent model of focal subpial cortical demyelination reproduces this selective neurodegeneration providing a new preclinical model for the study of neuroprotective treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lida Zoupi
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Sam A Booker
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
- Patrick Wild Centre for Autism Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Dimitri Eigel
- Leibniz-Institut Für Polymerforschung Dresden E.V, Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials Dresden, Hohe Straße 6, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Carsten Werner
- Leibniz-Institut Für Polymerforschung Dresden E.V, Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials Dresden, Hohe Straße 6, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Peter C Kind
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
- Patrick Wild Centre for Autism Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Ben Newland
- Leibniz-Institut Für Polymerforschung Dresden E.V, Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials Dresden, Hohe Straße 6, 01069, Dresden, Germany
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK
| | - Anna C Williams
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK.
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41
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Stevenson AJ, Gadd DA, Hillary RF, McCartney DL, Campbell A, Walker RM, Evans KL, Harris SE, Spires-Jones TL, McRae AF, Visscher PM, McIntosh AM, Deary IJ, Marioni RE. Creating and validating a DNA methylation-based proxy for interleukin-6. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2021; 76:2284-2292. [PMID: 33595649 PMCID: PMC8599002 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glab046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Studies evaluating the relationship between chronic inflammation and cognitive functioning have produced heterogeneous results. A potential reason for this is the variability of inflammatory mediators which could lead to misclassifications of individuals’ persisting levels of inflammation. DNA methylation (DNAm) has shown utility in indexing environmental exposures and could be leveraged to provide proxy signatures of chronic inflammation. Method We conducted an elastic net regression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in a cohort of 875 older adults (Lothian Birth Cohort 1936; mean age: 70 years) to develop a DNAm-based predictor. The predictor was tested in an independent cohort (Generation Scotland; N = 7028 [417 with measured IL-6], mean age: 51 years). Results A weighted score from 35 CpG sites optimally predicted IL-6 in the independent test set (Generation Scotland; R2 = 4.4%, p = 2.1 × 10−5). In the independent test cohort, both measured IL-6 and the DNAm proxy increased with age (serum IL-6: n = 417, β = 0.02, SE = 0.004, p = 1.3 × 10−7; DNAm IL-6 score: N = 7028, β = 0.02, SE = 0.0009, p < 2 × 10−16). Serum IL-6 did not associate with cognitive ability (n = 417, β = −0.06, SE = 0.05, p = .19); however, an inverse association was identified between the DNAm score and cognitive functioning (N = 7028, β = −0.16, SE = 0.02, pFDR < 2 × 10−16). Conclusions These results suggest methylation-based predictors can be used as proxies for inflammatory markers, potentially allowing for further insight into the relationship between inflammation and pertinent health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna J Stevenson
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Danni A Gadd
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Robert F Hillary
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Daniel L McCartney
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Archie Campbell
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Rosie M Walker
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, Chancellor's Building, Little France Crescent, Edinburgh BioQuarter, Edinburgh
| | - Kathryn L Evans
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sarah E Harris
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Allan F McRae
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Peter M Visscher
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Andrew M McIntosh
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Riccardo E Marioni
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Lothian Birth Cohorts, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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42
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Izzo NJ, Yuede CM, LaBarbera KM, Limegrover CS, Rehak C, Yurko R, Waybright L, Look G, Rishton G, Safferstein H, Hamby ME, Williams C, Sadlek K, Edwards HM, Davis CS, Grundman M, Schneider LS, DeKosky ST, Chelsky D, Pike I, Henstridge C, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, LeVine H, Spires-Jones TL, Cirrito JR, Catalano SM. Preclinical and clinical biomarker studies of CT1812: A novel approach to Alzheimer's disease modification. Alzheimers Dement 2021; 17:1365-1382. [PMID: 33559354 PMCID: PMC8349378 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Amyloid beta (Aβ) oligomers are one of the most toxic structural forms of the Aβ protein and are hypothesized to cause synaptotoxicity and memory failure as they build up in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients' brain tissue. We previously demonstrated that antagonists of the sigma-2 receptor complex effectively block Aβ oligomer toxicity. CT1812 is an orally bioavailable, brain penetrant small molecule antagonist of the sigma-2 receptor complex that appears safe and well tolerated in healthy elderly volunteers. We tested CT1812's effect on Aβ oligomer pathobiology in preclinical AD models and evaluated CT1812's impact on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein biomarkers in mild to moderate AD patients in a clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02907567). METHODS Experiments were performed to measure the impact of CT1812 versus vehicle on Aβ oligomer binding to synapses in vitro, to human AD patient post mortem brain tissue ex vivo, and in living APPSwe /PS1dE9 transgenic mice in vivo. Additional experiments were performed to measure the impact of CT1812 versus vehicle on Aβ oligomer-induced deficits in membrane trafficking rate, synapse number, and protein expression in mature hippocampal/cortical neurons in vitro. The impact of CT1812 on cognitive function was measured in transgenic Thy1 huAPPSwe/Lnd+ and wild-type littermates. A multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel group trial was performed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and impact on protein biomarker expression of CT1812 or placebo given once daily for 28 days to AD patients (Mini-Mental State Examination 18-26). CSF protein expression was measured by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in samples drawn prior to dosing (Day 0) and at end of dosing (Day 28) and compared within each patient and between pooled treated versus placebo-treated dosing groups. RESULTS CT1812 significantly and dose-dependently displaced Aβ oligomers bound to synaptic receptors in three independent preclinical models of AD, facilitated oligomer clearance into the CSF, increased synaptic number and protein expression in neurons, and improved cognitive performance in transgenic mice. CT1812 significantly increased CSF concentrations of Aβ oligomers in AD patient CSF, reduced concentrations of synaptic proteins and phosphorylated tau fragments, and reversed expression of many AD-related proteins dysregulated in CSF. DISCUSSION These preclinical studies demonstrate the novel disease-modifying mechanism of action of CT1812 against AD and Aβ oligomers. The clinical results are consistent with preclinical data and provide evidence of target engagement and impact on fundamental disease-related signaling pathways in AD patients, supporting further development of CT1812.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Courtney Rehak
- Cognition Therapeutics Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Raymond Yurko
- Cognition Therapeutics Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Lora Waybright
- Cognition Therapeutics Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Gary Look
- Cognition Therapeutics Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | | | - Mary E Hamby
- Cognition Therapeutics Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Kelsey Sadlek
- Cognition Therapeutics Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | | | - Michael Grundman
- Global R&D Partners, San Diego, California, USA.,University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Lon S Schneider
- Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Steven T DeKosky
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | | | | | | | - Kaj Blennow
- University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden.,Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden.,Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden.,UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Harry LeVine
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
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Li Q, Marcu DC, Palazzo O, Turner F, King D, Spires-Jones TL, Stefan MI, Busch KE. High neural activity accelerates the decline of cognitive plasticity with age in Caenorhabditis elegans. eLife 2020; 9:59711. [PMID: 33228848 PMCID: PMC7685709 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to learn progressively declines with age. Neural hyperactivity has been implicated in impairing cognitive plasticity with age, but the molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we show that chronic excitation of the Caenorhabditis elegans O2-sensing neurons during ageing causes a rapid decline of experience-dependent plasticity in response to environmental O2 concentration, whereas sustaining lower activity of O2-sensing neurons retains plasticity with age. We demonstrate that neural activity alters the ageing trajectory in the transcriptome of O2-sensing neurons, and our data suggest that high-activity neurons redirect resources from maintaining plasticity to sustaining continuous firing. Sustaining plasticity with age requires the K+-dependent Na+/Ca2+ (NCKX) exchanger, whereas the decline of plasticity with age in high-activity neurons acts through calmodulin and the scaffold protein Kidins220. Our findings demonstrate directly that the activity of neurons alters neuronal homeostasis to govern the age-related decline of neural plasticity and throw light on the mechanisms involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaochu Li
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel-Cosmin Marcu
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Ottavia Palazzo
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Frances Turner
- Edinburgh Genomics (Genome Science), Ashworth Laboratories, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Declan King
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Melanie I Stefan
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,ZJU-UoE Institute, Zhejiang University, Haining, China
| | - Karl Emanuel Busch
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Tzioras M, Stevenson AJ, Boche D, Spires-Jones TL. Microglial contribution to synaptic uptake in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2020; 47:346-351. [PMID: 32892388 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Microglia in human post-mortem tissue in schizophrenia patients' brains engulf synaptic material, but not differently to age-matched non-neurological control brains. Also, schizophrenia brains display similar levels of microgliosis to control brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Tzioras
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Brain Discovery Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - A J Stevenson
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Brain Discovery Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - D Boche
- Clinical Neurosciences, Clinical and Experimental Sciences Academic Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - T L Spires-Jones
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Brain Discovery Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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45
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Kent SA, Spires-Jones TL, Durrant CS. The physiological roles of tau and Aβ: implications for Alzheimer's disease pathology and therapeutics. Acta Neuropathol 2020; 140:417-447. [PMID: 32728795 PMCID: PMC7498448 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-020-02196-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Tau and amyloid beta (Aβ) are the prime suspects for driving pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and, as such, have become the focus of therapeutic development. Recent research, however, shows that these proteins have been highly conserved throughout evolution and may have crucial, physiological roles. Such functions may be lost during AD progression or be unintentionally disrupted by tau- or Aβ-targeting therapies. Tau has been revealed to be more than a simple stabiliser of microtubules, reported to play a role in a range of biological processes including myelination, glucose metabolism, axonal transport, microtubule dynamics, iron homeostasis, neurogenesis, motor function, learning and memory, neuronal excitability, and DNA protection. Aβ is similarly multifunctional, and is proposed to regulate learning and memory, angiogenesis, neurogenesis, repair leaks in the blood-brain barrier, promote recovery from injury, and act as an antimicrobial peptide and tumour suppressor. This review will discuss potential physiological roles of tau and Aβ, highlighting how changes to these functions may contribute to pathology, as well as the implications for therapeutic development. We propose that a balanced consideration of both the physiological and pathological roles of tau and Aβ will be essential for the design of safe and effective therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A. Kent
- Translational Neuroscience PhD Programme, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and the UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ Scotland, UK
| | - Tara L. Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and the UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ Scotland, UK
| | - Claire S. Durrant
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and the UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ Scotland, UK
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46
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Tulloch J, Netsyk O, Pickett EK, Herrmann AG, Jain P, Stevenson AJ, Oren I, Hardt O, Spires-Jones TL. Maintained memory and long-term potentiation in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease with both amyloid pathology and human tau. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 53:637-648. [PMID: 33169893 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14918] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
One of the key knowledge gaps in the field of Alzheimer's disease research is the lack of understanding of how amyloid beta and tau cooperate to cause neurodegeneration. We recently generated a mouse model (APP/PS1 + Tau) that develops amyloid plaque pathology and expresses human tau in the absence of endogenous murine tau. These mice exhibit an age-related behavioural hyperactivity phenotype and transcriptional deficits which are ameliorated by tau transgene suppression. We hypothesized that these mice would also display memory and hippocampal synaptic plasticity deficits as has been reported for many plaque bearing mouse models which express endogenous mouse tau. We observed that our APP/PS1 + Tau model does not exhibit novel object memory or robust long-term potentiation deficits with age, whereas the parent APP/PS1 line with mouse tau did develop the expected deficits. These data are important as they highlight potential functional differences between mouse and human tau and the need to use multiple models to fully understand Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis and develop effective therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Tulloch
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Olga Netsyk
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Eleanor K Pickett
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Abigail G Herrmann
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Pooja Jain
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Anna J Stevenson
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Iris Oren
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Oliver Hardt
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,The Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain and The Patrick Wild Centre, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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47
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Stevenson AJ, McCartney DL, Hillary RF, Campbell A, Morris SW, Bermingham ML, Walker RM, Evans KL, Boutin TS, Hayward C, McRae AF, McColl BW, Spires-Jones TL, McIntosh AM, Deary IJ, Marioni RE. Characterisation of an inflammation-related epigenetic score and its association with cognitive ability. Clin Epigenetics 2020; 12:113. [PMID: 32718350 PMCID: PMC7385981 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-020-00903-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic systemic inflammation has been associated with incident dementia, but its association with age-related cognitive decline is less clear. The acute responses of many inflammatory biomarkers mean they may provide an unreliable picture of the chronicity of inflammation. Recently, a large-scale epigenome-wide association study identified DNA methylation correlates of C-reactive protein (CRP)-a widely used acute-phase inflammatory biomarker. DNA methylation is thought to be relatively stable in the short term, marking it as a potentially useful signature of exposure. METHODS We utilise a DNA methylation-based score for CRP and investigate its trajectories with age, and associations with cognitive ability in comparison with serum CRP and a genetic CRP score in a longitudinal study of older adults (n = 889) and a large, cross-sectional cohort (n = 7028). RESULTS We identified no homogeneous trajectories of serum CRP with age across the cohorts, whereas the epigenetic CRP score was consistently found to increase with age (standardised β = 0.07 and 0.01) and to do so more rapidly in males compared to females. Additionally, the epigenetic CRP score had higher test-retest reliability compared to serum CRP, indicating its enhanced temporal stability. Higher serum CRP was not found to be associated with poorer cognitive ability (standardised β = - 0.08 and - 0.05); however, a consistent negative association was identified between cognitive ability and the epigenetic CRP score in both cohorts (standardised β = - 0.15 and - 0.08). CONCLUSIONS An epigenetic proxy of CRP may provide a more reliable signature of chronic inflammation, allowing for more accurate stratification of individuals, and thus clearer inference of associations with incident health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna J Stevenson
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Daniel L McCartney
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Robert F Hillary
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Archie Campbell
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Stewart W Morris
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Mairead L Bermingham
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Rosie M Walker
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK.,Lothian Birth Cohorts, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Kathryn L Evans
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK.,Lothian Birth Cohorts, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Thibaud S Boutin
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Western General Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Caroline Hayward
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Western General Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Allan F McRae
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Barry W McColl
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Andrew M McIntosh
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK.,Division of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH10 5HF, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Riccardo E Marioni
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK. .,Lothian Birth Cohorts, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK.
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Toombs J, Panther L, Ornelas L, Liu C, Gomez E, Martín-Ibáñez R, Cox SR, Ritchie SJ, Harris SE, Taylor A, Redmond P, Russ TC, Murphy L, Cooper JD, Burr K, Selvaraj BT, Browne C, Svendsen CN, Cowley SA, Deary IJ, Chandran S, Spires-Jones TL, Sareen D. Generation of twenty four induced pluripotent stem cell lines from twenty four members of the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936. Stem Cell Res 2020; 46:101851. [PMID: 32450543 PMCID: PMC7347008 DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2020.101851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive decline is among the most feared aspects of ageing. We have generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from 24 people from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936, whose cognitive ability was tested in childhood and in older age. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were reprogrammed using non-integrating oriP/EBNA1 backbone plasmids expressing six iPSC reprogramming factors (OCT3/4 (POU5F1), SOX2, KLF4, L-Myc, shp53, Lin28, SV40LT). All lines demonstrated STR matched karyotype and pluripotency was validated by multiple methods. These iPSC lines are a valuable resource to study molecular mechanisms underlying individual differences in cognitive ageing and resilience to age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Toombs
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Lindsay Panther
- iPSC Core, The David Janet Polak Foundation Stem Cell Core Laboratory, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; Cedars-Sinai Biomanufacturing Center, West Hollywood, CA 90069, USA
| | - Loren Ornelas
- iPSC Core, The David Janet Polak Foundation Stem Cell Core Laboratory, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; Cedars-Sinai Biomanufacturing Center, West Hollywood, CA 90069, USA
| | - Chunyan Liu
- iPSC Core, The David Janet Polak Foundation Stem Cell Core Laboratory, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; Cedars-Sinai Biomanufacturing Center, West Hollywood, CA 90069, USA
| | - Emilda Gomez
- iPSC Core, The David Janet Polak Foundation Stem Cell Core Laboratory, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; Cedars-Sinai Biomanufacturing Center, West Hollywood, CA 90069, USA
| | | | - Simon R Cox
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Stuart J Ritchie
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sarah E Harris
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Adele Taylor
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Paul Redmond
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tom C Russ
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Lee Murphy
- Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - James D Cooper
- Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, UK; Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Karen Burr
- Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, UK; Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Bhuvaneish T Selvaraj
- Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, UK; Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Cathy Browne
- James Martin Stem Cell Facility, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Clive N Svendsen
- Board of Governors-Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Sally A Cowley
- James Martin Stem Cell Facility, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, Oxford, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- Lothian Birth Cohorts, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, UK; Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Dhruv Sareen
- iPSC Core, The David Janet Polak Foundation Stem Cell Core Laboratory, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; Cedars-Sinai Biomanufacturing Center, West Hollywood, CA 90069, USA; Board of Governors-Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA.
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49
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Corbett GT, Wang Z, Hong W, Colom-Cadena M, Rose J, Liao M, Asfaw A, Hall TC, Ding L, DeSousa A, Frosch MP, Collinge J, Harris DA, Perkinton MS, Spires-Jones TL, Young-Pearse TL, Billinton A, Walsh DM. PrP is a central player in toxicity mediated by soluble aggregates of neurodegeneration-causing proteins. Acta Neuropathol 2020; 139:503-526. [PMID: 31853635 PMCID: PMC7035229 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-019-02114-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are an enormous public health problem, affecting tens of millions of people worldwide. Nearly all of these diseases are characterized by oligomerization and fibrillization of neuronal proteins, and there is great interest in therapeutic targeting of these aggregates. Here, we show that soluble aggregates of α-synuclein and tau bind to plate-immobilized PrP in vitro and on mouse cortical neurons, and that this binding requires at least one of the same N-terminal sites at which soluble Aβ aggregates bind. Moreover, soluble aggregates of tau, α-synuclein and Aβ cause both functional (impairment of LTP) and structural (neuritic dystrophy) compromise and these deficits are absent when PrP is ablated, knocked-down, or when neurons are pre-treated with anti-PrP blocking antibodies. Using an all-human experimental paradigm involving: (1) isogenic iPSC-derived neurons expressing or lacking PRNP, and (2) aqueous extracts from brains of individuals who died with Alzheimer's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and Pick's disease, we demonstrate that Aβ, α-synuclein and tau are toxic to neurons in a manner that requires PrPC. These results indicate that PrP is likely to play an important role in a variety of late-life neurodegenerative diseases and that therapeutic targeting of PrP, rather than individual disease proteins, may have more benefit for conditions which involve the aggregation of more than one protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant T Corbett
- Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Research, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Hale Building for Transformative Medicine, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Zemin Wang
- Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Research, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Hale Building for Transformative Medicine, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Wei Hong
- Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Research, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Hale Building for Transformative Medicine, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Marti Colom-Cadena
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH89JZ, UK
| | - Jamie Rose
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH89JZ, UK
| | - Meichen Liao
- Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Research, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Hale Building for Transformative Medicine, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Adhana Asfaw
- Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Research, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Hale Building for Transformative Medicine, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Tia C Hall
- Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Research, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Hale Building for Transformative Medicine, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Lai Ding
- Program for Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Alexandra DeSousa
- Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Research, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Hale Building for Transformative Medicine, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Matthew P Frosch
- Massachusetts General Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - John Collinge
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - David A Harris
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | | | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH89JZ, UK
| | - Tracy L Young-Pearse
- Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Research, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Hale Building for Transformative Medicine, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Andrew Billinton
- Neuroscience, IMED Biotechnology Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, CB21 6GH, UK
| | - Dominic M Walsh
- Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Research, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Hale Building for Transformative Medicine, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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