51
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Stamelou M, Respondek G, Giagkou N, Whitwell JL, Kovacs GG, Höglinger GU. Evolving concepts in progressive supranuclear palsy and other 4-repeat tauopathies. Nat Rev Neurol 2021; 17:601-620. [PMID: 34426686 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-021-00541-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Tauopathies are classified according to whether tau deposits predominantly contain tau isoforms with three or four repeats of the microtubule-binding domain. Those in which four-repeat (4R) tau predominates are known as 4R-tauopathies, and include progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, argyrophilic grain disease, globular glial tauopathies and conditions associated with specific MAPT mutations. In these diseases, 4R-tau deposits are found in various cell types and anatomical regions of the brain and the conditions share pathological, pathophysiological and clinical characteristics. Despite being considered 'prototype' tauopathies and, therefore, ideal for studying neuroprotective agents, 4R-tauopathies are still severe and untreatable diseases for which no validated biomarkers exist. However, advances in research have addressed the issues of phenotypic overlap, early clinical diagnosis, pathophysiology and identification of biomarkers, setting a road map towards development of treatments. New clinical criteria have been developed and large cohorts with early disease are being followed up in prospective studies. New clinical trial readouts are emerging and biomarker research is focused on molecular pathways that have been identified. Lessons learned from failed trials of neuroprotective drugs are being used to design new trials. In this Review, we present an overview of the latest research in 4R-tauopathies, with a focus on progressive supranuclear palsy, and discuss how current evidence dictates ongoing and future research goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Stamelou
- Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Dept, HYGEIA Hospital, Athens, Greece. .,European University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus. .,Philipps University, Marburg, Germany.
| | - Gesine Respondek
- Department of Neurology, Hanover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Nikolaos Giagkou
- Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Dept, HYGEIA Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Gabor G Kovacs
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease (CRND), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Laboratory Medicine Program and Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Günter U Höglinger
- Department of Neurology, Hanover Medical School, Hanover, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
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52
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Zhou Y, Li J, Nordberg A, Ågren H. Dissecting the Binding Profile of PET Tracers to Corticobasal Degeneration Tau Fibrils. ACS Chem Neurosci 2021; 12:3487-3496. [PMID: 34464084 PMCID: PMC8447187 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
![]()
Alzheimer’s
disease and primary tauopathies are characterized
by the presence of tau pathology in brain. Several tau positron emission
tomography (PET) tracers have been developed and studied in Alzheimer’s
disease (AD), but there is still a lack of 4R-tau specific tracers
for non-AD tauopathies. We here present the first computational study
on the binding profiles of four tau different PET tracers, PI2620,
CBD2115, PM-PBB3, and MK6240, to corticobasal degeneration (CBD) tau.
The in silico results showed different preferences
for the various binding sites on the 4R fibril, and especially an
entry site, a concave site, and a core site showed high binding affinity
to these tracers. The core site and entry site both showed higher
binding affinity than the surface sites, but the tracers were less
likely to enter these sites. PI2620, CBD2115, and PM-PBB3 all showed
higher binding affinities to CBD tau than the 3R/4R tracer MK6240.
The same strategy has also been applied to AD tau fibrils, and significant
differences in selectivity of binding sites were also observed. A
higher binding affinity was observed for CBD2115 and PM-PBB3 to AD
tau compared to PI2620. None of the studied tracers showed a selectivity
for 4R compared to 3R/4R tau. This study clearly shows that identified
binding sites from cryo-EM with low resolution can be further refined
by metadynamics simulations in order to provide atomic resolution
of the binding modes as well as of the thermodynamic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhou
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, SE-751 20 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Junhao Li
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, SE-751 20 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Agneta Nordberg
- Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, 141 84, Stockholm, Sweden
- Theme Aging Karolinska University Hospital, S-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hans Ågren
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, SE-751 20 Uppsala, Sweden
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53
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Zhang L, Yang C, Li Y, Niu S, Liang X, Zhang Z, Luo Q, Luo H. Dynamic Changes in the Levels of Amyloid-β 42 Species in the Brain and Periphery of APP/PS1 Mice and Their Significance for Alzheimer's Disease. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:723317. [PMID: 34512259 PMCID: PMC8430227 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.723317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although amyloid-β42 (Aβ42) has been used as one of the core biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) diagnosis, the dynamic changes of its different forms in the brain, blood, and even intestines and its correlation with the progression of AD disease remain obscure. Herein, we screened Aβ42-specific preferred antibody pairs 1F12/1F12 and 1F12/2C6 to accurately detect Aβ42 types using sandwich ELISA, including total Aβ42, Aβ42 oligomers (Aβ42Os), and Aβ42 monomers (Aβ42Ms). The levels of Aβ42 species in the brain, blood, and intestines of different aged APP/PS1 mice were quantified to study their correlation with AD progression. Total Aβ42 levels in the blood were not correlated with AD progression, but Aβ42Ms level in the blood of 9-month-old APP/PS1 mice was significantly reduced, and Aβ42Os level in the brain was significantly elevated compared to 3-month-old APP/PS1, demonstrating that the levels of Aβ42Ms and Aβ42Os in the blood and brain were correlated with AD progression. Interestingly, in 9-month-old APP/PS1 mice, the level of Aβ42 in the intestine was higher than that in 3-month-old APP/PS1 mice, indicating that the increased level of Aβ42 in the gastrointestinal organs may also be related to the progression of AD. Meanwhile, changes in the gut microbiota composition of APP/PS1 mice with age were also observed. Therefore, the increase in Aβ derived from intestinal tissues and changes in microbiome composition can be used as a potential early diagnosis tool for AD, and further used as an indicator of drug intervention to reduce brain amyloid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liding Zhang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Changwen Yang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanqing Li
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shiqi Niu
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaohan Liang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhihong Zhang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Qingming Luo
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Haiming Luo
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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54
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Hosokawa M, Masuda-Suzukake M, Shitara H, Shimozawa A, Suzuki G, Kondo H, Nonaka T, Campbell W, Arai T, Hasegawa M. Development of a novel tau propagation mouse model endogenously expressing 3 and 4 repeat tau isoforms. Brain 2021; 145:349-361. [PMID: 34515757 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The phenomenon of "prion-like propagation" in which aggregates of abnormal amyloid-fibrilized protein propagate between neurons and spread pathology, is attracting attention as a new mechanism in neurodegenerative diseases. There is a strong correlation between the accumulation or spread of abnormal tau aggregates and the clinical symptoms of tauopathies. Microtubule-associated protein of tau contains a microtubule-binding domain which consists of 3-repeats or 4-repeats due to alternative mRNA splicing of transcripts for the Microtubule-associated protein of tau gene. Although a number of models for tau propagation have been reported, most utilize 4-repeat human tau transgenic mice or adult wild-type mice expressing only endogenous 4-repeat tau and these models have not been able to reproduce the pathology of Alzheimer's disease in which 3-repeat and 4-repeat tau accumulate simultaneously, or that of Pick's disease in which only 3-repeat tau is aggregated. These deficiencies may reflect differences between human and rodent tau isoforms in the brain. To overcome this problem, we used genome editing techniques to generate mice that express an equal ratio of endogenous 3-repeat and 4-repeat tau, even after they become adults. We injected these mice with sarkosyl-insoluble fractions derived from the brains of human tauopathy patients such as those afflicted with Alzheimer's disease (3- and 4-repeat tauopathy), corticobasal degeneration (4-repeat tauopathy) or Pick's disease (3-repeat tauopathy). At 8-9 months following intracerebral injection of mice, histopathological and biochemical analyses revealed that the abnormal accumulation of tau was seed-dependent, with 3- and 4-repeat tau in Alzheimer's disease-injected brains, 4-repeat tau only in corticobasal degeneration-injected brains, and 3-repeat tau only in Pick disease-injected brains, all of which contained isoforms related to those found in the injected seeds. The injected abnormal tau was seeded, and accumulated at the site of injection and at neural connections, predominantly within the same site. The abnormal tau newly accumulated was found to be endogenous in these mice and to have crossed the species barrier. Of particular importance, Pick's body-like inclusions were observed in Pick's disease-injected mice, and accumulations characteristic of Pick's disease were reproduced, suggesting that we have developed the first model that recapitulates the pathology of Pick's disease. These models are not only useful for elucidating the mechanism of propagation of tau pathology involving both 3- and 4-repeat-isoforms, but can also reproduce the pathology of tauopathies, which should lead to the discovery of new therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masato Hosokawa
- Dementia Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science. 2-1-6, Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | - Masami Masuda-Suzukake
- Dementia Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science. 2-1-6, Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Shitara
- Laboratory for Transgenic Technology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science. 2-1-6, Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | - Aki Shimozawa
- Dementia Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science. 2-1-6, Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | - Genjiro Suzuki
- Dementia Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science. 2-1-6, Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | - Hiromi Kondo
- Histology Center, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science. 2-1-6, Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | - Takashi Nonaka
- Dementia Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science. 2-1-6, Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | - William Campbell
- Telarray Diagnostics, 3800 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6S 2L9 Canada
| | - Tetsuaki Arai
- Dementia Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science. 2-1-6, Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan.,Department of Neuropsychiatry, Division of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba. 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8576 Japan
| | - Masato Hasegawa
- Dementia Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science. 2-1-6, Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
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55
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Ferreira S, Pitman KA, Summers BS, Wang S, Young KM, Cullen CL. Oligodendrogenesis increases in hippocampal grey and white matter prior to locomotor or memory impairment in an adult mouse model of tauopathy. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:5762-5784. [PMID: 32181929 PMCID: PMC8451881 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Myelin and axon losses are associated with cognitive decline in healthy ageing but are worse in people diagnosed with tauopathy. To determine whether tauopathy is also associated with enhanced myelin plasticity, we evaluated the behaviour of OPCs in mice that expressed a human pathological variant of microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPTP301S ). By 6 months of age (P180), MAPTP301S mice overexpressed hyperphosphorylated tau and had developed reactive gliosis in the hippocampus but had not developed overt locomotor or memory impairment. By performing cre-lox lineage tracing of adult OPCs, we determined that the number of newborn oligodendrocytes added to the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex and fimbria was equivalent in control and MAPTP301S mice prior to P150. However, between P150 and P180, significantly more new oligodendrocytes were added to these regions in the MAPTP301S mouse brain. This large increase in new oligodendrocyte number was not the result of increased OPC proliferation, nor did it alter oligodendrocyte density in the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex or fimbria, which was equivalent in P180 wild-type and MAPTP301S mice. Furthermore, the proportion of hippocampal and fimbria axons with myelin was unaffected by tauopathy. However, the proportion of myelinated axons that were ensheathed by immature myelin internodes was significantly increased in the hippocampus and fimbria of P180 MAPTP301S mice, when compared with their wild-type littermates. These data suggest that MAPTP301S transgenic mice experience significant oligodendrocyte turnover, with newborn oligodendrocytes compensating for myelin loss early in the development of tauopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solène Ferreira
- Menzies Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Kimberley A. Pitman
- Menzies Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Benjamin S. Summers
- Menzies Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Shiwei Wang
- Menzies Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Kaylene M. Young
- Menzies Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Carlie L. Cullen
- Menzies Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
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56
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Cassady KE, Adams JN, Chen X, Maass A, Harrison TM, Landau S, Baker S, Jagust W. Alzheimer's Pathology Is Associated with Dedifferentiation of Intrinsic Functional Memory Networks in Aging. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:4781-4793. [PMID: 34037210 PMCID: PMC8408467 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In presymptomatic Alzheimer's disease (AD), beta-amyloid plaques (Aβ) and tau tangles accumulate in distinct spatiotemporal patterns within the brain, tracking closely with episodic memory decline. Here, we tested whether age-related changes in the segregation of the brain's intrinsic functional episodic memory networks-anterior-temporal (AT) and posterior-medial (PM) networks-are associated with the accumulation of Aβ, tau, and memory decline using fMRI and PET. We found that AT and PM networks were less segregated in older than that in younger adults and this reduced specialization was associated with more tau and Aβ in the same regions. The effect of network dedifferentiation on memory depended on the amount of Aβ and tau, with low segregation and pathology associated with better performance at baseline and low segregation and high pathology related to worse performance over time. This pattern suggests a compensation phase followed by a degenerative phase in the early, preclinical phase of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin E Cassady
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Jenna N Adams
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Xi Chen
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Anne Maass
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Magdeburg 39120, Germany
| | - Theresa M Harrison
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Susan Landau
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Suzanne Baker
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - William Jagust
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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57
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Chung DEC, Roemer S, Petrucelli L, Dickson DW. Cellular and pathological heterogeneity of primary tauopathies. Mol Neurodegener 2021; 16:57. [PMID: 34425874 PMCID: PMC8381569 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-021-00476-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubule-associated protein tau is abnormally aggregated in neuronal and glial cells in a range of neurodegenerative diseases that are collectively referred to as tauopathies. Multiple studies have suggested that pathological tau species may act as a seed that promotes aggregation of endogenous tau in naïve cells and contributes to propagation of tau pathology. While they share pathological tau aggregation as a common feature, tauopathies are distinct from one another with respect to predominant tau isoforms that accumulate and the selective vulnerability of brain regions and cell types that have tau inclusions. For instance, primary tauopathies present with glial tau pathology, while it is mostly neuronal in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Also, morphologies of tau inclusions can greatly vary even within the same cell type, suggesting distinct mechanisms or distinct tau conformers in each tauopathy. Neuropathological heterogeneity across tauopathies challenges our understanding of pathophysiology behind tau seeding and aggregation, as well as our efforts to develop effective therapeutic strategies for AD and other tauopathies. In this review, we describe diverse neuropathological features of tau inclusions in neurodegenerative tauopathies and discuss what has been learned from experimental studies with mouse models, advanced transcriptomics, and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) on the biology underlying cell type-specific tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dah-eun Chloe Chung
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 32224 Jacksonville, FL USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, 77030 Houston, TX USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, 77030 Houston, TX USA
| | - Shanu Roemer
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 32224 Jacksonville, FL USA
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58
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Zhang H, Cao Y, Ma L, Wei Y, Li H. Possible Mechanisms of Tau Spread and Toxicity in Alzheimer's Disease. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:707268. [PMID: 34395435 PMCID: PMC8355602 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.707268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau is a protein that associates with microtubules (MTs) and promotes their assembly and stability. The protein loses its ability to bind MTs in tauopathies, and detached tau can misfold and induce the pathological changes that characterize Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A growing body of evidence indicates that tauopathies can spread between cells or connected regions. Pathological tau transmission in the brain of patients with AD and other tauopathies is due to the spread of various tau species along neuroanatomically connected regions in a “prion-like” manner. This complex process involves multiple steps of secretion, cellular uptake, transcellular transfer, and/or seeding, but the precise mechanisms of tau pathology propagation remain unclear. This review summarizes the current evidence on the nature of propagative tau species and the possible steps involved in the process of tau pathology spread, including detachment from MTs, degradations, and secretion, and discusses the different mechanisms underlying the spread of tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiqin Zhang
- Institute of Geriatrics, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Cao
- Institute of Geriatrics, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lina Ma
- Institute of Geriatrics, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yun Wei
- Institute of Geriatrics, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Li
- Institute of Geriatrics, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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59
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Torok J, Maia PD, Verma P, Mezias C, Raj A. Emergence of directional bias in tau deposition from axonal transport dynamics. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009258. [PMID: 34314441 PMCID: PMC8345857 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Defects in axonal transport may partly underpin the differences between the observed pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and that of other non-amyloidogenic tauopathies. Particularly, pathological tau variants may have molecular properties that dysregulate motor proteins responsible for the anterograde-directed transport of tau in a disease-specific fashion. Here we develop the first computational model of tau-modified axonal transport that produces directional biases in the spread of tau pathology. We simulated the spatiotemporal profiles of soluble and insoluble tau species in a multicompartment, two-neuron system using biologically plausible parameters and time scales. Changes in the balance of tau transport feedback parameters can elicit anterograde and retrograde biases in the distributions of soluble and insoluble tau between compartments in the system. Aggregation and fragmentation parameters can also perturb this balance, suggesting a complex interplay between these distinct molecular processes. Critically, we show that the model faithfully recreates the characteristic network spread biases in both AD-like and non-AD-like mouse tauopathy models. Tau transport feedback may therefore help link microscopic differences in tau conformational states and the resulting variety in clinical presentations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Torok
- Department of Computational Biology and Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical School, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Pedro D. Maia
- Department of Mathematics, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, United States of America
| | - Parul Verma
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Christopher Mezias
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Ashish Raj
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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60
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Robert A, Schöll M, Vogels T. Tau Seeding Mouse Models with Patient Brain-Derived Aggregates. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:6132. [PMID: 34200180 PMCID: PMC8201271 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22116132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are a heterogeneous class of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by intracellular inclusions of aggregated tau proteins. Tau aggregates in different tauopathies have distinct structural features and can be found in different cell types. Transgenic animal models overexpressing human tau have been used for over two decades in the research of tau pathology. However, these models poorly recapitulate the heterogeneity of tauopathies found in human brains. Recent findings demonstrate that injection of purified tau aggregates from the brains of human tauopathy patients recapitulates both the structural features and cell-type specificity of the tau pathology of the donor tauopathy. These models may therefore have unique translational value in the study of functional consequences of tau pathology, tau-based diagnostics, and tau targeting therapeutics. This review provides an update of the literature relating to seeding-based tauopathy and their potential applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiko Robert
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK; (A.R.); (M.S.)
| | - Michael Schöll
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK; (A.R.); (M.S.)
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine and the Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, 413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, 413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Thomas Vogels
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK; (A.R.); (M.S.)
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, 413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Sylics (Synaptologics B.V.), 3721 MA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
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61
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Xia Y, Prokop S, Giasson BI. "Don't Phos Over Tau": recent developments in clinical biomarkers and therapies targeting tau phosphorylation in Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Mol Neurodegener 2021; 16:37. [PMID: 34090488 PMCID: PMC8180161 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-021-00460-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Phosphorylation is one of the most prevalent post-translational modifications found in aggregated tau isolated from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patient brains. In tauopathies like AD, increased phosphorylation or hyperphosphorylation can contribute to microtubule dysfunction and is associated with tau aggregation. In this review, we provide an overview of the structure and functions of tau protein as well as the physiologic roles of tau phosphorylation. We also extensively survey tau phosphorylation sites identified in brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid from AD patients compared to age-matched healthy controls, which may serve as disease-specific biomarkers. Recently, new assays have been developed to measure minute amounts of specific forms of phosphorylated tau in both cerebrospinal fluid and plasma, which could potentially be useful for aiding clinical diagnosis and monitoring disease progression. Additionally, multiple therapies targeting phosphorylated tau are in various stages of clinical trials including kinase inhibitors, phosphatase activators, and tau immunotherapy. With promising early results, therapies that target phosphorylated tau could be useful at slowing tau hyperphosphorylation and aggregation in AD and other tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxing Xia
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, BMS J483/CTRND, 1275 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32610, USA
| | - Stefan Prokop
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32610, USA.,Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32610, USA.,McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32610, USA
| | - Benoit I Giasson
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, BMS J483/CTRND, 1275 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA. .,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32610, USA. .,McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32610, USA.
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62
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Raj A. Graph Models of Pathology Spread in Alzheimer's Disease: An Alternative to Conventional Graph Theoretic Analysis. Brain Connect 2021; 11:799-814. [PMID: 33858198 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2020.0905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Graph theory and connectomics are new techniques for uncovering disease-induced changes in the brain's structural network. Most prior studied have focused on network statistics as biomarkers of disease. However, an emerging body of work involves exploring how the network serves as a conduit for the propagation of disease factors in the brain and has successfully mapped the functional and pathological consequences of disease propagation. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), progressive deposition of misfolded proteins amyloid and tau is well-known to follow fiber projections, under a "prion-like" trans-neuronal transmission mechanism, through which misfolded proteins cascade along neuronal pathways, giving rise to network spread. Methods: In this review, we survey the state of the art in mathematical modeling of connectome-mediated pathology spread in AD. Then we address several open questions that are amenable to mathematically precise parsimonious modeling of pathophysiological processes, extrapolated to the whole brain. We specifically identify current formal models of how misfolded proteins are produced, aggregate, and disseminate in brain circuits, and attempt to understand how this process leads to stereotyped progression in Alzheimer's and other related diseases. Conclusion: This review serves to unify current efforts in modeling of AD progression that together have the potential to explain observed phenomena and serve as a test-bed for future hypothesis generation and testing in silico. Impact statement Graph theory is a powerful new approach that is transforming the study of brain processes. There do not exist many focused reviews of the subfield of graph modeling of how Alzheimer's and other dementias propagate within the brain network, and how these processes can be mapped mathematically. By providing timely and topical review of this subfield, we fill a critical gap in the community and present a unified view that can serve as an in silico test-bed for future hypothesis generation and testing. We also point to several open and unaddressed questions and controversies that future practitioners can tackle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashish Raj
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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63
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Podvin S, Jones A, Liu Q, Aulston B, Mosier C, Ames J, Winston C, Lietz CB, Jiang Z, O’Donoghue AJ, Ikezu T, Rissman RA, Yuan SH, Hook V. Mutant Presenilin 1 Dysregulates Exosomal Proteome Cargo Produced by Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Neurons. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:13033-13056. [PMID: 34056454 PMCID: PMC8158845 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c00660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The accumulation and propagation of hyperphosphorylated tau (p-Tau) is a neuropathological hallmark occurring with neurodegeneration of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Extracellular vesicles, exosomes, have been shown to initiate tau propagation in the brain. Notably, exosomes from human-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) neurons expressing the AD familial A246E mutant form of presenilin 1 (mPS1) are capable of inducing tau deposits in the mouse brain after in vivo injection. To gain insights into the exosome proteome cargo that participates in propagating tau pathology, this study conducted proteomic analysis of exosomes produced by human iPSC neurons expressing A246E mPS1. Significantly, mPS1 altered the profile of exosome cargo proteins to result in (1) proteins present only in mPS1 exosomes and not in controls, (2) the absence of proteins in the mPS1 exosomes which were present only in controls, and (3) shared proteins which were upregulated or downregulated in the mPS1 exosomes compared to controls. These results show that mPS1 dysregulates the proteome cargo of exosomes to result in the acquisition of proteins involved in the extracellular matrix and protease functions, deletion of proteins involved in RNA and protein translation systems along with proteasome and related functions, combined with the upregulation and downregulation of shared proteins, including the upregulation of amyloid precursor protein. Notably, mPS1 neuron-derived exosomes displayed altered profiles of protein phosphatases and kinases involved in regulating the status of p-tau. The dysregulation of exosome cargo proteins by mPS1 may be associated with the ability of mPS1 neuron-derived exosomes to propagate tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Podvin
- Skaggs
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego,
La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
| | - Alexander Jones
- Biomedical
Sciences Graduate Program, University of
California, San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
| | - Qing Liu
- Department
of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University
of California, San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
| | - Brent Aulston
- Department
of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University
of California, San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
| | - Charles Mosier
- Skaggs
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego,
La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
| | - Janneca Ames
- Skaggs
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego,
La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
| | - Charisse Winston
- Department
of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University
of California, San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
| | - Christopher B. Lietz
- Skaggs
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego,
La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
| | - Zhenze Jiang
- Skaggs
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego,
La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
| | - Anthony J. O’Donoghue
- Skaggs
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego,
La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
| | - Tsuneya Ikezu
- Department
of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology,
Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Boston University, School of Medicine, Boston 02118, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Robert A. Rissman
- Department
of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University
of California, San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
- Veterans
Affairs San Diego Healthcare System,
La Jolla, San Diego 92161, California, United States
| | - Shauna H. Yuan
- Department
of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University
of California, San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
| | - Vivian Hook
- Skaggs
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego,
La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
- Biomedical
Sciences Graduate Program, University of
California, San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
- Department
of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University
of California, San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego 92093, California, United States
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64
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Wu R, Li L, Shi R, Zhou Y, Jin N, Gu J, Tung YC, Liu F, Chu D. Dephosphorylation Passivates the Seeding Activity of Oligomeric Tau Derived From Alzheimer's Brain. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:631833. [PMID: 34054426 PMCID: PMC8155256 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.631833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulation of intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), which are constituted of abnormally phosphorylated tau, is one of the neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The oligomeric aggregates of tau in AD brain (AD O-tau) are believed to trigger NFT spreading by seeding normal tau aggregation as toxic seeds, in a prion-like fashion. Here, we revealed the features of AD O-tau by Western blots using antibodies against various epitopes and determined the effect of dephosphorylation on the seeding activity of AD O-tau by capture and seeded aggregation assays. We found that N-terminal truncated and C-terminalhyperphosphorylated tau species were enriched in AD O-tau. Dephosphorylation of AD O-tau by alkaline phosphatasediminished its activity in capturing tau in vitro and ininducing insoluble aggregates in cultured cells. Our resultssuggested that dephosphorylation passivated the seeding activity ofAD O-tau. Inhibition of phosphorylation may be a potentstrategy to prevent the spreading of tau patho3logy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruozhen Wu
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States
| | - Longfei Li
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States
| | - Ruirui Shi
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States
| | - Yan Zhou
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States
| | - Nana Jin
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Jianlan Gu
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States
| | - Yunn Chyn Tung
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, United States
| | - Dandan Chu
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China
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65
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Yang F, Chowdhury SR, Jacobs HIL, Sepulcre J, Wedeen VJ, Johnson KA, Dutta J. Longitudinal predictive modeling of tau progression along the structural connectome. Neuroimage 2021; 237:118126. [PMID: 33957234 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau neurofibrillary tangles, a pathophysiological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), exhibit a stereotypical spatiotemporal trajectory that is strongly correlated with disease progression and cognitive decline. Personalized prediction of tau progression is, therefore, vital for the early diagnosis and prognosis of AD. Evidence from both animal and human studies is suggestive of tau transmission along the brains preexisting neural connectivity conduits. We present here an analytic graph diffusion framework for individualized predictive modeling of tau progression along the structural connectome. To account for physiological processes that lead to active generation and clearance of tau alongside passive diffusion, our model uses an inhomogenous graph diffusion equation with a source term and provides closed-form solutions to this equation for linear and exponential source functionals. Longitudinal imaging data from two cohorts, the Harvard Aging Brain Study (HABS) and the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), were used to validate the model. The clinical data used for developing and validating the model include regional tau measures extracted from longitudinal positron emission tomography (PET) scans based on the 18F-Flortaucipir radiotracer and individual structural connectivity maps computed from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) by means of tractography and streamline counting. Two-timepoint tau PET scans were used to assess the goodness of model fit. Three-timepoint tau PET scans were used to assess predictive accuracy via comparison of predicted and observed tau measures at the third timepoint. Our results show high consistency between predicted and observed tau and differential tau from region-based analysis. While the prognostic value of this approach needs to be validated in a larger cohort, our preliminary results suggest that our longitudinal predictive model, which offers an in vivo macroscopic perspective on tau progression in the brain, is potentially promising as a personalizable predictive framework for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Yang
- University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, United States
| | | | - Heidi I L Jacobs
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jorge Sepulcre
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Van J Wedeen
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Keith A Johnson
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Joyita Dutta
- University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, United States; Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
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66
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Maté de Gérando A, d'Orange M, Augustin E, Joséphine C, Aurégan G, Gaudin-Guérif M, Guillermier M, Hérard AS, Stimmer L, Petit F, Gipchtein P, Jan C, Escartin C, Selingue E, Carvalho K, Blum D, Brouillet E, Hantraye P, Gaillard MC, Bonvento G, Bemelmans AP, Cambon K. Neuronal tau species transfer to astrocytes and induce their loss according to tau aggregation state. Brain 2021; 144:1167-1182. [PMID: 33842937 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Deposits of different abnormal forms of tau in neurons and astrocytes represent key anatomo-pathological features of tauopathies. Although tau protein is highly enriched in neurons and poorly expressed by astrocytes, the origin of astrocytic tau is still elusive. Here, we used innovative gene transfer tools to model tauopathies in adult mouse brains and to investigate the origin of astrocytic tau. We showed in our adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based models and in Thy-Tau22 transgenic mice that astrocytic tau pathology can emerge secondarily to neuronal pathology. By designing an in vivo reporter system, we further demonstrated bidirectional exchanges of tau species between neurons and astrocytes. We then determined the consequences of tau accumulation in astrocytes on their survival in models displaying various status of tau aggregation. Using stereological counting of astrocytes, we report that, as for neurons, soluble tau species are highly toxic to some subpopulations of astrocytes in the hippocampus, whereas the accumulation of tau aggregates does not affect their survival. Thus, astrocytes are not mere bystanders of neuronal pathology. Our results strongly suggest that tau pathology in astrocytes may significantly contribute to clinical symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasie Maté de Gérando
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Marie d'Orange
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Emma Augustin
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Charlène Joséphine
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Gwénaelle Aurégan
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Mylène Gaudin-Guérif
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Martine Guillermier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Anne-Sophie Hérard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Lev Stimmer
- MIRCen, INSERM-CEA, Platform for experimental pathology, U1169 and US27, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Fanny Petit
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Pauline Gipchtein
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Caroline Jan
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Carole Escartin
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Erwan Selingue
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Neurospin, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Kévin Carvalho
- Université Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1172-LilNCog-Lille Neuroscience and Cognition, F-59000 Lille, France.,Alzheimer and Tauopathies, LabEx DISTALZ, Lille, France
| | - David Blum
- Université Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1172-LilNCog-Lille Neuroscience and Cognition, F-59000 Lille, France.,Alzheimer and Tauopathies, LabEx DISTALZ, Lille, France
| | - Emmanuel Brouillet
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Philippe Hantraye
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Marie-Claude Gaillard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Gilles Bonvento
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Alexis-Pierre Bemelmans
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Karine Cambon
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
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67
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Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration in Various Forms of Parkinsonism-Similarities and Differences. Cells 2021; 10:cells10030656. [PMID: 33809527 PMCID: PMC7999195 DOI: 10.3390/cells10030656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD), dementia with Lewy body (DLB), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) belong to a group of neurodegenerative diseases called parkinsonian syndromes. They share several clinical, neuropathological and genetic features. Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the progressive dysfunction of specific populations of neurons, determining clinical presentation. Neuronal loss is associated with extra- and intracellular accumulation of misfolded proteins. The parkinsonian diseases affect distinct areas of the brain. PD and MSA belong to a group of synucleinopathies that are characterized by the presence of fibrillary aggregates of α-synuclein protein in the cytoplasm of selected populations of neurons and glial cells. PSP is a tauopathy associated with the pathological aggregation of the microtubule associated tau protein. Although PD is common in the world’s aging population and has been extensively studied, the exact mechanisms of the neurodegeneration are still not fully understood. Growing evidence indicates that parkinsonian disorders to some extent share a genetic background, with two key components identified so far: the microtubule associated tau protein gene (MAPT) and the α-synuclein gene (SNCA). The main pathways of parkinsonian neurodegeneration described in the literature are the protein and mitochondrial pathways. The factors that lead to neurodegeneration are primarily environmental toxins, inflammatory factors, oxidative stress and traumatic brain injury.
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68
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Carlomagno Y, Manne S, DeTure M, Prudencio M, Zhang YJ, Hanna Al-Shaikh R, Dunmore JA, Daughrity LM, Song Y, Castanedes-Casey M, Lewis-Tuffin LJ, Nicholson KA, Wszolek ZK, Dickson DW, Fitzpatrick AWP, Petrucelli L, Cook CN. The AD tau core spontaneously self-assembles and recruits full-length tau to filaments. Cell Rep 2021; 34:108843. [PMID: 33730588 PMCID: PMC8094113 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau accumulation is a major pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies, but the mechanism(s) of tau aggregation remains unclear. Taking advantage of the identification of tau filament cores by cryoelectron microscopy, we demonstrate that the AD tau core possesses the intrinsic ability to spontaneously aggregate in the absence of an inducer, with antibodies generated against AD tau core filaments detecting AD tau pathology. The AD tau core also drives aggregation of full-length wild-type tau, increases seeding potential, and templates abnormal forms of tau present in brain homogenates and antemortem cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with AD in an ultrasensitive real-time quaking-induced conversion (QuIC) assay. Finally, we show that the filament cores in corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and Pick's disease (PiD) similarly assemble into filaments under physiological conditions. These results document an approach to modeling tau aggregation and have significant implications for in vivo investigation of tau transmission and biomarker development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yari Carlomagno
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Sireesha Manne
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Michael DeTure
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Mercedes Prudencio
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Yong-Jie Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | | | | | - Yuping Song
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | | | - Katharine A Nicholson
- Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Dennis W Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Anthony W P Fitzpatrick
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Leonard Petrucelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
| | - Casey N Cook
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
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69
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Lee H, Jeon SG, Kim J, Kang RJ, Kim S, Han K, Park H, Kim K, Sung YM, Nam HY, Koh YH, Song M, Suk K, Hoe H. Ibrutinib modulates Aβ/tau pathology, neuroinflammation, and cognitive function in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. Aging Cell 2021; 20:e13332. [PMID: 33709472 PMCID: PMC7963331 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously demonstrated that ibrutinib modulates LPS‐induced neuroinflammation in vitro and in vivo, but its effects on the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cognitive function have not been investigated. Here, we investigated the effects of ibrutinib in two mouse models of AD. In 5xFAD mice, ibrutinib injection significantly reduced Aβ plaque levels by promoting the non‐amyloidogenic pathway of APP cleavage, decreased Aβ‐induced neuroinflammatory responses, and significantly downregulated phosphorylation of tau by reducing levels of phosphorylated cyclin‐dependent kinase‐5 (p‐CDK5). Importantly, tau‐mediated neuroinflammation and tau phosphorylation were also alleviated by ibrutinib injection in PS19 mice. In 5xFAD mice, ibrutinib improved long‐term memory and dendritic spine number, whereas in PS19 mice, ibrutinib did not alter short‐ and long‐term memory but promoted dendritic spinogenesis. Interestingly, the induction of dendritic spinogenesis by ibrutinib was dependent on the phosphorylation of phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K). Overall, our results suggest that ibrutinib modulates AD‐associated pathology and cognitive function and may be a potential therapy for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun‐ju Lee
- Department of Neural Development and Disease Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI) Daegu Korea
| | - Seong Gak Jeon
- Department of Neural Development and Disease Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI) Daegu Korea
| | - Jieun Kim
- Department of Neural Development and Disease Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI) Daegu Korea
| | - Ri Jin Kang
- Department of Neural Development and Disease Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI) Daegu Korea
| | - Seong‐Min Kim
- Department of Neural Development and Disease Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI) Daegu Korea
- Medical Device Development Center Daegu‐Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation (DGMIF) Daegu Korea
| | - Kyung‐Min Han
- Department of Neural Development and Disease Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI) Daegu Korea
| | - HyunHee Park
- Department of Neural Development and Disease Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI) Daegu Korea
| | - Ki‐taek Kim
- Department of Life Sciences Yeungnam University Gyeongsan Korea
| | - You Me Sung
- Korea Mouse Phenotyping Center (KMPC) Seoul National University Seoul Korea
| | - Hye Yeon Nam
- Department of Neural Development and Disease Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI) Daegu Korea
| | - Young Ho Koh
- Center for Biomedical Sciences Center for Infectious Diseases Division of Brain Disease Korea National Institute of Health Heungdeok‐gu Korea
| | - Minseok Song
- Department of Life Sciences Yeungnam University Gyeongsan Korea
| | - Kyoungho Suk
- Department of Pharmacology Brain Science & Engineering Institute School of Medicine Kyungpook National University Daegu Korea
| | - Hyang‐Sook Hoe
- Department of Neural Development and Disease Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI) Daegu Korea
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology Daegu Korea
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70
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Li D, Liu C. Hierarchical chemical determination of amyloid polymorphs in neurodegenerative disease. Nat Chem Biol 2021; 17:237-245. [PMID: 33432239 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-020-00708-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid aggregation, which disrupts protein homeostasis, is a common pathological event occurring in human neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Numerous evidences have shown that the structural diversity, so-called polymorphism, is decisive to the amyloid pathology and is closely associated with the onset, progression, and phenotype of ND. But how could one protein form so many stable structures? Recently, atomic structural evidence has been rapidly mounting to depict the involvement of chemical modifications in the amyloid fibril formation. In this Perspective, we aim to present a hierarchical regulation of chemical modifications including covalent post-translational modifications (PTMs) and noncovalent cofactor binding in governing the polymorphic amyloid formation, based mainly on the latest α-synuclein and Tau fibril structures. We hope to emphasize the determinant role of chemical modifications in amyloid assembly and pathology and to evoke chemical biological approaches to lead the fundamental and therapeutic research on protein amyloid state and the associated NDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Li
- Bio-X-Renji Hospital Research Center, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China. .,Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Cong Liu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
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71
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Giannini LAA, Peterson C, Ohm D, Xie SX, McMillan CT, Raskovsky K, Massimo L, Suh E, Van Deerlin VM, Wolk DA, Trojanowski JQ, Lee EB, Grossman M, Irwin DJ. Frontotemporal lobar degeneration proteinopathies have disparate microscopic patterns of white and grey matter pathology. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:30. [PMID: 33622418 PMCID: PMC7901087 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01129-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration proteinopathies with tau inclusions (FTLD-Tau) or TDP-43 inclusions (FTLD-TDP) are associated with clinically similar phenotypes. However, these disparate proteinopathies likely differ in cellular severity and regional distribution of inclusions in white matter (WM) and adjacent grey matter (GM), which have been understudied. We performed a neuropathological study of subcortical WM and adjacent GM in a large autopsy cohort (n = 92; FTLD-Tau = 37, FTLD-TDP = 55) using a validated digital image approach. The antemortem clinical phenotype was behavioral-variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) in 23 patients with FTLD-Tau and 42 with FTLD-TDP, and primary progressive aphasia (PPA) in 14 patients with FTLD-Tau and 13 with FTLD-TDP. We used linear mixed-effects models to: (1) compare WM pathology burden between proteinopathies; (2) investigate the relationship between WM pathology burden and WM degeneration using luxol fast blue (LFB) myelin staining; (3) study regional patterns of pathology burden in clinico-pathological groups. WM pathology burden was greater in FTLD-Tau compared to FTLD-TDP across regions (beta = 4.21, SE = 0.34, p < 0.001), and correlated with the degree of WM degeneration in both FTLD-Tau (beta = 0.32, SE = 0.10, p = 0.002) and FTLD-TDP (beta = 0.40, SE = 0.08, p < 0.001). WM degeneration was greater in FTLD-Tau than FTLD-TDP particularly in middle-frontal and anterior cingulate regions (p < 0.05). Distinct regional patterns of WM and GM inclusions characterized FTLD-Tau and FTLD-TDP proteinopathies, and associated in part with clinical phenotype. In FTLD-Tau, WM pathology was particularly severe in the dorsolateral frontal cortex in nonfluent-variant PPA, and GM pathology in dorsolateral and paralimbic frontal regions with some variation across tauopathies. Differently, FTLD-TDP had little WM regional variability, but showed severe GM pathology burden in ventromedial prefrontal regions in both bvFTD and PPA. To conclude, FTLD-Tau and FTLD-TDP proteinopathies have distinct severity and regional distribution of WM and GM pathology, which may impact their clinical presentation, with overall greater severity of WM pathology as a distinguishing feature of tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia A A Giannini
- Digital Neuropathology Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (FTDC), Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3600 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Neurology, Alzheimer Center, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Claire Peterson
- Digital Neuropathology Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (FTDC), Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3600 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Daniel Ohm
- Digital Neuropathology Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (FTDC), Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3600 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Sharon X Xie
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Corey T McMillan
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (FTDC), Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3600 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Katya Raskovsky
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (FTDC), Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3600 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Lauren Massimo
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (FTDC), Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3600 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - EunRah Suh
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Vivianna M Van Deerlin
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - David A Wolk
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - John Q Trojanowski
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Edward B Lee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Alzheimer's Disease Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Translational Neuropathology Research Laboratory, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Murray Grossman
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (FTDC), Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3600 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - David J Irwin
- Digital Neuropathology Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (FTDC), Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3600 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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Li L, Shi R, Gu J, Tung YC, Zhou Y, Zhou D, Wu R, Chu D, Jin N, Deng K, Xu J, Gong CX, Iqbal K, Liu F. Alzheimer's disease brain contains tau fractions with differential prion-like activities. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:28. [PMID: 33597014 PMCID: PMC7890974 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01127-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) made of abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related tauopathies. Regional distribution of NFTs is associated with the progression of the disease and has been proposed to be a result of prion-like propagation of misfolded tau. Tau in AD brain is heterogenous and presents in various forms. In the present study, we prepared different tau fractions by sedimentation combined with sarkosyl solubility from AD brains and analyzed their biochemical and pathological properties. We found that tau in oligomeric fraction (O-tau), sarkosyl-insoluble fractions 1 and 2 (SI1-tau and SI2-tau) and monomeric heat-stable fraction (HS-tau) showed differences in truncation, hyperphosphorylation, and resistance to proteinase K. O-tau, SI1-tau, and SI2-tau, but not HS-tau, were hyperphosphorylated at multiple sites and contained SDS- and β-mercaptoethanol–resistant high molecular weight aggregates, which lacked the N-terminal portion of tau. O-tau and SI2-tau displayed more truncation and less hyperphosphorylation than SI1-tau. Resistance to proteinase K was increased from O-tau to SI1-tau to SI2-tau. O-tau and SI1-tau, but not SI2-tau or HS-tau, captured tau from cell lysates and seeded tau aggregation in cultured cells. Heat treatment could not kill the prion-like activity of O-tau to capture normal tau. Hippocampal injection of O-tau into 18-month-old FVB mice induced significant tau aggregation in both ipsilateral and contralateral hippocampi, but SI1-tau only induced tau pathology in the ipsilateral hippocampus, and SI2-tau and HS-tau failed to induce any detectable tau aggregation. These findings suggest that O-tau and SI1-tau have prion-like activities and may serve as seeds to recruit tau and template tau to aggregate, resulting in the propagation of tau pathology. Heterogeneity of tau pathology within AD brain results in different fractions with different biological and prion-like properties, which may pose a major challenge in targeting tau for development of effective therapeutic treatments.
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73
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Ritchie DL, Barria MA. Prion Diseases: A Unique Transmissible Agent or a Model for Neurodegenerative Diseases? Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11020207. [PMID: 33540845 PMCID: PMC7912988 DOI: 10.3390/biom11020207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The accumulation and propagation in the brain of misfolded proteins is a pathological hallmark shared by many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (Aβ and tau), Parkinson's disease (α-synuclein), and prion disease (prion protein). Currently, there is no epidemiological evidence to suggest that neurodegenerative disorders are infectious, apart from prion diseases. However, there is an increasing body of evidence from experimental models to suggest that other pathogenic proteins such as Aβ and tau can propagate in vivo and in vitro in a prion-like mechanism, inducing the formation of misfolded protein aggregates such as amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Such similarities have raised concerns that misfolded proteins, other than the prion protein, could potentially transmit from person-to-person as rare events after lengthy incubation periods. Such concerns have been heightened following a number of recent reports of the possible inadvertent transmission of Aβ pathology via medical and surgical procedures. This review will provide a historical perspective on the unique transmissible nature of prion diseases, examining their impact on public health and the ongoing concerns raised by this rare group of disorders. Additionally, this review will provide an insight into current evidence supporting the potential transmissibility of other pathogenic proteins associated with more common neurodegenerative disorders and the potential implications for public health.
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74
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Zareba-Paslawska J, Patra K, Kluzer L, Revesz T, Svenningsson P. Tau Isoform-Driven CBD Pathology Transmission in Oligodendrocytes in Humanized Tau Mice. Front Neurol 2021; 11:589471. [PMID: 33519674 PMCID: PMC7845573 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.589471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The aggregation of abnormally phosphorylated tau protein in neurons and glia is a neuropathological hallmark of several neurodegenerative disorders, collectively known as tauopathies. They are further subclassified based on the preferential pathological aggregation of three carboxyl-terminal repeat domains (3R) and/or 4R tau. Corticobasal degeneration (CBD) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder classified as a 4R tauopathy. In the present study, we extend analysis of CBD-tau cell-type specific pathology transmission with 3R and 4R tau isoform distinguishable changes. We use a humanized tau (hTau) mouse line, which overexpress all six human tau isoforms in a murine tau knockout background and perform intrastriatal inoculation of control and CBD-tau enriched human brain homogenate. We show that CBD-tau causes hyperphosphorylation of tau at Ser202 predominantly in oligodendrocytes. Next, we demonstrate the spread of tau pathology from striatum to the overlaying corpus callosum and further to the contralateral side. Finally, we demonstrate that the almost exclusive oligodendrocyte-based transmission of hyperphosphorylated tau is reflected in the endogenous 4R tau isoform expression and corresponds to subclassification of CBD as a 4R tauopathy. Additionally, we identify functional changes in oligodendrocytes reflected by myelin basic protein abnormalities upon CBD-tau inoculation. These changes are not observed in murine tau knockout mice lacking both human and murine tau. Our study presents not only in vivo tau isoform–driven region- and cell-specific tau pathology, but also underlines that tau pathology seeding and transmission might be oligodendrocyte-based. These results, which need to be extended to more cases, give new insights into why tauopathies might vary greatly in both histopathological and neuroanatomical patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justyna Zareba-Paslawska
- Laboratory of Translational Neuropharmacology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kalicharan Patra
- Laboratory of Translational Neuropharmacology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Luca Kluzer
- Laboratory of Translational Neuropharmacology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tamas Revesz
- Queen Square Brain Bank, Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Per Svenningsson
- Laboratory of Translational Neuropharmacology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
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75
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Dominguez-Meijide A, Vasili E, Outeiro TF. Pharmacological Modulators of Tau Aggregation and Spreading. Brain Sci 2020; 10:E858. [PMID: 33203009 PMCID: PMC7696562 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10110858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the deposition of aggregates composed of abnormal tau protein in the brain. Additionally, misfolded forms of tau can propagate from cell to cell and throughout the brain. This process is thought to lead to the templated misfolding of the native forms of tau, and thereby, to the formation of newer toxic aggregates, thereby propagating the disease. Therefore, modulation of the processes that lead to tau aggregation and spreading is of utmost importance in the fight against tauopathies. In recent years, several molecules have been developed for the modulation of tau aggregation and spreading. In this review, we discuss the processes of tau aggregation and spreading and highlight selected chemicals developed for the modulation of these processes, their usefulness, and putative mechanisms of action. Ultimately, a stronger understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved, and the properties of the substances developed to modulate them, will lead to the development of safer and better strategies for the treatment of tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Dominguez-Meijide
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37073 Goettingen, Germany; (A.D.-M.); (E.V.)
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy and Experimental Neurology, Dept. of Morphological Sciences, CIMUS, IDIS, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Eftychia Vasili
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37073 Goettingen, Germany; (A.D.-M.); (E.V.)
| | - Tiago Fleming Outeiro
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37073 Goettingen, Germany; (A.D.-M.); (E.V.)
- Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, 37075 Goettingen, Germany
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
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76
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Kang SG, Eskandari-Sedighi G, Hromadkova L, Safar JG, Westaway D. Cellular Biology of Tau Diversity and Pathogenic Conformers. Front Neurol 2020; 11:590199. [PMID: 33304310 PMCID: PMC7693435 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.590199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau accumulation is a prominent feature in a variety of neurodegenerative disorders and remarkable effort has been expended working out the biochemistry and cell biology of this cytoplasmic protein. Tau's wayward properties may derive from germline mutations in the case of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD-MAPT) but may also be prompted by less understood cues—perhaps environmental or from molecular damage as a consequence of chronological aging—in the case of idiopathic tauopathies. Tau properties are undoubtedly affected by its covalent structure and in this respect tau protein is not only subject to changes in length produced by alternative splicing and endoproteolysis, but different types of posttranslational modifications that affect different amino acid residues. Another layer of complexity concerns alternate conformations—“conformers”—of the same covalent structures; in vivo conformers can encompass soluble oligomeric species, ramified fibrillar structures evident by light and electron microscopy and other forms of the protein that have undergone liquid-liquid phase separation to make demixed liquid droplets. Biological concepts based upon conformers have been charted previously for templated replication mechanisms for prion proteins built of the PrP polypeptide; these are now providing useful explanations to feature tau pathobiology, including how this protein accumulates within cells and how it can exhibit predictable patterns of spread across different neuroanatomical regions of an affected brain. In sum, the documented, intrinsic heterogeneity of tau forms and conformers now begins to speak to a fundamental basis for diversity in clinical presentation of tauopathy sub-types. In terms of interventions, emphasis upon subclinical events may be worthwhile, noting that irrevocable cell loss and ramified protein assemblies feature at end-stage tauopathy, whereas earlier events may offer better opportunities for diverting pathogenic processes. Nonetheless, the complexity of tau sub-types, which may be present even within intermediate disease stages, likely mitigates against one-size-fits-all therapeutic strategies and may require a suite of interventions. We consider the extent to which animal models of tauopathy can be reasonably enrolled in the campaign to produce such interventions and to slow the otherwise inexorable march of disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Gyun Kang
- Center for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | - Lenka Hromadkova
- Department of Neurology and Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Jiri G Safar
- Department of Neurology and Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - David Westaway
- Center for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Bell BJ, Malvankar MM, Tallon C, Slusher BS. Sowing the Seeds of Discovery: Tau-Propagation Models of Alzheimer's Disease. ACS Chem Neurosci 2020; 11:3499-3509. [PMID: 33050700 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The propagation of pathological proteins throughout the brain is the primary physiological hallmark of the progression of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). A growing body of evidence indicates that hyperphosphorylated Tau proteins are spread transcellularly between neurons in a prionlike fashion, inducing misfolding and aggregation into neurofibrillary tangles which accumulate along specific connectivity pathways. Earlier transgenic rodent AD models did not capture this disease-relevant spread, and therefore, seeded Tau-propagation models have been developed. Here, mutant human Tau (as isolated protein or packaged into an adeno-associated virus (AAV) viral vector) is stereotaxically injected into select brain regions and its histopathological propagation to downstream neurons quantified. These models offer a faster and more direct mechanism to evaluate genetic components and therapeutic approaches which attenuate Tau spreading in vivo. Recently, these Tau-seeding models have revealed several new targets for AD drug discovery, including nSMase2, SIRT1, p300/CBP, LRP1, and TYROBP, as well as the potential therapeutics based on melatonin and chondroitinase ABC. Importantly, these Tau-propagation rodent models more closely phenocopy the progression of AD in humans and are therefore likely to improve preclinical studies and derisk future moves into clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J. Bell
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Medhinee M. Malvankar
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Carolyn Tallon
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Barbara S. Slusher
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
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78
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Perez-Rando M, Dujardin S, Bennett RE, Commins C, Nibhanupudy T, Hyman BT. Synaptic and metabolic gene expression alterations in neurons that are recipients of proteopathic tau seeds. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2020; 8:168. [PMID: 33076986 PMCID: PMC7574323 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-020-01049-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies suggest that misfolded tau molecules can be released, and taken up by adjacent neurons, propagating proteopathic seeds across neural systems. Yet critical to understanding whether tau propagation is relevant in pathophysiology of disease would be to learn if it alters neuronal properties. We utilized high resolution multi-color in situ hybridization technology, RNAScope, in a well-established tau transgenic animal, and found that a subset of neurons in the cortex do not appear to express the transgene, but do develop phospho-tau positive inclusions, consistent with having received tau seeds. Recipient neurons show decreases in their expression of synaptophysin, CAMKIIα, and mouse tau in both young and old animals. These results contrast with neurons that develop tau aggregates and also overexpress the transgene, which have few changes in expression of metabolic and synaptic markers. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that tau propagation impacts neuronal functional integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Perez-Rando
- grid.32224.350000 0004 0386 9924Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Building 114, Room 2009, Charlestown, MA 02129 USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Simon Dujardin
- grid.32224.350000 0004 0386 9924Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Building 114, Room 2009, Charlestown, MA 02129 USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Rachel E. Bennett
- grid.32224.350000 0004 0386 9924Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Building 114, Room 2009, Charlestown, MA 02129 USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Caitlin Commins
- grid.32224.350000 0004 0386 9924Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Building 114, Room 2009, Charlestown, MA 02129 USA
| | - Tara Nibhanupudy
- grid.32224.350000 0004 0386 9924Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Building 114, Room 2009, Charlestown, MA 02129 USA
| | - Bradley T. Hyman
- grid.32224.350000 0004 0386 9924Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Building 114, Room 2009, Charlestown, MA 02129 USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
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Karikari TK, Keeling S, Hill E, Lantero Rodrı́guez J, Nagel DA, Becker B, Höglund K, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Hill EJ, Moffat KG. Extensive Plasmid Library to Prepare Tau Protein Variants and Study Their Functional Biochemistry. ACS Chem Neurosci 2020; 11:3117-3129. [PMID: 32833429 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau neurofibrillary tangles are key pathological features of Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Recombinant protein technology is vital for studying the structure and function of tau in physiology and aggregation in pathophysiology. However, open-source and well-characterized plasmids for efficiently expressing and purifying different tau variants are lacking. We generated 44 sequence-verified plasmids including those encoding full length (FL) tau-441, its four-repeat microtubule-binding (K18) fragment, and their respective selected familial pathological variants (N279K, V337M, P301L, C291R, and S356T). Moreover, plasmids for expressing single (C291A), double (C291A/C322A), and triple (C291A/C322A/I260C) cysteine-modified variants were generated to study alterations in cysteine content and locations. Furthermore, protocols for producing representative tau forms were developed. We produced and characterized the aggregation behavior of the triple cysteine-modified tau-K18, often used in real-time cell internalization and aggregation studies because it can be fluorescently labeled on a cysteine outside the microtubule-binding core. Similar to the wild type (WT), triple cysteine-modified tau-K18 aggregated by progressive β-sheet enrichment, albeit at a slower rate. On prolonged incubation, cysteine-modified K18 formed paired helical filaments similar to those in Alzheimer's disease, sharing morphological phenotypes with WT tau-K18 filaments. Nonetheless, cysteine-modified tau-K18 filaments were significantly shorter (p = 0.002) and mostly wider than WT filaments, explainable by their different principal filament elongation pathways: vertical (end-to-end) and lateral growth for WT and cysteine-modified, respectively. Cysteine rearrangement may therefore induce filament polymorphism. Together, the plasmid library, the protein production methods, and the new insights into cysteine-dependent aggregation should facilitate further studies and the design of antiaggregation agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas K. Karikari
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K
- Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE 43180, Sweden
| | - Sophie Keeling
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K
| | - Emily Hill
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K
| | - Juan Lantero Rodrı́guez
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE 43180, Sweden
| | - David A. Nagel
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, U.K
| | - Bruno Becker
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE 43180, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal 431 80, Sweden
| | - Kina Höglund
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE 43180, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal 431 80, Sweden
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE 43180, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal 431 80, Sweden
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE 43180, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal 431 80, Sweden
| | - Eric J. Hill
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, U.K
| | - Kevin G. Moffat
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K
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80
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Merezhko M, Uronen RL, Huttunen HJ. The Cell Biology of Tau Secretion. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:569818. [PMID: 33071756 PMCID: PMC7539664 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.569818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The progressive accumulation and spread of misfolded tau protein in the nervous system is the hallmark of tauopathies, progressive neurodegenerative diseases with only symptomatic treatments available. A growing body of evidence suggests that spreading of tau pathology can occur via cell-to-cell transfer involving secretion and internalization of pathological forms of tau protein followed by templated misfolding of normal tau in recipient cells. Several studies have addressed the cell biological mechanisms of tau secretion. It now appears that instead of a single mechanism, cells can secrete tau via three coexisting pathways: (1) translocation through the plasma membrane; (2) membranous organelles-based secretion; and (3) ectosomal shedding. The relative importance of these pathways in the secretion of normal and pathological tau is still elusive, though. Moreover, glial cells contribute to tau propagation, and the involvement of different cell types, as well as different secretion pathways, complicates the understanding of prion-like propagation of tauopathy. One of the important regulators of tau secretion in neuronal activity, but its mechanistic connection to tau secretion remains unclear and may involve all three secretion pathways of tau. This review article summarizes recent advancements in the field of tau secretion with an emphasis on cell biological aspects of the secretion process and discusses the role of neuronal activity and glial cells in the spread of pathological forms of tau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Merezhko
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Henri J Huttunen
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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81
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Zubčić K, Hof PR, Šimić G, Jazvinšćak Jembrek M. The Role of Copper in Tau-Related Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:572308. [PMID: 33071757 PMCID: PMC7533614 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.572308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
All tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), are characterized by the intracellular accumulation of abnormal forms of tau protein in neurons and glial cells, which negatively affect microtubule stability. Under physiological conditions, tubulin-associated unit (Tau) protein is intrinsically disordered, almost without secondary structure, and is not prone to aggregation. In AD, it assembles, and forms paired helical filaments (PHFs) that further build-up neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Aggregates are composed of hyperphosphorylated tau protein that is more prone to aggregation. The pathology of AD is also linked to disturbed copper homeostasis, which promotes oxidative stress (OS). Copper imbalance is widely observed in AD patients. Deregulated copper ions may initiate and exacerbate tau hyperphosphorylation and formation of β-sheet-rich tau fibrils that ultimately contribute to synaptic failure, neuronal death, and cognitive decline observed in AD patients. The present review summarizes factors affecting the process of tau aggregation, conformational changes of small peptide sequences in the microtubule-binding domain required for these motifs to act as seeding sites in aggregation, and the role of copper in OS induction, tau hyperphosphorylation and tau assembly. A better understanding of the various factors that affect tau aggregation under OS conditions may reveal new targets and novel pharmacological approaches for the therapy of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara Zubčić
- Laboratory for Developmental Neuropathology, Department for Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Patrick R Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Goran Šimić
- Laboratory for Developmental Neuropathology, Department for Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Maja Jazvinšćak Jembrek
- Laboratory for Protein Dynamics, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia.,Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia
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82
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Abey A, Davies D, Goldsbury C, Buckland M, Valenzuela M, Duncan T. Distribution of tau hyperphosphorylation in canine dementia resembles early Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Brain Pathol 2020; 31:144-162. [PMID: 32810333 PMCID: PMC8018065 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Some aged community dogs acquire a degenerative syndrome termed Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (CCD) that resembles human dementia because of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), with comparable cognitive and behavioral deficits. Dogs also have similar neuroanatomy, share our domestic environment and develop amyloid‐β plaques, making them likely a valuable ecological model of AD. However, prior investigations have demonstrated a lack of neurofibrillary tau pathology in aged dogs, an important hallmark of AD, though elevated phosphorylated tau (p‐tau) at the Serine 396 (S396) epitope has been reported in CCD. Here using enhanced immunohistochemical methods, we investigated p‐tau in six CCD brains and six controls using the AT8 antibody (later stage neurofibrillary pathology), and an antibody against S396 p‐tau (earlier stage tau dysfunction). For the first time, we systematically assessed the Papez circuit and regions associated with Braak staging and found that all CCD dogs displayed elevated S396 p‐tau labeling throughout the circuit. The limbic thalamus was particularly implicated, with a similar labeling pattern to that reported for AD neurofibrillary pathology, especially the anterior nuclei, while the hippocampus exhibited dysfunction confined to synaptic layers and efferent pathways. The cingulate and temporal lobes displayed significantly greater tauopathy than the frontal and occipital cortices, also reflective of early Braak staging patterns in AD. Immunofluorescence confirmed that S396 was accumulating within neuronal axons, somata and oligodendrocytes. We also observed AT8 labeling in one CCD brain, near the transentorhinal cortex in layer II neurons, one of the first regions to be affected in AD. Together, these data demonstrate a concordance in regional distribution of tauopathy between CCD and AD, most evident in the limbic thalamus, an important step in further validating CCD as a translational model for human AD and understanding early AD pathogenic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajantha Abey
- Regenerative Neuroscience Group, The Brain and Mind Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.,Discipline of Anatomy and Histology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Danielle Davies
- Discipline of Anatomy and Histology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Alzheimer's Disease Cell Biology Research Lab, The Brain and Mind Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Claire Goldsbury
- Discipline of Anatomy and Histology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Alzheimer's Disease Cell Biology Research Lab, The Brain and Mind Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael Buckland
- Department of Neuropathology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael Valenzuela
- Regenerative Neuroscience Group, The Brain and Mind Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.,Discipline of Anatomy and Histology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Psychiatry, Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Thomas Duncan
- Regenerative Neuroscience Group, The Brain and Mind Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.,Discipline of Anatomy and Histology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Department of Anatomy, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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83
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De La-Rocque S, Moretto E, Butnaru I, Schiavo G. Knockin' on heaven's door: Molecular mechanisms of neuronal tau uptake. J Neurochem 2020; 156:563-588. [PMID: 32770783 PMCID: PMC8432157 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Since aggregates of the microtubule‐binding protein tau were found to be the main component of neurofibrillary tangles more than 30 years ago, their contribution to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and tauopathies has become well established. Recent work shows that both tau load and its distribution in the brain of AD patients correlate with cognitive decline more closely compared to amyloid plaque deposition. In addition, the amyloid cascade hypothesis has been recently challenged because of disappointing results of clinical trials designed to treat AD by reducing beta‐amyloid levels, thus fuelling a renewed interest in tau. There is now robust evidence to indicate that tau pathology can spread within the central nervous system via a prion‐like mechanism following a stereotypical pattern, which can be explained by the trans‐synaptic inter‐neuronal transfer of pathological tau. In the receiving neuron, tau has been shown to take multiple routes of internalisation, which are partially dependent on its conformation and aggregation status. Here, we review the emerging mechanisms proposed for the uptake of extracellular tau in neurons and the requirements for the propagation of its pathological conformers, addressing how they gain access to physiological tau monomers in the cytosol. Furthermore, we highlight some of the key mechanistic gaps of the field, which urgently need to be addressed to expand our understanding of tau propagation and lead to the identification of new therapeutic strategies for tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha De La-Rocque
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK.,Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Edoardo Moretto
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ioana Butnaru
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Giampietro Schiavo
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK.,Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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84
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Wang ZT, Zhang C, Wang YJ, Dong Q, Tan L, Yu JT. Selective neuronal vulnerability in Alzheimer's disease. Ageing Res Rev 2020; 62:101114. [PMID: 32569730 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2020.101114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is defined by a deficiency in specific behavioural and/or cognitive domains, pointing to selective vulnerabilities of specific neurons from different brain regions. These vulnerabilities can be compared across neuron subgroups to identify the most vulnerable neuronal types, regions, and time points for further investigation. Thus, the relevant organizational frameworks for brain subgroups will hold great values for a clear understanding of the progression in AD. Presently, the neuronal vulnerability has yet urgently required to be elucidated as not yet been clearly defined. It is suggested that cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous mechanisms can affect the neuronal vulnerability to stressors, and in turn modulates AD progression. This review examines cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous mechanisms that contribute to the neuronal vulnerability. Collectively, the cell-autonomous mechanisms seem to be the primary drivers responsible for initiating specific stressor-related neuronal vulnerability with pathological changes in certain brain areas, which then utilize non-cell-autonomous mechanisms and result in subsequent progression of AD. In summary, this article has provided a new perspective on the preventative and therapeutic options for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuo-Teng Wang
- Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, College of Medicine and Pharmaceutics, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Can Zhang
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, McCance Center for Brain Health, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases (MIND), Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, 02129-2060, USA
| | - Yan-Jiang Wang
- Department of Neurology, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, China
| | - Qiang Dong
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lan Tan
- Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, College of Medicine and Pharmaceutics, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China; Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jin-Tai Yu
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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85
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Koller EJ, Chakrabarty P. Tau-Mediated Dysregulation of Neuroplasticity and Glial Plasticity. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:151. [PMID: 32973446 PMCID: PMC7472665 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.00151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The inability of individual neurons to compensate for aging-related damage leads to a gradual loss of functional plasticity in the brain accompanied by progressive impairment in learning and memory. Whereas this loss in neuroplasticity is gradual during normal aging, in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), this loss is accelerated dramatically, leading to the incapacitation of patients within a decade of onset of cognitive symptoms. The mechanisms that underlie this accelerated loss of neuroplasticity in AD are still not completely understood. While the progressively increasing proteinopathy burden, such as amyloid β (Aβ) plaques and tau tangles, definitely contribute directly to a neuron’s functional demise, the role of non-neuronal cells in controlling neuroplasticity is slowly being recognized as another major factor. These non-neuronal cells include astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes, which through regulating brain homeostasis, structural stability, and trophic support, play a key role in maintaining normal functioning and resilience of the neuronal network. It is believed that chronic signaling from these cells affects the homeostatic network of neuronal and non-neuronal cells to an extent to destabilize this harmonious milieu in neurodegenerative diseases like AD. Here, we will examine the experimental evidence regarding the direct and indirect pathways through which astrocytes and microglia can alter brain plasticity in AD, specifically as they relate to the development and progression of tauopathy. In this review article, we describe the concepts of neuroplasticity and glial plasticity in healthy aging, delineate possible mechanisms underlying tau-induced plasticity dysfunction, and discuss current clinical trials as well as future disease-modifying approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Koller
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Paramita Chakrabarty
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.,McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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86
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Hill E, Wall MJ, Moffat KG, Karikari TK. Understanding the Pathophysiological Actions of Tau Oligomers: A Critical Review of Current Electrophysiological Approaches. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:155. [PMID: 32973448 PMCID: PMC7468384 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.00155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau is a predominantly neuronal protein that is normally bound to microtubules, where it acts to modulate neuronal and axonal stability. In humans, pathological forms of tau are implicated in a range of diseases that are collectively known as tauopathies. Kinases and phosphatases are responsible for maintaining the correct balance of tau phosphorylation to enable axons to be both stable and labile enough to function properly. In the early stages of tauopathies, this balance is interrupted leading to dissociation of tau from microtubules. This leaves microtubules prone to damage and phosphorylated tau prone to aggregation. Initially, phosphorylated tau forms oligomers, then fibrils, and ultimately neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). It is widely accepted that the initial soluble oligomeric forms of tau are probably the most pathologically relevant species but there is relatively little quantitative information to explain exactly what their toxic effects are at the individual neuron level. Electrophysiology provides a valuable tool to help uncover the mechanisms of action of tau oligomers on synaptic transmission within single neurons. Understanding the concentration-, time-, and neuronal compartment-dependent actions of soluble tau oligomers on neuronal and synaptic properties are essential to understanding how best to counteract its effects and to develop effective treatment strategies. Here, we briefly discuss the standard approaches used to elucidate these actions, focusing on the advantages and shortcomings of the experimental procedures. Subsequently, we will describe a new approach that addresses specific challenges with the current methods, thus allowing real-time toxicity evaluation at the single-neuron level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Hill
- School of Life Sciences, Gibbet Hill Campus, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Mark J Wall
- School of Life Sciences, Gibbet Hill Campus, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin G Moffat
- School of Life Sciences, Gibbet Hill Campus, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas K Karikari
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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87
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Dujardin S, Commins C, Lathuiliere A, Beerepoot P, Fernandes AR, Kamath TV, De Los Santos MB, Klickstein N, Corjuc DL, Corjuc BT, Dooley PM, Viode A, Oakley DH, Moore BD, Mullin K, Jean-Gilles D, Clark R, Atchison K, Moore R, Chibnik LB, Tanzi RE, Frosch MP, Serrano-Pozo A, Elwood F, Steen JA, Kennedy ME, Hyman BT. Tau molecular diversity contributes to clinical heterogeneity in Alzheimer's disease. Nat Med 2020; 26:1256-1263. [PMID: 32572268 PMCID: PMC7603860 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-020-0938-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 232] [Impact Index Per Article: 58.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) causes unrelenting, progressive cognitive impairments, but its course is heterogeneous, with a broad range of rates of cognitive decline1. The spread of tau aggregates (neurofibrillary tangles) across the cerebral cortex parallels symptom severity2,3. We hypothesized that the kinetics of tau spread may vary if the properties of the propagating tau proteins vary across individuals. We carried out biochemical, biophysical, MS and both cell- and animal-based-bioactivity assays to characterize tau in 32 patients with AD. We found striking patient-to-patient heterogeneity in the hyperphosphorylated species of soluble, oligomeric, seed-competent tau. Tau seeding activity correlates with the aggressiveness of the clinical disease, and some post-translational modification (PTM) sites appear to be associated with both enhanced seeding activity and worse clinical outcomes, whereas others are not. These data suggest that different individuals with 'typical' AD may have distinct biochemical features of tau. These data are consistent with the possibility that individuals with AD, much like people with cancer, may have multiple molecular drivers of an otherwise common phenotype, and emphasize the potential for personalized therapeutic approaches for slowing clinical progression of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Dujardin
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Caitlin Commins
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Aurelien Lathuiliere
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Pieter Beerepoot
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Analiese R Fernandes
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Tarun V Kamath
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Mark B De Los Santos
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Naomi Klickstein
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Diana L Corjuc
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Bianca T Corjuc
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Patrick M Dooley
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- C.S. Kubik Laboratory for Neuropathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Arthur Viode
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Derek H Oakley
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- C.S. Kubik Laboratory for Neuropathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Benjamin D Moore
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kristina Mullin
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | | | - Ryan Clark
- Department of Neuroscience, Merck & Co., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kevin Atchison
- Department of Neuroscience, Merck & Co., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Renee Moore
- Department of Neuroscience, Merck & Co., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lori B Chibnik
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rudolph E Tanzi
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Matthew P Frosch
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- C.S. Kubik Laboratory for Neuropathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alberto Serrano-Pozo
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Fiona Elwood
- Department of Neuroscience, Merck & Co., Boston, MA, USA
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Judith A Steen
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Bradley T Hyman
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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88
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Gu J, Xu W, Jin N, Li L, Zhou Y, Chu D, Gong CX, Iqbal K, Liu F. Truncation of Tau selectively facilitates its pathological activities. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:13812-13828. [PMID: 32737201 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.012587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurofibrillary tangles of abnormally hyperphosphorylated Tau are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related tauopathies. Tau is truncated at multiple sites by various proteases in AD brain. Although many studies have reported the effect of truncation on the aggregation of Tau, these studies mostly employed highly artificial conditions, using heparin sulfate or arachidonic acid to induce aggregation. Here, we report for the first time the pathological activities of various truncations of Tau, including site-specific phosphorylation, self-aggregation, binding to hyperphosphorylated and oligomeric Tau isolated from AD brain tissue (AD O-Tau), and aggregation seeded by AD O-Tau. We found that deletion of the first 150 or 230 amino acids (aa) enhanced Tau's site-specific phosphorylation, self-aggregation, and binding to AD O-Tau and aggregation seeded by AD O-Tau, but deletion of the first 50 aa did not produce a significant effect. Deletion of the last 50 aa was found to modulate Tau's site-specific phosphorylation, promote its self-aggregation, and cause it to be captured by and aggregation seeded by AD O-Tau, whereas deletion of the last 20 aa had no such effects. Among the truncated Taus, Tau151-391 showed the highest pathological activities. AD O-Tau induced aggregation of Tau151-391 in vitro and in cultured cells. These findings suggest that the first 150 aa and the last 50 aa protect Tau from pathological characteristics and that their deletions facilitate pathological activities. Thus, inhibition of Tau truncation may represent a potential therapeutic approach to suppress Tau pathology in AD and related tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianlan Gu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wen Xu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Nana Jin
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Longfei Li
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yan Zhou
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dandan Chu
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Cheng-Xin Gong
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA.
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89
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Masuda-Suzukake M, Suzuki G, Hosokawa M, Nonaka T, Goedert M, Hasegawa M. Dextran sulphate-induced tau assemblies cause endogenous tau aggregation and propagation in wild-type mice. Brain Commun 2020; 2:fcaa091. [PMID: 33005889 PMCID: PMC7519727 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaa091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulation of assembled tau protein in the central nervous system is characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease and several other neurodegenerative diseases, called tauopathies. Recent studies have revealed that propagation of assembled tau is key to understanding the pathological mechanisms of these diseases. Mouse models of tau propagation are established by injecting human-derived tau seeds intracerebrally; nevertheless, these have a limitation in terms of regulation of availability. To date, no study has shown that synthetic assembled tau induce tau propagation in non-transgenic mice. Here we confirm that dextran sulphate, a sulphated glycosaminoglycan, induces the assembly of recombinant tau protein into filaments in vitro. As compared to tau filaments induced by heparin, those induced by dextran sulphate showed higher thioflavin T fluorescence and lower resistance to guanidine hydrochloride, which suggests that the two types of filaments have distinct conformational features. Unlike other synthetic filament seeds, intracerebral injection of dextran sulphate-induced assemblies of recombinant tau caused aggregation of endogenous murine tau in wild-type mice. AT8-positive tau was present at the injection site 1 month after injection, from where it spread to anatomically connected regions. Induced tau assemblies were also stained by anti-tau antibodies AT100, AT180, 12E8, PHF1, anti-pS396 and anti-pS422. They were thioflavin- and Gallyas-Braak silver-positive, indicative of amyloid. In biochemical analyses, accumulated sarkosyl-insoluble and hyperphosphorylated tau was observed in the injected mice. In conclusion, we revealed that intracerebral injection of synthetic full-length wild-type tau seeds prepared in the presence of dextran sulphate caused tau propagation in non-transgenic mice. These findings establish that propagation of tau assemblies does not require tau to be either mutant and/or overexpressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masami Masuda-Suzukake
- Dementia Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | - Genjiro Suzuki
- Dementia Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | - Masato Hosokawa
- Dementia Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | - Takashi Nonaka
- Dementia Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | - Michel Goedert
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Masato Hasegawa
- Dementia Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
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90
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Ferrer I, Andrés-Benito P, Sala-Jarque J, Gil V, Del Rio JA. Capacity for Seeding and Spreading of Argyrophilic Grain Disease in a Wild-Type Murine Model; Comparisons With Primary Age-Related Tauopathy. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:101. [PMID: 32670019 PMCID: PMC7326954 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.00101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Argyrophilic grain disease (AGD) is a common 4R-tauopathy, causing or contributing to cognitive impairment in the elderly. AGD is characterized neuropathologically by pre-tangles in neurons, dendritic swellings called grains, threads, thorn-shaped astrocytes, and coiled bodies in oligodendrocytes in the limbic system. AGD has a characteristic pattern progressively involving the entorhinal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, dentate gyrus, presubiculum, subiculum, hypothalamic nuclei, temporal cortex, and neocortex and brainstem, thus suggesting that argyrophilic grain pathology is a natural model of tau propagation. One series of WT mice was unilaterally inoculated in the hippocampus with sarkosyl-insoluble and sarkosyl-soluble fractions from “pure” AGD at the age of 3 or 7/12 months and killed 3 or 7 months later. Abnormal hyper-phosphorylated tau deposits were found in ipsilateral hippocampal neurons, grains (dots) in the hippocampus, and threads, dots and coiled bodies in the fimbria, as well as the ipsilateral and contralateral corpus callosum. The extension of lesions was wider in animals surviving 7 months compared with those surviving 3 months. Astrocytic inclusions were not observed at any time. Tau deposits were mainly composed of 4Rtau, but also 3Rtau. For comparative purposes, another series of WT mice was inoculated with sarkosyl-insoluble fractions from primary age-related tauopathy (PART), a pure neuronal neurofibrillary tangle 3Rtau + 4Rtau tauopathy involving the deep temporal cortex and limbic system. Abnormal hyper-phosphorylated tau deposits were found in neurons in the ipsilateral hippocampus, coiled bodies and threads in the fimbria, and the ipsilateral and contralateral corpus callosum, which extended with time along the anterior-posterior axis and distant regions such as hypothalamic nuclei and nuclei of the septum when comparing mice surviving 7 months with mice surviving 3 months. Astrocytic inclusions were not observed. Tau deposits were mainly composed of 4Rtau and 3Rtau. These results show the capacity for seeding and spreading of AGD tau and PART tau in the brain of WT mouse, and suggest that characteristics of host tau, in addition to those of inoculated tau, are key to identifying commonalities and differences between human tauopathies and corresponding murine models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isidro Ferrer
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Bellvitge University Hospital, IDIBELL (Bellvitge Biomedical Research Centre), Barcelona, Spain.,CIBERNED (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Madrid, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pol Andrés-Benito
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Bellvitge University Hospital, IDIBELL (Bellvitge Biomedical Research Centre), Barcelona, Spain.,CIBERNED (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Madrid, Spain
| | - Julia Sala-Jarque
- Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology, Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Institute for Science and Technology, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vanessa Gil
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Antonio Del Rio
- CIBERNED (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Madrid, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology, Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Institute for Science and Technology, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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91
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Podvin S, Jones A, Liu Q, Aulston B, Ransom L, Ames J, Shen G, Lietz CB, Jiang Z, O'Donoghue AJ, Winston C, Ikezu T, Rissman RA, Yuan S, Hook V. Dysregulation of Exosome Cargo by Mutant Tau Expressed in Human-induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC) Neurons Revealed by Proteomics Analyses. Mol Cell Proteomics 2020; 19:1017-1034. [PMID: 32295833 PMCID: PMC7261814 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.ra120.002079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulation and propagation of hyperphosphorylated Tau (p-Tau) is a common neuropathological hallmark associated with neurodegeneration of Alzheimer's disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17), and related tauopathies. Extracellular vesicles, specifically exosomes, have recently been demonstrated to participate in mediating Tau propagation in brain. Exosomes produced by human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons expressing mutant Tau (mTau), containing the P301L and V337M Tau mutations of FTDP-17, possess the ability to propagate p-Tau pathology after injection into mouse brain. To gain an understanding of the mTau exosome cargo involved in Tau pathogenesis, these pathogenic exosomes were analyzed by proteomics and bioinformatics. The data showed that mTau expression dysregulates the exosome proteome to result in 1) proteins uniquely present only in mTau, and not control exosomes, 2) the absence of proteins in mTau exosomes, uniquely present in control exosomes, and 3) shared proteins which were significantly upregulated or downregulated in mTau compared with control exosomes. Notably, mTau exosomes (not control exosomes) contain ANP32A (also known as I1PP2A), an endogenous inhibitor of the PP2A phosphatase which regulates the phosphorylation state of p-Tau. Several of the mTau exosome-specific proteins have been shown to participate in AD mechanisms involving lysosomes, inflammation, secretases, and related processes. Furthermore, the mTau exosomes lacked a substantial portion of proteins present in control exosomes involved in pathways of localization, vesicle transport, and protein binding functions. The shared proteins present in both mTau and control exosomes represented exosome functions of vesicle-mediated transport, exocytosis, and secretion processes. These data illustrate mTau as a dynamic regulator of the biogenesis of exosomes to result in acquisition, deletion, and up- or downregulation of protein cargo to result in pathogenic mTau exosomes capable of in vivo propagation of p-Tau neuropathology in mouse brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Podvin
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Alexander Jones
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Qing Liu
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Brent Aulston
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Linnea Ransom
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Janneca Ames
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Gloria Shen
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Christopher B Lietz
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Zhenze Jiang
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Anthony J O'Donoghue
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Charisse Winston
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Tsuneya Ikezu
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University, School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Robert A Rissman
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California; VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, California
| | - Shauna Yuan
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Vivian Hook
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California; Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California.
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92
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Tu T, Jiang J, Zhang QL, Wan L, Li YN, Pan A, Manavis J, Yan XX. Extracellular Sortilin Proteopathy Relative to β-Amyloid and Tau in Aged and Alzheimer's Disease Human Brains. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:93. [PMID: 32477092 PMCID: PMC7236809 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.00093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) are hallmark lesions of Alzheimer's disease (AD) related to β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition and intraneuronal phosphorylated tau (pTau) accumulation. Sortilin C-terminal fragments (shortened as "sorfra") can deposit as senile plaque-like lesions within AD brains. The course and pattern of sorfra plaque formation relative to Aβ and pTau pathogenesis remain unknown. In the present study, cerebral and subcortical sections in postmortem human brains (n = 46) from aged and AD subjects were stained using multiple markers (6E10, β-secretase 1, pTau, and sortilin antibodies, as well as Bielschowsky silver stain). The course and pattern of sorfra plaque formation relative to Thal Aβ and Braak NFT pathogenic stages were determined. Sorfra plaques occurred in the temporal, inferior frontal and occipital neocortices in cases with Thal 1 and Braak III stages. They were also found additionally in the hippocampal formation, amygdala, and associative neocortex in cases with Thal 2-4 and Braak IV-V. Lastly, they were also found in the primary motor, somatosensory, and visual cortices in cases with Thal 4-5 and Braak VI. Unlike Aβ and pTau pathologies, sorfra plaques did not occur in subcortical structures in cases with Aβ/pTau lesions in Thal 3-5/Braak IV-VI stages. We establish here that sorfra plaques are essentially a cerebral proteopathy. We believe that the development of sorfra plaques in both cortical and hippocampal regions proceeds in a typical spatiotemporal pattern, and the stages of cerebral sorfra plaque formation partially overlap with that of Aβ and pTau pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Tu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Juan Jiang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qi-Lei Zhang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lily Wan
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ya-Nan Li
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Aihua Pan
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Center for Morphological Sciences, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jim Manavis
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Xiao-Xin Yan
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
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93
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Brunello CA, Merezhko M, Uronen RL, Huttunen HJ. Mechanisms of secretion and spreading of pathological tau protein. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:1721-1744. [PMID: 31667556 PMCID: PMC7190606 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03349-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Accumulation of misfolded and aggregated forms of tau protein in the brain is a neuropathological hallmark of tauopathies, such as Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Tau aggregates have the ability to transfer from one cell to another and to induce templated misfolding and aggregation of healthy tau molecules in previously healthy cells, thereby propagating tau pathology across different brain areas in a prion-like manner. The molecular mechanisms involved in cell-to-cell transfer of tau aggregates are diverse, not mutually exclusive and only partially understood. Intracellular accumulation of misfolded tau induces several mechanisms that aim to reduce the cellular burden of aggregated proteins and also promote secretion of tau aggregates. However, tau may also be released from cells physiologically unrelated to protein aggregation. Tau secretion involves multiple vesicular and non-vesicle-mediated pathways, including secretion directly through the plasma membrane. Consequently, extracellular tau can be found in various forms, both as a free protein and in vesicles, such as exosomes and ectosomes. Once in the extracellular space, tau aggregates can be internalized by neighboring cells, both neurons and glial cells, via endocytic, pinocytic and phagocytic mechanisms. Importantly, accumulating evidence suggests that prion-like propagation of misfolding protein pathology could provide a general mechanism for disease progression in tauopathies and other related neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we review the recent literature on cellular mechanisms involved in cell-to-cell transfer of tau, with a particular focus in tau secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia A Brunello
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 63, Haartmaninkatu 8, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Maria Merezhko
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 63, Haartmaninkatu 8, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Riikka-Liisa Uronen
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 63, Haartmaninkatu 8, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Henri J Huttunen
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 63, Haartmaninkatu 8, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
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94
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Corticobasal degeneration (CBD) is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative tauopathy diagnosed postmortem by pathological examination. The clinical presentation of corticobasal syndrome (CBS) is an apraxic, dystonic, and rigid limb with asymmetrical cortical signs and myoclonus. However, less than half of the patients with CBS receive a CBD diagnosis. As tau-lowering therapies have entered clinical trials, improved antemortem diagnosis of CBD is needed. Here, clinicopathological, neuroimaging, and biofluid data in CBS and/or CBD patients are briefly summarized and some knowledge gaps identified. RECENT FINDINGS Developments of MRI-based and nuclear medicine imaging modalities have increased pathophysiological insights of CBS and may improve diagnostic accuracy. In particular, several tau-PET ligands have been evaluated in CBS patients. Cerebrospinal fluid and plasma levels of neurofilament light chain can distinguish CBS from Parkinson's disease but not from other atypical forms of Parkinsonism. SUMMARY Structural and functional imaging approaches provide some aid in the diagnosis of CBD but have low-content validity. None of the currently available tau-PET ligands is suitable for detecting straight filament 4repeat tau disease in clinical routine. Biofluid markers reflecting the distinct tau and/or astrocyte disease of CBD are needed. Examining biosamples along with clinical parameters from longitudinally followed patients with autopsy-confirmed CBD diagnosis shall hopefully delineate improved biomarkers.
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95
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Verelst J, Geukens N, Eddarkaoui S, Vliegen D, De Smidt E, Rosseels J, Franssens V, Molenberghs S, Francois C, Stoops E, Bjerke M, Engelborghs S, Laghmouchi M, Carmans S, Buée L, Vanmechelen E, Winderickx J, Thomas D. A Novel Tau Antibody Detecting the First Amino-Terminal Insert Reveals Conformational Differences Among Tau Isoforms. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:48. [PMID: 32296712 PMCID: PMC7136581 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
As human Tau undergoes pathologically relevant post-translational modifications when expressed in yeast, the use of humanized yeast models for the generation of novel Tau monoclonal antibodies has previously been proven to be successful. In this study, human Tau2N4R-ΔK280 purified from yeast was used for the immunization of mice and subsequent selection of high affinity Tau-specific monoclonal antibodies. The characterization of four novel antibodies in different Tau model systems yielded a phosphorylation-dependent antibody (15A10), an antibody directed to the first microtubule-binding repeat domain (16B12), a carboxy-terminal antibody (20G10) and an antibody targeting an epitope on the hinge of the first and second amino-terminal insert (18F12). The latter was found to be conformation-dependent, suggesting structural differences between the Tau splicing isoforms and allowing insight in the roles played by the amino-terminal inserts. As this monoclonal antibody also has the capacity to detect tangle-like structures in different transgenic Tau mice and neurofibrillary tangles in brain sections of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, we also tested the diagnostic potential of 18F12 in a pilot study and found this monoclonal antibody to have the ability to discriminate Alzheimer's disease patients from control individuals based on increased Tau levels in the cerebrospinal fluid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joke Verelst
- Functional Biology, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
| | | | - Sabiha Eddarkaoui
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU-Lille, UMRS1172, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, LabEx DISTALZ, Alzheimer & Tauopathies, Lille, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Maria Bjerke
- Reference Center for Biological Markers of Dementia (BIODEM), Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.,Department of Neurology and Center for Neurosciences, UZ Brussel and Vrije Universtieit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sebastiaan Engelborghs
- Reference Center for Biological Markers of Dementia (BIODEM), Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.,Department of Neurology and Center for Neurosciences, UZ Brussel and Vrije Universtieit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | | | | | - Luc Buée
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU-Lille, UMRS1172, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, LabEx DISTALZ, Alzheimer & Tauopathies, Lille, France
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96
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Abstract
Astrocytes contribute to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative proteinopathies as influencing neuronal degeneration or neuroprotection, and also act as potential mediators of the propagation or elimination of disease-associated proteins. Protein astrogliopathies can be observed in different forms of neurodegenerative conditions. Morphological characterization of astrogliopathy is used only for the classification of tauopathies. Currently, at least six types of astrocytic tau pathologies are distinguished. Astrocytic plaques (AP), tufted astrocytes (TAs), ramified astrocytes (RA), and globular astroglial inclusions are seen predominantly in primary tauopathies, while thorn-shaped astrocytes (TSA) and granular/fuzzy astrocytes (GFA) are evaluated in aging-related tau astrogliopathy (ARTAG). ARTAG can be seen in the white and gray matter and subpial, subependymal, and perivascular locations. Some of these overlap with the features of tau pathology seen in Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Furthermore, gray matter ARTAG shares features with primary tauopathy-related astrocytic tau pathology. Sequential distribution patterns have been described for tau astrogliopathies. Importantly, astrocytic tau pathology in primary tauopathies can be observed in brain areas without neuronal tau deposition. The various morphologies of tau astrogliopathy might reflect a role in the propagation of pathological tau protein, an early response to a yet unidentified neurodegeneration-inducing event, or, particularly for ARTAG, a response to a repeated or prolonged pathogenic process such as blood-brain barrier dysfunction or local mechanical impact. The concept of tau astrogliopathies and ARTAG facilitated communication among research disciplines and triggered the investigation of the significance of astrocytic lesions in neurodegenerative conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabor G Kovacs
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Laboratory Medicine Program, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
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97
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Ferrer I, Andrés-Benito P, Zelaya MV, Aguirre MEE, Carmona M, Ausín K, Lachén-Montes M, Fernández-Irigoyen J, Santamaría E, del Rio JA. Familial globular glial tauopathy linked to MAPT mutations: molecular neuropathology and seeding capacity of a prototypical mixed neuronal and glial tauopathy. Acta Neuropathol 2020; 139:735-771. [PMID: 31907603 PMCID: PMC7096369 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-019-02122-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Globular glial tauopathy (GGT) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease involving the grey matter and white matter (WM) and characterized by neuronal deposition of hyper-phosphorylated, abnormally conformed, truncated, oligomeric 4Rtau in neurons and in glial cells forming typical globular astrocyte and oligodendrocyte inclusions (GAIs and GOIs, respectively) and coiled bodies. Present studies centre on four genetic GGT cases from two unrelated families bearing the P301T mutation in MAPT and one case of sporadic GGT (sGGT) and one case of GGT linked to MAPT K317M mutation, for comparative purposes. Clinical and neuropathological manifestations and biochemical profiles of phospho-tau are subjected to individual variations in patients carrying the same mutation, even in carriers of the same family, independently of the age of onset, gender, and duration of the disease. Immunohistochemistry, western blotting, transcriptomic, proteomics and phosphoproteomics, and intra-cerebral inoculation of brain homogenates to wild-type (WT) mice were the methods employed. In GGT cases linked to MAPT P301T mutation, astrocyte markers GFAP, ALDH1L1, YKL40 mRNA and protein, GJA1 mRNA, and AQ4 protein are significantly increased; glutamate transporter GLT1 (EAAT2) and glucose transporter (SLC2A1) decreased; mitochondrial pyruvate carrier 1 (MPC1) increased, and mitochondrial uncoupling protein 5 (UCP5) almost absent in GAIs in frontal cortex (FC). Expression of oligodendrocyte markers OLIG1 and OLIG2mRNA, and myelin-related genes MBP, PLP1, CNP, MAG, MAL, MOG, and MOBP are significantly decreased in WM; CNPase, PLP1, and MBP antibodies reveal reduction and disruption of myelinated fibres; and SMI31 antibodies mark axonal damage in the WM. Altered expression of AQ4, GLUC-t, and GLT-1 is also observed in sGGT and in GGT linked to MAPT K317M mutation. These alterations point to primary astrogliopathy and oligodendrogliopathy in GGT. In addition, GGT linked to MAPT P301T mutation proteotypes unveil a proteostatic imbalance due to widespread (phospho)proteomic dearrangement in the FC and WM, triggering a disruption of neuron projection morphogenesis and synaptic transmission. Identification of hyper-phosphorylation of variegated proteins calls into question the concept of phospho-tau-only alteration in the pathogenesis of GGT. Finally, unilateral inoculation of sarkosyl-insoluble fractions of GGT homogenates from GGT linked to MAPT P301T, sGGT, and GGT linked to MAPT K317M mutation in the hippocampus, corpus callosum, or caudate/putamen in wild-type mice produces seeding, and time- and region-dependent spreading of phosphorylated, non-oligomeric, and non-truncated 4Rtau and 3Rtau, without GAIs and GOIs but only of coiled bodies. These experiments prove that host tau strains are important in the modulation of cellular vulnerability and phenotypes of phospho-tau aggregates.
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Abstract
Most neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the intracellular or extracellular aggregation of misfolded proteins such as amyloid-β and tau in Alzheimer disease, α-synuclein in Parkinson disease, and TAR DNA-binding protein 43 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Accumulating evidence from both human studies and disease models indicates that intercellular transmission and the subsequent templated amplification of these misfolded proteins are involved in the onset and progression of various neurodegenerative diseases. The misfolded proteins that are transferred between cells are referred to as 'pathological seeds'. Recent studies have made exciting progress in identifying the characteristics of different pathological seeds, particularly those isolated from diseased brains. Advances have also been made in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate the transmission process, and the influence of the host cell on the conformation and properties of pathological seeds. The aim of this Review is to summarize our current knowledge of the cell-to-cell transmission of pathological proteins and to identify key questions for future investigation.
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99
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McAllister BB, Lacoursiere SG, Sutherland RJ, Mohajerani MH. Intracerebral seeding of amyloid-β and tau pathology in mice: Factors underlying prion-like spreading and comparisons with α-synuclein. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 112:1-27. [PMID: 31996301 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized neuropathologically by progressive neurodegeneration and by the presence of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. These plaques and tangles are composed, respectively, of amyloid-beta (Aβ) and tau proteins. While long recognized as hallmarks of AD, it remains unclear what causes the formation of these insoluble deposits. One theory holds that prion-like templated misfolding of Aβ and tau induces these proteins to form pathological aggregates, and propagation of this misfolding causes the stereotyped progression of pathology commonly seen in AD. Supporting this theory, numerous studies have been conducted in which aggregated Aβ, tau, or α-synuclein is injected intracerebrally into pathology-free host animals, resulting in robust formation of pathology. Here, we review this literature, focusing on in vivo intracerebral seeding of Aβ and tau in mice. We compare the results of these experiments to what is known about the seeding and spread of α-synuclein pathology, and we discuss how this research informs our understanding of the factors underlying the onset, progression, and outcomes of proteinaceous pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan B McAllister
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Sean G Lacoursiere
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Robert J Sutherland
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada.
| | - Majid H Mohajerani
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada.
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Abstract
Complex diseases involve dynamic perturbations of pathophysiological processes during disease progression. Transcriptional programs underlying such perturbations are unknown in many diseases. Here, we present core transcriptional regulatory circuits underlying early and late perturbations in prion disease. We first identified cellular processes perturbed early and late using time-course gene expression data from three prion-infected mouse strains. We then built a transcriptional regulatory network (TRN) describing regulation of early and late processes. We found over-represented feed-forward loops (FFLs) comprising transcription factor (TF) pairs and target genes in the TRN. Using gene expression data of brain cell types, we further selected active FFLs where TF pairs and target genes were expressed in the same cell type and showed correlated temporal expression changes in the brain. We finally determined core transcriptional regulatory circuits by combining these active FFLs. These circuits provide insights into transcriptional programs for early and late pathophysiological processes in prion disease.
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