51
|
Florenzano F, Veronica C, Ciasca G, Ciotti MT, Pittaluga A, Olivero G, Feligioni M, Iannuzzi F, Latina V, Maria Sciacca MF, Sinopoli A, Milardi D, Pappalardo G, Marco DS, Papi M, Atlante A, Bobba A, Borreca A, Calissano P, Amadoro G. Extracellular truncated tau causes early presynaptic dysfunction associated with Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Oncotarget 2017; 8:64745-64778. [PMID: 29029390 PMCID: PMC5630290 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.17371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The largest part of tau secreted from AD nerve terminals and released in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) is C-terminally truncated, soluble and unaggregated supporting potential extracellular role(s) of NH2 -derived fragments of protein on synaptic dysfunction underlying neurodegenerative tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here we show that sub-toxic doses of extracellular-applied human NH2 tau 26-44 (aka NH 2 htau) -which is the minimal active moiety of neurotoxic 20-22kDa peptide accumulating in vivo at AD synapses and secreted into parenchyma- acutely provokes presynaptic deficit in K+ -evoked glutamate release on hippocampal synaptosomes along with alteration in local Ca2+ dynamics. Neuritic dystrophy, microtubules breakdown, deregulation in presynaptic proteins and loss of mitochondria located at nerve endings are detected in hippocampal cultures only after prolonged exposure to NH 2 htau. The specificity of these biological effects is supported by the lack of any significant change, either on neuronal activity or on cellular integrity, shown by administration of its reverse sequence counterpart which behaves as an inactive control, likely due to a poor conformational flexibility which makes it unable to dynamically perturb biomembrane-like environments. Our results demonstrate that one of the AD-relevant, soluble and secreted N-terminally truncated tau forms can early contribute to pathology outside of neurons causing alterations in synaptic activity at presynaptic level, independently of overt neurodegeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Gabriele Ciasca
- Institute of Physics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo F Vito 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Ciotti
- Institute of Cellular Biology and Neuroscience, CNR, IRCSS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Pittaluga
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, University of Genoa, Genoa, Viale Cembrano, Italy
| | - Gunedalina Olivero
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, University of Genoa, Genoa, Viale Cembrano, Italy
| | - Marco Feligioni
- European Brain Research Institute, Rome, Italy
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, Casa Cura Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - Danilo Milardi
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, CNR, Catania, Italy
| | | | - De Spirito Marco
- Institute of Physics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo F Vito 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Papi
- Institute of Physics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo F Vito 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Atlante
- Institute of Biomembranes and Bioenergetics, CNR, Bari, Italy
- Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genoa, Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, Italy
| | - Antonella Bobba
- Institute of Biomembranes and Bioenergetics, CNR, Bari, Italy
- Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genoa, Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, Italy
| | - Antonella Borreca
- Institute of Cellular Biology and Neuroscience, CNR, IRCSS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppina Amadoro
- European Brain Research Institute, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, CNR, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
52
|
Canu N, Amadoro G, Triaca V, Latina V, Sposato V, Corsetti V, Severini C, Ciotti MT, Calissano P. The Intersection of NGF/TrkA Signaling and Amyloid Precursor Protein Processing in Alzheimer's Disease Neuropathology. Int J Mol Sci 2017. [PMID: 28632177 PMCID: PMC5486140 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18061319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Dysfunction of nerve growth factor (NGF) and its high-affinity Tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA) receptor has been suggested to contribute to the selective degeneration of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCN) associated with the progressive cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The aim of this review is to describe our progress in elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying the dynamic interplay between NGF/TrkA signaling and amyloid precursor protein (APP) metabolism within the context of AD neuropathology. This is mainly based on the finding that TrkA receptor binding to APP depends on a minimal stretch of ~20 amino acids located in the juxtamembrane/extracellular domain of APP that carries the α- and β-secretase cleavage sites. Here, we provide evidence that: (i) NGF could be one of the “routing” proteins responsible for modulating the metabolism of APP from amyloidogenic towards non-amyloidogenic processing via binding to the TrkA receptor; (ii) the loss of NGF/TrkA signaling could be linked to sporadic AD contributing to the classical hallmarks of the neuropathology, such as synaptic loss, β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) deposition and tau abnormalities. These findings will hopefully help to design therapeutic strategies for AD treatment aimed at preserving cholinergic function and anti-amyloidogenic activity of the physiological NGF/TrkA pathway in the septo-hippocampal system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Canu
- Department of System Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via Montpellier 1, 00137 Rome, Italy.
- Institute of Cellular Biology and Neurobiology, National Council of Research Rome, Via del Fosso del Fiorano 64, 00143 Rome, Italy.
| | - Giuseppina Amadoro
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, National Research Council (CNR) Rome, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy.
| | - Viviana Triaca
- Institute of Cellular Biology and Neurobiology, National Council of Research Rome, Via del Fosso del Fiorano 64, 00143 Rome, Italy.
| | - Valentina Latina
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, National Research Council (CNR) Rome, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy.
| | - Valentina Sposato
- European Brain Research Institute Rome, Via del Fosso del Fiorano 64, 00143 Rome, Italy.
| | - Veronica Corsetti
- European Brain Research Institute Rome, Via del Fosso del Fiorano 64, 00143 Rome, Italy.
| | - Cinzia Severini
- Institute of Cellular Biology and Neurobiology, National Council of Research Rome, Via del Fosso del Fiorano 64, 00143 Rome, Italy.
| | - Maria Teresa Ciotti
- Institute of Cellular Biology and Neurobiology, National Council of Research Rome, Via del Fosso del Fiorano 64, 00143 Rome, Italy.
| | - Pietro Calissano
- European Brain Research Institute Rome, Via del Fosso del Fiorano 64, 00143 Rome, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
53
|
Nicholls SB, DeVos SL, Commins C, Nobuhara C, Bennett RE, Corjuc DL, Maury E, Eftekharzadeh B, Akingbade O, Fan Z, Roe AD, Takeda S, Wegmann S, Hyman BT. Characterization of TauC3 antibody and demonstration of its potential to block tau propagation. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177914. [PMID: 28531180 PMCID: PMC5439699 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The spread of neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) pathology through the human brain is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which is thought to be caused by the propagation of “seeding” competent soluble misfolded tau. “TauC3”, a C-terminally truncated form of tau that is generated by caspase-3 cleavage at D421, has previously been observed in NFTs and has been implicated in tau toxicity. Here we show that TauC3 is found in the seeding competent high molecular weight (HMW) protein fraction of human AD brain. Using a specific TauC3 antibody, we were able to substantially block the HMW tau seeding activity of human AD brain extracts in an in vitro tau seeding FRET assay. We propose that TauC3 could contribute to the templated tau misfolding that leads to NFT spread in AD brains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha B. Nicholls
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sarah L. DeVos
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Caitlin Commins
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Chloe Nobuhara
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Rachel E. Bennett
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Diana L. Corjuc
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Eduardo Maury
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Bahareh Eftekharzadeh
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ololade Akingbade
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Zhanyun Fan
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Allyson D. Roe
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Shuko Takeda
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Susanne Wegmann
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Bradley T. Hyman
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
54
|
Guo T, Noble W, Hanger DP. Roles of tau protein in health and disease. Acta Neuropathol 2017; 133:665-704. [PMID: 28386764 PMCID: PMC5390006 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-017-1707-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 565] [Impact Index Per Article: 80.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Revised: 03/26/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Tau is well established as a microtubule-associated protein in neurons. However, under pathological conditions, aberrant assembly of tau into insoluble aggregates is accompanied by synaptic dysfunction and neural cell death in a range of neurodegenerative disorders, collectively referred to as tauopathies. Recent advances in our understanding of the multiple functions and different locations of tau inside and outside neurons have revealed novel insights into its importance in a diverse range of molecular pathways including cell signalling, synaptic plasticity, and regulation of genomic stability. The present review describes the physiological and pathophysiological properties of tau and how these relate to its distribution and functions in neurons. We highlight the post-translational modifications of tau, which are pivotal in defining and modulating tau localisation and its roles in health and disease. We include discussion of other pathologically relevant changes in tau, including mutation and aggregation, and how these aspects impinge on the propensity of tau to propagate, and potentially drive neuronal loss, in diseased brain. Finally, we describe the cascade of pathological events that may be driven by tau dysfunction, including impaired axonal transport, alterations in synapse and mitochondrial function, activation of the unfolded protein response and defective protein degradation. It is important to fully understand the range of neuronal functions attributed to tau, since this will provide vital information on its involvement in the development and pathogenesis of disease. Such knowledge will enable determination of which critical molecular pathways should be targeted by potential therapeutic agents developed for the treatment of tauopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tong Guo
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Wendy Noble
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Diane P Hanger
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
55
|
Gallardo R, Ramakers M, De Smet F, Claes F, Khodaparast L, Khodaparast L, Couceiro JR, Langenberg T, Siemons M, Nyström S, Young LJ, Laine RF, Young L, Radaelli E, Benilova I, Kumar M, Staes A, Desager M, Beerens M, Vandervoort P, Luttun A, Gevaert K, Bormans G, Dewerchin M, Van Eldere J, Carmeliet P, Vande Velde G, Verfaillie C, Kaminski CF, De Strooper B, Hammarström P, Nilsson KPR, Serpell L, Schymkowitz J, Rousseau F. De novo design of a biologically active amyloid. Science 2016; 354:354/6313/aah4949. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aah4949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
|
56
|
Caspase-2 cleavage of tau reversibly impairs memory. Nat Med 2016; 22:1268-1276. [PMID: 27723722 DOI: 10.1038/nm.4199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies, the tau protein forms fibrils, which are believed to be neurotoxic. However, fibrillar tau has been dissociated from neuron death and network dysfunction, suggesting the involvement of nonfibrillar species. Here we describe a novel pathological process in which caspase-2 cleavage of tau at Asp314 impairs cognitive and synaptic function in animal and cellular models of tauopathies by promoting the missorting of tau to dendritic spines. The truncation product, Δtau314, resists fibrillation and is present at higher levels in brains from cognitively impaired mice and humans with AD. The expression of tau mutants that resisted caspase-2 cleavage prevented tau from infiltrating spines, dislocating glutamate receptors and impairing synaptic function in cultured neurons, and it prevented memory deficits and neurodegeneration in mice. Decreasing the levels of caspase-2 restored long-term memory in mice that had existing deficits. Our results suggest an overall treatment strategy for re-establishing synaptic function and restoring memory in patients with AD by preventing tau from accumulating in dendritic spines.
Collapse
|
57
|
Khanna MR, Kovalevich J, Lee VMY, Trojanowski JQ, Brunden KR. Therapeutic strategies for the treatment of tauopathies: Hopes and challenges. Alzheimers Dement 2016; 12:1051-1065. [PMID: 27751442 PMCID: PMC5116305 DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2016.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
A group of neurodegenerative diseases referred to as tauopathies are characterized by the presence of brain cells harboring inclusions of pathological species of the tau protein. These disorders include Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration due to tau pathology, including progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, and Pick's disease. Tau is normally a microtubule (MT)-associated protein that appears to play an important role in ensuring proper axonal transport, but in tauopathies tau becomes hyperphosphorylated and disengages from MTs, with consequent misfolding and deposition into inclusions that mainly affect neurons but also glia. A body of experimental evidence suggests that the development of tau inclusions leads to the neurodegeneration observed in tauopathies, and there is a growing interest in developing tau-directed therapeutic agents. The following review provides a summary of strategies under investigation for the potential treatment of tauopathies, highlighting both the promises and challenges associated with these various therapeutic approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mansi R Khanna
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Institute on Aging, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jane Kovalevich
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Institute on Aging, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Virginia M-Y Lee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Institute on Aging, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - John Q Trojanowski
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Institute on Aging, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kurt R Brunden
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Institute on Aging, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
58
|
Blood biomarkers for brain injury: What are we measuring? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 68:460-473. [PMID: 27181909 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Revised: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Accurate diagnosis for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) remains challenging, as prognosis and return-to-play/work decisions are based largely on patient reports. Numerous investigations have identified and characterized cellular factors in the blood as potential biomarkers for TBI, in the hope that these factors may be used to gauge the severity of brain injury. None of these potential biomarkers have advanced to use in the clinical setting. Some of the most extensively studied blood biomarkers for TBI include S100β, neuron-specific enolase, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and Tau. Understanding the biological function of each of these factors may be imperative to achieve progress in the field. We address the basic question: what are we measuring? This review will discuss blood biomarkers in terms of cellular origin, normal and pathological function, and possible reasons for increased blood levels. Considerations in the selection, evaluation, and validation of potential biomarkers will also be addressed, along with mechanisms that allow brain-derived proteins to enter the bloodstream after TBI. Lastly, we will highlight perspectives and implications for repetitive neurotrauma in the field of blood biomarkers for brain injury.
Collapse
|
59
|
Akoury E, Mukrasch MD, Biernat J, Tepper K, Ozenne V, Mandelkow E, Blackledge M, Zweckstetter M. Remodeling of the conformational ensemble of the repeat domain of tau by an aggregation enhancer. Protein Sci 2016; 25:1010-20. [PMID: 26940799 DOI: 10.1002/pro.2911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Revised: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Misfolding of the microtubule-associated protein Tau is a hallmark of Alzheimer disease and several other neurodegenerative disorders. Because of the dynamic nature of the Tau protein, little is known about the changes in Tau structure that occur during misfolding. Here we studied the structural consequences upon binding of the repeat domain of Tau, which plays a key role in pathogenic aggregation, to an aggregation enhancer. By combining NMR experiments with molecular simulations we show that binding of the aggregation enhancer polyglutamic acid remodels the conformational ensemble of Tau. Our study thus provides insight into an early event during misfolding of Tau.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elias Akoury
- Department for NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, 37077, Germany
| | - Marco D Mukrasch
- Department for NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, 37077, Germany
| | - Jacek Biernat
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, 53175, Germany
| | - Katharina Tepper
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, 53175, Germany
| | - Valery Ozenne
- Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), CEA, CNRS, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, 38044, France
| | - Eckhard Mandelkow
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, 53175, Germany.,CAESAR Research Center, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, Bonn, 53175, Germany, and MPI for Metabolism Resesearch, Hamburg Outstation, c/o DESY, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Martin Blackledge
- Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), CEA, CNRS, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, 38044, France
| | - Markus Zweckstetter
- Department for NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, 37077, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, 37075, Germany.,Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, 37073, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
60
|
Propagation of tau pathology: hypotheses, discoveries, and yet unresolved questions from experimental and human brain studies. Acta Neuropathol 2016; 131:27-48. [PMID: 26576562 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-015-1507-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2015] [Revised: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-associated protein and a key regulator of microtubule stabilization as well as the main component of neurofibrillary tangles-a principle neuropathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD)-as well as pleomorphic neuronal and glial inclusions in neurodegenerative tauopathies. Cross-sectional studies of neurofibrillary pathology in AD reveal a stereotypic spatiotemporal pattern of neuronal vulnerability that correlates with disease severity; however, the relationship of this pattern to disease progression is less certain and exceptions to the typical pattern have been described in a subset of AD patients. The basis for the selective vulnerability of specific populations of neurons to tau pathology and cell death is largely unknown, although there have been a number of hypotheses based upon shared properties of vulnerable neurons (e.g., degree of axonal myelination or synaptic plasticity). A recent hypothesis for selective vulnerability takes into account the emerging science of functional connectivity based upon resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging, where subsets of neurons that fire synchronously define patterns of degeneration similar to specific neurodegenerative disorders, including various tauopathies. In the past 6 years, the concept of tau propagation has emerged from numerous studies in cell and animal models suggesting that tau moves from cell-to-cell and that this may trigger aggregation and region-to-region spread of tau pathology within the brain. How the spread of tau pathology relates to functional connectivity is an area of active investigation. Observations of templated folding and propagation of tau have prompted comparisons of tau to prions, the pathogenic proteins in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. In this review, we discuss the most compelling studies in the field, discuss their shortcomings and consider their implications with respect to human tauopathies as well as the controversy that tauopathies may be prion-like disorders.
Collapse
|
61
|
Hromadkova L, Kolarova M, Jankovicova B, Bartos A, Ricny J, Bilkova Z, Ripova D. Identification and characterization of natural antibodies against tau protein in an intravenous immunoglobulin product. J Neuroimmunol 2015; 289:121-9. [PMID: 26616881 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2015.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Revised: 10/21/2015] [Accepted: 10/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The latest therapeutic approaches to Alzheimer disease are using intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) products. Therefore, the detailed characterization of target-specific antibodies naturally occurring in IVIG products is beneficial. We have focused on characterization of antibodies isolated against tau protein, a biomarker of Alzheimer's disease, from Flebogamma IVIG product. The analysis of IgG subclass distribution indicated skewing toward IgG3 in anti-tau-enriched IgG fraction. The evaluation of their reactivity and avidity with several recombinant tau forms was performed by ELISA and blotting techniques. Truncated non-phosphorylated tau protein (amino acids 155-421) demonstrated the highest reactivity and avidity index. We provide the first detailed insight into the reactivity of isolated natural antibodies against tau protein.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Hromadkova
- Department of Neurobiology, AD Center, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Biological and Biochemical Sciences, University of Pardubice, Pardubice, Czech Republic
| | - Michala Kolarova
- Department of Neurobiology, AD Center, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic; Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Barbora Jankovicova
- Department of Biological and Biochemical Sciences, University of Pardubice, Pardubice, Czech Republic
| | - Ales Bartos
- Department of Neurobiology, AD Center, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic; Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Ricny
- Department of Neurobiology, AD Center, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Zuzana Bilkova
- Department of Biological and Biochemical Sciences, University of Pardubice, Pardubice, Czech Republic
| | - Daniela Ripova
- Department of Neurobiology, AD Center, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
62
|
Neuroinflammatory Gene Regulation, Mitochondrial Function, Oxidative Stress, and Brain Lipid Modifications With Disease Progression in Tau P301S Transgenic Mice as a Model of Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration-Tau. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2015; 74:975-99. [DOI: 10.1097/nen.0000000000000241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
|
63
|
Grüninger F. Invited review: Drug development for tauopathies. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2015; 41:81-96. [PMID: 25354646 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2014] [Accepted: 10/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Many different approaches to treating tauopathies are currently being explored, with a few compounds already in clinical development (including small molecules such as anti-aggregation compound LMTX and active vaccines AADvac1 and ACI-35). This review aims to summarize the status of the clinical candidates and to highlight the emerging areas of research that hold promise for drug development. Tau is post-translationally modified in several different ways (phosphorylated, acetylated, glycosylated and truncated). The extent of these modifications can be manipulated to influence tau aggregation state and pathogenesis and the enzymes involved provide tractable targets for drug intervention. In addition, modulation of tau expression levels is an attractive therapeutic approach. Finally, the recently described prion-like spreading of tau between cells opens up novel avenues from the tau drug development perspective. The review compares the merits of small-molecule and antibody-based therapies and emphasizes the need for amenable clinical biomarkers for drug development, particularly PET imaging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F Grüninger
- Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, NORD Disease & Translational Area, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, CH-4070, Basel, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
64
|
Giustiniani J, Guillemeau K, Dounane O, Sardin E, Huvent I, Schmitt A, Hamdane M, Buée L, Landrieu I, Lippens G, Baulieu EE, Chambraud B. The FK506-binding protein FKBP52in vitroinduces aggregation of truncated Tau forms with prion-like behavior. FASEB J 2015; 29:3171-81. [DOI: 10.1096/fj.14-268243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 03/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
|
65
|
Janota C, Lemere CA, Brito MA. Dissecting the Contribution of Vascular Alterations and Aging to Alzheimer's Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2015; 53:3793-3811. [PMID: 26143259 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-015-9319-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2015] [Accepted: 06/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by cognitive decline that afflicts as many as 45 % of individuals who survive past the age of 85. AD has been associated with neurovascular dysfunction and brain accumulation of amyloid-β peptide, as well as tau phosphorylation and neurodegeneration, but the pathogenesis of the disease is still somewhat unclear. According to the amyloid cascade hypothesis of AD, accumulation of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) aggregates initiates a sequence of events leading to neuronal injury and loss, and dementia. Alternatively, the vascular hypothesis of AD incorporates the vascular contribution to the disease, stating that a primary insult to brain microcirculation (e.g., stroke) not only contributes to amyloidopathy but initiates a non-amyloidogenic pathway of vascular-mediated neuronal dysfunction and injury, which involves blood-brain barrier compromise, with increased permeability of blood vessels, leakage of blood-borne components into the brain, and, consequently, neurotoxicity. Vascular dysfunction also includes a diminished brain capillary flow, causing multiple focal ischemic or hypoxic microinjuries, diminished amyloid-β clearance, and formation of neurotoxic oligomers, which lead to neuronal dysfunction. Here we present and discuss relevant findings on the contribution of vascular alterations during aging to AD, with the hope that a better understanding of the players in the "orchestra" of neurodegeneration will be useful in developing therapies to modulate the "symphony".
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cátia Janota
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Professor Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Cynthia A Lemere
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur (NRB 636F), Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Maria Alexandra Brito
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Professor Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisbon, Portugal. .,Department of Biochemistry and Human Biology, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Professor Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisbon, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
66
|
Terni B, Ferrer I. Abnormal Expression and Distribution of MMP2 at Initial Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Pathology. J Alzheimers Dis 2015; 46:461-9. [DOI: 10.3233/jad-142460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Terni
- Institute of Neuropathology, Bellvitge University Hospital, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Isidro Ferrer
- Institute of Neuropathology, Bellvitge University Hospital, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
- University of Barcelona, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
- CIBERNED, Institute Carlos III, Ministry of Health, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
67
|
Inekci D, Jonesco DS, Kennard S, Karsdal MA, Henriksen K. The potential of pathological protein fragmentation in blood-based biomarker development for dementia - with emphasis on Alzheimer's disease. Front Neurol 2015; 6:90. [PMID: 26029153 PMCID: PMC4426721 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2015.00090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2015] [Accepted: 04/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The diagnosis of dementia is challenging and early stages are rarely detected limiting the possibilities for early intervention. Another challenge is the overlap in the clinical features across the different dementia types leading to difficulties in the differential diagnosis. Identifying biomarkers that can detect the pre-dementia stage and allow differential diagnosis could provide an opportunity for timely and optimal intervention strategies. Also, such biomarkers could help in selection and inclusion of the right patients in clinical trials of both Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia treatment candidates. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has been the most investigated source of biomarkers and several candidate proteins have been identified. However, looking solely at protein levels is too simplistic to provide enough detailed information to differentiate between dementias, as there is a significant crossover between the proteins involved in the different types of dementia. Additionally, CSF sampling makes these biomarkers challenging for presymptomatic identification. We need to focus on disease-specific protein fragmentation to find a fragment pattern unique for each separate dementia type – a form of protein fragmentology. Targeting protein fragments generated by disease-specific combinations of proteins and proteases opposed to detecting the intact protein could reduce the overlap between diagnostic groups as the extent of processing as well as which proteins and proteases constitute the major hallmark of each dementia type differ. In addition, the fragments could be detectable in blood as they may be able to cross the blood–brain barrier due to their smaller size. In this review, the potential of the fragment-based biomarker discovery for dementia diagnosis and prognosis is discussed, especially highlighting how the knowledge from CSF protein biomarkers can be used to guide blood-based biomarker development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dilek Inekci
- Nordic Bioscience, Biomarkers and Research , Herlev , Denmark ; Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark , Lyngby , Denmark
| | | | - Sophie Kennard
- Nordic Bioscience, Biomarkers and Research , Herlev , Denmark
| | | | - Kim Henriksen
- Nordic Bioscience, Biomarkers and Research , Herlev , Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
68
|
Abstract
Proteostasis is maintained by multiple cellular pathways, including protein synthesis, quality control, and degradation. An imbalance of neuronal proteostasis, associated with protein misfolding and aggregation, leads to proteinopathies or neurodegeneration. While genetic variations and protein modifications contribute to aggregate formation, components of the proteostasis network dictate the fate of protein aggregates. Here we provide an overview of proteostasis pathways and their interplay (particularly autophagy) with the metabolism of disease-related proteins. We review recent studies on neuronal activity-mediated regulation of proteostasis and transcellular propagation of protein aggregates in the nervous system. Targeting proteostasis pathways therapeutically remains an attractive but challenging task.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Junghyun Lim
- Department of Neurology, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Zhenyu Yue
- Department of Neurology, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
69
|
Corsetti V, Florenzano F, Atlante A, Bobba A, Ciotti MT, Natale F, Della Valle F, Borreca A, Manca A, Meli G, Ferraina C, Feligioni M, D'Aguanno S, Bussani R, Ammassari-Teule M, Nicolin V, Calissano P, Amadoro G. NH2-truncated human tau induces deregulated mitophagy in neurons by aberrant recruitment of Parkin and UCHL-1: implications in Alzheimer's disease. Hum Mol Genet 2015; 24:3058-81. [PMID: 25687137 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddv059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Accepted: 02/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Disarrangement in functions and quality control of mitochondria at synapses are early events in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathobiology. We reported that a 20-22 kDa NH2-tau fragment mapping between 26 and 230 amino acids of the longest human tau isoform (aka NH2htau): (i) is detectable in cellular and animal AD models, as well in synaptic mitochondria and cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) from human AD subjects; (ii) is neurotoxic in primary hippocampal neurons; (iii) compromises the mitochondrial biology both directly, by inhibiting the ANT-1-dependent ADP/ATP exchange, and indirectly, by impairing their selective autophagic clearance (mitophagy). Here, we show that the extensive Parkin-dependent turnover of mitochondria occurring in NH2htau-expressing post-mitotic neurons plays a pro-death role and that UCHL-1, the cytosolic Ubiquitin-C-terminal hydrolase L1 which directs the physiological remodeling of synapses by controlling ubiquitin homeostasis, critically contributes to mitochondrial and synaptic failure in this in vitro AD model. Pharmacological or genetic suppression of improper mitophagy, either by inhibition of mitochondrial targeting to autophagosomes or by shRNA-mediated silencing of Parkin or UCHL-1 gene expression, restores synaptic and mitochondrial content providing partial but significant protection against the NH2htau-induced neuronal death. Moreover, in mitochondria from human AD synapses, the endogenous NH2htau is stably associated with Parkin and with UCHL-1. Taken together, our studies show a causative link between the excessive mitochondrial turnover and the NH2htau-induced in vitro neuronal death, suggesting that pathogenetic tau truncation may contribute to synaptic deterioration in AD by aberrant recruitment of Parkin and UCHL-1 to mitochondria making them more prone to detrimental autophagic clearance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- V Corsetti
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology (IFT) - National Research Council (CNR), Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100-00133, Rome, Italy
| | - F Florenzano
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64-65, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - A Atlante
- Institute of Biomembranes and Bioenergetics (IBBE)-CNR, Via Amendola 165/A, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - A Bobba
- Institute of Biomembranes and Bioenergetics (IBBE)-CNR, Via Amendola 165/A, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - M T Ciotti
- Institute of Cellular Biology and Neuroscience (IBCN)-CNR, IRCSS Santa Lucia Foundation Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64-65, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - F Natale
- Institute of Cellular Biology and Neuroscience (IBCN)-CNR, IRCSS Santa Lucia Foundation Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64-65, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - F Della Valle
- Institute of Cellular Biology and Neuroscience (IBCN)-CNR, IRCSS Santa Lucia Foundation Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64-65, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - A Borreca
- Institute of Cellular Biology and Neuroscience (IBCN)-CNR, IRCSS Santa Lucia Foundation Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64-65, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - A Manca
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64-65, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - G Meli
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64-65, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - C Ferraina
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64-65, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - M Feligioni
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64-65, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - S D'Aguanno
- Institute of Cellular Biology and Neuroscience (IBCN)-CNR, IRCSS Santa Lucia Foundation Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64-65, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - R Bussani
- UCO Pathological Anatomy and Histopathology Unit, Cattinara Hospital Strada di Fiume 447, 34149 Trieste, Italy and
| | - M Ammassari-Teule
- Institute of Cellular Biology and Neuroscience (IBCN)-CNR, IRCSS Santa Lucia Foundation Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64-65, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - V Nicolin
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Science, University of Trieste, Strada di Fiume 449, 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - P Calissano
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64-65, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - G Amadoro
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology (IFT) - National Research Council (CNR), Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100-00133, Rome, Italy European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64-65, 00143 Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
70
|
Rosenmann H. Asparagine endopeptidase cleaves tau and promotes neurodegeneration. Nat Med 2015; 20:1236-8. [PMID: 25375922 DOI: 10.1038/nm.3749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Rosenmann
- Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
71
|
Rosseels J, Van den Brande J, Violet M, Jacobs D, Grognet P, Lopez J, Huvent I, Caldara M, Swinnen E, Papegaey A, Caillierez R, Buée-Scherrer V, Engelborghs S, Lippens G, Colin M, Buée L, Galas MC, Vanmechelen E, Winderickx J. Tau monoclonal antibody generation based on humanized yeast models: impact on Tau oligomerization and diagnostics. J Biol Chem 2014; 290:4059-74. [PMID: 25540200 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.627919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
A link between Tau phosphorylation and aggregation has been shown in different models for Alzheimer disease, including yeast. We used human Tau purified from yeast models to generate new monoclonal antibodies, of which three were further characterized. The first antibody, ADx201, binds the Tau proline-rich region independently of the phosphorylation status, whereas the second, ADx215, detects an epitope formed by the Tau N terminus when Tau is not phosphorylated at Tyr(18). For the third antibody, ADx210, the binding site could not be determined because its epitope is probably conformational. All three antibodies stained tangle-like structures in different brain sections of THY-Tau22 transgenic mice and Alzheimer patients, and ADx201 and ADx210 also detected neuritic plaques in the cortex of the patient brains. In hippocampal homogenates from THY-Tau22 mice and cortex homogenates obtained from Alzheimer patients, ADx215 consistently stained specific low order Tau oligomers in diseased brain, which in size correspond to Tau dimers. ADx201 and ADx210 additionally reacted to higher order Tau oligomers and presumed prefibrillar structures in the patient samples. Our data further suggest that formation of the low order Tau oligomers marks an early disease stage that is initiated by Tau phosphorylation at N-terminal sites. Formation of higher order oligomers appears to require additional phosphorylation in the C terminus of Tau. When used to assess Tau levels in human cerebrospinal fluid, the antibodies permitted us to discriminate patients with Alzheimer disease or other dementia like vascular dementia, indicative that these antibodies hold promising diagnostic potential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joëlle Rosseels
- From Functional Biology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31 Box 2433, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Jeff Van den Brande
- From Functional Biology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31 Box 2433, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium, ADx NeuroSciences NV, Technologiepark Zwijnaarde 4, 9052 Ghent, Belgium, Fujirebio Europe, Technologiepark Zwijnaarde 6, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marie Violet
- INSERM, UMR1172, JPArc, Alzheimer & Tauopathies, Rue Polonovski, 59045 Lille, France, the Faculté de Médecine, Université de Lille, Place de Verdun, 59045 Lille, France, the Memory Clinic, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Lille, 59037 Lille, France
| | - Dirk Jacobs
- ADx NeuroSciences NV, Technologiepark Zwijnaarde 4, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pierre Grognet
- Fujirebio Europe, Technologiepark Zwijnaarde 6, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Juan Lopez
- Université Lille Nord de France, 59000 Lille, France, CNRS, UMR8576 Structural and Functional Glycobiology, 59650 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
| | - Isabelle Huvent
- Université Lille Nord de France, 59000 Lille, France, CNRS, UMR8576 Structural and Functional Glycobiology, 59650 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
| | - Marina Caldara
- From Functional Biology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31 Box 2433, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Erwin Swinnen
- From Functional Biology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31 Box 2433, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Anthony Papegaey
- INSERM, UMR1172, JPArc, Alzheimer & Tauopathies, Rue Polonovski, 59045 Lille, France, the Faculté de Médecine, Université de Lille, Place de Verdun, 59045 Lille, France, the Memory Clinic, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Lille, 59037 Lille, France
| | - Raphaëlle Caillierez
- INSERM, UMR1172, JPArc, Alzheimer & Tauopathies, Rue Polonovski, 59045 Lille, France, the Faculté de Médecine, Université de Lille, Place de Verdun, 59045 Lille, France, the Memory Clinic, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Lille, 59037 Lille, France
| | - Valerie Buée-Scherrer
- INSERM, UMR1172, JPArc, Alzheimer & Tauopathies, Rue Polonovski, 59045 Lille, France, the Faculté de Médecine, Université de Lille, Place de Verdun, 59045 Lille, France, the Memory Clinic, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Lille, 59037 Lille, France
| | - Sebastiaan Engelborghs
- the Reference Center for Biological Markers of Dementia (BIODEM), Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium, and the Department of Neurology and Memory Clinic, Hospital Network Antwerp (ZNA) Middelheim and Hoge Beuken, 2660 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Guy Lippens
- Université Lille Nord de France, 59000 Lille, France, CNRS, UMR8576 Structural and Functional Glycobiology, 59650 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
| | - Morvane Colin
- INSERM, UMR1172, JPArc, Alzheimer & Tauopathies, Rue Polonovski, 59045 Lille, France, the Faculté de Médecine, Université de Lille, Place de Verdun, 59045 Lille, France, the Memory Clinic, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Lille, 59037 Lille, France
| | - Luc Buée
- INSERM, UMR1172, JPArc, Alzheimer & Tauopathies, Rue Polonovski, 59045 Lille, France, the Faculté de Médecine, Université de Lille, Place de Verdun, 59045 Lille, France, the Memory Clinic, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Lille, 59037 Lille, France
| | - Marie-Christine Galas
- INSERM, UMR1172, JPArc, Alzheimer & Tauopathies, Rue Polonovski, 59045 Lille, France, the Faculté de Médecine, Université de Lille, Place de Verdun, 59045 Lille, France, the Memory Clinic, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Lille, 59037 Lille, France
| | - Eugeen Vanmechelen
- ADx NeuroSciences NV, Technologiepark Zwijnaarde 4, 9052 Ghent, Belgium,
| | - Joris Winderickx
- From Functional Biology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31 Box 2433, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium,
| |
Collapse
|
72
|
Zheng C, Geetha T, Babu JR. Failure of ubiquitin proteasome system: risk for neurodegenerative diseases. NEURODEGENER DIS 2014; 14:161-75. [PMID: 25413678 DOI: 10.1159/000367694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2014] [Accepted: 08/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) is the primary proteolytic quality control system in cells and has an essential function in the nervous system. UPS dysfunction has been linked to neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. The pathology of neurodegenerative diseases is characterized by the abnormal accumulation of insoluble protein aggregates or inclusion bodies within neurons. The failure or dysregulation of the UPS prevents the degradation of misfolded/aberrant proteins, leading to deficient synaptic function that eventually affects the nervous system. In this review, we discuss the UPS and its physiological roles in the nervous system, its influence on neuronal function, and how UPS dysfunction contributes to the development of neurodegenerative diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zheng
- Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Hospitality Management, Auburn University, Auburn, Ala., USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
73
|
Zhang Z, Song M, Liu X, Kang SS, Kwon IS, Duong DM, Seyfried NT, Hu WT, Liu Z, Wang JZ, Cheng L, Sun YE, Yu SP, Levey AI, Ye K. Cleavage of tau by asparagine endopeptidase mediates the neurofibrillary pathology in Alzheimer's disease. Nat Med 2014; 20:1254-62. [PMID: 25326800 PMCID: PMC4224595 DOI: 10.1038/nm.3700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 341] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2013] [Accepted: 08/26/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), composed of truncated and hyperphosphorylated tau, are a common feature of numerous aging-related neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the molecular mechanisms mediating tau truncation and aggregation during aging remain elusive. Here we show that asparagine endopeptidase (AEP), a lysosomal cysteine proteinase, is activated during aging and proteolytically degrades tau, abolishes its microtubule assembly function, induces tau aggregation and triggers neurodegeneration. AEP is upregulated and active during aging and is activated in human AD brain and tau P301S-transgenic mice with synaptic pathology and behavioral impairments, leading to tau truncation in NFTs. Tau P301S-transgenic mice with deletion of the gene encoding AEP show substantially reduced tau hyperphosphorylation, less synapse loss and rescue of impaired hippocampal synaptic function and cognitive deficits. Mice infected with adeno-associated virus encoding an uncleavable tau mutant showed attenuated pathological and behavioral defects compared to mice injected with adeno-associated virus encoding tau P301S. Together, these observations indicate that AEP acts as a crucial mediator of tau-related clinical and neuropathological changes. Inhibition of AEP may be therapeutically useful for treating tau-mediated neurodegenerative diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhentao Zhang
- 1] Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. [2] Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mingke Song
- Department of Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Xia Liu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Seong Su Kang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Il-Sun Kwon
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Duc M Duong
- 1] Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. [2] Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Nicholas T Seyfried
- 1] Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. [2] Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - William T Hu
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Zhixue Liu
- Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolism, Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian-Zhi Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of Neurological Diseases, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Liming Cheng
- Translational Center for Stem Cell Research, Tongji Hospital, Department of Regenerative Medicine, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi E Sun
- Translational Center for Stem Cell Research, Tongji Hospital, Department of Regenerative Medicine, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shan Ping Yu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Allan I Levey
- 1] Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. [2] Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Keqiang Ye
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| |
Collapse
|
74
|
Glial and neuronal tau pathology in tauopathies: characterization of disease-specific phenotypes and tau pathology progression. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2014; 73:81-97. [PMID: 24335532 DOI: 10.1097/nen.0000000000000030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are degenerative diseases characterized by the accumulation of phosphorylated tau in neurons and glial cells. With some exceptions, tau deposits in neurons are mainly manifested as pretangles and tangles unrelated to the tauopathy. It is thought that abnormal tau deposition in neurons occurs following specific steps, but little is known about the progression of tau pathology in glial cells in tauopathies. We compared tau pathology in different astrocyte phenotypes and oligodendroglial inclusions with that in neurons in a large series of tauopathies, including progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, argyrophilic grain disease, Pick disease, frontotemporal lobar degenerations (FTLD) associated with mutations in the tau gene, globular glial tauopathy (GGT), and tauopathy in the elderly. Our findings indicate that disease-specific astroglial phenotypes depend on i) the primary amino acid sequence of tau (mutated tau, 3Rtau, and 4Rtau); ii) phospho-specific sites of tau phosphorylation, tau conformation, tau truncation, and ubiquitination in that order (which parallel tau modifications related to pretangle and tangle stages in neurons); and iii) modifications of the astroglial cytoskeleton. In contrast to astrocytes, coiled bodies in oligodendrocytes have similar characteristics whatever the tauopathy, except glial globular inclusions in GGT, and coiled bodies and globular oligodendroglial inclusions in FTLD-tau/K317M. These observations indicate that tau pathology in glial cells largely parallels, but is not identical to, that in neurons in many tauopathies.
Collapse
|
75
|
Characterization of novel CSF Tau and ptau biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease. PLoS One 2013; 8:e76523. [PMID: 24116116 PMCID: PMC3792042 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0076523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2013] [Accepted: 08/31/2013] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) Aβ42, tau and p181tau are widely accepted biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Numerous studies show that CSF tau and p181tau levels are elevated in mild-to-moderate AD compared to age-matched controls. In addition, these increases might predict preclinical AD in cognitively normal elderly. Despite their importance as biomarkers, the molecular nature of CSF tau and ptau is not known. In the current study, reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography was used to enrich and concentrate tau prior to western-blot analysis. Multiple N-terminal and mid-domain fragments of tau were detected in pooled CSF with apparent sizes ranging from <20 kDa to ~40 kDa. The pattern of tau fragments in AD and control samples were similar. In contrast, full-length tau and C-terminal-containing fragments were not detected. To quantify levels, five tau ELISAs and three ptau ELISAs were developed to detect different overlapping regions of the protein. The discriminatory potential of each assay was determined using 20 AD and 20 age-matched control CSF samples. Of the tau ELISAs, the two assays specific for tau containing N-terminal sequences, amino acids 9-198 (numbering based on tau 441) and 9-163, exhibited the most significant differences between AD and control samples. In contrast, CSF tau was not detected with an ELISA specific for a more C-terminal region (amino acids 159-335). Significant discrimination was also observed with ptau assays measuring amino acids 159-p181 and 159-p231. Interestingly, the discriminatory potential of p181 was reduced when measured in the context of tau species containing amino acids 9-p181. Taken together, these results demonstrate that tau in CSF occurs as a series of fragments and that discrimination of AD from control is dependent on the subset of tau species measured. These assays provide novel tools to investigate CSF tau and ptau as biomarkers for other neurodegenerative diseases.
Collapse
|
76
|
Iqbal K, Gong CX, Liu F. Hyperphosphorylation-induced tau oligomers. Front Neurol 2013; 4:112. [PMID: 23966973 PMCID: PMC3744035 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2013.00112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 07/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In normal adult brain the microtubule associated protein (MAP) tau contains 2-3 phosphates per mol of the protein and at this level of phosphorylation it is a soluble cytosolic protein. The normal brain tau interacts with tubulin and promotes its assembly into microtubules and stabilizes these fibrils. In Alzheimer disease (AD) brain tau is three to fourfold hyperphosphorylated. The abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau binds to normal tau instead of the tubulin and this binding leads to the formation of tau oligomers. The tau oligomers can be sedimented at 200,000 × g whereas the normal tau under these conditions remains in the supernatant. The abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau is capable of sequestering not only normal tau but also MAP MAP1 and MAP2 and causing disruption of the microtubule network promoted by these proteins. Unlike Aβ and prion protein (PrP) oligomers, tau oligomerization in AD and related tauopathies is hyperphosphorylation-dependent; in vitro dephosphorylation of AD P-tau with protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) inhibits and rehyperphosphorylation of the PP2A-AD P-tau with more than one combination of tau protein kinases promotes its oligomerization. In physiological assembly conditions the AD P-tau readily self-assembles into paired helical filaments. Missense tau mutations found in frontotemporal dementia apparently lead to tau oligomerization and neurofibrillary pathology by promoting its abnormal hyperphosphorylation. Dysregulation of the alternative splicing of tau that alters the 1:1 ratio of the 3-repeat: 4-repeat taus such as in Down syndrome, Pick disease, and progressive supranuclear palsy leads to the abnormal hyperphosphorylation of tau.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities , Staten Island, NY , USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
77
|
Miyata Y, Li X, Lee HF, Jinwal UK, Srinivasan SR, Seguin SP, Young ZT, Brodsky JL, Dickey CA, Sun D, Gestwicki JE. Synthesis and initial evaluation of YM-08, a blood-brain barrier permeable derivative of the heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) inhibitor MKT-077, which reduces tau levels. ACS Chem Neurosci 2013; 4:930-9. [PMID: 23472668 DOI: 10.1021/cn300210g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The molecular chaperone, heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), is an emerging drug target for treating neurodegenerative tauopathies. We recently found that one promising Hsp70 inhibitor, MKT-077, reduces tau levels in cellular models. However, MKT-077 does not penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB), limiting its use as either a clinical candidate or probe for exploring Hsp70 as a drug target in the central nervous system (CNS). We hypothesized that replacing the cationic pyridinium moiety in MKT-077 with a neutral pyridine might improve its clogP and enhance its BBB penetrance. To test this idea, we designed and synthesized YM-08, a neutral analogue of MKT-077. Like the parent compound, YM-08 bound to Hsp70 in vitro and reduced phosphorylated tau levels in cultured brain slices. Pharmacokinetic evaluation in CD1 mice showed that YM-08 crossed the BBB and maintained a brain/plasma (B/P) value of ∼0.25 for at least 18 h. Together, these studies suggest that YM-08 is a promising scaffold for the development of Hsp70 inhibitors suitable for use in the CNS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Umesh K. Jinwal
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United
States
| | | | - Sandlin P. Seguin
- Department of Biological
Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania,
United States
| | | | - Jeffrey L. Brodsky
- Department of Biological
Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania,
United States
| | - Chad A. Dickey
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United
States
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
78
|
Golde TE, Borchelt DR, Giasson BI, Lewis J. Thinking laterally about neurodegenerative proteinopathies. J Clin Invest 2013; 123:1847-55. [PMID: 23635781 DOI: 10.1172/jci66029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Many neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and frontotemporal dementia, are proteinopathies that are associated with the aggregation and accumulation of misfolded proteins. While remarkable progress has been made in understanding the triggers of these conditions, several challenges have hampered the translation of preclinical therapies targeting pathways downstream of the initiating proteinopathies. Clinical trials in symptomatic patients using therapies directed toward initiating trigger events have met with little success, prompting concerns that such therapeutics may be of limited efficacy when used in advanced stages of the disease rather than as prophylactics. Herein, we discuss gaps in our understanding of the pathological processes downstream of the trigger and potential strategies to identify common features of the downstream degenerative cascade in multiple CNS proteinopathies, which could potentially lead to the development of common therapeutic targets for multiple disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Todd E Golde
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
79
|
Lee MJ, Lee JH, Rubinsztein DC. Tau degradation: the ubiquitin-proteasome system versus the autophagy-lysosome system. Prog Neurobiol 2013; 105:49-59. [PMID: 23528736 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2013.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 259] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2012] [Revised: 03/03/2013] [Accepted: 03/13/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and the autophagy-lysosome system are two major protein quality control mechanisms in eukaryotic cells. While the UPS has been considered for decades as the critical regulator in the degradation of various aggregate-prone proteins, autophagy has more recently been shown to be an important pathway implicated in neuronal health and disease. The two hallmark lesions of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are extracellular β-amyloid plaques and intracellular tau tangles. It has been suggested that tau accumulation is pathologically more relevant to the development of neurodegeneration and cognitive decline in AD patients than β-amyloid plaques. Here, we review the UPS and autophagy-mediated tau clearance mechanisms and outline the biochemical connections between these two processes. In addition, we discuss pharmacological methods that target these degradation systems for the treatment and prevention of AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Min Jae Lee
- Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Applied Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 446-701, Republic of Korea.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
80
|
López‐González I, Carmona M, Blanco R, Luna‐Muñoz J, Martínez‐Mandonado A, Mena R, Ferrer I. Characterization of thorn-shaped astrocytes in white matter of temporal lobe in Alzheimer's disease brains. Brain Pathol 2013; 23:144-53. [PMID: 22882361 PMCID: PMC8028879 DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-3639.2012.00627.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2012] [Accepted: 07/30/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Thorn-shaped astrocytes (TsA) are mainly localized in the periventricular white matter of the temporal lobe in a subgroup of aged individuals usually in the context of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Immunohistochemistry of TsA shows 4Rtau deposition, tau phosphorylation at different sites recognized with phosphospecific anti-tau antibodies Thr181, Ser202, Ser214, Thr231, Ser396, Ser422, and clones AT8 and PHF-1, and conformational changes revealed with Alz50 and MC-1 antibodies; TsA are also immunostained with antibodies to active tau kinases MAPK/ERK-P, SAPK/JNK-P, p38-P and GSK-3β. These findings are common to neurofibrillary tangles in AD. However, TsA are not stained with 3Rtau antibodies, and they are seldom stained or not at all with phosphospecific tauSer262 and with Tau-C3 antibody, which recognizes the latter tau truncation at aspartic acid 421. Previous studies have shown that tau phosphorylation at Ser262 reduces tau binding to microtubules and increases caspase-3 activity, whereas tau truncation at aspartic acid 421 is associated with tau ubiquitination, and toxic effects of tau. In this line, ubiquitin is not accumulated in TsA, and in situ end-labeling of nuclear DNA fragmentation shows absence of degeneration in TsA. These observations support the concept that tau lesions in neurons differ from those seen in TsA in AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irene López‐González
- CIBERNED (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas), Institut de Neuropatologia, IDIBELL‐Hospital Universitari de BellvitgeUniversitat de BarcelonaHospitalet de LlobregatSpain
| | - Margarita Carmona
- CIBERNED (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas), Institut de Neuropatologia, IDIBELL‐Hospital Universitari de BellvitgeUniversitat de BarcelonaHospitalet de LlobregatSpain
| | - Rosa Blanco
- CIBERNED (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas), Institut de Neuropatologia, IDIBELL‐Hospital Universitari de BellvitgeUniversitat de BarcelonaHospitalet de LlobregatSpain
| | - José Luna‐Muñoz
- Department of Physiology, Biophysics and NeurosciencesCINVESTAV‐IPNMexicoMexico
| | | | - Raúl Mena
- Department of Physiology, Biophysics and NeurosciencesCINVESTAV‐IPNMexicoMexico
| | - Isidre Ferrer
- CIBERNED (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas), Institut de Neuropatologia, IDIBELL‐Hospital Universitari de BellvitgeUniversitat de BarcelonaHospitalet de LlobregatSpain
| |
Collapse
|
81
|
Riemer J, Kins S. Axonal Transport and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Alzheimer's Disease. NEURODEGENER DIS 2013; 12:111-24. [DOI: 10.1159/000342020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2012] [Accepted: 07/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
|
82
|
Wolfe MS. The role of tau in neurodegenerative diseases and its potential as a therapeutic target. SCIENTIFICA 2012; 2012:796024. [PMID: 24278740 PMCID: PMC3820460 DOI: 10.6064/2012/796024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2012] [Accepted: 11/05/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The abnormal deposition of proteins in and around neurons is a common pathological feature of many neurodegenerative diseases. Among these pathological proteins, the microtubule-associated protein tau forms intraneuronal filaments in a spectrum of neurological disorders. The discovery that dominant mutations in the MAPT gene encoding tau are associated with familial frontotemporal dementia strongly supports abnormal tau protein as directly involved in disease pathogenesis. This and other evidence suggest that tau is a worthwhile target for the prevention or treatment of tau-associated neurodegenerative diseases, collectively called tauopathies. However, it is critical to understand the normal biological roles of tau, the specific molecular events that induce tau to become neurotoxic, the biochemical nature of pathogenic tau, the means by which pathogenic tau exerts neurotoxicity, and how tau pathology propagates. Based on known differences between normal and abnormal tau, a number of approaches have been taken toward the discovery of potential therapeutics. Key questions still remain open, such as the nature of the connection between the amyloid- β protein of Alzheimer's disease and tau pathology. Answers to these questions should help better understand the nature of tauopathies and may also reveal new therapeutic targets and strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael S. Wolfe
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, H.I.M. 754, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| |
Collapse
|
83
|
Abstract
Tau aggregates are present in several neurodegenerative diseases and correlate with the severity of memory deficit in AD (Alzheimer's disease). However, the triggers of tau aggregation and tau-induced neurodegeneration are still elusive. The impairment of protein-degradation systems might play a role in such processes, as these pathways normally keep tau levels at a low level which may prevent aggregation. Some proteases can process tau and thus contribute to tau aggregation by generating amyloidogenic fragments, but the complete clearance of tau mainly relies on the UPS (ubiquitin-proteasome system) and the ALS (autophagy-lysosome system). In the present paper, we focus on the regulation of the degradation of tau by the UPS and ALS and its relation to tau aggregation. We anticipate that stimulation of these two protein-degradation systems might be a potential therapeutic strategy for AD and other tauopathies.
Collapse
|
84
|
Johnson R, Noble W, Tartaglia GG, Buckley NJ. Neurodegeneration as an RNA disorder. Prog Neurobiol 2012; 99:293-315. [PMID: 23063563 PMCID: PMC7116994 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2012.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2012] [Revised: 09/14/2012] [Accepted: 09/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases constitute one of the single most important public health challenges of the coming decades, and yet we presently have only a limited understanding of the underlying genetic, cellular and molecular causes. As a result, no effective disease-modifying therapies are currently available, and no method exists to allow detection at early disease stages, and as a result diagnoses are only made decades after disease pathogenesis, by which time the majority of physical damage has already occurred. Since the sequencing of the human genome, we have come to appreciate that the transcriptional output of the human genome is extremely rich in non-protein coding RNAs (ncRNAs). This heterogeneous class of transcripts is widely expressed in the nervous system, and is likely to play many crucial roles in the development and functioning of this organ. Most exciting, evidence has recently been presented that ncRNAs play central, but hitherto unappreciated roles in neurodegenerative processes. Here, we review the diverse available evidence demonstrating involvement of ncRNAs in neurodegenerative diseases, and discuss their possible implications in the development of therapies and biomarkers for these conditions.
Collapse
Key Words
- neurodegeneration
- neurodegenerative disease
- non-coding rna
- alzheimer's disease
- parkinson's disease
- huntington's disease
- trinucleotide repeat disorder
- bace1
- rest
- long non-coding rna
- microrna
- har1
- sox2ot
- mir-9
- mir-132
- mir-124
- ndds, neurodegenerative disorders
- ad, alzheimer's disease
- hd, huntington's disease
- pd, parkinson's disease
- als, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- app, amyloid precursor protein
- cftr, cystic fibrosis
- csf, cerebrospinal fluid
- sod1, superoxide dismutase 1
- tardbp, tar dna binding protein
- psen-1, presenilin 1
- psen-2, presenilin 1
- mapt, microtubule-associated protein tau
- snca, α-synuclein
- ups, ubiquitin-proteasome system
- aββ, -amyloid
- er, endoplasmic reticulum
- ber, base excision repair
- parp-1, poly-adp ribose polymerase-1
- lncrnas, long non-coding rnas
- mirnas, microrna
- ncrna, non-coding rnas
- ngs, next generation sequencing
- pcr, polymerase chain reaction
- sars, severe acute respiratory disorder
- sca, spinal cerebellar ataxia
- dm, myotonic dystrophy
- hdl2, huntington's disease-like 2
- tnds, trinucleotide repeat disorders
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rory Johnson
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) and UPF, Dr. Aiguader, 88, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Wendy Noble
- Kings College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
| | - Gian Gaetano Tartaglia
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) and UPF, Dr. Aiguader, 88, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | | |
Collapse
|
85
|
Lee S, Shea TB. Regulation of tau proteolysis by phosphatases. Brain Res 2012; 1495:30-6. [PMID: 23159717 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2012.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2012] [Revised: 10/09/2012] [Accepted: 10/11/2012] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
One pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease is the accumulation of highly phosphorylated tau. Since tau phosphorylation inhibits its proteolysis, we examined the impact of endogenous phosphatase activities on tau proteolysis by homogenization of cultured cells and 3xTg-AD mouse brain followed by incubation with or without phosphatase inhibitors. Incubation without phosphatase inhibitors significantly increased tau immunoreactivity against antibody C3 (which reacts with tau truncated at D421), and increased the generation of tau breakdown products. These changes were augmented by lithium treatment and inhibited by constitutively active GSK3β. These findings underscore that tau proteolysis is regulated by a balance of kinase and phosphatase activities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sangmook Lee
- University of Massachusetts Lowell, Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Cellular Neurobiology and Neurodegeneration Research, One University Avenue, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
86
|
Caspase-mediated truncation of tau potentiates aggregation. Int J Alzheimers Dis 2012; 2012:731063. [PMID: 22988541 PMCID: PMC3440879 DOI: 10.1155/2012/731063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2012] [Revised: 07/27/2012] [Accepted: 07/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Caspase-mediated truncation of tau is associated with aggregation. We examined the impact of manipulation of caspase activity on intracellular aggregation of a mutant form of tau (3PO) that forms spontaneous aggregates. Treatment with the caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-fmk reduced both N and C-terminal tau truncation but did not significantly reduce aggregation. Treatment with staurosporine, which activated caspases, increased C-terminal but not N-terminal truncation and enhanced aggregation. These findings suggest that caspase activation is one potential route, rather than an obligatory initiation step, in aggregation, and that N- and C-terminal truncation contribute differentially to aggregation.
Collapse
|
87
|
Maulik M, Ghoshal B, Kim J, Wang Y, Yang J, Westaway D, Kar S. Mutant human APP exacerbates pathology in a mouse model of NPC and its reversal by a β-cyclodextrin. Hum Mol Genet 2012; 21:4857-75. [PMID: 22869680 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/dds322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Niemann-Pick type C (NPC) disease, an autosomal recessive disorder caused primarily by loss-of-function mutations in NPC1 gene, is characterized neuropathologically by intracellular cholesterol accumulation, gliosis and neuronal loss in selected brain regions. Recent studies have shown that NPC disease exhibits intriguing parallels with Alzheimer's disease (AD), including the presence of tau-positive neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and β-amyloid (Aβ)-related peptides in vulnerable brain regions. Since enhanced cholesterol level, which acts as a risk factor for AD, can increase Aβ production by regulating amyloid precursor protein (APP) metabolism, it is possible that APP overexpression can influence cholesterol-regulated NPC pathology. We have addressed this issue in a novel bigenic mice (ANPC) generated by crossing heterozygous Npc1-deficient mice with mutant human APP transgenic mice. These mice exhibited decreased lifespan, early object memory and motor impairments, and exacerbated glial pathology compared with other littermates. Neurodegeneration observed in the cerebellum of ANPC mice was found to be accelerated along with a selective increase in the phosphorylation/cleavage of tau protein. Additionally, enhanced levels/activity of cytosolic cathepsin D together with cytochrome c and Bcl-2-associated X protein suggest a role for the lysosomal enzyme in the caspase-induced degeneration of neurons in ANPC mice. The reversal of cholesterol accretion by 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (2-HPC) treatment increased longevity and attenuated behavioral/pathological abnormalities in ANPC mice. Collectively, our results reveal that overexpression of APP in Npc1-deficient mice can negatively influence longevity and a wide spectrum of behavioral/neuropathological abnormalities, thus raising the possibility that APP and NPC1 may interact functionally to regulate the development of AD and NPC pathologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mahua Maulik
- Department of Medicine (Neurology), Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
88
|
Ferrer I. Defining Alzheimer as a common age-related neurodegenerative process not inevitably leading to dementia. Prog Neurobiol 2012; 97:38-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2012.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2012] [Revised: 03/10/2012] [Accepted: 03/13/2012] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
|
89
|
Hashimoto Y, Matsumoto Y, Noguchi-Yachide T, Nakamura M, Mita Y, Numadate A. Specific Inhibitors of Puromycin-Sensitive Aminopeptidase with a 3-(Halogenated Phenyl)-2,4(1H,3H)-quinazolinedione Skeleton. HETEROCYCLES 2012. [DOI: 10.3987/com-12-s(n)109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|
90
|
Krüger U, Wang Y, Kumar S, Mandelkow EM. Autophagic degradation of tau in primary neurons and its enhancement by trehalose. Neurobiol Aging 2011; 33:2291-305. [PMID: 22169203 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2011.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 205] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2011] [Revised: 10/11/2011] [Accepted: 11/06/2011] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Modulating the tau level may represent a therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease (AD), as accumulating evidence shows that Abeta-induced neurodegeneration is mediated by tau. It is therefore important to understand the expression and degradation of tau in neurons. Recently we showed that overexpressed mutant tau and tau aggregates are degraded via the autophagic pathway in an N2a cell model. Here we investigated whether autophagy is involved in the degradation of endogenous tau in cultured primary neurons. We activated this pathway in primary neurons with trehalose, an enhancer of autophagy. This resulted in the reduction of endogenous tau protein. Tau phosphorylation at several sites elevated in AD pathology had little influence on its degradation by autophagy. Furthermore, by using a neuronal cell model of tauopathy, we showed that activation of autophagy suppresses tau aggregation and eliminates cytotoxicity. Notably, apart from activating autophagy, trehalose also inhibits tau aggregation directly. Thus, trehalose may be a good candidate for developing therapeutic strategies for AD and other tauopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Krüger
- Max-Planck-Unit for Structural Molecular Biology, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
91
|
Bibow S, Mukrasch MD, Chinnathambi S, Biernat J, Griesinger C, Mandelkow E, Zweckstetter M. Die dynamische Struktur von Tau-Filamenten. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2011. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201105493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
|
92
|
Bibow S, Mukrasch MD, Chinnathambi S, Biernat J, Griesinger C, Mandelkow E, Zweckstetter M. The dynamic structure of filamentous tau. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2011; 50:11520-4. [PMID: 21990182 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201105493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Bibow
- Department of NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
93
|
Reyes JF, Fu Y, Vana L, Kanaan NM, Binder LI. Tyrosine nitration within the proline-rich region of Tau in Alzheimer's disease. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2011; 178:2275-85. [PMID: 21514440 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2011.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2010] [Revised: 12/14/2010] [Accepted: 01/12/2011] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
A substantial body of evidence suggests that nitrative injury contributes to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative disorders. Previously, we showed in vitro that within the tau protein the N-terminal tyrosine residues (Y18 and Y29) are more susceptible to nitrative modifications than other tyrosine sites (Y197 and Y394). Using site-specific antibodies to nitrated tau at Y18 and Y29, we identified tau nitrated in both glial (Y18) and neuronal (Y29) tau pathologies. In this study, we report the characterization of two novel monoclonal antibodies, Tau-nY197 and Tau-nY394, recognizing tau nitrated at Y197 and Y394, respectively. By Western blot analysis, Tau-nY197 labeled soluble tau and insoluble paired helical filament proteins (PHF-tau) nitrated at Y197 from control and AD brain samples. Tau-nY394 failed to label soluble tau isolated from control or severe AD samples, but labeled insoluble PHF-tau to a limited extent. Immunohistochemical analysis using Tau-nY197 revealed the hallmark tau pathology associated with AD; Tau-nY394 did not detect any pathological lesions characteristic of the disorder. These data suggest that a subset of the hallmark pathological inclusions of AD contain tau nitrated at Y197. However, nitration at Y197 was also identified in soluble tau from all control samples, including those at Braak stage 0, suggesting that nitration at this site in the proline-rich region of tau may have normal biological functions in the human brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan F Reyes
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
94
|
De Vos A, Anandhakumar J, Van den Brande J, Verduyckt M, Franssens V, Winderickx J, Swinnen E. Yeast as a model system to study tau biology. Int J Alzheimers Dis 2011; 2011:428970. [PMID: 21559193 PMCID: PMC3090044 DOI: 10.4061/2011/428970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2010] [Accepted: 01/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperphosphorylated and aggregated human protein tau constitutes a hallmark of a multitude of neurodegenerative diseases called tauopathies, exemplified by Alzheimer's disease. In spite of an enormous amount of research performed on tau biology, several crucial questions concerning the mechanisms of tau toxicity remain unanswered. In this paper we will highlight some of the processes involved in tau biology and pathology, focusing on tau phosphorylation and the interplay with oxidative stress. In addition, we will introduce the development of a human tau-expressing yeast model, and discuss some crucial results obtained in this model, highlighting its potential in the elucidation of cellular processes leading to tau toxicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ann De Vos
- Laboratory of Functional Biology, Catholic University of Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Jayamani Anandhakumar
- Laboratory of Functional Biology, Catholic University of Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Jeff Van den Brande
- Laboratory of Functional Biology, Catholic University of Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Mathias Verduyckt
- Laboratory of Functional Biology, Catholic University of Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Vanessa Franssens
- Laboratory of Functional Biology, Catholic University of Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Joris Winderickx
- Laboratory of Functional Biology, Catholic University of Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Erwin Swinnen
- Laboratory of Functional Biology, Catholic University of Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
95
|
Rosenbaum JC, Fredrickson EK, Oeser ML, Garrett-Engele CM, Locke MN, Richardson LA, Nelson ZW, Hetrick ED, Milac TI, Gottschling DE, Gardner RG. Disorder targets misorder in nuclear quality control degradation: a disordered ubiquitin ligase directly recognizes its misfolded substrates. Mol Cell 2011; 41:93-106. [PMID: 21211726 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2010.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2010] [Revised: 09/01/2010] [Accepted: 10/27/2010] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Protein quality control (PQC) degradation systems protect the cell from the toxic accumulation of misfolded proteins. Because any protein can become misfolded, these systems must be able to distinguish abnormal proteins from normal ones, yet be capable of recognizing the wide variety of distinctly shaped misfolded proteins they are likely to encounter. How individual PQC degradation systems accomplish this remains an open question. Here we show that the yeast nuclear PQC ubiquitin ligase San1 directly recognizes its misfolded substrates via intrinsically disordered N- and C-terminal domains. These disordered domains are punctuated with small segments of order and high sequence conservation that serve as substrate-recognition sites San1 uses to target its different substrates. We propose that these substrate-recognition sites, interspersed among flexible, disordered regions, provide San1 an inherent plasticity which allows it to bind its many, differently shaped misfolded substrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joel C Rosenbaum
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|