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Dillon GM, Henderson JL, Bao C, Joyce JA, Calhoun M, Amaral B, King KW, Bajrami B, Rabah D. Acute inhibition of the CNS-specific kinase TTBK1 significantly lowers tau phosphorylation at several disease relevant sites. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228771. [PMID: 32255788 PMCID: PMC7138307 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperphosphorylated tau protein is a pathological hallmark of numerous neurodegenerative diseases and the level of tau pathology is correlated with the degree of cognitive impairment. Tau hyper-phosphorylation is thought to be an early initiating event in the cascade leading to tau toxicity and neuronal death. Inhibition of tau phosphorylation therefore represents an attractive therapeutic strategy. However, the widespread expression of most kinases and promiscuity of their substrates, along with poor selectivity of most kinase inhibitors, have resulted in systemic toxicities that have limited the advancement of tau kinase inhibitors into the clinic. We therefore focused on the CNS-specific tau kinase, TTBK1, and investigated whether selective inhibition of this kinase could represent a viable approach to targeting tau phosphorylation in disease. In the current study, we demonstrate that TTBK1 regulates tau phosphorylation using overexpression or knockdown of this kinase in heterologous cells and primary neurons. Importantly, we find that TTBK1-specific phosphorylation of tau leads to a loss of normal protein function including a decrease in tau-tubulin binding and deficits in tubulin polymerization. We then describe the use of a novel, selective small molecule antagonist, BIIB-TTBK1i, to study the acute effects of TTBK1 inhibition on tau phosphorylation in vivo. We demonstrate substantial lowering of tau phosphorylation at multiple sites implicated in disease, suggesting that TTBK1 inhibitors may represent an exciting new approach in the search for neurodegenerative disease therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Channa Bao
- Biogen, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Dania Rabah
- Biogen, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
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Klein HU, Schäfer M, Bennett DA, Schwender H, De Jager PL. Bayesian integrative analysis of epigenomic and transcriptomic data identifies Alzheimer's disease candidate genes and networks. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1007771. [PMID: 32255787 PMCID: PMC7138305 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomedical research studies have generated large multi-omic datasets to study complex diseases like Alzheimer’s disease (AD). An important aim of these studies is the identification of candidate genes that demonstrate congruent disease-related alterations across the different data types measured by the study. We developed a new method to detect such candidate genes in large multi-omic case-control studies that measure multiple data types in the same set of samples. The method is based on a gene-centric integrative coefficient quantifying to what degree consistent differences are observed in the different data types. For statistical inference, a Bayesian hierarchical model is used to study the distribution of the integrative coefficient. The model employs a conditional autoregressive prior to integrate a functional gene network and to share information between genes known to be functionally related. We applied the method to an AD dataset consisting of histone acetylation, DNA methylation, and RNA transcription data from human cortical tissue samples of 233 subjects, and we detected 816 genes with consistent differences between persons with AD and controls. The findings were validated in protein data and in RNA transcription data from two independent AD studies. Finally, we found three subnetworks of jointly dysregulated genes within the functional gene network which capture three distinct biological processes: myeloid cell differentiation, protein phosphorylation and synaptic signaling. Further investigation of the myeloid network indicated an upregulation of this network in early stages of AD prior to accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau and suggested that increased CSF1 transcription in astrocytes may contribute to microglial activation in AD. Thus, we developed a method that integrates multiple data types and external knowledge of gene function to detect candidate genes, applied the method to an AD dataset, and identified several disease-related genes and processes demonstrating the usefulness of the integrative approach. Recent technological advances have led to a new generation of studies that interrogate multiple molecular levels in the same target tissue of a set of subjects, generating complex multi-omic datasets with which to study disease mechanism. These datasets of genetic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, and other data have the potential to reveal novel biological insights; however, integrative analyses remain challenging and require new computational methods. We developed an integrative Bayesian approach to detect genes with consistent differences between case and control samples across multiple data types. The method further integrates prior knowledge about gene function in the form of a gene functional similarity network to improve statistical inference by sharing information between related genes. We applied our method to an Alzheimer’s disease dataset of epigenomic and transcriptomic data and detected and then validated several novel and known candidate genes as well as three major disease-related biological processes. One of these processes reflected microglial activation and included the cytokine CSF1. Single-nucleus data revealed that CSF1 was primarily upregulated in astrocytes, implicating the involvement of this cell type in microglial activation. Hence, we demonstrated that integrative analysis approaches to multi-omic datasets can improve candidate gene detection and thereby generate new insights into complex diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans-Ulrich Klein
- Center for Translational & Computational Neuroimmunology, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Martin Schäfer
- Mathematical Institute, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - David A. Bennett
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Holger Schwender
- Mathematical Institute, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Philip L. De Jager
- Center for Translational & Computational Neuroimmunology, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
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3
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Teravskis PJ, Oxnard BR, Miller EC, Kemper L, Ashe KH, Liao D. Phosphorylation in two discrete tau domains regulates a stepwise process leading to postsynaptic dysfunction. J Physiol 2019; 599:2483-2498. [PMID: 31194886 DOI: 10.1113/jp277459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Tau mislocalization to dendritic spines and associated postsynaptic deficits are mediated through different and non-overlapping phosphorylation sites. Tau mislocalization to dendritic spines depends upon the phosphorylation of either Ser396 or Ser404 in the C-terminus. Postsynaptic dysfunction instead depends upon the phosphorylation of at least one of five residues in the proline-rich region of tau. The blockade of both glycogen synthetase kinase 3β and cyclin-dependent kinase 5 is required to prevent P301L-induced tau mislocalization to dendritic spines, supporting redundant pathways that control tau mislocalization to spines. ABSTRACT Tau protein consists of an N-terminal projection domain, a microtubule-binding domain and a C-terminal domain. In neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia, the hyperphosphorylation of tau changes its shape, binding partners and resulting function. An early consequence of tau phosphorylation by proline-directed kinases is postsynaptic dysfunction associated with the mislocalization of tau to dendritic spines. The specific phosphorylation sites leading to these abnormalities have not been elucidated. Here, using imaging and electrophysiological techniques to study cultured rat hippocampal neurons, we show that postsynaptic dysfunction results from a sequential process involving differential phosphorylation in the N-terminal and C-terminal domains. First, tau mislocalizes to dendritic spines, in a manner that depends upon the phosphorylation of either Ser396 or Ser404 in the C-terminal domain. The blockade of both glycogen synthetase kinase 3β and cyclin-dependent kinase 5 prevents tau mislocalization to dendritic spines. Second, a reduction of functional AMPA receptors depends upon the phosphorylation of at least one of five residues (Ser202, Thr205, Thr212, Thr217 and Thr231) in the proline-rich region of the N-terminal domain. This is the first report of differential phosphorylation in distinct tau domains governing separate, but linked, steps leading to synaptic dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Teravskis
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.,School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Breeta R Oxnard
- College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Eric C Miller
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Lisa Kemper
- Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Karen H Ashe
- Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.,N. Bud Grossman Center for Memory Research and Care, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.,GRECC, Minneapolis VA Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, 55417, USA
| | - Dezhi Liao
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
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Kiddle SJ, Steves CJ, Mehta M, Simmons A, Xu X, Newhouse S, Sattlecker M, Ashton NJ, Bazenet C, Killick R, Adnan J, Westman E, Nelson S, Soininen H, Kloszewska I, Mecocci P, Tsolaki M, Vellas B, Curtis C, Breen G, Williams SCR, Lovestone S, Spector TD, Dobson RJB. Plasma protein biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease endophenotypes in asymptomatic older twins: early cognitive decline and regional brain volumes. Transl Psychiatry 2015; 5:e584. [PMID: 26080319 PMCID: PMC4490288 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2015.78] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 05/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
There is great interest in blood-based markers of Alzheimer's disease (AD), especially in its pre-symptomatic stages. Therefore, we aimed to identify plasma proteins whose levels associate with potential markers of pre-symptomatic AD. We also aimed to characterise confounding by genetics and the effect of genetics on blood proteins in general. Panel-based proteomics was performed using SOMAscan on plasma samples from TwinsUK subjects who are asymptomatic for AD, measuring the level of 1129 proteins. Protein levels were compared with 10-year change in CANTAB-paired associates learning (PAL; n = 195), and regional brain volumes (n = 34). Replication of proteins associated with regional brain volumes was performed in 254 individuals from the AddNeuroMed cohort. Across all the proteins measured, genetic factors were found to explain ~26% of the variability in blood protein levels on average. The plasma level of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) MAPKAPK5 protein was found to positively associate with the 10-year change in CANTAB-PAL in both the individual and twin difference context. The plasma level of protein MAP2K4 was found to suggestively associate negatively (Q < 0.1) with the volume of the left entorhinal cortex. Future studies will be needed to assess the specificity of MAPKAPK5 and MAP2K4 to eventual conversion to AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- S J Kiddle
- MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - C J Steves
- Department of Twin Research & Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - M Mehta
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - A Simmons
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health and Biomedical Research Unit for Dementia at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation, London, UK
| | - X Xu
- MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health and Biomedical Research Unit for Dementia at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation, London, UK
| | - S Newhouse
- MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health and Biomedical Research Unit for Dementia at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation, London, UK
| | - M Sattlecker
- MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health and Biomedical Research Unit for Dementia at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation, London, UK
| | - N J Ashton
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health and Biomedical Research Unit for Dementia at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation, London, UK
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - C Bazenet
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health and Biomedical Research Unit for Dementia at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation, London, UK
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - R Killick
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - J Adnan
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - E Westman
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Instituet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - H Soininen
- Institute of Clinical Medicine – Neurology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- NeuroCenter, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - I Kloszewska
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotic disorders, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland
| | - P Mecocci
- Institute of Gerontology and Geriatrics, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - M Tsolaki
- 3rd Department of Neurology, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - B Vellas
- Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatric Medicine, INSERM University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - C Curtis
- MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health and Biomedical Research Unit for Dementia at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation, London, UK
| | - G Breen
- MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health and Biomedical Research Unit for Dementia at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation, London, UK
| | - S C R Williams
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - S Lovestone
- Department of Psychiatry, Oxford University, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - T D Spector
- Department of Twin Research & Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - R J B Dobson
- MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health and Biomedical Research Unit for Dementia at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation, London, UK
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Collin L, Bohrmann B, Göpfert U, Oroszlan-Szovik K, Ozmen L, Grüninger F. Neuronal uptake of tau/pS422 antibody and reduced progression of tau pathology in a mouse model of Alzheimer‘s disease. Brain 2014; 137:2834-46. [DOI: 10.1093/brain/awu213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
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Medina M, Avila J, Villanueva N. Use of okadaic acid to identify relevant phosphoepitopes in pathology: a focus on neurodegeneration. Mar Drugs 2013; 11:1656-68. [PMID: 23697949 PMCID: PMC3707166 DOI: 10.3390/md11051656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2013] [Revised: 04/02/2013] [Accepted: 04/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein phosphorylation is involved in the regulation of a wide variety of physiological processes and is the result of a balance between protein kinase and phosphatase activities. Biologically active marine derived compounds have been shown to represent an interesting source of novel compounds that could modify that balance. Among them, the marine toxin and tumor promoter, okadaic acid (OA), has been shown as an inhibitor of two of the main cytosolic, broad-specificity protein phosphatases, PP1 and PP2A, thus providing an excellent cell-permeable probe for examining the role of protein phosphorylation, and PP1 and PP2A in particular, in any physiological or pathological process. In the present work, we review the use of okadaic acid to identify specific phosphoepitopes mainly in proteins relevant for neurodegeneration. We will specifically highlight those cases of highly dynamic phosphorylation-dephosphorylation events and the ability of OA to block the high turnover phosphorylation, thus allowing the detection of modified residues that could be otherwise difficult to identify. Finally, its effect on tau hyperhosphorylation and its relevance in neurodegenerative pathologies such as Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Medina
- CIBERNED (Center for Networked Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases), Valderrebollo 5, Madrid 28041, Spain; E-Mail:
| | - Jesús Avila
- CIBERNED (Center for Networked Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases), Valderrebollo 5, Madrid 28041, Spain; E-Mail:
- Center of Molecular Biology “Severo Ochoa” CSIC-UAM, Nicolás Cabrera 1, Madrid 28049, Spain
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ; Tel.: +34-91-196-4803; Fax: +34-91-196-4715
| | - Nieves Villanueva
- National Center of Microbiology (CNM), Carlos III Institute of Health (ISCIII), Crta. Majadahonda-Pozuelo km 2, Majadahonda, Madrid 28220, Spain; E-Mail:
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Götz J, Matamales M, Götz NN, Ittner LM, Eckert A. Alzheimer's disease models and functional genomics-How many needles are there in the haystack? Front Physiol 2012; 3:320. [PMID: 22934069 PMCID: PMC3429089 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2012.00320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2012] [Accepted: 07/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) are complex human brain disorders that affect an increasing number of people worldwide. With the identification first of the proteins that aggregate in AD and FTLD brains and subsequently of pathogenic gene mutations that cause their formation in the familial cases, the foundation was laid for the generation of animal models. These recapitulate essential aspects of the human conditions; expression of mutant forms of the amyloid-β protein-encoding APP gene in mice reproduces amyloid-β (Aβ) plaque formation in AD, while that of mutant forms of the tau-encoding microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) gene reproduces tau-containing neurofibrillary tangle formation, a lesion that is also prevalent in FTLD-Tau. The mouse models have been complemented by those in lower species such as C. elegans or Drosophila, highlighting the crucial role for Aβ and tau in human neurodegenerative disease. In this review, we will introduce selected AD/FTLD models and discuss how they were instrumental, by identifying deregulated mRNAs, miRNAs and proteins, in dissecting pathogenic mechanisms in neurodegenerative disease. We will discuss some recent examples, which includes miRNA species that are specifically deregulated by Aβ, mitochondrial proteins that are targets of both Aβ and tau, and the nuclear splicing factor SFPQ that accumulates in the cytoplasm in a tau-dependent manner. These examples illustrate how a functional genomics approach followed by a careful validation in experimental models and human tissue leads to a deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of AD and FTLD and ultimately, may help in finding a cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Götz
- Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of QueenslandSt Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Miriam Matamales
- Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of QueenslandSt Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Naeman N. Götz
- Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of QueenslandSt Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Lars M. Ittner
- Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease Laboratory, Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of SydneyCamperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Anne Eckert
- Neurobiology Laboratory, Psychiatric University Clinics Basel, University of BaselBasel, Switzerland
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Voss K, Koren J, Dickey CA. The earliest tau dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease? Tau phosphorylated at s422 as a toxic seed. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2011; 179:2148-51. [PMID: 21964186 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2011.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2011] [Accepted: 08/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kellen Voss
- USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Institute, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
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