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Nguyen PH, Ramamoorthy A, Sahoo BR, Zheng J, Faller P, Straub JE, Dominguez L, Shea JE, Dokholyan NV, De Simone A, Ma B, Nussinov R, Najafi S, Ngo ST, Loquet A, Chiricotto M, Ganguly P, McCarty J, Li MS, Hall C, Wang Y, Miller Y, Melchionna S, Habenstein B, Timr S, Chen J, Hnath B, Strodel B, Kayed R, Lesné S, Wei G, Sterpone F, Doig AJ, Derreumaux P. Amyloid Oligomers: A Joint Experimental/Computational Perspective on Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Type II Diabetes, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Chem Rev 2021; 121:2545-2647. [PMID: 33543942 PMCID: PMC8836097 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c01122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 386] [Impact Index Per Article: 128.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Protein misfolding and aggregation is observed in many amyloidogenic diseases affecting either the central nervous system or a variety of peripheral tissues. Structural and dynamic characterization of all species along the pathways from monomers to fibrils is challenging by experimental and computational means because they involve intrinsically disordered proteins in most diseases. Yet understanding how amyloid species become toxic is the challenge in developing a treatment for these diseases. Here we review what computer, in vitro, in vivo, and pharmacological experiments tell us about the accumulation and deposition of the oligomers of the (Aβ, tau), α-synuclein, IAPP, and superoxide dismutase 1 proteins, which have been the mainstream concept underlying Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), type II diabetes (T2D), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research, respectively, for many years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phuong H Nguyen
- CNRS, UPR9080, Université de Paris, Laboratory of Theoretical Biochemistry, IBPC, Fondation Edmond de Rothschild, PSL Research University, Paris 75005, France
| | - Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy
- Biophysics and Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1055, United States
| | - Bikash R Sahoo
- Biophysics and Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1055, United States
| | - Jie Zheng
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Peter Faller
- Institut de Chimie, UMR 7177, CNRS-Université de Strasbourg, 4 rue Blaise Pascal, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - John E Straub
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Laura Dominguez
- Facultad de Química, Departamento de Fisicoquímica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Joan-Emma Shea
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Nikolay V Dokholyan
- Department of Pharmacology and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, United States
- Department of Chemistry, and Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Alfonso De Simone
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
- Molecular Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80138, Italy
| | - Buyong Ma
- Basic Science Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruth Nussinov
- Basic Science Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
- Sackler Institute of Molecular Medicine, Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Saeed Najafi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Son Tung Ngo
- Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Biophysics & Faculty of Applied Sciences, Ton Duc Thang University, 33000 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Antoine Loquet
- Institute of Chemistry & Biology of Membranes & Nanoobjects, (UMR5248 CBMN), CNRS, Université Bordeaux, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Mara Chiricotto
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Pritam Ganguly
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - James McCarty
- Chemistry Department, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington 98225, United States
| | - Mai Suan Li
- Institute for Computational Science and Technology, SBI Building, Quang Trung Software City, Tan Chanh Hiep Ward, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Carol Hall
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7905, United States
| | - Yiming Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7905, United States
| | - Yifat Miller
- Department of Chemistry and The Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva 84105, Israel
| | | | - Birgit Habenstein
- Institute of Chemistry & Biology of Membranes & Nanoobjects, (UMR5248 CBMN), CNRS, Université Bordeaux, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Stepan Timr
- CNRS, UPR9080, Université de Paris, Laboratory of Theoretical Biochemistry, IBPC, Fondation Edmond de Rothschild, PSL Research University, Paris 75005, France
| | - Jiaxing Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, United States
| | - Brianna Hnath
- Department of Pharmacology and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, United States
| | - Birgit Strodel
- Institute of Complex Systems: Structural Biochemistry (ICS-6), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Rakez Kayed
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
| | - Sylvain Lesné
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Guanghong Wei
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Science, Multiscale Research Institute of Complex Systems, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Fabio Sterpone
- CNRS, UPR9080, Université de Paris, Laboratory of Theoretical Biochemistry, IBPC, Fondation Edmond de Rothschild, PSL Research University, Paris 75005, France
| | - Andrew J Doig
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K
| | - Philippe Derreumaux
- CNRS, UPR9080, Université de Paris, Laboratory of Theoretical Biochemistry, IBPC, Fondation Edmond de Rothschild, PSL Research University, Paris 75005, France
- Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry, Ton Duc Thang University, 33000 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Ton Duc Thang University, 33000 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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Shimonaka S, Matsumoto SE, Elahi M, Ishiguro K, Hasegawa M, Hattori N, Motoi Y. Asparagine residue 368 is involved in Alzheimer's disease tau strain-specific aggregation. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:13996-14014. [PMID: 32759167 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.013271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In tauopathies, tau forms pathogenic fibrils with distinct conformations (termed "tau strains") and acts as an aggregation "seed" templating the conversion of normal tau into isomorphic fibrils. Previous research showed that the aggregation core of tau fibril covers the C-terminal region (243-406 amino acids (aa)) and differs among the diseases. However, the mechanisms by which distinct fibrous structures are formed and inherited via templated aggregation are still unknown. Here, we sought to identify the key sequences of seed-dependent aggregation. To identify sequences for which deletion reduces tau aggregation, SH-SY5Y cells expressing a series of 10 partial deletion (Del 1-10, covering 244-400 aa) mutants of tau-CTF24 (243-441 aa) were treated with tau seeds prepared from a different tauopathy patient's brain (Alzheimer's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and corticobasal degeneration) or recombinant tau, and then seed-dependent tau aggregation was assessed biochemically. We found that the Del 8 mutant lacking 353-368 aa showed significantly decreased aggregation in both cellular and in vitro models. Furthermore, to identify the minimum sequence responsible for tau aggregation, we systematically repeated cellular tau aggregation assays for the delineation of shorter deletion sites and revealed that Asn-368 mutation suppressed tau aggregation triggered by an AD tau seed, but not using other tauopathy seeds. Our study suggested that 353-368 aa is a novel aggregation-responsible sequence other than PHF6 and PHF6*, and within this sequence, the Asn-368 residue plays a role in strain-specific tau aggregation in different tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shotaro Shimonaka
- Research Institute for Diseases of Old Age, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment of Dementia, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shin-Ei Matsumoto
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Montasir Elahi
- Department of Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment of Dementia, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Neurology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koichi Ishiguro
- Department of Neurology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masato Hasegawa
- Dementia Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nobutaka Hattori
- Research Institute for Diseases of Old Age, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Neurology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yumiko Motoi
- Department of Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment of Dementia, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan .,Department of Neurology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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Geng J, Xia L, Li W, Zhao C, Dou F. Cycloheximide Treatment Causes a ZVAD-Sensitive Protease-Dependent Cleavage of Human Tau in Drosophila Cells. J Alzheimers Dis 2016; 49:1161-8. [PMID: 26599052 PMCID: PMC4927919 DOI: 10.3233/jad-150423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Neurofibrillary tangles are the main pathological feature of Alzheimer’s disease. Insoluble tau protein is the major component of neurofibrillary tangles. Defects in the tau protein degradation pathway in neurons can lead to the accumulation of tau and its subsequent aggregation. Currently, contradictory results on the tau degradation pathway have been reported by different groups. This discrepancy is most likely due to different cell lines and methods used in those studies. In this study, we found that cycloheximide treatment induced mild activation of a ZVAD-sensitive protease in Drosophila Kc cells, resulting in cleavage of tau at its C-terminus; this cleavage could generate misleading tau protein degradation pattern results depending on the antibodies used in the assay. Because cycloheximide is a broadly used chemical reagent for the study of protein degradation, the unexpected artificial effect we observed here indicates that cycloheximide is not suitable for the study of tau degradation. Other methods, such as inducible expression systems and pulse-chase assays, may be more appropriate for studying tau degradation under physiological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhua Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Regulation Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Lu Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Regulation Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Wanjie Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Regulation Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Changqi Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Regulation Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Fei Dou
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Regulation Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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Xu L, Zheng J, Margittai M, Nussinov R, Ma B. How Does Hyperphopsphorylation Promote Tau Aggregation and Modulate Filament Structure and Stability? ACS Chem Neurosci 2016; 7:565-75. [PMID: 26854860 PMCID: PMC7831686 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.5b00294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau proteins are hyperphosphorylated at common sites in their N- and C-terminal domains in at least three neurodegenerative diseases, Parkinson, dementia with Lewy bodies, and Alzheimer's, suggesting specific pathology but general mechanism. Full-length human tau filament comprises a rigid core and a two-layered fuzzy coat. Tau is categorized into two groups of isoforms, with either four repeats (R1-R4) or three repeats (R1, R3, and R4); their truncated constructs are respectively called K18 and K19. Using multiscale molecular dynamics simulations, we explored the conformational consequences of hyperhposphorylation on tau's repeats. Our lower conformational energy filament models suggest a rigid filament core with a radius of ∼30 to 40 Å and an outer layer with a thickness of ∼140 Å consisting of a double-layered polyelectrolyte. The presence of the phosphorylated terminal domains alters the relative stabilities in the K18 ensemble, thus shifting the populations of the full-length filaments. However, the structure with the straight repeats in the core region is still the most stable, similar to the truncated K18 peptide species without the N- and C-terminus. Our simulations across different scales of resolution consistently reveal that hyperphosphorylation of the two terminal domains decreases the attractive interactions among the N- and C-terminus and repeat domain. To date, the relationship on the conformational level between phosphorylation and aggregation has not been understood. Our results suggest that the exposure of the repeat domain upon hyperphosphorylation could enhance tau filament aggregation. Thus, we discovered that even though these neurodegenerative diseases vary and their associated tau filaments are phosphorylated to different extents, remarkably, the three pathologies appear to share a common tau aggregation mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Xu
- School of Chemistry, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Jie Zheng
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Martin Margittai
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado 80208, United States
| | - Ruth Nussinov
- Sackler Institute of Molecular Medicine, Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Basic Research Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Cancer and Inflammation Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, NCI, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Buyong Ma
- Basic Research Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Cancer and Inflammation Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, NCI, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
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Bougé AL, Parmentier ML. Tau excess impairs mitosis and kinesin-5 function, leading to aneuploidy and cell death. Dis Model Mech 2016; 9:307-19. [PMID: 26822478 PMCID: PMC4833329 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.022558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
In neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), cell cycle defects and associated aneuploidy have been described. However, the importance of these defects in the physiopathology of AD and the underlying mechanistic processes are largely unknown, in particular with respect to the microtubule (MT)-binding protein Tau, which is found in excess in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid of affected individuals. Although it has long been known that Tau is phosphorylated during mitosis to generate a lower affinity for MTs, there is, to our knowledge, no indication that an excess of this protein could affect mitosis. Here, we studied the effect of an excess of human Tau (hTau) protein on cell mitosis in vivo. Using the Drosophila developing wing disc epithelium as a model, we show that an excess of hTau induces a mitotic arrest, with the presence of monopolar spindles. This mitotic defect leads to aneuploidy and apoptotic cell death. We studied the mechanism of action of hTau and found that the MT-binding domain of hTau is responsible for these defects. We also demonstrate that the effects of hTau occur via the inhibition of the function of the kinesin Klp61F, the Drosophila homologue of kinesin-5 (also called Eg5 or KIF11). We finally show that this deleterious effect of hTau is also found in other Drosophila cell types (neuroblasts) and tissues (the developing eye disc), as well as in human HeLa cells. By demonstrating that MT-bound Tau inhibits the Eg5 kinesin and cell mitosis, our work provides a new framework to consider the role of Tau in neurodegenerative diseases. Drosophila Collection: We show that Tau, a microtubule-binding protein involved in many neurodegenerative diseases, impairs mitosis when in excess. We show that this occurs via the inhibition of the kinesin-5 mitotic motor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Laure Bougé
- Department of Neurosciences, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, CNRS-UMR5203, INSERM-U1191, Université Montpellier, 141 Rue de la Cardonille, Montpellier F-34094, Cedex 5, France
| | - Marie-Laure Parmentier
- Department of Neurosciences, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, CNRS-UMR5203, INSERM-U1191, Université Montpellier, 141 Rue de la Cardonille, Montpellier F-34094, Cedex 5, France
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Matsumoto SE, Motoi Y, Ishiguro K, Tabira T, Kametani F, Hasegawa M, Hattori N. The twenty-four KDa C-terminal tau fragment increases with aging in tauopathy mice: implications of prion-like properties. Hum Mol Genet 2015; 24:6403-16. [PMID: 26374846 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddv351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The truncated tau protein is a component of the neurofibrillary tangles found in the brains with tauopathies. However, the molecular mechanisms by which the truncated tau fragment causes neurodegeneration remain unknown. Tau pathology was recently suggested to spread through intercellular propagation, and required the formation of 'prion-like' species. We herein identified a new fragment of the tau protein that consisted of four binding domains and a C-terminal tail (Tau-CTF24), but lacked the N-terminal projection domain, and found that it increased with aging in tauopathy model mice (Tg601). Tau-CTF24-like fragments were also present in human brains with tauopathies. A mass spectroscopic analysis revealed that Tau-CTF24 was cleaved behind R242. The digestion of full-length tau (Tau-FL) by calpain produced Tau-CTF24 in vitro and calpain activity increased in old Tg601. Recombinant Tau-CTF24 accelerated heparin-induced aggregation and lost the ability to promote microtubule assembly. When insoluble tau from diseased brains or aggregated recombinant tau was introduced as seeds into SH-SY5Y cells, a larger amount of insoluble tau was formed in cells overexpressing Tau-CTF24 than in those overexpressing Tau-FL. Furthermore, lysates containing the Tau-CTF24 inclusion propagated to naive tau-expressing cells more efficiently than those containing the Tau-FL inclusion. Immunoblot and confocal microscopic analyses revealed that aggregated Tau-CTF24 bound to cells more rapidly and abundantly than aggregated Tau-FL. Our results suggest that Tau-CTF24 contributes to neurodegeneration by enhancing prion-like propagation as well as deteriorating the mechanisms involved in microtubule function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin-Ei Matsumoto
- Department of Diagnosis, Prevention and Treatment of Dementia, Department of Neurology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 116-0013, Japan and
| | - Yumiko Motoi
- Department of Diagnosis, Prevention and Treatment of Dementia, Department of Neurology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 116-0013, Japan and
| | - Koichi Ishiguro
- Department of Neurology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 116-0013, Japan and
| | - Takeshi Tabira
- Department of Diagnosis, Prevention and Treatment of Dementia
| | - Fuyuki Kametani
- Department of Neuropathology and Cell Biology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | - Masato Hasegawa
- Department of Neuropathology and Cell Biology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | - Nobutaka Hattori
- Department of Diagnosis, Prevention and Treatment of Dementia, Department of Neurology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 116-0013, Japan and
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Modeling the complex pathology of Alzheimer's disease in Drosophila. Exp Neurol 2015; 274:58-71. [PMID: 26024860 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2015.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2015] [Revised: 05/13/2015] [Accepted: 05/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia and the most common neurodegenerative disorder. AD is mostly a sporadic disorder and its main risk factor is age, but mutations in three genes that promote the accumulation of the amyloid-β (Aβ42) peptide revealed the critical role of amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing in AD. Neurofibrillary tangles enriched in tau are the other pathological hallmark of AD, but the lack of causative tau mutations still puzzles researchers. Here, we describe the contribution of a powerful invertebrate model, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, to uncover the function and pathogenesis of human APP, Aβ42, and tau. APP and tau participate in many complex cellular processes, although their main function is microtubule stabilization and the to-and-fro transport of axonal vesicles. Additionally, expression of secreted Aβ42 induces prominent neuronal death in Drosophila, a critical feature of AD, making this model a popular choice for identifying intrinsic and extrinsic factors mediating Aβ42 neurotoxicity. Overall, Drosophila has made significant contributions to better understand the complex pathology of AD, although additional insight can be expected from combining multiple transgenes, performing genome-wide loss-of-function screens, and testing anti-tau therapies alone or in combination with Aβ42.
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