Nuclear pore complex frequency in CA1 pyramidal cells of the aging rat

Nuclear pore complexes - a doorway to neural injury in neurodegeneration

The genetic underpinnings and end-stage pathological hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases are increasingly well defined, but the cellular pathophysiology of disease initiation and propagation remains poorly understood, especially in sporadic forms of these diseases. Altered nucleocytoplasmic transport is emerging as a prominent pathomechanism of multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer disease, frontotemporal dementia and Huntington disease. The nuclear pore complex (NPC) and interactions between its individual nucleoporin components and nuclear transport receptors regulate nucleocytoplasmic transport, as well as genome organization and gene expression. Specific nucleoporin abnormalities have been identified in sporadic and familial forms of neurodegenerative disease, and these alterations are thought to contribute to disrupted nucleocytoplasmic transport. The specific nucleoporins and nucleocytoplasmic transport proteins that have been linked to different neurodegenerative diseases are partially distinct, suggesting that NPC injury contributes to the cellular specificity of neurodegenerative disease and could be an early initiator of the pathophysiological cascades that underlie neurodegenerative disease. This concept is consistent with the fact that rare genetic mutations in some nucleoporins cause cell-type-specific neurological disease. In this Review, we discuss nucleoporin and NPC disruptions and consider their impact on cellular function and the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disease.

The roles of the nuclear pore complex in cellular dysfunction, aging and disease

The study of the Nuclear Pore Complex (NPC), the proteins that compose it (nucleoporins), and the nucleocytoplasmic transport that it controls have revealed an unexpected layer to pathogenic disease onset and progression. Recent advances in the study of the regulation of NPC composition and function suggest that the precise control of this structure is necessary to prevent diseases from arising or progressing. Here we discuss the role of nucleoporins in a diverse set of diseases, many of which directly or indirectly increase in occurrence and severity as we age, and often shorten the human lifespan. NPC biology has been shown to play a direct role in these diseases and therefore in the process of healthy aging.

Nuclear pore complex proteins in Alzheimer disease

Ultrastructural studies of neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer disease (AD) have demonstrated a close relationship between nuclear pores and the cytoplasmic paired helical filaments comprising the tangles, as well as nuclear irregularity in many tangle-bearing neurons; nuclear pore aggregation has been observed in nearby neurons. These observations prompted examination of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) and proteins critical to nucleocytoplasmic transport in neurons with and without tangles in AD and control cases. Light microscopic study of hippocampus and neocortex in AD and controls revealed that all nuclei were labeled by antibodies to NPC proteins, including the central transporter nucleoporin Nup62. Nucleoporin and tau label revealed significantly more nuclear irregularity in AD, often associated with neurofibrillary tangles. Double label of Nup62 with apoptotic markers (TUNEL and active caspase-3) and a cell-cycle protein (cyclin B1) revealed no clear relationship of nuclear irregularity to apoptosis or cell-cycle protein expression. However, cytoplasmic accumulation of nuclear transport factor 2 (NTF2), a protein that transports cargo from the cytoplasm into the nucleus, was observed in a subset of hippocampal neurons with and without tangles in AD but not control cases. Further investigation of the NPC and nucleocytoplasmic transport in AD is warranted.

Effects of aging on signal transmission and transduction systems in the gerbil brain: Morphological and autoradiographic study

The Mongolian gerbil was used as a model of aging because of its relatively short lifespan, genetic homogeneity and the fact that data had been collected previously. Furthermore, gerbils have been widely used in biomedical investigations of stroke and epilepsy. Age-related differences in signal transmission and transduction systems were investigated in brains of three-, 11- and 21-month-old gerbils by morphological and in vitro receptor autoradiographic studies. Morphometric analysis revealed a decreased number of neurons in layer III of the occipital cortex and also a decrease in cerebellar Purkinje cells in 21-month-old animals. However, no statistical differences were observed in the hippocampal formation, the dorsolateral striatum and layer III of the frontal cortex. Autoradiography was used to map muscarinic cholinergic (labeled with [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate), serotonin2 ([3H]spiperone), dopamine D2 ([3H]spiperone), adenosine A1 ([3H]cyclohexyladenosine), GABAA ([3H]muscimol), naloxone ([3H]naloxone), protein kinase C ([3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate), adenylate cyclase ([3H]forskolin), cyclic AMP ([3H]cyclic AMP) and L-type Ca2+ channels ([3H]PN200-110). Muscarinic cholinergic receptor and protein kinase C, cyclic AMP and L-type Ca2+ channels were significantly decreased in the cerebral cortex and/or in the CA1 subfield of the hippocampus in the 21-month-old group. Muscarinic cholinergic receptor and L-type Ca2+ channel binding sites were significantly reduced in the dentate gyrus. In contrast, protein kinase C was increased in this area in the 21-month-old group. Also, naloxone binding sites were increased in the CA3 subfield, hilus, dentate gyrus and molecular layer of the cerebellum in the 11- and 21-month-old groups. Muscarinic cholinergic, serotonin2 and dopamine D2 receptors and adenylate cyclase were significantly decreased in the striatum. On the other hand, adenosine A1 and GABAA receptors remained unchanged in the 21-month-old group. Although age-related histopathological abnormalities were only observed in the occipital cortex and in the cerebellum, alterations of signal transmission and transduction systems were noticed in all areas examined (e.g. cerebral cortex, CA1 subfield, dentate gyrus and striatum). These data indicate that changes in these receptors and binding sites may be related to dysfunction of learning and memory and to the loss of motor function. The aged gerbil model is a good system for studying aging and is of value for simulating aging after epilepsy and stroke.