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Chang CJ, Taoufiq Z, Yamada H, Takei K, Tomiyama T, Umeda T, Hori T, Takahashi T. The microtubule-dynamin binding inhibitor peptide PHDP5 rescues spatial learning and memory deficits in Alzheimer's disease model mice. Brain Res 2024; 1838:148987. [PMID: 38718851 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.148987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Dynamin is a microtubule (MT) binding protein playing a key role in vesicle endocytosis. In a brain slice model, tau loaded in presynaptic terminals assembles MTs, thereby impairing vesicle endocytosis via depletion of cytosolic dynamin. The peptide PHDP5, derived from the pleckstrin homology domain of dynamin 1, inhibits dynamin-MT interaction and rescues endocytosis and synaptic transmission impaired by tau when co-loaded in presynaptic terminals. We tested whether in vivo administration of PHDP5 could rescue the learning/memory deficits observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD) model mice. A modified PHDP5 incorporating a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) and a FITC fluorescent marker was delivered intranasally to Tau609 transgenic (Tg) and 3xTg-AD mice. FITC-positive puncta were observed in the hippocampus of mice infused with PHDP5 or scrambled (SPHDP5) peptide, but not in saline-infused controls. In the Morris water maze (MWM) test for spatial learning/memory, AD model mice treated with FITC-PHDP5-CPP showed prominent improvements in learning and memory, performing close to the level of saline-infused WT mice control. In contrast, mice treated with a scrambled construct (FITC-SPHDP5-CPP) showed no significant improvement. We conclude that PHDP5 can be a candidate for human AD therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Jung Chang
- Cellular and Molecular Synaptic Function Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan.
| | - Zacharie Taoufiq
- Cellular and Molecular Synaptic Function Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Yamada
- Department of Neuroscience. Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
| | - Kohji Takei
- Department of Neuroscience. Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
| | - Takami Tomiyama
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine School of Medicine, 530-0001 Osaka Japan
| | - Tomohiro Umeda
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine School of Medicine, 530-0001 Osaka Japan
| | - Tetsuya Hori
- Cellular and Molecular Synaptic Function Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan.
| | - Tomoyuki Takahashi
- Cellular and Molecular Synaptic Function Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan.
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Dando O, McGeachan R, McQueen J, Baxter P, Rockley N, McAlister H, Prasad A, He X, King D, Rose J, Jones PB, Tulloch J, Chandran S, Smith C, Hardingham G, Spires-Jones TL. Synaptic gene expression changes in frontotemporal dementia due to the MAPT 10 + 16 mutation. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2024; 50:e13006. [PMID: 39164997 DOI: 10.1111/nan.13006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 08/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/22/2024]
Abstract
AIMS Mutations in the MAPT gene encoding tau protein can cause autosomal dominant neurodegenerative tauopathies including frontotemporal dementia (often with Parkinsonism). In Alzheimer's disease, the most common tauopathy, synapse loss is the strongest pathological correlate of cognitive decline. Recently, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging with synaptic tracers revealed clinically relevant loss of synapses in primary tauopathies; however, the molecular mechanisms leading to synapse degeneration in primary tauopathies remain largely unknown. In this study, we examined post-mortem brain tissue from people who died with frontotemporal dementia with tau pathology (FTDtau) caused by the MAPT intronic exon 10 + 16 mutation, which increases splice variants containing exon 10 resulting in higher levels of tau with four microtubule-binding domains. METHODS We used RNA sequencing and histopathology to examine temporal cortex and visual cortex, to look for molecular phenotypes compared to age, sex and RNA integrity matched participants who died without neurological disease (n = 12 FTDtau10 + 16 and 13 controls). RESULTS Bulk tissue RNA sequencing reveals substantial downregulation of gene expression associated with synaptic function. Upregulated biological pathways in human MAPT 10 + 16 brain included those involved in transcriptional regulation, DNA damage response and neuroinflammation. Histopathology confirmed increased pathological tau accumulation in FTDtau10 + 16 cortex as well as a loss of presynaptic protein staining and region-specific increased colocalization of phospho-tau with synapses in temporal cortex. CONCLUSIONS Our data indicate that synaptic pathology likely contributes to pathogenesis in FTDtau10 + 16 caused by the MAPT 10 + 16 mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owen Dando
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Robert McGeachan
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jamie McQueen
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Paul Baxter
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Nathan Rockley
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Hannah McAlister
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Adharsh Prasad
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Xin He
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Declan King
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jamie Rose
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Jane Tulloch
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Colin Smith
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Giles Hardingham
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Umeda T, Sakai A, Shigemori K, Nakata K, Nakajima R, Yamana K, Tomiyama T. New Value of Acorus tatarinowii/ gramineus Leaves as a Dietary Source for Dementia Prevention. Nutrients 2024; 16:1589. [PMID: 38892521 PMCID: PMC11175135 DOI: 10.3390/nu16111589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The rhizomes of Acorus tatarinowii Schott and Acorus gramineus Solander are widely used for treating amnesia in traditional Chinese medicine. In contrast, their leaves are usually discarded without their medicinal properties being known. Here, we found that the hot water extract of leaves improved cognition and tau pathology in model mice of frontotemporal dementia, similar to or even better than that of rhizomes. To explore the optimal method of processing, we made three preparations from dried leaves: hot water extract, extraction residue, and non-extracted simple crush powder. Among them, the simple crush powder had the strongest effect on tauopathy in mice. The crush powder also ameliorated Aβ and α-synuclein pathologies and restored cognition in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. These findings suggest the potential of Acorus tatarinowii/gramineus leaves as a dietary source for dementia prevention and reveal that simple crushing is a better way to maximize their efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Umeda
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan; (T.U.)
- Cerebro Pharma Inc., 4-5-6-3F Minamikyuhojimachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 541-0058, Japan
| | - Ayumi Sakai
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan; (T.U.)
- Cerebro Pharma Inc., 4-5-6-3F Minamikyuhojimachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 541-0058, Japan
| | - Keiko Shigemori
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan; (T.U.)
| | - Kunio Nakata
- NOMON Co., Ltd., New Business Development Unit, Teijin Ltd., Kasumigaseki Common Gate West Tower 3-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8585, Japan; (K.N.); (R.N.); (K.Y.)
| | - Ryota Nakajima
- NOMON Co., Ltd., New Business Development Unit, Teijin Ltd., Kasumigaseki Common Gate West Tower 3-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8585, Japan; (K.N.); (R.N.); (K.Y.)
| | - Kei Yamana
- NOMON Co., Ltd., New Business Development Unit, Teijin Ltd., Kasumigaseki Common Gate West Tower 3-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8585, Japan; (K.N.); (R.N.); (K.Y.)
| | - Takami Tomiyama
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan; (T.U.)
- Cerebro Pharma Inc., 4-5-6-3F Minamikyuhojimachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 541-0058, Japan
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Dando O, McGeachan R, McQueen J, Baxter P, Rockley N, McAlister H, Prasad A, He X, King D, Rose J, Jones PB, Tulloch J, Chandran S, Smith C, Hardingham G, Spires-Jones TL. Synaptic gene expression changes in frontotemporal dementia due to the MAPT 10+16 mutation. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.04.09.24305501. [PMID: 38645146 PMCID: PMC11030522 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.09.24305501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Mutations in the MAPT gene encoding tau protein can cause autosomal dominant neurodegenerative tauopathies including frontotemporal dementia (often with Parkinsonism). In Alzheimer's disease, the most common tauopathy, synapse loss is the strongest pathological correlate of cognitive decline. Recently, PET imaging with synaptic tracers revealed clinically relevant loss of synapses in primary tauopathies; however, the molecular mechanisms leading to synapse degeneration in primary tauopathies remain largely unknown. In this study, we examined post-mortem brain tissue from people who died with frontotemporal dementia with tau pathology (FTDtau) caused by the MAPT intronic exon 10+16 mutation, which increases splice variants containing exon 10 resulting in higher levels of tau with four microtubule binding domains. We used RNA sequencing and histopathology to examine temporal cortex and visual cortex, to look for molecular phenotypes compared to age, sex, and RNA integrity matched participants who died without neurological disease (n=12 per group). Bulk tissue RNA sequencing reveals substantial downregulation of gene expression associated with synaptic function. Upregulated biological pathways in human MAPT 10+16 brain included those involved in transcriptional regulation, DNA damage response, and neuroinflammation. Histopathology confirmed increased pathological tau accumulation in FTDtau cortex as well as a loss of presynaptic protein staining, and region-specific increased colocalization of phospho-tau with synapses in temporal cortex. Our data indicate that synaptic pathology likely contributes to pathogenesis in FTDtau caused by the MAPT 10+16 mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owen Dando
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Robert McGeachan
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jamie McQueen
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Baxter
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Nathan Rockley
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah McAlister
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Adharsh Prasad
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Xin He
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Declan King
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jamie Rose
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jane Tulloch
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Colin Smith
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Giles Hardingham
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Umeda T, Shigemori K, Uekado R, Matsuda K, Tomiyama T. Hawaiian native herb Mamaki prevents dementia by ameliorating neuropathology and repairing neurons in four different mouse models of neurodegenerative diseases. GeroScience 2024; 46:1971-1987. [PMID: 37783918 PMCID: PMC10828292 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-023-00950-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies are age-related disorders and the main cause of dementia. They are characterized by the cerebral accumulation of Aβ, tau, α-synuclein, and TDP-43. Because the accumulation begins decades before disease onset, treatment should be started in the preclinical stage. Such intervention would be long-lasting, and therefore, prophylactic agents should be safe, non-invasively taken by the patients, and inexpensive. In addition, the agents should be broadly effective against etiologic proteins and capable of repairing neurons damaged by toxic oligomers. These requirements are difficult to meet with single-ingredient pharmaceuticals but may be feasible by taking proper diets composed of multiple ingredients. As a source of such diets, we focused on the Hawaiian native herb Mamaki. From its dried leaves and fruits, we made three preparations: hot water extract of the leaves, non-extracted simple crush powder of the leaves, and simple crush powder of the fruits, and examined their effects on the cognitive function and neuropathologies in four different mouse models of neurodegenerative dementia. Hot water extract of the leaves attenuated neuropathologies, restored synaptophysin levels, suppressed microglial activation, and improved memory when orally administered for 1 month. Simply crushed leaf powder showed a higher efficacy, but simply crushed fruit powder displayed the strongest effects. Moreover, the fruit powder significantly enhanced the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression and neurogenesis, indicating its ability to repair neurons. These results suggest that crushed Mamaki leaves and fruits are promising sources of dementia-preventive diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Umeda
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Osaka, Abeno-ku, 545-8585, Japan
- Cerebro Pharma Inc, 4-5-6-3F Minamikyuhojimachi, Osaka, Chuo-ku, 541-0058, Japan
| | - Keiko Shigemori
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Osaka, Abeno-ku, 545-8585, Japan
| | - Rumi Uekado
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Osaka, Abeno-ku, 545-8585, Japan
| | - Kazunori Matsuda
- Cerebro Pharma Inc, 4-5-6-3F Minamikyuhojimachi, Osaka, Chuo-ku, 541-0058, Japan
| | - Takami Tomiyama
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Osaka, Abeno-ku, 545-8585, Japan.
- Cerebro Pharma Inc, 4-5-6-3F Minamikyuhojimachi, Osaka, Chuo-ku, 541-0058, Japan.
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Umeda T, Uekado R, Shigemori K, Eguchi H, Tomiyama T. Nasal Rifampicin Halts the Progression of Tauopathy by Inhibiting Tau Oligomer Propagation in Alzheimer Brain Extract-Injected Mice. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10020297. [PMID: 35203506 PMCID: PMC8869211 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10020297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The cell-to-cell transmission of tau aggregates is considered a mechanism underlying the intracerebral spreading of tau pathology in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other tauopathies. Recent studies suggest that tau oligomers, rather than fibrils, participate in this process. We previously showed that intranasal rifampicin inhibits tau oligomer accumulation and improves cognition in tauopathy mice. In the present study, we examined the effects of nasal rifampicin on tau propagation in a new mouse model of tauopathy. A tau oligomer-rich fraction prepared from the brain of an AD patient was injected into a unilateral hippocampus of tau264 mice that express both 3-repeat and 4-repeat wild-type human tau. Rifampicin administration was started one week after the injection and performed three times a week for 24 weeks. Cognitive function and tau pathology were assessed by the Morris water maze test and brain section staining. Rifampicin treatment inhibited the spreading of tau oligomers from the injection site to other brain regions and neurofibrillary tangle formation in the entorhinal cortex. Synapse and neuronal loss in the hippocampus were also prevented, and cognitive function remained normal. These results suggest that intranasal rifampicin could be a promising remedy that halts the progression of tauopathy by inhibiting tau oligomer propagation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Umeda
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan; (T.U.); (R.U.); (K.S.)
| | - Rumi Uekado
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan; (T.U.); (R.U.); (K.S.)
| | - Keiko Shigemori
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan; (T.U.); (R.U.); (K.S.)
| | - Hiroshi Eguchi
- Pharmaceutical Discovery Research Laboratories, Teijin Pharma Ltd., 4-3-2 Asahigaoka, Hino 191-8512, Japan;
| | - Takami Tomiyama
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan; (T.U.); (R.U.); (K.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-6-6645-3921
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Umeda T, Sakai A, Shigemori K, Yokota A, Kumagai T, Tomiyama T. Oligomer-Targeting Prevention of Neurodegenerative Dementia by Intranasal Rifampicin and Resveratrol Combination - A Preclinical Study in Model Mice. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:763476. [PMID: 34966254 PMCID: PMC8710719 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.763476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloidogenic protein oligomers are thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies. Previously we demonstrated that oral or intranasal rifampicin improved the cognition of APP-, tau-, and α-synuclein-transgenic mice by reducing the amount of Aβ, tau, and α-synuclein oligomers in the brain. In the present study, to explore more effective and safer medications for dementia, we tested the drug combination of rifampicin and resveratrol, which is a multifunctional natural polyphenol with the potential to antagonize the adverse effects of rifampicin. The mixture was intranasally administered to APP-, tau-, and α-synuclein-transgenic mice, and their memory and oligomer-related pathologies were evaluated. Compared with rifampicin and resveratrol alone, the combinatorial medicine significantly improved mouse cognition, reduced amyloid oligomer accumulation, and recovered synaptophysin levels in the hippocampus. The plasma levels of liver enzymes, which reflect hepatic injury and normally increase by rifampicin treatment, remained normal by the combination treatment. Notably, resveratrol alone and the combinatorial medicine, but not rifampicin alone, enhanced the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its precursor, pro-BDNF, in the hippocampus. Furthermore, the combination showed a synergistic effect in ameliorating mouse cognition. These results show the advantages of this combinatorial medicine with regards to safety and effectiveness over single-drug rifampicin. Our findings may provide a feasible means for the prevention of neurodegenerative dementia that targets toxic oligomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Umeda
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ayumi Sakai
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Keiko Shigemori
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ayumi Yokota
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | | | - Takami Tomiyama
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.,Medilabo RFP, Inc., Kyoto, Japan
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8
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Watanabe R, Kawakami I, Ikeuchi T, Murayama S, Arai T, Akiyama H, Onaya M, Hasegawa M. An autopsied FTDP-17 case with MAPT IVS 10 + 14C > T mutation presenting with frontotemporal dementia. eNeurologicalSci 2021; 24:100363. [PMID: 34466673 PMCID: PMC8385289 DOI: 10.1016/j.ensci.2021.100363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
We report the immunohistochemical and biochemical features of an FTDP-17 case with MAPT IVS 10 + 14C > T mutation. Postmortem examination of the patient with bvFTD revealed diffuse neuronal and glial 4-repeat tau pathology similar to CBD. The structure of tau filaments associated with MAPT IVS 10 + 14C > T mutation was characterized by electron microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryohei Watanabe
- Dementia Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Ito Kawakami
- Dementia Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takeshi Ikeuchi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1-757 Asahimachi, Niigata, Niigata, Japan
| | - Shigeo Murayama
- Brain Bank for Aging Research, Department of Neurology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, 35-2 Sakaecho, Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsuaki Arai
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Akiyama
- Dementia Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Clinical Research, Yokohama Brain and Spine Center, 1-2-1 Takigashira, Isogo, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Mitsumoto Onaya
- Department of Psychiatry, National Hospital Organization Shimofusa Psychiatric Medical Center, 578 Hetacho, Midori, Chiba, Chiba, Japan
| | - Masato Hasegawa
- Dementia Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
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9
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Olszewska DA, Fearon C, McGuigan C, McVeigh TP, Houlden H, Polke JM, Lawlor B, Coen R, Hutchinson M, Hutton M, Beausang A, Delon I, Brett F, Sevastou I, Seto-Salvia N, de Silva R, Lynch T. A clinical, molecular genetics and pathological study of a FTDP-17 family with a heterozygous splicing variant c.823-10G>T at the intron 9/exon 10 of the MAPT gene. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 106:343.e1-343.e8. [PMID: 34274155 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
We report the first clinical-radiological-genetic-molecular-pathological study of a kindred with c.823-10G>T MAPT intronic variant (rs63749974) associated with frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17). We describe the clinical spectrum within this family and emphasize the association between MAPT gene variants and motor neuron disease. This report of a second family with FTDP-17 associated with c.823-10G>T MAPT variant strongly supports pathogenicity of the variant and confirms it is a 4-repeat (4R) tauopathy. This intronic point mutation, probably strengthens the polypyrimidine tract and alters the splicing of exon 10 (10 nucleotides into intron 9) close to the 3' splice site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana A Olszewska
- Department of Neurology, Dublin Neurological Institute, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Conor Fearon
- Department of Neurology, Dublin Neurological Institute, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | | | - Henry Houlden
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - James M Polke
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Brian Lawlor
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Robert Coen
- Mercer's Institute of Aging, St James's Hospital Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Michael Hutton
- Department of Neurology, St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Alan Beausang
- Eli Lilly Research Laboratories, Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, USA
| | - Isabelle Delon
- Department of Neuropathology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Francesca Brett
- East Genomic Laboratory Hub, Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Addenbrooke's Treatment Centre, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ioanna Sevastou
- Department of Neuropathology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Nuria Seto-Salvia
- East Genomic Laboratory Hub, Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Addenbrooke's Treatment Centre, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rohan de Silva
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neuroscience, Reta Lila Weston Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Tim Lynch
- Department of Neurology, Dublin Neurological Institute, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; Health affairs, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Ireland East Hospital Group, Dublin, Ireland.
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10
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RNA-Targeting Splicing Modifiers: Drug Development and Screening Assays. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26082263. [PMID: 33919699 PMCID: PMC8070285 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26082263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA splicing is an essential step in producing mature messenger RNA (mRNA) and other RNA species. Harnessing RNA splicing modifiers as a new pharmacological modality is promising for the treatment of diseases caused by aberrant splicing. This drug modality can be used for infectious diseases by disrupting the splicing of essential pathogenic genes. Several antisense oligonucleotide splicing modifiers were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Recently, a small-molecule splicing modifier, risdiplam, was also approved for the treatment of SMA, highlighting small molecules as important warheads in the arsenal for regulating RNA splicing. The cellular targets of these approved drugs are all mRNA precursors (pre-mRNAs) in human cells. The development of novel RNA-targeting splicing modifiers can not only expand the scope of drug targets to include many previously considered “undruggable” genes but also enrich the chemical-genetic toolbox for basic biomedical research. In this review, we summarized known splicing modifiers, screening methods for novel splicing modifiers, and the chemical space occupied by the small-molecule splicing modifiers.
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11
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APP Osaka Mutation in Familial Alzheimer's Disease-Its Discovery, Phenotypes, and Mechanism of Recessive Inheritance. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21041413. [PMID: 32093100 PMCID: PMC7073033 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21041413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease is believed to begin with synaptic dysfunction caused by soluble Aβ oligomers. When this oligomer hypothesis was proposed in 2002, there was no direct evidence that Aβ oligomers actually disrupt synaptic function to cause cognitive impairment in humans. In patient brains, both soluble and insoluble Aβ species always coexist, and therefore it is difficult to determine which pathologies are caused by Aβ oligomers and which are caused by amyloid fibrils. Thus, no validity of the oligomer hypothesis was available until the Osaka mutation was discovered. This mutation, which was found in a Japanese pedigree of familial Alzheimer’s disease, is the deletion of codon 693 of APP gene, resulting in mutant Aβ lacking the 22nd glutamate. Only homozygous carriers suffer from dementia. In vitro studies revealed that this mutation has a very unique character that accelerates Aβ oligomerization but does not form amyloid fibrils. Model mice expressing this mutation demonstrated that all pathologies of Alzheimer’s disease can be induced by Aβ oligomers alone. In this review, we describe the story behind the discovery of the Osaka mutation, summarize the mutant’s phenotypes, and propose a mechanism of its recessive inheritance.
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12
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Ectopic Expression Induces Abnormal Somatodendritic Distribution of Tau in the Mouse Brain. J Neurosci 2019; 39:6781-6797. [PMID: 31235644 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2845-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2018] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule (MT)-associated protein that is localized to the axon. In Alzheimer's disease, the distribution of tau undergoes a remarkable alteration, leading to the formation of tau inclusions in the somatodendritic compartment. To investigate how this mislocalization occurs, we recently developed immunohistochemical tools that can separately detect endogenous mouse and exogenous human tau with high sensitivity, which allows us to visualize not only the pathological but also the pre-aggregated tau in mouse brain tissues of both sexes. Using these antibodies, we found that in tau-transgenic mouse brains, exogenous human tau was abundant in dendrites and somata even in the presymptomatic period, whereas the axonal localization of endogenous mouse tau was unaffected. In stark contrast, exogenous tau was properly localized to the axon in human tau knock-in mice. We tracked this difference to the temporal expression patterns of tau. Endogenous mouse tau and exogenous human tau in human tau knock-in mice exhibited high expression levels during the neonatal period and strong suppression into the adulthood. However, human tau in transgenic mice was expressed continuously and at high levels in adult animals. These results indicated the uncontrolled expression of exogenous tau beyond the developmental period as a cause of mislocalization in the transgenic mice. Superresolution microscopic and biochemical analyses also indicated that the interaction between MTs and exogenous tau was impaired only in the tau-transgenic mice, but not in knock-in mice. Thus, the ectopic expression of tau may be critical for its somatodendritic mislocalization, a key step of the tauopathy.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Somatodendritic localization of tau may be an early step leading to the neuronal degeneration in tauopathies. However, the mechanisms of the normal axonal distribution of tau and the mislocalization of pathological tau remain obscure. Our immunohistochemical and biochemical analyses demonstrated that the endogenous mouse tau is transiently expressed in neonatal brains, that exogenous human tau expressed corresponding to such tau expression profile can distribute into the axon, and that the constitutive expression of tau into adulthood (e.g., human tau in transgenic mice) results in abnormal somatodendritic localization. Thus, the expression profile of tau is tightly associated with the localization of tau, and the ectopic expression of tau in matured neurons may be involved in the pathogenesis of tauopathy.
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13
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Wang ZH, Liu P, Liu X, Yu SP, Wang JZ, Ye K. Delta-secretase (AEP) mediates tau-splicing imbalance and accelerates cognitive decline in tauopathies. J Exp Med 2018; 215:3038-3056. [PMID: 30373880 PMCID: PMC6279401 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20180539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2018] [Revised: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Wang et al. demonstrate that AEP cleaves SRPK2 in tauopathies and plays a functional role in mediating tau-splicing imbalance and accelerating cognitive decline in mouse models of tauopathy. SRPK2 is abnormally activated in tauopathies including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). SRPK2 is known to play an important role in pre–mRNA splicing by phosphorylating SR-splicing factors. Dysregulation of tau exon 10 pre–mRNA splicing causes pathological imbalances in 3R- and 4R-tau, leading to neurodegeneration; however, the role of SRPK2 in these processes remains unclear. Here we show that delta-secretase (also known as asparagine endopeptidase; AEP), which is activated in AD, cleaves SRPK2 and increases its nuclear translocation as well as kinase activity, augmenting exon 10 inclusion. Conversely, AEP-uncleavable SRPK2 N342A mutant increases exon 10 exclusion. Lentiviral expression of truncated SRPK2 increases 4R-tau isoforms and accelerates cognitive decline in htau mice. Uncleavable SRPK2 N342A expression improves synaptic functions and prevents spatial memory deficits in tau intronic mutant FTDP-17 transgenic mice. Hence, AEP mediates tau-splicing imbalance in tauopathies via cleaving SRPK2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Hao Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of Neurological Diseases, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Pai Liu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Xia Liu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Shan Ping Yu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - 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 .,Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Keqiang Ye
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA .,Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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14
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Sobue G, Ishigaki S, Watanabe H. Pathogenesis of Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration: Insights From Loss of Function Theory and Early Involvement of the Caudate Nucleus. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:473. [PMID: 30050404 PMCID: PMC6052086 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is a group of clinically, pathologically and genetically heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorders that involve the frontal and temporal lobes. Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), semantic dementia (SD), and progressive non-fluent aphasia (PNFA) are three major clinical syndromes. TDP-43, FUS, and tau are three major pathogenetic proteins. In this review, we first discuss the loss-of-function mechanism of FTLD. We focus on FUS-associated pathogenesis in which FUS is linked to tau by regulating its alternative splicing machinery. Moreover, FUS is associated with abnormalities in post-synaptic formation, which can be an early disease marker of FTLD. Second, we discuss clinical and pathological aspects of FTLD. Recently, FTLD and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have been recognized as the same disease entity; indeed, nearly all sporadic ALS cases show TDP-43 pathology irrespective of FTD phenotype. Thus, investigating early structural and network changes in the FTLD/ALS continuum can be useful for developing early diagnostic markers of FTLD. MRI studies have revealed the involvement of the caudate nucleus and its anatomical networks in association with the early phase of behavioral/cognitive decline in FTLD/ALS. In particular, even ALS patients with normal cognition have shown a significant decrease in structural connectivity between the caudate head networks. In pathological studies, FTLD/ALS has shown striatal involvement of both efferent system components and glutamatergic inputs from the cerebral cortices even in ALS patients. Thus, the caudate nucleus may be primarily associated with behavioral abnormality and cognitive involvement in FTLD/ALS. Although several clinical trials have been conducted, there is still no therapy that can change the disease course in patients with FTLD. Therefore, there is an urgent need to establish a strategy for predominant sporadic FTLD cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gen Sobue
- Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Brain and Mind Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Ishigaki
- Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Brain and Mind Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hirohisa Watanabe
- Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Brain and Mind Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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15
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Ishigaki S, Sobue G. Importance of Functional Loss of FUS in FTLD/ALS. Front Mol Biosci 2018; 5:44. [PMID: 29774215 PMCID: PMC5943504 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2018.00044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Fused in sarcoma (FUS) is an RNA binding protein that regulates RNA metabolism including alternative splicing, transcription, and RNA transportation. FUS is genetically and pathologically involved in frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD)/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Multiple lines of evidence across diverse models suggest that functional loss of FUS can lead to neuronal dysfunction and/or neuronal cell death. Loss of FUS in the nucleus can impair alternative splicing and/or transcription, whereas dysfunction of FUS in the cytoplasm, especially in the dendritic spines of neurons, can cause mRNA destabilization. Alternative splicing of the MAPT gene at exon 10, which generates 4-repeat Tau (4R-Tau) and 3-repeat Tau (3R-Tau), is one of the most impactful targets regulated by FUS. Additionally, loss of FUS function can affect dendritic spine maturations by destabilizing mRNAs such as Glutamate receptor 1 (GluA1), a major AMPA receptor, and Synaptic Ras GTPase-activating protein 1 (SynGAP1). Moreover, FUS is involved in axonal transport and morphological maintenance of neurons. These findings indicate that a biological link between loss of FUS function, Tau isoform alteration, aberrant post-synaptic function, and phenotypic expression might lead to the sequential cascade culminating in FTLD. Thus, to facilitate development of early disease markers and/or therapeutic targets of FTLD/ALS it is critical that the functions of FUS and its downstream pathways are unraveled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinsuke Ishigaki
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.,Department of Therapeutics for Intractable Neurological Disorders, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Gen Sobue
- Brain and Mind Research Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,Research Division of Dementia and Neurodegenerative Disease, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
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16
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Cosacak MI, Bhattarai P, Bocova L, Dzewas T, Mashkaryan V, Papadimitriou C, Brandt K, Hollak H, Antos CL, Kizil C. Human TAU P301L overexpression results in TAU hyperphosphorylation without neurofibrillary tangles in adult zebrafish brain. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12959. [PMID: 29021554 PMCID: PMC5636889 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-13311-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubule-associated TAU protein is a pathological hallmark in Alzheimer's disease (AD), where hyperphosphorylation of TAU generates neurofibrillary tangles. To investigate the effects of TAU in a regenerative adult vertebrate brain system, we generated a cre/lox-based transgenic model of zebrafish that chronically expresses human TAUP301L, which is a variant of human TAU protein that forms neurofibrillary tangles in mouse models and humans. Interestingly, we found that although chronic and abundant expression of TAUP301L starting from early embryonic development led to hyperphosphorylation, TAUP301L did not form oligomers and neurofibrillary tangles, and did not cause elevated apoptosis and microglial activation, which are classical symptoms of tauopathies in mammals. Additionally, TAUP301L neither increased neural stem cell proliferation nor activated the expression of regenerative factor Interleukin-4, indicating that TAUP301L toxicity is prevented in the adult zebrafish brain. By combining TAUP301L expression with our established Aβ42 toxicity model, we found that Aβ42 ceases to initiate neurofibrillary tangle formation by TAUP301L, and TAUP301L does not exacerbate the toxicity of Aβ42. Therefore, our results propose a cellular mechanism that protects the adult zebrafish brain against tauopathies, and our model can be used to understand how TAU toxicity can be prevented in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet I Cosacak
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Arnoldstrasse 18, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Prabesh Bhattarai
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Arnoldstrasse 18, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ledio Bocova
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Arnoldstrasse 18, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Tim Dzewas
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Arnoldstrasse 18, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Violeta Mashkaryan
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Arnoldstrasse 18, 01307, Dresden, Germany
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 105, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christos Papadimitriou
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Arnoldstrasse 18, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Kerstin Brandt
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Arnoldstrasse 18, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Heike Hollak
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Arnoldstrasse 18, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christopher L Antos
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 100 Haike Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Caghan Kizil
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Arnoldstrasse 18, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 105, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
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17
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Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the second most common cause of dementia following Alzheimer's disease (AD). Between 20 and 50% of cases are familial. Mutations in MAPT, GRN and C9orf72 are found in 60% of familial FTD cases. C9orf72 mutations are the most common and account for 25%. Rarer mutations (<5%) occur in other genes such as VPC, CHMP2B, TARDP, FUS, ITM2B, TBK1 and TBP. The diagnosis is often challenging due to symptom overlap with AD and other conditions. We review the genetics, clinical presentations, neuroimaging, neuropathology, animal studies and therapeutic trials in FTD. We describe clinical scenarios including the original family with the tau stem loop mutation (+14) and also the recently discovered 'missing tau' mutation +15 that 'closed the loop' in 2015.
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18
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Gu J, Chen F, Iqbal K, Gong CX, Wang X, Liu F. Transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) regulates alternative splicing of tau exon 10: Implications for the pathogenesis of tauopathies. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:10600-10612. [PMID: 28487370 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.783498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Revised: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperphosphorylation and aggregation of the neuronal protein tau are responsible for neurodegenerative diseases called tauopathies. Dysregulation of the alternative splicing of tau exon 10 results in alterations of the ratio of two tau isoforms, 3R-tau and 4R-tau, which have been seen in several tauopathies. Transactive response DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) is involved in the regulation of RNA processing, including splicing. Cytoplasmic aggregation of TDP-43 has been observed in the brains of individuals with chronic traumatic encephalopathy or Alzheimer's disease, diseases in which neurofibrillary tangles of hyperphosphorylated tau are hallmarks. Here, we investigated the role of TDP-43 in tau exon 10 splicing. We found that TDP-43 promoted tau exon 10 inclusion, which increased production of the 4R-tau isoform. Moreover, TDP-43 could bind to intron 9 of tau pre-mRNA. Deletion of the TDP-43 N or C terminus promoted its cytoplasmic aggregation and abolished or diminished TDP-43-promoted tau exon 10 inclusion. Several TDP-43 mutations associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin inclusions promoted tau exon 10 inclusion more effectively than wild-type TDP-43 but did not affect TDP-43 cytoplasmic aggregation in cultured cells. The ratio of 3R-tau/4R-tau was decreased in transgenic mouse brains expressing human TDP-43 and increased in the brains expressing the disease-causing mutation TDP-43M337V, in which cytoplasmic TDP-43 was increased. These findings suggest that TDP-43 promotes tau exon 10 inclusion and 4R-tau expression and that disease-related changes of TDP-43, truncations and mutations, affect its function in tau exon 10 splicing, possibly because of TDP-43 mislocalization to the cytoplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianlan Gu
- From the Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration and.,Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York 10314, and.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Feng Chen
- From the Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration and.,Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York 10314, and
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York 10314, and
| | - Cheng-Xin Gong
- From the Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration and.,Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York 10314, and
| | - Xinglong Wang
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
| | - Fei Liu
- From the Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration and .,Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York 10314, and
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19
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Bakota L, Ussif A, Jeserich G, Brandt R. Systemic and network functions of the microtubule-associated protein tau: Implications for tau-based therapies. Mol Cell Neurosci 2017; 84:132-141. [PMID: 28318914 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2017.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Revised: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-associated neuronal protein, whose primary role was long thought to regulate axonal microtubule assembly. Tau is subject to many posttranslational modifications and can aggregate into neurofibrillary tangles, which are considered to be a hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases collectively called "tauopathies". The most common tauopathy is Alzheimer's disease, where tau pathology correlates with sites of neurodegeneration. Tau belongs to the class of intrinsically disordered proteins, which are known to interact with many partners and are considered to be involved in various signaling, regulation and recognition processes. Thus more recent evidence indicates that tau functionally interacts with many proteins and different cellular structures, which may have an important physiological role and may be involved in neurodegenerative processes. Furthermore, tau can be released from neurons and exert functional effects on other cells. This review article weighs the evidence that tau has subtle but important systemic effects on neuronal network function by maintaining physiological neuronal transmission and synaptic plasticity, which are possibly independent from tau's microtubule modulating activities. Implications for tau-based therapeutic approaches are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Bakota
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Osnabrück, Barbarastrasse 11, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Abdala Ussif
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Osnabrück, Barbarastrasse 11, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Gunnar Jeserich
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Osnabrück, Barbarastrasse 11, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Roland Brandt
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Osnabrück, Barbarastrasse 11, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany.
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20
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Park SA, Ahn SI, Gallo JM. Tau mis-splicing in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. BMB Rep 2017; 49:405-13. [PMID: 27222125 PMCID: PMC5070727 DOI: 10.5483/bmbrep.2016.49.8.084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau proteins, which stabilize the structure and regulate the dynamics of microtubules, also play important roles in axonal transport and signal transduction. Tau proteins are missorted, aggregated, and found as tau inclusions under many pathological conditions associated with neurodegenerative disorders, which are collectively known as tauopathies. In the adult human brain, tau protein can be expressed in six isoforms due to alternative splicing. The aberrant splicing of tau pre-mRNA has been consistently identified in a variety of tauopathies but is not restricted to these types of disorders as it is also present in patients with non-tau proteinopathies and RNAopathies. Tau mis-splicing results in isoform-specific impairments in normal physiological function and enhanced recruitment of excessive tau isoforms into the pathological process. A variety of factors are involved in the complex set of mechanisms underlying tau mis-splicing, but variation in the cis-element, methylation of the MAPT gene, genetic polymorphisms, the quantity and activity of spliceosomal proteins, and the patency of other RNA-binding proteins, are related to aberrant splicing. Currently, there is a lack of appropriate therapeutic strategies aimed at correcting the tau mis-splicing process in patients with neurodegenerative disorders. Thus, a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between tau mis-splicing and neurodegenerative disorders will aid in the development of efficient therapeutic strategies for patients with a tauopathy or other, related neurodegenerative disorders. [BMB Reports 2016; 49(8): 405-413]
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun Ah Park
- Department of Neurology, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon 14584, Korea
| | - Sang Il Ahn
- Department of Neurology, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon 14584, Korea
| | - Jean-Marc Gallo
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9NU, UK
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21
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Calcium dysregulation contributes to neurodegeneration in FTLD patient iPSC-derived neurons. Sci Rep 2016; 6:34904. [PMID: 27721502 PMCID: PMC5056519 DOI: 10.1038/srep34904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the gene MAPT encoding tau, a microtubules-associated protein, cause a subtype of familial neurodegenerative disorder, known as frontotemporal lobar degeneration tauopathy (FTLD-Tau), which presents with dementia and is characterized by atrophy in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. Although induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology has facilitated the investigation of phenotypes of FTLD-Tau patient neuronal cells in vitro, it remains unclear how FTLD-Tau patient neurons degenerate. Here, we established neuronal models of FTLD-Tau by Neurogenin2-induced direct neuronal differentiation from FTLD-Tau patient iPSCs. We found that FTLD-Tau neurons, either with an intronic MAPT mutation or with an exonic mutation, developed accumulation and extracellular release of misfolded tau followed by neuronal death, which we confirmed by correction of the intronic mutation with CRISPR/Cas9. FTLD-Tau neurons showed dysregulation of the augmentation of Ca2+ transients evoked by electrical stimulation. Chemogenetic or pharmacological control of neuronal activity-relevant Ca2+ influx by the introduction of designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) or by the treatment with glutamate receptor blockers attenuated misfolded tau accumulation and neuronal death. These data suggest that neuronal activity may regulate neurodegeneration in tauopathy. This FTLD-Tau model provides mechanistic insights into tauopathy pathogenesis and potential avenues for treatments.
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Bodea L, Eckert A, Ittner LM, Piguet O, Götz J. Tau physiology and pathomechanisms in frontotemporal lobar degeneration. J Neurochem 2016; 138 Suppl 1:71-94. [PMID: 27306859 PMCID: PMC5094566 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 01/31/2016] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) has been associated with toxic intracellular aggregates of hyperphosphorylated tau (FTLD-tau). Moreover, genetic studies identified mutations in the MAPT gene encoding tau in familial cases of the disease. In this review, we cover a range of aspects of tau function, both in the healthy and diseased brain, discussing several in vitro and in vivo models. Tau structure and function in the healthy brain is presented, accentuating its distinct compartmentalization in neurons and its role in microtubule stabilization and axonal transport. Furthermore, tau-driven pathology is discussed, introducing current concepts and the underlying experimental evidence. Different aspects of pathological tau phosphorylation, the protein's genomic and domain organization as well as its spreading in disease, together with MAPT-associated mutations and their respective models are presented. Dysfunction related to other post-transcriptional modifications and their effect on normal neuronal functions such as cell cycle, epigenetics and synapse dynamics are also discussed, providing a mechanistic explanation for the observations made in FTLD-tau cases, with the possibility for therapeutic intervention. In this review, we cover aspects of tau function, both in the healthy and diseased brain, referring to different in vitro and in vivo models. In healthy neurons, tau is compartmentalized, with higher concentrations found in the distal part of the axon. Cargo molecules are sensitive to this gradient. A disturbed tau distribution, as found in frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD-tau), has severe consequences for cellular physiology: tau accumulates in the neuronal soma and dendrites, leading among others to microtubule depolymerization and impaired axonal transport. Tau forms insoluble aggregates that sequester additional molecules stalling cellular physiology. Neuronal communication is gradually lost as toxic tau accumulates in dendritic spines with subsequent degeneration of synapses and synaptic loss. Thus, by providing a mechanistic explanation for the observations made in FTLD-tau cases, arises a possibility for therapeutic interventions. This article is part of the Frontotemporal Dementia special issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liviu‐Gabriel Bodea
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia ResearchQueensland Brain InstituteThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQLDAustralia
| | - Anne Eckert
- Neurobiology LaboratoryPsychiatric University Clinics BaselUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Lars Matthias Ittner
- Dementia Research UnitSchool of Medical SciencesFaculty of MedicineUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNSWAustralia
| | | | - Jürgen Götz
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia ResearchQueensland Brain InstituteThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQLDAustralia
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Umeda T, Ono K, Sakai A, Yamashita M, Mizuguchi M, Klein WL, Yamada M, Mori H, Tomiyama T. Rifampicin is a candidate preventive medicine against amyloid-β and tau oligomers. Brain 2016; 139:1568-86. [PMID: 27020329 DOI: 10.1093/brain/aww042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2015] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-β, tau, and α-synuclein, or more specifically their soluble oligomers, are the aetiologic molecules in Alzheimer's disease, tauopathies, and α-synucleinopathies, respectively. These proteins have been shown to interact to accelerate each other's pathology. Clinical studies of amyloid-β-targeting therapies in Alzheimer's disease have revealed that the treatments after disease onset have little benefit on patient cognition. These findings prompted us to explore a preventive medicine which is orally available, has few adverse effects, and is effective at reducing neurotoxic oligomers with a broad spectrum. We initially tested five candidate compounds: rifampicin, curcumin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, myricetin, and scyllo-inositol, in cells expressing amyloid precursor protein (APP) with the Osaka (E693Δ) mutation, which promotes amyloid-β oligomerization. Among these compounds, rifampicin, a well-known antibiotic, showed the strongest activities against the accumulation and toxicity (i.e. cytochrome c release from mitochondria) of intracellular amyloid-β oligomers. Under cell-free conditions, rifampicin inhibited oligomer formation of amyloid-β, tau, and α-synuclein, indicating its broad spectrum. The inhibitory effects of rifampicin against amyloid-β and tau oligomers were evaluated in APPOSK mice (amyloid-β oligomer model), Tg2576 mice (Alzheimer's disease model), and tau609 mice (tauopathy model). When orally administered to 17-month-old APPOSK mice at 0.5 and 1 mg/day for 1 month, rifampicin reduced the accumulation of amyloid-β oligomers as well as tau hyperphosphorylation, synapse loss, and microglial activation in a dose-dependent manner. In the Morris water maze, rifampicin at 1 mg/day improved memory of the mice to a level similar to that in non-transgenic littermates. Rifampicin also inhibited cytochrome c release from the mitochondria and caspase 3 activation in the hippocampus. In 13-month-old Tg2576 mice, oral rifampicin at 0.5 mg/day for 1 month decreased amyloid-β oligomer accumulation, tau hyperphosphorylation, synapse loss, and microglial activation, but not amyloid deposition. Rifampicin treatment to 14-15-month-old tau609 mice at 0.5 and 1 mg/day for 1 month also reduced tau oligomer accumulation, tau hyperphosphorylation, synapse loss, and microglial activation in a dose-dependent fashion, and improved the memory almost completely at 1 mg/day. In addition, rifampicin decreased the level of p62/sequestosome-1 in the brain without affecting the increased levels of LC3 (microtubule-associated protein light chain 3) conversion, suggesting the restoration of autophagy-lysosomal function. Considering its prescribed dose and safety in humans, these results indicate that rifampicin could be a promising, ready-to-use medicine for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Umeda
- Department of Neuroscience, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Japan
| | - Kenjiro Ono
- Department of Neurology and Neurobiology and Aging, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Ayumi Sakai
- Department of Neuroscience, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Minato Yamashita
- Department of Neuroscience, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Mineyuki Mizuguchi
- Laboratory of Structual Biology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - William L Klein
- Department of Neurobiology, Weinberg College of Arts and Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Masahito Yamada
- Department of Neurology and Neurobiology and Aging, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Mori
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Japan Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Osaka City University Medical School, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takami Tomiyama
- Department of Neuroscience, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Japan
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Li YQ, Tan MS, Yu JT, Tan L. Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies. Mol Neurobiol 2015; 53:6091-6105. [PMID: 26537902 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-015-9507-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2015] [Accepted: 10/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is characterized by progressive deterioration of frontal and anterior temporal lobes of the brain and often exhibits frontotemporal dementia (FTD) on clinic, in <65-year-old patients at the time of diagnosis. Interdisciplinary approaches combining genetics, molecular and cell biology, and laboratory animal science have revealed some of its potential molecular mechanisms. Although there is still no effective treatment to delay, prevent, and reverse the progression of FTD, emergence of agents targeting molecular mechanisms has been beginning to promote potential pharmaceutical development. Our review summarizes the latest new findings of FTLD and challenges in FTLD therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Qing Li
- Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, School of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Meng-Shan Tan
- Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, School of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jin-Tai Yu
- Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, School of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China. .,Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Lan Tan
- Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, School of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
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McCarthy A, Lonergan R, Olszewska DA, O'Dowd S, Cummins G, Magennis B, Fallon EM, Pender N, Huey ED, Cosentino S, O'Rourke K, Kelly BD, O'Connell M, Delon I, Farrell M, Spillantini MG, Rowland LP, Fahn S, Craig P, Hutton M, Lynch T. Closing the tau loop: the missing tau mutation. Brain 2015; 138:3100-9. [PMID: 26297556 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awv234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2015] [Accepted: 06/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration comprises a group of disorders characterized by behavioural, executive, language impairment and sometimes features of parkinsonism and motor neuron disease. In 1994 we described an Irish-American family with frontotemporal dementia linked to chromosome 17 associated with extensive tau pathology. We named this disinhibition-dementia-parkinsonism-amyotrophy complex. We subsequently identified mutations in the MAPT gene. Eleven MAPT gene splice site stem loop mutations were identified over time except for 5' splice site of exon 10. We recently identified another Irish family with autosomal dominant early amnesia and behavioural change or parkinsonism associated with the 'missing' +15 mutation at the intronic boundary of exon 10. We performed a clinical, neuropsychological and neuroimaging study on the proband and four siblings, including two affected siblings. We sequenced MAPT and performed segregation analysis. We looked for a biological effect of the tau variant by performing real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis of RNA extracted from human embryonic kidney cells transfected with exon trapping constructs. We found a c.915+15A>C exon 10/intron 10 stem loop mutation in all affected subjects but not in the unaffected. The c.915+15A>C variant caused a shift in tau splicing pattern to a predominantly exon 10+ pattern presumably resulting in predominant 4 repeat tau and little 3 repeat tau. This strongly suggests that the c.915+15A>C variant is a mutation and that it causes frontotemporal dementia linked to chromosome 17 in this pedigree by shifting tau transcription and translation to +4 repeat tau. Tau (MAPT) screening should be considered in families where amnesia or atypical parkinsonism coexists with behavioural disturbance early in the disease process. We describe the final missing stem loop tau mutation predicted 15 years ago. Mutations have now been identified at all predicted sites within the 'stem' when the stem-loop model was first proposed and no mutations have been found within the 'loop' region as expected. Therefore we 'close the tau loop' having 'opened the loop' 21 years ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allan McCarthy
- 1 The Dublin Neurological Institute at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, 57 Eccles Street, Dublin 7, Ireland
| | - Roisin Lonergan
- 1 The Dublin Neurological Institute at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, 57 Eccles Street, Dublin 7, Ireland
| | - Diana A Olszewska
- 1 The Dublin Neurological Institute at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, 57 Eccles Street, Dublin 7, Ireland
| | - Sean O'Dowd
- 1 The Dublin Neurological Institute at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, 57 Eccles Street, Dublin 7, Ireland
| | - Gemma Cummins
- 2 Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Brain Repair, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK
| | - Brian Magennis
- 1 The Dublin Neurological Institute at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, 57 Eccles Street, Dublin 7, Ireland
| | - Emer M Fallon
- 1 The Dublin Neurological Institute at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, 57 Eccles Street, Dublin 7, Ireland
| | - Niall Pender
- 3 Department of Psychology, Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont Rd, Dublin 9, Ireland, Department of Psychology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
| | - Edward D Huey
- 4 Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, University Medical Centre, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Stephanie Cosentino
- 5 Cognitive Neuroscience Section, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Centre, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Killian O'Rourke
- 1 The Dublin Neurological Institute at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, 57 Eccles Street, Dublin 7, Ireland
| | - Brendan D Kelly
- 6 Department of Psychiatry, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, 63 Eccles Street, Dublin 7, Ireland
| | - Martin O'Connell
- 7 Department of Radiology, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, North Circular Road, Dublin 7, Ireland
| | - Isabelle Delon
- 8 Medical Genetics Service, Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Addenbrooke's Treatment Centre, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Michael Farrell
- 9 Department of Neuropathology, Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont Road, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Maria Grazia Spillantini
- 10 Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Clifford Allbutt Building, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Lewis P Rowland
- 11 The Neurological Institute, Columbia University, 710 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032-3784, USA
| | - Stanley Fahn
- 11 The Neurological Institute, Columbia University, 710 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032-3784, USA
| | - Peter Craig
- 12 Eli Lilly, Erl Wood Manor, Windlesham, Surrey, GU20 6PH, UK
| | - Michael Hutton
- 12 Eli Lilly, Erl Wood Manor, Windlesham, Surrey, GU20 6PH, UK
| | - Tim Lynch
- 1 The Dublin Neurological Institute at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, 57 Eccles Street, Dublin 7, Ireland
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26
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Pedersen JT, Sigurdsson EM. Tau immunotherapy for Alzheimer's disease. Trends Mol Med 2015; 21:394-402. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2015.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 195] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2015] [Revised: 03/11/2015] [Accepted: 03/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Umeda T, Eguchi H, Kunori Y, Matsumoto Y, Taniguchi T, Mori H, Tomiyama T. Passive immunotherapy of tauopathy targeting pSer413-tau: a pilot study in mice. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2015; 2:241-55. [PMID: 25815351 PMCID: PMC4369274 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2014] [Revised: 12/09/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Cellular inclusions of hyperphosphorylated tau are a hallmark of tauopathies, which are neurodegenerative disorders that include Alzheimer's disease (AD). Active and passive immunization against hyperphosphorylated tau has been shown to attenuate phenotypes in model mice. We developed new monoclonal antibodies to hyperphosphorylated tau and sought high therapeutic efficacy for future clinical use. Methods Using more than 20 antibodies, we investigated which sites on tau are phosphorylated early and highly in the tauopathy mouse models tau609 and tau784. These mice display tau hyperphosphorylation, synapse loss, memory impairment at 6 months, and tangle formation and neuronal loss at 15 months. We generated mouse monoclonal antibodies to selected epitopes and examined their effects on memory and tau pathology in aged tau609 and tau784 mice by the Morris water maze and by histological and biochemical analyses. Results Immunohistochemical screening revealed that pSer413 is expressed early and highly. Monoclonal antibodies to pSer413 and to pSer396 (control) were generated. These antibodies specifically recognized pathological tau in AD brains but not normal tau in control brains according to Western blots. Representative anti-pSer413 and anti-pSer396 antibodies were injected intraperitoneally into 10–11- or 14-month-old mice once a week at 0.1 or 1 mg/shot 5 times. The anti-pSer413 antibody significantly improved memory, whereas the anti-pSer396 antibodies showed less effect. The cognitive improvement paralleled a reduction in the levels of tau hyperphosphorylation, tau oligomer accumulation, synapse loss, tangle formation, and neuronal loss. Interpretation These results indicate that pSer413 is a promising target in the treatment of tauopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Umeda
- Department of Neuroscience, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine Osaka, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Eguchi
- Teijin Institute for Bio-medical Research, Teijin Pharma Limited Hino, Japan
| | - Yuichi Kunori
- Teijin Institute for Bio-medical Research, Teijin Pharma Limited Hino, Japan
| | - Yoichi Matsumoto
- Teijin Institute for Bio-medical Research, Teijin Pharma Limited Hino, Japan
| | - Taizo Taniguchi
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Himeji Dokkyo University Himeji, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Mori
- Department of Neuroscience, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine Osaka, Japan
| | - Takami Tomiyama
- Department of Neuroscience, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine Osaka, Japan
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28
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Ren Y, Sahara N, Giasson B, Lewis J. Tauopathy Mouse Models. Mov Disord 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-405195-9.00055-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
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Siva K, Covello G, Denti MA. Exon-skipping antisense oligonucleotides to correct missplicing in neurogenetic diseases. Nucleic Acid Ther 2014; 24:69-86. [PMID: 24506781 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2013.0461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing is an important regulator of the transcriptome. However, mutations may cause alteration of splicing patterns, which in turn leads to disease. During the past 10 years, exon skipping has been looked upon as a powerful tool for correction of missplicing in disease and progress has been made towards clinical trials. In this review, we discuss the use of antisense oligonucleotides to correct splicing defects through exon skipping, with a special focus on diseases affecting the nervous system, and the latest stage achieved in its progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavitha Siva
- 1 Center for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento , Trento, Italy
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Neurofibrillary tangle formation by introducing wild-type human tau into APP transgenic mice. Acta Neuropathol 2014; 127:685-98. [PMID: 24531886 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-014-1259-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2013] [Revised: 02/06/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Senile plaques comprised of Aβ aggregates and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) composed of hyperphosphorylated tau filaments are the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). A number of amyloid precursor protein (APP) transgenic (Tg) mice harboring APP mutations have been generated as animal models of AD. These mice successfully display amyloid plaque formation and subsequent tau hyperphosphorylation, but seldom induce NFT formations. We have demonstrated that the APPOSK-Tg mice, which possess the E693Δ (Osaka) mutation in APP and thereby accumulate Aβ oligomers without plaques, exhibit tau hyperphosphorylation at 8 months, but not NFT formation even at 24 months. We assumed that APP-Tg mice, including ours, failed to form NFTs because NFT formation requires human tau. To test this hypothesis, we crossbred APPOSK-Tg mice with tau-Tg mice (tau264), which express low levels of 3-repeat and 4-repeat wild-type human tau without any pathology. The resultant double Tg mice displayed tau hyperphosphorylation at 6 months and NFT formation at 18 months in the absence of tau mutations. Importantly, these NFTs contained both 3-repeat and 4-repeat human tau, similar to those in AD. Furthermore, the double Tg mice exhibited Aβ oligomer accumulation, synapse loss, and memory impairment at 6 months and neuronal loss at 18 months, all of which appeared earlier than in the parent APPOSK-Tg mice. These results suggest that Aβ and human tau synergistically interact to accelerate each other's pathology, that the presence of human tau is critical for NFT formation, and that Aβ oligomers can induce NFTs in the absence of amyloid plaques.
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Veltrop M, Aartsma-Rus A. Antisense-mediated exon skipping: taking advantage of a trick from Mother Nature to treat rare genetic diseases. Exp Cell Res 2014; 325:50-5. [PMID: 24486759 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2014.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2013] [Revised: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Rare diseases can be caused by genetic mutations that disrupt normal pre-mRNA splicing. Antisense oligonucleotide treatment to the splicing thus has therapeutic potential for many rare diseases. In this review we will focus on the state of the art on exon skipping using antisense oligonucleotides as a potential therapy for rare genetic diseases, outlining how this versatile approach can be exploited to correct for different mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Veltrop
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Annemieke Aartsma-Rus
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands.
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Caillet-Boudin ML, Fernandez-Gomez FJ, Tran H, Dhaenens CM, Buee L, Sergeant N. Brain pathology in myotonic dystrophy: when tauopathy meets spliceopathy and RNAopathy. Front Mol Neurosci 2014; 6:57. [PMID: 24409116 PMCID: PMC3885824 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2013.00057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2013] [Accepted: 12/20/2013] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy (DM) of type 1 and 2 (DM1 and DM2) are inherited autosomal dominant diseases caused by dynamic and unstable expanded microsatellite sequences (CTG and CCTG, respectively) in the non-coding regions of the genes DMPK and ZNF9, respectively. These mutations result in the intranuclear accumulation of mutated transcripts and the mis-splicing of numerous transcripts. This so-called RNA gain of toxic function is the main feature of an emerging group of pathologies known as RNAopathies. Interestingly, in addition to these RNA inclusions, called foci, the presence of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) in patient brains also distinguishes DM as a tauopathy. Tauopathies are a group of nearly 30 neurodegenerative diseases that are characterized by intraneuronal protein aggregates of the microtubule-associated protein Tau (MAPT) in patient brains. Furthermore, a number of neurodegenerative diseases involve the dysregulation of splicing regulating factors and have been characterized as spliceopathies. Thus, myotonic dystrophies are pathologies resulting from the interplay among RNAopathy, spliceopathy, and tauopathy. This review will describe how these processes contribute to neurodegeneration. We will first focus on the tauopathy associated with DM1, including clinical symptoms, brain histology, and molecular mechanisms. We will also discuss the features of DM1 that are shared by other tauopathies and, consequently, might participate in the development of a tauopathy. Moreover, we will discuss the determinants common to both RNAopathies and spliceopathies that could interfere with tau-related neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Laure Caillet-Boudin
- Alzheimer and Tauopathies, Faculty of Medicine, Jean-Pierre Aubert Research Centre, Institute of Predictive Medicine and Therapeutic Research, Inserm, UMR 837 Lille, France ; University of Lille Nord de France, UDSL Lille, France
| | - Francisco-Jose Fernandez-Gomez
- Alzheimer and Tauopathies, Faculty of Medicine, Jean-Pierre Aubert Research Centre, Institute of Predictive Medicine and Therapeutic Research, Inserm, UMR 837 Lille, France ; University of Lille Nord de France, UDSL Lille, France
| | - Hélène Tran
- Alzheimer and Tauopathies, Faculty of Medicine, Jean-Pierre Aubert Research Centre, Institute of Predictive Medicine and Therapeutic Research, Inserm, UMR 837 Lille, France ; University of Lille Nord de France, UDSL Lille, France
| | - Claire-Marie Dhaenens
- Alzheimer and Tauopathies, Faculty of Medicine, Jean-Pierre Aubert Research Centre, Institute of Predictive Medicine and Therapeutic Research, Inserm, UMR 837 Lille, France ; University of Lille Nord de France, UDSL Lille, France
| | - Luc Buee
- Alzheimer and Tauopathies, Faculty of Medicine, Jean-Pierre Aubert Research Centre, Institute of Predictive Medicine and Therapeutic Research, Inserm, UMR 837 Lille, France ; University of Lille Nord de France, UDSL Lille, France
| | - Nicolas Sergeant
- Alzheimer and Tauopathies, Faculty of Medicine, Jean-Pierre Aubert Research Centre, Institute of Predictive Medicine and Therapeutic Research, Inserm, UMR 837 Lille, France ; University of Lille Nord de France, UDSL Lille, France
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