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Rather MA, Khan A, Jahan S, Siddiqui AJ, Wang L. Influence of Tau on Neurotoxicity and Cerebral Vasculature Impairment Associated with Alzheimer's Disease. Neuroscience 2024; 552:1-13. [PMID: 38871021 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.05.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is a fatal chronic neurodegenerative condition marked by a gradual decline in cognitive abilities and impaired vascular function within the central nervous system. This affliction initiates its insidious progression with the accumulation of two aberrant protein entities including Aβ plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. These chronic elements target distinct brain regions, steadily erasing the functionality of the hippocampus and triggering the erosion of memory and neuronal integrity. Several assumptions are anticipated for AD as genetic alterations, the occurrence of Aβ plaques, altered processing of amyloid precursor protein, mitochondrial damage, and discrepancy of neurotropic factors. In addition to Aβ oligomers, the deposition of tau hyper-phosphorylates also plays an indispensable part in AD etiology. The brain comprises a complex network of capillaries that is crucial for maintaining proper function. Tau is expressed in cerebral blood vessels, where it helps to regulate blood flow and sustain the blood-brain barrier's integrity. In AD, tau pathology can disrupt cerebral blood supply and deteriorate the BBB, leading to neuronal neurodegeneration. Neuroinflammation, deficits in the microvasculature and endothelial functions, and Aβ deposition are characteristically detected in the initial phases of AD. These variations trigger neuronal malfunction and cognitive impairment. Intracellular tau accumulation in microglia and astrocytes triggers deleterious effects on the integrity of endothelium and cerebral blood supply resulting in further advancement of the ailment and cerebral instability. In this review, we will discuss the impact of tau on neurovascular impairment, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and the role of hyperphosphorylated tau in neuron excitotoxicity and inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mashoque Ahmad Rather
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, University of South Florida, Tampa, United States.
| | - Andleeb Khan
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Integral University, Lucknow, 226026, India
| | - Sadaf Jahan
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Majmaah University, Al-Majmaah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Arif Jamal Siddiqui
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Hail, Hail City, Saudi Arabia
| | - Lianchun Wang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, University of South Florida, Tampa, United States
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2
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Kitoka K, Skrabana R, Gasparik N, Hritz J, Jaudzems K. NMR Studies of Tau Protein in Tauopathies. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:761227. [PMID: 34859051 PMCID: PMC8632555 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.761227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), are the most troublesome of all age-related chronic conditions, as there are no well-established disease-modifying therapies for their prevention and treatment. Spatio-temporal distribution of tau protein pathology correlates with cognitive decline and severity of the disease, therefore, tau protein has become an appealing target for therapy. Current knowledge of the pathological effects and significance of specific species in the tau aggregation pathway is incomplete although more and more structural and mechanistic insights are being gained using biophysical techniques. Here, we review the application of NMR to structural studies of various tau forms that appear in its aggregation process, focusing on results obtained from solid-state NMR. Furthermore, we discuss implications from these studies and their prospective contribution to the development of new tauopathy therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristine Kitoka
- Laboratory of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, Latvia
| | - Rostislav Skrabana
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Norbert Gasparik
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jozef Hritz
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Kristaps Jaudzems
- Laboratory of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, Latvia
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
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3
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Ma D, Luo Y, Huang R, Zhao Z, Wang Q, Li L, Zhang L. Cornel Iridoid Glycoside Suppresses Tau Hyperphosphorylation and Aggregation in a Mouse Model of Tauopathy through Increasing Activity of PP2A. Curr Alzheimer Res 2020; 16:1316-1331. [PMID: 31902362 DOI: 10.2174/1567205017666200103113158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND rTg4510 mice are transgenic mice expressing P301L mutant tau and have been developed as an animal model of tauopathy including Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Cornel Iridoid Glycoside (CIG) is an active ingredient extracted from Cornus officinalis, a traditional Chinese herb. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of CIG on tau pathology and underlying mechanisms using rTg4510 mice. METHODS The cognitive functions were detected by Morris water maze and objective recognition tests. Western blotting and immunofluorescence were conducted to measure the levels of phosphorylated tau and related proteins. Serine/threonine phosphatase assay was applied to detect the activity of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). RESULTS Intragastric administration of CIG for 3 months improved learning and memory abilities, prevented neuronal and synapse loss, halted brain atrophy, elevated levels of synaptic proteins, protected cytoskeleton, reduced tau hyperphosphorylation and aggregation in the brain of rTg4510 mice. In the mechanism studies, CIG increased the activity of PP2A, elevated the methylation of PP2A catalytic C (PP2Ac) at leucine 309, decreased the phosphorylation of PP2Ac at tyrosine 307, and increased protein expression of leucine carboxyl methyltransferase 1 (LCMT-1), protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), and protein phosphatase 2A phosphatase activator (PTPA) in the brain of rTg4510 mice. CONCLUSION CIG might have the potential to treat tauopathy such as AD via activating PP2A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denglei Ma
- Department of Pharmacy, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Nervous System Drugs, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Key Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Diseases of Ministry of Education, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Yi Luo
- Department of Pharmacy, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Nervous System Drugs, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Key Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Diseases of Ministry of Education, Beijing 100053, China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Rui Huang
- Department of Pharmacy, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Nervous System Drugs, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Key Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Diseases of Ministry of Education, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Zirun Zhao
- Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, United States
| | - Qi Wang
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Lin Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Nervous System Drugs, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Key Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Diseases of Ministry of Education, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Lan Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Nervous System Drugs, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Key Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Diseases of Ministry of Education, Beijing 100053, China
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4
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Ikura T, Tochio N, Kawasaki R, Matsuzaki M, Narita A, Kikumoto M, Utsunomiya‐Tate N, Tate S, Ito N. The
trans
isomer of Tau peptide is prone to aggregate, and the WW domain of Pin1 drastically decreases its aggregation. FEBS Lett 2018; 592:3082-3091. [DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Revised: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Teikichi Ikura
- Medical Research Institute Tokyo Medical and Dental University Japan
| | - Naoya Tochio
- Reseach Center for the Mathematics on Chromatin Live Dynamics (RcMcD) Hiroshima University Higashi‐Hiroshima Japan
- Faculty of Pharma‐Sciences Teikyo University Tokyo Japan
| | - Ryosuke Kawasaki
- Department of Mathematical and Life Sciences Graduate School of Science Hiroshima University Higashi‐Hiroshima Japan
| | - Mizuki Matsuzaki
- Structural Biology Research Center Graduate School of Science Nagoya University Japan
| | - Akihiro Narita
- Structural Biology Research Center Graduate School of Science Nagoya University Japan
| | - Mahito Kikumoto
- Structural Biology Research Center Graduate School of Science Nagoya University Japan
| | | | - Shin‐ichi Tate
- Reseach Center for the Mathematics on Chromatin Live Dynamics (RcMcD) Hiroshima University Higashi‐Hiroshima Japan
- Department of Mathematical and Life Sciences Graduate School of Science Hiroshima University Higashi‐Hiroshima Japan
| | - Nobutoshi Ito
- Medical Research Institute Tokyo Medical and Dental University Japan
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Hu ZW, Ma MR, Chen YX, Zhao YF, Qiang W, Li YM. Phosphorylation at Ser 8 as an Intrinsic Regulatory Switch to Regulate the Morphologies and Structures of Alzheimer's 40-residue β-Amyloid (Aβ40) Fibrils. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:2611-2623. [PMID: 28031462 PMCID: PMC5314160 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.757179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Revised: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Polymorphism of amyloid-β (Aβ) fibrils, implying different fibril structures, may play important pathological roles in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Morphologies of Aβ fibrils were found to be sensitive to fibrillation conditions. Herein, the Ser8-phosphorylated Aβ (pAβ), which is assumed to specially associate with symptomatic AD, is reported to modify the morphology, biophysical properties, cellular toxicity, and structures of Aβ fibrils. Under the same fibrillation conditions, pAβ favors the formation of fibrils (Fpβ), which are different from the wild-type Aβ fibrils (Fβ). Both Fβ and Fpβ fibrils show single predominant morphologies. Compared with Fβ, Fpβ exhibits higher propagation efficiency and higher neuronal cell toxicity. The residue-specific structural differences between the Fβ- and Fpβ-seeded Aβ fibrils were identified using magic angle spin NMR. Our results suggest a potential regulatory mechanism of phosphorylation on Aβ fibril formation in AD and imply that the post-translationally modified Aβ, especially the phosphorylated Aβ, may be an important target for the diagnosis or treatment of AD at specific stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Wen Hu
- From the Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorous Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Meng-Rong Ma
- From the Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorous Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yong-Xiang Chen
- From the Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorous Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yu-Fen Zhao
- From the Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorous Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wei Qiang
- Department of Chemistry, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, New York 13902, and
| | - Yan-Mei Li
- From the Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorous Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China,
- Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing 100069, China
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6
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Pirota V, Monzani E, Dell'Acqua S, Casella L. Interactions between heme and tau-derived R1 peptides: binding and oxidative reactivity. Dalton Trans 2016; 45:14343-51. [PMID: 27539650 DOI: 10.1039/c6dt02183b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The interaction of hemin with the first 18-amino acid repeat in tau protein has been investigated at both the N-terminal free-amine (R1τ) and N-acetylated (AcR1τ) forms for its potential relevance in traumatic brain injury and possibly other neurodegenerative diseases. The binding properties of hemin-R1τ and hemin-AcR1τ were compared with those of the hemin complex with amyloid-β peptide fragment 1-16 (Aβ16) and synthetic hemins. AcR1τ and R1τ bind with moderate affinity to both monomeric and dimeric hemin to form 1 : 1 complexes, but for the acetylated peptide, the affinity is one order of magnitude larger (K1 = 3.3 × 10(6) M(-1)). The binding constants were similar to that of Aβ16 for hemin, but unlike the latter, neither of the two R1τ peptides forms a 2 : 1 complex with hemin. This is mostly due to electrostatic repulsion between R1τ chains, and in particular the C-terminal proline-15 kink, while structural features of the hemin-R1τ complexes do not seem to play a role. In fact, the same features are observed for the interaction between ferric heme and peptide R1τ*, where the P15 residue is replaced by an alanine. Imidazole neither binds to [hemin(R1τ)] nor [hemin(AcR1τ)], whereas small ligands such as CN and CO easily bind to the ferric and ferrous forms of the complexes, respectively. A detailed comparative study of the peroxidase activity of [hemin(R1τ)] and [hemin(AcR1τ)] shows that such activity is very low. Thus, the association between heme and unfolded neuronal peptides does not, per se, involve a significant gain of toxic pseudo-enzymatic activity. However, under conditions of heavy heme release occurring on traumatic brain injury or when this activity is prolonged for long time, it can contribute to neuronal oxidative stress. In addition, the presence of hemin increases the aggregation propensity of R1τ.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Pirota
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Pavia, Via Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
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7
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Stangner T, Angioletti-Uberti S, Knappe D, Singer D, Wagner C, Hoffmann R, Kremer F. Epitope mapping of monoclonal antibody HPT-101: a study combining dynamic force spectroscopy, ELISA and molecular dynamics simulations. Phys Biol 2015; 12:066018. [PMID: 26689558 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/12/6/066018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
By combining enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and optical tweezers-assisted dynamic force spectroscopy (DFS), we identify for the first time the binding epitope of the phosphorylation-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) HPT-101 to the Alzheimer's disease relevant peptide tau[pThr231/pSer235] on the level of single amino acids. In particular, seven tau isoforms are synthesized by replacing binding relevant amino acids by a neutral alanine (alanine scanning). From the binding between mAb HPT-101 and the alanine-scan derivatives, we extract specific binding parameters such as bond lifetime τ0, binding length x(ts), free energy of activation ΔG (DFS) and affinity constant K(a) (ELISA, DFS). Based on these quantities, we propose criteria to identify essential, secondary and non-essential amino acids, being representative of the antibody binding epitope. The obtained results are found to be in full accord for both experimental techniques. In order to elucidate the microscopic origin of the change in binding parameters, we perform molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the free epitope in solution for both its parent and modified form. By taking the end-to-end distance d(E-E) and the distance between the α-carbons d(C-C) of the phosphorylated residues as gauging parameters, we measure how the structure of the epitope depends on the type of substitution. In particular, whereas d(C-C) is sometimes conserved between the parent and modified form, d(E-E) strongly changes depending on the type of substitution, correlating well with the experimental data. These results are highly significant, offering a detailed microscopic picture of molecular recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Stangner
- Leipzig University, Department of Experimental Physics I, Linnéstraβe 5, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
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8
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Stangner T, Wagner C, Singer D, Angioletti-Uberti S, Gutsche C, Dzubiella J, Hoffmann R, Kremer F. Determining the specificity of monoclonal antibody HPT-101 to tau-peptides with optical tweezers. ACS NANO 2013; 7:11388-11396. [PMID: 24279833 DOI: 10.1021/nn405303u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Optical tweezers-assisted dynamic force spectroscopy is employed to investigate specific receptor-ligand interactions on the level of single binding events. In particular, we analyze binding of the phosphorylation-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) HPT-101 to synthetic tau-peptides with two potential phosphorylation sites (Thr231 and Ser235), being the most probable markers for Alzheimer's disease. Whereas the typical interpretation of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) suggests that this monoclonal antibody binds exclusively to the double-phosphorylated tau-peptide, we show here by DFS that the specificity of only mAb HPT-101 is apparent. In fact, binding occurs also to each sort of monophosphorylated peptide. Therefore, we characterize the unbinding process by analyzing the measured rupture force distributions, from which the lifetime of the bond without force τ0, its characteristic length xts, and the free energy of activation ΔG are extracted for the three mAb/peptide combinations. This information is used to build a simple theoretical model to predict features of the unbinding process for the double-phosphorylated peptide purely based on data on the monophosphorylated ones. Finally, we introduce a method to combine binding and unbinding measurements to estimate the relative affinity of the bonds. The values obtained for this quantity are in accordance with ELISA, showing how DFS can offer important insights about the dynamic binding process that are not accessible with this common and widespread assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Stangner
- Department of Experimental Physics I, Leipzig University , Linnéstraße 5, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
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9
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Ikura T, Ito N. Peptidyl-prolyl isomerase activity of FK506 binding protein 12 prevents tau peptide from aggregating. Protein Eng Des Sel 2013; 26:539-46. [DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzt033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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10
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Broncel M, Krause E, Schwarzer D, Hackenberger CPR. The Alzheimer’s Disease Related Tau Protein as a New Target for Chemical Protein Engineering. Chemistry 2012; 18:2488-92. [DOI: 10.1002/chem.201103032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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11
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Whiteman IT, Minamide LS, Goh DL, Bamburg JR, Goldsbury C. Rapid changes in phospho-MAP/tau epitopes during neuronal stress: cofilin-actin rods primarily recruit microtubule binding domain epitopes. PLoS One 2011; 6:e20878. [PMID: 21738590 PMCID: PMC3125162 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0020878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2011] [Accepted: 05/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal mitochondrial function is a widely reported contributor to neurodegenerative disease including Alzheimer's disease (AD), however, a mechanistic link between mitochondrial dysfunction and the initiation of neuropathology remains elusive. In AD, one of the earliest hallmark pathologies is neuropil threads comprising accumulated hyperphosphorylated microtubule-associated protein (MAP) tau in neurites. Rod-like aggregates of actin and its associated protein cofilin (AC rods) also occur in AD. Using a series of antibodies--AT270, AT8, AT100, S214, AT180, 12E8, S396, S404 and S422--raised against different phosphoepitopes on tau, we characterize the pattern of expression and re-distribution in neurites of these phosphoepitope labels during mitochondrial inhibition. Employing chick primary neuron cultures, we demonstrate that epitopes recognized by the monoclonal antibody 12E8, are the only species rapidly recruited into AC rods. These results were recapitulated with the actin depolymerizing drug Latrunculin B, which induces AC rods and a concomitant increase in the 12E8 signal measured on Western blot. This suggests that AC rods may be one way in which MAP redistribution and phosphorylation is influenced in neurons during mitochondrial stress and potentially in the early pathogenesis of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ineka T. Whiteman
- The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Bosch Institute, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Laurie S. Minamide
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - De Lian Goh
- The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Bosch Institute, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - James R. Bamburg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Claire Goldsbury
- The Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Bosch Institute, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- * E-mail:
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12
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Alonso AD, Di Clerico J, Li B, Corbo CP, Alaniz ME, Grundke-Iqbal I, Iqbal K. Phosphorylation of tau at Thr212, Thr231, and Ser262 combined causes neurodegeneration. J Biol Chem 2010; 285:30851-60. [PMID: 20663882 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.110957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Abnormal hyperphosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein Tau is a hallmark of Alzheimer disease and related diseases called tauopathies. As yet, the exact mechanism by which this pathology causes neurodegeneration is not understood. The present study provides direct evidence that Tau abnormal hyperphosphorylation causes its aggregation, breakdown of the microtubule network, and cell death and identifies phosphorylation sites involved in neurotoxicity. We generated pseudophosphorylated Tau proteins by mutating Ser/Thr to Glu and, as controls, to Ala. These mutations involved one, two, or three pathological phosphorylation sites by site-directed mutagenesis using as backbones the wild type or FTDP-17 mutant R406W Tau. Pseudophosphorylated and corresponding control Tau proteins were expressed transiently in PC12 and CHO cells. We found that a single phosphorylation site alone had little influence on the biological activity of Tau, except Thr(212), which, upon mutation to Glu in the R406W background, induced Tau aggregation in cells, suggesting phosphorylation at this site along with a modification on the C-terminal of the protein facilitates self-assembly of Tau. The expression of R406W Tau pseudophosphorylated at Thr(212), Thr(231), and Ser(262) triggered caspase-3 activation in as much as 85% of the transfected cells, whereas the corresponding value for wild type pseudophosphorylated Tau was 30%. Cells transfected with pseudophosphorylated Tau became TUNEL-positive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra D Alonso
- Department of Biology and Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island, and The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York 10314, USA.
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13
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Probing interactions of tubulin with small molecules, peptides, and protein fragments by solution nuclear magnetic resonance. Methods Cell Biol 2010. [PMID: 20466147 DOI: 10.1016/s0091-679x(10)95022-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
The description of the molecular mechanisms of interaction between tubulin or microtubules and partners at atomic scale is expected to have critical impacts on the understanding of basic physiological processes. This information will also help the design of future drug candidates that may be used to fight various pathologies such as cancer or neurological diseases. For these reasons, this aspect of tubulin research has been tackled since the seventies using many different methods and at different scales. NMR appears as a unique approach to provide, with atomic resolution, the solution structure and dynamical properties of tubulin/microtubule partners in free and bound states. Though tubulin is not directly amenable to solution NMR, the NMR ligand-based experiments allow one to obtain valuable data on the molecular mechanisms that sustain structure-function relationship, in particular atomic details on the partner binding site. We will first describe herein some basic principles of solution NMR spectroscopy that should not be missed for a comprehensive reading of NMR reports. A series of results will then be presented to illustrate the wealth and variety of NMR experiments and how this approach enlightens tubulin/microtubules interaction with partners.
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14
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O-GlcNAcylation modulates the self-aggregation ability of the fourth microtubule-binding repeat of tau. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2008; 375:59-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2008.07.101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2008] [Accepted: 07/22/2008] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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15
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Wang JZ, Liu F. Microtubule-associated protein tau in development, degeneration and protection of neurons. Prog Neurobiol 2008; 85:148-75. [PMID: 18448228 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2008.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 286] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2007] [Revised: 12/29/2007] [Accepted: 03/13/2008] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
As a principal neuronal microtubule-associated protein, tau has been recognized to play major roles in promoting microtubule assembly and stabilizing the microtubules and to maintain the normal morphology of the neurons. Recent studies suggest that tau, upon alternative mRNA splicing and multiple posttranslational modifications, may participate in the regulations of intracellular signal transduction, development and viability of the neurons. Furthermore, tau gene mutations, aberrant mRNA splicing and abnormal posttranslational modifications, such as hyperphosphorylation, have also been found in a number of neurodegenerative disorders, collectively known as tauopathies. Therefore, changes in expression of the tau gene, alternative splicing of its mRNA and its posttranslational modification can modulate the normal architecture and functions of neurons as well as in a situation of tauopathies, such as Alzheimer's disease. The primary aim of this review is to summarize the latest developments and perspectives in our understanding about the roles of tau, especially hyperphosphorylation, in the development, degeneration and protection of neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Zhi Wang
- Pathophysiology Department, Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, PR China.
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16
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Hu J, Zhao YF, Li YM. The Effects of Reversible Phosphorylation on Peptide and Protein Local Structure. PHOSPHORUS SULFUR 2008. [DOI: 10.1080/10426500701734141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jia Hu
- a Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry , Tsinghua University , Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Yu-Fen Zhao
- a Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry , Tsinghua University , Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Yan-Mei Li
- a Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry , Tsinghua University , Beijing, P. R. China
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17
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Zhou LX, Du JT, Zeng ZY, Wu WH, Zhao YF, Kanazawa K, Ishizuka Y, Nemoto T, Nakanishi H, Li YM. Copper (II) modulates in vitro aggregation of a tau peptide. Peptides 2007; 28:2229-34. [PMID: 17919778 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2007.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2007] [Revised: 08/12/2007] [Accepted: 08/23/2007] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Copper (II) has been implicated in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) for the impaired homeostatic mechanism found in the brains of AD patients. Here we studied the binding properties of Cu(II) with the first microtubule-binding repeat, encompassing residues 256-273 of the human tau441 sequence. Additionally, the effect of Cu(II) on the assembly of this repeat was also investigated. Our results indicate that Cu(II) can bind to this repeat with His(268) involved and has an inhibiting effect on the in vitro aggregation of this repeat. This work provides new insight into the role of Cu(II) in Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian-Xiu Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
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Du JT, Yu CH, Zhou LX, Wu WH, Lei P, Li Y, Zhao YF, Nakanishi H, Li YM. Phosphorylation modulates the local conformation and self-aggregation ability of a peptide from the fourth tau microtubule-binding repeat. FEBS J 2007; 274:5012-20. [PMID: 17725643 DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2007.06018.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Phosphorylation of tau protein modulates both its physiological role and its aggregation into paired helical fragments, as observed in Alzheimer's diseased neurons. It is of fundamental importance to study paired helical fragment formation and its modulation by phosphorylation. This study focused on the fourth microtubule-binding repeat of tau, encompassing an abnormal phosphorylation site, Ser356. The aggregation propensities of this repeat peptide and its corresponding phosphorylated form were investigated using turbidity, thioflavin T fluorescence and electron microscopy. There is evidence for a conformational change in the fourth microtubule-binding repeat of tau peptide upon phosphorylation, as well as changes in aggregation activity. Although both tau peptides have the ability to aggregate, this is weaker in the phosphorylated peptide. This study reveals that both tau peptides are capable of self-aggregation and that phosphorylation at Ser356 can modulate this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Tang Du
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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