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Shantaraman A, Dammer EB, Ugochukwu O, Duong DM, Yin L, Carter EK, Gearing M, Chen-Plotkin A, Lee EB, Trojanowski JQ, Bennett DA, Lah JJ, Levey AI, Seyfried NT, Higginbotham L. Network proteomics of the Lewy body dementia brain reveals presynaptic signatures distinct from Alzheimer's disease. Mol Neurodegener 2024; 19:60. [PMID: 39107789 PMCID: PMC11302177 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-024-00749-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Lewy body dementia (LBD), a class of disorders comprising Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), features substantial clinical and pathological overlap with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The identification of biomarkers unique to LBD pathophysiology could meaningfully advance its diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment. Using quantitative mass spectrometry (MS), we measured over 9,000 proteins across 138 dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) tissues from a University of Pennsylvania autopsy collection comprising control, Parkinson's disease (PD), PDD, and DLB diagnoses. We then analyzed co-expression network protein alterations in those with LBD, validated these disease signatures in two independent LBD datasets, and compared these findings to those observed in network analyses of AD cases. The LBD network revealed numerous groups or "modules" of co-expressed proteins significantly altered in PDD and DLB, representing synaptic, metabolic, and inflammatory pathophysiology. A comparison of validated LBD signatures to those of AD identified distinct differences between the two diseases. Notably, synuclein-associated presynaptic modules were elevated in LBD but decreased in AD relative to controls. We also found that glial-associated matrisome signatures consistently elevated in AD were more variably altered in LBD, ultimately stratifying those LBD cases with low versus high burdens of concurrent beta-amyloid deposition. In conclusion, unbiased network proteomic analysis revealed diverse pathophysiological changes in the LBD frontal cortex distinct from alterations in AD. These results highlight the LBD brain network proteome as a promising source of biomarkers that could enhance clinical recognition and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anantharaman Shantaraman
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Eric B Dammer
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Obiadada Ugochukwu
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Duc M Duong
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Luming Yin
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - E Kathleen Carter
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Marla Gearing
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Alice Chen-Plotkin
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Edward B Lee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - John Q Trojanowski
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David A Bennett
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - James J Lah
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Allan I Levey
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Nicholas T Seyfried
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Lenora Higginbotham
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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Qiu Y, Gao Y, Huang B, Bai Q, Zhao Y. Transport mechanism of presynaptic high-affinity choline uptake by CHT1. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2024; 31:701-709. [PMID: 38589607 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-024-01259-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Choline is a vital nutrient and a precursor for the biosynthesis of essential metabolites, including acetylcholine (ACh), that play a central role in fetal development, especially in the brain. In cholinergic neurons, the high-affinity choline transporter (CHT1) provides an extraordinarily efficient reuptake mechanism to reutilize choline derived from intrasynaptical ACh hydrolysis and maintain ACh synthesis in the presynapse. Here, we determined structures of human CHT1 in three discrete states: the outward-facing state bound with the competitive inhibitor hemicholinium-3 (HC-3); the inward-facing occluded state bound with the substrate choline; and the inward-facing apo open state. Our structures and functional characterizations elucidate how the inhibitor and substrate are recognized. Moreover, our findings shed light on conformational changes when transitioning from an outward-facing to an inward-facing state and establish a framework for understanding the transport cycle, which relies on the stabilization of the outward-facing state by a short intracellular helix, IH1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlong Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecules (CAS), National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yiwei Gao
- Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecules (CAS), National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Huang
- Beijing StoneWise Technology Co Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Qinru Bai
- Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecules (CAS), National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecules (CAS), National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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3
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Personalized Management and Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12030460. [PMID: 35330211 PMCID: PMC8951963 DOI: 10.3390/life12030460] [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: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a priority health problem with a high cost to society and a large consumption of medical and social resources. The management of AD patients is complex and multidisciplinary. Over 90% of patients suffer from concomitant diseases and require personalized therapeutic regimens to reduce adverse drug reactions (ADRs), drug−drug interactions (DDIs), and unnecessary costs. Men and women show substantial differences in their AD-related phenotypes. Genomic, epigenetic, neuroimaging, and biochemical biomarkers are useful for predictive and differential diagnosis. The most frequent concomitant diseases include hypertension (>25%), obesity (>70%), diabetes mellitus type 2 (>25%), hypercholesterolemia (40%), hypertriglyceridemia (20%), metabolic syndrome (20%), hepatobiliary disorder (15%), endocrine/metabolic disorders (>20%), cardiovascular disorder (40%), cerebrovascular disorder (60−90%), neuropsychiatric disorders (60−90%), and cancer (10%). Over 90% of AD patients require multifactorial treatments with risk of ADRs and DDIs. The implementation of pharmacogenetics in clinical practice can help optimize the limited therapeutic resources available to treat AD and personalize the use of anti-dementia drugs, in combination with other medications, for the treatment of concomitant disorders.
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Cacabelos R, Naidoo V, Martínez-Iglesias O, Corzo L, Cacabelos N, Pego R, Carril JC. Pharmacogenomics of Alzheimer's Disease: Novel Strategies for Drug Utilization and Development. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2547:275-387. [PMID: 36068470 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2573-6_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a priority health problem in developed countries with a high cost to society. Approximately 20% of direct costs are associated with pharmacological treatment. Over 90% of patients require multifactorial treatments, with risk of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and drug-drug interactions (DDIs) for the treatment of concomitant diseases such as hypertension (>25%), obesity (>70%), diabetes mellitus type 2 (>25%), hypercholesterolemia (40%), hypertriglyceridemia (20%), metabolic syndrome (20%), hepatobiliary disorder (15%), endocrine/metabolic disorders (>20%), cardiovascular disorder (40%), cerebrovascular disorder (60-90%), neuropsychiatric disorders (60-90%), and cancer (10%).For the past decades, pharmacological studies in search of potential treatments for AD focused on the following categories: neurotransmitter enhancers (11.38%), multitarget drugs (2.45%), anti-amyloid agents (13.30%), anti-tau agents (2.03%), natural products and derivatives (25.58%), novel synthetic drugs (8.13%), novel targets (5.66%), repository drugs (11.77%), anti-inflammatory drugs (1.20%), neuroprotective peptides (1.25%), stem cell therapy (1.85%), nanocarriers/nanotherapeutics (1.52%), and other compounds (<1%).Pharmacogenetic studies have shown that the therapeutic response to drugs in AD is genotype-specific in close association with the gene clusters that constitute the pharmacogenetic machinery (pathogenic, mechanistic, metabolic, transporter, pleiotropic genes) under the regulatory control of epigenetic mechanisms (DNA methylation, histone/chromatin remodeling, microRNA regulation). Most AD patients (>60%) are carriers of over ten pathogenic genes. The genes that most frequently (>50%) accumulate pathogenic variants in the same AD case are A2M (54.38%), ACE (78.94%), BIN1 (57.89%), CLU (63.15%), CPZ (63.15%), LHFPL6 (52.63%), MS4A4E (50.87%), MS4A6A (63.15%), PICALM (54.38%), PRNP (80.7059), and PSEN1 (77.19%). There is also an accumulation of 15 to 26 defective pharmagenes in approximately 85% of AD patients. About 50% of AD patients are carriers of at least 20 mutant pharmagenes, and over 80% are deficient metabolizers for the most common drugs, which are metabolized via the CYP2D6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP3A4/5 enzymes.The implementation of pharmacogenetics can help optimize drug development and the limited therapeutic resources available to treat AD, and personalize the use of anti-dementia drugs in combination with other medications for the treatment of concomitant disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramón Cacabelos
- Department of Genomic Medicine, International Center of Neuroscience and Genomic Medicine, EuroEspes Biomedical Research Center, Corunna, Spain.
| | - Vinogran Naidoo
- Department of Neuroscience, International Center of Neuroscience and Genomic Medicine, EuroEspes Biomedical Research Center, Corunna, Spain
| | - Olaia Martínez-Iglesias
- Department of Medical Epigenetics, International Center of Neuroscience and Genomic Medicine, EuroEspes Biomedical Research Center, Corunna, Spain
| | - Lola Corzo
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, International Center of Neuroscience and Genomic Medicine, EuroEspes Biomedical Research Center, Corunna, Spain
| | - Natalia Cacabelos
- Department of Medical Documentation, International Center of Neuroscience and Genomic Medicine, EuroEspes Biomedical Research Center, Corunna, Spain
| | - Rocío Pego
- Department of Neuropsychology, International Center of Neuroscience and Genomic Medicine, EuroEspes Biomedical Research Center, Corunna, Spain
| | - Juan C Carril
- Department of Genomics and Pharmacogenomics, International Center of Neuroscience and Genomic Medicine, EuroEspes Biomedical Research Center, Corunna, Spain
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Ojiakor O, Rylett R. Modulation of sodium-coupled choline transporter CHT function in health and disease. Neurochem Int 2020; 140:104810. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2020.104810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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6
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Wong KY, Roy J, Fung ML, Heng BC, Zhang C, Lim LW. Relationships between Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Neurotransmission Failure in Alzheimer's Disease. Aging Dis 2020; 11:1291-1316. [PMID: 33014538 PMCID: PMC7505271 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2019.1125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Besides extracellular deposition of amyloid beta and formation of phosphorylated tau in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), the pathogenesis of AD is also thought to involve mitochondrial dysfunctions and altered neurotransmission systems. However, none of these components can describe the diverse cognitive, behavioural, and psychiatric symptoms of AD without the pathologies interacting with one another. The purpose of this review is to understand the relationships between mitochondrial and neurotransmission dysfunctions in terms of (1) how mitochondrial alterations affect cholinergic and monoaminergic systems via disruption of energy metabolism, oxidative stress, and apoptosis; and (2) how different neurotransmission systems drive mitochondrial dysfunction via increasing amyloid beta internalisation, oxidative stress, disruption of mitochondrial permeabilisation, and mitochondrial trafficking. All these interactions are separately discussed in terms of neurotransmission systems. The association of mitochondrial dysfunctions with alterations in dopamine, norepinephrine, and histamine is the prospective goal in this research field. By unfolding the complex interactions surrounding mitochondrial dysfunction in AD, we can better develop potential treatments to delay, prevent, or cure this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kan Yin Wong
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Jaydeep Roy
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Man Lung Fung
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Boon Chin Heng
- Peking University School of Stomatology, Beijing, China.
| | - Chengfei Zhang
- Endodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Lee Wei Lim
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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7
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Cacabelos R. Pharmacogenetic considerations when prescribing cholinesterase inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol 2020; 16:673-701. [PMID: 32520597 DOI: 10.1080/17425255.2020.1779700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cholinergic dysfunction, demonstrated in the late 1970s and early 1980s, led to the introduction of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) in 1993 (Tacrine) to enhance cholinergic neurotransmission as the first line of treatment against Alzheimer's disease (AD). The new generation of AChEIs, represented by Donepezil (1996), Galantamine (2001) and Rivastigmine (2002), is the only treatment for AD to date, together with Memantine (2003). AChEIs are not devoid of side-effects and their cost-effectiveness is limited. An option to optimize the correct use of AChEIs is the implementation of pharmacogenetics (PGx) in the clinical practice. AREAS COVERED (i) The cholinergic system in AD, (ii) principles of AD PGx, (iii) PGx of Donepezil, Galantamine, Rivastigmine, Huperzine and other treatments, and (iv) practical recommendations. EXPERT OPINION The most relevant genes influencing AChEI efficacy and safety are APOE and CYPs. APOE-4 carriers are the worst responders to AChEIs. With the exception of Rivastigmine (UGT2B7, BCHE-K), the other AChEIs are primarily metabolized via CYP2D6, CYP3A4, and UGT enzymes, with involvement of ABC transporters and cholinergic genes (CHAT, ACHE, BCHE, SLC5A7, SLC18A3, CHRNA7) in most ethnic groups. Defective variants may affect the clinical response to AChEIs. PGx geno-phenotyping is highly recommended prior to treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramón Cacabelos
- Department of Genomic Medicine, EuroEspes Biomedical Research Center, International Center of Neuroscience and Genomic Medicine , Bergondo, Corunna, Spain
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8
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Carreras I, Aytan N, Choi JK, Tognoni CM, Kowall NW, Jenkins BG, Dedeoglu A. Dual dose-dependent effects of fingolimod in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10972. [PMID: 31358793 PMCID: PMC6662857 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47287-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipid metabolism is abnormal in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain leading to ceramide and sphingosine accumulation and reduced levels of brain sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). We hypothesize that changes in S1P signaling are central to the inflammatory and immune-pathogenesis of AD and the therapeutic benefits of fingolimod, a structural analog of sphingosine that is FDA approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. We recently reported that the neuroprotective effects of fingolimod in 5xFAD transgenic AD mice treated from 1–3 months of age were greater at 1 mg/kg/day than at 5 mg/kg/day. Here we performed a dose-response study using fingolimod from 0.03 to 1 mg/kg/day in 5xFAD mice treated from 1–8 months of age. At 1 mg/kg/day, fingolimod decreased both peripheral blood lymphocyte counts and brain Aβ levels, but at the lowest dose tested (0.03 mg/kg/day), we detected improved memory, decreased activation of brain microglia and astrocytes, and restored hippocampal levels of GABA and glycerophosphocholine with no effect on circulating lymphocyte counts. These findings suggests that, unlike the case in multiple sclerosis, fingolimod may potentially have therapeutic benefits in AD at low doses that do not affect peripheral lymphocyte function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Carreras
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S Huntington Av, Boston, MA, 02130, USA. .,Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord St, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
| | - Nurgul Aytan
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S Huntington Av, Boston, MA, 02130, USA.,Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord St, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Ji-Kyung Choi
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 73 High St, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Christina M Tognoni
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S Huntington Av, Boston, MA, 02130, USA.,Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord St, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Neil W Kowall
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S Huntington Av, Boston, MA, 02130, USA.,Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord St, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Bruce G Jenkins
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 73 High St, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Alpaslan Dedeoglu
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S Huntington Av, Boston, MA, 02130, USA. .,Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord St, Boston, MA, 02118, USA. .,Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 73 High St, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
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9
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Adams SL, Benayoun L, Tilton K, Mellott TJ, Seshadri S, Blusztajn JK, Delalle I. Immunohistochemical Analysis of Activin Receptor-Like Kinase 1 (ACVRL1/ALK1) Expression in the Rat and Human Hippocampus: Decline in CA3 During Progression of Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 63:1433-1443. [PMID: 29843236 PMCID: PMC5988976 DOI: 10.3233/jad-171065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) includes signaling defects mediated by the transforming growth factor β-bone morphogenetic protein-growth and differentiation factor (TGFβ-BMP-GDF) family of proteins. In animal models of AD, administration of BMP9/GDF2 improves memory and reduces amyloidosis. The best characterized type I receptor of BMP9 is ALK1. We characterized ALK1 expression in the hippocampus using immunohistochemistry. In the rat, ALK1 immunoreactivity was found in CA pyramidal neurons, most frequently and robustly in the CA2 and CA3 fields. In addition, there were sporadic ALK1-immunoreactive cells in the stratum oriens, mainly in CA1. The ALK1 expression pattern in human hippocampus was similar to that of rat. Pyramidal neurons within the CA2, CA3, and CA4 were strongly ALK1-immunoreactive in hippocampi of cognitively intact subjects with no neurofibrillary tangles. ALK1 signal was found in the axons of alveus and fimbria, and in the neuropil across CA fields. Relatively strongest ALK1 neuropil signal was observed in CA1 where pyramidal neurons were occasionally ALK1-immunoractive. As in the rat, horizontally oriented neurons in the stratum oriens of CA1 were both ALK1- and GAD67-immunoreactive. Analysis of ALK1 immunoreactivity across stages of AD pathology revealed that disease progression was characterized by overall reduction of the ALK1 signal in CA3 in advanced, but not early, stages of AD. These data suggest that the CA3 pyramidal neurons may remain responsive to the ALK1 ligands, e.g., BMP9, during initial stages of AD and that ALK1 may constitute a therapeutic target in early and moderate AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie L. Adams
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Laurent Benayoun
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kathy Tilton
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tiffany J. Mellott
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sudha Seshadri
- Framingham Heart Study, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jan Krzysztof Blusztajn
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ivana Delalle
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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10
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Neuroprotective Actions of Dietary Choline. Nutrients 2017; 9:nu9080815. [PMID: 28788094 PMCID: PMC5579609 DOI: 10.3390/nu9080815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Revised: 07/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Choline is an essential nutrient for humans. It is a precursor of membrane phospholipids (e.g., phosphatidylcholine (PC)), the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, and via betaine, the methyl group donor S-adenosylmethionine. High choline intake during gestation and early postnatal development in rat and mouse models improves cognitive function in adulthood, prevents age-related memory decline, and protects the brain from the neuropathological changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and neurological damage associated with epilepsy, fetal alcohol syndrome, and inherited conditions such as Down and Rett syndromes. These effects of choline are correlated with modifications in histone and DNA methylation in brain, and with alterations in the expression of genes that encode proteins important for learning and memory processing, suggesting a possible epigenomic mechanism of action. Dietary choline intake in the adult may also influence cognitive function via an effect on PC containing eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids; polyunsaturated species of PC whose levels are reduced in brains from AD patients, and is associated with higher memory performance, and resistance to cognitive decline.
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11
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Blusztajn JK, Rinnofner J. Intrinsic Cholinergic Neurons in the Hippocampus: Fact or Artifact? Front Synaptic Neurosci 2016; 8:6. [PMID: 27014052 PMCID: PMC4785141 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2016.00006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It is generally agreed that hippocampal acetylcholine (ACh) is synthesized and released exclusively from the terminals of the long-axon afferents whose cell bodies reside in the medial septum and diagonal band. The search for intrinsic cholinergic neurons in the hippocampus has a long history; however evidence for the existence of these neurons has been inconsistent, with most investigators failing to detect them using in situ hybridization or immunohistochemical staining of the cholinergic markers, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) or vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT). Advances in the use of bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mice expressing a reporter protein under the control of the genomic elements of the Chat gene (Chat-BAC mice) have facilitated studies of cholinergic neurons. Such mice show robust and faithful expression of the reporter proteins in all known cholinergic cell populations. The availability of the Chat-BAC mice re-ignited interest in hippocampal cholinergic interneurons, because a small number of such reporter-expressing cells is frequently observed in the hippocampus of these mice. However, to date, attempts to confirm that these neurons co-express the endogenous cholinergic marker ChAT, or release ACh, have been unsuccessful. Without such confirmatory evidence it is best to conclude that there are no cholinergic neurons in the hippocampus. Similar considerations apply to other BAC transgenic lines, whose utility as a discovery tool for cell populations heretofore not known to express the genes of interest encoded by the BACs, must be validated by methods that detect expression of the endogenous genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Krzysztof Blusztajn
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jasmine Rinnofner
- Department of Applied Life Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Vienna, Austria
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12
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Mellott TJ, Pender SM, Burke RM, Langley EA, Blusztajn JK. IGF2 ameliorates amyloidosis, increases cholinergic marker expression and raises BMP9 and neurotrophin levels in the hippocampus of the APPswePS1dE9 Alzheimer's disease model mice. PLoS One 2014; 9:e94287. [PMID: 24732467 PMCID: PMC3986048 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2013] [Accepted: 03/12/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of an effective therapy for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a major challenge to biomedical sciences. Because much of early AD pathophysiology includes hippocampal abnormalities, a viable treatment strategy might be to use trophic factors that support hippocampal integrity and function. IGF2 is an attractive candidate as it acts in the hippocampus to enhance memory consolidation, stimulate adult neurogenesis and upregulate cholinergic marker expression and acetylcholine (ACh) release. We performed a seven-day intracerebroventricular infusion of IGF2 in transgenic APPswe.PS1dE9 AD model mice that express green fluorescent protein in cholinergic neurons (APP.PS1/CHGFP) and in wild type WT/CHGFP littermates at 6 months of age representing early AD-like disease. IGF2 reduced the number of hippocampal Aβ40- and Aβ42-positive amyloid plaques in APP.PS1/CHGFP mice. Moreover, IGF2 increased hippocampal protein levels of the ACh-synthesizing enzyme, choline acetyltransferase in both WT/CHGFP and APP.PS1/CHGFP mice. The latter effect was likely mediated by increased protein expression of the cholinergic differentiating factor, BMP9, observed in IGF2-treated mice as compared to controls. IGF2 also increased the protein levels of hippocampal NGF, BDNF, NT3 and IGF1 and of doublecortin, a marker of neurogenesis. These data show that IGF2 administration is effective in reversing and preventing several pathophysiologic processes associated with AD and suggest that IGF2 may constitute a therapeutic target for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany J. Mellott
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sarah M. Pender
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Rebecca M. Burke
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Erika A. Langley
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jan Krzysztof Blusztajn
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Bond CE, Zimmermann M, Greenfield SA. Upregulation of alpha7 Nicotinic Receptors by Acetylcholinesterase C-Terminal Peptides. PLoS One 2009; 4:e4846. [PMID: 19287501 PMCID: PMC2654408 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0004846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2008] [Accepted: 01/29/2009] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7-nAChR) is well known as a potent calcium ionophore that, in the brain, has been implicated in excitotoxicity and hence in the underlying mechanisms of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Previous research implied that the activity of this receptor may be modified by exposure to a peptide fragment derived from the C-terminal region of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. This investigation was undertaken to determine if the functional changes observed could be attributed to peptide binding interaction with the α7-nAChR, or peptide modulation of receptor expression. Methodology/Principal Findings This study provides evidence that two peptides derived from the C-terminus of acetylcholinesterase, not only selectively displace specific bungarotoxin binding at the α7-nAChR, but also alter receptor binding properties for its familiar ligands, including the alternative endogenous agonist choline. Of more long-term significance, these peptides also induce upregulation of α7-nAChR mRNA and protein expression, as well as enhancing receptor trafficking to the plasma membrane. Conclusions/Significance The results reported here demonstrate a hitherto unknown relationship between the α7-nAChR and the non-enzymatic functions of acetylcholinesterase, mediated independently by its C-terminal domain. Such an interaction may prove valuable as a pharmacological tool, prompting new approaches for understanding, and combating, the process of neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cherie E Bond
- Institute for the Future of the Mind, Department of Pharmacology, Oxford University, Oxford, UK.
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Shiwany NA, Xie J, Guo Q. Cortical neurons transgenic for human Abeta40 or Abeta42 have similar vulnerability to apoptosis despite their different amyloidogenic properties. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PATHOLOGY 2008; 2:339-352. [PMID: 19158991 PMCID: PMC2615591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2008] [Accepted: 10/26/2008] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a leading cause of chronic dementia in the United States. Its incidence is increasing with an attendant increase in associated health care costs. Amyloid beta peptide (Abeta; a 39-42 amino acid molecule) is the major component of senile plaques, the hallmark lesion of AD. The toxic mechanism of Abeta peptides has not been well characterized. Specifically, the impact of Abeta1-40 (Abeta40) and its slightly longer counterpart fragment, Abeta1-42 (Abeta42), is not clearly understood. It has been suggested that, while Abeta40 might play a more physiologically relevant role, Abeta42 is likely the key amyloidogenic fragment leading to amyloid deposition in the form of plaques in AD, a pivotal process in Alzheimer's pathology. This notion was further supported by a recent study employing transgenic mouse models that expressed either Abeta40 or Abeta42 in the absence of human amyloid beta protein precursor (APP) overexpression. It was found that mice expressing Abeta42, but not Abeta40, developed compact amyloid plaques, congophilic amyloid angiopathy, and diffuse Abeta deposits. Since neuronal loss is one of the hallmark features in AD pathology, we hypothesize that cortical neurons from these two strains of transgenic mice for Abeta might show different vulnerability to cell death induced by classical inducers of apoptosis, such as trophic factor withdrawal (TFW). Contrary to our expectations, we found that, while overexpression of either Abeta40 or 42 significantly increased the vulnerability of primary cortical neurons to WFT-induced cell death, there was no significant difference between the two transgenic lines. Mitochondrial dysfunction, levels of oxidative stress, caspase activation and nuclear fragmentation are increased to about the same extent by both Abeta species in transgenic neurons. We conclude that Abeta40 or Abeta42 induce similar levels of neurotoxicity following TFW in these transgenic mice despite the difference in their amyloidogenic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Najeeb A Shiwany
- Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Oklahoma City, OK, USA. ,
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