Distribution of presenilin 1 and 2 and their relation to Notch receptors and ligands in human embryonic/foetal central nervous system

PSMC3 proteasome subunit variants are associated with neurodevelopmental delay and type I interferon production

A critical step in preserving protein homeostasis is the recognition, binding, unfolding, and translocation of protein substrates by six AAA-ATPase proteasome subunits (ATPase-associated with various cellular activities) termed PSMC1-6, which are required for degradation of proteins by 26S proteasomes. Here, we identified 15 de novo missense variants in the PSMC3 gene encoding the AAA-ATPase proteasome subunit PSMC3/Rpt5 in 23 unrelated heterozygous patients with an autosomal dominant form of neurodevelopmental delay and intellectual disability. Expression of PSMC3 variants in mouse neuronal cultures led to altered dendrite development, and deletion of the PSMC3 fly ortholog Rpt5 impaired reversal learning capabilities in fruit flies. Structural modeling as well as proteomic and transcriptomic analyses of T cells derived from patients with PSMC3 variants implicated the PSMC3 variants in proteasome dysfunction through disruption of substrate translocation, induction of proteotoxic stress, and alterations in proteins controlling developmental and innate immune programs. The proteostatic perturbations in T cells from patients with PSMC3 variants correlated with a dysregulation in type I interferon (IFN) signaling in these T cells, which could be blocked by inhibition of the intracellular stress sensor protein kinase R (PKR). These results suggest that proteotoxic stress activated PKR in patient-derived T cells, resulting in a type I IFN response. The potential relationship among proteosome dysfunction, type I IFN production, and neurodevelopment suggests new directions in our understanding of pathogenesis in some neurodevelopmental disorders.

A Disintegrin and Metalloprotease 10 in neuronal maturation and gliogenesis during cortex development

The multiple-layer structure of the cerebral cortex is important for its functions. Such a structure is generated based on the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem/progenitor cells. Notch functions as a molecular switch for neural stem/progenitor cell fate during cortex development but the mechanism remains unclear. Biochemical and cellular studies showed that Notch receptor activation induces several proteases to release the Notch intracellular domain (NICD). A Disintegrin and Metalloprotease 10 (ADAM10) might be a physiological rate-limiting S2 enzyme for Notch activation. Nestin-driven conditional ADAM10 knockout in mouse cortex showed that ADAM10 is critical for maintenance of the neural stem cell population during early embryonic cortex development. However, the expression pattern and function of ADAM10 during later cerebral cortex development remains poorly understood. We performed in situ hybridization for ADAM10 mRNA and immunofluorescent analysis to determine the expression of ADAM10 and NICD in mouse cortex from embryonic day 9 (E14.5) to postnatal day 1 (P1). ADAM10 and NICD were highly co-localized in the cortex of E16.5 to P1 mice. Comparisons of expression patterns of ADAM10 with Nestin (neural stem cell marker), Tuj1 (mature neuron marker), and S100β (glia marker) showed that ADAM10 expression highly matched that of S100β and partially matched that of Tuj1 at later embryonic to early postnatal cortex developmental stages. Such expression patterns indicated that ADAM10-Notch signaling might have a critical function in neuronal maturation and gliogenesis during cortex development.

Regulated proteolysis of NOTCH2 and NOTCH3 receptors by ADAM10 and presenilins

In mammals, there are four NOTCH receptors and five Delta-Jagged-type ligands regulating many aspects of embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis. NOTCH proteins are type I transmembrane receptors that interact with ligands on adjacent cells and are activated by regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP). The activation mechanism of NOTCH1 receptors upon ligand binding is well understood and requires cleavage by ADAM10 metalloproteases prior to intramembranous cleavage by γ-secretase. How the other human NOTCH receptor homologues are activated upon ligand binding is not known. Here, we dissect the proteolytic activation mechanism of the NOTCH2 and NOTCH3 receptors. We show that NOTCH2 and NOTCH3 signaling can be triggered by both Delta-Jagged-type ligands and requires ADAM10 and presenilin-1 or -2. Importantly, we did not find any role for the highly related ADAM17/TACE (tumor necrosis factor alpha-converting enzyme) protease in ligand-induced NOTCH2 or NOTCH3 signaling. These results demonstrate that canonical ligand-induced proteolysis of the NOTCH1, -2, and -3 receptors strictly depends on consecutive cleavage of these receptors by ADAM10 and the presenilin-containing γ-secretase complex, leading to transcriptional activation.

Notch: from neural development to neurological disorders

Notch is an integral membrane protein that functions as receptor for ligands such as jagged and delta that are associated with the surface of neighboring cells. Upon ligand binding, notch is proteolytically cleaved within its transmembrane domain by presenilin-1 (the enzymatic component of the gamma-secretase complex) resulting in the release of a notch intracellular domain which translocates to the nucleus where it regulates gene expression. Notch signaling plays multiple roles in the development of the CNS including regulating neural stem cell (NSC) proliferation, survival, self-renewal and differentiation. Notch is also present in post-mitotic neurons in the adult CNS wherein its activation influences structural and functional plasticity including processes involved in learning and memory. Recent findings suggest that notch signaling in neurons, glia, and NSCs may be involved in pathological changes that occur in disorders such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease and CNS tumors. Studies of animal models suggest the potential of agents that target notch signaling as therapeutic interventions for several different CNS disorders.

Trouble making the first move: interpreting arrested neuronal migration in the cerebral cortex

Postmitotic cortical neurons that fail to initiate migration can remain near their site of origin and form persistent periventricular nodular heterotopia (PH). In human telencephalon, this malformation is most commonly associated with Filamin-A (FLNa) mutations. The lack of genetic animal models that reliably produce PH has delayed our understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms. This review examines PH pathogenesis using a new mouse model. Although PH have not been observed in Flna-deficient mice generated thus far, the loss of MEKK4, a regulator of Flna, produces striking PH in mice and offers insight into the mechanisms involved in neuronal migration initiation. Elucidating the basic functions of FLNa and associated molecules is crucial for understanding the causes of PH and for developing prevention for at-risk patients.

Notch-Delta signaling is required for spatial patterning and Müller glia differentiation in the zebrafish retina

Notch-Delta signaling has been implicated in several alternative modes of function in the vertebrate retina. To further investigate these functions, we examined retinas from zebrafish embryos in which bidirectional Notch-Delta signaling was inactivated either by the mind bomb (mib) mutation, which disrupts E3 ubiquitin ligase activity, or by treatment with gamma-secretase inhibitors, which prevent intramembrane proteolysis of Notch and Delta. We found that inactivating Notch-Delta signaling did not prevent differentiation of retinal neurons, but it did disrupt spatial patterning in both the apical-basal and planar dimensions of the retinal epithelium. Retinal neurons differentiated, but their laminar arrangement was disrupted. Photoreceptor differentiation was initiated normally, but its progression was slowed. Although confined to the apical retinal surface as in normal retinas, the planar organization of cone photoreceptors was disrupted: cones of the same spectral subtype were clumped rather than regularly spaced. In contrast to neurons, Müller glia failed to differentiate suggesting an instructive role for Notch-Delta signaling in gliogenesis.

Metal-protein attenuating compounds and Alzheimer’s disease

Since the description of the amyloid plaque in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease, one of the main focuses of research has been the role of the amyloid precursor protein metabolite amyloid-beta, which is the constituent protein of plaque. Affecting the production, aggregation or clearance of this protein may well have a modifying effect on disease progression. Although available therapies for Alzheimer's disease may interact with amyloid-beta in vivo, no conspicuous disease-modifying effect has been demonstrated in clinical trials with these drugs. Drugs whose primary target is not the rectification of the neurotransmitter deficits associated with Alzheimer's disease but rather the life cycle of amyloid-beta are currently being developed with varying degrees of success. Of these drugs, the metal-protein attenuating compounds have currently the most encouraging clinical data supporting their use. Clioquinol is an example from this class, which has recently shown encouraging efficacy from early clinical evaluation in the absence of any compelling evidence of subacute myelopathic optic neuritis, which has been associated with this drug's use in Japanese populations. This article will discuss the scientific rationale behind the use of metal-protein attenuating compounds in Alzheimer's disease and summarise the available clinical trial data.