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Costa MFD, Rösler TW, Höglinger GU. Exploring the neuroprotective potential of Nrf2-pathway activators against annonacin toxicity. Sci Rep 2024; 14:20123. [PMID: 39209951 PMCID: PMC11362529 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-70837-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Modulation of the Nrf2 pathway, a master regulator of the antioxidant response and cellular metabolism, has been suggested as a promising therapeutic strategy in tauopathies, a heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by intracellular proteinaceous inclusions of abnormally phosphorylated tau. Here, we explored the neuroprotective potential of different Nrf2-pathway activators in human immortalized dopaminergic neurons against annonacin-induced toxicity, a mitochondrial inhibitor associated with a PSP-like syndrome and capable of mimicking tauopathy-like features. Interestingly, we observed heterogenous and compound-dependent neuroprotective effects among the different Nrf2-pathway activators. With the exception of Fyn inhibitors, all the selected Nrf2-pathway activators improved cell viability and the oxidative status, and reduced the annonacin-induced tau hyperphosphorylation and neurite degeneration, particularly the p62-activators. However, improvement of the impaired mitochondrial function was only observed by the Bach-1 inhibitor. Surprisingly, we found evidence that ezetimibe, an approved drug for hypercholesterolemia, prevents the transcriptional upregulation of 4R-tau triggered by annonacin insult. Overall, our results suggest that the neuroprotective effects of the Nrf2-pathway activators against annonacin toxicity may rely on the specific mechanism of action, intrinsic to each compound, and possibly on the concomitant modulation of additional signaling pathways. Further research will be needed to fully understand how synergistic modulation of metabolic adaptation and cell survival can be exploit to develop new therapeutical strategies for tauopathies and eventually other neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Márcia F D Costa
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Thomas W Rösler
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | - Günter U Höglinger
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany.
- Department of Neurology, LMU Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich, Germany.
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2
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Buchholz S, Zempel H. Suppression of mature TAU isoforms prevents Alzheimer's disease-like amyloid-beta oligomer-induced spine loss in rodent neurons. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:1655-1657. [PMID: 38103227 PMCID: PMC10960270 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.389644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Buchholz
- Institute of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hans Zempel
- Institute of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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3
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Buchholz S, Zempel H. The six brain-specific TAU isoforms and their role in Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative dementia syndromes. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:3606-3628. [PMID: 38556838 PMCID: PMC11095451 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13784] [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: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Alternative splicing of the human MAPT gene generates six brain-specific TAU isoforms. Imbalances in the TAU isoform ratio can lead to neurodegenerative diseases, underscoring the need for precise control over TAU isoform balance. Tauopathies, characterized by intracellular aggregates of hyperphosphorylated TAU, exhibit extensive neurodegeneration and can be classified by the TAU isoforms present in pathological accumulations. METHODS A comprehensive review of TAU and related dementia syndromes literature was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, and preprint server. RESULTS While TAU is recognized as key driver of neurodegeneration in specific tauopathies, the contribution of the isoforms to neuronal function and disease development remains largely elusive. DISCUSSION In this review we describe the role of TAU isoforms in health and disease, and stress the importance of comprehending and studying TAU isoforms in both, physiological and pathological context, in order to develop targeted therapeutic interventions for TAU-associated diseases. HIGHLIGHTS MAPT splicing is tightly regulated during neuronal maturation and throughout life. TAU isoform expression is development-, cell-type and brain region specific. The contribution of TAU to neurodegeneration might be isoform-specific. Ineffective TAU-based therapies highlight the need for specific targeting strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Buchholz
- Institute of Human GeneticsFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital CologneUniversity of CologneCologneGermany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC)University of CologneCologneGermany
- Present address:
Department Schaefer, Neurobiology of AgeingMax Planck Institute for Biology of AgeingCologneGermany
| | - Hans Zempel
- Institute of Human GeneticsFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital CologneUniversity of CologneCologneGermany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC)University of CologneCologneGermany
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4
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Kanaan NM. Tau here, tau there, tau almost everywhere: Clarifying the distribution of tau in the adult CNS. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2024; 81:107-115. [PMID: 38102924 PMCID: PMC10851165 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21820] [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: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
The microtubule-associated protein tau has gained significant attention over the last several decades primarily due to its apparent role in the pathogenesis of several diseases, most notably Alzheimer's disease. While the field has focused largely on tau's potential contributions to disease mechanisms, comparably less work has focused on normal tau physiology. Moreover, as the field has grown, some misconceptions and dogmas regarding normal tau physiology have become engrained in the traditional narrative. Here, one of the most common misconceptions regarding tau, namely its normal cellular/subcellular distribution in the CNS, is discussed. The literature describing the presence of tau in neuronal somata, dendrites, axons and synapses, as well as in glial cells is described. The origins for the erroneous description of tau as an "axon-specific," "axon-enriched" and/or "neuron-specific" protein are discussed as well. The goal of this work is to help address these specific dogmatic misconceptions and provide a concise description of tau's normal cellular/subcellular localization in the adult CNS. This information can help refine our collective understanding of- and hypotheses about tau biology and pathobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas M. Kanaan
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
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5
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Buchholz S, Bell-Simons M, Haag N, Zempel H. Tracking Tau in Neurons: How to Grow, Fix, and Stain Primary Neurons for the Investigation of Tau in All Developmental Stages. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2754:507-519. [PMID: 38512686 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3629-9_29] [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] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Primary murine neurons are a well-established tool for investigating Tau in the context of neuronal development and neurodegeneration. However, culturing primary neurons is usually time-consuming and requires multiple feeding steps, media exchanges, proprietary media supplements, and/or preparation of complex media. Here, we describe (i) a relatively cheap and easy cell culture procedure for the cultivation of forebrain neurons from embryonic mice (E13.5) based on a commercially available neuronal supplement (NS21), (ii) a protocol for the cultivation of hippocampal and cortical neurons from postnatal (P0-P3) animals, and (iii) basic fixation and immunofluorescence techniques for the staining of neuronal markers and endogenous Tau. We demonstrate a staining technique, which minimizes antibody consumption and allows for fast and convenient processing of samples for immunofluorescence microscopy of endogenous Tau in primary neurons. We also provide a protocol that enables cryopreservation of fixed cells for years without measurable loss of Tau signal. In sum, we provide reliable protocols enabling microscopy-based studies of Tau in primary murine neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Buchholz
- Institute of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Michael Bell-Simons
- Institute of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Natja Haag
- Institute for Human Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Aachen, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Hans Zempel
- Institute of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
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6
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Buchholz S, Bell-Simons M, Cakmak C, Klimek J, Gan L, Zempel H. Cultivation, Differentiation, and Lentiviral Transduction of Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (hiPSC)-Derived Glutamatergic Neurons for Studying Human Tau. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2754:533-549. [PMID: 38512688 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3629-9_31] [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] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Tau pathology is a major hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases summarized under the term tauopathies. In most of these disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, the neuronal axonal microtubule-binding Tau protein becomes mislocalized to the somatodendritic compartment. In human disease, this missorting of Tau is accompanied by an abnormally high phosphorylation state of the Tau protein, and several downstream pathological consequences (e.g., loss of microtubules, degradation of postsynaptic spines, impaired synaptic transmission, neuronal death). While some mechanisms of Tau sorting, missorting, and associated pathologies have been addressed in rodent models, few studies have addressed human Tau in physiological disease-relevant human neurons. Thus, suitable human-derived in vitro models are necessary. This protocol provides a simple step-by-step protocol for generating homogeneous cultures of cortical glutamatergic neurons using an engineered Ngn2 transgene-carrying WTC11 iPSC line. We further demonstrate strategies to improve neuronal maturity, that is, synapse formation, Tau isoform expression, and neuronal activity by co-culturing hiPSC-derived glutamatergic neurons with mouse-derived astrocytes. Finally, we describe a simple protocol for high-efficiency lentiviral transduction of hiPSC-derived neurons at almost all stages of differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Buchholz
- Institute of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Michael Bell-Simons
- Institute of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Cagla Cakmak
- Institute of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jennifer Klimek
- Institute of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Li Gan
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hans Zempel
- Institute of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
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7
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Andrés-Benito P, Flores Á, Busquet-Areny S, Carmona M, Ausín K, Cartas-Cejudo P, Lachén-Montes M, Del Rio JA, Fernández-Irigoyen J, Santamaría E, Ferrer I. Deregulated Transcription and Proteostasis in Adult mapt Knockout Mouse. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076559. [PMID: 37047532 PMCID: PMC10095510 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcriptomics and phosphoproteomics were carried out in the cerebral cortex of B6.Cg-Mapttm1(EGFP)Klt (tau knockout: tau-KO) and wild-type (WT) 12 month-old mice to learn about the effects of tau ablation. Compared with WT mice, tau-KO mice displayed reduced anxiety-like behavior and lower fear expression induced by aversive conditioning, whereas recognition memory remained unaltered. Cortical transcriptomic analysis revealed 69 downregulated and 105 upregulated genes in tau-KO mice, corresponding to synaptic structures, neuron cytoskeleton and transport, and extracellular matrix components. RT-qPCR validated increased mRNA levels of col6a4, gabrq, gad1, grm5, grip2, map2, rab8a, tubb3, wnt16, and an absence of map1a in tau-KO mice compared with WT mice. A few proteins were assessed with Western blotting to compare mRNA expression with corresponding protein levels. Map1a mRNA and protein levels decreased. However, β-tubulin III and GAD1 protein levels were reduced in tau-KO mice. Cortical phosphoproteomics revealed 121 hypophosphorylated and 98 hyperphosphorylated proteins in tau-KO mice. Deregulated phosphoproteins were categorized into cytoskeletal (n = 45) and membrane proteins, including proteins of the synapses and vesicles, myelin proteins, and proteins linked to membrane transport and ion channels (n = 84), proteins related to DNA and RNA metabolism (n = 36), proteins connected to the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) (n = 7), proteins with kinase or phosphatase activity (n = 21), and 22 other proteins related to variegated pathways such as metabolic pathways, growth factors, or mitochondrial function or structure. The present observations reveal a complex altered brain transcriptome and phosphoproteome in tau-KO mice with only mild behavioral alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pol Andrés-Benito
- Neurologic Diseases and Neurogenetics Group, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), 08907 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBERNED (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, 08907 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - África Flores
- Neuropharmacology & Pain Group, Pharmacology Unit, Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, 08907 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sara Busquet-Areny
- Neuropathology Group, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), 08907 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Margarita Carmona
- CIBERNED (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, 08907 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- Neuropathology Group, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), 08907 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Karina Ausín
- Clinical Neuroproteomics Unit, Proteomics Platform, Proteored-ISCIII, Navarrabiomed, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra (CHN), Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), diSNA, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
| | - Paz Cartas-Cejudo
- Clinical Neuroproteomics Unit, Proteomics Platform, Proteored-ISCIII, Navarrabiomed, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra (CHN), Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), diSNA, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
| | - Mercedes Lachén-Montes
- Clinical Neuroproteomics Unit, Proteomics Platform, Proteored-ISCIII, Navarrabiomed, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra (CHN), Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), diSNA, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
| | - José Antonio Del Rio
- CIBERNED (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, 08907 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology Group, Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Science Park Barcelona (PCB), 08028 Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joaquín Fernández-Irigoyen
- Clinical Neuroproteomics Unit, Proteomics Platform, Proteored-ISCIII, Navarrabiomed, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra (CHN), Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), diSNA, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
| | - Enrique Santamaría
- Clinical Neuroproteomics Unit, Proteomics Platform, Proteored-ISCIII, Navarrabiomed, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra (CHN), Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), diSNA, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
| | - Isidro Ferrer
- CIBERNED (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, 08907 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- Neuropathology Group, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), 08907 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, 08907 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- Emeritus Researcher, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Emeritus Professor, University of Barcelona, 08907 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
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Kavanagh T, Halder A, Drummond E. Tau interactome and RNA binding proteins in neurodegenerative diseases. Mol Neurodegener 2022; 17:66. [PMID: 36253823 PMCID: PMC9575286 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-022-00572-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathological tau aggregation is a primary neuropathological feature of many neurodegenerative diseases. Intriguingly, despite the common presence of tau aggregates in these diseases the affected brain regions, clinical symptoms, and morphology, conformation, and isoform ratio present in tau aggregates varies widely. The tau-mediated disease mechanisms that drive neurodegenerative disease are still unknown. Tau interactome studies are critically important for understanding tauopathy. They reveal the interacting partners that define disease pathways, and the tau interactions present in neuropathological aggregates provide potential insight into the cellular environment and protein interactions present during pathological tau aggregation. Here we provide a combined analysis of 12 tau interactome studies of human brain tissue, human cell culture models and rodent models of disease. Together, these studies identified 2084 proteins that interact with tau in human tissue and 1152 proteins that interact with tau in rodent models of disease. Our combined analysis of the tau interactome revealed consistent enrichment of interactions between tau and proteins involved in RNA binding, ribosome, and proteasome function. Comparison of human and rodent tau interactome studies revealed substantial differences between the two species. We also performed a second analysis to identify the tau interacting proteins that are enriched in neurons containing granulovacuolar degeneration or neurofibrillary tangle pathology. These results revealed a timed dysregulation of tau interactions as pathology develops. RNA binding proteins, particularly HNRNPs, emerged as early disease-associated tau interactors and therefore may have an important role in driving tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Kavanagh
- Brain and Mind Centre and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, 94 Mallett Street, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Aditi Halder
- Brain and Mind Centre and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, 94 Mallett Street, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Eleanor Drummond
- Brain and Mind Centre and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, 94 Mallett Street, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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9
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Wang P, Ye Y. Astrocytes in Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Perspective from Tauopathy and α-Synucleinopathy. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11090938. [PMID: 34575087 PMCID: PMC8471224 DOI: 10.3390/life11090938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are aging-associated chronic pathological conditions affecting primarily neurons in humans. Inclusion bodies containing misfolded proteins have emerged as a common pathologic feature for these diseases. In many cases, misfolded proteins produced by a neuron can be transmitted to another neuron or a non-neuronal cell, leading to the propagation of disease-associated pathology. While undergoing intercellular transmission, misfolded proteins released from donor cells can often change the physiological state of recipient cells. Accumulating evidence suggests that astrocytes are highly sensitive to neuron-originated proteotoxic insults, which convert them into an active inflammatory state. Conversely, activated astrocytes can release a plethora of factors to impact neuronal functions. This review summarizes our current understanding of the complex molecular interplays between astrocyte and neuron, emphasizing on Tau and α-synuclein (α-syn), the disease-driving proteins for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yihong Ye
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-301-594-0845; Fax: +1-301-496-0201
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10
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Bachmann S, Bell M, Klimek J, Zempel H. Differential Effects of the Six Human TAU Isoforms: Somatic Retention of 2N-TAU and Increased Microtubule Number Induced by 4R-TAU. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:643115. [PMID: 34113229 PMCID: PMC8185039 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.643115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In the adult human brain, six isoforms of the microtubule-associated protein TAU are expressed, which result from alternative splicing of exons 2, 3, and 10 of the MAPT gene. These isoforms differ in the number of N-terminal inserts (0N, 1N, 2N) and C-terminal repeat domains (3R or 4R) and are differentially expressed depending on the brain region and developmental stage. Although all TAU isoforms can aggregate and form neurofibrillary tangles, some tauopathies, such as Pick's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy, are characterized by the accumulation of specific TAU isoforms. The influence of the individual TAU isoforms in a cellular context, however, is understudied. In this report, we investigated the subcellular localization of the human-specific TAU isoforms in primary mouse neurons and analyzed TAU isoform-specific effects on cell area and microtubule dynamics in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Our results show that 2N-TAU isoforms are particularly retained from axonal sorting and that axonal enrichment is independent of the number of repeat domains, but that the additional repeat domain of 4R-TAU isoforms results in a general reduction of cell size and an increase of microtubule counts in cells expressing these specific isoforms. Our study points out that individual TAU isoforms may influence microtubule dynamics differentially both by different sorting patterns and by direct effects on microtubule dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Bachmann
- Institute of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Michael Bell
- Institute of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jennifer Klimek
- Institute of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hans Zempel
- Institute of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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11
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Kanaan NM, Grabinski T. Neuronal and Glial Distribution of Tau Protein in the Adult Rat and Monkey. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:607303. [PMID: 33986642 PMCID: PMC8112591 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.607303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-associated protein for which the physiological functions remain a topic of vigorous investigation. Additionally, tau is a central player in the pathogenesis of several diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and several frontotemporal dementias. A critical variable to understanding tau in physiological and disease contexts is its normal localization within cells of the adult CNS. Tau is often described as an axon-specific (or enriched) and neuron-specific protein with little to no expression in glial cells, all of which are untrue. Understanding normal tau distribution also impacts interpretation of experimental results and hypotheses regarding its role in disease. Thus, we set out to help clarify the normal localization of tau in the adult CNS of middle-aged rats and rhesus macaque using the hippocampus as a representative brain structure. The physiological concentration of tau in the rat hippocampus was 6.6 μM and in white matter was 3.6 μM as determined by quantitative sandwich ELISAs. We evaluated the cellular localization of tau using multiple tau-specific antibodies with epitopes to different regions, including Tau1, Tau5, Tau7, R1, and two novel primate-specific antibodies NT9 and NT15. In the rat and monkey, tau was localized within the somatodendritic and axonal compartments, as well as a subset of neuronal nuclei. Semi-quantitative fluorescence intensity measurements revealed that depending on the specific reagent used the somatodendritic tau is relatively equal to, higher than, or lower than axonal tau, highlighting differential labeling of tau with various antibodies despite its distribution throughout the neuron. Tau was strongly expressed in mature oligodendrocytes and displayed little to no expression in oligodendrocyte precursor cells, astrocytes or microglia. Collectively, the data indicate tau is ∼3 - 7 μM under physiological conditions, is not specifically enriched in axons, and is normally found in both neurons and mature oligodendrocytes in the adult CNS. The full landscape of tau distribution is not revealed by all antibodies suggesting availability of the epitopes is different within specific neuronal compartments. These findings set the stage for better understanding normal tau distributions and interpreting data regarding the presence of tau in different compartments or cell types within disease conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas M. Kanaan
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, United States
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
- Mercy Health Hauenstein Neuroscience Center, Grand Rapids, MI, United States
| | - Tessa Grabinski
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, United States
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12
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Duquette A, Pernègre C, Veilleux Carpentier A, Leclerc N. Similarities and Differences in the Pattern of Tau Hyperphosphorylation in Physiological and Pathological Conditions: Impacts on the Elaboration of Therapies to Prevent Tau Pathology. Front Neurol 2021; 11:607680. [PMID: 33488502 PMCID: PMC7817657 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.607680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau protein, a neuronal microtubule-associated protein, becomes hyperphosphorylated in several neurodegenerative diseases called tauopathies. Hyperphosphorylation of tau is correlated to its redistribution from the axon to the somato-dendritic compartment at early stages of tauopathies. Interestingly, tau hyperphosphorylation begins in different regions of the brain in each tauopathy. In some regions, both neurons and glial cells develop tau hyperphosphorylation. Tau hyperphosphorylation is also observed in physiological conditions such as hibernation and brain development. In the first section of present article, we will review the spatiotemporal and cellular distribution of hyperphosphorylated tau in the most frequent tauopathies. In the second section, we will compare the pattern of tau hyperphosphorylation in physiological and pathological conditions and discuss the sites that could play a pivotal role in the conversion of non-toxic to toxic forms of hyperphosphorylated tau. Furthermore, we will discuss the role of hyperphosphorylated tau in physiological and pathological conditions and the fact that tau hyperphosphorylation is reversible in physiological conditions but not in a pathological ones. In the third section, we will speculate how the differences and similarities between hyperphosphorylated tau in physiological and pathological conditions could impact the elaboration of therapies to prevent tau pathology. In the fourth section, the different therapeutic approaches using tau as a direct or indirect therapeutic target will be presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Duquette
- Research Center of the University of Montreal Hospital (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada.,Département de Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Camille Pernègre
- Research Center of the University of Montreal Hospital (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada.,Département de Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Ariane Veilleux Carpentier
- Research Center of the University of Montreal Hospital (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada.,Département de Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Nicole Leclerc
- Research Center of the University of Montreal Hospital (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada.,Département de Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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13
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Tau modulates visual plasticity in adult and old mice. Neurobiol Aging 2020; 95:214-224. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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14
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Tai C, Chang CW, Yu GQ, Lopez I, Yu X, Wang X, Guo W, Mucke L. Tau Reduction Prevents Key Features of Autism in Mouse Models. Neuron 2020; 106:421-437.e11. [PMID: 32126198 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.01.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Autism is characterized by repetitive behaviors, impaired social interactions, and communication deficits. It is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder, and available treatments offer little benefit. Here, we show that genetically reducing the protein tau prevents behavioral signs of autism in two mouse models simulating distinct causes of this condition. Similar to a proportion of people with autism, both models have epilepsy, abnormally enlarged brains, and overactivation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt (protein kinase B)/ mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. All of these abnormalities were prevented or markedly diminished by partial or complete genetic removal of tau. We identify disinhibition of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN), a negative PI3K regulator that tau controls, as a plausible mechanism and demonstrate that tau interacts with PTEN via tau's proline-rich domain. Our findings suggest an enabling role of tau in the pathogenesis of autism and identify tau reduction as a potential therapeutic strategy for some of the disorders that cause this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Tai
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Che-Wei Chang
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Gui-Qiu Yu
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Isabel Lopez
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Xinxing Yu
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Xin Wang
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Weikun Guo
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Lennart Mucke
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurology and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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15
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Hefti MM, Farrell K, Kim S, Bowles KR, Fowkes ME, Raj T, Crary JF. High-resolution temporal and regional mapping of MAPT expression and splicing in human brain development. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195771. [PMID: 29634760 PMCID: PMC5892924 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The microtubule associated protein tau plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disease. Recent studies suggest that tau also plays a role in disorders of neuronal connectivity, including epilepsy and post-traumatic stress disorder. Animal studies have shown that the MAPT gene, which codes for the tau protein, undergoes complex pre-mRNA alternative splicing to produce multiple isoforms during brain development. Human data, particularly on temporal and regional variation in tau splicing during development are however lacking. In this study, we present the first detailed examination of the temporal and regional sequence of MAPT alternative splicing in the developing human brain. We used a novel computational analysis of large transcriptomic datasets (total n = 502 patients), quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blotting to examine tau expression and splicing in post-mortem human fetal, pediatric and adult brains. We found that MAPT exons 2 and 10 undergo abrupt shifts in expression during the perinatal period that are unique in the canonical human microtubule-associated protein family, while exon 3 showed small but significant temporal variation. Tau isoform expression may be a marker of neuronal maturation, temporally correlated with the onset of axonal growth. Immature brain regions such as the ganglionic eminence and rhombic lip had very low tau expression, but within more mature regions, there was little variation in tau expression or splicing. We thus demonstrate an abrupt, evolutionarily conserved shift in tau isoform expression during the human perinatal period that may be due to tau expression in maturing neurons. Alternative splicing of the MAPT pre-mRNA may play a vital role in normal brain development across multiple species and provides a basis for future investigations into the developmental and pathological functions of the tau protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco M. Hefti
- Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer’s Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
- * E-mail: (JFC); (MMH)
| | - Kurt Farrell
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer’s Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - SoongHo Kim
- Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer’s Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Kathryn R. Bowles
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer’s Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Mary E. Fowkes
- Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Towfique Raj
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer’s Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - John F. Crary
- Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer’s Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
- * E-mail: (JFC); (MMH)
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16
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Tuerde D, Kimura T, Miyasaka T, Furusawa K, Shimozawa A, Hasegawa M, Ando K, Hisanaga SI. Isoform-independent and -dependent phosphorylation of microtubule-associated protein tau in mouse brain during postnatal development. J Biol Chem 2017; 293:1781-1793. [PMID: 29196605 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.798918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Revised: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule (MT)-associated protein that regulates MT dynamics in the axons of neurons. Tau binds to MTs via its C-terminal MT-binding repeats. There are two types of tau, those with three (3R) or four (4R) MT-binding repeats; 4R tau has a stronger MT-stabilizing activity than 3R tau. The MT-stabilizing activity of tau is regulated by phosphorylation. Interestingly, both the isoform and phosphorylation change at the time of neuronal circuit formation during postnatal development; highly phosphorylated 3R tau is replaced with 4R tau, which is less phosphorylated. However, it is not known how the transition of the isoforms and phosphorylation are regulated. Here, we addressed this question using developing mouse brains. Detailed analysis of developing brains revealed that the switch from 3R to 4R tau occurred during postnatal day 9 (P9) to P18 under the same time course as the conversion of phosphorylation from high to low. However, hypothyroidism, which is known to delay brain development, delayed the timing of tau dephosphorylation but not the exchange of isoforms, indicating that isoform switching and phosphorylation are not necessarily linked. Furthermore, we confirmed this finding by using mouse brains that expressed a single isoform of human tau. Human tau, either 3R or 4R, reduced phosphorylation levels during development even though the isoform did not change. We also found that 3R tau and 4R tau were phosphorylated differently in vivo even at the same developmental days. These results show for the first time that the phosphorylation and isoform alteration of tau are regulated differently during mouse development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilina Tuerde
- From the Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minami-osawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397
| | - Taeko Kimura
- From the Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minami-osawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397
| | - Tomohiro Miyasaka
- Neuropathology, Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe-shi, Kyoto 610-0394, and
| | - Kotaro Furusawa
- From the Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minami-osawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397
| | - Aki Shimozawa
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | - Masato Hasegawa
- Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan
| | - Kanae Ando
- From the Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minami-osawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397
| | - Shin-Ichi Hisanaga
- From the Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minami-osawa, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397,
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17
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Sotiropoulos I, Galas MC, Silva JM, Skoulakis E, Wegmann S, Maina MB, Blum D, Sayas CL, Mandelkow EM, Mandelkow E, Spillantini MG, Sousa N, Avila J, Medina M, Mudher A, Buee L. Atypical, non-standard functions of the microtubule associated Tau protein. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2017; 5:91. [PMID: 29187252 PMCID: PMC5707803 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-017-0489-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the discovery of the microtubule-associated protein Tau (MAPT) over 40 years ago, most studies have focused on Tau's role in microtubule stability and regulation, as well as on the neuropathological consequences of Tau hyperphosphorylation and aggregation in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains. In recent years, however, research efforts identified new interaction partners and different sub-cellular localizations for Tau suggesting additional roles beyond its standard function as microtubule regulating protein. Moreover, despite the increasing research focus on AD over the last decades, Tau was only recently considered as a promising therapeutic target for the treatment and prevention of AD as well as for neurological pathologies beyond AD e.g. epilepsy, excitotoxicity, and environmental stress. This review will focus on atypical, non-standard roles of Tau on neuronal function and dysfunction in AD and other neurological pathologies providing novel insights about neuroplastic and neuropathological implications of Tau in both the central and the peripheral nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Sotiropoulos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), Medical School, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Braga, Portugal.
| | | | - Joana M Silva
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), Medical School, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Braga, Portugal
| | - Efthimios Skoulakis
- Division of Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre "Alexander Fleming", 16672, Vari, Greece
| | - Susanne Wegmann
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Laboratory, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Mahmoud Bukar Maina
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 9QG, UK
| | - David Blum
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, UMR-S 1172 - JPArc, 59000, Lille, France
| | - Carmen Laura Sayas
- Centre for Biomedical Research of the Canary Islands (CIBICAN), Institute for Biomedical Technologies (ITB), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Tenerife, Spain
| | - Eva-Maria Mandelkow
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany; CAESAR Research Institute, Bonn, Germany; Max-Planck-Institute for Metabolism Research, Köln, Germany
| | - Eckhard Mandelkow
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany; CAESAR Research Institute, Bonn, Germany; Max-Planck-Institute for Metabolism Research, Köln, Germany
| | | | - Nuno Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), Medical School, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Braga, Portugal
| | - Jesus Avila
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Valderrebollo 5, 28041, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" CSIC-UAM, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Medina
- CIBERNED, Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Madrid, Spain
- CIEN Foundation, Queen Sofia Foundation Alzheimer Center, Madrid, Spain
| | - Amrit Mudher
- Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Southampton Highfield Campus, Center for Biological Sciences, Southampton, UK
| | - Luc Buee
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, UMR-S 1172 - JPArc, 59000, Lille, France
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18
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Dioli C, Patrício P, Trindade R, Pinto LG, Silva JM, Morais M, Ferreiro E, Borges S, Mateus-Pinheiro A, Rodrigues AJ, Sousa N, Bessa JM, Pinto L, Sotiropoulos I. Tau-dependent suppression of adult neurogenesis in the stressed hippocampus. Mol Psychiatry 2017; 22:1110-1118. [PMID: 28555078 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Revised: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Stress, a well-known sculptor of brain plasticity, is shown to suppress hippocampal neurogenesis in the adult brain; yet, the underlying cellular mechanisms are poorly investigated. Previous studies have shown that chronic stress triggers hyperphosphorylation and accumulation of the cytoskeletal protein Tau, a process that may impair the cytoskeleton-regulating role(s) of this protein with impact on neuronal function. Here, we analyzed the role of Tau on stress-driven suppression of neurogenesis in the adult dentate gyrus (DG) using animals lacking Tau (Tau-knockout; Tau-KO) and wild-type (WT) littermates. Unlike WTs, Tau-KO animals exposed to chronic stress did not exhibit reduction in DG proliferating cells, neuroblasts and newborn neurons; however, newborn astrocytes were similarly decreased in both Tau-KO and WT mice. In addition, chronic stress reduced phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β)/β-catenin signaling, known to regulate cell survival and proliferation, in the DG of WT, but not Tau-KO, animals. These data establish Tau as a critical regulator of the cellular cascades underlying stress deficits on hippocampal neurogenesis in the adult brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Dioli
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - P Patrício
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - R Trindade
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - L G Pinto
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - J M Silva
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - M Morais
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - E Ferreiro
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Institute for Interdisciplinary Research of the University of Coimbra (IIIUC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - S Borges
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - A Mateus-Pinheiro
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - A J Rodrigues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - N Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - J M Bessa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - L Pinto
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - I Sotiropoulos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
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19
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Zempel H, Dennissen FJA, Kumar Y, Luedtke J, Biernat J, Mandelkow EM, Mandelkow E. Axodendritic sorting and pathological missorting of Tau are isoform-specific and determined by axon initial segment architecture. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:12192-12207. [PMID: 28536263 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.784702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2017] [Revised: 05/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Subcellular mislocalization of the microtubule-associated protein Tau is a hallmark of Alzheimer disease (AD) and other tauopathies. Six Tau isoforms, differentiated by the presence or absence of a second repeat or of N-terminal inserts, exist in the human CNS, but their physiological and pathological differences have long remained elusive. Here, we investigated the properties and distributions of human and rodent Tau isoforms in primary forebrain rodent neurons. We found that the Tau diffusion barrier (TDB), located within the axon initial segment (AIS), controls retrograde (axon-to-soma) and anterograde (soma-to-axon) traffic of Tau. Tau isoforms without the N-terminal inserts were sorted efficiently into the axon. However, the longest isoform (2N4R-Tau) was partially retained in cell bodies and dendrites, where it accelerated spine and dendrite growth. The TDB (located within the AIS) was impaired when AIS components (ankyrin G, EB1) were knocked down or when glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β; an AD-associated kinase tethered to the AIS) was overexpressed. Using superresolution nanoscopy and live-cell imaging, we observed that microtubules within the AIS appeared highly dynamic, a feature essential for the TDB. Pathomechanistically, amyloid-β insult caused cofilin activation and F-actin remodeling and decreased microtubule dynamics in the AIS. Concomitantly with these amyloid-β-induced disruptions, the AIS/TDB sorting function failed, causing AD-like Tau missorting. In summary, we provide evidence that the human and rodent Tau isoforms differ in axodendritic sorting and amyloid-β-induced missorting and that the axodendritic distribution of Tau depends on AIS integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Zempel
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127 Bonn, Germany; CAESAR Research Center, 53175 Bonn, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, 50931 Cologne, Germany; University of Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany.
| | - Frank J A Dennissen
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127 Bonn, Germany; CAESAR Research Center, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Yatender Kumar
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127 Bonn, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Julia Luedtke
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127 Bonn, Germany; CAESAR Research Center, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Jacek Biernat
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127 Bonn, Germany; CAESAR Research Center, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Eva-Maria Mandelkow
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127 Bonn, Germany; CAESAR Research Center, 53175 Bonn, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Eckhard Mandelkow
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127 Bonn, Germany; CAESAR Research Center, 53175 Bonn, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, 50931 Cologne, Germany.
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20
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Zempel H, Mandelkow EM. Tracking Tau in Neurons: How to Grow, Fix, and Stain Primary Neurons for the Investigation of Tau in All Developmental Stages. Methods Mol Biol 2017; 1523:327-334. [PMID: 27975260 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6598-4_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Primary neurons have proved to be an invaluable tool for the investigation of Tau in the context of neuronal development and neurodegeneration. Culturing neurons usually is time consuming and requires multiple feeding steps and media exchanges, and either the use of proprietary media supplements or tedious preparation of complex media. Here we describe a relatively cheap and easy cell culture procedure based on a commercially available neuronal culture supplement (NS21) of known composition, as well as basic fixation techniques. Further, we demonstrate a staining technique that can be carried out in pre-coated hydrophobic multi-well plates, which minimizes antibody consumption and allows fast and convenient processing of samples for immunofluorescence microscopy of endogenous Tau in primary neurons. We also provide a protocol that allows cryopreservation of fixed cells for years without loss of Tau stainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Zempel
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, D-53175, Bonn, Germany. .,Max-Planck-Institute for Metabolism Research (Cologne), Hamburg Outstation, c/o DESY, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Eva-Maria Mandelkow
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, D-53175, Bonn, Germany.,Max-Planck-Institute for Metabolism Research (Cologne), Hamburg Outstation, c/o DESY, Hamburg, Germany.,Center for Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Bonn, Germany
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21
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Méphon-Gaspard A, Boca M, Pioche-Durieu C, Desforges B, Burgo A, Hamon L, Piétrement O, Pastré D. Role of tau in the spatial organization of axonal microtubules: keeping parallel microtubules evenly distributed despite macromolecular crowding. Cell Mol Life Sci 2016; 73:3745-60. [PMID: 27076215 PMCID: PMC5002045 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-016-2216-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2015] [Revised: 03/24/2016] [Accepted: 04/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Opposing views have been proposed regarding the role of tau, the principal microtubule-associated protein in axons. On the one hand, tau forms cross-bridges at the interface between microtubules and induces microtubule bundling in neurons. On the other hand, tau is also considered a polymer brush which efficiently separates microtubules. In mature axons, microtubules are indeed arranged in parallel arrays and are well separated from each other. To reconcile these views, we developed a mechanistic model based on in vitro and cellular approaches combined to analytical and numerical analyses. The results indicate that tau forms long-range cross-bridges between microtubules under macromolecular crowding conditions. Tau cross-bridges prevent the redistribution of tau away from the interface between microtubules, which would have occurred in the polymer brush model. Consequently, the short-range attractive force between microtubules induced by macromolecular crowding is avoided and thus microtubules remain well separated from each other. Interestingly, in this unified model, tau diffusion on microtubules enables to keep microtubules evenly distributed in axonal sections at low tau levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alix Méphon-Gaspard
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), UMR1204, Université Evry-Val d'Essonne, Evry, 91025, France
| | - Mirela Boca
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), UMR1204, Université Evry-Val d'Essonne, Evry, 91025, France
| | - Catherine Pioche-Durieu
- UMR 8126, CNRS, Gustave Roussy Université Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, 94805, France
| | - Bénédicte Desforges
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), UMR1204, Université Evry-Val d'Essonne, Evry, 91025, France
| | - Andrea Burgo
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), UMR1204, Université Evry-Val d'Essonne, Evry, 91025, France
| | - Loic Hamon
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), UMR1204, Université Evry-Val d'Essonne, Evry, 91025, France
| | - Olivier Piétrement
- UMR 8126, CNRS, Gustave Roussy Université Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, 94805, France
| | - David Pastré
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), UMR1204, Université Evry-Val d'Essonne, Evry, 91025, France.
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Arendt T, Stieler JT, Holzer M. Tau and tauopathies. Brain Res Bull 2016; 126:238-292. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2016.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 333] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Revised: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Carrettiero DC, Santiago FE, Motzko-Soares ACP, Almeida MC. Temperature and toxic Tau in Alzheimer's disease: new insights. Temperature (Austin) 2015; 2:491-8. [PMID: 27227069 PMCID: PMC4843920 DOI: 10.1080/23328940.2015.1096438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Revised: 09/15/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common dementia in the elderly, is characterized by cognitive impairment and severe autonomic symptoms such as disturbance in core body temperature (Tc), which may be predictors or early events in AD onset. Inclusions of phosphorylated Tau (p-Tau) are a hallmark of AD and other neurodegenerative disorders called “Tauopathies.” Animal and human studies show that anesthesia augments p-Tau levels through reduction of Tc, with implications for AD. Additionally, hypothermia impairs memory and cognitive function. The molecular networks related to Tc that are associated with AD remain poorly characterized. Under physiological conditions, Tau binds microtubules, promoting their assembly and stability. The dynamically regulated Tau-microtubule interaction plays an important role in structural remodeling of the cytoskeleton, having important functions in neuronal plasticity and memory in the hippocampus. Hypothermia-induced increases in p-Tau levels are significant, with an 80% increase for each degree Celsius below normothermic conditions. Although the effects of temperature on Tau phosphorylation are evident, its effects on p-Tau degradation remain poorly understoodWe review information concerning the mechanisms of Tau regulation of neuron plasticity via its effects on microtubule dynamics, with focus on pathways regulating the abundance of phosphorylated Tau species. We highlight the effects of temperature on molecular mechanisms influencing the development of Tau-related diseases. Specifically, we argue that cold might preferentially affects central nervous system structures that are highly reliant upon plasticity, such as the hippocampus, and that the effect of cold on Tau phosphorylation may constitute a pathology-initiating trigger leading to neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Carneiro Carrettiero
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Cognition; Universidade Federal do ABC; São Bernardo do Campo, Brasil; Center for Natural Sciences and Humanities; Universidade Federal do ABC; São Bernardo do Campo, Brasil
| | - Fernando Enrique Santiago
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Cognition; Universidade Federal do ABC; São Bernardo do Campo , Brasil
| | | | - Maria Camila Almeida
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Cognition; Universidade Federal do ABC; São Bernardo do Campo, Brasil; Center for Natural Sciences and Humanities; Universidade Federal do ABC; São Bernardo do Campo, Brasil
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Li L, Xu ZP, Liu GP, Xu C, Wang ZH, Li XG, Liu EJ, Zeng J, Chai DM, Yao WL, Wang JZ. Expression of 1N3R-Tau isoform inhibits cell proliferation by inducing S phase arrest in N2a cells. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0119865. [PMID: 25822823 PMCID: PMC4378987 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2014] [Accepted: 01/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-associated protein implicated in neurodegenerative tauopathies. Six tau isoforms are generated from a single gene through alternative splicing of exons 2, 3 and 10 in human brain. Differential expression of tau isoforms has been detected in different brain areas, during neurodevelopment and in neurodegenerative disorders. However, the biological significance of different tau isoforms is not clear. Here, we investigated the individual effect of six different isoforms of tau on cell proliferation and the possible mechanisms by transient expression of eGFP-labeled tau isoform plasmid in N2a cells. Our study showed the transfection efficiency was comparable between different isoforms of tau by examining GFP expression. Compared with other isoforms, we found expression of 1N3R-tau significantly inhibited cell proliferation by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and BrdU incorporation. Flow cytometry analysis further showed expression of 1N3R-tau induced S phase arrest. Compared with the longest isoform of tau, expression of 1N3R-tau induced cyclin E translocation from the nuclei to cytoplasm, while it did not change the level of cell cycle checkpoint proteins. These data indicate that 1N3R-tau inhibits cell proliferation through inducing S phase arrest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhi-Peng Xu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Gong-Ping Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Cheng Xu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhi-Hao Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiao-Guang Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - En-Jie Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Juan Zeng
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Da-Min Chai
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wen-Long Yao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jian-Zhi Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China
- * E-mail:
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25
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Liu Y, Wang C, Destin G, Szaro BG. Microtubule-associated protein tau promotes neuronal class II β-tubulin microtubule formation and axon elongation in embryonic Xenopus laevis. Eur J Neurosci 2015; 41:1263-75. [PMID: 25656701 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2014] [Revised: 12/13/2014] [Accepted: 01/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Compared with its roles in neurodegeneration, much less is known about microtubule-associated protein tau's normal functions in vivo, especially during development. The external development and ease of manipulating gene expression of Xenopus laevis embryos make them especially useful for studying gene function during early development. To study tau's functions in axon outgrowth, we characterized the most prominent tau isoforms of Xenopus embryos and manipulated their expression. None of these four isoforms were strictly analogous to those commonly studied in mammals, as all constitutively contained exon 10, which is preferentially removed from mammalian fetal tau isoforms, as well as exon 8, which in mammals is rare. Nonetheless, like mammalian tau, Xenopus tau exhibited alternative splicing of exon 4a, which in mammals distinguishes 'big' tau of peripheral neurons, and exon 6. Strongly suppressing tau expression with antisense morpholino oligonucleotides only modestly compromised peripheral nerve outgrowth of intact tadpoles, but severely disrupted neuronal microtubules containing class II β-tubulins while leaving other microtubules largely unperturbed. Thus, the relatively mild dependence of axon development on tau likely resulted from having only a single class of microtubules disrupted by its loss. Also, consistent with its greater expression in long peripheral axons, boosting expression of 'big' tau increased neurite outgrowth significantly and enhanced tubulin acetylation more so than did the smaller isoform. These data demonstrate the utility of Xenopus as a tool to gain new insights into tau's functions in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Liu
- Department of Biological Sciences and the Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
| | - Chen Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences and the Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
| | - Giovanny Destin
- Department of Biological Sciences and the Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
| | - Ben G Szaro
- Department of Biological Sciences and the Center for Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
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Lost after translation: missorting of Tau protein and consequences for Alzheimer disease. Trends Neurosci 2014; 37:721-32. [PMID: 25223701 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2014.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2014] [Revised: 08/08/2014] [Accepted: 08/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-associated-protein that is sorted into neuronal axons in physiological conditions. In Alzheimer disease (AD) and other tauopathies, Tau sorting mechanisms fail and Tau becomes missorted into the somatodendritic compartment. In AD, aberrant amyloid-β (Aβ) production might trigger Tau missorting. The physiological axonal sorting of Tau depends on the developmental stage of the neuron, the phosphorylation state of Tau and the microtubule cytoskeleton. Disease-associated missorting of Tau is connected to increased phosphorylation and aggregation of Tau, and impaired microtubule interactions. Disease-causing mechanisms involve impaired transport, aberrant kinase activation, non-physiological interactions of Tau, and prion-like spreading. In this review we focus on the physiological and pathological (mis)sorting of Tau, the underlying mechanisms, and effects in disease.
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Liu C, Götz J. Profiling murine tau with 0N, 1N and 2N isoform-specific antibodies in brain and peripheral organs reveals distinct subcellular localization, with the 1N isoform being enriched in the nucleus. PLoS One 2013; 8:e84849. [PMID: 24386422 PMCID: PMC3875548 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2013] [Accepted: 11/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the adult murine brain, the microtubule-associated protein tau exists as three major isoforms, which have four microtubule-binding repeats (4R), with either no (0N), one (1N) or two (2N) amino-terminal inserts. The human brain expresses three additional isoforms with three microtubule-binding repeats (3R) each. However, little is known about the role of the amino-terminal inserts and how the 0N, 1N and 2N tau species differ. In order to investigate this, we generated a series of isoform-specific antibodies and performed a profiling by Western blotting and immunohistochemical analyses using wild-type mice in three age groups: two months, two weeks and postnatal day 0 (P0). This revealed that the brain is the only organ to express tau at significant levels, with 0N4R being the predominant isoform in the two month-old adult. Subcellular fractionation of the brain showed that the 1N isoform is over-represented in the soluble nuclear fraction. This is in agreement with the immunohistochemical analysis as the 1N isoform strongly localizes to the neuronal nucleus, although it is also found in cell bodies and dendrites, but not axons. The 0N isoform is mainly found in cell bodies and axons, whereas nuclei and dendrites are only slightly stained with the 0N antibody. The 2N isoform is highly expressed in axons and in cell bodies, with a detectable expression in dendrites and a very slight expression in nuclei. The 2N isoform that was undetectable at P0, in adult brain was mainly found localized to cell bodies and dendrites. Together these findings reveal significant differences between the three murine tau isoforms that are likely to reflect different neuronal functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Liu
- Sydney Medical School, Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jürgen Götz
- Sydney Medical School, Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research (CJCADR), Queensland Brain Institute (QBI), The University of Queensland, St Lucia Campus, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- * E-mail:
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28
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Zempel H, Luedtke J, Kumar Y, Biernat J, Dawson H, Mandelkow E, Mandelkow EM. Amyloid-β oligomers induce synaptic damage via Tau-dependent microtubule severing by TTLL6 and spastin. EMBO J 2013; 32:2920-37. [PMID: 24065130 PMCID: PMC3831312 DOI: 10.1038/emboj.2013.207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 206] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2013] [Accepted: 08/22/2013] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Mislocalization and aggregation of Aβ and Tau combined with loss of synapses and microtubules (MTs) are hallmarks of Alzheimer disease. We exposed mature primary neurons to Aβ oligomers and analysed changes in the Tau/MT system. MT breakdown occurs in dendrites invaded by Tau (Tau missorting) and is mediated by spastin, an MT-severing enzyme. Spastin is recruited by MT polyglutamylation, induced by Tau missorting triggered translocalization of TTLL6 (Tubulin-Tyrosine-Ligase-Like-6) into dendrites. Consequences are spine loss and mitochondria and neurofilament mislocalization. Missorted Tau is not axonally derived, as shown by axonal retention of photoconvertible Dendra2-Tau, but newly synthesized. Recovery from Aβ insult occurs after Aβ oligomers lose their toxicity and requires the kinase MARK (Microtubule-Affinity-Regulating-Kinase). In neurons derived from Tau-knockout mice, MTs and synapses are resistant to Aβ toxicity because TTLL6 mislocalization and MT polyglutamylation are prevented; hence no spastin recruitment and no MT breakdown occur, enabling faster recovery. Reintroduction of Tau re-establishes Aβ-induced toxicity in TauKO neurons, which requires phosphorylation of Tau's KXGS motifs. Transgenic mice overexpressing Tau show TTLL6 translocalization into dendrites and decreased MT stability. The results provide a rationale for MT stabilization as a therapeutic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Zempel
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany
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Arendt T, Bullmann T. Neuronal plasticity in hibernation and the proposed role of the microtubule-associated protein tau as a "master switch" regulating synaptic gain in neuronal networks. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2013; 305:R478-89. [PMID: 23824962 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00117.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The present paper provides an overview of adaptive changes in brain structure and learning abilities during hibernation as a behavioral strategy used by several mammalian species to minimize energy expenditure under current or anticipated inhospitable environmental conditions. One cellular mechanism that contributes to the regulated suppression of metabolism and thermogenesis during hibernation is reversible phosphorylation of enzymes and proteins, which limits rates of flux through metabolic pathways. Reversible phosphorylation during hibernation also affects synaptic membrane proteins, a process known to be involved in synaptic plasticity. This mechanism of reversible protein phosphorylation also affects the microtubule-associated protein tau, thereby generating a condition that in the adult human brain is associated with aggregation of tau protein to paired helical filaments (PHFs), as observed in Alzheimer's disease. Here, we put forward the concept that phosphorylation of tau is a neuroprotective mechanism to escape NMDA-mediated hyperexcitability of neurons that would otherwise occur during slow gradual cooling of the brain. Phosphorylation of tau and its subsequent targeting to subsynaptic sites might, thus, work as a kind of "master switch," regulating NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic gain in a wide array of neuronal networks, thereby enabling entry into torpor. If this condition lasts too long, however, it may eventually turn into a pathological trigger, driving a cascade of events leading to neurodegeneration, as in Alzheimer's disease or other "tauopathies".
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Arendt
- Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, Universität Leipzig, Germany.
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30
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Reiner O. LIS1 and DCX: Implications for Brain Development and Human Disease in Relation to Microtubules. SCIENTIFICA 2013; 2013:393975. [PMID: 24278775 PMCID: PMC3820303 DOI: 10.1155/2013/393975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2013] [Accepted: 02/07/2013] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Proper lamination of the cerebral cortex requires the orchestrated motility of neurons from their place of birth to their final destination. Improper neuronal migration may result in a wide range of diseases, including brain malformations, such as lissencephaly, mental retardation, schizophrenia, and autism. Ours and other studies have implicated that microtubules and microtubule-associated proteins play an important role in the regulation of neuronal polarization and neuronal migration. Here, we will review normal processes of brain development and neuronal migration, describe neuronal migration diseases, and will focus on the microtubule-associated functions of LIS1 and DCX, which participate in the regulation of neuronal migration and are involved in the human developmental brain disease, lissencephaly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orly Reiner
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
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31
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Yan XX, Cai Y, Shelton J, Deng SH, Luo XG, Oddo S, LaFerla FM, Cai H, Rose GM, Patrylo PR. Chronic temporal lobe epilepsy is associated with enhanced Alzheimer-like neuropathology in 3×Tg-AD mice. PLoS One 2012; 7:e48782. [PMID: 23155407 PMCID: PMC3498246 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2012] [Accepted: 10/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The comorbidity between epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a topic of growing interest. Senile plaques and tauopathy are found in epileptic human temporal lobe structures, and individuals with AD have an increased incidence of spontaneous seizures. However, why and how epilepsy is associated with enhanced AD-like pathology remains unknown. We have recently shown β-secretase-1 (BACE1) elevation associated with aberrant limbic axonal sprouting in epileptic CD1 mice. Here we sought to explore whether BACE1 upregulation affected the development of Alzheimer-type neuropathology in mice expressing mutant human APP, presenilin and tau proteins, the triple transgenic model of AD (3×Tg-AD). 3×Tg-AD mice were treated with pilocarpine or saline (i.p.) at 6-8 months of age. Immunoreactivity (IR) for BACE1, β-amyloid (Aβ) and phosphorylated tau (p-tau) was subsequently examined at 9, 11 or 14 months of age. Recurrent convulsive seizures, as well as mossy fiber sprouting and neuronal death in the hippocampus and limbic cortex, were observed in all epileptic mice. Neuritic plaques composed of BACE1-labeled swollen/sprouting axons and extracellular AβIR were seen in the hippocampal formation, amygdala and piriform cortices of 9 month-old epileptic, but not control, 3×Tg-AD mice. Densities of plaque-associated BACE1 and AβIR were elevated in epileptic versus control mice at 11 and 14 months of age. p-Tau IR was increased in dentate granule cells and mossy fibers in epileptic mice relative to controls at all time points examined. Thus, pilocarpine-induced chronic epilepsy was associated with accelerated and enhanced neuritic plaque formation and altered intraneuronal p-tau expression in temporal lobe structures in 3×Tg-AD mice, with these pathologies occurring in regions showing neuronal death and axonal dystrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Xin Yan
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
- * E-mail: (XXY); (GMR); (PRP)
| | - Yan Cai
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Center for Integrated Research in Cognitive and Neural Sciences, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Jarod Shelton
- Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Si-Hao Deng
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xue-Gang Luo
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Salvatore Oddo
- Department of Physiology and The Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Frank M. LaFerla
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Huaibin Cai
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Gregory M. Rose
- Center for Integrated Research in Cognitive and Neural Sciences, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail: (XXY); (GMR); (PRP)
| | - Peter R. Patrylo
- Center for Integrated Research in Cognitive and Neural Sciences, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail: (XXY); (GMR); (PRP)
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32
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Sapir T, Frotscher M, Levy T, Mandelkow EM, Reiner O. Tau's role in the developing brain: implications for intellectual disability. Hum Mol Genet 2011; 21:1681-92. [PMID: 22194194 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddr603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Microdeletions encompassing the MAPT (Tau) locus resulting in intellectual disability raised the hypothesis that Tau may regulate early functions in the developing brain. Our results indicate that neuronal migration was inhibited in mouse brains following Tau reduction. In addition, the leading edge of radially migrating neurons was aberrant in spite of normal morphology of radial glia. Furthermore, intracellular mitochondrial transport and morphology were affected. In early postnatal brains, a portion of Tau knocked down neurons reached the cortical plate. Nevertheless, they exhibited far less developed dendrites and a striking reduction in connectivity evident by the size of boutons. Our novel results strongly implicate MAPT as a dosage-sensitive gene in this locus involved in intellectual disability. Furthermore, our results are likely to impact our understanding of other diseases involving Tau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Sapir
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
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33
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La Maestra S, Kisby GE, Micale RT, Johnson J, Kow YW, Bao G, Sheppard C, Stanfield S, Tran H, Woltjer RL, D'Agostini F, Steele VE, De Flora S. Cigarette smoke induces DNA damage and alters base-excision repair and tau levels in the brain of neonatal mice. Toxicol Sci 2011; 123:471-9. [PMID: 21778470 PMCID: PMC3179679 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfr187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2011] [Accepted: 07/05/2011] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The prenatal and perinatal periods of brain development are especially vulnerable to insults by environmental agents. Early life exposure to cigarette smoke (CS), which contains both genotoxicants and oxidants, is considered an important risk factor for both neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Yet, little is known regarding the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms. In the present study, neonatal Swiss ICR (CD-1) albino mice were exposed to various concentrations of CS for 4 weeks and the brain examined for lipid peroxides, DNA damage, base-excision repair (BER) enzymes, apoptosis, and levels of the microtubule protein tau. CS induced a dose-dependent increase in both malondialdehyde and various types of DNA damage, including single-strand breaks, double-strand breaks, and DNA-protein cross-links. However, the CS-induced DNA damage in the brain returned to basal levels 1 week after smoking cessation. CS also modulated the activity and distribution of the BER enzymes 8-oxoguanine-DNA-glycosylase (OGG1) and apyrimidinic/apurinic endonuclease (APE1) in several brain regions. Normal tau (i.e., three-repeat tau, 3R tau) and various pathological forms of tau were also measured in the brain of CS-exposed neonatal mice, but only 3R tau and tau phosphorylated at serine 199 were significantly elevated. The oxidative stress, genomic dysregulation, and alterations in tau metabolism caused by CS during a critical period of brain development could explain why CS is an important risk factor for both neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders appearing in later life.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Glen E. Kisby
- Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology (CROET), Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | - Rosanna T. Micale
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, I-16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Jessica Johnson
- Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology (CROET), Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | - Yoke W. Kow
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Gaobin Bao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Clayton Sheppard
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Sarah Stanfield
- Department of Pathology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | - Huong Tran
- Department of Pathology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | - Randall L. Woltjer
- Department of Pathology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | | | - Vernon E. Steele
- Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland 20892-7322
| | - Silvio De Flora
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, I-16132 Genoa, Italy
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