1
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Soeda Y, Yoshimura H, Bannai H, Koike R, Shiiba I, Takashima A. Intracellular tau fragment droplets serve as seeds for tau fibrils. Structure 2024:S0969-2126(24)00236-3. [PMID: 39032487 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2024.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Intracellular tau aggregation requires a local protein concentration increase, referred to as "droplets". However, the cellular mechanism for droplet formation is poorly understood. Here, we expressed OptoTau, a P301L mutant tau fused with CRY2olig, a light-sensitive protein that can form homo-oligomers. Under blue light exposure, OptoTau increased tau phosphorylation and was sequestered in aggresomes. Suppressing aggresome formation by nocodazole formed tau granular clusters in the cytoplasm. The granular clusters disappeared by discontinuing blue light exposure or 1,6-hexanediol treatment suggesting that intracellular tau droplet formation requires microtubule collapse. Expressing OptoTau-ΔN, a species of N-terminal cleaved tau observed in the Alzheimer's disease brain, formed 1,6-hexanediol and detergent-resistant tau clusters in the cytoplasm with blue light stimulation. These intracellular stable tau clusters acted as a seed for tau fibrils in vitro. These results suggest that tau droplet formation and N-terminal cleavage are necessary for neurofibrillary tangles formation in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiyuki Soeda
- Laboratory for Alzheimer's Disease, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, 1-5-1 Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan.
| | - Hideaki Yoshimura
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroko Bannai
- School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Department of Electrical Engineering and Biosciences, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsucho, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo 162-0056, Japan
| | - Riki Koike
- Laboratory for Alzheimer's Disease, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, 1-5-1 Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan
| | - Isshin Shiiba
- Laboratory of Molecular Biochemistry, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, 1-5-1 Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan
| | - Akihiko Takashima
- Laboratory for Alzheimer's Disease, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, 1-5-1 Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan
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2
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Chu D, Yang X, Wang J, Zhou Y, Gu JH, Miao J, Wu F, Liu F. Tau truncation in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease: a narrative review. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:1221-1232. [PMID: 37905868 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.385853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Alzheimer's disease is characterized by two major neuropathological hallmarks-the extracellular β-amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles consisting of aggregated and hyperphosphorylated Tau protein. Recent studies suggest that dysregulation of the microtubule-associated protein Tau, especially specific proteolysis, could be a driving force for Alzheimer's disease neurodegeneration. Tau physiologically promotes the assembly and stabilization of microtubules, whereas specific truncated fragments are sufficient to induce abnormal hyperphosphorylation and aggregate into toxic oligomers, resulting in them gaining prion-like characteristics. In addition, Tau truncations cause extensive impairments to neural and glial cell functions and animal cognition and behavior in a fragment-dependent manner. This review summarizes over 60 proteolytic cleavage sites and their corresponding truncated fragments, investigates the role of specific truncations in physiological and pathological states of Alzheimer's disease, and summarizes the latest applications of strategies targeting Tau fragments in the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Chu
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xingyue Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yan Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jin-Hua Gu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Affiliated Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jin Miao
- Laboratory of Animal Center, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Feng Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
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3
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Zhang B, Wan H, Maierwufu M, Liu Q, Li T, He Y, Wang X, Liu G, Hong X, Feng Q. STAT3 ameliorates truncated tau-induced cognitive deficits. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:915-922. [PMID: 37843229 PMCID: PMC10664106 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.382253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteolytic cleavage of tau by asparagine endopeptidase (AEP) creates tau-N368 fragments, which may drive the pathophysiology associated with synaptic dysfunction and memory deterioration in the brain of Alzheimer's disease patients. Nonetheless, the molecular mechanisms of truncated tau-induced cognitive deficits remain unclear. Evidence suggests that signal transduction and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) is associated with modulating synaptic plasticity, cell apoptosis, and cognitive function. Using luciferase reporter assays, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, western blotting, and immunofluorescence, we found that human tau-N368 accumulation inhibited STAT3 activity by suppressing STAT3 translocation into the nucleus. Overexpression of STAT3 improved tau-N368-induced synaptic deficits and reduced neuronal loss, thereby improving the cognitive deficits in tau-N368 mice. Moreover, in tau-N368 mice, activation of STAT3 increased N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor levels, decreased Bcl-2 levels, reversed synaptic damage and neuronal loss, and thereby alleviated cognitive deficits caused by tau-N368. Taken together, STAT3 plays a critical role in truncated tau-related neuropathological changes. This indicates a new mechanism behind the effect of tau-N368 on synapses and memory deficits. STAT3 can be used as a new molecular target to treat tau-N368-induced protein pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingge Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China and Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Huali Wan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Provincial, People’s Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Maimaitijiang Maierwufu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China and Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Qian Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China and Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Ting Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China and Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Ye He
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China and Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China and Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Gongping Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China and Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Xiaoyue Hong
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Hubei, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Qiong Feng
- Department of Pathology, Wuhan Children’s Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
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4
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Glynn C, Chun JE, Donahue CC, Nadler MJS, Fan Z, Hyman BT. Reconstitution of the Alzheimer's Disease Tau Core Structure from Recombinant Tau 297-391 Yields Variable Quaternary Structures as Seen by Negative Stain and Cryo-EM. Biochemistry 2024; 63:194-201. [PMID: 38154792 PMCID: PMC10795186 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
The protein tau misfolds into disease-specific fibrillar structures in more than 20 neurodegenerative diseases collectively referred to as tauopathies. To understand and prevent disease-specific mechanisms of filament formation, in vitro models for aggregation that robustly yield these different end point structures will be necessary. Here, we used cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to reconstruct fibril polymorphs taken on by residues 297-391 of tau under conditions previously shown to give rise to the core structure found in Alzheimer's disease (AD). While we were able to reconstitute the AD tau core fold, the proportion of these paired helical filaments (PHFs) was highly variable, and a majority of filaments were composed of PHFs with an additional identical C-shaped protofilament attached near the PHF interface, termed triple helical filaments (THFs). Since the impact of filament layer quaternary structure on the biological properties of tau and other amyloid filaments is not known, the applications for samples of this morphology are presently uncertain. We further demonstrate the variation in the proportion of PHFs and PHF-like fibrils compared to other morphologies as a function of shaking time and AD polymorph-favoring cofactor concentration. This variation in polymorph abundance, even under identical experimental conditions, highlights the variation that can arise both within a lab and in different laboratory settings when reconstituting specific fibril polymorphs in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calina Glynn
- Department
of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Harvard
Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Joshua E. Chun
- Department
of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Harvard
Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Cameron C. Donahue
- Department
of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Harvard
Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Monica J. S. Nadler
- Department
of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Harvard
Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Zhanyun Fan
- Department
of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Harvard
Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Bradley T. Hyman
- Department
of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Harvard
Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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5
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Li L, Jiang Y, Wu G, Mahaman YAR, Ke D, Wang Q, Zhang B, Wang JZ, Li HL, Liu R, Wang X. Phosphorylation of Truncated Tau Promotes Abnormal Native Tau Pathology and Neurodegeneration. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:6183-6199. [PMID: 35896773 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-02972-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal posttranslational modifications of tau play important roles in mediating neurodegeneration in tauopathies including Alzheimer's disease. Both phosphorylation and truncation are implicated in the pathogenesis of tauopathies. However, whether phosphorylation aggravates truncated tau-induced pathology and neurodegeneration remains elusive. Here, we construct different tau fragments cleaved by delta secretase, with either phosphorylation or non-phosphorylation mimic mutations, and evaluate the contributions of phosphorylation to truncated tau-induced pathological and behavioral alterations in vitro and in vivo through biochemical methods including detergent insoluble tau extraction, western blot, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, and behavior tests. Our results show that the self-aggregation of phospho-truncated tau is significantly influenced by the domain it contains. N-terminal inhibits, proline-rich domain promotes, and C-terminus have no impact on phospho-truncated tau aggregation. Phosphorylation of truncated tau1-368, which contains the microtubule-binding repeat domain and the proline-rich domain, induces endogenous tau phosphorylation and aggregation. In vivo, phospho-tau1-368 but not non-phospho-tau1-368 leads to a decrease in body weight of C57BL/6 J mice. Intriguingly, although tau1-368-induced anxiety behavior in C57BL/6 J mice is phosphorylation-independent, the recognition memory of mice is impaired by phospho-tau1-368, but not by non-phospho-tau1-368. Immunofluorescence staining shows that overexpressing phospho-tau1-368 results in neuronal loss and gliosis in the hippocampus, while the transmission of tau1-368 is phosphorylation-independent as revealed by the flow cytometry results in vitro and immunofluorescence staining in vivo. Our findings indicate that phosphorylation of truncated tau significantly fosters endogenous tau pathology and neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longfei Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry/Hubei Province of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Yanli Jiang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry/Hubei Province of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Gang Wu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry/Hubei Province of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Yacoubou Abdoul Razak Mahaman
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry/Hubei Province of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Dan Ke
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry/Hubei Province of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Qun Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry/Hubei Province of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry/Hubei Province of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Jian-Zhi Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry/Hubei Province of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
- Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, JS, China
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Jianghan University, Wuhan, 430056, China
| | - Hong-Lian Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry/Hubei Province of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Rong Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry/Hubei Province of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
| | - Xiaochuan Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry/Hubei Province of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, JS, China.
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Jianghan University, Wuhan, 430056, China.
- Shenzhen Huazhong University of Science and Technology Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518000, China.
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6
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Hromadkova L, Siddiqi MK, Liu H, Safar JG. Populations of Tau Conformers Drive Prion-like Strain Effects in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias. Cells 2022; 11:2997. [PMID: 36230957 PMCID: PMC9562632 DOI: 10.3390/cells11192997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent findings of diverse populations of prion-like conformers of misfolded tau protein expand the prion concept to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and monogenic frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD)-MAPT P301L, and suggest that distinct strains of misfolded proteins drive the phenotypes and progression rates in many neurodegenerative diseases. Notable progress in the previous decades has generated many lines of proof arguing that yeast, fungal, and mammalian prions determine heritable as well as infectious traits. The extraordinary phenotypic diversity of human prion diseases arises from structurally distinct prion strains that target, at different progression speeds, variable brain structures and cells. Although human prion research presents beneficial lessons and methods to study the mechanism of strain diversity of protein-only pathogens, the fundamental molecular mechanism by which tau conformers are formed and replicate in diverse tauopathies is still poorly understood. In this review, we summarize up to date advances in identification of diverse tau conformers through biophysical and cellular experimental paradigms, and the impact of heterogeneity of pathological tau strains on personalized structure- and strain-specific therapeutic approaches in major tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Hromadkova
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | | | - He Liu
- Department of Nutrition, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Jiri G. Safar
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Department of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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7
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Maina MB, Al-Hilaly YK, Oakley S, Burra G, Khanom T, Biasetti L, Mengham K, Marshall K, Harrington CR, Wischik CM, Serpell LC. Dityrosine Cross-links are Present in Alzheimer's Disease-derived Tau Oligomers and Paired Helical Filaments (PHF) which Promotes the Stability of the PHF-core Tau (297-391) In Vitro. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167785. [PMID: 35961386 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A characteristic hallmark of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the pathological aggregation and deposition of tau into paired helical filaments (PHF) in neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Oxidative stress is an early event during AD pathogenesis and is associated with tau-mediated AD pathology. Oxidative environments can result in the formation of covalent dityrosine crosslinks that can increase protein stability and insolubility. Dityrosine cross-linking has been shown in Aβ plaques in AD and α-synuclein aggregates in Lewy bodies in ex vivo tissue sections, and this modification may increase the insolubility of these aggregates and their resistance to degradation. Using the PHF-core tau fragment (residues 297 - 391) as a model, we have previously demonstrated that dityrosine formation traps tau assemblies to reduce further elongation. However, it is unknown whether dityrosine crosslinks are found in tau deposits in vivo in AD and its relevance to disease mechanism is unclear. Here, using transmission electron microscope (TEM) double immunogold-labelling, we reveal that neurofibrillary NFTs in AD are heavily decorated with dityrosine crosslinks alongside tau. Single immunogold-labelling TEM and fluorescence spectroscopy revealed the presence of dityrosine on AD brain-derived tau oligomers and fibrils. Using the tau (297-391) PHF-core fragment as a model, we further showed that prefibrillar tau species are more amenable to dityrosine crosslinking than tau fibrils. Dityrosine formation results in heat and SDS stability of oxidised prefibrillar and fibrillar tau assemblies. This finding has implications for understanding the mechanism governing the insolubility and toxicity of tau assemblies in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud B Maina
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex UK; Biomedical Science Research and Training Centre, Yobe State University, Nigeria. https://twitter.com/mahmoudbukar
| | - Youssra K Al-Hilaly
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex UK; Chemistry Department, College of Sciences, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Sebastian Oakley
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex UK
| | - Gunasekhar Burra
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex UK; Analytical Development Biologics, Biopharmaceutical Development, Syngene International Limited, Biocon Park, Bommasandra Jigani Link Road, Bangalore 560009, India
| | - Tahmida Khanom
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex UK
| | - Luca Biasetti
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex UK
| | - Kurtis Mengham
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex UK
| | - Karen Marshall
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex UK
| | - Charles R Harrington
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, UK; TauRx Therapeutics Ltd, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Claude M Wischik
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, UK; TauRx Therapeutics Ltd, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Louise C Serpell
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex UK.
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8
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Lyu C, Da Vela S, Al-Hilaly Y, Marshall KE, Thorogate R, Svergun D, Serpell LC, Pastore A, Hanger DP. The Disease Associated Tau35 Fragment has an Increased Propensity to Aggregate Compared to Full-Length Tau. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:779240. [PMID: 34778381 PMCID: PMC8581542 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.779240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau35 is a truncated form of tau found in human brain in a subset of tauopathies. Tau35 expression in mice recapitulates key features of human disease, including progressive increase in tau phosphorylation, along with cognitive and motor dysfunction. The appearance of aggregated tau suggests that Tau35 may have structural properties distinct from those of other tau species that could account for its pathological role in disease. To address this hypothesis, we performed a structural characterization of monomeric and aggregated Tau35 and compared the results to those of two longer isoforms, 2N3R and 2N4R tau. We used small angle X-ray scattering to show that Tau35, 2N3R and 2N4R tau all behave as disordered monomeric species but Tau35 exhibits higher rigidity. In the presence of the poly-anion heparin, Tau35 increases thioflavin T fluorescence significantly faster and to a greater extent than full-length tau, demonstrating a higher propensity to aggregate. By using atomic force microscopy, circular dichroism, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray fiber diffraction, we provide evidence that Tau35 aggregation is mechanistically and morphologically similar to previously reported tau fibrils but they are more densely packed. These data increase our understanding of the aggregation inducing properties of clinically relevant tau fragments and their potentially damaging role in the pathogenesis of human tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Lyu
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stefano Da Vela
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg Site, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Youssra Al-Hilaly
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Karen E. Marshall
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Thorogate
- London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dmitri Svergun
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg Site, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Louise C. Serpell
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Annalisa Pastore
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Diane P. Hanger
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
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9
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Tau Is Truncated in Five Regions of the Normal Adult Human Brain. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22073521. [PMID: 33805376 PMCID: PMC8036332 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22073521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The truncation of Tau is thought to be important in promoting aggregation, with this feature characterising the pathology of dementias such as Alzheimer disease. Antibodies to the C-terminal and N-terminal regions of Tau were employed to examine Tau cleavage in five human brain regions: the entorhinal cortex, prefrontal cortex, motor cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum. These were obtained from normal subjects ranging in age from 18 to 104 years. Tau fragments of approximately 40 kDa and 45 kDa with an intact N-terminus retained were found in soluble and insoluble brain fractions. In addition, smaller C-terminal Tau fragments ranging in mass from 17 kDa to 25 kDa were also detected. These findings are consistent with significant Tau cleavage taking place in brain regions from 18 years onwards. It appears that site-specific cleavage of Tau is widespread in the normal human brain, and that large Tau fragments that contain the N-terminus, as well as shorter C-terminal Tau fragments, are present in brain cells across the age range.
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10
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Maina MB, Al-Hilaly YK, Burra G, Rickard JE, Harrington CR, Wischik CM, Serpell LC. Oxidative Stress Conditions Result in Trapping of PHF-Core Tau (297-391) Intermediates. Cells 2021; 10:cells10030703. [PMID: 33809978 PMCID: PMC8005035 DOI: 10.3390/cells10030703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The self-assembly of tau into paired helical filaments (PHFs) in neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) is a significant event in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. Numerous post-translational modifications enhance or inhibit tau assembly into NFTs. Oxidative stress, which accompanies AD, induces multiple post-translational modifications in proteins, including the formation of dityrosine (DiY) cross-links. Previous studies have revealed that metal-catalysed oxidation (MCO) using Cu2+ and H2O2 leads to the formation of DiY cross-links in two misfolding proteins, Aβ and α-synuclein, associated with AD and Parkinson's disease respectively. The effect of MCO on tau remains unknown. Here, we examined the effect of MCO and ultra-violet oxidation to study the influence of DiY cross-linking on the self-assembly of the PHF-core tau fragment. We report that DiY cross-linking facilitates tau assembly into tau oligomers that fail to bind thioflavin S, lack β-sheet structure and prevents their elongation into filaments. At a higher concentration, Cu2+ (without H2O2) also facilitates the formation of these tau oligomers. The DiY cross-linked tau oligomers do not cause cell death. Our findings suggest that DiY cross-linking of pre-assembled tau promotes the formation of soluble tau oligomers that show no acute impact on cell viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud B. Maina
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK; (M.B.M.); (Y.K.A.-H.); (G.B.)
- College of Medical Sciences, Yobe State University, Damaturu P.M.B. 1144, Nigeria
| | - Youssra K. Al-Hilaly
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK; (M.B.M.); (Y.K.A.-H.); (G.B.)
- Chemistry Department, College of Sciences, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Gunasekhar Burra
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK; (M.B.M.); (Y.K.A.-H.); (G.B.)
- Analytical Research and Development, Pharma Division, Biological E. Limited, Genome Valley, IKP-Shameerpet, Hyderabad 500 078, Telangana, India
| | - Janet E. Rickard
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZP, UK; (J.E.R.); (C.R.H.); (C.M.W.)
| | - Charles R. Harrington
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZP, UK; (J.E.R.); (C.R.H.); (C.M.W.)
- TauRx Therapeutics Ltd., Aberdeen AB24 5RP, UK
| | - Claude M. Wischik
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZP, UK; (J.E.R.); (C.R.H.); (C.M.W.)
- TauRx Therapeutics Ltd., Aberdeen AB24 5RP, UK
| | - Louise C. Serpell
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK; (M.B.M.); (Y.K.A.-H.); (G.B.)
- Correspondence:
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Lemke N, Melis V, Lauer D, Magbagbeolu M, Neumann B, Harrington CR, Riedel G, Wischik CM, Theuring F, Schwab K. Differential compartmental processing and phosphorylation of pathogenic human tau and native mouse tau in the line 66 model of frontotemporal dementia. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:18508-18523. [PMID: 33127647 PMCID: PMC7939472 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.014890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Synapse loss is associated with motor and cognitive decline in multiple neurodegenerative disorders, and the cellular redistribution of tau is related to synaptic impairment in tauopathies, such as Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia. Here, we examined the cellular distribution of tau protein species in human tau overexpressing line 66 mice, a transgenic mouse model akin to genetic variants of frontotemporal dementia. Line 66 mice express intracellular tau aggregates in multiple brain regions and exhibit sensorimotor and motor learning deficiencies. Using a series of anti-tau antibodies, we observed, histologically, that nonphosphorylated transgenic human tau is enriched in synapses, whereas phosphorylated tau accumulates predominantly in cell bodies and axons. Subcellular fractionation confirmed that human tau is highly enriched in insoluble cytosolic and synaptosomal fractions, whereas endogenous mouse tau is virtually absent from synapses. Cytosolic tau was resistant to solubilization with urea and Triton X-100, indicating the formation of larger tau aggregates. By contrast, synaptic tau was partially soluble after Triton X-100 treatment and most likely represents aggregates of smaller size. MS corroborated that synaptosomal tau is nonphosphorylated. Tau enriched in the synapse of line 66 mice, therefore, appears to be in an oligomeric and nonphosphorylated state, and one that could have a direct impact on cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Lemke
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und-prüfung, Berlin, Germany
| | - Valeria Melis
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Boris Neumann
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Proteome Factory AG, Berlin, Germany
| | - Charles R Harrington
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom; TauRx Therapeutics Ltd., Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Gernot Riedel
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Claude M Wischik
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom; TauRx Therapeutics Ltd., Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | | | - Karima Schwab
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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12
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Oakley SS, Maina MB, Marshall KE, Al-Hilaly YK, Harrington CR, Wischik CM, Serpell LC. Tau Filament Self-Assembly and Structure: Tau as a Therapeutic Target. Front Neurol 2020; 11:590754. [PMID: 33281730 PMCID: PMC7688747 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.590754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau plays an important pathological role in a group of neurodegenerative diseases called tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease, Pick's disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy and corticobasal degeneration. In each disease, tau self-assembles abnormally to form filaments that deposit in the brain. Tau is a natively unfolded protein that can adopt distinct structures in different pathological disorders. Cryo-electron microscopy has recently provided a series of structures for the core of the filaments purified from brain tissue from patients with different tauopathies and revealed that they share a common core region, while differing in their specific conformation. This structurally resolvable part of the core is contained within a proteolytically stable core region from the repeat domain initially isolated from AD tau filaments. Tau has recently become an important target for therapy. Recent work has suggested that the prevention of tau self-assembly may be effective in slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Here we review the work that explores the importance of tau filament structures and tau self-assembly mechanisms, as well as examining model systems that permit the exploration of the mode of action of potential inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian S. Oakley
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Mahmoud B. Maina
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
- College of Medical Sciences, Yobe State University, Damaturu, Nigeria
| | - Karen E. Marshall
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Youssra K. Al-Hilaly
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
- Chemistry Department, College of Science, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Charlie R. Harrington
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- TauRx Therapeutics Ltd., Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Claude M. Wischik
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- TauRx Therapeutics Ltd., Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Louise C. Serpell
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
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