The phosphorylation of Hsp20 enhances its association with amyloid-β to increase protection against neuronal cell death

Beta-amyloid interacts with and activates the long-form phosphodiesterase PDE4D5 in neuronal cells to reduce cAMP availability

Inhibition of the cyclic-AMP degrading enzyme phosphodiesterase type 4 (PDE4) in the brains of animal models is protective in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We show for the first time that enzymes from the subfamily PDE4D not only colocalize with beta-amyloid (Aβ) plaques in a mouse model of AD but that Aβ directly associates with the catalytic machinery of the enzyme. Peptide mapping suggests that PDE4D is the preferential PDE4 subfamily for Aβ as it possesses a unique binding site. Intriguingly, exogenous addition of Aβ to cells overexpressing the PDE4D5 longform caused PDE4 activation and a decrease in cAMP. We suggest a novel mechanism where PDE4 longforms can be activated by Aβ, resulting in the attenuation of cAMP signalling to promote loss of cognitive function in AD.

Insights on Human Small Heat Shock Proteins and Their Alterations in Diseases

The family of the human small Heat Shock Proteins (HSPBs) consists of ten members of chaperones (HSPB1-HSPB10), characterized by a low molecular weight and capable of dimerization and oligomerization forming large homo- or hetero-complexes. All HSPBs possess a highly conserved centrally located α-crystallin domain and poorly conserved N- and C-terminal domains. The main feature of HSPBs is to exert cytoprotective functions by preserving proteostasis, assuring the structural maintenance of the cytoskeleton and acting in response to cellular stresses and apoptosis. HSPBs take part in cell homeostasis by acting as holdases, which is the ability to interact with a substrate preventing its aggregation. In addition, HSPBs cooperate in substrates refolding driven by other chaperones or, alternatively, promote substrate routing to degradation. Notably, while some HSPBs are ubiquitously expressed, others show peculiar tissue-specific expression. Cardiac muscle, skeletal muscle and neurons show high expression levels for a wide variety of HSPBs. Indeed, most of the mutations identified in HSPBs are associated to cardiomyopathies, myopathies, and motor neuropathies. Instead, mutations in HSPB4 and HSPB5, which are also expressed in lens, have been associated with cataract. Mutations of HSPBs family members encompass base substitutions, insertions, and deletions, resulting in single amino acid substitutions or in the generation of truncated or elongated proteins. This review will provide an updated overview of disease-related mutations in HSPBs focusing on the structural and biochemical effects of mutations and their functional consequences.

Small heat shock proteins in neurodegenerative diseases

Small heat shock proteins are ubiquitously expressed chaperones, yet mutations in some of them cause tissue-specific diseases. Here, we will discuss how small heat shock proteins give rise to neurodegenerative disorders themselves while we will also highlight how these proteins can fulfil protective functions in neurodegenerative disorders caused by protein aggregation. The first half of this paper will be focused on how mutations in HSPB1, HSPB3, and HSPB8 are linked to inherited peripheral neuropathies like Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease and distal hereditary motor neuropathy (dHMN). The second part of the paper will discuss how small heat shock proteins are linked to neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's disease.

Amyloid-β oligomerization monitored by single-molecule stepwise photobleaching

•

Method enables investigation of amyloid-β oligomer stoichiometry without requiring extrinsic fluorescent probes.

•

Uses single-molecule stepwise photobleaching in vitro.

•

Unveils heterogeneity within populations of oligomers.

•

Assays oligomer-induced dysregulation of intracellular Ca²⁺ homeostasis in living cells.

A major hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease is the misfolding and aggregation of the amyloid- β peptide (Aβ). While early research pointed towards large fibrillar- and plaque-like aggregates as being the most toxic species, recent evidence now implicates small soluble Aβ oligomers as being orders of magnitude more harmful. Techniques capable of characterizing oligomer stoichiometry and assembly are thus critical for a deeper understanding of the earliest stages of neurodegeneration and for rationally testing next-generation oligomer inhibitors. While the fluorescence response of extrinsic fluorescent probes such as Thioflavin-T have become workhorse tools for characterizing large Aβ aggregates in solution, it is widely accepted that these methods suffer from many important drawbacks, including an insensitivity to oligomeric species. Here, we integrate several biophysics techniques to gain new insight into oligomer formation at the single-molecule level. We showcase single-molecule stepwise photobleaching of fluorescent dye molecules as a powerful method to bypass many of the traditional limitations, and provide a step-by-step guide to implementing the technique in vitro. By collecting fluorescence emission from single Aβ(1–42) peptides labelled at the N-terminal position with HiLyte Fluor 555 via wide-field total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) imaging, we demonstrate how to characterize the number of peptides per single immobile oligomer and reveal heterogeneity within sample populations. Importantly, fluorescence emerging from Aβ oligomers cannot be easily investigated using diffraction-limited optical microscopy tools. To assay oligomer activity, we also demonstrate the implementation of another biophysical method involving the ratiometric imaging of Fura-2-AM loaded cells which quantifies the rate of oligomer-induced dysregulation of intracellular Ca²⁺ homeostasis. We anticipate that the integrated single-molecule biophysics approaches highlighted here will develop further and in principle may be extended to the investigation of other protein aggregation systems under controlled experimental conditions.

Role of cyclic nucleotides and their downstream signaling cascades in memory function: Being at the right time at the right spot

A plethora of studies indicate the important role of cAMP and cGMP cascades in neuronal plasticity and memory function. As a result, altered cyclic nucleotide signaling has been implicated in the pathophysiology of mnemonic dysfunction encountered in several diseases. In the present review we provide a wide overview of studies regarding the involvement of cyclic nucleotides, as well as their upstream and downstream molecules, in physiological and pathological mnemonic processes. Next, we discuss the regulation of the intracellular concentration of cyclic nucleotides via phosphodiesterases, the enzymes that degrade cAMP and/or cGMP, and via A-kinase-anchoring proteins that refine signal compartmentalization of cAMP signaling. We also provide an overview of the available data pointing to the existence of specific time windows in cyclic nucleotide signaling during neuroplasticity and memory formation and the significance to target these specific time phases for improving memory formation. Finally, we highlight the importance of emerging imaging tools like Förster resonance energy transfer imaging and optogenetics in detecting, measuring and manipulating the action of cyclic nucleotide signaling cascades.

Small Heat Shock Proteins and Human Neurodegenerative Diseases

The review discusses the role of small heat shock proteins (sHsps) in human neurodegenerative disorders, such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and different forms of tauopathies. The effects of CMT-associated mutations in two small heat shock proteins (HspB1 and HspB8) on the protein stability, oligomeric structure, and chaperone-like activity are described. Mutations in HspB1 shift the equilibrium between different protein oligomeric forms, leading to the alterations in its chaperone-like activity and interaction with protein partners, which can induce damage of the cytoskeleton and neuronal death. Mutations in HspB8 affect its interaction with the adapter protein Bag3, as well as the process of autophagy, also resulting in neuronal death. The impact of sHsps on different forms of amyloidosis is discussed. Experimental studies have shown that sHsps interact with monomers or small oligomers of amyloidogenic proteins, stabilize their structure, prevent their aggregation, and/or promote their specific proteolytic degradation. This effect might be due to the interaction between the β-strands of sHsps and β-strands of target proteins, which prevents aggregation of the latter. In cooperation with the other heat shock proteins, sHsps can promote disassembly of oligomers formed by amyloidogenic proteins. Despite significant achievements, further investigations are required for understanding the role of sHsps in protection against various neurodegenerative diseases.

Small Heat Shock Proteins, Big Impact on Protein Aggregation in Neurodegenerative Disease

Misfolding, aggregation, and aberrant accumulation of proteins are central components in the progression of neurodegenerative disease. Cellular molecular chaperone systems modulate proteostasis, and, therefore, are primed to influence aberrant protein-induced neurotoxicity and disease progression. Molecular chaperones have a wide range of functions from facilitating proper nascent folding and refolding to degradation or sequestration of misfolded substrates. In disease states, molecular chaperones can display protective or aberrant effects, including the promotion and stabilization of toxic protein aggregates. This seems to be dependent on the aggregating protein and discrete chaperone interaction. Small heat shock proteins (sHsps) are a class of molecular chaperones that typically associate early with misfolded proteins. These interactions hold proteins in a reversible state that helps facilitate refolding or degradation by other chaperones and co-factors. These sHsp interactions require dynamic oligomerization state changes in response to diverse cellular triggers and, unlike later steps in the chaperone cascade of events, are ATP-independent. Here, we review evidence for modulation of neurodegenerative disease-relevant protein aggregation by sHsps. This includes data supporting direct physical interactions and potential roles of sHsps in the stewardship of pathological protein aggregates in brain. A greater understanding of the mechanisms of sHsp chaperone activity may help in the development of novel therapeutic strategies to modulate the aggregation of pathological, amyloidogenic proteins. sHsps-targeting strategies including modulators of expression or post-translational modification of endogenous sHsps, small molecules targeted to sHsp domains, and delivery of engineered molecular chaperones, are also discussed.

Search of Neuroprotective Polyphenols Using the "Overlay" Isolation Method

Previous studies of the neuroprotective activity of polyphenols have used ununiform culture systems, making it difficult to compare their neuroprotective potency. We have established a new and simple method for preparing differentiated PC12 cells by removing the toxic coating step. Cells were induced to differentiate with the nerve growth factor (NGF) in a serum-free medium, without a medium change, but with a one-time overlay supplementation of NGF. The optimal inoculation density of the cells was 6–12 × 10³ cells/cm², and the presence of serum inhibited the differentiation. Neuroprotective activity could be quantified by the specific index (SI) value, that is, the ratio of the 50% cytotoxic concentration to the 50% effective concentration. Alkaline extract from the leaves of Sasa senanensis Rehder (SE), having had hormetic growth stimulation, showed the highest SI value, followed by epigallocatechin gallate. The SI value of curcumin and resveratrol was much lower. This simple overly method, that can prepare massive differentiated neuronal cells, may be applicable for the study of the differentiation-associated changes in intracellular metabolites, and the interaction between neuronal cells and physiological factors.

Change in Anticancer Drug Sensitivity During Neuronal Differentiation of PC12 Cells

BACKGROUND/AIM

Although there are many reports of anticancer drug-induced neurotoxicity, most previous data have been derived from neuronal cell models grown in a variety of culture conditions. This has prevented accurate assessment of the potency of their neurotoxicity and of changes in drug sensitivity of neuronal cells during differentiation. In this study, a simple neuronal differentiation induction system was established and the relative potency of neurotoxicity of eight anticancer drugs was compared during neuronal cell differentiation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Rat PC12 cells were induced to differentiate into neuronal cells by 50 ng/ml nerve growth factor in serum-free Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium, followed by overlay of fresh nutrients at day 3, without medium change. Cell viability was determined by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide method.

RESULTS

During differentiation, PC12 cells became 1.1-to more than 10,000-fold resistant to anticancer drugs. Topoisomerase inhibitors (doxorubicin, SN-38, etoposide) were the most toxic to differentiated PC12 cells, followed by docetaxel, gefitinib, melphalan, 5-fluorouracil and methotrexate. Docetaxel showed the highest cytotoxicity against undifferentiated PC12 cells, but its cytotoxicity was dramatically reduced during differentiation.

CONCLUSION

The present study demonstrated considerable variation in the neurotoxicity of anticancer drugs during the cell differentiation process. The present simple assay system may be useful to search for neuroprotective substances.

Change in Anticancer Drug Sensitivity During Neuronal Differentiation of PC12 Cells

BACKGROUND/AIM

Although there are many reports of anticancer drug-induced neurotoxicity, most previous data have been derived from neuronal cell models grown in a variety of culture conditions. This has prevented accurate assessment of the potency of their neurotoxicity and of changes in drug sensitivity of neuronal cells during differentiation. In this study, a simple neuronal differentiation induction system was established and the relative potency of neurotoxicity of eight anticancer drugs was compared during neuronal cell differentiation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Rat PC12 cells were induced to differentiate into neuronal cells by 50 ng/ml nerve growth factor in serum-free Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium, followed by overlay of fresh nutrients at day 3, without medium change. Cell viability was determined by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide method.

RESULTS

During differentiation, PC12 cells became 1.1-to more than 10,000-fold resistant to anticancer drugs. Topoisomerase inhibitors (doxorubicin, SN-38, etoposide) were the most toxic to differentiated PC12 cells, followed by docetaxel, gefitinib, melphalan, 5-fluorouracil and methotrexate. Docetaxel showed the highest cytotoxicity against undifferentiated PC12 cells, but its cytotoxicity was dramatically reduced during differentiation.

CONCLUSION

The present study demonstrated considerable variation in the neurotoxicity of anticancer drugs during the cell differentiation process. The present simple assay system may be useful to search for neuroprotective substances.

Exercise Rehabilitation Attenuates Cognitive Deficits in Rats with Traumatic Brain Injury by Stimulating the Cerebral HSP20/BDNF/TrkB Signalling Axis

Physical exercise (PE) is an effective method for improving cognitive function among patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). We previously demonstrated that PE with an infrared-sensing running wheel (ISRW) system provides strong neuroprotection in an experimental animal model of stroke. In this study, we used fluid percussion injury in rats to simulate mild TBI. For rats, we used both passive avoidance learning and the Y-maze tests to evaluate cognitive function. We investigated whether PE rehabilitation attenuated cognitive deficits in rats with TBI and determined the contribution of hippocampal and cortical expression of heat shock protein 20 (HSP20) to PE-mediated cognitive recovery. In addition to increasing hippocampal and cortical expression of HSP20, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and the tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) ratio, PE rehabilitation significantly attenuated brain contusion and improved cognitive deficits in the rat model. Furthermore, reducing hippocampal and cortical expression of HSP20 with an intracerebral injection of pSUPER hsp20 small interfering RNA significantly diminished the PE-induced overexpression of hippocampal and cortical BDNF and the TrkB ratio and also reversed the beneficial effect of PE in reducing neurotrauma and the cognitive deficits. A positive Pearson correlation was found between HSP20 and BDNF, as well as between HSP20 and TrkB, in the hippocampal and cortical tissues. We thus conclude that post-ischaemic ISRW exercise rehabilitation attenuates cognitive deficits, as well as brain contusions, in TBI rats by stimulating the cerebral HSP20/BDNF/TrkB signalling axis.

The small heat shock proteins, especially HspB4 and HspB5 are promising protectants in neurodegenerative diseases

Small heat shock proteins (sHsps) are a group of proteins with molecular mass between 12 and 43 kDa. Currently, 11 members of this family have been classified, namely HspB1 to HspB11. HspB1, HspB2, HspB5, HspB6, HspB7, and HspB8, which are expressed in brain have been observed to be related to the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Alexander's disease, multiple sclerosis, and human immunodeficiency virus-associated dementia. Specifically, sHsps interact with misfolding and damaging protein aggregates, like Glial fibrillary acidic protein in AxD, β-amyloid peptides aggregates in Alzheimer's disease, Superoxide dismutase 1 in Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and cytosine-adenine-guanine/polyglutamine (CAG/PolyQ) in Huntington's disease, Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, Spinal-bulbar muscular atrophy, to reduce the toxicity or increase the clearance of these protein aggregates. The degree of HspB4 expression in brain is still debated. For neuroprotective mechanisms, sHsps attenuate mitochondrial dysfunctions, reduce accumulation of misfolded proteins, block oxidative/nitrosative stress, and minimize neuronal apoptosis and neuroinflammation, which are molecular mechanisms commonly accepted to mirror the progression and development of neurodegenerative diseases. The increasing incidence of the neurodegenerative diseases enhanced search for effective approaches to rescue neural tissue from degeneration with minimal side effects. sHsps have been found to exert neuroprotective functions. HspB5 has been emphasized to reduce the paralysis in a mouse model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, providing a therapeutic basis for the disease. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of the properties and the mechanisms of protection orchestrated by sHsps in the nervous system, highlighting the promising therapeutic role of sHsps in neurodegenerative diseases.

Re-evaluation of Culture Condition of PC12 and SH-SY5Y Cells Based on Growth Rate and Amino Acid Consumption

BACKGROUND/AIM

Most of the previous investigators have used various types of media for the culture of nerve cells. In order to optimize the culture conditions, we compared the growth rate and amino acid consumption by two popular neuron models, rat PC12 and human SH-SY5Y, grown in DMEM or DMEM: Ham's F-12 (1:1): non-essential amino acids, supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (referred to DMEM and Mix, respectively).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Cell growth was monitored by the MTT method. Amino acids in the culture medium were quantitated by amino acid analysis after deproteinization.

RESULTS

Efficient cell attachment could be achieved even if PC12 cells were inoculated at extreme lower cell density in a non-coated plain dish, without addition of its condition medium. Both PC12 and SH-SY5Y cells proliferated up to slightly higher cell density in DMEM than in Mix. Approximately 2-fold higher utilization rate of glutamine and essential amino acids was observed in DMEM. Amyloid peptides such as Aβ_1-42 and Aβ_25-35 suppressed their growth nearly by 50%.

CONCLUSION

The present study suggests the usefulness of DMEM for the study of searching neuroprotective substances, based on its favorable effects on cell attachment, cell growth and amino acid utilization as well as amyloid peptide sensitivity.

Fucoxanthin, a Marine Carotenoid, Attenuates β-Amyloid Oligomer-Induced Neurotoxicity Possibly via Regulating the PI3K/Akt and the ERK Pathways in SH-SY5Y Cells

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common neurodegenerative disorder, is characterized by neurofibrillary tangles, synaptic impairments, and loss of neurons. Oligomers of β-amyloid (Aβ) are widely accepted as the main neurotoxins to induce oxidative stress and neuronal loss in AD. In this study, we discovered that fucoxanthin, a marine carotenoid with antioxidative stress properties, concentration dependently prevented Aβ oligomer-induced increase of neuronal apoptosis and intracellular reactive oxygen species in SH-SY5Y cells. Aβ oligomers inhibited the prosurvival phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt cascade and activated the proapoptotic extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. Moreover, inhibitors of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) synergistically prevented Aβ oligomer-induced neuronal death, suggesting that the PI3K/Akt and ERK pathways might be involved in Aβ oligomer-induced neurotoxicity. Pretreatment with fucoxanthin significantly prevented Aβ oligomer-induced alteration of the PI3K/Akt and ERK pathways. Furthermore, LY294002 and wortmannin, two PI3K inhibitors, abolished the neuroprotective effects of fucoxanthin against Aβ oligomer-induced neurotoxicity. These results suggested that fucoxanthin might prevent Aβ oligomer-induced neuronal loss and oxidative stress via the activation of the PI3K/Akt cascade as well as inhibition of the ERK pathway, indicating that further studies of fucoxanthin and related compounds might lead to a useful treatment of AD.

Selective inhibition of phosphodiesterases 4, 5 and 9 induces HSP20 phosphorylation and attenuates amyloid beta 1-42-mediated cytotoxicity

Phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors are currently under evaluation as agents that may facilitate the improvement of cognitive impairment associated with Alzheimer's disease. Our aim was to determine whether inhibitors of PDEs 4, 5 and 9 could alleviate the cytotoxic effects of amyloid beta 1–42 (Aβ_1–42) via a mechanism involving the small heatshock protein HSP20. We show that inhibition of PDEs 4, 5 and 9 but not 3 induces the phosphorylation of HSP20 which, in turn, increases the colocalisation between the chaperone and Aβ_1–42 to significantly decrease the toxic effect of the peptide. We conclude that inhibition of PDE9 is most effective to combat Aβ_1–42 cytotoxicity in our cell model.

Morphology-Specific Inhibition of β-Amyloid Aggregates by 17β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 10

A major hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the formation of toxic aggregates of the β-amyloid peptide (Aβ). Given that Aβ peptides are known to localise within mitochondria and interact with 17β-HSD10, a mitochondrial protein expressed at high levels in AD brains, we investigated the inhibitory potential of 17β-HSD10 against Aβ aggregation under a range of physiological conditions. Fluorescence self-quenching (FSQ) of Aβ(1-42) labelled with HiLyte Fluor 555 was used to evaluate the inhibitory effect under conditions established to grow distinct Aβ morphologies. 17β-HSD10 preferentially inhibits the formation of globular and fibrillar-like structures but has no effect on the growth of amorphous plaque-like aggregates at endosomal pH 6. This work provides insights into the dependence of the Aβ-17β-HSD10 interaction with the morphology of Aβ aggregates and how this impacts enzymatic function.

Molecular chaperones and neuronal proteostasis

Protein homeostasis (proteostasis) is essential for maintaining the functionality of the proteome. The disruption of proteostasis, due to genetic mutations or an age-related decline, leads to aberrantly folded proteins that typically lose their function. The accumulation of misfolded and aggregated protein is also cytotoxic and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Neurons have developed an intrinsic protein quality control network, of which molecular chaperones are an essential component. Molecular chaperones function to promote efficient folding and target misfolded proteins for refolding or degradation. Increasing molecular chaperone expression can suppress protein aggregation and toxicity in numerous models of neurodegenerative disease; therefore, molecular chaperones are considered exciting therapeutic targets. Furthermore, mutations in several chaperones cause inherited neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we focus on the importance of molecular chaperones in neurodegenerative diseases, and discuss the advances in understanding their protective mechanisms.