1
|
Francis JS, Nguyen Q, Markov V, Leone P. Over-expression of N-acetylaspartate synthase exacerbates pathological energetic deficit and accelerates cognitive decline in the 5xFAD mouse. J Neurochem 2024; 168:69-82. [PMID: 38178803 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.16044] [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] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
N-acetylaspartate (NAA) is an abundant central nervous system amino acid derivative that is tightly coupled to mitochondria and energy metabolism in neurons. A reduced NAA signature is a prominent early pathological biomarker in multiple neurodegenerative diseases and becomes progressively more pronounced as disease advances. Because NAA synthesis requires aspartate drawn directly from mitochondria, we argued that this process is in direct competition with oxidative phosphorylation for substrate and that sustained high levels of NAA synthesis would be incompatible with pathological energy crisis. We show here that over-expression of the rate-limiting NAA synthetic enzyme in the hippocampus of the 5x familial Alzheimer's disease (5xFAD) mouse results in an exaggerated pathological ATP deficit and accelerated cognitive decline. Over-expression of NAA synthase did not increase amyloid burden or result in cell loss but did significantly deplete mitochondrial aspartate and impair the ability of mitochondria to oxidize glutamate for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis. These results define NAA as a sink for energetic substrate and suggest initial pathological reductions in NAA are part of a response to energetic crisis designed to preserve substrate bioavailability for mitochondrial ATP synthesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy S Francis
- Cell & Gene Therapy Center, Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, New Jersey, USA
| | - Quy Nguyen
- Cell & Gene Therapy Center, Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, New Jersey, USA
| | - Vladimir Markov
- Cell & Gene Therapy Center, Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, New Jersey, USA
| | - Paola Leone
- Cell & Gene Therapy Center, Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, New Jersey, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wu YH, Hsieh HL. Effects of Redox Homeostasis and Mitochondrial Damage on Alzheimer's Disease. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1816. [PMID: 37891895 PMCID: PMC10604635 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12101816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Bioenergetic mitochondrial dysfunction is a common feature of several diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), where redox imbalance also plays an important role in terms of disease development. AD is an age-related disease and begins many years before the appearance of neurodegenerative symptoms. Intracellular tau aggregation, extracellular β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition in the brain, and even the APOE4 genotype contribute to the process of AD by impairing redox homeostasis and mitochondrial dysfunction. This review summarizes the evidence for the redox imbalance and mitochondrial dysfunction in AD and demonstrates the current therapeutic strategies related to mitochondrial maintenance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Hsuan Wu
- Research Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine, College of Human Ecology, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan or
| | - Hsi-Lung Hsieh
- Research Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine, College of Human Ecology, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan or
- Department of Nursing, Division of Basic Medical Sciences, Graduate Institute of Health Industry Technology, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
- Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Doty M, Yun S, Wang Y, Hu M, Cassidy M, Hall B, Kulkarni AB. Integrative multiomic analyses of dorsal root ganglia in diabetic neuropathic pain using proteomics, phospho-proteomics, and metabolomics. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17012. [PMID: 36220867 PMCID: PMC9553906 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21394-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is characterized by spontaneous pain in the extremities. Incidence of DPN continues to rise with the global diabetes epidemic. However, there remains a lack of safe, effective analgesics to control this chronic painful condition. Dorsal root ganglia (DRG) contain soma of sensory neurons and modulate sensory signal transduction into the central nervous system. In this study, we aimed to gain a deeper understanding of changes in molecular pathways in the DRG of DPN patients with chronic pain. We recently reported transcriptomic changes in the DRG with DPN. Here, we expand upon those results with integrated metabolomic, proteomic, and phospho-proteomic analyses to compare the molecular profiles of DRG from DPN donors and DRG from control donors without diabetes or chronic pain. Our analyses identified decreases of select amino acids and phospholipid metabolites in the DRG from DPN donors, which are important for cellular maintenance. Additionally, our analyses revealed changes suggestive of extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and altered mRNA processing. These results reveal new insights into changes in the molecular profiles associated with DPN.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Megan Doty
- Functional Genomics Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Sijung Yun
- Predictiv Care, Inc, Mountain View, CA, 94040, USA
| | - Yan Wang
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Minghan Hu
- Functional Genomics Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Margaret Cassidy
- Functional Genomics Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Bradford Hall
- Functional Genomics Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Ashok B Kulkarni
- Functional Genomics Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Chino K, Izuo N, Noike H, Uno K, Kuboyama T, Tohda C, Muramatsu SI, Nitta A. Shati/Nat8l Overexpression Improves Cognitive Decline by Upregulating Neuronal Trophic Factor in Alzheimer's Disease Model Mice. Neurochem Res 2022; 47:2805-2814. [PMID: 35759136 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-022-03649-2] [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] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a type of dementia characterized by the deposition of amyloid β, a causative protein of AD, in the brain. Shati/Nat8l, identified as a psychiatric disease related molecule, is a responsive enzyme of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) synthesis. In the hippocampi of AD patients and model mice, the NAA content and Shati/Nat8l expression were reported to be reduced. Having recently clarified the involvement of Shati/Nat8l in cognitive function, we examined the recovery effect of the hippocampal overexpression of Shati/Nat8l in AD model mice (5XFAD). Shati/Nat8l overexpression suppressed cognitive dysfunction without affecting the Aβ burden or number of NeuN-positive neurons. In addition, brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA was upregulated by Shati/Nat8l overexpression in 5XFAD mice. These results suggest that Shati/Nat8l overexpression prevents cognitive dysfunction in 5XFAD mice, indicating that Shati/Nat8l could be a therapeutic target for AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kakeru Chino
- Department of Pharmaceutical Therapy and Neuropharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan
| | - Naotaka Izuo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Therapy and Neuropharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Noike
- Department of Pharmaceutical Therapy and Neuropharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan
| | - Kyosuke Uno
- Department of Pharmaceutical Therapy and Neuropharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Setsunan University, Hirakata-shi, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tomoharu Kuboyama
- Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Daiichi University of Pharmacy, 22-1 Tamagawa-cho, Minami-ku, Fukuoka, 815-8511, Japan
| | - Chihiro Tohda
- Section of Neuromedical Science, Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, Sugitani 2630, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Muramatsu
- Division of Neurological Gene Therapy, Open Innovation Center, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, 329-0498, Japan
- Center for Gene and Cell Therapy, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
| | - Atsumi Nitta
- Department of Pharmaceutical Therapy and Neuropharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Li T, Li X, Huang X, Yu H, Li S, Zhang Z, Xie Y, Song X, Liu J, Yang X, Liu G. Mitochondriomics reveals the underlying neuroprotective mechanism of TrkB receptor agonist R13 in the 5×FAD mice. Neuropharmacology 2022; 204:108899. [PMID: 34838815 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Decreased energy metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis defects are implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In present study, mitochondriomics analysis revealed significant effects of R13, a prodrug of 7,8-dihydroxyflavone, on mitochondrial protein expression profile, including the proteins related to the biological processes: fatty acid beta-oxidation, fatty acid metabolic process, mitochondrial electron transport, and mitochondrial respiratory chain. Cluster analysis demonstrated that R13 promoted mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). The functional analysis showed that R13 increased ATP levels and enhanced OXPHOS including complex Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ. R13 treatment increased mitochondrial biogenesis by regulating the levels of p-AMPKα, p-CREB, PGC-1α, NRF1 and TFAM as a consequence of activation of TrkB receptor in the 5 × FAD mice. Finally, R13 significantly reduced the levels of tau phosphorylation and Aβ plaque. Our data suggest that R13 may be used for treating AD via enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis and metabolism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- 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, China
| | - Xiao Li
- Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Shenzhen, Shenzhen Medical Key Discipline of Health Toxicology (2020-2024), Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, 518055, China; Department of Pathology, Wuhan No. 1 Hospital, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Xi Huang
- Department of Neurology,The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University (Shenzhen People's Hospital), Shenzhen, 518020, China; The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hao Yu
- Shenzhen Polytechnic, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Shupeng Li
- School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Zaijun Zhang
- Institute of New Drug Research and Guangzhou, Key Laboratory of Innovative Chemical Drug Research in Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases, Jinan University College of Pharmacy, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Yongmei Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiangrong Song
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jianjun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Shenzhen, Shenzhen Medical Key Discipline of Health Toxicology (2020-2024), Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Xifei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Shenzhen, Shenzhen Medical Key Discipline of Health Toxicology (2020-2024), Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Gongping Liu
- Department of Pathology, Wuhan No. 1 Hospital, Wuhan, 430022, China; Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, JS, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kowalski R, Pikul P, Lewandowski K, Sakowicz-Burkiewicz M, Pawełczyk T, Zyśk M. The cAMP Inducers Modify N-Acetylaspartate Metabolism in Wistar Rat Brain. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:1404. [PMID: 34573036 PMCID: PMC8466109 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10091404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal N-acetylaspartate production appears in the presence of aspartate N-acetyltransferase (NAT8L) and binds acetyl groups from acetyl-CoA with aspartic acid. Further N-acetylaspartate pathways are still being elucidated, although they seem to involve neuron-glia crosstalk. Together with N-acetylaspartate, NAT8L takes part in oligoglia and astroglia cell maturation, myelin production, and dopamine-dependent brain signaling. Therefore, understanding N-acetylaspartate metabolism is an emergent task in neurobiology. This project used in in vitro and in vivo approaches in order to establish the impact of maturation factors and glial cells on N-acetylaspartate metabolism. Embryonic rat neural stem cells and primary neurons were maturated with either nerve growth factor, trans-retinoic acid or activators of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (dibutyryl-cAMP, forskolin, theophylline). For in vivo, adult male Wistar rats were injected with theophylline (20 mg/kg b.w.) daily for two or eight weeks. Our studies showed that the N-acetylaspartate metabolism differs between primary neurons and neural stem cell cultures. The presence of glia cells protected N-acetylaspartate metabolism from dramatic changes within the maturation processes, which was impossible in the case of pure primary neuron cultures. In the case of differentiation processes, our data points to dibutyryl-cAMP as the most prominent regulator of N-acetylaspartate metabolism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert Kowalski
- University Clinical Center in Gdansk, 80-952 Gdansk, Poland; (R.K.); (K.L.)
| | - Piotr Pikul
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Nephrology, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland;
| | - Krzysztof Lewandowski
- University Clinical Center in Gdansk, 80-952 Gdansk, Poland; (R.K.); (K.L.)
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Monika Sakowicz-Burkiewicz
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland; (M.S.-B.); (T.P.)
| | - Tadeusz Pawełczyk
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland; (M.S.-B.); (T.P.)
| | - Marlena Zyśk
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland; (M.S.-B.); (T.P.)
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Zyśk M, Pikul P, Kowalski R, Lewandowski K, Sakowicz-Burkiewicz M, Pawełczyk T. Neither Excessive Nitric Oxide Accumulation nor Acute Hyperglycemia Affects the N-Acetylaspartate Network in Wistar Rat Brain Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21228541. [PMID: 33198375 PMCID: PMC7697070 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The N-acetylaspartate network begins in neurons with N-acetylaspartate production catalyzed by aspartate N-acetyltransferase from acetyl-CoA and aspartate. Clinical studies reported a significant depletion in N-acetylaspartate brain level in type 1 diabetic patients. The main goal of this study was to establish the impact of either hyperglycemia or oxidative stress on the N-acetylaspartate network. For the in vitro part of the study, embryonic rat primary neurons were treated by using a nitric oxide generator for 24 h followed by 6 days of post-treatment culture, while the neural stem cells were cultured in media with 25–75 mM glucose. For the in vivo part, male adult Wistar rats were injected with streptozotocin (65 mg/kg body weight, ip) to induce hyperglycemia (diabetes model) and euthanized 2 or 8 weeks later. Finally, the biochemical profile, NAT8L protein/Nat8l mRNA levels and enzymatic activity were analyzed. Ongoing oxidative stress processes significantly affected energy metabolism and cholinergic neurotransmission. However, the applied factors did not affect the N-acetylaspartate network. This study shows that reduced N-acetylaspartate level in type 1 diabetes is not related to oxidative stress and that does not trigger N-acetylaspartate network fragility. To reveal why N-acetylaspartate is reduced in this pathology, other processes should be considered.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marlena Zyśk
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland; (M.S.-B.); (T.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-58-349-2770
| | - Piotr Pikul
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Nephrology, Polish Academy of Science, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland; (P.P.); (R.K.)
| | - Robert Kowalski
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Nephrology, Polish Academy of Science, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland; (P.P.); (R.K.)
| | | | - Monika Sakowicz-Burkiewicz
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland; (M.S.-B.); (T.P.)
| | - Tadeusz Pawełczyk
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland; (M.S.-B.); (T.P.)
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Zyśk M, Sakowicz-Burkiewicz M, Pikul P, Kowalski R, Michno A, Pawełczyk T. The Impact of Acetyl-CoA and Aspartate Shortages on the N-Acetylaspartate Level in Different Models of Cholinergic Neurons. Antioxidants (Basel) 2020; 9:antiox9060522. [PMID: 32545833 PMCID: PMC7346116 DOI: 10.3390/antiox9060522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
N-acetylaspartate is produced by neuronal aspartate N-acetyltransferase (NAT8L) from acetyl-CoA and aspartate. In cholinergic neurons, acetyl-CoA is also utilized in the mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid cycle and in acetylcholine production pathways. While aspartate has to be shared with the malate–aspartate shuttle, another mitochondrial machinery together with the tricarboxylic acid cycle supports the electron transport chain turnover. The main goal of this study was to establish the impact of toxic conditions on N-acetylaspartate production. SN56 cholinergic cells were exposed to either Zn2+ overload or Ca2+ homeostasis dysregulation and male adult Wistar rats’ brains were studied after 2 weeks of challenge with streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemia or daily theophylline treatment. Our results allow us to hypothesize that the cholinergic neurons from brain septum prioritized the acetylcholine over N-acetylaspartate production. This report provides the first direct evidence for Zn2+-dependent suppression of N-acetylaspartate synthesis leading to mitochondrial acetyl-CoA and aspartate shortages. Furthermore, Zn2+ is a direct concentration-dependent inhibitor of NAT8L activity, while Zn2+-triggered oxidative stress is unlikely to be significant in such suppression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marlena Zyśk
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland; (M.S.-B.); (T.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-5834-927-70
| | - Monika Sakowicz-Burkiewicz
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland; (M.S.-B.); (T.P.)
| | - Piotr Pikul
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Nephrology, Mossakowski Medical Research Center, Polish Academy of Science, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland;
- Clinical Laboratory University Clinical Center in Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland;
| | - Robert Kowalski
- Clinical Laboratory University Clinical Center in Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland;
| | - Anna Michno
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-2011 Gdansk, Poland;
| | - Tadeusz Pawełczyk
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland; (M.S.-B.); (T.P.)
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Dysregulation of multiple metabolic networks related to brain transmethylation and polyamine pathways in Alzheimer disease: A targeted metabolomic and transcriptomic study. PLoS Med 2020; 17:e1003012. [PMID: 31978055 PMCID: PMC6980402 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is growing evidence that Alzheimer disease (AD) is a pervasive metabolic disorder with dysregulation in multiple biochemical pathways underlying its pathogenesis. Understanding how perturbations in metabolism are related to AD is critical to identifying novel targets for disease-modifying therapies. In this study, we test whether AD pathogenesis is associated with dysregulation in brain transmethylation and polyamine pathways. METHODS AND FINDINGS We first performed targeted and quantitative metabolomics assays using capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (CE-MS) on brain samples from three groups in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) (AD: n = 17; Asymptomatic AD [ASY]: n = 13; Control [CN]: n = 13) (overall 37.2% female; mean age at death 86.118 ± 9.842 years) in regions both vulnerable and resistant to AD pathology. Using linear mixed-effects models within two primary brain regions (inferior temporal gyrus [ITG] and middle frontal gyrus [MFG]), we tested associations between brain tissue concentrations of 26 metabolites and the following primary outcomes: group differences, Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) (neuritic plaque burden), and Braak (neurofibrillary pathology) scores. We found significant alterations in concentrations of metabolites in AD relative to CN samples, as well as associations with severity of both CERAD and Braak, mainly in the ITG. These metabolites represented biochemical reactions in the (1) methionine cycle (choline: lower in AD, p = 0.003; S-adenosyl methionine: higher in AD, p = 0.005); (2) transsulfuration and glutathione synthesis (cysteine: higher in AD, p < 0.001; reduced glutathione [GSH]: higher in AD, p < 0.001); (3) polyamine synthesis/catabolism (spermidine: higher in AD, p = 0.004); (4) urea cycle (N-acetyl glutamate: lower in AD, p < 0.001); (5) glutamate-aspartate metabolism (N-acetyl aspartate: lower in AD, p = 0.002); and (6) neurotransmitter metabolism (gamma-amino-butyric acid: lower in AD, p < 0.001). Utilizing three Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets, we then examined mRNA expression levels of 71 genes encoding enzymes regulating key reactions within these pathways in the entorhinal cortex (ERC; AD: n = 25; CN: n = 52) and hippocampus (AD: n = 29; CN: n = 56). Complementing our metabolomics results, our transcriptomics analyses also revealed significant alterations in gene expression levels of key enzymatic regulators of biochemical reactions linked to transmethylation and polyamine metabolism. Our study has limitations: our metabolomics assays measured only a small proportion of all metabolites participating in the pathways we examined. Our study is also cross-sectional, limiting our ability to directly test how AD progression may impact changes in metabolite concentrations or differential-gene expression. Additionally, the relatively small number of brain tissue samples may have limited our power to detect alterations in all pathway-specific metabolites and their genetic regulators. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we observed broad dysregulation of transmethylation and polyamine synthesis/catabolism, including abnormalities in neurotransmitter signaling, urea cycle, aspartate-glutamate metabolism, and glutathione synthesis. Our results implicate alterations in cellular methylation potential and increased flux in the transmethylation pathways, increased demand on antioxidant defense mechanisms, perturbations in intermediate metabolism in the urea cycle and aspartate-glutamate pathways disrupting mitochondrial bioenergetics, increased polyamine biosynthesis and breakdown, as well as abnormalities in neurotransmitter metabolism that are related to AD.
Collapse
|
10
|
Sun LL, Yang SL, Sun H, Li WD, Duan SR. Molecular differences in Alzheimer's disease between male and female patients determined by integrative network analysis. J Cell Mol Med 2018; 23:47-58. [PMID: 30394676 PMCID: PMC6307813 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.13852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease and the most common cause of dementia among the elderly. There has been increasing recognition of sex differences in AD prevalence, clinical manifestation, disease course and prognosis. However, there have been few studies on the molecular mechanism underlying these differences. To address this issue, we carried out global gene expression and integrative network analyses based on expression profiles (GSE84422) across 17 cortical regions of 125 individuals with AD. There were few genes that were differentially expressed across the 17 regions between the two sexes, with only four (encoding glutamate metabotropic receptor 2, oestrogen‐related receptor beta, kinesin family member 26B, and aspartoacylase) that were differentially expressed in three regions. A pan‐cortical brain region co‐expression network analysis identified pathways and genes (eg, glycogen synthase kinase 3β) that were significantly associated with clinical characteristics of AD (such as neurofibrillary score) in males only. Similarity analyses between region‐specific networks indicated that male patients exhibited greater variability, especially in the superior parietal lobule, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and occipital visual cortex. A network module analysis revealed an association between clinical traits and crosstalk of sex‐specific modules. An examination of temporal and spatial patterns of sex differences in AD showed that molecular networks were more conserved in females than in males in different cortical regions and at different AD stages. These findings provide insight into critical molecular pathways governing sex differences in AD pathology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lin-Lin Sun
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Song-Lin Yang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Hui Sun
- Pharmaceutical Experiment Teaching Center, College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Wei-Da Li
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Shu-Rong Duan
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
I Amaral A, Hadera MG, Kotter M, Sonnewald U. Oligodendrocytes Do Not Export NAA-Derived Aspartate In Vitro. Neurochem Res 2016; 42:827-837. [PMID: 27394419 PMCID: PMC5357468 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-016-1985-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Revised: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Oligodendroglial cells are known to de-acetylate the N-acetylaspartate (NAA) synthesized and released by neurons and use it for lipid synthesis. However, the role of NAA regarding their intermediary metabolism remains poorly understood. Two hypotheses were proposed regarding the fate of aspartate after being released by de-acetylation: (1) aspartate is metabolized in the mitochondria of oligodendrocyte lineage cells; (2) aspartate is released to the medium. We report here that aspartoacylase mRNA expression increases when primary rat oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) differentiate into mature cells in culture. Moreover, characterising metabolic functions of acetyl coenzyme A and aspartate from NAA catabolism in mature oligodendrocyte cultures after 5 days using isotope-labelled glucose after 5-days of differentiation we found evidence of extensive NAA metabolism. Incubation with [1,6-13C]glucose followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and high performance liquid chromatography analyses of cell extracts and media in the presence and absence of NAA established that the acetate moiety produced by hydrolysis of NAA does not enter mitochondrial metabolism in the form of acetyl coenzyme A. We also resolved the controversy concerning the possible release of aspartate to the medium: aspartate is not released to the medium by oligodendrocytes in amounts detectable by our methods. Therefore we propose that: aspartate released from NAA joins the cytosolic aspartate pool rapidly and takes part in the malate-aspartate shuttle, which transports reducing equivalents from glycolysis into the mitochondria for ATP production and enters the tricarboxylic acid cycle at a slow rate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana I Amaral
- Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Anne McLaren Laboratory and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, West Forvie Building, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Mussie Ghezu Hadera
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Tigray, Ethiopia
| | - Mark Kotter
- Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Anne McLaren Laboratory and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, West Forvie Building, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK.
| | - Ursula Sonnewald
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), PO Box 8905, MTFS, 7491, Trondheim, Norway. .,Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 2100, Denmark.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Iyappan A, Gündel M, Shahid M, Wang J, Li H, Mevissen HT, Müller B, Fluck J, Jirsa V, Domide L, Younesi E, Hofmann-Apitius M. Towards a Pathway Inventory of the Human Brain for Modeling Disease Mechanisms Underlying Neurodegeneration. J Alzheimers Dis 2016; 52:1343-60. [DOI: 10.3233/jad-151178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anandhi Iyappan
- Department of Bioinformatics, Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing (SCAI), Schloss Birlinghoven, Sankt Augustin, Germany
- Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology, Bonn, Germany
| | - Michaela Gündel
- Department of Bioinformatics, Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing (SCAI), Schloss Birlinghoven, Sankt Augustin, Germany
- Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology, Bonn, Germany
| | - Mohammad Shahid
- Population Health Sciences, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Jiali Wang
- University of Luxembourg, Faculty of Science, Technology and Communication, Life Sciences Research Unit, Luxembourg-Limpertsberg, Luxembourg
| | | | - Heinz-Theodor Mevissen
- Department of Bioinformatics, Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing (SCAI), Schloss Birlinghoven, Sankt Augustin, Germany
| | - Bernd Müller
- ZBMED Leibniz Information Centre for Life Sciences, Cologne, Germany
| | - Juliane Fluck
- Department of Bioinformatics, Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing (SCAI), Schloss Birlinghoven, Sankt Augustin, Germany
| | - Viktor Jirsa
- Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France
| | - Lia Domide
- Codemart, Str. Petofi Sandor, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Erfan Younesi
- Department of Bioinformatics, Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing (SCAI), Schloss Birlinghoven, Sankt Augustin, Germany
- Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology, Bonn, Germany
| | - Martin Hofmann-Apitius
- Department of Bioinformatics, Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing (SCAI), Schloss Birlinghoven, Sankt Augustin, Germany
- Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology, Bonn, Germany
| |
Collapse
|