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Gruel R, Bijnens B, Van Den Daele J, Thys S, Willems R, Wuyts D, Van Dam D, Verstraelen P, Verboven R, Roels J, Vandamme N, Mancuso R, Pita‐Almenar JD, De Vos WH. S100A8-enriched microglia populate the brain of tau-seeded and accelerated aging mice. Aging Cell 2024; 23:e14120. [PMID: 38403918 PMCID: PMC11113266 DOI: 10.1111/acel.14120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Long considered to fluctuate between pro- and anti-inflammatory states, it has now become evident that microglia occupy a variegated phenotypic landscape with relevance to aging and neurodegeneration. However, whether specific microglial subsets converge in or contribute to both processes that eventually affect brain function is less clear. To investigate this, we analyzed microglial heterogeneity in a tauopathy mouse model (K18-seeded P301L) and an accelerated aging model (Senescence-Accelerated Mouse-Prone 8, SAMP8) using cellular indexing of transcriptomes and epitopes by sequencing. We found that widespread tau pathology in K18-seeded P301L mice caused a significant change in the number and morphology of microglia, but only a mild overrepresentation of disease-associated microglia. At the cell population-level, we observed a marked upregulation of the calprotectin-encoding genes S100a8 and S100a9. In 9-month-old SAMP8 mice, we identified a unique microglial subpopulation that showed partial similarity with the disease-associated microglia phenotype and was additionally characterized by a high expression of the same calprotectin gene set. Immunostaining for S100A8 revealed that this population was enriched in the hippocampus, correlating with the cognitive impairment observed in this model. However, incomplete colocalization between their residence and markers of neuronal loss suggests regional specificity. Importantly, S100A8-positive microglia were also retrieved in brain biopsies of human AD and tauopathy patients as well as in a biopsy of an aged individual without reported pathology. Thus, the emergence of S100A8-positive microglia portrays a conspicuous commonality between accelerated aging and tauopathy progression, which may have relevance for ensuing brain dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxane Gruel
- Laboratory of Cell Biology & HistologyUniversity of AntwerpWilrijkBelgium
| | - Baukje Bijnens
- Microglia and Inflammation in Neurological Disorders (MIND) Lab, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIBAntwerpBelgium
- Department of Biomedical SciencesUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | | | - Sofie Thys
- Laboratory of Cell Biology & HistologyUniversity of AntwerpWilrijkBelgium
| | - Roland Willems
- Janssen Research and DevelopmentNeuroscience Therapeutic AreaBeerseBelgium
| | - Dirk Wuyts
- Janssen Research and DevelopmentNeuroscience Therapeutic AreaBeerseBelgium
| | - Debby Van Dam
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry & Behaviour, Experimental Neurobiology Unit, Department of Biomedical SciencesUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer CenterUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Peter Verstraelen
- Laboratory of Cell Biology & HistologyUniversity of AntwerpWilrijkBelgium
| | - Rosanne Verboven
- Laboratory of Cell Biology & HistologyUniversity of AntwerpWilrijkBelgium
| | - Jana Roels
- VIB Single Cell Core, VIBGhent‐LeuvenBelgium
- VIB‐UGent Center for Inflammation ResearchGhentBelgium
| | - Niels Vandamme
- VIB Single Cell Core, VIBGhent‐LeuvenBelgium
- VIB‐UGent Center for Inflammation ResearchGhentBelgium
| | - Renzo Mancuso
- Microglia and Inflammation in Neurological Disorders (MIND) Lab, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIBAntwerpBelgium
- Department of Biomedical SciencesUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | | | - Winnok H. De Vos
- Laboratory of Cell Biology & HistologyUniversity of AntwerpWilrijkBelgium
- Antwerp Centre for Advanced MicroscopyUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
- μNEURO research excellence consortiumUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
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2
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Basheer N, Buee L, Brion JP, Smolek T, Muhammadi MK, Hritz J, Hromadka T, Dewachter I, Wegmann S, Landrieu I, Novak P, Mudher A, Zilka N. Shaping the future of preclinical development of successful disease-modifying drugs against Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review of tau propagation models. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2024; 12:52. [PMID: 38576010 PMCID: PMC10993623 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-024-01748-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The transcellular propagation of the aberrantly modified protein tau along the functional brain network is a key hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies. Inoculation-based tau propagation models can recapitulate the stereotypical spread of tau and reproduce various types of tau inclusions linked to specific tauopathy, albeit with varying degrees of fidelity. With this systematic review, we underscore the significance of judicious selection and meticulous functional, biochemical, and biophysical characterization of various tau inocula. Furthermore, we highlight the necessity of choosing suitable animal models and inoculation sites, along with the critical need for validation of fibrillary pathology using confirmatory staining, to accurately recapitulate disease-specific inclusions. As a practical guide, we put forth a framework for establishing a benchmark of inoculation-based tau propagation models that holds promise for use in preclinical testing of disease-modifying drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Basheer
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Luc Buee
- Inserm, CHU Lille, CNRS, LilNCog - Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, University of Lille, 59000, Lille, France.
| | - Jean-Pierre Brion
- Faculty of Medicine, Laboratory of Histology, Alzheimer and Other Tauopathies Research Group (CP 620), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808, Route de Lennik, 1070, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Tomas Smolek
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Muhammad Khalid Muhammadi
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jozef Hritz
- CEITEC Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Hromadka
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ilse Dewachter
- Biomedical Research Institute, BIOMED, Hasselt University, 3500, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Susanne Wegmann
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Isabelle Landrieu
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, 59000, Lille, France
- Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, University of Lille, 59000, Lille, France
| | - Petr Novak
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Amritpal Mudher
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Norbert Zilka
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia.
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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3
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Xu H, Qiu Q, Hu P, Hoxha K, Jang E, O'Reilly M, Kim C, He Z, Marotta N, Changolkar L, Zhang B, Wu H, Schellenberg GD, Kraemer B, Luk KC, Lee EB, Trojanowski JQ, Brunden KR, Lee VMY. MSUT2 regulates tau spreading via adenosinergic signaling mediated ASAP1 pathway in neurons. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:55. [PMID: 38472475 PMCID: PMC10933148 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02703-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Inclusions comprised of microtubule-associated protein tau (tau) are implicated in a group of neurodegenerative diseases, collectively known as tauopathies, that include Alzheimer's disease (AD). The spreading of misfolded tau "seeds" along neuronal networks is thought to play a crucial role in the progression of tau pathology. Consequently, restricting the release or uptake of tau seeds may inhibit the spread of tau pathology and potentially halt the advancement of the disease. Previous studies have demonstrated that the Mammalian Suppressor of Tauopathy 2 (MSUT2), an RNA binding protein, modulates tau pathogenesis in a transgenic mouse model. In this study, we investigated the impact of MSUT2 on tau pathogenesis using tau seeding models. Our findings indicate that the loss of MSUT2 mitigates human tau seed-induced pathology in neuron cultures and mouse models. In addition, MSUT2 regulates many gene transcripts, including the Adenosine Receptor 1 (A1AR), and we show that down regulation or inhibition of A1AR modulates the activity of the "ArfGAP with SH3 Domain, Ankyrin Repeat, and PH Domain 1 protein" (ASAP1), thereby influencing the internalization of pathogenic tau seeds into neurons resulting in reduction of tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Xu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Qi Qiu
- Department of Genetics, Penn Epigenetics Institute, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Peng Hu
- Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kevt'her Hoxha
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Elliot Jang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Mia O'Reilly
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Christopher Kim
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Zhuohao He
- Interdisciplinary Research Center On Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201210, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Nicholas Marotta
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lakshmi Changolkar
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hao Wu
- Department of Genetics, Penn Epigenetics Institute, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Gerard D Schellenberg
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Penn Neurodegeneration Genomics Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Brian Kraemer
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, 98108, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA
| | - Kelvin C Luk
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Edward B Lee
- Translational Neuropathology Research Laboratory, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - John Q Trojanowski
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kurt R Brunden
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Virginia M-Y Lee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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4
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Tu JC, Millar PR, Strain JF, Eck A, Adeyemo B, Daniels A, Karch C, Huey ED, McDade E, Day GS, Yakushev I, Hassenstab J, Morris J, Llibre-Guerra JJ, Ibanez L, Jucker M, Mendez PC, Bateman RJ, Perrin RJ, Benzinger T, Jack CR, Betzel R, Ances BM, Eggebrecht AT, Gordon BA, Wheelock MD. Increasing hub disruption parallels dementia severity in autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.29.564633. [PMID: 37961586 PMCID: PMC10634945 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.29.564633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Hub regions in the brain, recognized for their roles in ensuring efficient information transfer, are vulnerable to pathological alterations in neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer Disease (AD). Given their essential role in neural communication, disruptions to these hubs have profound implications for overall brain network integrity and functionality. Hub disruption, or targeted impairment of functional connectivity at the hubs, is recognized in AD patients. Computational models paired with evidence from animal experiments hint at a mechanistic explanation, suggesting that these hubs may be preferentially targeted in neurodegeneration, due to their high neuronal activity levels-a phenomenon termed "activity-dependent degeneration". Yet, two critical issues were unresolved. First, past research hasn't definitively shown whether hub regions face a higher likelihood of impairment (targeted attack) compared to other regions or if impairment likelihood is uniformly distributed (random attack). Second, human studies offering support for activity-dependent explanations remain scarce. We applied a refined hub disruption index to determine the presence of targeted attacks in AD. Furthermore, we explored potential evidence for activity-dependent degeneration by evaluating if hub vulnerability is better explained by global connectivity or connectivity variations across functional systems, as well as comparing its timing relative to amyloid beta deposition in the brain. Our unique cohort of participants with autosomal dominant Alzheimer Disease (ADAD) allowed us to probe into the preclinical stages of AD to determine the hub disruption timeline in relation to expected symptom emergence. Our findings reveal a hub disruption pattern in ADAD aligned with targeted attacks, detectable even in pre-clinical stages. Notably, the disruption's severity amplified alongside symptomatic progression. Moreover, since excessive local neuronal activity has been shown to increase amyloid deposition and high connectivity regions show high level of neuronal activity, our observation that hub disruption was primarily tied to regional differences in global connectivity and sequentially followed changes observed in Aβ PET cortical markers is consistent with the activity-dependent degeneration model. Intriguingly, these disruptions were discernible 8 years before the expected age of symptom onset. Taken together, our findings not only align with the targeted attack on hubs model but also suggest that activity-dependent degeneration might be the cause of hub vulnerability. This deepened understanding could be instrumental in refining diagnostic techniques and developing targeted therapeutic strategies for AD in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxin Cindy Tu
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA, 63108
| | - Peter R Millar
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA, 63108
| | - Jeremy F Strain
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA, 63108
| | - Andrew Eck
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA, 63108
| | - Babatunde Adeyemo
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA, 63108
| | - Alisha Daniels
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA, 63108
| | - Celeste Karch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA, 63108
| | - Edward D Huey
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912
| | - Eric McDade
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA, 63108
| | - Gregory S Day
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Jacksonville, FL, USA, 32224
| | - Igor Yakushev
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany, 81675
| | - Jason Hassenstab
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA, 63108
| | - John Morris
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA, 63108
| | - Jorge J Llibre-Guerra
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA, 63108
| | - Laura Ibanez
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA, 63108
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA, 63108
- NeuroGenomics and Informatics Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA, 63108
| | - Mathias Jucker
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany, 72076
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, Germany, 72076
| | | | - Randell J Bateman
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA, 63108
| | - Richard J Perrin
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA, 63108
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA, 63108
| | - Tammie Benzinger
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA, 63108
| | - Clifford R Jack
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA 55905
| | - Richard Betzel
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN USA, 47405
| | - Beau M Ances
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA, 63108
| | - Adam T Eggebrecht
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA, 63108
| | - Brian A Gordon
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA, 63108
| | - Muriah D Wheelock
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA, 63108
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5
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Lanooij SD, Drinkenburg WHIM, Eisel ULM, van der Zee EA, Kas MJH. The effects of social environment on AD-related pathology in hAPP-J20 mice and tau-P301L mice. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 187:106309. [PMID: 37748620 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106309] [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: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
In humans, social factors (e.g., loneliness) have been linked to the risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease (AD). To date, AD pathology is primarily characterized by amyloid-β plaques and tau tangles. We aimed to assess the effect of single- and group-housing on AD-related pathology in a mouse model for amyloid pathology (J20, and WT controls) and a mouse model for tau pathology (P301L) with and without seeding of synthetic human tau fragments (K18). Female mice were either single housed (SH) or group housed (GH) from the age of 6-7 weeks onwards. In 12-week-old P301L mice, tau pathology was induced through seeding by injecting K18 into the dorsal hippocampus (P301LK18), while control mice received a PBS injection (P301LPBS). P301L mice were sacrificed at 4 months of age and J20 mice at 10 months of age. In all mice brain pathology was histologically assessed by examining microglia, the CA1 pyramidal cell layer and specific AD pathology: analysis of plaques in J20 mice and tau hyperphosphorylation in P301L mice. Contrary to our expectation, SH-J20 mice interestingly displayed fewer plaques in the hippocampus compared to GH-J20 mice. However, housing did not affect tau hyperphosphorylation at Ser202/Thr205 of P301L mice, nor neuronal cell death in the CA1 region in any of the mice. The number of microglia was increased by the J20 genotype, and their activation (based on cell body to cell size ratio) in the CA1 was affected by genotype and housing condition (interaction effect). Single housing of P301L mice was linked to the development of stereotypic behavior (i.e. somersaulting and circling behavior). In P301LK18 mice, an increased number of microglia were observed, among which were rod microglia. Taken together, our findings point to a significant effect of social housing conditions on amyloid plaques and microglia in J20 mice and on the development of stereotypic behavior in P301L mice, indicating that the social environment can modulate AD-related pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne D Lanooij
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Neurobiology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747, AG, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - W H I M Drinkenburg
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Neurobiology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747, AG, Groningen, the Netherlands; Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research & Development, a Division on Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, B-2340 Beerse, Belgium.
| | - U L M Eisel
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Neurobiology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747, AG, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - E A van der Zee
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Neurobiology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747, AG, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Martien J H Kas
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Neurobiology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747, AG, Groningen, the Netherlands.
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6
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Skovbjerg G, Roostalu U, Salinas CG, Skytte JL, Perens J, Clemmensen C, Elster L, Frich CK, Hansen HH, Hecksher-Sørensen J. Uncovering CNS access of lipidated exendin-4 analogues by quantitative whole-brain 3D light sheet imaging. Neuropharmacology 2023:109637. [PMID: 37391028 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Peptide-based drug development for CNS disorders is challenged by poor blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetrability of peptides. While acylation protractions (lipidation) have been successfully applied to increase circulating half-life of therapeutic peptides, little is known about the CNS accessibility of lipidated peptide drugs. Light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) has emerged as a powerful method to visualize whole-brain 3D distribution of fluorescently labelled therapeutic peptides at single-cell resolution. Here, we applied LSFM to map CNS distribution of the clinically relevant GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) exendin-4 (Ex4) and lipidated analogues following peripheral administration. Mice received an intravenous dose (100 nmol/kg) of IR800 fluorophore-labelled Ex4 (Ex4), Ex4 acylated with a C16-monoacid (Ex4_C16MA) or C18-diacid (Ex4_C18DA). Other mice were administered C16MA-acylated exendin 9-39 (Ex9-39_C16MA), a selective GLP-1R antagonist, serving as negative control for GLP-1R mediated agonist internalization. Two hours post-dosing, brain distribution of Ex4 and analogues was predominantly restricted to the circumventricular organs, notably area postrema and nucleus of the solitary tract. Ex4_C16MA and Ex9-39_C16MA also distributed to the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus and medial habenula. Notably, Ex4_C18DA was detected in deeper-lying brain structures such as dorsomedial/ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei and the dentate gyrus. Similar CNS distribution maps of Ex4-C16MA and Ex9-39_C16MA suggest that brain access of lipidated Ex4 analogues is independent on GLP-1 receptor internalization. The cerebrovasculature was devoid of specific labelling, hence not supporting a direct role of GLP-1 RAs in BBB function. In conclusion, peptide lipidation increases CNS accessibility of Ex4. Our fully automated LSFM pipeline is suitable for mapping whole-brain distribution of fluorescently labelled drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grethe Skovbjerg
- Gubra ApS, Hørsholm Kongevej 11B, 2970, Hørsholm, Denmark; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Urmas Roostalu
- Gubra ApS, Hørsholm Kongevej 11B, 2970, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | | | - Jacob L Skytte
- Gubra ApS, Hørsholm Kongevej 11B, 2970, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | - Johanna Perens
- Gubra ApS, Hørsholm Kongevej 11B, 2970, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | - Christoffer Clemmensen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lisbeth Elster
- Gubra ApS, Hørsholm Kongevej 11B, 2970, Hørsholm, Denmark
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7
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Ramirez DM, Whitesell JD, Bhagwat N, Thomas TL, Ajay AD, Nawaby A, Delatour B, Bay S, LaFaye P, Knox JE, Harris JA, Meeks JP, Diamond MI. Endogenous pathology in tauopathy mice progresses via brain networks. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.23.541792. [PMID: 37293074 PMCID: PMC10245958 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.23.541792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative tauopathies are hypothesized to propagate via brain networks. This is uncertain because we have lacked precise network resolution of pathology. We therefore developed whole-brain staining methods with anti-p-tau nanobodies and imaged in 3D PS19 tauopathy mice, which have pan-neuronal expression of full-length human tau containing the P301S mutation. We analyzed patterns of p-tau deposition across established brain networks at multiple ages, testing the relationship between structural connectivity and patterns of progressive pathology. We identified core regions with early tau deposition, and used network propagation modeling to determine the link between tau pathology and connectivity strength. We discovered a bias towards retrograde network-based propagation of tau. This novel approach establishes a fundamental role for brain networks in tau propagation, with implications for human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise M.O. Ramirez
- Department of Neurology, Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Jennifer D. Whitesell
- Allen Institute for Brain Science; Seattle, WA, USA
- Cajal Neuroscience; Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nikhil Bhagwat
- Allen Institute for Brain Science; Seattle, WA, USA
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital), McGill University; Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Talitha L. Thomas
- Center for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Apoorva D. Ajay
- Department of Neurology, Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Ariana Nawaby
- Department of Neurology, Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Benoît Delatour
- Paris Brain Institute (ICM), CNRS UMR 7225, INSERM U1127, Sorbonne Université, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière; Paris, France
| | - Sylvie Bay
- Unité de Chimie des Biomolécules, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3523; Paris, France
| | - Pierre LaFaye
- Antibody Engineering Platform, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 3528; Paris, France
| | | | | | - Julian P. Meeks
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical School; Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Marc I. Diamond
- Center for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas, TX, USA
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8
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Zeng Z, Fichou Y, Vigers M, Tsay K, Han S. Illuminating the Structural Basis of Tau Aggregation by Intramolecular Distance Tracking: A Perspective on Methods. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:6384-6395. [PMID: 35994024 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c02022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The aggregation of the tau protein is central to several neurodegenerative diseases, collectively known as tauopathies. High-resolution views of tau tangles accumulated under pathological conditions in post-mortem brains have been revealed recently by cryogenic electron microscopy. One of the striking discoveries was that fibril folds are unique to and homogeneous within one disease family, but typically different between different tauopathies. It is widely believed that seeded aggregation can achieve structural propagation of tau fibrils and generate pathological fibril structures. However, direct molecular level measurement of structural evolution during aggregation is missing. Here, we discuss our perspective on the biophysical approaches that can contribute to the ongoing debate regarding the prion-like propagation of tau and the role of cofactors. We discuss the unique potential of double electron-electron resonance (DEER)-based intramolecular distance measurement, sensitive to two to several nanometers distances. DEER can track the structural evolution of tau along the course of aggregation from the completely disordered state, to partially ordered and highly ordered fibril states, and has the potential to be a key tool to elucidate the disease-specific tau aggregation pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhikai Zeng
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Yann Fichou
- CNRS, Chemistry and Biology of Membranes and Nanoobjects (CBMN) UMR 5348, Institut Europeen de Chimie et Biologie (IECB), University of Bordeaux, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Michael Vigers
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Karen Tsay
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Songi Han
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States.,Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
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9
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Tok S, Maurin H, Delay C, Crauwels D, Manyakov NV, Van Der Elst W, Moechars D, Drinkenburg WHIM. Pathological and neurophysiological outcomes of seeding human-derived tau pathology in the APP-KI NL-G-F and NL-NL mouse models of Alzheimer's Disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022; 10:92. [PMID: 35739575 PMCID: PMC9219251 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01393-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The two main histopathological hallmarks that characterize Alzheimer’s Disease are the presence of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. One of the current approaches to studying the consequences of amyloid pathology relies on the usage of transgenic animal models that incorporate the mutant humanized form of the amyloid precursor protein (hAPP), with animal models progressively developing amyloid pathology as they age. However, these mice models generally overexpress the hAPP protein to facilitate the development of amyloid pathology, which has been suggested to elicit pathological and neuropathological changes unrelated to amyloid pathology. In this current study, we characterized APP knock-in (APP-KI) animals, that do not overexpress hAPP but still develop amyloid pathology to understand the influence of protein overexpression. We also induced tau pathology via human-derived tau seeding material to understand the neurophysiological effects of amyloid and tau pathology. We report that tau-seeded APP-KI animals progressively develop tau pathology, exacerbated by the presence of amyloid pathology. Interestingly, older amyloid-bearing, tau-seeded animals exhibited more amyloid pathology in the entorhinal area, isocortex and hippocampus, but not thalamus, which appeared to correlate with impairments in gamma oscillations before seeding. Tau-seeded animals also featured immediate deficits in power spectra values and phase-amplitude indices in the hippocampus after seeding, with gamma power spectra deficits persisting in younger animals. Both deficits in hippocampal phase-amplitude coupling and gamma power differentiate tau-seeded, amyloid-positive animals from buffer controls. Based on our results, impairments in gamma oscillations appear to be strongly associated with the presence and development of amyloid and tau pathology, and may also be an indicator of neuropathology, network dysfunction, and even potential disposition to the future development of amyloid pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Tok
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium.,Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - H Maurin
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - C Delay
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - D Crauwels
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - N V Manyakov
- Data Sciences, Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - W Van Der Elst
- Quantitative Sciences Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - D Moechars
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - W H I M Drinkenburg
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium. .,Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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10
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Tok S, Maurin H, Delay C, Crauwels D, Manyakov NV, Van Der Elst W, Moechars D, Drinkenburg WHIM. Neurophysiological effects of human-derived pathological tau conformers in the APPKM670/671NL.PS1/L166P amyloid mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Sci Rep 2022; 12:7784. [PMID: 35546164 PMCID: PMC9094605 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11582-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by two main pathological hallmarks: amyloid plaques and intracellular tau neurofibrillary tangles. However, a majority of studies focus on the individual pathologies and seldom on the interaction between the two pathologies. Herein, we present the longitudinal neuropathological and neurophysiological effects of a combined amyloid-tau model by hippocampal seeding of human-derived tau pathology in the APP.PS1/L166P amyloid animal model. We statistically assessed both neurophysiological and pathological changes using linear mixed modelling to determine if factors such as the age at which animals were seeded, genotype, seeding or buffer, brain region where pathology was quantified, and time-post injection differentially affect these outcomes. We report that AT8-positive tau pathology progressively develops and is facilitated by the amount of amyloid pathology present at the time of injection. The amount of AT8-positive tau pathology was influenced by the interaction of age at which the animal was injected, genotype, and time after injection. Baseline pathology-related power spectra and Higuchi Fractal Dimension (HFD) score alterations were noted in APP.PS1/L166P before any manipulations were performed, indicating a baseline difference associated with genotype. We also report immediate localized hippocampal dysfunction in the electroencephalography (EEG) power spectra associated with tau seeding which returned to comparable levels at 1 month-post-injection. Longitudinal effects of seeding indicated that tau-seeded wild-type mice showed an increase in gamma power earlier than buffer control comparisons which was influenced by the age at which the animal was injected. A reduction of hippocampal broadband power spectra was noted in tau-seeded wild-type mice, but absent in APP.PS1 animals. HFD scores appeared to detect subtle effects associated with tau seeding in APP.PS1 animals, which was differentially influenced by genotype. Notably, while tau histopathological changes were present, a lack of overt longitudinal electrophysiological alterations was noted, particularly in APP.PS1 animals that feature both pathologies after seeding, reiterating and underscoring the difficulty and complexity associated with elucidating physiologically relevant and translatable biomarkers of Alzheimer’s Disease at the early stages of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Tok
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium. .,Faculty of Science and Engineering, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - H Maurin
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - C Delay
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - D Crauwels
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - N V Manyakov
- Data Sciences, Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - W Van Der Elst
- Quantitative Sciences Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - D Moechars
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - W H I M Drinkenburg
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium.,Faculty of Science and Engineering, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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11
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Perens J, Hecksher-Sørensen J. Digital Brain Maps and Virtual Neuroscience: An Emerging Role for Light-Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy in Drug Development. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:866884. [PMID: 35516798 PMCID: PMC9067159 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.866884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian brain is by far the most advanced organ to have evolved and the underlying biology is extremely complex. However, with aging populations and sedentary lifestyles, the prevalence of neurological disorders is increasing around the world. Consequently, there is a dire need for technologies that can help researchers to better understand the complexity of the brain and thereby accelerate therapies for diseases with origin in the central nervous system. One such technology is light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) which in combination with whole organ immunolabelling has made it possible to visualize an intact mouse brain with single cell resolution. However, the price for this level of detail comes in form of enormous datasets that often challenges extraction of quantitative information. One approach for analyzing whole brain data is to align the scanned brains to a reference brain atlas. Having a fixed spatial reference provides each voxel of the sample brains with x-, y-, z-coordinates from which it is possible to obtain anatomical information on the observed fluorescence signal. An additional and important benefit of aligning light sheet data to a reference brain is that the aligned data provides a digital map of gene expression or cell counts which can be deposited in databases or shared with other scientists. This review focuses on the emerging field of virtual neuroscience using digital brain maps and discusses some of challenges incurred when registering LSFM recorded data to a standardized brain template.
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12
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Hu W, Liu F, Gong CX, Iqbal K. Does proteopathic tau propagate trans-synaptically in the brain? Mol Neurodegener 2022; 17:21. [PMID: 35296344 PMCID: PMC8925219 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-022-00527-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Wen Hu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA.
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Cheng-Xin Gong
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
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13
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Perea JR, García E, Vallés-Saiz L, Cuadros R, Hernández F, Bolós M, Avila J. p38 activation occurs mainly in microglia in the P301S Tauopathy mouse model. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2130. [PMID: 35136118 PMCID: PMC8826411 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05980-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are a group of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau protein in the brain. Many of these pathologies also present an inflammatory component determined by the activation of microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain. p38 MAPK is one of the molecular pathways involved in neuroinflammation. Although this kinase is expressed mainly in glia, its activation in certain neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease has been associated with its ability to phosphorylate tau in neurons. Using the P301S Tauopathy mouse model, here we show that p38 activation increases during aging and that this occurs mainly in microglia of the hippocampus rather than in neurons. Furthermore, we have observed that these mice present an activated microglial variant called rod microglia. Interestingly, p38 activation in this subpopulation of microglia is decreased. On the basis of our findings, we propose that rod microglia might have a neuroprotective phenotype in the context of tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan R Perea
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM-CSIC) (Campus de Cantoblanco), 1 Nicolás Cabrera st, 28049, Madrid, Spain.,Center for Networked Biomedical Research On Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), 28031, Madrid, Spain
| | - Esther García
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM-CSIC) (Campus de Cantoblanco), 1 Nicolás Cabrera st, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Vallés-Saiz
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM-CSIC) (Campus de Cantoblanco), 1 Nicolás Cabrera st, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raquel Cuadros
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM-CSIC) (Campus de Cantoblanco), 1 Nicolás Cabrera st, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Félix Hernández
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM-CSIC) (Campus de Cantoblanco), 1 Nicolás Cabrera st, 28049, Madrid, Spain.,Center for Networked Biomedical Research On Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), 28031, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Bolós
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM-CSIC) (Campus de Cantoblanco), 1 Nicolás Cabrera st, 28049, Madrid, Spain.,Center for Networked Biomedical Research On Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), 28031, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Avila
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM-CSIC) (Campus de Cantoblanco), 1 Nicolás Cabrera st, 28049, Madrid, Spain. .,Center for Networked Biomedical Research On Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), 28031, Madrid, Spain.
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14
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Non-invasive imaging of tau-targeted probe uptake by whole brain multi-spectral optoacoustic tomography. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2022; 49:2137-2152. [PMID: 35128565 PMCID: PMC9165274 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-022-05708-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Abnormal tau accumulation within the brain plays an important role in tauopathies such as Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia. High-resolution imaging of tau deposits at the whole-brain scale in animal disease models is highly desired. Methods We approached this challenge by non-invasively imaging the brains of P301L mice of 4-repeat tau with concurrent volumetric multi-spectral optoacoustic tomography (vMSOT) at ~ 115 μm spatial resolution using the tau-targeted pyridinyl-butadienyl-benzothiazole derivative PBB5 (i.v.). In vitro probe characterization, concurrent vMSOT and epi-fluorescence imaging of in vivo PBB5 targeting (i.v.) was performed in P301L and wild-type mice, followed by ex vivo validation using AT-8 antibody for phosphorylated tau. Results PBB5 showed specific binding to recombinant K18 tau fibrils by fluorescence assay, to post-mortem Alzheimer’s disease brain tissue homogenate by competitive binding against [11C]PBB3 and to tau deposits (AT-8 positive) in post-mortem corticobasal degeneration and progressive supranuclear palsy brains. Dose-dependent optoacoustic and fluorescence signal intensities were observed in the mouse brains following i.v. administration of different concentrations of PBB5. In vivo vMSOT brain imaging of P301L mice showed higher retention of PBB5 in the tau-laden cortex and hippocampus compared to wild-type mice, as confirmed by ex vivo vMSOT, epi-fluorescence, multiphoton microscopy, and immunofluorescence staining. Conclusions We demonstrated non-invasive whole-brain imaging of tau in P301L mice with vMSOT system using PBB5 at a previously unachieved ~ 115 μm spatial resolution. This platform provides a new tool to study tau spreading and clearance in a tauopathy mouse model, foreseeable in monitoring tau targeting putative therapeutics. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00259-022-05708-w.
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15
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Blaudin de Thé FX, Lassus B, Schaler AW, Fowler SL, Goulbourne CN, Jeggo R, Mannoury la Cour C, Millan MJ, Duff KE. P62 accumulates through neuroanatomical circuits in response to tauopathy propagation. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:177. [PMID: 34727983 PMCID: PMC8561893 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01280-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies, trans-synaptic transfer and accumulation of pathological tau from donor to recipient neurons is thought to contribute to disease progression, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Using complementary in vivo and in vitro models, we examined the relationship between these two processes and neuronal clearance. Accumulation of p62 (a marker of defective protein clearance) correlated with pathological tau accumulation in two mouse models of tauopathy spread; Entorhinal Cortex-tau (EC-Tau) mice where tau pathology progresses in time from EC to other brain regions, and PS19 mice injected with tau seeds. In both models and in several brain regions, p62 colocalized with human tau in a pathological conformation (MC1 antibody). In EC-Tau mice, p62 accumulated before overt tau pathology had developed and was associated with the presence of aggregation-competent tau seeds identified using a FRET-based assay. Furthermore, p62 accumulated in the cytoplasm of neurons in the dentate gyrus of EC-Tau mice prior to the appearance of MC1 positive tauopathy. However, MC1 positive tau was shown to be present at the synapse and to colocalize with p62 as shown by immuno electron microscopy. In vitro, p62 colocalized with tau inclusions in two primary cortical neuron models of tau pathology. In a three-chamber microfluidic device containing neurons overexpressing fluorescent tau, seeding of tau in the donor chamber led to tau pathology spread and p62 accumulation in both the donor and the recipient chamber. Overall, these data are in accordance with the hypothesis that the accumulation and trans-synaptic spread of pathological tau disrupts clearance mechanisms, preceding the appearance of obvious tau aggregation. A vicious cycle of tau accumulation and clearance deficit would be expected to feed-forward and exacerbate disease progression across neuronal circuits in human tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- François-Xavier Blaudin de Thé
- Taub Institute for Research On Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, 630 W 168th St, NY 10032 New York, USA
- Neuroscience and Immunoinflammation Therapeutic Area, Institut de Recherche Servier, 125 Chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Benjamin Lassus
- Taub Institute for Research On Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, 630 W 168th St, NY 10032 New York, USA
- HiFiBiO Therapeutics Pépinière Paris Santé Cochin, 29 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Jacques, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Ari W. Schaler
- Taub Institute for Research On Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, 630 W 168th St, NY 10032 New York, USA
- UCLA – Physiology Department, 10833 Le Conte Ave, CHS76200, CA 90095 Los Angeles, USA
| | - Stephanie L. Fowler
- Taub Institute for Research On Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, 630 W 168th St, NY 10032 New York, USA
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, 90 Gower St, W1T 7NF London, UK
| | - Chris N. Goulbourne
- Nathan Kline Institute: Center for Dementia Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, NY 10962 Orangeburg, USA
| | - Ross Jeggo
- Neuroscience and Immunoinflammation Therapeutic Area, Institut de Recherche Servier, 125 Chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Clotilde Mannoury la Cour
- Neuroscience and Immunoinflammation Therapeutic Area, Institut de Recherche Servier, 125 Chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Mark J. Millan
- Neuroscience and Immunoinflammation Therapeutic Area, Institut de Recherche Servier, 125 Chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine, France
- Present Address: Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, College of Medicine, Vet and Life Science, Glasgow University, Glasgow, G12 8QQ United Kingdom
| | - Karen E. Duff
- Taub Institute for Research On Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, 630 W 168th St, NY 10032 New York, USA
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, 90 Gower St, W1T 7NF London, UK
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16
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Shi XF, Ji B, Kong Y, Guan Y, Ni R. Multimodal Contrast Agents for Optoacoustic Brain Imaging in Small Animals. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:746815. [PMID: 34650961 PMCID: PMC8505530 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.746815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Optoacoustic (photoacoustic) imaging has demonstrated versatile applications in biomedical research, visualizing the disease pathophysiology and monitoring the treatment effect in an animal model, as well as toward applications in the clinical setting. Given the complex disease mechanism, multimodal imaging provides important etiological insights with different molecular, structural, and functional readouts in vivo. Various multimodal optoacoustic molecular imaging approaches have been applied in preclinical brain imaging studies, including optoacoustic/fluorescence imaging, optoacoustic imaging/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), optoacoustic imaging/MRI/Raman, optoacoustic imaging/positron emission tomography, and optoacoustic/computed tomography. There is a rapid development in molecular imaging contrast agents employing a multimodal imaging strategy for pathological targets involved in brain diseases. Many chemical dyes for optoacoustic imaging have fluorescence properties and have been applied in hybrid optoacoustic/fluorescence imaging. Nanoparticles are widely used as hybrid contrast agents for their capability to incorporate different imaging components, tunable spectrum, and photostability. In this review, we summarize contrast agents including chemical dyes and nanoparticles applied in multimodal optoacoustic brain imaging integrated with other modalities in small animals, and provide outlook for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-feng Shi
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Qinghai Provincial People’s Hospital, Xining, China
| | - Bin Ji
- Department of Radiopharmacy and Molecular Imaging, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanyan Kong
- PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yihui Guan
- PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruiqing Ni
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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17
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Van Kolen K, Malia TJ, Theunis C, Nanjunda R, Teplyakov A, Ernst R, Wu SJ, Luo J, Borgers M, Vandermeeren M, Bottelbergs A, Wintmolders C, Lacy E, Maurin H, Larsen P, Willems R, Van De Casteele T, Triana-Baltzer G, Slemmon R, Galpern W, Trojanowski JQ, Sun H, Mercken MH. Discovery and Functional Characterization of hPT3, a Humanized Anti-Phospho Tau Selective Monoclonal Antibody. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 77:1397-1416. [PMID: 32894244 DOI: 10.3233/jad-200544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As a consequence of the discovery of an extracellular component responsible for the progression of tau pathology, tau immunotherapy is being extensively explored in both preclinical and clinical studies as a disease modifying strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. OBJECTIVE Describe the characteristics of the anti-phospho (T212/T217) tau selective antibody PT3 and its humanized variant hPT3. METHODS By performing different immunization campaigns, a large collection of antibodies has been generated and prioritized. In depth, in vitro characterization using surface plasmon resonance, phospho-epitope mapping, and X-ray crystallography experiments were performed. Further characterization involved immunohistochemical staining on mouse- and human postmortem tissue and neutralization of tau seeding by immunodepletion assays. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION Various in vitro experiments demonstrated a high intrinsic affinity for PT3 and hPT3 for AD brain-derived paired helical filaments but also to non-aggregated phospho (T212/T217) tau. Further functional analyses in cellular and in vivo models of tau seeding demonstrated almost complete depletion of tau seeds in an AD brain homogenate. Ongoing trials will provide the clinical evaluation of the tau spreading hypothesis in Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristof Van Kolen
- Neuroscience Department, Janssen Research and Development, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Thomas J Malia
- Biologics Research, Janssen Research and Development, Spring House, PA, USA
| | - Clara Theunis
- Neuroscience Department, Janssen Research and Development, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Rupesh Nanjunda
- Biologics Research, Janssen Research and Development, Spring House, PA, USA
| | - Alexey Teplyakov
- Biologics Research, Janssen Research and Development, Spring House, PA, USA
| | - Robin Ernst
- Biologics Research, Janssen Research and Development, Spring House, PA, USA
| | - Sheng-Jiun Wu
- Biologics Research, Janssen Research and Development, Spring House, PA, USA
| | - Jinquan Luo
- Biologics Research, Janssen Research and Development, Spring House, PA, USA
| | - Marianne Borgers
- Neuroscience Department, Janssen Research and Development, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Marc Vandermeeren
- Neuroscience Department, Janssen Research and Development, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Astrid Bottelbergs
- Neuroscience Department, Janssen Research and Development, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Cindy Wintmolders
- Neuroscience Department, Janssen Research and Development, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Eilyn Lacy
- Biologics Research, Janssen Research and Development, Spring House, PA, USA
| | - Hervé Maurin
- Neuroscience Department, Janssen Research and Development, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Peter Larsen
- Neuroscience Department, Janssen Research and Development, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Roland Willems
- Neuroscience Department, Janssen Research and Development, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Tom Van De Casteele
- Translational Medicine and Early Development Statistics Janssen Research & Development, Beerse, Belgium
| | | | - Randy Slemmon
- Neuroscience biomarkers, Janssen Research & Development, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Wendy Galpern
- Neuroscience Experimental medicine, Janssen Research & Development, Titusville, NJ, USA
| | | | - Hong Sun
- Neuroscience Clinical Development, Janssen Research & Development, Titusville, NJ, USA
| | - Marc H Mercken
- Neuroscience Department, Janssen Research and Development, Beerse, Belgium
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18
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Perens J, Salinas CG, Skytte JL, Roostalu U, Dahl AB, Dyrby TB, Wichern F, Barkholt P, Vrang N, Jelsing J, Hecksher-Sørensen J. An Optimized Mouse Brain Atlas for Automated Mapping and Quantification of Neuronal Activity Using iDISCO+ and Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy. Neuroinformatics 2021; 19:433-446. [PMID: 33063286 PMCID: PMC8233272 DOI: 10.1007/s12021-020-09490-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, the combination of whole-brain immunolabelling, light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) and subsequent registration of data with a common reference atlas, has enabled 3D visualization and quantification of fluorescent markers or tracers in the adult mouse brain. Today, the common coordinate framework version 3 developed by the Allen’s Institute of Brain Science (AIBS CCFv3), is widely used as the standard brain atlas for registration of LSFM data. However, the AIBS CCFv3 is based on histological processing and imaging modalities different from those used for LSFM imaging and consequently, the data differ in both tissue contrast and morphology. To improve the accuracy and speed by which LSFM-imaged whole-brain data can be registered and quantified, we have created an optimized digital mouse brain atlas based on immunolabelled and solvent-cleared brains. Compared to the AIBS CCFv3 atlas, our atlas resulted in faster and more accurate mapping of neuronal activity as measured by c-Fos expression, especially in the hindbrain. We further demonstrated utility of the LSFM atlas by comparing whole-brain quantitative changes in c-Fos expression following acute administration of semaglutide in lean and diet-induced obese mice. In combination with an improved algorithm for c-Fos detection, the LSFM atlas enables unbiased and computationally efficient characterization of drug effects on whole-brain neuronal activity patterns. In conclusion, we established an optimized reference atlas for more precise mapping of fluorescent markers, including c-Fos, in mouse brains processed for LSFM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Perens
- Gubra ApS, 2970, Hørsholm, Denmark.,Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University Denmark, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | | | | | - Anders Bjorholm Dahl
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University Denmark, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Tim B Dyrby
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University Denmark, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.,Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, 2650, Hvidovre, Denmark
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19
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Perens J, Salinas CG, Skytte JL, Roostalu U, Dahl AB, Dyrby TB, Wichern F, Barkholt P, Vrang N, Jelsing J, Hecksher-Sørensen J. An Optimized Mouse Brain Atlas for Automated Mapping and Quantification of Neuronal Activity Using iDISCO+ and Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy. Neuroinformatics 2021. [PMID: 33063286 DOI: 10.1007/s12021-020-09490-8/figures/5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, the combination of whole-brain immunolabelling, light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) and subsequent registration of data with a common reference atlas, has enabled 3D visualization and quantification of fluorescent markers or tracers in the adult mouse brain. Today, the common coordinate framework version 3 developed by the Allen's Institute of Brain Science (AIBS CCFv3), is widely used as the standard brain atlas for registration of LSFM data. However, the AIBS CCFv3 is based on histological processing and imaging modalities different from those used for LSFM imaging and consequently, the data differ in both tissue contrast and morphology. To improve the accuracy and speed by which LSFM-imaged whole-brain data can be registered and quantified, we have created an optimized digital mouse brain atlas based on immunolabelled and solvent-cleared brains. Compared to the AIBS CCFv3 atlas, our atlas resulted in faster and more accurate mapping of neuronal activity as measured by c-Fos expression, especially in the hindbrain. We further demonstrated utility of the LSFM atlas by comparing whole-brain quantitative changes in c-Fos expression following acute administration of semaglutide in lean and diet-induced obese mice. In combination with an improved algorithm for c-Fos detection, the LSFM atlas enables unbiased and computationally efficient characterization of drug effects on whole-brain neuronal activity patterns. In conclusion, we established an optimized reference atlas for more precise mapping of fluorescent markers, including c-Fos, in mouse brains processed for LSFM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Perens
- Gubra ApS, 2970, Hørsholm, Denmark
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University Denmark, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | | | | | - Anders Bjorholm Dahl
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University Denmark, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Tim B Dyrby
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University Denmark, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, 2650, Hvidovre, Denmark
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20
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Veys L, Van Houcke J, Aerts J, Van Pottelberge S, Mahieu M, Coens A, Melki R, Moechars D, De Muynck L, De Groef L. Absence of Uptake and Prion-Like Spreading of Alpha-Synuclein and Tau After Intravitreal Injection of Preformed Fibrils. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 12:614587. [PMID: 33519421 PMCID: PMC7843377 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.614587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Although very different in etiology and symptoms, numerous neurodegenerative diseases can be classified as proteinopathies. More so, evidence indicates that the key misfolded proteins at the basis of different neuropathies might share common mechanisms of propagation. As such, the prion-like spreading of protein aggregates through the neural network is subject of intensive research focus and requires adequate models. Here, we made use of the well-defined architecture and large accessibility of the visual system, of which the retinotopic connections represent a simple route of anterograde signaling and an elegant model to investigate transsynaptic, prion-like spreading. In two independent studies, uptake and seeding of alpha-synuclein and tau were examined after intravitreal injection of preformed fibrils. However, extracellular matrix components in the vitreous space and at the vitreoretinal surface appeared to act as a barrier for the entry of both fibrils into the retina. These results show that further experimental refinement is needed to fully realize the potential of the visual system as a model for studying the molecular and cellular mechanisms of anterograde, transsynaptic spreading of prion-like proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lien Veys
- Laboratory Neural Circuit Development and Regeneration, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jessie Van Houcke
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Division of Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Jeroen Aerts
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Division of Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Sophie Van Pottelberge
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Division of Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Michel Mahieu
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Division of Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Audrey Coens
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute François Jacob, MIRCen, CEA-CNRS, Fontenay aux Roses, France
| | - Ronald Melki
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute François Jacob, MIRCen, CEA-CNRS, Fontenay aux Roses, France
| | - Dieder Moechars
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Division of Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Louis De Muynck
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Division of Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Lies De Groef
- Laboratory Neural Circuit Development and Regeneration, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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21
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Coninx E, Chew YC, Yang X, Guo W, Coolkens A, Baatout S, Moons L, Verslegers M, Quintens R. Hippocampal and cortical tissue-specific epigenetic clocks indicate an increased epigenetic age in a mouse model for Alzheimer's disease. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 12:20817-20834. [PMID: 33082299 PMCID: PMC7655172 DOI: 10.18632/aging.104056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic clocks are based on age-associated changes in DNA methylation of CpG-sites, which can accurately measure chronological age in different species. Recently, several studies have indicated that the difference between chronological and epigenetic age, defined as the age acceleration, could reflect biological age indicating functional decline and age-associated diseases. In humans, an epigenetic clock associated Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology with an acceleration of the epigenetic age. In this study, we developed and validated two mouse brain region-specific epigenetic clocks from the C57BL/6J hippocampus and cerebral cortex. Both clocks, which could successfully estimate chronological age, were further validated in a widely used mouse model for AD, the triple transgenic AD (3xTg-AD) mouse. We observed an epigenetic age acceleration indicating an increased biological age for the 3xTg-AD mice compared to non-pathological C57BL/6J mice, which was more pronounced in the cortex as compared to the hippocampus. Genomic region enrichment analysis revealed that age-dependent CpGs were enriched in genes related to developmental, aging-related, neuronal and neurodegenerative functions. Due to the limited access of human brain tissues, these epigenetic clocks specific for mouse cortex and hippocampus might be important in further unravelling the role of epigenetic mechanisms underlying AD pathology or brain aging in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Coninx
- Radiobiology Unit, Institute for Environment, Health and Safety, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol 2400, Belgium
- Neural Circuit Development and Regeneration Research Group, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Yap Ching Chew
- Epigenetics Technologies, Zymo Research Corporation, Irvine, CA 92614, USA
| | - Xiaojing Yang
- Epigenetics Technologies, Zymo Research Corporation, Irvine, CA 92614, USA
| | - Wei Guo
- Epigenetics Technologies, Zymo Research Corporation, Irvine, CA 92614, USA
| | - Amelie Coolkens
- Radiobiology Unit, Institute for Environment, Health and Safety, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol 2400, Belgium
| | - Sarah Baatout
- Radiobiology Unit, Institute for Environment, Health and Safety, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol 2400, Belgium
| | - Lieve Moons
- Neural Circuit Development and Regeneration Research Group, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Mieke Verslegers
- Radiobiology Unit, Institute for Environment, Health and Safety, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol 2400, Belgium
| | - Roel Quintens
- Radiobiology Unit, Institute for Environment, Health and Safety, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol 2400, Belgium
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22
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Detrez JR, Ben-Nejma IRH, Van Kolen K, Van Dam D, De Deyn PP, Fransen E, Verhoye M, Timmermans JP, Nuydens R, Van der Linden A, Keliris GA, De Vos WH. Progressive tau aggregation does not alter functional brain network connectivity in seeded hTau.P301L mice. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 143:105011. [PMID: 32653674 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 06/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Progressive accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau is a hallmark of various neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease. However, to date, the functional effects of tau pathology on brain network connectivity remain poorly understood. To directly interrogate the impact of tau pathology on functional brain connectivity, we conducted a longitudinal experiment in which we monitored a fibril-seeded hTau.P301L mouse model using correlative whole-brain microscopy and resting-state functional MRI. Despite a progressive aggravation of tau pathology across the brain, the major resting-state networks appeared unaffected up to 15 weeks after seeding. Targeted analyses also showed that the connectivity of regions with high levels of hyperphosphorylated tau was comparable to that observed in controls. In line with the ostensible retention of connectivity, no behavioural changes were detected between seeded and control hTau.P301L mice as determined by three different paradigms. Our data indicate that seeded tau pathology, with accumulation of tau aggregates throughout different regions of the brain, does not alter functional connectivity or behaviour in this mouse model. Additional correlative functional studies on different mouse models should help determine whether this is a generalizable trait of tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan R Detrez
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, University of Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Kristof Van Kolen
- Department of Neuroscience, Janssen Research and Development, Belgium.
| | - Debby Van Dam
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Behavior, University of Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center Groningen, University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Peter Paul De Deyn
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Behavior, University of Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Neurology, Memory Clinic of Hospital Network Antwerp (ZNA) Middelheim and Hoge Beuken, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center Groningen, University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Erik Fransen
- StatUa Center for Statistics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | | | | | - Rony Nuydens
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, University of Antwerp, Belgium.
| | | | | | - Winnok H De Vos
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, University of Antwerp, Belgium.
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23
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Peeters LM, Hinz R, Detrez JR, Missault S, De Vos WH, Verhoye M, Van der Linden A, Keliris GA. Chemogenetic silencing of neurons in the mouse anterior cingulate area modulates neuronal activity and functional connectivity. Neuroimage 2020; 220:117088. [PMID: 32592851 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The anterior cingulate area (ACC) is an integral part of the prefrontal cortex in mice and supports cognitive functions, including attentional processes, motion planning and execution as well as remote memory, fear and pain. Previous anatomical and functional imaging studies demonstrated that the ACC is interconnected with numerous brain regions, such as motor and sensory cortices, amygdala and limbic areas, suggesting it serves as a hub in functional networks. However, the exact role of the ACC in regulating functional network activity and connectivity remains to be elucidated. Recently developed neuromodulatory techniques, such as Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) allow for precise control of neuronal activity. In this study, we used an inhibitory kappa-opioid receptor DREADD (KORD) to temporally inhibit neuronal firing in the right ACC of mice and assessed functional network activity and connectivity using non-invasive functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We demonstrated that KORD-induced inhibition of the right ACC induced blood oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) signal decreases and increases in connected brain regions of both hemispheres. More specifically, altered neuronal activity could be observed in functional brain networks including connections with sensory cortex, thalamus, basolateral amygdala and ventral pallidum, areas involved in attention processes, working memory, fear behavior and reward respectively. Furthermore, these modulations in neuronal activity were associated with decreased intra- and interhemispheric functional connectivity. Our results consolidate the hub role of the mouse ACC in functional networks and further demonstrate that the combination of the DREADD technology and non-invasive functional imaging methods is a valuable tool for unraveling mechanisms of network function and dysfunction by reversible inactivation of selected targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lore M Peeters
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Rukun Hinz
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Jan R Detrez
- Laboratory for Cell Biology and Histology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Stephan Missault
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Winnok H De Vos
- Laboratory for Cell Biology and Histology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Marleen Verhoye
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | | | - Georgios A Keliris
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium.
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24
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Porter DDL, Morton PD. Clearing techniques for visualizing the nervous system in development, injury, and disease. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 334:108594. [PMID: 31945400 PMCID: PMC10674098 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Modern clearing techniques enable high resolution visualization and 3D reconstruction of cell populations and their structural details throughout large biological samples, including intact organs and even entire organisms. In the past decade, these methods have become more tractable and are now being utilized to provide unforeseen insights into the complexities of the nervous system. While several iterations of optical clearing techniques have been developed, some are more suitable for specific applications than others depending on the type of specimen under study. Here we review findings from select studies utilizing clearing methods to visualize the developing, injured, and diseased nervous system within numerous model systems and species. We note trends and imbalances in the types of research questions being addressed with clearing methods across these fields in neuroscience. In addition, we discuss restrictions in applying optical clearing methods for postmortem tissue from humans and large animals and emphasize the lack in continuity between studies of these species. We aim for this review to serve as a key outline of available tissue clearing methods used successfully to address issues across neuronal development, injury/repair, and aging/disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Demisha D L Porter
- Virginia Tech Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine and Health, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - Paul D Morton
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
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25
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Hecksher-Sørensen J, Hansen H, Roostalu U. Whole-brain three-dimensional imaging for quantification of drug targets and treatment effects in mouse models of neurodegenerative diseases. Neural Regen Res 2020; 15:2255-2257. [PMID: 32594044 PMCID: PMC7749470 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.284983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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26
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Schirmer L, Hoornaert C, Le Blon D, Eigel D, Neto C, Gumbleton M, Welzel PB, Rosser AE, Werner C, Ponsaerts P, Newland B. Heparin-based, injectable microcarriers for controlled delivery of interleukin-13 to the brain. Biomater Sci 2020; 8:4997-5004. [DOI: 10.1039/d0bm01249a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-13 can be loaded and released from heparin-based cryogel biomaterials for sustained delivery to the brain.
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27
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Roostalu U, Salinas CBG, Thorbek DD, Skytte JL, Fabricius K, Barkholt P, John LM, Jurtz VI, Knudsen LB, Jelsing J, Vrang N, Hansen HH, Hecksher-Sørensen J. Quantitative whole-brain 3D imaging of tyrosine hydroxylase-labeled neuron architecture in the mouse MPTP model of Parkinson's disease. Dis Model Mech 2019; 12:dmm.042200. [PMID: 31704726 PMCID: PMC6899010 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.042200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a basal ganglia movement disorder characterized by progressive degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system. Immunohistochemical methods have been widely used for characterization of dopaminergic neuronal injury in animal models of PD, including the MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) mouse model. However, conventional immunohistochemical techniques applied to tissue sections have inherent limitations with respect to loss of 3D resolution, yielding insufficient information on the architecture of the dopaminergic system. To provide a more comprehensive and non-biased map of MPTP-induced changes in central dopaminergic pathways, we used iDISCO immunolabeling, light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) and deep-learning computational methods for whole-brain three-dimensional visualization and automated quantitation of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive neurons in the adult mouse brain. Mice terminated 7 days after acute MPTP administration demonstrated widespread alterations in TH expression. Compared to vehicle controls, MPTP-dosed mice showed a significant loss of TH-positive neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta and ventral tegmental area. Also, MPTP dosing reduced overall TH signal intensity in basal ganglia nuclei, i.e. the substantia nigra, caudate-putamen, globus pallidus and subthalamic nucleus. In contrast, increased TH signal intensity was predominantly observed in limbic regions, including several subdivisions of the amygdala and hypothalamus. In conclusion, mouse whole-brain 3D imaging is ideal for unbiased automated counting and densitometric analysis of TH-positive cells. The LSFM–deep learning pipeline tracked brain-wide changes in catecholaminergic pathways in the MPTP mouse model of PD, and may be applied for preclinical characterization of compounds targeting dopaminergic neurotransmission. Summary: Whole-brain immunolabeling, mapping and absolute quantification of tyrosine hydroxylase neurons in the adult mouse brain provides a useful tool for studying changes in dopaminergic signaling in a mouse model of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Linu M John
- Department of Obesity Research, Global Drug Discovery, Novo Nordisk A/S, 2760 Måløv, Denmark
| | | | - Lotte Bjerre Knudsen
- Department of Diabetes Research, Global Drug Discovery, Novo Nordisk A/S, 2760 Måløv, Denmark
| | | | - Niels Vrang
- Gubra, Hørsholm Kongevej 11B, 2970 Hørholm, Denmark
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