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Yan K, Zhang C, Kang J, Montenegro P, Shen J. Cortical neurodegeneration caused by Psen1 mutations is independent of Aβ. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2409343121. [PMID: 39136994 PMCID: PMC11348310 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2409343121] [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: 06/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the PSEN genes are the major cause of familial Alzheimer's disease, and presenilin (PS) is the catalytic subunit of γ-secretase, which cleaves type I transmembrane proteins, including the amyloid precursor protein (APP) to release Aβ peptides. While PS plays an essential role in the protection of neuronal survival, PSEN mutations also increase the ratio of Aβ42/Aβ40. Thus, it remains unresolved whether PSEN mutations cause AD via a loss of its essential function or increases of Aβ42/Aβ40. Here, we test whether the knockin (KI) allele of Psen1 L435F, the most severe FAD mutation located closest to the active site of γ-secretase, causes age-dependent cortical neurodegeneration independent of Aβ by crossing various Psen mutant mice to the App-null background. We report that removing Aβ completely through APP deficiency has no impact on the age-dependent neurodegeneration in Psen mutant mice, as shown by the absence of effects on the reduced cortical volume and decreases of cortical neurons at the ages of 12 and 18 mo. The L435F KI allele increases Aβ42/Aβ40 in the cerebral cortex while decreasing de novo production and steady-state levels of Aβ42 and Aβ40 in the presence of APP. Furthermore, APP deficiency does not alleviate elevated apoptotic cell death in the cerebral cortex of Psen mutant mice at the ages of 2, 12, and 18 mo, nor does it affect the progressive microgliosis in these mice. Our findings demonstrate that Psen1 mutations cause age-dependent neurodegeneration independent of Aβ, providing further support for a loss-of-function pathogenic mechanism underlying PSEN mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuo Yan
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Chen Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Jongkyun Kang
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Paola Montenegro
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Jie Shen
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
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Jellinger AL, Suthard RL, Yuan B, Surets M, Ruesch EA, Caban AJ, Liu S, Shpokayte M, Ramirez S. Chronic activation of a negative engram induces behavioral and cellular abnormalities. eLife 2024; 13:RP96281. [PMID: 38990919 PMCID: PMC11239178 DOI: 10.7554/elife.96281] [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] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Negative memories engage a brain and body-wide stress response in humans that can alter cognition and behavior. Prolonged stress responses induce maladaptive cellular, circuit, and systems-level changes that can lead to pathological brain states and corresponding disorders in which mood and memory are affected. However, it is unclear if repeated activation of cells processing negative memories induces similar phenotypes in mice. In this study, we used an activity-dependent tagging method to access neuronal ensembles and assess their molecular characteristics. Sequencing memory engrams in mice revealed that positive (male-to-female exposure) and negative (foot shock) cells upregulated genes linked to anti- and pro-inflammatory responses, respectively. To investigate the impact of persistent activation of negative engrams, we chemogenetically activated them in the ventral hippocampus over 3 months and conducted anxiety and memory-related tests. Negative engram activation increased anxiety behaviors in both 6- and 14-month-old mice, reduced spatial working memory in older mice, impaired fear extinction in younger mice, and heightened fear generalization in both age groups. Immunohistochemistry revealed changes in microglial and astrocytic structure and number in the hippocampus. In summary, repeated activation of negative memories induces lasting cellular and behavioral abnormalities in mice, offering insights into the negative effects of chronic negative thinking-like behaviors on human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra L Jellinger
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston UniversityBostonUnited States
| | - Rebecca L Suthard
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston UniversityBostonUnited States
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston UniversityBostonUnited States
| | - Bingbing Yuan
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, MITCambridgeUnited States
| | - Michelle Surets
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston UniversityBostonUnited States
| | - Evan A Ruesch
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston UniversityBostonUnited States
| | - Albit J Caban
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston UniversityBostonUnited States
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston UniversityBostonUnited States
| | - Shawn Liu
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Medical CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Monika Shpokayte
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston UniversityBostonUnited States
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston UniversityBostonUnited States
| | - Steve Ramirez
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston UniversityBostonUnited States
- Neurophotonics Center, and Photonics Center, Boston UniversityBostonUnited States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston UniversityBostonUnited States
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Fan YG, Guo C, Zhao LX, Ge RL, Pang ZQ, He DL, Ren H, Wu TY, Zhang YH, Wang ZY. Astrocyte-derived lactoferrin reduces β-amyloid burden by promoting the interaction between p38 kinase and PP2A phosphatase in male APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Br J Pharmacol 2024; 181:896-913. [PMID: 37309219 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Overexpression of astrocytic lactoferrin (Lf) was observed in the brain of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, whereas the role of astrocytic Lf in AD progression remains unexplored. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of astrocytic Lf on AD progression. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Male APP/PS1 mice with astrocytes overexpressing human Lf were developed to evaluate the effects of astrocytic Lf on AD progression. N2a-sw cells also were employed to further uncover the mechanism of astrocytic Lf on β-amyloid (Aβ) production. KEY RESULTS Astrocytic Lf overexpression increased protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity and reduced amyloid precursor protein (APP) phosphorylation, Aβ burden and tau hyperphosphorylation in APP/PS1 mice. Mechanistically, astrocytic Lf overexpression promoted the uptake of astrocytic Lf into neurons in APP/PS1 mice, and conditional medium from astrocytes overexpressing Lf inhibited p-APP (Thr668) expression in N2a-sw cells. Furthermore, recombinant human Lf (hLf) significantly enhanced PP2A activity and inhibited p-APP expression, whereas inhibition of p38 or PP2A activities abrogated the hLf-induced p-APP down-regulation in N2a-sw cells. Additionally, hLf promoted the interaction of p38 and PP2A via p38 activation, thereby enhancing PP2A activity, and low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) knockdown significantly reversed the hLf-induced p38 activation and p-APP down-regulation. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Our data suggested that astrocytic Lf promoted neuronal p38 activation, via targeting to LRP1, subsequently promoting p38 binding to PP2A to enhance PP2A enzyme activity, which finally inhibited Aβ production via APP dephosphorylation. In conclusion, promoting astrocytic Lf expression may be a potential strategy against AD. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed issue From Alzheimer's Disease to Vascular Dementia: Different Roads Leading to Cognitive Decline. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v181.6/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Gang Fan
- Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Major Chronic Diseases of Nervous System of Liaoning Province, Health Sciences Institute of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Chuang Guo
- College of Life and Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China
| | - Ling-Xiao Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Major Chronic Diseases of Nervous System of Liaoning Province, Health Sciences Institute of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Ri-Le Ge
- Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Major Chronic Diseases of Nervous System of Liaoning Province, Health Sciences Institute of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Zhong-Qiu Pang
- College of Life and Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China
| | - Da-Long He
- Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Major Chronic Diseases of Nervous System of Liaoning Province, Health Sciences Institute of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Hang Ren
- Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Major Chronic Diseases of Nervous System of Liaoning Province, Health Sciences Institute of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Ting-Yao Wu
- First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Yan-Hui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Major Chronic Diseases of Nervous System of Liaoning Province, Health Sciences Institute of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Zhan-You Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Major Chronic Diseases of Nervous System of Liaoning Province, Health Sciences Institute of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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Kang J, Zhang C, Wang Y, Peng J, Berger B, Perrimon N, Shen J. Lipophorin receptors genetically modulate neurodegeneration caused by reduction of Psn expression in the aging Drosophila brain. Genetics 2024; 226:iyad202. [PMID: 37996068 PMCID: PMC10763532 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad202] [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: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the Presenilin (PSEN) genes are the most common cause of early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD). Studies in cell culture, in vitro biochemical systems, and knockin mice showed that PSEN mutations are loss-of-function mutations, impairing γ-secretase activity. Mouse genetic analysis highlighted the importance of Presenilin (PS) in learning and memory, synaptic plasticity and neurotransmitter release, and neuronal survival, and Drosophila studies further demonstrated an evolutionarily conserved role of PS in neuronal survival during aging. However, molecular pathways that interact with PS in neuronal survival remain unclear. To identify genetic modifiers that modulate PS-dependent neuronal survival, we developed a new DrosophilaPsn model that exhibits age-dependent neurodegeneration and increases of apoptosis. Following a bioinformatic analysis, we tested top ranked candidate genes by selective knockdown (KD) of each gene in neurons using two independent RNAi lines in Psn KD models. Interestingly, 4 of the 9 genes enhancing neurodegeneration in Psn KD flies are involved in lipid transport and metabolism. Specifically, neuron-specific KD of lipophorin receptors, lpr1 and lpr2, dramatically worsens neurodegeneration in Psn KD flies, and overexpression of lpr1 or lpr2 does not alleviate Psn KD-induced neurodegeneration. Furthermore, lpr1 or lpr2 KD alone also leads to neurodegeneration, increased apoptosis, climbing defects, and shortened lifespan. Lastly, heterozygotic deletions of lpr1 and lpr2 or homozygotic deletions of lpr1 or lpr2 similarly lead to age-dependent neurodegeneration and further exacerbate neurodegeneration in Psn KD flies. These findings show that LpRs modulate Psn-dependent neuronal survival and are critically important for neuronal integrity in the aging brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jongkyun Kang
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Chen Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yuhao Wang
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jian Peng
- Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61801, USA
| | - Bonnie Berger
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Norbert Perrimon
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jie Shen
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Haut F, Argyrousi EK, Arancio O. Re-Arranging the Puzzle between the Amyloid-Beta and Tau Pathology: An APP-Centric Approach. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:259. [PMID: 38203429 PMCID: PMC10779219 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010259] [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: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
After several years of research in the field of Alzheimer's disease (AD), it is still unclear how amyloid-beta (Aβ) and Tau, two key hallmarks of the disease, mediate the neuropathogenic events that lead to AD. Current data challenge the "Amyloid Cascade Hypothesis" that has prevailed in the field of AD, stating that Aβ precedes and triggers Tau pathology that will eventually become the toxic entity in the progression of the disease. This perspective also led the field of therapeutic approaches towards the development of strategies that target Aβ or Tau. In the present review, we discuss recent literature regarding the neurotoxic role of both Aβ and Tau in AD, as well as their physiological function in the healthy brain. Consequently, we present studies suggesting that Aβ and Tau act independently of each other in mediating neurotoxicity in AD, thereafter, re-evaluating the "Amyloid Cascade Hypothesis" that places Tau pathology downstream of Aβ. More recent studies have confirmed that both Aβ and Tau could propagate the disease and induce synaptic and memory impairments via the amyloid precursor protein (APP). This finding is not only interesting from a mechanistic point of view since it provides better insights into the AD pathogenesis but also from a therapeutic point of view since it renders APP a common downstream effector for both Aβ and Tau. Subsequently, therapeutic strategies that act on APP might provide a more viable and physiologically relevant approach for targeting AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence Haut
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, 630 West 168th Street, P&S, New York, NY 10032, USA; (F.H.); (E.K.A.)
| | - Elentina K. Argyrousi
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, 630 West 168th Street, P&S, New York, NY 10032, USA; (F.H.); (E.K.A.)
| | - Ottavio Arancio
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, 630 West 168th Street, P&S, New York, NY 10032, USA; (F.H.); (E.K.A.)
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
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6
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Nithianandam V, Bukhari H, Leventhal MJ, Battaglia RA, Dong X, Fraenkel E, Feany MB. Integrative analysis reveals a conserved role for the amyloid precursor protein in proteostasis during aging. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7034. [PMID: 37923712 PMCID: PMC10624868 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42822-1] [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: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Aβ peptides derived from the amyloid precursor protein (APP) have been strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. However, the normal function of APP and the importance of that role in neurodegenerative disease is less clear. We recover the Drosophila ortholog of APP, Appl, in an unbiased forward genetic screen for neurodegeneration mutants. We perform comprehensive single cell transcriptional and proteomic studies of Appl mutant flies to investigate Appl function in the aging brain. We find an unexpected role for Appl in control of multiple cellular pathways, including translation, mitochondrial function, nucleic acid and lipid metabolism, cellular signaling and proteostasis. We mechanistically define a role for Appl in regulating autophagy through TGFβ signaling and document the broader relevance of our findings using mouse genetic, human iPSC and in vivo tauopathy models. Our results demonstrate a conserved role for APP in controlling age-dependent proteostasis with plausible relevance to Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanitha Nithianandam
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Hassan Bukhari
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Matthew J Leventhal
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- MIT Ph.D. Program in Computational and Systems Biology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Rachel A Battaglia
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Xianjun Dong
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Hub, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ernest Fraenkel
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mel B Feany
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA.
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Chen J, Tang F, Li H, Wu X, Yang Y, Liu Z, Huang X, Wang J, Zheng R, Wang L, Liu H, Xu J, Wang P, Liu F. Mycobacterium tuberculosis suppresses APLP2 expression to enhance its survival in macrophage. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 124:111058. [PMID: 37844466 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.111058] [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: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb), the most successful pathogen responsible for approximately 1.6 million deaths in 2021, employs various strategies to evade host antibacterial defenses, including mechanisms to counteract nitric oxide (NO) and certain cytokines. While Amyloid β (A4) precursor-like protein 2 (Aplp2) has been implicated in various physiological and pathological processes, its role in tuberculosis (TB) pathogenesis remains largely uncharted. This study unveils a significant reduction in Aplp2 levels in TB patients, M.tb-infected macrophages, and mice. Intriguingly, Aplp2 mutation or knockdown results in diminished macrophage-mediated killing of M.tb, accompanied by decreased inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and reduced cytokine production, notably interleukin-1β (Il-1β). Notably, Aplp2 mutant mice exhibit heightened susceptibility to mycobacterial infection, evident through aggravated histopathological damage and increased lung bacterial loads, in contrast to Mycobacterium bovis BCG-infected wild-type (WT) mice. Mechanistically, the cleaved product of APLP2, AICD2, generated by γ-secretase, translocates to the nucleus, where it interacts with p65, culminating in enhanced the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) transcriptional activity. This interaction triggers the upregulation of Il-1β and iNOS expression. Collectively, our findings illuminate Aplp2's pivotal role in safeguarding against mycobacterial infections by promoting M.tb clearance through NO- or IL-1β-mediated bactericidal effects. Therefore, we unveil a novel immune evasion strategy employed by M.tb, which could potentially serve as a target for innovative TB interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianxia Chen
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China; Shanghai Key Lab of Tuberculosis, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Fen Tang
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China; Shanghai Key Lab of Tuberculosis, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Haohao Li
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China; Shanghai Key Lab of Tuberculosis, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Xiangyang Wu
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China; Shanghai Key Lab of Tuberculosis, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yong Yang
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Zhonghua Liu
- Shanghai Key Lab of Tuberculosis, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Xiaochen Huang
- Shanghai Key Lab of Tuberculosis, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Shanghai Key Lab of Tuberculosis, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Ruijuan Zheng
- Shanghai Key Lab of Tuberculosis, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Lin Wang
- Shanghai Key Lab of Tuberculosis, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Haipeng Liu
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China; Shanghai Key Lab of Tuberculosis, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China; Central Laboratory, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Junfang Xu
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China; Shanghai Key Lab of Tuberculosis, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Department of TB, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Feng Liu
- Shanghai Key Lab of Tuberculosis, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Sleep Disordered Breathing, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Otolaryngology Institute of Shanghai JiaoTong University, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to JiaoTong University Medical School, Shanghai 200233, China.
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Montenegro P, Chen P, Kang J, Lee SH, Leone S, Shen J. Human Presenilin-1 delivered by AAV9 rescues impaired γ-secretase activity, memory deficits, and neurodegeneration in Psen mutant mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2306714120. [PMID: 37816062 PMCID: PMC10589670 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2306714120] [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: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the Presenilin (PSEN1 and PSEN2) genes are the major cause of early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD). Presenilin (PS) is the catalytic subunit of the γ-secretase complex, which cleaves type I transmembrane proteins, such as Notch and the amyloid precursor protein (APP), and plays an evolutionarily conserved role in the protection of neuronal survival during aging. FAD PSEN1 mutations exhibit impaired γ-secretase activity in cell culture, in vitro, and knockin (KI) mouse brains, and the L435F mutation is the most severe in reducing γ-secretase activity and is located closest to the active site of γ-secretase. Here, we report that introduction of the codon-optimized wild-type human PSEN1 cDNA by adeno-associated virus 9 (AAV9) results in broadly distributed, sustained, low to moderate levels of human PS1 (hPS1) expression and rescues impaired γ-secretase activity in the cerebral cortex of Psen mutant mice either lacking PS or expressing the Psen1 L435F KI allele, as evaluated by endogenous γ-secretase substrates of APP and recombinant γ-secretase products of Notch intracellular domain and Aβ peptides. Furthermore, introduction of hPS1 by AAV9 alleviates impairments of synaptic plasticity and learning and memory in Psen mutant mice. Importantly, AAV9 delivery of hPS1 ameliorates neurodegeneration in the cerebral cortex of aged Psen mutant mice, as shown by the reversal of age-dependent loss of cortical neurons and elevated microgliosis and astrogliosis. These results together show that moderate hPS1 expression by AAV9 is sufficient to rescue impaired γ-secretase activity, synaptic and memory deficits, and neurodegeneration caused by Psen mutations in mouse models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Montenegro
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA02115
| | - Phoenix Chen
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA02115
| | - Jongkyun Kang
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA02115
| | - Sang Hun Lee
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA02115
| | - Sofia Leone
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA02115
| | - Jie Shen
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA02115
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
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Dunot J, Ribera A, Pousinha PA, Marie H. Spatiotemporal insights of APP function. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 82:102754. [PMID: 37542943 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102754] [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: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
The amyloid-β precursor protein (APP) is a ubiquitous protein with a strong genetic link to Alzheimer's disease. Although the protein was identified more than forty years ago, its physiological function is still unclear. In recent years, advances in technology have allowed researchers to tackle APP functions in greater depth. In this review, we discuss the latest research pertaining to APP functions from development to aging. We also address the different roles that APP could play in specific types of cells of the central and peripheral nervous system and in other organs of the body. We argue that, until we fully identify the functions of APP in space and time, we will be missing important pieces of the puzzle to solve its pathological implication in Alzheimer's disease and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jade Dunot
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, UMR7275, 06560, Valbonne, France. https://twitter.com/DunotJade
| | - Aurore Ribera
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, UMR7275, 06560, Valbonne, France. https://twitter.com/aurore_et_al_
| | - Paula A Pousinha
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, UMR7275, 06560, Valbonne, France.
| | - Hélène Marie
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, UMR7275, 06560, Valbonne, France.
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10
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Melo de Farias AR, Pelletier A, Iohan LCC, Saha O, Bonnefond A, Amouyel P, Delahaye F, Lambert JC, Costa MR. Amyloid-Beta Peptides Trigger Premature Functional and Gene Expression Alterations in Human-Induced Neurons. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2564. [PMID: 37761004 PMCID: PMC10526858 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11092564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent cause of dementia in the elderly, characterized by the presence of amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, neuroinflammation, synapse loss and neurodegeneration in the brain. The amyloid cascade hypothesis postulates that deposition of Aβ peptides is the causative agent of AD pathology, but we still lack comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms connecting Aβ peptides to neuronal dysfunctions in AD. In this work, we investigate the early effects of Aβ peptide accumulation on the functional properties and gene expression profiles of human-induced neurons (hiNs). We show that hiNs acutely exposed to low concentrations of both cell-secreted Aβ peptides or synthetic Aβ1-42 exhibit alterations in the frequency of calcium transients suggestive of increased neuronal excitability. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we also show that cell-secreted Aβ up-regulates the expression of several synapse-related genes and down-regulates the expression of genes associated with metabolic stress mainly in glutamatergic neurons and, to a lesser degree, in GABAergic neurons and astrocytes. These neuronal alterations correlate with activation of the SEMA5, EPHA and NECTIN signaling pathways, which are important regulators of synaptic plasticity. Altogether, our findings indicate that slight elevations in Aβ concentrations are sufficient to elicit transcriptional changes in human neurons, which can contribute to early alterations in neural network activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Raquel Melo de Farias
- Université de Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167-RID-AGE Facteurs de Risque et Déterminants Moléculaires des Maladies Liées au Vieillissement, DISTALZ, 1 rue du Professeur Calmette, 59019 Lille, France; (A.R.M.d.F.); (O.S.); (P.A.); (J.-C.L.)
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário Lagoa Nova, Av. Senador Salgado Filho, 3000, Natal 59078-970, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Pelletier
- Université de Lille, Inserm, CNRS, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1283-UMR 8199 EGID, Pôle Recherche, 1 Place de Verdun, CEDEX, 59045 Lille, France; (A.P.); (A.B.); (F.D.)
| | - Lukas Cruz Carvalho Iohan
- Bioinformatics Multidisciplinary Environment, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-970, Brazil;
| | - Orthis Saha
- Université de Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167-RID-AGE Facteurs de Risque et Déterminants Moléculaires des Maladies Liées au Vieillissement, DISTALZ, 1 rue du Professeur Calmette, 59019 Lille, France; (A.R.M.d.F.); (O.S.); (P.A.); (J.-C.L.)
| | - Amélie Bonnefond
- Université de Lille, Inserm, CNRS, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1283-UMR 8199 EGID, Pôle Recherche, 1 Place de Verdun, CEDEX, 59045 Lille, France; (A.P.); (A.B.); (F.D.)
| | - Philippe Amouyel
- Université de Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167-RID-AGE Facteurs de Risque et Déterminants Moléculaires des Maladies Liées au Vieillissement, DISTALZ, 1 rue du Professeur Calmette, 59019 Lille, France; (A.R.M.d.F.); (O.S.); (P.A.); (J.-C.L.)
| | - Fabien Delahaye
- Université de Lille, Inserm, CNRS, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1283-UMR 8199 EGID, Pôle Recherche, 1 Place de Verdun, CEDEX, 59045 Lille, France; (A.P.); (A.B.); (F.D.)
| | - Jean-Charles Lambert
- Université de Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167-RID-AGE Facteurs de Risque et Déterminants Moléculaires des Maladies Liées au Vieillissement, DISTALZ, 1 rue du Professeur Calmette, 59019 Lille, France; (A.R.M.d.F.); (O.S.); (P.A.); (J.-C.L.)
| | - Marcos R. Costa
- Université de Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167-RID-AGE Facteurs de Risque et Déterminants Moléculaires des Maladies Liées au Vieillissement, DISTALZ, 1 rue du Professeur Calmette, 59019 Lille, France; (A.R.M.d.F.); (O.S.); (P.A.); (J.-C.L.)
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário Lagoa Nova, Av. Senador Salgado Filho, 3000, Natal 59078-970, Brazil
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11
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Schilling S, August A, Meleux M, Conradt C, Tremmel LM, Teigler S, Adam V, Müller UC, Koo EH, Kins S, Eggert S. APP family member dimeric complexes are formed predominantly in synaptic compartments. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:141. [PMID: 37533067 PMCID: PMC10398996 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01092-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The amyloid precursor protein (APP), a key player in Alzheimer's disease (AD), is part of a larger gene family, including the APP like proteins APLP1 and APLP2. They share similar structures, form homo- and heterotypic dimers and exhibit overlapping functions. RESULTS We investigated complex formation of the APP family members via two inducible dimerization systems, the FKBP-rapamycin based dimerization as well as cysteine induced dimerization, combined with co-immunoprecipitations and Blue Native (BN) gel analyses. Within the APP family, APLP1 shows the highest degree of dimerization and high molecular weight (HMW) complex formation. Interestingly, only about 20% of APP is dimerized in cultured cells whereas up to 50% of APP is dimerized in mouse brains, independent of age and splice forms. Furthermore, we could show that dimerized APP originates mostly from neurons and is enriched in synaptosomes. Finally, BN gel analysis of human cortex samples shows a significant decrease of APP dimers in AD patients compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS Together, we suggest that loss of full-length APP dimers might correlate with loss of synapses in the process of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Schilling
- Department of Human Biology and Human Genetics, University of Kaiserslautern, 67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Alexander August
- Department of Human Biology and Human Genetics, University of Kaiserslautern, 67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Mathieu Meleux
- Department of Human Biology and Human Genetics, University of Kaiserslautern, 67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Carolin Conradt
- Department of Human Biology and Human Genetics, University of Kaiserslautern, 67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Luisa M Tremmel
- Department of Human Biology and Human Genetics, University of Kaiserslautern, 67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany
- Medical, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Center for Molecular Signaling (PZMS), Saarland University, 66421, Homburg, Germany
| | - Sandra Teigler
- Department of Human Biology and Human Genetics, University of Kaiserslautern, 67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Virginie Adam
- Department of Human Biology and Human Genetics, University of Kaiserslautern, 67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Ulrike C Müller
- Institute for Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Heidelberg, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Edward H Koo
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, 92093-0662, USA
| | - Stefan Kins
- Department of Human Biology and Human Genetics, University of Kaiserslautern, 67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Simone Eggert
- Department of Human Biology and Human Genetics, University of Kaiserslautern, 67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany.
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, City-Campus, Hermann-Rein-Str. 3, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.
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Cai W, Li L, Sang S, Pan X, Zhong C. Physiological Roles of β-amyloid in Regulating Synaptic Function: Implications for AD Pathophysiology. Neurosci Bull 2023; 39:1289-1308. [PMID: 36443453 PMCID: PMC10387033 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-022-00985-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The physiological functions of endogenous amyloid-β (Aβ), which plays important role in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), have not been paid enough attention. Here, we review the multiple physiological effects of Aβ, particularly in regulating synaptic transmission, and the possible mechanisms, in order to decipher the real characters of Aβ under both physiological and pathological conditions. Some worthy studies have shown that the deprivation of endogenous Aβ gives rise to synaptic dysfunction and cognitive deficiency, while the moderate elevation of this peptide enhances long term potentiation and leads to neuronal hyperexcitability. In this review, we provide a new view for understanding the role of Aβ in AD pathophysiology from the perspective of physiological meaning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwen Cai
- Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Linxi Li
- Basic Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Shaoming Sang
- Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xiaoli Pan
- Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Chunjiu Zhong
- Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science & Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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13
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Wu MY, Zou WJ, Lee D, Mei L, Xiong WC. APP in the Neuromuscular Junction for the Development of Sarcopenia and Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24097809. [PMID: 37175515 PMCID: PMC10178513 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24097809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Sarcopenia, an illness condition usually characterized by a loss of skeletal muscle mass and muscle strength or function, is often associated with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), a common type of dementia, leading to memory loss and other cognitive impairment. However, the underlying mechanisms for their associations and relationships are less well understood. The App, a Mendelian gene for early-onset AD, encodes amyloid precursor protein (APP), a transmembrane protein enriched at both the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) and synapses in the central nervous system (CNS). Here, in this review, we highlight APP and its family members' physiological functions and Swedish mutant APP (APPswe)'s pathological roles in muscles and NMJ. Understanding APP's pathophysiological functions in muscles and NMJ is likely to uncover insights not only into neuromuscular diseases but also AD. We summarize key findings from the burgeoning literature, which may open new avenues to investigate the link between muscle cells and brain cells in the development and progression of AD and sarcopenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Yi Wu
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Wen-Jun Zou
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Daehoon Lee
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Northeast Ohio VA Healthcare System, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Lin Mei
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Wen-Cheng Xiong
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Northeast Ohio VA Healthcare System, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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14
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Babić Leko M, Langer Horvat L, Španić Popovački E, Zubčić K, Hof PR, Šimić G. Metals in Alzheimer's Disease. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1161. [PMID: 37189779 PMCID: PMC10136077 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11041161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of metals in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is still debated. Although previous research has linked changes in essential metal homeostasis and exposure to environmental heavy metals to the pathogenesis of AD, more research is needed to determine the relationship between metals and AD. In this review, we included human studies that (1) compared the metal concentrations between AD patients and healthy controls, (2) correlated concentrations of AD cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers with metal concentrations, and (3) used Mendelian randomization (MR) to assess the potential metal contributions to AD risk. Although many studies have examined various metals in dementia patients, understanding the dynamics of metals in these patients remains difficult due to considerable inconsistencies among the results of individual studies. The most consistent findings were for Zn and Cu, with most studies observing a decrease in Zn levels and an increase in Cu levels in AD patients. However, several studies found no such relation. Because few studies have compared metal levels with biomarker levels in the CSF of AD patients, more research of this type is required. Given that MR is revolutionizing epidemiologic research, additional MR studies that include participants from diverse ethnic backgrounds to assess the causal relationship between metals and AD risk are critical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirjana Babić Leko
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Lea Langer Horvat
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ena Španić Popovački
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Klara Zubčić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute and Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer’s Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Goran Šimić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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15
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Masi M, Biundo F, Fiou A, Racchi M, Pascale A, Buoso E. The Labyrinthine Landscape of APP Processing: State of the Art and Possible Novel Soluble APP-Related Molecular Players in Traumatic Brain Injury and Neurodegeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076639. [PMID: 37047617 PMCID: PMC10095589 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) and its cleavage processes have been widely investigated in the past, in particular in the context of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Evidence of an increased expression of APP and its amyloidogenic-related cleavage enzymes, β-secretase 1 (BACE1) and γ-secretase, at the hit axon terminals following Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), firstly suggested a correlation between TBI and AD. Indeed, mild and severe TBI have been recognised as influential risk factors for different neurodegenerative diseases, including AD. In the present work, we describe the state of the art of APP proteolytic processing, underlining the different roles of its cleavage fragments in both physiological and pathological contexts. Considering the neuroprotective role of the soluble APP alpha (sAPPα) fragment, we hypothesised that sAPPα could modulate the expression of genes of interest for AD and TBI. Hence, we present preliminary experiments addressing sAPPα-mediated regulation of BACE1, Isthmin 2 (ISM2), Tetraspanin-3 (TSPAN3) and the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGFA), each discussed from a biological and pharmacological point of view in AD and TBI. We finally propose a neuroprotective interaction network, in which the Receptor for Activated C Kinase 1 (RACK1) and the signalling cascade of PKCβII/nELAV/VEGF play hub roles, suggesting that vasculogenic-targeting therapies could be a feasible approach for vascular-related brain injuries typical of AD and TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirco Masi
- Computational and Chemical Biology, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Biundo
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Ave, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - André Fiou
- Department of Drug Sciences, Pharmacology Section, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Marco Racchi
- Department of Drug Sciences, Pharmacology Section, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Alessia Pascale
- Department of Drug Sciences, Pharmacology Section, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Erica Buoso
- Department of Drug Sciences, Pharmacology Section, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
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16
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Zare Ashrafi F, Akhtarkhavari T, Fattahi Z, Asadnezhad M, Beheshtian M, Arzhangi S, Najmabadi H, Kahrizi K. Emerging Epidemiological Data on Rare Intellectual Disability Syndromes from Analyzing the Data of a Large Iranian Cohort. ARCHIVES OF IRANIAN MEDICINE 2023; 26:186-197. [PMID: 38301078 PMCID: PMC10685746 DOI: 10.34172/aim.2023.29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intellectual disability (ID) is a genetically heterogeneous condition, and so far, 1679 human genes have been identified for this phenotype. Countries with a high rate of parental consanguinity, such as Iran, provide an excellent opportunity to identify the remaining novel ID genes, especially those with an autosomal recessive (AR) mode of inheritance. This study aimed to investigate the most prevalent ID genes identified via next-generation sequencing (NGS) in a large ID cohort at the Genetics Research Center (GRC) of the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences. METHODS First, we surveyed the epidemiological data of 619 of 1295 families in our ID cohort, who referred to the Genetics Research Center from all over the country between 2004 and 2021 for genetic investigation via the NGS pipeline. We then compared our data with those of several prominent studies conducted in consanguineous countries. Data analysis, including cohort data extraction, categorization, and comparison, was performed using the R program version 4.1.2. RESULTS We categorized the most common ID genes that were mutated in more than two families into 17 categories. The most common syndromic ID in our cohort was AP4 deficiency syndrome, and the most common non-syndromic autosomal recessive intellectual disability (ARID) gene was ASPM. We identified two unrelated families for the 36 ID genes. We found 14 genes in common between our cohort and the Arab and Pakistani groups, of which three genes (AP4M1, AP4S1, and ADGRG1) were repeated more than once. CONCLUSION To date, there has been no comprehensive targeted NGS platform for the detection of ID genes in our country. Due to the large sample size of our study, our data may provide the initial step toward designing an indigenously targeted NGS platform for the diagnosis of ID, especially common ARID in our population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzane Zare Ashrafi
- Genetics Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Tara Akhtarkhavari
- Genetics Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zohreh Fattahi
- Genetics Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Asadnezhad
- Genetics Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Beheshtian
- Genetics Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sanaz Arzhangi
- Genetics Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Najmabadi
- Genetics Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kimia Kahrizi
- Genetics Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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17
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Unno K, Taguchi K, Takagi Y, Hase T, Meguro S, Nakamura Y. Mouse Models with SGLT2 Mutations: Toward Understanding the Role of SGLT2 beyond Glucose Reabsorption. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076278. [PMID: 37047250 PMCID: PMC10094282 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) mainly carries out glucose reabsorption in the kidney. Familial renal glycosuria, which is a mutation of SGLT2, is known to excrete glucose in the urine, but blood glucose levels are almost normal. Therefore, SGLT2 inhibitors are attracting attention as a new therapeutic drug for diabetes, which is increasing worldwide. In fact, SGLT2 inhibitors not only suppress hyperglycemia but also reduce renal, heart, and cardiovascular diseases. However, whether long-term SGLT2 inhibition is completely harmless requires further investigation. In this context, mice with mutations in SGLT2 have been generated and detailed studies are being conducted, e.g., the SGLT2−/− mouse, Sweet Pee mouse, Jimbee mouse, and SAMP10-ΔSglt2 mouse. Biological changes associated with SGLT2 mutations have been reported in these model mice, suggesting that SGLT2 is not only responsible for sugar reabsorption but is also related to other functions, such as bone metabolism, longevity, and cognitive functions. In this review, we present the characteristics of these mutant mice. Moreover, because the relationship between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease has been discussed, we examined the relationship between changes in glucose homeostasis and the amyloid precursor protein in SGLT2 mutant mice.
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18
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Zhang C, Yi X, Hou M, Li Q, Li X, Lu L, Qi E, Wu M, Qi L, Jian H, Qi Z, Lv Y, Kong X, Bi M, Feng S, Zhou H. The landscape of m 1A modification and its posttranscriptional regulatory functions in primary neurons. eLife 2023; 12:85324. [PMID: 36880874 PMCID: PMC9991057 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cerebral ischaemia‒reperfusion injury (IRI), during which neurons undergo oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R), is a notable pathological process in many neurological diseases. N1-methyladenosine (m1A) is an RNA modification that can affect gene expression and RNA stability. The m1A landscape and potential functions of m1A modification in neurons remain poorly understood. We explored RNA (mRNA, lncRNA, and circRNA) m1A modification in normal and OGD/R-treated mouse neurons and the effect of m1A on diverse RNAs. We investigated the m1A landscape in primary neurons, identified m1A-modified RNAs, and found that OGD/R increased the number of m1A RNAs. m1A modification might also affect the regulatory mechanisms of noncoding RNAs, e.g., lncRNA-RNA binding proteins (RBPs) interactions and circRNA translation. We showed that m1A modification mediates the circRNA/lncRNA‒miRNA-mRNA competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism and that 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) modification of mRNAs can hinder miRNA-mRNA binding. Three modification patterns were identified, and genes with different patterns had intrinsic mechanisms with potential m1A-regulatory specificity. Systematic analysis of the m1A landscape in normal and OGD/R neurons lays a critical foundation for understanding RNA modification and provides new perspectives and a theoretical basis for treating and developing drugs for OGD/R pathology-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Shandong University Centre for Orthopaedics, Advanced Medical Research Institute, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong UniversityJinanChina
| | - Xianfu Yi
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Mengfan Hou
- Department of Orthopaedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal CordTianjinChina
| | - Qingyang Li
- Department of Orthopaedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Shandong University Centre for Orthopaedics, Advanced Medical Research Institute, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong UniversityJinanChina
| | - Xueying Li
- Department of Orthopaedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Shandong University Centre for Orthopaedics, Advanced Medical Research Institute, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong UniversityJinanChina
| | - Lu Lu
- Department of Orthopaedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal CordTianjinChina
| | - Enlin Qi
- Department of Orthopaedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Shandong University Centre for Orthopaedics, Advanced Medical Research Institute, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong UniversityJinanChina
| | - Mingxin Wu
- Department of Orthopaedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal CordTianjinChina
| | - Lin Qi
- Department of Orthopedics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaChina
| | - Huan Jian
- Department of Orthopaedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal CordTianjinChina
| | - Zhangyang Qi
- Department of Orthopaedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Shandong University Centre for Orthopaedics, Advanced Medical Research Institute, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong UniversityJinanChina
| | - Yigang Lv
- Department of Orthopaedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal CordTianjinChina
| | - Xiaohong Kong
- Department of Orthopaedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Shandong University Centre for Orthopaedics, Advanced Medical Research Institute, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong UniversityJinanChina
| | - Mingjun Bi
- Department of Orthopaedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Shandong University Centre for Orthopaedics, Advanced Medical Research Institute, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong UniversityJinanChina
| | - Shiqing Feng
- Department of Orthopaedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Shandong University Centre for Orthopaedics, Advanced Medical Research Institute, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong UniversityJinanChina
- Department of Orthopaedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal CordTianjinChina
| | - Hengxing Zhou
- Department of Orthopaedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Shandong University Centre for Orthopaedics, Advanced Medical Research Institute, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong UniversityJinanChina
- Department of Orthopaedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal CordTianjinChina
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Zhang Y, Geng R, Liu M, Deng S, Ding J, Zhong H, Tu Q. Shared peripheral blood biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease, major depressive disorder, and type 2 diabetes and cognitive risk factor analysis. Heliyon 2023; 9:e14653. [PMID: 36994393 PMCID: PMC10040717 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Alzheimer's disease (AD), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) have a higher incidence rate in modern society. Although increasing evidence supports close associations between the three, the mechanisms underlying their interrelationships remain elucidated. Objective The primary purpose is to explore the shared pathogenesis and the potential peripheral blood biomarkers for AD, MDD, and T2DM. Methods We downloaded the microarray data of AD, MDD, and T2DM from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and constructed co-expression networks by Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis to identify differentially expressed genes. We took the intersection of differentially expressed genes to obtain co-DEGs. Then, we performed GO and KEGG enrichment analysis on the common genes in the AD, MDD, and T2DM-related modules. Next, we utilized the STRING database to find the hub genes in the protein-protein interaction network. ROC curves were constructed for co-DEGs to obtain the most diagnostic valuable genes and to make drug predictions against the target genes. Finally, we conducted a present condition survey to verify the correlation between T2DM, MDD and AD. Results Our findings indicated 127 diff co-DEGs, 19 upregulated co-DEGs, and 25 down-regulated co-DEGs. Functional enrichment analysis showed co-DEGs were mainly enriched in signaling pathways such as metabolic diseases and some neurodegeneration. Protein-protein interaction network construction identified hub genes in AD, MDD and T2DM shared genes. We identified seven hub genes of co-DEGs, namely, SMC4, CDC27, HNF1A, RHOD, CUX1, PDLIM5, and TTR. The current survey results suggest a correlation between T2DM, MDD and dementia. Moreover, logistic regression analysis showed that T2DM and depression increased the risk of dementia. Conclusion Our work identified common pathogenesis of AD, T2DM, and MDD. These shared pathways might provide novel ideas for further mechanistic studies and hub genes that may serve as novel therapeutic targets for diagnosing and treating.
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Rajão-Saraiva J, Dunot J, Ribera A, Temido-Ferreira M, Coelho JE, König S, Moreno S, Enguita FJ, Willem M, Kins S, Marie H, Lopes LV, Pousinha PA. Age-dependent NMDA receptor function is regulated by the amyloid precursor protein. Aging Cell 2023; 22:e13778. [PMID: 36704841 PMCID: PMC10014064 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are critical for the maturation and plasticity of glutamatergic synapses. In the hippocampus, NMDARs mainly contain GluN2A and/or GluN2B regulatory subunits. The amyloid precursor protein (APP) has emerged as a putative regulator of NMDARs, but the impact of this interaction to their function is largely unknown. By combining patch-clamp electrophysiology and molecular approaches, we unravel a dual mechanism by which APP controls GluN2B-NMDARs, depending on the life stage. We show that APP is highly abundant specifically at the postnatal postsynapse. It interacts with GluN2B-NMDARs, controlling its synaptic content and mediated currents, both in infant mice and primary neuronal cultures. Upon aging, the APP amyloidogenic-derived C-terminal fragments, rather than APP full-length, contribute to aberrant GluN2B-NMDAR currents. Accordingly, we found that the APP processing is increased upon aging, both in mice and human brain. Interfering with stability or production of the APP intracellular domain normalized the GluN2B-NMDARs currents. While the first mechanism might be essential for synaptic maturation during development, the latter could contribute to age-related synaptic impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Rajão-Saraiva
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Jade Dunot
- University Côte d' Azur, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 7275, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IPMC), Valbonne, France
| | - Aurore Ribera
- University Côte d' Azur, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 7275, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IPMC), Valbonne, France
| | - Mariana Temido-Ferreira
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Joana E Coelho
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Svenja König
- Division of Human Biology and Human Genetics, University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Sébastien Moreno
- University Côte d' Azur, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 7275, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IPMC), Valbonne, France
| | - Francisco J Enguita
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Michael Willem
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Division of Metabolic Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Kins
- Division of Human Biology and Human Genetics, University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Hélène Marie
- University Côte d' Azur, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 7275, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IPMC), Valbonne, France
| | - Luísa V Lopes
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Paula A Pousinha
- University Côte d' Azur, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 7275, Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IPMC), Valbonne, France
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21
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Li YZ, Zhu YB, Ge AN, Gao M, Wang KL, Zeng XR, Li J, Li Y, Xu JY, Bai HH, Wu SJ. Reduced expression of APLP2 in spinal GABAergic inhibitory neurons contributed to nerve injury-induced microglial activation and pain sensitization. Neuropharmacology 2023; 224:109334. [PMID: 36442651 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The amyloid precursor protein (APP) is critical for the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The AD patients usually have lower pain sensitivity in addition to cognitive impairments. However, considerably less is known as yet about the role of APP and its two mammalian homologues, amyloid precursor-like protein 1 and 2 (APLP1, APLP2), in spinal processing of nociceptive information. Here we found that all APP family members were present in spinal cord dorsal horn of adult male C57BL/6J mice. Peripheral nerve injury specifically reduced the expression of spinal APLP2 that correlated with neuropathic mechanical allodynia. The loss of APLP2 was confined to inhibitory GABAergic interneurons. Targeted knockdown of APLP2 in GABAergic interneurons of GAD2-Cre mice evoked pain hypersensitivity by means of microglia activation. Our data showed that GABAergic terminals expressed APLP2, a putative cell adhesion protein that interacted with microglia-specific integrin molecule CD11b. Knocking down APLP2 in GAD2-positive neurons to disrupt the trans-cellular interaction led to microglia-dependent pain sensitization. Our data thus revealed an important role of APLP2 for GABAergic interneurons to control microglial activity and pain sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Zhe Li
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China
| | - Yue-Bin Zhu
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China
| | - An-Na Ge
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China
| | - Min Gao
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China
| | - Kang-Li Wang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China
| | - Xiang-Ru Zeng
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China
| | - Yuan Li
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China
| | - Jia-Yu Xu
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China
| | - Hu-Hu Bai
- School of Life Science, Lanzhou University, Gansu, 730000, PR China.
| | - Shu-Jin Wu
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, PR China
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22
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Zhao DP, Lei X, Wang YY, Xue A, Zhao CY, Xu YM, Zhang Y, Liu GL, Geng F, Xu HD, Zhang N. Sagacious confucius’ pillow elixir ameliorates Dgalactose induced cognitive injury in mice via estrogenic effects and synaptic plasticity. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:971385. [PMID: 36249769 PMCID: PMC9555387 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.971385] [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: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a growing concern in modern society, and there is currently a lack of effective therapeutic drugs. Sagacious Confucius’ Pillow Elixir (SCPE) has been studied for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as AD. This study aimed to reveal the key components and mechanisms of SCPE’s anti-AD effect by combining Ultra-high Performance Liquid Chromatography-electrostatic field Orbitrap combined high-resolution Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-LTQ/Orbitrap-MS) with a network pharmacology approach. And the mechanism was verified by in vivo experiments. Based on UPLC-LTQ/Orbitrap-MS technique identified 9 blood components from rat serum containing SCPE, corresponding to 113 anti-AD targets, and 15 of the 113 targets had high connectivity. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that estrogen signaling pathway and synaptic signaling pathway were the most significantly enriched pathways in SCPE anti-AD, which has been proved by in vivo experiments. SCPE can exert estrogenic effects in the brain by increasing the amount of estrogen in the brain and the expression of ERα receptors. SCPE can enhance the synaptic structure plasticity by promoting the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) secretion and improving actin polymerization and coordinates cofilin activity. In addition, SCPE also enhances synaptic functional plasticity by increasing the density of postsynaptic densified 95 (PSD95) proteins and the expression of functional receptor AMPA. SCPE is effective for treatment of AD and the mechanism is related to increasing estrogenic effects and improving synaptic plasticity. Our study revealed the synergistic effect of SCPE at the system level and showed that SCPE exhibits anti-AD effects in a multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway manner. All these provide experimental support for the clinical application and drug development of SCPE in the prevention and treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- De-Ping Zhao
- College of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Xia Lei
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuxi Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Jiangsu, Wuxi, China
| | - Yue-Ying Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Ao Xue
- College of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Chen-Yu Zhao
- College of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Yan-Ming Xu
- College of Jiamusi, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Guo-Liang Liu
- College of Jiamusi, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Fang Geng
- Key Laboratory of Photochemistry Biomaterials and Energy Storage Materials of Heilongjiang Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Normal University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
- *Correspondence: Fang Geng, ; Hong-Dan Xu, ; Ning Zhang,
| | - Hong-Dan Xu
- College of Jiamusi, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, China
- College of Pharmacy, Wuxi Higher Health Vocational Technology School, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- *Correspondence: Fang Geng, ; Hong-Dan Xu, ; Ning Zhang,
| | - Ning Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
- College of Jiamusi, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, China
- *Correspondence: Fang Geng, ; Hong-Dan Xu, ; Ning Zhang,
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23
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McKendell AK, Houser MCQ, Mitchell SPC, Wolfe MS, Berezovska O, Maesako M. In-Depth Characterization of Endo-Lysosomal Aβ in Intact Neurons. BIOSENSORS 2022; 12:663. [PMID: 36005059 PMCID: PMC9406119 DOI: 10.3390/bios12080663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides are produced within neurons. Some peptides are released into the brain parenchyma, while others are retained inside the neurons. However, the detection of intracellular Aβ remains a challenge since antibodies against Aβ capture Aβ and its precursor proteins (i.e., APP and C99). To overcome this drawback, we recently developed 1) the C99 720-670 biosensor for recording γ-secretase activity and 2) a unique multiplexed immunostaining platform that enables the selective detection of intracellular Aβ with subcellular resolution. Using these new assays, we showed that C99 is predominantly processed by γ-secretase in late endosomes and lysosomes, and intracellular Aβ is enriched in the same subcellular loci in intact neurons. However, the detailed properties of Aβ in the acidic compartments remain unclear. Here, we report using fluorescent lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) that intracellular Aβ includes both long Aβ intermediates bound to γ-secretase and short peptides dissociated from the protease complex. Surprisingly, our results also suggest that the dissociated Aβ is bound to the glycoproteins on the inner membrane of lysosomes. Furthermore, we show striking cell-to-cell heterogeneity in intracellular Aβ levels in primary neurons and APP transgenic mouse brains. These findings provide a basis for the further investigation of the role(s) of intracellular Aβ and its relevance to Alzheimer's disease (AD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alec K. McKendell
- Alzheimer Research Unit, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 114, 16th street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Mei C. Q. Houser
- Alzheimer Research Unit, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 114, 16th street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Shane P. C. Mitchell
- Alzheimer Research Unit, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 114, 16th street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Michael S. Wolfe
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, 1567 Irving Hill Rd, Lawrence, Kansas City, KS 66045, USA
| | - Oksana Berezovska
- Alzheimer Research Unit, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 114, 16th street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Masato Maesako
- Alzheimer Research Unit, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 114, 16th street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
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24
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Martinsson I, Quintino L, Garcia MG, Konings SC, Torres-Garcia L, Svanbergsson A, Stange O, England R, Deierborg T, Li JY, Lundberg C, Gouras GK. Aβ/Amyloid Precursor Protein-Induced Hyperexcitability and Dysregulation of Homeostatic Synaptic Plasticity in Neuron Models of Alzheimer’s Disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:946297. [PMID: 35928998 PMCID: PMC9344931 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.946297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is increasingly seen as a disease of synapses and diverse evidence has implicated the amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) in synapse damage. The molecular and cellular mechanism(s) by which Aβ and/or its precursor protein, the amyloid precursor protein (APP) can affect synapses remains unclear. Interestingly, early hyperexcitability has been described in human AD and mouse models of AD, which precedes later hypoactivity. Here we show that neurons in culture with either elevated levels of Aβ or with human APP mutated to prevent Aβ generation can both induce hyperactivity as detected by elevated calcium transient frequency and amplitude. Since homeostatic synaptic plasticity (HSP) mechanisms normally maintain a setpoint of activity, we examined whether HSP was altered in AD transgenic neurons. Using methods known to induce HSP, we demonstrate that APP protein levels are regulated by chronic modulation of activity and that AD transgenic neurons have an impaired adaptation of calcium transients to global changes in activity. Further, AD transgenic compared to WT neurons failed to adjust the length of their axon initial segments (AIS), an adaptation known to alter excitability. Thus, we show that both APP and Aβ influence neuronal activity and that mechanisms of HSP are disrupted in primary neuron models of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isak Martinsson
- Experimental Dementia Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Experimental Neuroinflammation Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- *Correspondence: Isak Martinsson,
| | - Luis Quintino
- CNS Gene Therapy, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Megg G. Garcia
- Experimental Dementia Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Experimental Neuroinflammation Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Sabine C. Konings
- Experimental Dementia Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Laura Torres-Garcia
- Experimental Dementia Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Neural Plasticity and Repair, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Alexander Svanbergsson
- Neural Plasticity and Repair, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Oliver Stange
- Experimental Dementia Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Rebecca England
- Experimental Dementia Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Tomas Deierborg
- Experimental Neuroinflammation Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Jia-Yi Li
- Neural Plasticity and Repair, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Lundberg
- CNS Gene Therapy, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Gunnar K. Gouras
- Experimental Dementia Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Gunnar K. Gouras,
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25
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Cho Y, Bae HG, Okun E, Arumugam TV, Jo DG. Physiology and pharmacology of amyloid precursor protein. Pharmacol Ther 2022; 235:108122. [PMID: 35114285 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2022.108122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is an evolutionarily conserved transmembrane protein and a well-characterized precursor protein of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides, which accumulate in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related pathologies. Aβ has been extensively investigated since the amyloid hypothesis in AD was proposed. Besides Aβ, previous studies on APP and its proteolytic cleavage products have suggested their diverse pathological and physiological functions. However, their roles still have not been thoroughly understood. In this review, we extensively discuss the evolutionarily-conserved biology of APP, including its structure and processing pathway, as well as recent findings on the physiological roles of APP and its fragments in the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system. We have also elaborated upon the current status of APP-targeted therapeutic approaches for AD treatment by discussing inhibitors of several proteases participating in APP processing, including α-, β-, and γ-secretases. Finally, we have highlighted the future perspectives pertaining to further research and the potential clinical role of APP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoonsuk Cho
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea
| | - Han-Gyu Bae
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea
| | - Eitan Okun
- The Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel; The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel; The Pauld Feder Laboratory on Alzheimer's Disease Research, Israel
| | - Thiruma V Arumugam
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea; School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Dong-Gyu Jo
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea; Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul 06351, South Korea; Biomedical Institute for Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea.
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26
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Hur JY. γ-Secretase in Alzheimer's disease. Exp Mol Med 2022; 54:433-446. [PMID: 35396575 PMCID: PMC9076685 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-022-00754-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is caused by synaptic and neuronal loss in the brain. One of the characteristic hallmarks of AD is senile plaques containing amyloid β-peptide (Aβ). Aβ is produced from amyloid precursor protein (APP) by sequential proteolytic cleavages by β-secretase and γ-secretase, and the polymerization of Aβ into amyloid plaques is thought to be a key pathogenic event in AD. Since γ-secretase mediates the final cleavage that liberates Aβ, γ-secretase has been widely studied as a potential drug target for the treatment of AD. γ-Secretase is a transmembrane protein complex containing presenilin, nicastrin, Aph-1, and Pen-2, which are sufficient for γ-secretase activity. γ-Secretase cleaves >140 substrates, including APP and Notch. Previously, γ-secretase inhibitors (GSIs) were shown to cause side effects in clinical trials due to the inhibition of Notch signaling. Therefore, more specific regulation or modulation of γ-secretase is needed. In recent years, γ-secretase modulators (GSMs) have been developed. To modulate γ-secretase and to understand its complex biology, finding the binding sites of GSIs and GSMs on γ-secretase as well as identifying transiently binding γ-secretase modulatory proteins have been of great interest. In this review, decades of findings on γ-secretase in AD are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Yeun Hur
- Chemical Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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27
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Abstract
KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 channels are associated with multiple neurodevelopmental disorders and are also therapeutic targets for neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases. For more than two decades, it has been thought that most KCNQ channels in the brain are either KCNQ2/3 or KCNQ3/5 heteromers. Here, we investigated the potential heteromeric compositions of KCNQ2-containing channels. We applied split-intein protein trans-splicing to form KCNQ2/5 tandems and coexpressed these with and without KCNQ3. Unexpectedly, we found that KCNQ2/5 tandems form functional channels independent of KCNQ3 in heterologous cells. Using mass spectrometry, we went on to demonstrate that KCNQ2 associates with KCNQ5 in native channels in the brain, even in the absence of KCNQ3. Additionally, our functional heterologous expression data are consistent with the formation of KCNQ2/3/5 heteromers. Thus, the composition of KCNQ channels is more diverse than has been previously recognized, necessitating a re-examination of the genotype/phenotype relationship of KCNQ2 pathogenic variants.
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28
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Upregulation of IP 3 receptor mediates APP-induced defects in synaptic downscaling and sleep homeostasis. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110594. [PMID: 35354048 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence suggests that impaired synaptic and firing homeostasis represents a driving force of early Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression. Here, we examine synaptic and sleep homeostasis in a Drosophila model by overexpressing human amyloid precursor protein (APP), whose duplication and mutations cause familial early-onset AD. We find that APP overexpression induces synaptic hyperexcitability. RNA-seq data indicate exaggerated expression of Ca2+-related signaling genes in APP mutants, including genes encoding Dmca1D, calcineurin (CaN) complex, and IP3R. We further demonstrate that increased CaN activity triggers transcriptional activation of Itpr (IP3R) through activating nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT). Strikingly, APP overexpression causes defects in synaptic downscaling and sleep deprivation-induced sleep rebound, and both defects could be restored by inhibiting IP3R. Our findings uncover IP3R as a shared signaling molecule in synaptic downscaling and sleep homeostasis, and its dysregulation may lead to synaptic hyperexcitability and AD progression at early stage.
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29
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Kim J, Kim S, Kim H, Hwang IW, Bae S, Karki S, Kim D, Ogelman R, Bang G, Kim JY, Kajander T, Um JW, Oh WC, Ko J. MDGA1 negatively regulates amyloid precursor protein-mediated synapse inhibition in the hippocampus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022. [PMID: 35074912 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2115326119/suppl_file/pnas.2115326119.sd01.xlsx] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Balanced synaptic inhibition, controlled by multiple synaptic adhesion proteins, is critical for proper brain function. MDGA1 (meprin, A-5 protein, and receptor protein-tyrosine phosphatase mu [MAM] domain-containing glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor protein 1) suppresses synaptic inhibition in mammalian neurons, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying MDGA1-mediated negative regulation of GABAergic synapses remain unresolved. Here, we show that the MDGA1 MAM domain directly interacts with the extension domain of amyloid precursor protein (APP). Strikingly, MDGA1-mediated synaptic disinhibition requires the MDGA1 MAM domain and is prominent at distal dendrites of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. Down-regulation of APP in presynaptic GABAergic interneurons specifically suppressed GABAergic, but not glutamatergic, synaptic transmission strength and inputs onto both the somatic and dendritic compartments of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. Moreover, APP deletion manifested differential effects in somatostatin- and parvalbumin-positive interneurons in the hippocampal CA1, resulting in distinct alterations in inhibitory synapse numbers, transmission, and excitability. The infusion of MDGA1 MAM protein mimicked postsynaptic MDGA1 gain-of-function phenotypes that involve the presence of presynaptic APP. The overexpression of MDGA1 wild type or MAM, but not MAM-deleted MDGA1, in the hippocampal CA1 impaired novel object-recognition memory in mice. Thus, our results establish unique roles of APP-MDGA1 complexes in hippocampal neural circuits, providing unprecedented insight into trans-synaptic mechanisms underlying differential tuning of neuronal compartment-specific synaptic inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhu Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Seungjoon Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Hyeonho Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - In-Wook Hwang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Sungwon Bae
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Sudeep Karki
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Dongwook Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Roberto Ogelman
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Geul Bang
- Research Center for Bioconvergence Analysis, Korea Basic Science Institute, Ochang 305-732, Korea
| | - Jin Young Kim
- Research Center for Bioconvergence Analysis, Korea Basic Science Institute, Ochang 305-732, Korea
| | - Tommi Kajander
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ji Won Um
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Won Chan Oh
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045;
| | - Jaewon Ko
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu 42988, Korea;
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Kim J, Kim S, Kim H, Hwang IW, Bae S, Karki S, Kim D, Ogelman R, Bang G, Kim JY, Kajander T, Um JW, Oh WC, Ko J. MDGA1 negatively regulates amyloid precursor protein-mediated synapse inhibition in the hippocampus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2115326119. [PMID: 35074912 PMCID: PMC8795569 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2115326119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Balanced synaptic inhibition, controlled by multiple synaptic adhesion proteins, is critical for proper brain function. MDGA1 (meprin, A-5 protein, and receptor protein-tyrosine phosphatase mu [MAM] domain-containing glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor protein 1) suppresses synaptic inhibition in mammalian neurons, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying MDGA1-mediated negative regulation of GABAergic synapses remain unresolved. Here, we show that the MDGA1 MAM domain directly interacts with the extension domain of amyloid precursor protein (APP). Strikingly, MDGA1-mediated synaptic disinhibition requires the MDGA1 MAM domain and is prominent at distal dendrites of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. Down-regulation of APP in presynaptic GABAergic interneurons specifically suppressed GABAergic, but not glutamatergic, synaptic transmission strength and inputs onto both the somatic and dendritic compartments of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. Moreover, APP deletion manifested differential effects in somatostatin- and parvalbumin-positive interneurons in the hippocampal CA1, resulting in distinct alterations in inhibitory synapse numbers, transmission, and excitability. The infusion of MDGA1 MAM protein mimicked postsynaptic MDGA1 gain-of-function phenotypes that involve the presence of presynaptic APP. The overexpression of MDGA1 wild type or MAM, but not MAM-deleted MDGA1, in the hippocampal CA1 impaired novel object-recognition memory in mice. Thus, our results establish unique roles of APP-MDGA1 complexes in hippocampal neural circuits, providing unprecedented insight into trans-synaptic mechanisms underlying differential tuning of neuronal compartment-specific synaptic inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhu Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Seungjoon Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Hyeonho Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - In-Wook Hwang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Sungwon Bae
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Sudeep Karki
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Dongwook Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Roberto Ogelman
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Geul Bang
- Research Center for Bioconvergence Analysis, Korea Basic Science Institute, Ochang 305-732, Korea
| | - Jin Young Kim
- Research Center for Bioconvergence Analysis, Korea Basic Science Institute, Ochang 305-732, Korea
| | - Tommi Kajander
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ji Won Um
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu 42988, Korea
| | - Won Chan Oh
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045;
| | - Jaewon Ko
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu 42988, Korea;
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Cha HJ, Shen J, Kang J. Regulation of gene expression by the APP family in the adult cerebral cortex. Sci Rep 2022; 12:66. [PMID: 34997052 PMCID: PMC8741778 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04027-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is associated with both familial and sporadic forms of Alzheimer's disease. APP has two homologs, amyloid precursor-like protein 1 and 2 (APLP1 and APLP2), and they have functional redundancy. APP intracellular c-terminal domain (AICD), produced by sequential α- or β- and γ-secretase cleavages, is thought to control gene expression, similarly as the ICD of Notch. To investigate the role of APP family in transcriptional regulation, we examined gene expression changes in the cerebral cortex of APP/APLP1/APLP2 conditional triple knockout (cTKO) mice, in which APP family members are selectively inactivated in excitatory neurons of the postnatal forebrain. Of the 12 previously reported AICD target genes, only Nep and Npas4 mRNA levels were significantly reduced in the cerebral cortex of cTKO mice, compared to littermate controls. We further examined global transcriptional changes by RNA-seq and identified 189 and 274 differentially expressed genes in the neocortex and hippocampus, respectively, of cTKO mice relative to controls. Gene Ontology analysis indicated that these genes are involved in a variety of cellular functions, including extracellular organization, learning and memory, and ion channels. Thus, inactivation of APP family alters transcriptional profiles of the cerebral cortex and affects wide-ranging molecular pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye Ji Cha
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jie Shen
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jongkyun Kang
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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32
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Chen YY, Liu QP, An P, Jia M, Luan X, Tang JY, Zhang H. Ginsenoside Rd: A promising natural neuroprotective agent. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2022; 95:153883. [PMID: 34952508 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2021.153883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurological diseases seriously affect human health, which are arousing wider attention, and it is a great challenge to discover neuroprotective drugs with minimal side-effects and better efficacies. Natural agents derived from herbs or plants have become unparalleled resources for the discovery of novel drug candidates. Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, a well-known herbal medicine in China, occupies a very important position in traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) with a long history of clinical application. Ginsenoside Rd is the active compound in P. ginseng known to have broad-spectrum pharmacological effects to reduce neurological damage that can lead to neurological diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, depression, cognitive impairment, and cerebral ischemia. PURPOSE To review and discuss the effects and mechanisms of ginsenoside Rd in the treatment of neurological diseases. STUDY DESIGN & METHODS The related information was compiled by the major scientific databases, such as Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Elsevier, ScienceDirect, PubMed, SpringerLink, Web of Science, and GeenMedical. Using 'Ginsenoside Rd', 'Ginsenosides', 'Anti-inflammation', 'Antioxidant', 'Apoptosis' and 'Neuroprotection' as keywords, the correlated literature was extracted and conducted from the databases mentioned above. RESULTS Through summarizing the existing research progress, we found that the general effects of ginsenoside Rd are anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-apoptosis, inhibition of Ca2+ influx and protection of mitochondria, and through these pathways, the compound can inhibit excitatory toxicity, regulate nerve growth factor, and promote nerve regeneration. CONCLUSION Ginsenoside Rd is a promising natural neuroprotective agent. This review would contribute to the future development of ginsenoside Rd as a novel clinical candidate drug for treating neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ying Chen
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology; Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Qiu-Ping Liu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology; Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Pei An
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology; Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Min Jia
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Xin Luan
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology; Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Jian-Yuan Tang
- TCM Regulating Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610072, China.
| | - Hong Zhang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology; Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China.
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33
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Supakul S, Okano H, Maeda S. Utilization of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells-Derived In vitro Models for the Future Study of Sex Differences in Alzheimer's Disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:768948. [PMID: 34803659 PMCID: PMC8599796 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.768948] [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: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an aging-dependent neurodegenerative disease that impairs cognitive function. Although the main pathologies of AD are the aggregation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) and phosphorylated Tau protein, the mechanisms that lead to these pathologies and their effects are believed to be heterogeneous among patients. Many epidemiological studies have suggested that sex is involved in disease prevalence and progression. The reduction of sex hormones contributes to the pathogenesis of AD, especially in females, suggesting that the supplementation of sex hormones could be a therapeutic intervention for AD. However, interventional studies have revealed that hormone therapy is beneficial under limited conditions in certain populations with specific administration methods. Thus, this suggests the importance of identifying crucial factors that determine hormonal effects in patients with AD. Based on these factors, it is necessary to decide which patients will receive the intervention before starting it. However, the long observational period and many uncontrollable environmental factors in clinical trials made it difficult to identify such factors, except for the APOE ε4 allele. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from patients can differentiate into neurons and recapitulate some aspects of AD pathogenesis. This in vitro model allows us to control non-cell autonomous factors, including the amount of Aβ aggregates and sex hormones. Hence, iPSCs provide opportunities to investigate sex-dependent pathogenesis and predict a suitable population for clinical trials of hormone treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sopak Supakul
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sumihiro Maeda
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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34
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Armbrust F, Bickenbach K, Marengo L, Pietrzik C, Becker-Pauly C. The Swedish dilemma - the almost exclusive use of APPswe-based mouse models impedes adequate evaluation of alternative β-secretases. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2021; 1869:119164. [PMID: 34699873 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2021.119164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, however incurable so far. It is widely accepted that aggregated amyloid β (Aβ) peptides play a crucial role for the pathogenesis of AD, as they cause neurotoxicity and deposit as so-called Aβ plaques in AD patient brains. Aβ peptides derive from the amyloid precursor protein (APP) upon consecutive cleavage at the β- and γ-secretase site. Hence, mutations in the APP gene are often associated with autosomal dominant inherited AD. Almost thirty years ago, two mutations at the β-secretase site were observed in two Swedish families (termed Swedish APP (APPswe) mutations), which led to early-onset AD. Consequently, APPswe was established in almost every common AD mouse model, as it contributes to early Aβ plaque formation and cognitive impairments. Analyzing these APPswe-based mouse models, the aspartyl protease BACE1 has been evolving as the prominent β-secretase responsible for Aβ release in AD and as the most important therapeutic target for AD treatment. However, with respect to β-secretase processing, the very rare occurring APPswe variant substantially differs from wild-type APP. BACE1 dominates APPswe processing resulting in the release of Aβ1-x, whereas N-terminally truncated Aβ forms are scarcely generated. However, these N-terminally truncated Aβ species such as Aβ2-x, Aβ3-x and Aβ4-x are elevated in AD patient brains and exhibit an increased potential to aggregate compared to Aβ1-x peptides. Proteases such as meprin β, cathepsin B and ADAMTS4 were identified as alternative β-secretases being capable of generating these N-terminally truncated Aβ species from wild-type APP. However, neither meprin β nor cathepsin B are capable of generating N-terminally truncated Aβ peptides from APPswe. Hence, the role of BACE1 for the Aβ formation during AD might be overrepresented through the excessive use of APPswe mouse models. In this review we critically discuss the consideration of BACE1 as the most promising therapeutic target. Shifting the focus of AD research towards alternative β secretases might unveil promising alternatives to BACE1 inhibitors constantly failing in clinical trials due to ineffectiveness and harmful side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fred Armbrust
- Biochemical Institute, Unit for Degradomics of the Protease Web, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Kira Bickenbach
- Biochemical Institute, Unit for Degradomics of the Protease Web, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Liana Marengo
- Institute for Pathobiochemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Claus Pietrzik
- Institute for Pathobiochemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Christoph Becker-Pauly
- Biochemical Institute, Unit for Degradomics of the Protease Web, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
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Abstract
Quantitative assessment of neuropathological changes is essential for the characterization of animal models of neurodegenerative disease. Here, we describe a detailed protocol for the detection and quantification of key neuropathological changes in Alzheimer's mouse models. The protocol covers detailed methods including perfusion, dissection, and paraffinization of the brain, preparation of serial brain sections, immunohistochemical analysis, stereological quantification, and sample coding methods for genotype blind analysis. This protocol may be applied to the analysis of neuropathological changes of other neurological disorders. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Lee et al. (2020), Kang and Shen (2020), Giaime et al. (2017), Xia et al. (2015), Watanabe et al. (2012, 2014), Wines-Samuelson et al. (2010), and Saura et al. (2004).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jongkyun Kang
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Hirotaka Watanabe
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Jie Shen
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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36
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Benitez DP, Jiang S, Wood J, Wang R, Hall CM, Peerboom C, Wong N, Stringer KM, Vitanova KS, Smith VC, Joshi D, Saito T, Saido TC, Hardy J, Hanrieder J, De Strooper B, Salih DA, Tripathi T, Edwards FA, Cummings DM. Knock-in models related to Alzheimer's disease: synaptic transmission, plaques and the role of microglia. Mol Neurodegener 2021; 16:47. [PMID: 34266459 PMCID: PMC8281661 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-021-00457-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Microglia are active modulators of Alzheimer’s disease but their role in relation to amyloid plaques and synaptic changes due to rising amyloid beta is unclear. We add novel findings concerning these relationships and investigate which of our previously reported results from transgenic mice can be validated in knock-in mice, in which overexpression and other artefacts of transgenic technology are avoided. Methods AppNL-F and AppNL-G-F knock-in mice expressing humanised amyloid beta with mutations in App that cause familial Alzheimer’s disease were compared to wild type mice throughout life. In vitro approaches were used to understand microglial alterations at the genetic and protein levels and synaptic function and plasticity in CA1 hippocampal neurones, each in relationship to both age and stage of amyloid beta pathology. The contribution of microglia to neuronal function was further investigated by ablating microglia with CSF1R inhibitor PLX5622. Results Both App knock-in lines showed increased glutamate release probability prior to detection of plaques. Consistent with results in transgenic mice, this persisted throughout life in AppNL-F mice but was not evident in AppNL-G-F with sparse plaques. Unlike transgenic mice, loss of spontaneous excitatory activity only occurred at the latest stages, while no change could be detected in spontaneous inhibitory synaptic transmission or magnitude of long-term potentiation. Also, in contrast to transgenic mice, the microglial response in both App knock-in lines was delayed until a moderate plaque load developed. Surviving PLX5266-depleted microglia tended to be CD68-positive. Partial microglial ablation led to aged but not young wild type animals mimicking the increased glutamate release probability in App knock-ins and exacerbated the App knock-in phenotype. Complete ablation was less effective in altering synaptic function, while neither treatment altered plaque load. Conclusions Increased glutamate release probability is similar across knock-in and transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease, likely reflecting acute physiological effects of soluble amyloid beta. Microglia respond later to increased amyloid beta levels by proliferating and upregulating Cd68 and Trem2. Partial depletion of microglia suggests that, in wild type mice, alteration of surviving phagocytic microglia, rather than microglial loss, drives age-dependent effects on glutamate release that become exacerbated in Alzheimer’s disease. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13024-021-00457-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana P Benitez
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Shenyi Jiang
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.,Ludwig Maximilians Universitat, Munich, Germany
| | - Jack Wood
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Rui Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.,Institute for Synaptic Physiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Chloe M Hall
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.,School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK
| | - Carlijn Peerboom
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.,Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Biophysics, Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Natalie Wong
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Katie M Stringer
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.,Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Karina S Vitanova
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Victoria C Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.,Centre for Doctoral Training at the Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, 222 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DA, UK
| | - Dhaval Joshi
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Takashi Saito
- Laboratory for Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Wako-shi, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.,Department of Neurocognitive Science, Institute of Brain Science, Nagoya City, University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Takaomi C Saido
- Laboratory for Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Wako-shi, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - John Hardy
- Dementia Research Institute, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.,Reta Lila Weston Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, 1 Wakefield Street, London, WC1N 1PJ, UK.,UCL Movement Disorders Centre, University College London, London, UK.,Institute for Advanced Study, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Jörg Hanrieder
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden.,Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Bart De Strooper
- Dementia Research Institute, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.,VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000, Leuven, KU, Belgium.,Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dervis A Salih
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.,Dementia Research Institute, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Takshashila Tripathi
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Frances A Edwards
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK. .,Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - Damian M Cummings
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK. .,Dementia Research Institute, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
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Norepinephrine May Oppose Other Neuromodulators to Impact Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22147364. [PMID: 34298984 PMCID: PMC8304567 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
While much of biomedical research since the middle of the twentieth century has focused on molecular pathways inside the cell, there is increasing evidence that extracellular signaling pathways are also critically important in health and disease. The neuromodulators norepinephrine (NE), serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5HT), dopamine (DA), acetylcholine (ACH), and melatonin (MT) are extracellular signaling molecules that are distributed throughout the brain and modulate many disease processes. The effects of these five neuromodulators on Alzheimer's disease (AD) are briefly examined in this paper, and it is hypothesized that each of the five molecules has a u-shaped (or Janus-faced) dose-response curve, wherein too little or too much signaling is pathological in AD and possibly other diseases. In particular it is suggested that NE is largely functionally opposed to 5HT, ACH, MT, and possibly DA in AD. In this scenario, physiological "balance" between the noradrenergic tone and that of the other three or four modulators is most healthy. If NE is largely functionally opposed to other prominent neuromodulators in AD, this may suggest novel combinations of pharmacological agents to counteract this disease. It is also suggested that the majority of cases of AD and possibly other diseases involve an excess of noradrenergic tone and a collective deficit of the other four modulators.
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38
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Di Paolo A, Garat J, Eastman G, Farias J, Dajas-Bailador F, Smircich P, Sotelo-Silveira JR. Functional Genomics of Axons and Synapses to Understand Neurodegenerative Diseases. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:686722. [PMID: 34248504 PMCID: PMC8267896 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.686722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional genomics studies through transcriptomics, translatomics and proteomics have become increasingly important tools to understand the molecular basis of biological systems in the last decade. In most cases, when these approaches are applied to the nervous system, they are centered in cell bodies or somatodendritic compartments, as these are easier to isolate and, at least in vitro, contain most of the mRNA and proteins present in all neuronal compartments. However, key functional processes and many neuronal disorders are initiated by changes occurring far away from cell bodies, particularly in axons (axopathologies) and synapses (synaptopathies). Both neuronal compartments contain specific RNAs and proteins, which are known to vary depending on their anatomical distribution, developmental stage and function, and thus form the complex network of molecular pathways required for neuron connectivity. Modifications in these components due to metabolic, environmental, and/or genetic issues could trigger or exacerbate a neuronal disease. For this reason, detailed profiling and functional understanding of the precise changes in these compartments may thus yield new insights into the still intractable molecular basis of most neuronal disorders. In the case of synaptic dysfunctions or synaptopathies, they contribute to dozens of diseases in the human brain including neurodevelopmental (i.e., autism, Down syndrome, and epilepsy) as well as neurodegenerative disorders (i.e., Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases). Histological, biochemical, cellular, and general molecular biology techniques have been key in understanding these pathologies. Now, the growing number of omics approaches can add significant extra information at a high and wide resolution level and, used effectively, can lead to novel and insightful interpretations of the biological processes at play. This review describes current approaches that use transcriptomics, translatomics and proteomic related methods to analyze the axon and presynaptic elements, focusing on the relationship that axon and synapses have with neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andres Di Paolo
- Departamento de Genómica, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Montevideo, Uruguay
- Departamento de Proteínas y Ácidos Nucleicos, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Joaquin Garat
- Departamento de Genómica, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Guillermo Eastman
- Departamento de Genómica, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Joaquina Farias
- Departamento de Genómica, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Montevideo, Uruguay
- Polo de Desarrollo Universitario “Espacio de Biología Vegetal del Noreste”, Centro Universitario Regional Noreste, Universidad de la República (UdelaR), Tacuarembó, Uruguay
| | - Federico Dajas-Bailador
- School of Life Sciences, Medical School Building, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Pablo Smircich
- Departamento de Genómica, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Montevideo, Uruguay
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Moleculares, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República (UdelaR), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - José Roberto Sotelo-Silveira
- Departamento de Genómica, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Montevideo, Uruguay
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República (UdelaR), Montevideo, Uruguay
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39
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Augustin V, Kins S. Fe65: A Scaffolding Protein of Actin Regulators. Cells 2021; 10:cells10071599. [PMID: 34202290 PMCID: PMC8304848 DOI: 10.3390/cells10071599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The scaffolding protein family Fe65, composed of Fe65, Fe65L1, and Fe65L2, was identified as an interaction partner of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), which plays a key function in Alzheimer’s disease. All three Fe65 family members possess three highly conserved interaction domains, forming complexes with diverse binding partners that can be assigned to different cellular functions, such as transactivation of genes in the nucleus, modulation of calcium homeostasis and lipid metabolism, and regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. In this article, we rule out putative new intracellular signaling mechanisms of the APP-interacting protein Fe65 in the regulation of actin cytoskeleton dynamics in the context of various neuronal functions, such as cell migration, neurite outgrowth, and synaptic plasticity.
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40
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Steubler V, Erdinger S, Back MK, Ludewig S, Fässler D, Richter M, Han K, Slomianka L, Amrein I, von Engelhardt J, Wolfer DP, Korte M, Müller UC. Loss of all three APP family members during development impairs synaptic function and plasticity, disrupts learning, and causes an autism-like phenotype. EMBO J 2021; 40:e107471. [PMID: 34008862 PMCID: PMC8204861 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020107471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The key role of APP for Alzheimer pathogenesis is well established. However, perinatal lethality of germline knockout mice lacking the entire APP family has so far precluded the analysis of its physiological functions for the developing and adult brain. Here, we generated conditional APP/APLP1/APLP2 triple KO (cTKO) mice lacking the APP family in excitatory forebrain neurons from embryonic day 11.5 onwards. NexCre cTKO mice showed altered brain morphology with agenesis of the corpus callosum and disrupted hippocampal lamination. Further, NexCre cTKOs revealed reduced basal synaptic transmission and drastically reduced long-term potentiation that was associated with reduced dendritic length and reduced spine density of pyramidal cells. With regard to behavior, lack of the APP family leads not only to severe impairments in a panel of tests for learning and memory, but also to an autism-like phenotype including repetitive rearing and climbing, impaired social communication, and deficits in social interaction. Together, our study identifies essential functions of the APP family during development, for normal hippocampal function and circuits important for learning and social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicky Steubler
- Department of Functional GenomicsInstitute of Pharmacy and Molecular BiotechnologyHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Susanne Erdinger
- Department of Functional GenomicsInstitute of Pharmacy and Molecular BiotechnologyHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Michaela K Back
- Institute of PathophysiologyFocus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN)University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University MainzMainzGermany
| | - Susann Ludewig
- Division of Cellular NeurobiologyZoological Institute, TU BraunschweigBraunschweigGermany
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration GroupBraunschweigGermany
| | - Dominique Fässler
- Department of Functional GenomicsInstitute of Pharmacy and Molecular BiotechnologyHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Max Richter
- Department of Functional GenomicsInstitute of Pharmacy and Molecular BiotechnologyHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Kang Han
- Department of Functional GenomicsInstitute of Pharmacy and Molecular BiotechnologyHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Lutz Slomianka
- Institute of Anatomy and Zurich Center for Integrative Human PhysiologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Irmgard Amrein
- Institute of Anatomy and Zurich Center for Integrative Human PhysiologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Jakob von Engelhardt
- Institute of PathophysiologyFocus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN)University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University MainzMainzGermany
| | - David P Wolfer
- Institute of Anatomy and Zurich Center for Integrative Human PhysiologyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- Institute of Human Movement SciencesETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Martin Korte
- Division of Cellular NeurobiologyZoological Institute, TU BraunschweigBraunschweigGermany
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration GroupBraunschweigGermany
| | - Ulrike C Müller
- Department of Functional GenomicsInstitute of Pharmacy and Molecular BiotechnologyHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
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41
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Vitale P, Salgueiro-Pereira AR, Lupascu CA, Willem M, Migliore R, Migliore M, Marie H. Analysis of Age-Dependent Alterations in Excitability Properties of CA1 Pyramidal Neurons in an APPPS1 Model of Alzheimer's Disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:668948. [PMID: 34177555 PMCID: PMC8230571 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.668948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-dependent accumulation of amyloid-β, provoking increasing brain amyloidopathy, triggers abnormal patterns of neuron activity and circuit synchronization in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) as observed in human AD patients and AD mouse models. Recent studies on AD mouse models, mimicking this age-dependent amyloidopathy, identified alterations in CA1 neuron excitability. However, these models generally also overexpress mutated amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin 1 (PS1) and there is a lack of a clear correlation of neuronal excitability alterations with progressive amyloidopathy. The active development of computational models of AD points out the need of collecting such experimental data to build a reliable disease model exhibiting AD-like disease progression. We therefore used the feature extraction tool of the Human Brain Project (HBP) Brain Simulation Platform to systematically analyze the excitability profile of CA1 pyramidal neuron in the APPPS1 mouse model. We identified specific features of neuron excitability that best correlate either with over-expression of mutated APP and PS1 or increasing Aβ amyloidopathy. Notably, we report strong alterations in membrane time constant and action potential width and weak alterations in firing behavior. Also, using a CA1 pyramidal neuron model, we evidence amyloidopathy-dependent alterations in Ih. Finally, cluster analysis of these recordings showed that we could reliably assign a trace to its correct group, opening the door to a more refined, less variable analysis of AD-affected neurons. This inter-disciplinary analysis, bringing together experimentalists and modelers, helps to further unravel the neuronal mechanisms most affected by AD and to build a biologically plausible computational model of the AD brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Vitale
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy
| | | | | | - Michael Willem
- Biomedical Center, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Rosanna Migliore
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy
| | - Michele Migliore
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy
| | - Hélène Marie
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, IPMC, Valbonne, France
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Müller L, Kirschstein T, Köhling R, Kuhla A, Teipel S. Neuronal Hyperexcitability in APPSWE/PS1dE9 Mouse Models of Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 81:855-869. [PMID: 33843674 DOI: 10.3233/jad-201540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Transgenic mouse models serve a better understanding of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis and its consequences on neuronal function. Well-known and broadly used AD models are APPswe/PS1dE9 mice, which are able to reproduce features of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaque formations as well as neuronal dysfunction as reflected in electrophysiological recordings of neuronal hyperexcitability. The most prominent findings include abnormal synaptic function and synaptic reorganization as well as changes in membrane threshold and spontaneous neuronal firing activities leading to generalized excitation-inhibition imbalances in larger neuronal circuits and networks. Importantly, these findings in APPswe/PS1dE9 mice are at least partly consistent with results of electrophysiological studies in humans with sporadic AD. This underscores the potential to transfer mechanistic insights into amyloid related neuronal dysfunction from animal models to humans. This is of high relevance for targeted downstream interventions into neuronal hyperexcitability, for example based on repurposing of existing antiepileptic drugs, as well as the use of combinations of imaging and electrophysiological readouts to monitor effects of upstream interventions into amyloid build-up and processing on neuronal function in animal models and human studies. This article gives an overview on the pathogenic and methodological basis for recording of neuronal hyperexcitability in AD mouse models and on key findings in APPswe/PS1dE9 mice. We point at several instances to the translational perspective into clinical intervention and observation studies in humans. We particularly focus on bi-directional relations between hyperexcitability and cerebral amyloidosis, including build-up as well as clearance of amyloid, possibly related to sleep and so called glymphatic system function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Müller
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.,Rudolf Zenker Institute for Experimental Surgery, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.,Centre for Transdisciplinary Neurosciences Rostock (CTNR), University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Timo Kirschstein
- Oscar Langendorff Institute of Physiology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.,Centre for Transdisciplinary Neurosciences Rostock (CTNR), University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Köhling
- Oscar Langendorff Institute of Physiology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.,Centre for Transdisciplinary Neurosciences Rostock (CTNR), University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Angela Kuhla
- Rudolf Zenker Institute for Experimental Surgery, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.,Centre for Transdisciplinary Neurosciences Rostock (CTNR), University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Stefan Teipel
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Rostock and Greifswald, Germany.,Centre for Transdisciplinary Neurosciences Rostock (CTNR), University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
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Sun X, Wang Q, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, McCarthy M, Loewenstein DA, Vontell R, Yue Z, Zhang B. Association of neurogranin gene expression with Alzheimer's disease pathology in the perirhinal cortex. ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA (NEW YORK, N. Y.) 2021; 7:e12162. [PMID: 33860070 PMCID: PMC8033412 DOI: 10.1002/trc2.12162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Synaptic damage is a key pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The mechanism underlying synaptic vulnerability in AD remains elusive. METHODS Using a large-scale transcriptomic dataset, we analyzed the neurogranin-centered integrative gene network and assessed the correlation of neurogranin (NRGN) gene expression with AD pathology in post mortem brains. We studied the association of NRGN expression with Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) and neuropathological diagnosis of AD. RESULTS We find that the genes positively correlated with NRGN expression in AD are involved in synaptic transmission and cation channel pathways. NRGN expression is correlated with amyloid and tau pathology in the perirhinal cortex of post mortem brains. NRGN expression is associated with the diagnosis of AD and correlated with CDR. DISCUSSION Transcriptional regulation of the gene encoding for synaptic protein is involved in selective synaptic damage in AD. Identifying the genes associated with synaptic damage pathways in AD may provide targets for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Sun
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of Miami Miller School of MedicineMiamiFloridaUSA
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain InstituteBrain Endowment BankUniversity of Miami Miller School of MedicineMiamiFloridaUSA
| | - Qian Wang
- Departments of Neurology and NeuroscienceFriedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic SciencesIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease ModelingIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multi‐scale BiologyIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and NeurochemistryInstitute of Neuroscience and PhysiologySahlgrenska Academy at the University GothenburgMölndalSweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry LaboratorySahlgrenska University HospitalMölndalSweden
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and NeurochemistryInstitute of Neuroscience and PhysiologySahlgrenska Academy at the University GothenburgMölndalSweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry LaboratorySahlgrenska University HospitalMölndalSweden
- Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLLondonUK
| | - Micheline McCarthy
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of Miami Miller School of MedicineMiamiFloridaUSA
| | - David A. Loewenstein
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesCenter for Cognitive Neuroscience and AgingUniversity of Miami Miller School of MedicineMiamiFloridaUSA
| | - Regina Vontell
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of Miami Miller School of MedicineMiamiFloridaUSA
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain InstituteBrain Endowment BankUniversity of Miami Miller School of MedicineMiamiFloridaUSA
| | - Zhenyu Yue
- Departments of Neurology and NeuroscienceFriedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic SciencesIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease ModelingIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multi‐scale BiologyIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
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Abstract
Amyloid-β precursor protein (APP) is overshadowed by its degradation product, the Alzheimer protein Aβ. Lee et al. now find a role for the APP family in neuronal excitability, synaptic plasticity, and memory in adulthood, despite the lack of requirement for neuronal survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ottavio Arancio
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, 630W 168(th) Street, New York, NY 10032, USA; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, 630W 168(th) Street, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Medicine, Columbia University, 630W 168(th) Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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45
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Bachmann M, Li W, Edwards MJ, Ahmad SA, Patel S, Szabo I, Gulbins E. Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels as Regulators of Cell Death. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:611853. [PMID: 33381507 PMCID: PMC7767978 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.611853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Ion channels allow the flux of specific ions across biological membranes, thereby determining ion homeostasis within the cells. Voltage-gated potassium-selective ion channels crucially contribute to the setting of the plasma membrane potential, to volume regulation and to the physiologically relevant modulation of intracellular potassium concentration. In turn, these factors affect cell cycle progression, proliferation and apoptosis. The present review summarizes our current knowledge about the involvement of various voltage-gated channels of the Kv family in the above processes and discusses the possibility of their pharmacological targeting in the context of cancer with special emphasis on Kv1.1, Kv1.3, Kv1.5, Kv2.1, Kv10.1, and Kv11.1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Bachmann
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy.,Department of Surgery, Medical School, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Weiwei Li
- Department of Surgery, Medical School, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Michael J Edwards
- Department of Surgery, Medical School, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Syed A Ahmad
- Department of Surgery, Medical School, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Sameer Patel
- Department of Surgery, Medical School, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Ildiko Szabo
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy.,Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Institute of Neuroscience, Padua, Italy
| | - Erich Gulbins
- Department of Surgery, Medical School, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States.,Department of Molecular Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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Kang J, Shen J. Cell-autonomous role of Presenilin in age-dependent survival of cortical interneurons. Mol Neurodegener 2020; 15:72. [PMID: 33302995 PMCID: PMC7731773 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-020-00419-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mutations in the PSEN1 and PSEN2 genes are the major cause of familial Alzheimer's disease. Previous studies demonstrated that Presenilin (PS), the catalytic subunit of γ-secretase, is required for survival of excitatory neurons in the cerebral cortex during aging. However, the role of PS in inhibitory interneurons had not been explored. METHODS To determine PS function in GABAergic neurons, we generated inhibitory neuron-specific PS conditional double knockout (IN-PS cDKO) mice, in which PS is selectively inactivated by Cre recombinase expressed under the control of the endogenous GAD2 promoter. We then performed behavioral, biochemical, and histological analyses to evaluate the consequences of selective PS inactivation in inhibitory neurons. RESULTS IN-PS cDKO mice exhibit earlier mortality and lower body weight despite normal food intake and basal activity. Western analysis of protein lysates from various brain sub-regions of IN-PS cDKO mice showed significant reduction of PS1 levels and dramatic accumulation of γ-secretase substrates. Interestingly, IN-PS cDKO mice develop age-dependent loss of GABAergic neurons, as shown by normal number of GAD67-immunoreactive interneurons in the cerebral cortex at 2-3 months of age but reduced number of cortical interneurons at 9 months. Moreover, age-dependent reduction of Parvalbumin- and Somatostatin-immunoreactive interneurons is more pronounced in the neocortex and hippocampus of IN-PS cDKO mice. Consistent with these findings, the number of apoptotic cells is elevated in the cerebral cortex of IN-PS cDKO mice, and the enhanced apoptosis is due to dramatic increases of apoptotic interneurons, whereas the number of apoptotic excitatory neurons is unaffected. Furthermore, progressive loss of interneurons in the cerebral cortex of IN-PS cDKO mice is accompanied with astrogliosis and microgliosis. CONCLUSION Our results together support a cell-autonomous role of PS in the survival of cortical interneurons during aging. Together with earlier studies, these findings demonstrate a universal, essential requirement of PS in the survival of both excitatory and inhibitory neurons during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jongkyun Kang
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115 USA
| | - Jie Shen
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115 USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA
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