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Perbet R, Mate de Gerando A, Glynn C, Donahue C, Gaona A, Taddei RN, Gomez-Isla T, Lathuiliere A, Hyman BT. In situ seeding assay: A novel technique for direct tissue localization of bioactive tau. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2024:nlae059. [PMID: 38917443 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlae059] [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] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Proteins exhibiting prion-like properties are implicated in tauopathies. The prion-like traits of tau influence disease progression and correlate with severity. Techniques to measure tau bioactivity such as RT-QuIC and biosensor cells lack spatial specificity. Therefore, we developed a histological probe aimed at detecting and localizing bioactive tau in situ. We first induced the recruitment of a tagged probe by bioactive Tau in human brain tissue slices using biosensor cell lysates containing a fluorescent probe. We then enhanced sensitivity and flexibility by designing a recombinant probe with a myc tag. The probe design aimed to replicate the recruitment process seen in prion-like mechanisms based on the cryo-EM structure of tau aggregates in Alzheimer disease (AD). Using this novel probe, we observed selective staining of misfolded tau in pre- and post-synaptic structures within neurofibrillary tangles and neurites, whether or not associated with neuritic plaques. The probe specifically targeted AD-associated bioactive tau and did not recognize bioactive tau from other neurodegenerative diseases. Electron microscopy and immunolabeling further confirmed the identification of fibrillar and non-fibrillar tau. Finally, we established a correlation between quantifying bioactive tau using this technique and gold standard biosensor cells. This technique presents a robust approach for detecting bioactive tau in AD tissues and has potential applications for deciphering mechanisms of tau propagation and degradation pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Perbet
- Neurology Department, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Calina Glynn
- Neurology Department, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
- Structural Biology, Rosalind Franklin Institute, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, United Kingdom
| | - Cameron Donahue
- Neurology Department, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Angelica Gaona
- Neurology Department, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Raquel N Taddei
- Neurology Department, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Teresa Gomez-Isla
- Neurology Department, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Aurelien Lathuiliere
- Neurology Department, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
- Memory Center, Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, Geneva University Hospital and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Neurology Department, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
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2
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Ayyubova G, Fazal N. Beneficial versus Detrimental Effects of Complement-Microglial Interactions in Alzheimer's Disease. Brain Sci 2024; 14:434. [PMID: 38790413 PMCID: PMC11119363 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14050434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Research indicates that brain-region-specific synapse loss and dysfunction are early hallmarks and stronger neurobiological correlates of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD) than amyloid plaque and neurofibrillary tangle counts or neuronal loss. Even though the precise mechanisms underlying increased synaptic pruning in AD are still unknown, it has been confirmed that dysregulation of the balance between complement activation and inhibition is a crucial driver of its pathology. The complement includes three distinct activation mechanisms, with the activation products C3a and C5a, potent inflammatory effectors, and a membrane attack complex (MAC) leading to cell lysis. Besides pro-inflammatory cytokines, the dysregulated complement proteins released by activated microglia bind to amyloid β at the synaptic regions and cause the microglia to engulf the synapses. Additionally, research indicating that microglia-removed synapses are not always degenerating and that suppression of synaptic engulfment can repair cognitive deficits points to an essential opportunity for intervention that can prevent the loss of intact synapses. In this study, we focus on the latest research on the role and mechanisms of complement-mediated microglial synaptic pruning at different stages of AD to find the right targets that could interfere with complement dysregulation and be relevant for therapeutic intervention at the early stages of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunel Ayyubova
- Department of Cytology, Embryology and Histology, Azerbaijan Medical University, Baku 370022, Azerbaijan;
| | - Nadeem Fazal
- College of Health Sciences and Pharmacy, Chicago State University, Chicago, IL 60628, USA
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3
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Dando O, McGeachan R, McQueen J, Baxter P, Rockley N, McAlister H, Prasad A, He X, King D, Rose J, Jones PB, Tulloch J, Chandran S, Smith C, Hardingham G, Spires-Jones TL. Synaptic gene expression changes in frontotemporal dementia due to the MAPT 10+16 mutation. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.04.09.24305501. [PMID: 38645146 PMCID: PMC11030522 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.09.24305501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Mutations in the MAPT gene encoding tau protein can cause autosomal dominant neurodegenerative tauopathies including frontotemporal dementia (often with Parkinsonism). In Alzheimer's disease, the most common tauopathy, synapse loss is the strongest pathological correlate of cognitive decline. Recently, PET imaging with synaptic tracers revealed clinically relevant loss of synapses in primary tauopathies; however, the molecular mechanisms leading to synapse degeneration in primary tauopathies remain largely unknown. In this study, we examined post-mortem brain tissue from people who died with frontotemporal dementia with tau pathology (FTDtau) caused by the MAPT intronic exon 10+16 mutation, which increases splice variants containing exon 10 resulting in higher levels of tau with four microtubule binding domains. We used RNA sequencing and histopathology to examine temporal cortex and visual cortex, to look for molecular phenotypes compared to age, sex, and RNA integrity matched participants who died without neurological disease (n=12 per group). Bulk tissue RNA sequencing reveals substantial downregulation of gene expression associated with synaptic function. Upregulated biological pathways in human MAPT 10+16 brain included those involved in transcriptional regulation, DNA damage response, and neuroinflammation. Histopathology confirmed increased pathological tau accumulation in FTDtau cortex as well as a loss of presynaptic protein staining, and region-specific increased colocalization of phospho-tau with synapses in temporal cortex. Our data indicate that synaptic pathology likely contributes to pathogenesis in FTDtau caused by the MAPT 10+16 mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owen Dando
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Robert McGeachan
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jamie McQueen
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Baxter
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Nathan Rockley
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah McAlister
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Adharsh Prasad
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Xin He
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Declan King
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jamie Rose
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jane Tulloch
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Colin Smith
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Giles Hardingham
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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4
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Davis E, Lloyd AF. The proteomic landscape of microglia in health and disease. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1379717. [PMID: 38560294 PMCID: PMC10978577 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1379717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Microglia are the resident immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS) and as such play crucial roles in regulating brain homeostasis. Their presence in neurodegenerative diseases is known, with neurodegeneration-associated risk genes heavily expressed in microglia, highlighting their importance in contributing to disease pathogenesis. Transcriptomics studies have uncovered the heterogeneous landscape of microglia in health and disease, identifying important disease-associated signatures such as DAM, and insight into both the regional and temporal diversity of microglia phenotypes. Quantitative mass spectrometry methods are ever increasing in the field of neurodegeneration, utilised as ways to identify disease biomarkers and to gain deeper understanding of disease pathology. Proteins are the main mechanistic indicators of cellular function, yet discordance between transcript and proteomic findings has highlighted the need for in-depth proteomic phenotypic and functional analysis to fully understand disease kinetics at the cellular and molecular level. This review details the current progress of using proteomics to define microglia biology, the relationship between gene and protein expression in microglia, and the future of proteomics and emerging methods aiming to resolve heterogeneous cell landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Davis
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Amy F. Lloyd
- Cell Signalling and Immunology, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
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5
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Colom-Cadena M, Toombs J, Simzer E, Holt K, McGeachan R, Tulloch J, Jackson RJ, Catterson JH, Spires-Jones MP, Rose J, Waybright L, Caggiano AO, King D, Gobbo F, Davies C, Hooley M, Dunnett S, Tempelaar R, Meftah S, Tzioras M, Hamby ME, Izzo NJ, Catalano SM, Durrant CS, Smith C, Dando O, Spires-Jones TL. Transmembrane protein 97 is a potential synaptic amyloid beta receptor in human Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:32. [PMID: 38319380 PMCID: PMC10847197 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02679-6] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Synapse loss correlates with cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease, and soluble oligomeric amyloid beta (Aβ) is implicated in synaptic dysfunction and loss. An important knowledge gap is the lack of understanding of how Aβ leads to synapse degeneration. In particular, there has been difficulty in determining whether there is a synaptic receptor that binds Aβ and mediates toxicity. While many candidates have been observed in model systems, their relevance to human AD brain remains unknown. This is in part due to methodological limitations preventing visualization of Aβ binding at individual synapses. To overcome this limitation, we combined two high resolution microscopy techniques: array tomography and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) to image over 1 million individual synaptic terminals in temporal cortex from AD (n = 11) and control cases (n = 9). Within presynapses and post-synaptic densities, oligomeric Aβ generates a FRET signal with transmembrane protein 97. Further, Aβ generates a FRET signal with cellular prion protein, and post-synaptic density 95 within post synapses. Transmembrane protein 97 is also present in a higher proportion of post synapses in Alzheimer's brain compared to controls. We inhibited Aβ/transmembrane protein 97 interaction in a mouse model of amyloidopathy by treating with the allosteric modulator CT1812. CT1812 drug concentration correlated negatively with synaptic FRET signal between transmembrane protein 97 and Aβ. In human-induced pluripotent stem cell derived neurons, transmembrane protein 97 is present in synapses and colocalizes with Aβ when neurons are challenged with human Alzheimer's brain homogenate. Transcriptional changes are induced by Aβ including changes in genes involved in neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. CT1812 treatment of these neurons caused changes in gene sets involved in synaptic function. These data support a role for transmembrane protein 97 in the synaptic binding of Aβ in human Alzheimer's disease brain where it may mediate synaptotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martí Colom-Cadena
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Jamie Toombs
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Elizabeth Simzer
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Kristjan Holt
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Robert McGeachan
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Jane Tulloch
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Rosemary J Jackson
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
- MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02129, USA
| | - James H Catterson
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Maxwell P Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Jamie Rose
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | | | | | - Declan King
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Francesco Gobbo
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Caitlin Davies
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Monique Hooley
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Sophie Dunnett
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Robert Tempelaar
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Soraya Meftah
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Makis Tzioras
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
- Scottish Brain Sciences, Edinburgh, EH12 9DQ, UK
| | - Mary E Hamby
- Cognition Therapeutics Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, 15203, USA
| | | | | | - Claire S Durrant
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Colin Smith
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences and Sudden Death Brain Bank, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4HB, UK
| | - Owen Dando
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK.
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6
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Xu H, Jiang W, Li X, Jiang J, Afridi SK, Deng L, Li R, Luo E, Zhang Z, Huang YWA, Cui Y, So KF, Chen H, Qiu W, Tang C. hUC-MSCs-derived MFGE8 ameliorates locomotor dysfunction via inhibition of ITGB3/ NF-κB signaling in an NMO mouse model. NPJ Regen Med 2024; 9:4. [PMID: 38242900 PMCID: PMC10798960 DOI: 10.1038/s41536-024-00349-z] [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: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a severe autoimmune inflammatory disease of the central nervous system that affects motor function and causes relapsing disability. Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) have been used extensively in the treatment of various inflammatory diseases, due to their potent regulatory roles that can mitigate inflammation and repair damaged tissues. However, their use in NMO is currently limited, and the mechanism underlying the beneficial effects of hUC-MSCs on motor function in NMO remains unclear. In this study, we investigate the effects of hUC-MSCs on the recovery of motor function in an NMO systemic model. Our findings demonstrate that milk fat globule epidermal growth 8 (MFGE8), a key functional factor secreted by hUC-MSCs, plays a critical role in ameliorating motor impairments. We also elucidate that the MFGE8/Integrin αvβ3/NF-κB signaling pathway is partially responsible for structural and functional recovery, in addition to motor functional enhancements induced by hUC-MSC exposure. Taken together, these findings strongly support the involvement of MFGE8 in mediating hUC-MSCs-induced improvements in motor functional recovery in an NMO mouse model. In addition, this provides new insight on the therapeutic potential of hUC-MSCs and the mechanisms underlying their beneficial effects in NMO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiming Xu
- Department of Neurology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 600 Tianhe Road, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Wei Jiang
- Department of Neurology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 600 Tianhe Road, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xuejia Li
- Guangzhou SALIAI Stem Cell Science and Technology Co., Ltd., Guangdong Saliai Stem Cell Research Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Jiaohua Jiang
- Guangzhou SALIAI Stem Cell Science and Technology Co., Ltd., Guangdong Saliai Stem Cell Research Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Shabbir Khan Afridi
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Longhui Deng
- Guangzhou SALIAI Stem Cell Science and Technology Co., Ltd., Guangdong Saliai Stem Cell Research Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Rui Li
- Department of Neurology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 600 Tianhe Road, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Ermei Luo
- Guangzhou SALIAI Stem Cell Science and Technology Co., Ltd., Guangdong Saliai Stem Cell Research Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Zhaoqing Zhang
- Guangzhou SALIAI Stem Cell Science and Technology Co., Ltd., Guangdong Saliai Stem Cell Research Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yu-Wen Alvin Huang
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, 70 Ship 15 Street, Providence, RI, 02903, USA
| | - Yaxiong Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Kwok-Fai So
- Guangzhou SALIAI Stem Cell Science and Technology Co., Ltd., Guangdong Saliai Stem Cell Research Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Haijia Chen
- Guangzhou SALIAI Stem Cell Science and Technology Co., Ltd., Guangdong Saliai Stem Cell Research Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
| | - Wei Qiu
- Department of Neurology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 600 Tianhe Road, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong Province, China.
| | - Changyong Tang
- Department of Neurology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 600 Tianhe Road, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong Province, China.
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7
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Li L, Lu S, Zhu J, Yu X, Hou S, Huang Y, Niu X, Du X, Liu R. Astrocytes Excessively Engulf Synapses in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1160. [PMID: 38256233 PMCID: PMC10816735 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Synapse loss is one of the most critical features in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and correlates with cognitive decline. Astrocytes mediate synapse elimination through multiple EGF-like domains 10 (MEGF10) pathways in the developing and adult brain to build the precise neural connectivity. However, whether and how astrocytes mediate synapse loss in AD remains unknown. We here find that the phagocytic receptor MEGF10 of astrocytes is significantly increased in vivo and in vitro, which results in excessive engulfment of synapses by astrocytes in APP/PS1 mice. We also observe that the astrocytic lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1) is significantly elevated, colocalized with the engulfed synaptic puncta in APP/PS1 mice, and astrocytic lysosomes contain more engulfed synaptic puncta in APP/PS1 mice relative to wild type mice. Together, our data provide evidence that astrocytes excessively engulf synapses in APP/PS1 mice, which is mediated by increased MEGF10 and activated lysosomes. The approach targeting synapse engulfment pathway in astrocytes would be a potent therapy for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingjie Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shuai Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Jie Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaolin Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Shengjie Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yaru Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Xiaoyun Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- College of Life Science, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China
| | - Xiaoyu Du
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ruitian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
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8
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Taylor LW, Simzer EM, Pimblett C, Lacey-Solymar OTT, McGeachan RI, Meftah S, Rose JL, Spires-Jones MP, Holt K, Catterson JH, Koch H, Liaquat I, Clarke JH, Skidmore J, Smith C, Booker SA, Brennan PM, Spires-Jones TL, Durrant CS. p-tau Ser356 is associated with Alzheimer's disease pathology and is lowered in brain slice cultures using the NUAK inhibitor WZ4003. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:7. [PMID: 38175261 PMCID: PMC10766794 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02667-w] [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: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Tau hyperphosphorylation and aggregation is a common feature of many dementia-causing neurodegenerative diseases. Tau can be phosphorylated at up to 85 different sites, and there is increasing interest in whether tau phosphorylation at specific epitopes, by specific kinases, plays an important role in disease progression. The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-related enzyme NUAK1 has been identified as a potential mediator of tau pathology, whereby NUAK1-mediated phosphorylation of tau at Ser356 prevents the degradation of tau by the proteasome, further exacerbating tau hyperphosphorylation and accumulation. This study provides a detailed characterisation of the association of p-tau Ser356 with progression of Alzheimer's disease pathology, identifying a Braak stage-dependent increase in p-tau Ser356 protein levels and an almost ubiquitous presence in neurofibrillary tangles. We also demonstrate, using sub-diffraction-limit resolution array tomography imaging, that p-tau Ser356 co-localises with synapses in AD postmortem brain tissue, increasing evidence that this form of tau may play important roles in AD progression. To assess the potential impacts of pharmacological NUAK inhibition in an ex vivo system that retains multiple cell types and brain-relevant neuronal architecture, we treated postnatal mouse organotypic brain slice cultures from wildtype or APP/PS1 littermates with the commercially available NUAK1/2 inhibitor WZ4003. Whilst there were no genotype-specific effects, we found that WZ4003 results in a culture-phase-dependent loss of total tau and p-tau Ser356, which corresponds with a reduction in neuronal and synaptic proteins. By contrast, application of WZ4003 to live human brain slice cultures results in a specific lowering of p-tau Ser356, alongside increased neuronal tubulin protein. This work identifies differential responses of postnatal mouse organotypic brain slice cultures and adult human brain slice cultures to NUAK1 inhibition that will be important to consider in future work developing tau-targeting therapeutics for human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lewis W Taylor
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Elizabeth M Simzer
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Claire Pimblett
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Robert I McGeachan
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- The Hospital for Small Animals, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Soraya Meftah
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jamie L Rose
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Kristján Holt
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - James H Catterson
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Henner Koch
- Department of Neurology, Epileptology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Imran Liaquat
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, 51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jonathan H Clarke
- The ALBORADA Drug Discovery Institute, University of Cambridge, Island Research Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - John Skidmore
- The ALBORADA Drug Discovery Institute, University of Cambridge, Island Research Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Colin Smith
- The Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sam A Booker
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Paul M Brennan
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, 51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
- The Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Cancer Research UK Brain Tumour Centre of Excellence, CRUK Edinburgh Centre, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Claire S Durrant
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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9
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Wu C, Ruan T, Yuan Y, Xu C, Du L, Wang F, Xu S. Alterations in Synaptic Connectivity and Synaptic Transmission in Alzheimer's Disease with High Physical Activity. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 99:1005-1022. [PMID: 38759013 DOI: 10.3233/jad-240123] [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] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Background Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegeneration disease. Physical activity is one of the most promising modifiable lifestyles that can be effective in slowing down the progression of AD at an early stage. Objective Explore the molecular processes impaired in AD that were conversely preserved and enhanced by physical activity. Methods Integrated transcriptomic analyses were performed in datasets that contain AD patients and elders with different degrees of physical activity. The changes of the hub genes were validated through analyzing another two datasets. The expression of the hub genes was further detected in the hippocampus and cortexes of APP/PS1 transgenic mice with or without physical activity by Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Results Cross-comparison highlighted 195 DEGs displaying opposed regulation patterns between AD and high physical activity (HPA). The common DEGs were predominantly involved in synaptic vesicle recycling and synaptic transmission, largely downregulated in AD patients but upregulated in the elders with HPA. Two key modules and four hub genes that were related to synaptic vesicle turnover were obtained from the PPI network. The expression of these hub genes (SYT1, SYT4, SH3GL2, and AP2M1) was significantly decreased in AD transgenic mice and was reversed by HPA training. Conclusions HPA may reverse AD pathology by upregulating a range of synaptic vesicle transport related proteins which might improve the efficiency of synaptic vesicle turnover and facilitate inter-neuronal information transfer. The study provides novel insights into the mechanisms underlining the protective effects of HPA on AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Wu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tingting Ruan
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yalan Yuan
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chunshuang Xu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lijuan Du
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
- Faculty of Physical Education, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Pharmaceutical University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shujun Xu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
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10
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Daniels MJD, Lefevre L, Szymkowiak S, Drake A, McCulloch L, Tzioras M, Barrington J, Dando OR, He X, Mohammad M, Sasaguri H, Saito T, Saido TC, Spires-Jones TL, McColl BW. Cystatin F ( Cst7) drives sex-dependent changes in microglia in an amyloid-driven model of Alzheimer's disease. eLife 2023; 12:e85279. [PMID: 38085657 PMCID: PMC10715728 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Microglial endolysosomal (dys)function is strongly implicated in neurodegenerative disease. Transcriptomic studies show that a microglial state characterised by a set of genes involved in endolysosomal function is induced in both mouse Alzheimer's disease (AD) models and human AD brain, and that the emergence of this state is emphasised in females. Cst7 (encoding cystatin F) is among the most highly upregulated genes in these microglia. However, despite such striking and robust upregulation, the function of Cst7 in neurodegenerative disease is not understood. Here, we crossed Cst7-/- mice with the AppNL-G-F mouse to test the role of Cst7 in a model of amyloid-driven AD. Surprisingly, we found that Cst7 plays a sexually dimorphic role regulating microglia in this model. In females, Cst7-/-AppNL-G-F microglia had greater endolysosomal gene expression, lysosomal burden, and amyloid beta (Aβ) burden in vivo and were more phagocytic in vitro. However, in males, Cst7-/-AppNL-G-F microglia were less inflammatory and had a reduction in lysosomal burden but had no change in Aβ burden. Overall, our study reveals functional roles for one of the most commonly upregulated genes in microglia across disease models, and the sex-specific profiles of Cst7-/--altered microglial disease phenotypes. More broadly, the findings raise important implications for AD including crucial questions on sexual dimorphism in neurodegenerative disease and the interplay between endolysosomal and inflammatory pathways in AD pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael JD Daniels
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Lucas Lefevre
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Stefan Szymkowiak
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Alice Drake
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Laura McCulloch
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
- Centre for Inflammation Research, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Makis Tzioras
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Jack Barrington
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Owen R Dando
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Xin He
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Mehreen Mohammad
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Hiroki Sasaguri
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental UniversityTokyoJapan
- Laboratory for Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Brain Science InstituteWakoJapan
| | - Takashi Saito
- Laboratory for Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Brain Science InstituteWakoJapan
- Department of Neuroscience and Pathobiology, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya UniversityNagoyaJapan
- Department of Neurocognitive Science, Institute of Brain Science, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical SciencesNagoyaJapan
| | - Takaomi C Saido
- Laboratory for Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Brain Science InstituteWakoJapan
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
| | - Barry W McColl
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of EdinburghEdinburghUnited Kingdom
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11
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Baker K, Dalley JW. Desert Island Papers. Brain Neurosci Adv 2023; 7:23982128231199006. [PMID: 37736162 PMCID: PMC10510345 DOI: 10.1177/23982128231199006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
This article presents edited highlights from a special session at the BNA International Festival of Neuroscience held in Brighton in April 2023. The session involved Desert Island Disc-style interviews between early career researchers and established investigators, discussing papers that influenced their neuroscience careers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Baker
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jeffrey W. Dalley
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, Herchel Smith Building for Brain and Mind Sciences, Cambridge, UK
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