CLAC binds to aggregated Abeta and Abeta fragments, and attenuates fibril elongation

Genetic Reduction of Insulin Signaling Mitigates Amyloid-β Deposition by Promoting Expression of Extracellular Matrix Proteins in the Brain

The insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) regulates a wide range of biological processes, including aging and lifespan, and has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We and others have reported that reduced signaling by genetic ablation of the molecules involved in IIS (e.g., insulin receptor substrate 2 [IRS-2]) markedly mitigates amyloid plaque formation in the brains of mouse models of AD, although the molecular underpinnings of the amelioration remain unsolved. Here, we revealed, by a transcriptomic analysis of the male murine cerebral cortices, that the expression of genes encoding extracellular matrix (ECM) was significantly upregulated by the loss of IRS-2. Insulin signaling activity negatively regulated the phosphorylation of Smad2 and Smad3 in the brain, and suppressed TGF-β/Smad-dependent expression of a subset of ECM genes in brain-derived cells. The ECM proteins inhibited Aβ fibril formation in vitro, and IRS-2 deficiency suppressed the aggregation process of Aβ in the brains of male APP transgenic mice as revealed by injection of aggregation seeds in vivo Our results propose a novel mechanism in AD pathophysiology whereby IIS modifies Aβ aggregation and amyloid pathology by altering the expression of ECM genes in the brain.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) has been recognized as a regulator of aging, a leading risk factor for the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In AD mouse models, genetic deletion of key IIS molecules markedly reduces the amyloid plaque formation in the brain, although the molecular underpinnings of this amelioration remain elusive. We found that the deficiency of insulin receptor substrate 2 leads to an increase in the expression of various extracellular matrices (ECMs) in the brain, potentially through TGF-β/Smad signaling. Furthermore, some of those ECMs exhibited the potential to inhibit amyloid plaque accumulation by disrupting the formation of Aβ fibrils. This study presents a novel mechanism by which IIS regulates Aβ accumulation, which may involve altered brain ECM expression.

Pan-cancer analysis of non-coding transcripts reveals the prognostic onco-lncRNA HOXA10-AS in gliomas

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are increasingly recognized as functional units in cancer and powerful biomarkers; however, most remain uncharacterized. Here, we analyze 5,592 prognostic lncRNAs in 9,446 cancers of 30 types using machine learning. We identify 166 lncRNAs whose expression correlates with survival and improves the accuracy of common clinical variables, molecular features, and cancer subtypes. Prognostic lncRNAs are often characterized by switch-like expression patterns. In low-grade gliomas, HOXA10-AS activation is a robust marker of poor prognosis that complements IDH1/2 mutations, as validated in another retrospective cohort, and correlates with developmental pathways in tumor transcriptomes. Loss- and gain-of-function studies in patient-derived glioma cells, organoids, and xenograft models identify HOXA10-AS as a potent onco-lncRNA that regulates cell proliferation, contact inhibition, invasion, Hippo signaling, and mitotic and neuro-developmental pathways. Our study underscores the pan-cancer potential of the non-coding transcriptome for identifying biomarkers and regulators of cancer progression.

Characterization of Proteins Present in Isolated Senile Plaques from Alzheimer's Diseased Brains by MALDI-TOF MS with MS/MS

The increase of insoluble senile plaques in the brain is a primary hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. The usefulness of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) with tandem MS for the characterization of senile plaques from AD brains and the relevance of the components identified to furthering AD research using MS is discussed. Thirty-three components were reproducibly observed within tryptic aliquots of senile plaques from two different AD brains after sample preparation optimization. Additionally, this is one of the first accounts of LIFT being utilized for the direct sequencing of peptides from isolated senile plaques. While many of the species observed coisolated within senile plaques have been linked to AD etiology, if only speculatively, this is the first instance that many of them have been demonstrated to be a part of the plaques themselves. This work is the first step in determining the potential roles that the species may have in the aggregation or proliferation of the plaques.

Nucleobindin 1 binds to multiple types of pre-fibrillar amyloid and inhibits fibrillization

During amyloid fibril formation, amyloidogenic polypeptides misfold and self assemble into soluble pre-fibrillar aggregates, i.e., protofibrils, which elongate and mature into insoluble fibrillar aggregates. An emerging class of chaperones, chaperone-like amyloid binding proteins (CLABPs), has been shown to interfere with aggregation of particular misfolded amyloid peptides or proteins. We have discovered that the calcium-binding protein nuclebindin-1 (NUCB1) is a novel CLABP. We show that NUCB1 inhibits aggregation of islet-amyloid polypeptide associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus, a-synuclein associated with Parkinson’s disease, transthyretin V30M mutant associated with familial amyloid polyneuropathy, and Aβ42 associated with Alzheimer’s disease by stabilizing their respective protofibril intermediates. Kinetic studies employing the modeling software AmyloFit show that NUCB1 affects both primary nucleation and secondary nucleation. We hypothesize that NUCB1 binds to the common cross-β-sheet structure of protofibril aggregates to “cap” and stabilize soluble macromolecular complexes. Transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were employed to characterize the size, shape and volume distribution of multiple sources of NUCB1-capped protofibrils. Interestingly, NUCB1 prevents Aβ42 protofibril toxicity in a cellular assay. NUCB1-stabilized amyloid protofibrils could be used as immunogens to prepare conformation-specific antibodies and as novel tools to develop screens for anti-protofibril diagnostics and therapeutics.

Abnormal Osmotic Avoidance Behavior in C. elegans Is Associated with Increased Hypertonic Stress Resistance and Improved Proteostasis

Protein function is controlled by the cellular proteostasis network. Proteostasis is energetically costly and those costs must be balanced with the energy needs of other physiological functions. Hypertonic stress causes widespread protein damage in C. elegans. Suppression and management of protein damage is essential for optimal survival under hypertonic conditions. ASH chemosensory neurons allow C. elegans to detect and avoid strongly hypertonic environments. We demonstrate that mutations in osm-9 and osm-12 that disrupt ASH mediated hypertonic avoidance behavior or genetic ablation of ASH neurons are associated with enhanced survival during hypertonic stress. Improved survival is not due to altered systemic volume homeostasis or organic osmolyte accumulation. Instead, we find that osm-9(ok1677) mutant and osm-9(RNAi) worms exhibit reductions in hypertonicity induced protein damage in non-neuronal cells suggesting that enhanced proteostasis capacity may account for improved hypertonic stress resistance in worms with defects in osmotic avoidance behavior. RNA-seq analysis revealed that genes that play roles in managing protein damage are upregulated in osm-9(ok1677) worms. Our findings are consistent with a growing body of work demonstrating that intercellular communication between neuronal and non-neuronal cells plays a critical role in integrating cellular stress resistance with other organismal physiological demands and associated energy costs.

Whole-Genome Sequencing of a Healthy Aging Cohort

Studies of long-lived individuals have revealed few genetic mechanisms for protection against age-associated disease. Therefore, we pursued genome sequencing of a related phenotype-healthy aging-to understand the genetics of disease-free aging without medical intervention. In contrast with studies of exceptional longevity, usually focused on centenarians, healthy aging is not associated with known longevity variants, but is associated with reduced genetic susceptibility to Alzheimer and coronary artery disease. Additionally, healthy aging is not associated with a decreased rate of rare pathogenic variants, potentially indicating the presence of disease-resistance factors. In keeping with this possibility, we identify suggestive common and rare variant genetic associations implying that protection against cognitive decline is a genetic component of healthy aging. These findings, based on a relatively small cohort, require independent replication. Overall, our results suggest healthy aging is an overlapping but distinct phenotype from exceptional longevity that may be enriched with disease-protective genetic factors. VIDEO ABSTRACT.

Recessive mutations in COL25A1 are a cause of congenital cranial dysinnervation disorder

Abnormal ocular motility is a common clinical feature in congenital cranial dysinnervation disorder (CCDD). To date, eight genes related to neuronal development have been associated with different CCDD phenotypes. By using linkage analysis, candidate gene screening, and exome sequencing, we identified three mutations in collagen, type XXV, alpha 1 (COL25A1) in individuals with autosomal-recessive inheritance of CCDD ophthalmic phenotypes. These mutations affected either stability or levels of the protein. We further detected altered levels of sAPP (neuronal protein involved in axon guidance and synaptogenesis) and TUBB3 (encoded by TUBB3, which is mutated in CFEOM3) as a result of null mutations in COL25A1. Our data suggest that lack of COL25A1 might interfere with molecular pathways involved in oculomotor neuron development, leading to CCDD phenotypes.

A distinct subfraction of Aβ is responsible for the high-affinity Pittsburgh compound B-binding site in Alzheimer's disease brain

The positron emission tomography (PET) ligand (11) C-labeled Pittsburgh compound B (PIB) is used to image β-amyloid (Aβ) deposits in the brains of living subjects with the intent of detecting early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, deposits of human-sequence Aβ in amyloid precursor protein transgenic mice and non-human primates bind very little PIB. The high stoichiometry of PIB:Aβ binding in human AD suggests that the PIB-binding site may represent a particularly pathogenic entity and/or report local pathologic conditions. In this study, (3) H-PIB was employed to track purification of the PIB-binding site in > 90% yield from frontal cortical tissue of autopsy-diagnosed AD subjects. The purified PIB-binding site comprises a distinct, highly insoluble subfraction of the Aβ in AD brain with low buoyant density because of the sodium dodecyl sulfate-resistant association with a limited subset of brain proteins and lipids with physical properties similar to lipid rafts and to a ganglioside:Aβ complex in AD and Down syndrome brain. Both the protein and lipid components are required for PIB binding. Elucidation of human-specific biological components and pathways will be important in guiding improvement of the animal models for AD and in identifying new potential therapeutic avenues. A lipid-associated subpopulation of Aβ accounts for the high-affinity binding of Pittsburgh compound B (PIB) in Alzheimer's disease brain. Mass spectrometry of the isolated PIB-binding site from frontal cortex identified Aβ peptides and a set of plaque-associated proteins in AD but not age-matched normal brain. The PIB-binding site may represent a particularly pathogenic entity and/or report local pathologic conditions.

A peptide study of the relationship between the collagen triple-helix and amyloid

Type XXV collagen, or collagen-like amyloidogenic component, is a component of amyloid plaques, and recent studies suggest this collagen affects amyloid fibril elongation and has a genetic association with Alzheimer's disease. The relationship between the collagen triple helix and amyloid fibrils was investigated by studying peptide models, including a very stable triple helical peptide (Pro-Hyp-Gly)₁₀ , an amyloidogenic peptide GNNQQNY, and a hybrid peptide where the GNNQQNY sequence was incorporated between (GPO)(n) domains. Circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy showed the GNNQQNY peptide formed a random coil structure, whereas the hybrid peptide contained a central disordered GNNQQNY region transitioning to triple-helical ends. Light scattering confirmed the GNNQQNY peptide had a high propensity to form amyloid fibrils, whereas amyloidogenesis was delayed in the hybrid peptide. NMR data suggested the triple-helix constraints on the GNNQQNY sequence within the hybrid peptide may disfavor the conformational change necessary for aggregation. Independent addition of a triple-helical peptide to the GNNQQNY peptide under aggregating conditions delayed nucleation and amyloid fibril growth. The inhibition of amyloid nucleation depended on the Gly-Xaa-Yaa sequence and required the triple-helix conformation. The inhibitory effect of the collagen triple-helix on an amyloidogenic sequence, when in the same molecule or when added separately, suggests Type XXV collagen, and possibly other collagens, may play a role in regulating amyloid fibril formation.

A role for collagen XXIII in cancer cell adhesion, anchorage-independence and metastasis

Collagen XXIII is a transmembrane collagen previously shown to be upregulated in metastatic prostate cancer that has been used as a tissue and fluid biomarker for non-small cell lung cancer and prostate cancer. To determine whether collagen XXIII facilitates cancer cell metastasis in vivo and to establish a function for collagen XXIII in cancer progression, collagen XXIII knockdown cells were examined for alterations in in vivo metastasis as well as in vitro cell adhesion. In experimental and spontaneous xenograft models of metastasis, H460 cells expressing collagen XXIII shRNA formed fewer lung metastases than control cells. Loss of collagen XXIII in H460 cells also impaired cell adhesion, anchorage-independent growth and cell seeding to the lung, but did not affect cell proliferation. Corroborating a role for collagen XXIII in cell adhesion, overexpression of collagen XXIII in H1299 cells, which do not express endogenous collagen XXIII, enhanced cell adhesion. Consequent reduction in OB-cadherin, alpha-catenin, gamma-catenin, beta-catenin, vimentin and galectin-3 protein expression was also observed in response to loss of collagen XXIII. This study suggests a potential role for collagen XXIII in mediating metastasis by facilitating cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion as well as anchorage-independent cell growth.

Interruptions in the collagen repeating tripeptide pattern can promote supramolecular association

The standard collagen triple-helix requires a perfect (Gly-Xaa-Yaa)(n) sequence, yet all nonfibrillar collagens contain interruptions in this tripeptide repeating pattern. Defining the structural consequences of disruptions in the sequence pattern may shed light on the biological role of sequence interruptions, which have been suggested to play a role in molecular flexibility, collagen degradation, and ligand binding. Previous studies on model peptides with 1- and 4-residue interruptions showed a localized perturbation within the triple-helix, and this work is extended to introduce natural collagen interruptions up to nine residue in length within a fixed (Gly-Pro-Hyp)(n) peptide context. All peptides in this set show decreases in triple-helix content and stability, with greater conformational perturbations for the interruptions longer than five residue. The most stable and least perturbed structure is seen for the 5-residue interruption peptide, whose sequence corresponds to a Gly to Ala missense mutation, such as those leading to collagen genetic diseases. The triple-helix peptides containing 8- and 9-residue interruptions exhibit a strong propensity for self-association to fibrous structures. In addition, a small peptide modeling only the 9-residue sequence within the interruption aggregates to form amyloid-like fibrils with antiparallel beta-sheet structure. The 8- and 9-residue interruption sequences studied here are predicted to have significant cross-beta aggregation potential, and a similar propensity is reported for approximately 10% of other naturally occurring interruptions. The presence of amyloidogenic sequences within or between triple-helix domains may play a role in molecular association to normal tissue structures and could participate in observed interactions between collagen and amyloid.

COL25A1 triggers and promotes Alzheimer's disease-like pathology in vivo

Collagen XXV alpha 1 (COL25A1) is a collagenous type II transmembrane protein purified from senile plaques of Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains. COL25A1 alleles have been associated with increased risk for AD in a Swedish population. COL25A1 is specifically expressed in neurons and binds to aggregated Abeta in vitro. However, its contribution to the pathogenesis of AD and in vivo function are unknown. Here, we report that over-expression of COL25A1 in transgenic mice increases p35/p25 and beta-site APP-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) levels, facilitates intracellular aggregation and extracellular matrix deposits of Abeta, and causes synaptophysin loss and astrocyte activation. COL25A1 mice displayed reduced anxiety-like behavior in elevated plus maze and open field tests and significantly slower swimming speed in Morris water maze. In stable cell lines, motifs in noncollagenous domains of COL25A1 were important for the induction of BACE1 expression. These findings demonstrate that COL25A1 leads to AD-like pathology in vivo. Modulation of COL25A1 function may represent an alternative therapeutic intervention for AD.

Genetic association to the amyloid plaque associated protein gene COL25A1 in Alzheimer's disease

The COL25A1 gene, located in 4q25, encodes the CLAC protein, which has been implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. CLAC was originally identified in amyloid preparations from AD brain and has been shown to be associated with amyloid plaques, inhibition of Abeta-fibril elongation and increased protease resistance of Abeta-fibrils through direct binding to Abeta. These biochemical data as well as the genomic location of the COL25A1 gene in chromosome 4q25 where we previously have reported a weak linkage-signal in Swedish AD families encouraged us to perform a case-control association study of two LD blocks in COL25A1 using 817 AD cases and 364 controls. The LD blocks cover a putative Abeta-binding motif and the variable 3' end of the gene. The analyses indicated association to three of eight analysed SNPs. We found further support for the association by replication in a Swedish population-based longitudinal sample set (n=926). Thus, in addition to the biochemical data, there is now genetic evidence of association between COL25A1 and risk for Alzheimer's disease.

Survey of the year 2005 commercial optical biosensor literature

We identified 1113 articles (103 reviews, 1010 primary research articles) published in 2005 that describe experiments performed using commercially available optical biosensors. While this number of publications is impressive, we find that the quality of the biosensor work in these articles is often pretty poor. It is a little disappointing that there appears to be only a small set of researchers who know how to properly perform, analyze, and present biosensor data. To help focus the field, we spotlight work published by 10 research groups that exemplify the quality of data one should expect to see from a biosensor experiment. Also, in an effort to raise awareness of the common problems in the biosensor field, we provide side-by-side examples of good and bad data sets from the 2005 literature.