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Yang JY, Baek SE, Yoon JW, Kim HS, Kwon Y, Yeom E. Nesfatin-1 ameliorates pathological abnormalities in Drosophila hTau model of Alzheimer's disease. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 727:150311. [PMID: 38950494 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.150311] [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: 06/03/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
In human Alzheimer's disease (AD), the aggregation of tau protein is considered a significant hallmark, along with amyloid-beta. The formation of neurofibrillary tangles due to aberrant phosphorylation of tau disrupts microtubule stability, leading to neuronal toxicity, dysfunction, and subsequent cell death. Nesfatin-1 is a neuropeptide primarily known for regulating appetite and energy homeostasis. However, the function of Nesfatin-1 in a neuroprotective role has not been investigated. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the effect of Nesfatin-1 on tau pathology using the Drosophila model system. Our findings demonstrate that Nesfatin-1 effectively mitigates the pathological phenotypes observed in Drosophila human Tau overexpression models. Nesfatin-1 overexpression rescued the neurodegenerative phenotypes in the adult fly's eye and bristle. Additionally, Nesfatin-1 improved locomotive behavior, neuromuscular junction formation, and lifespan in the hTau AD model. Moreover, Nesfatin-1 controls tauopathy by reducing the protein level of hTau. Overall, this research highlights the potential therapeutic applications of Nesfatin-1 in ameliorating the pathological features associated with Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae-Yoon Yang
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, South Korea; School of Life Sciences, BK21 FOUR KNU Creative BioResearch Group, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, South Korea
| | - Si-Eun Baek
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, South Korea; School of Life Sciences, BK21 FOUR KNU Creative BioResearch Group, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, South Korea
| | - Jong-Won Yoon
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, South Korea; School of Life Sciences, BK21 FOUR KNU Creative BioResearch Group, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, South Korea
| | - Hyo-Sung Kim
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, South Korea; School of Life Sciences, BK21 FOUR KNU Creative BioResearch Group, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, South Korea
| | - Younghwi Kwon
- KNU-G LAMP Project Group, KNU-Institute of Basic Sciences, School of Life Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, South Korea
| | - Eunbyul Yeom
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, South Korea; School of Life Sciences, BK21 FOUR KNU Creative BioResearch Group, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, South Korea; KNU-G LAMP Project Group, KNU-Institute of Basic Sciences, School of Life Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, South Korea.
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2
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Lippi A, Krisko A. Protein aggregation: A detrimental symptom or an adaptation mechanism? J Neurochem 2024; 168:1426-1441. [PMID: 37694504 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15955] [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: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Protein quality control mechanisms oversee numerous aspects of protein lifetime. From the point of protein synthesis, protein homeostasis machineries take part in folding, solubilization, and/or degradation of impaired proteins. Some proteins follow an alternative path upon loss of their solubility, thus are secluded from the cytosol and form protein aggregates. Protein aggregates differ in their function and composition, rendering protein aggregation a complex phenomenon that continues to receive plenty of attention in the scientific and medical communities. Traditionally, protein aggregates have been associated with aging and a large spectrum of protein folding diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases, type 2 diabetes, or cataract. However, a body of evidence suggests that they may act as an adaptive mechanism to overcome transient stressful conditions, serving as a sink for the removal of misfolded proteins from the cytosol or storage compartments for machineries required upon stress release. In this review, we present examples and evidence elaborating different possible roles of protein aggregation and discuss their potential roles in stress survival, aging, and disease, as well as possible anti-aggregation interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Lippi
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Anita Krisko
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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3
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Canet G, Gratuze M, Zussy C, Bouali ML, Diaz SD, Rocaboy E, Laliberté F, El Khoury NB, Tremblay C, Morin F, Calon F, Hébert SS, Julien C, Planel E. Age-dependent impact of streptozotocin on metabolic endpoints and Alzheimer's disease pathologies in 3xTg-AD mice. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 198:106526. [PMID: 38734152 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disease with a complex origin, thought to involve a combination of genetic, biological and environmental factors. Insulin dysfunction has emerged as a potential factor contributing to AD pathogenesis, particularly in individuals with diabetes, and among those with insulin deficiency or undergoing insulin therapy. The intraperitoneal administration of streptozotocin (STZ) is widely used in rodent models to explore the impact of insulin deficiency on AD pathology, although prior research predominantly focused on young animals, with no comparative analysis across different age groups. Our study aimed to fill this gap by analyzing the impact of insulin dysfunction in 7 and 23 months 3xTg-AD mice, that exhibit both amyloid and tau pathologies. Our objective was to elucidate the age-specific consequences of insulin deficiency on AD pathology. STZ administration led to insulin deficiency in the younger mice, resulting in an increase in cortical amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau aggregation, while tau phosphorylation was not significantly affected. Conversely, older mice displayed an unexpected resilience to the peripheral metabolic impact of STZ, while exhibiting an increase in both tau phosphorylation and aggregation without significantly affecting amyloid pathology. These changes were paralleled with alterations in signaling pathways involving tau kinases and phosphatases. Several markers of blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity declined with age in 3xTg-AD mice, which might have facilitated a direct neurotoxic effect of STZ in older mice. Overall, our research confirms the influence of insulin signaling dysfunction on AD pathology, but also advises careful interpretation of data related to STZ-induced effects in older animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey Canet
- Laval University, Faculty of Medicine, Neurosciences and Psychiatry department, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; Neurosciences axis, CHU de Québec Research Center, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada.
| | - Maud Gratuze
- Laval University, Faculty of Medicine, Neurosciences and Psychiatry department, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; Institute of Neurophysiopathology (INP), University of Aix-Marseille, CNRS UMR 7051, 13385 Marseille, France.
| | - Charleine Zussy
- Laval University, Faculty of Medicine, Neurosciences and Psychiatry department, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; Neurosciences axis, CHU de Québec Research Center, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada.
| | - Mohamed Lala Bouali
- Laval University, Faculty of Medicine, Neurosciences and Psychiatry department, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
| | - Sofia Diego Diaz
- Laval University, Faculty of Medicine, Neurosciences and Psychiatry department, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
| | - Emma Rocaboy
- Laval University, Faculty of Medicine, Neurosciences and Psychiatry department, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
| | - Francis Laliberté
- Neurosciences axis, CHU de Québec Research Center, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada
| | - Noura B El Khoury
- Laval University, Faculty of Medicine, Neurosciences and Psychiatry department, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; University of Balamand, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Departement of Psychology, Tueini Building Kalhat, Al-Kurah, P.O. Box 100, Tripoli, Lebanon.
| | - Cyntia Tremblay
- Neurosciences axis, CHU de Québec Research Center, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada.
| | - Françoise Morin
- Neurosciences axis, CHU de Québec Research Center, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada.
| | - Frédéric Calon
- Neurosciences axis, CHU de Québec Research Center, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada; Laval University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Neurosciences and Psychiatry department, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
| | - Sébastien S Hébert
- Laval University, Faculty of Medicine, Neurosciences and Psychiatry department, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; Neurosciences axis, CHU de Québec Research Center, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada.
| | - Carl Julien
- Research Center in Animal Sciences of Deschambault, Québec, QC G0A 1S0, Canada; Laval University, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
| | - Emmanuel Planel
- Laval University, Faculty of Medicine, Neurosciences and Psychiatry department, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; Neurosciences axis, CHU de Québec Research Center, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada.
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4
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Chen AM, Gajdošík M, Ahmed W, Ahn S, Babb JS, Blessing EM, Boutajangout A, de Leon MJ, Debure L, Gaggi N, Gajdošik M, George A, Ghuman M, Glodzik L, Harvey P, Juchem C, Marsh K, Peralta R, Rusinek H, Sheriff S, Vedvyas A, Wisniewski T, Zheng H, Osorio R, Kirov II. Retrospective analysis of Braak stage- and APOE4 allele-dependent associations between MR spectroscopy and markers of tau and neurodegeneration in cognitively unimpaired elderly. Neuroimage 2024:120742. [PMID: 39029606 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120742] [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: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyloid, tau, and associated neurodegeneration, are present in the cortical gray matter (GM) years before symptom onset, and at significantly greater levels in carriers of the apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) allele. Their respective biomarkers, A/T/N, have been found to correlate with aspects of brain biochemistry, measured with magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), indicating a potential for MRS to augment the A/T/N framework for staging and prediction of AD. Unfortunately, the relationships between MRS and A/T/N biomarkers are unclear, largely due to a lack of studies examining them in the context of the spatial and temporal model of T/N progression. Advanced MRS acquisition and post-processing approaches have enabled us to address this knowledge gap and test the hypotheses, that glutamate-plus-glutamine (Glx) and N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), metabolites reflecting synaptic and neuronal health, respectively, measured from regions on the Braak stage continuum, correlate with: (i) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) p-tau181 level (T), and (ii) hippocampal volume or cortical thickness of parietal lobe GM (N). We hypothesized that these correlations will be moderated by Braak stage and APOE4 genotype. METHODS We conducted a retrospective imaging study of 34 cognitively unimpaired elderly individuals who received APOE4 genotyping and lumbar puncture from pre-existing prospective studies at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine between October 2014 and January 2019. Subjects returned for their imaging exam between April 2018 and February 2020. Metabolites were measured from the left hippocampus (Braak II) using a single-voxel semi-adiabatic localization by adiabatic selective refocusing sequence; and from the bilateral posterior cingulate cortex (PCC; Braak IV), bilateral precuneus (Braak V), and bilateral precentral gyrus (Braak VI) using multi-voxel echo-planar spectroscopic imaging sequence. Pearson and Spearman correlations were used to examine the relationships between absolute levels of choline, creatine, myo-inositol, Glx, and NAA and CSF p-tau181, and between these metabolites and hippocampal volume or parietal cortical thicknesses. Covariates included age, sex, years of education, Fazekas score, and months between CSF collection and MRI exam. RESULTS There was a direct correlation between hippocampal Glx and CSF p-tau181 in APOE4 carriers (Pearson's r = 0.76, p = 0.02), but not after adjusting for covariates. In the entire cohort, there was a direct correlation between hippocampal NAA and hippocampal volume (Spearman's r = 0.55, p = 0.001), even after adjusting for age and Fazekas score (Spearman's r = 0.48, p = 0.006). This relationship was observed only in APOE4 carriers (Pearson's r = 0.66, p = 0.017), and was also retained after adjustment (Pearson's r = 0.76, p = 0.008; metabolite-by-carrier interaction p = 0.03). There were no findings in the PCC, nor in the negative control (late Braak stage) regions of the precuneus and precentral gyrus. CONCLUSIONS Our findings are in line with the spatially- and temporally-resolved Braak staging model of pathological severity in which the hippocampus is affected earlier than the PCC. The correlations, between MRS markers of synaptic and neuronal health and, respectively, T and N pathology, were found exclusively within APOE4 carriers, suggesting a connection with AD pathological change, rather than with normal aging. We therefore conclude that MRS has the potential to augment early A/T/N staging, with the hippocampus serving as a more sensitive MRS target compared to the PCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Chen
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research (CAI(2)R), Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Martin Gajdošík
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research (CAI(2)R), Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Wajiha Ahmed
- Center for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sinyeob Ahn
- Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc., Malvern, PA, USA
| | - James S Babb
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research (CAI(2)R), Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Esther M Blessing
- Department of Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Healthy Brain Aging and Sleep Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Allal Boutajangout
- Center for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mony J de Leon
- Retired Director, Center for Brain Health, Department of Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Brain Health Imaging Institute, Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ludovic Debure
- Center for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Naomi Gaggi
- Department of Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Healthy Brain Aging and Sleep Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mia Gajdošik
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research (CAI(2)R), Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ajax George
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research (CAI(2)R), Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mobeena Ghuman
- Center for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lidia Glodzik
- Brain Health Imaging Institute, Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Patrick Harvey
- Brain Health Imaging Institute, Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christoph Juchem
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Radiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Karyn Marsh
- Center for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rosemary Peralta
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research (CAI(2)R), Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Henry Rusinek
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research (CAI(2)R), Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sulaiman Sheriff
- Department of Radiology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Alok Vedvyas
- Center for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Thomas Wisniewski
- Center for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Helena Zheng
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research (CAI(2)R), Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ricardo Osorio
- Department of Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Healthy Brain Aging and Sleep Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Ivan I Kirov
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research (CAI(2)R), Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Center for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Department of Neurology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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5
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Parra Bravo C, Naguib SA, Gan L. Cellular and pathological functions of tau. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024:10.1038/s41580-024-00753-9. [PMID: 39014245 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-024-00753-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
Tau protein is involved in various cellular processes, including having a canonical role in binding and stabilization of microtubules in neurons. Tauopathies are neurodegenerative diseases marked by the abnormal accumulation of tau protein aggregates in neurons, as seen, for example, in conditions such as frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer disease. Mutations in tau coding regions or that disrupt tau mRNA splicing, tau post-translational modifications and cellular stress factors (such as oxidative stress and inflammation) increase the tendency of tau to aggregate and interfere with its clearance. Pathological tau is strongly implicated in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, and the propagation of tau aggregates is associated with disease severity. Recent technological advancements, including cryo-electron microscopy and disease models derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells, have increased our understanding of tau-related pathology in neurodegenerative conditions. Substantial progress has been made in deciphering tau aggregate structures and the molecular mechanisms that underlie protein aggregation and toxicity. In this Review, we discuss recent insights into the diverse cellular functions of tau and the pathology of tau inclusions and explore the potential for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celeste Parra Bravo
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sarah A Naguib
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Li Gan
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, USA.
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Neven J, Issayama LK, Dewachter I, Wilson DM. Genomic stress and impaired DNA repair in Alzheimer disease. DNA Repair (Amst) 2024; 139:103678. [PMID: 38669748 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2024.103678] [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: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most prominent form of dementia and has received considerable attention due to its growing burden on economic, healthcare and basic societal infrastructures. The two major neuropathological hallmarks of AD, i.e., extracellular amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide plaques and intracellular hyperphosphorylated Tau neurofibrillary tangles, have been the focus of much research, with an eye on understanding underlying disease mechanisms and identifying novel therapeutic avenues. One often overlooked aspect of AD is how Aβ and Tau may, through indirect and direct mechanisms, affect genome integrity. Herein, we review evidence that Aβ and Tau abnormalities induce excessive genomic stress and impair genome maintenance mechanisms, events that can promote DNA damage-induced neuronal cell loss and associated brain atrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolien Neven
- Hasselt University, Biomedical Research Institute, BIOMED, Hasselt 3500, Belgium
| | - Luidy Kazuo Issayama
- Hasselt University, Biomedical Research Institute, BIOMED, Hasselt 3500, Belgium
| | - Ilse Dewachter
- Hasselt University, Biomedical Research Institute, BIOMED, Hasselt 3500, Belgium
| | - David M Wilson
- Hasselt University, Biomedical Research Institute, BIOMED, Hasselt 3500, Belgium.
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7
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Yang J, Shen N, Shen J, Yang Y, Li HL. Complicated Role of Post-translational Modification and Protease-Cleaved Fragments of Tau in Alzheimer's Disease and Other Tauopathies. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:4712-4731. [PMID: 38114762 PMCID: PMC11236937 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03867-x] [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: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Tau, a microtubule-associated protein predominantly localized in neuronal axons, plays a crucial role in promoting microtubule assembly, stabilizing their structure, and participating in axonal transport. Perturbations in tau's structure and function are implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases collectively known as tauopathies, the most common disorder of which is Alzheimer's disease (AD). In tauopathies, it has been found that tau has a variety of post-translational modification (PTM) abnormalities and/or tau is cleaved into a variety of fragments by some specific proteolytic enzymes; however, the precise contributions of these abnormal modifications and fragments to disease onset and progression remain incompletely understood. Herein, we provide an overview about the involvement of distinctive abnormal tau PTMs and different tau fragments in the pathogenesis of AD and other tauopathies and discuss the involvement of proteolytic enzymes such as caspases, calpains, and asparagine endopeptidase in mediating tau cleavage while also addressing the intercellular transmission role played by tau. We anticipate that further exploration into PTMs and fragmented forms of tau will yield valuable insights for diagnostic approaches and therapeutic interventions targeting AD and other related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yang
- Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Naiting Shen
- Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Jianying Shen
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry, Hubei Province of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Ying Yang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry, Hubei Province of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Hong-Lian Li
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry, Hubei Province of China for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
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8
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Tan W, Thiruppathi J, Hong SH, Puth S, Pheng S, Mun BR, Choi WS, Lee KH, Park HS, Nguyen DT, Lee MC, Jeong K, Zheng JH, Kim Y, Lee SE, Rhee JH. Development of an anti-tauopathy mucosal vaccine specifically targeting pathologic conformers. NPJ Vaccines 2024; 9:108. [PMID: 38879560 PMCID: PMC11180213 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-024-00904-1] [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: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related tauopathies are associated with pathological tau protein aggregation, which plays an important role in neurofibrillary degeneration and dementia. Targeted immunotherapy to eliminate pathological tau aggregates is known to improve cognitive deficits in AD animal models. The tau repeat domain (TauRD) plays a pivotal role in tau-microtubule interactions and is critically involved in the aggregation of hyperphosphorylated tau proteins. Because TauRD forms the structural core of tau aggregates, the development of immunotherapies that selectively target TauRD-induced pathological aggregates holds great promise for the modulation of tauopathies. In this study, we generated recombinant TauRD polypeptide that form neurofibrillary tangle-like structures and evaluated TauRD-specific immune responses following intranasal immunization in combination with the mucosal adjuvant FlaB. In BALB/C mice, repeated immunizations at one-week intervals induced robust TauRD-specific antibody responses in a TLR5-dependent manner. Notably, the resulting antiserum recognized only the aggregated form of TauRD, while ignoring monomeric TauRD. The antiserum effectively inhibited TauRD filament formation and promoted the phagocytic degradation of TauRD aggregate fragments by microglia. The antiserum also specifically recognized pathological tau conformers in the human AD brain. Based on these results, we engineered a built-in flagellin-adjuvanted TauRD (FlaB-TauRD) vaccine and tested its efficacy in a P301S transgenic mouse model. Mucosal immunization with FlaB-TauRD improved quality of life, as indicated by the amelioration of memory deficits, and alleviated tauopathy progression. Notably, the survival of the vaccinated mice was dramatically extended. In conclusion, we developed a mucosal vaccine that exclusively targets pathological tau conformers and prevents disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenzhi Tan
- Clinical Vaccine R&D Center, Chonnam National University, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
- Department of Microbiology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, 410082, China
| | - Jayalakshmi Thiruppathi
- Clinical Vaccine R&D Center, Chonnam National University, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
- Department of Microbiology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
- Combinatorial Tumor Immunotherapy MRC, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
| | - Seol Hee Hong
- Clinical Vaccine R&D Center, Chonnam National University, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
- National Immunotherapy Innovation Center, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
- Department of Pharmacology and Dental Therapeutics, School of Dentistry, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Sao Puth
- Clinical Vaccine R&D Center, Chonnam National University, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
- Department of Microbiology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
- Combinatorial Tumor Immunotherapy MRC, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
| | - Sophea Pheng
- Clinical Vaccine R&D Center, Chonnam National University, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
- Department of Microbiology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
- Combinatorial Tumor Immunotherapy MRC, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
| | - Bo-Ram Mun
- School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Won-Seok Choi
- School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung-Hwa Lee
- Combinatorial Tumor Immunotherapy MRC, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
- Department of Pathology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Sun Park
- Department of Pharmacology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
| | - Duc Tien Nguyen
- Clinical Vaccine R&D Center, Chonnam National University, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
- Department of Microbiology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
- Combinatorial Tumor Immunotherapy MRC, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Cheol Lee
- Department of Pathology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
- Seegene Inc, Seoul, 05548, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwangjoon Jeong
- Clinical Vaccine R&D Center, Chonnam National University, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
- Department of Microbiology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Hai Zheng
- Clinical Vaccine R&D Center, Chonnam National University, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, 410082, China
| | - Young Kim
- Department of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Shee Eun Lee
- Clinical Vaccine R&D Center, Chonnam National University, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea.
- National Immunotherapy Innovation Center, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Pharmacology and Dental Therapeutics, School of Dentistry, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea.
| | - Joon Haeng Rhee
- Clinical Vaccine R&D Center, Chonnam National University, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Microbiology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea.
- Combinatorial Tumor Immunotherapy MRC, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam, 58128, Republic of Korea.
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9
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Paul S, Biswas P. Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study of the Self-Assembly of Tau-Derived PHF6 and Its Inhibition by Oleuropein Aglycone from Extra Virgin Olive Oil. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:5630-5641. [PMID: 38814052 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c02393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other taupathies are neurodegenerative disorders associated with the amyloid deposition of the Tau protein in the brain. This amyloid formation may be inhibited by small molecules, which is recognized as one of the best therapeutic strategies to stop the progression of the disease. This work focuses on the small nucleating segment, hexapeptide-paired helical filament 6 (PHF6), responsible for Tau aggregation. Using computational modeling and classical molecular dynamics simulations, we show that PHF6 monomers collapse in water to form β-sheet rich structures, and the main olive oil polyphenol oleuropein aglycone (OleA) prevents peptide aggregation significantly. We gradually increase the ratio of the PHF6-OleA from 1:1 to 1:3 and find that for the 1:1 ratio, the peptide monomers are prone to form aggregated structures, while for the 1:2 ratio, the formation of the extended β-sheet structure is significantly less. For a 1:3 ratio of protein/OleA, the peptide residues are sufficiently crowded by OleA molecules through hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, and π-π stacking; hence, the peptide chains prefer to exist in a monomeric random coil conformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srijita Paul
- Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, New Delhi 110007, India
| | - Parbati Biswas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, New Delhi 110007, India
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10
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Hulse J, Maphis N, Peabody J, Chackerian B, Bhaskar K. Virus-like particle (VLP)-based vaccine targeting tau phosphorylated at Ser396/Ser404 (PHF1) site outperforms phosphorylated S199/S202 (AT8) site in reducing tau pathology and restoring cognitive deficits in the rTg4510 mouse model of tauopathy. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4390998. [PMID: 38946961 PMCID: PMC11213181 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4390998/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), are histopathologically defined by the aggregation of hyperphosphorylated pathological tau (pTau) as neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. Site-specific phosphorylation of tau occurs early in the disease process and correlates with progressive cognitive decline, thus serving as targetable pathological epitopes for immunotherapeutic development. Previously, we developed a vaccine (Qβ-pT181) displaying phosphorylated Thr181 tau peptides on the surface of a Qβ bacteriophage virus-like particle (VLP) that induced robust antibody responses, cleared pathological tau, and rescued memory deficits in a transgenic mouse model of tauopathy. Here we report the characterization and comparison of two additional Qβ VLP-based vaccines targeting the dual phosphorylation sites Ser199/Ser202 (Qβ-AT8) and Ser396/Ser404 (Qβ-PHF1). Both Qβ-AT8 and Qβ-PHF1 vaccines elicited high-titer antibody responses against their pTau epitopes. However, only Qβ-PHF1 rescued cognitive deficits, reduced soluble and insoluble pathological tau, and reactive microgliosis in a 4-month rTg4510 model of FTD. Both sera from Qβ-AT8 and Qβ-PHF1 vaccinated mice were specifically reactive to tau pathology in human AD post-mortem brain sections. These studies further support the use of VLP-based immunotherapies to target pTau in AD and related tauopathies and provide potential insight into the clinical efficacy of various pTau epitopes in the development of immunotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Hulse
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, University Of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM. USA
| | - Nicole Maphis
- Department of Neurosciences, University Of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM. USA
| | - Julianne Peabody
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, University Of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM. USA
| | - Bryce Chackerian
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, University Of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM. USA
| | - Kiran Bhaskar
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, University Of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM. USA
- Department of Neurology, University Of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM. USA
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11
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Zheng H, Sun H, Cai Q, Tai HC. The Enigma of Tau Protein Aggregation: Mechanistic Insights and Future Challenges. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4969. [PMID: 38732197 PMCID: PMC11084794 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094969] [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: 03/30/2024] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Tau protein misfolding and aggregation are pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease and over twenty neurodegenerative disorders. However, the molecular mechanisms of tau aggregation in vivo remain incompletely understood. There are two types of tau aggregates in the brain: soluble aggregates (oligomers and protofibrils) and insoluble filaments (fibrils). Compared to filamentous aggregates, soluble aggregates are more toxic and exhibit prion-like transmission, providing seeds for templated misfolding. Curiously, in its native state, tau is a highly soluble, heat-stable protein that does not form fibrils by itself, not even when hyperphosphorylated. In vitro studies have found that negatively charged molecules such as heparin, RNA, or arachidonic acid are generally required to induce tau aggregation. Two recent breakthroughs have provided new insights into tau aggregation mechanisms. First, as an intrinsically disordered protein, tau is found to undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) both in vitro and inside cells. Second, cryo-electron microscopy has revealed diverse fibrillar tau conformations associated with different neurodegenerative disorders. Nonetheless, only the fibrillar core is structurally resolved, and the remainder of the protein appears as a "fuzzy coat". From this review, it appears that further studies are required (1) to clarify the role of LLPS in tau aggregation; (2) to unveil the structural features of soluble tau aggregates; (3) to understand the involvement of fuzzy coat regions in oligomer and fibril formation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Hwan-Ching Tai
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
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12
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Mantellatto Grigoli M, Pelegrini LNC, Whelan R, Cominetti MR. Present and Future of Blood-Based Biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease: Beyond the Classics. Brain Res 2024; 1830:148812. [PMID: 38369085 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.148812] [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: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
The field of blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD) has advanced at an incredible pace, especially after the development of sensitive analytic platforms that can facilitate large-scale screening. Such screening will be important when more sophisticated diagnostic methods are scarce and expensive. Thus, blood-based biomarkers can potentially reduce diagnosis inequities among populations from different socioeconomic contexts. This large-scale screening can be performed so that older adults at risk of cognitive decline assessed using these methods can then undergo more complete assessments with classic biomarkers, increasing diagnosis efficiency and reducing costs to the health systems. Blood-based biomarkers can also aid in assessing the effect of new disease-modifying treatments. This paper reviews recent advances in the area, focusing on the following leading candidates for blood-based biomarkers: amyloid-beta (Aβ), phosphorylated tau isoforms (p-tau), neurofilament light (NfL), and glial fibrillary acidic (GFAP) proteins, as well as on new candidates, Neuron-Derived Exosomes contents (NDEs) and Transactive response DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43), based on data from longitudinal observational cohort studies. The underlying challenges of validating and incorporating these biomarkers into routine clinical practice and primary care settings are also discussed. Importantly, challenges related to the underrepresentation of ethnic minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged persons must be considered. If these challenges are overcome, a new time of cost-effective blood-based biomarkers for AD could represent the future of clinical procedures in the field and, together with continued prevention strategies, the beginning of an era with a lower incidence of dementia worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Robert Whelan
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Marcia R Cominetti
- Department of Gerontology, Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil; Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
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13
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Huhe H, Shapley SM, Duong D, Wu F, Ha SK, Choi SH, Kofler J, Mou Y, Guimaraes TR, Thathiah A, Schaeffer LKH, Carter GW, Seyfried NT, Silva AC, Sukoff Rizzo SJ. Marmosets as model systems for the study of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias: substantiation of physiological Tau 3R and 4R isoform expression and phosphorylation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.26.590453. [PMID: 38746277 PMCID: PMC11092449 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.26.590453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Marmosets have been shown to spontaneously develop pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) during advanced age, including amyloid-beta plaques, positioning them as a model system to overcome the rodent-to-human translational gap for AD. However, Tau expression in the marmoset brain has been understudied. METHODS To comprehensively investigate Tau isoform expression in marmosets, brain tissue from eight unrelated marmosets across various ages was evaluated and compared to human postmortem AD tissue. Microtubule-associated protein tau ( MAPT ) mRNA expression and splicing were confirmed by RT-PCR. Tau isoforms in the marmoset brain were examined by western blot, mass spectrometry, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemical staining. Synaptic Tau expression was analyzed from crude synaptosome extractions. RESULTS 3R and 4R Tau isoforms are expressed in marmoset brains at both transcript and protein levels across ages. Results from western blot analysis were confirmed by mass spectrometry, which revealed that Tau peptides in marmoset corresponded to the 3R and 4R peptides in the human AD brain. 3R Tau was primarily enriched in neonate brains, and 4R enhanced in adult and aged brains. Tau was widely distributed in neurons with localization in the soma and synaptic regions. Phosphorylation residues were observed on Thr-181, Thr-217, and Thr-231, Ser202/Thr205, Ser396/Ser404. Paired helical filament (PHF)-like aggregates were also detected in aged marmosets. DISCUSSION Our results confirm the expression of both 3R and 4R Tau isoforms and important phosphorylation residues in the marmoset brain. These data emphasize the significance of marmosets with natural expression of AD-related hallmarks as important translational models for the study of AD.
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14
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Hulse J, Maphis N, Peabody J, Chackerian B, Bhaskar K. Virus-like particle (VLP)-based vaccine targeting tau phosphorylated at Ser396/Ser404 (PHF1) site outperforms phosphorylated S199/S202 (AT8) site in reducing tau pathology and restoring cognitive deficits in the rTg4510 mouse model of tauopathy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.05.588338. [PMID: 38644999 PMCID: PMC11030413 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.05.588338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), are histopathologically defined by the aggregation of hyperphosphorylated pathological tau (pTau) as neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. Site-specific phosphorylation of tau occurs early in the disease process and correlates with progressive cognitive decline, thus serving as targetable pathological epitopes for immunotherapeutic development. Previously, we developed a vaccine (Qβ-pT181) displaying phosphorylated Thr181 tau peptides on the surface of a Qβ bacteriophage virus-like particle (VLP) that induced robust antibody responses, cleared pathological tau, and rescued memory deficits in a transgenic mouse model of tauopathy. Here we report the characterization and comparison of two additional Qβ VLP-based vaccines targeting the dual phosphorylation sites Ser199/Ser202 (Qβ-AT8) and Ser396/Ser404 (Qβ-PHF1). Both Qβ-AT8 and Qβ-PHF1 vaccines elicited high-titer antibody responses against their pTau epitopes. However, only Qβ-PHF1 rescued cognitive deficits, reduced soluble and insoluble pathological tau, and reactive microgliosis in a 4-month rTg4510 model of FTD. Both sera from Qβ-AT8 and Qβ-PHF1 vaccinated mice were specifically reactive to tau pathology in human AD post-mortem brain sections. These studies further support the use of VLP-based immunotherapies to target pTau in AD and related tauopathies and provide potential insight into the clinical efficacy of various pTau epitopes in the development of immunotherapeutics.
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15
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Arar S, Haque MA, Bhatt N, Zhao Y, Kayed R. Effect of Natural Osmolytes on Recombinant Tau Monomer: Propensity of Oligomerization and Aggregation. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:1366-1377. [PMID: 38503425 PMCID: PMC10995947 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00614] [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: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The pathological misfolding and aggregation of the microtubule associated protein tau (MAPT), a full length Tau2N4R with 441aa, is considered the principal disease relevant constituent in tauopathies including Alzheimer's disease (AD) with an imbalanced ratio in 3R/4R isoforms. The exact cellular fluid composition, properties, and changes that coincide with tau misfolding, seed formation, and propagation events remain obscure. The proteostasis network, along with the associated osmolytes, is responsible for maintaining the presence of tau in its native structure or dealing with misfolding. In this study, for the first time, the roles of natural brain osmolytes are being investigated for their potential effects on regulating the conformational stability of the tau monomer (tauM) and its propensity to aggregate or disaggregate. Herein, the effects of physiological osmolytes myo-inositol, taurine, trimethyl amine oxide (TMAO), betaine, sorbitol, glycerophosphocholine (GPC), and citrulline on tau's aggregation state were investigated. The overall results indicate the ability of sorbitol and GPC to maintain the monomeric form and prevent aggregation of tau, whereas myo-inositol, taurine, TMAO, betaine, and citrulline promote tau aggregation to different degrees, as revealed by protein morphology in atomic force microscopy images. Biochemical and biophysical methods also revealed that tau proteins adopt different conformations under the influence of these osmolytes. TauM in the presence of all osmolytes expressed no toxicity when tested by a lactate dehydrogenase assay. Investigating the conformational stability of tau in the presence of osmolytes may provide a better understanding of the complex nature of tau aggregation in AD and the protective and/or chaotropic nature of osmolytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharif Arar
- Mitchell
Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University
of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
- Departments
of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, School of Science, The University
of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
| | - Md Anzarul Haque
- Mitchell
Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University
of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
- Departments
of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
| | - Nemil Bhatt
- Mitchell
Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University
of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
- Departments
of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
| | - Yingxin Zhao
- Department
of Internal Medicine, University of Texas
Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
- Institute
for Translational Sciences, University of
Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
| | - Rakez Kayed
- Mitchell
Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University
of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
- Departments
of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
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16
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Wachter A, Woodbury ME, Lombardo S, Abdourahman A, Wuest C, McGlame E, Pastika T, Tamm J, Romanul N, Yanamandra K, Bennett R, Lin G, Kwon T, Liao F, Klein C, Grinberg Y, Jaisa-Aad M, Li H, Frosch MP, Kummer MP, Das S, Dellovade T, Karran EH, Langlois X, Ried JS, Serrano-Pozo A, Talanian RV, Biber K, Hyman BT. Landscape of brain myeloid cell transcriptome along the spatiotemporal progression of Alzheimer's disease reveals distinct sequential responses to Aβ and tau. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:65. [PMID: 38557897 PMCID: PMC10984903 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02704-2] [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: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Human microglia are critically involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression, as shown by genetic and molecular studies. However, their role in tau pathology progression in human brain has not been well described. Here, we characterized 32 human donors along progression of AD pathology, both in time-from early to late pathology-and in space-from entorhinal cortex (EC), inferior temporal gyrus (ITG), prefrontal cortex (PFC) to visual cortex (V2 and V1)-with biochemistry, immunohistochemistry, and single nuclei-RNA-sequencing, profiling a total of 337,512 brain myeloid cells, including microglia. While the majority of microglia are similar across brain regions, we identified a specific subset unique to EC which may contribute to the early tau pathology present in this region. We calculated conversion of microglia subtypes to diseased states and compared conversion patterns to those from AD animal models. Targeting genes implicated in this conversion, or their upstream/downstream pathways, could halt gene programs initiated by early tau progression. We used expression patterns of early tau progression to identify genes whose expression is reversed along spreading of spatial tau pathology (EC > ITG > PFC > V2 > V1) and identified their potential involvement in microglia subtype conversion to a diseased state. This study provides a data resource that builds on our knowledge of myeloid cell contribution to AD by defining the heterogeneity of microglia and brain macrophages during both temporal and regional pathology aspects of AD progression at an unprecedented resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Carolin Wuest
- AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Rachel Bennett
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Gen Lin
- AbbVie Pte Ltd, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | - Corinna Klein
- AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | | | - Methasit Jaisa-Aad
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Huan Li
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Matthew P Frosch
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Charlestown, USA
| | | | - Sudeshna Das
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Charlestown, USA
| | | | | | | | - Janina S Ried
- AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Alberto Serrano-Pozo
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Charlestown, USA
| | | | - Knut Biber
- AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Charlestown, USA
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17
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Toral-Rios D, Long JM, Ulrich JD, Yu J, Strickland MR, Han X, Holtzman DM, Cashikar AG, Paul SM. Cholesterol 25-hydroxylase mediates neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in a mouse model of tauopathy. J Exp Med 2024; 221:e20232000. [PMID: 38442267 PMCID: PMC10908359 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20232000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, in addition to neuroinflammation and changes in brain lipid metabolism. 25-Hydroxycholesterol (25-HC), a known modulator of both inflammation and lipid metabolism, is produced by cholesterol 25-hydroxylase encoded by Ch25h expressed as a "disease-associated microglia" signature gene. However, whether Ch25h influences tau-mediated neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration is unknown. Here, we show that in the absence of Ch25h and the resultant reduction in 25-HC, there is strikingly reduced age-dependent neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation in the hippocampus and entorhinal/piriform cortex of PS19 mice, which express the P301S mutant human tau transgene. Transcriptomic analyses of bulk hippocampal tissue and single nuclei revealed that Ch25h deficiency in PS19 mice strongly suppressed proinflammatory signaling in microglia. Our results suggest a key role for Ch25h/25-HC in potentiating proinflammatory signaling to promote tau-mediated neurodegeneration. Ch25h may represent a novel therapeutic target for primary tauopathies, AD, and other neuroinflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danira Toral-Rios
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Justin M. Long
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jason D. Ulrich
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jinsheng Yu
- Department of Genetics, Genome Technology Access Center at the McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Michael R. Strickland
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Xianlin Han
- Department of Medicine, Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - David M. Holtzman
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Anil G. Cashikar
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Steven M. Paul
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
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18
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Jin M, Wang S, Gao X, Zou Z, Hirotsune S, Sun L. Pathological and physiological functional cross-talks of α-synuclein and tau in the central nervous system. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:855-862. [PMID: 37843221 PMCID: PMC10664117 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.382231] [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: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
α-Synuclein and tau are abundant multifunctional brain proteins that are mainly expressed in the presynaptic and axonal compartments of neurons, respectively. Previous works have revealed that intracellular deposition of α-synuclein and/or tau causes many neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Despite intense investigation, the normal physiological functions and roles of α-synuclein and tau are still unclear, owing to the fact that mice with knockout of either of these proteins do not present apparent phenotypes. Interestingly, the co-occurrence of α-synuclein and tau aggregates was found in post-mortem brains with synucleinopathies and tauopathies, some of which share similarities in clinical manifestations. Furthermore, the direct interaction of α-synuclein with tau is considered to promote the fibrillization of each of the proteins in vitro and in vivo. On the other hand, our recent findings have revealed that α-synuclein and tau are cooperatively involved in brain development in a stage-dependent manner. These findings indicate strong cross-talk between the two proteins in physiology and pathology. In this review, we provide a summary of the recent findings on the functional roles of α-synuclein and tau in the physiological conditions and pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. A deep understanding of the interplay between α-synuclein and tau in physiological and pathological conditions might provide novel targets for clinical diagnosis and therapeutic strategies to treat neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyue Jin
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
- Department of Genetic Disease Research, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shengming Wang
- Department of Genetic Disease Research, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Xiaodie Gao
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
| | - Zhenyou Zou
- Department of Scientific Research, Brain Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
| | - Shinji Hirotsune
- Department of Genetic Disease Research, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Liyuan Sun
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
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19
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Powell WC, Nahum M, Pankratz K, Herlory M, Greenwood J, Poliyenko D, Holland P, Jing R, Biggerstaff L, Stowell MHB, Walczak MA. Post-Translational Modifications Control Phase Transitions of Tau. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.08.583040. [PMID: 38559065 PMCID: PMC10979912 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.08.583040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The self-assembly of Tau(297-391) into filaments, which mirror the structures observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains, raises questions about the role of AD-specific post-translational modifications (PTMs) in the formation of paired helical filaments (PHFs). To investigate this, we developed a synthetic approach to produce Tau(291-391) featuring N-acetyllysine, phosphoserine, phosphotyrosine, and N-glycosylation at positions commonly modified in post-mortem AD brains, thus facilitating the study of their roles in Tau pathology. Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), and a range of optical microscopy techniques, we discovered that these modifications generally hinder the in vitro assembly of Tau into PHFs. Interestingly, while acetylation's effect on Tau assembly displayed variability, either promoting or inhibiting phase transitions in the context of cofactor free aggregation, heparin-induced aggregation, and RNA-mediated liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), phosphorylation uniformly mitigated these processes. Our observations suggest that PTMs, particularly those situated outside the fibril's rigid core are pivotal in the nucleation of PHFs. Moreover, in scenarios involving heparin-induced aggregation leading to the formation of heterogeneous aggregates, most AD-specific PTMs, except for K311, appeared to decelerate the aggregation process. The impact of acetylation on RNA-induced LLPS was notably site-dependent, exhibiting both facilitative and inhibitory effects, whereas phosphorylation consistently reduced LLPS across all proteoforms examined. These insights underscore the complex interplay between site-specific PTMs and environmental factors in modulating Tau aggregation kinetics, enhancing our understanding of the molecular underpinnings of Tau pathology in AD and highlighting the critical role of PTMs located outside the ordered filament core in driving the self-assembly of Tau into PHF structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wyatt C. Powell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - McKinley Nahum
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Karl Pankratz
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Morgane Herlory
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - James Greenwood
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Darya Poliyenko
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Patrick Holland
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Ruiheng Jing
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Luke Biggerstaff
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Michael H. B. Stowell
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Maciej A. Walczak
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
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20
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Mammeri NE, Dregni AJ, Duan P, Hong M. Structures of AT8 and PHF1 phosphomimetic tau: Insights into the posttranslational modification code of tau aggregation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2316175121. [PMID: 38408247 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2316175121] [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: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The microtubule-associated protein tau aggregates into amyloid fibrils in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. In these tauopathies, tau is hyperphosphorylated, suggesting that this posttranslational modification (PTM) may induce tau aggregation. Tau is also phosphorylated in normal developing brains. To investigate how tau phosphorylation induces amyloid fibrils, here we report the atomic structures of two phosphomimetic full-length tau fibrils assembled without anionic cofactors. We mutated key Ser and Thr residues to Glu in two regions of the protein. One construct contains three Glu mutations at the epitope of the anti-phospho-tau antibody AT8 (AT8-3E tau), whereas the other construct contains four Glu mutations at the epitope of the antibody PHF1 (PHF1-4E tau). Solid-state NMR data show that both phosphomimetic tau mutants form homogeneous fibrils with a single set of chemical shifts. The AT8-3E tau rigid core extends from the R3 repeat to the C terminus, whereas the PHF1-4E tau rigid core spans R2, R3, and R4 repeats. Cryoelectron microscopy data show that AT8-3E tau forms a triangular multi-layered core, whereas PHF1-4E tau forms a triple-stranded core. Interestingly, a construct combining all seven Glu mutations exhibits the same conformation as PHF1-4E tau. Scalar-coupled NMR data additionally reveal the dynamics and shape of the fuzzy coat surrounding the rigid cores. These results demonstrate that specific PTMs induce structurally specific tau aggregates, and the phosphorylation code of tau contains redundancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia El Mammeri
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Aurelio J Dregni
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Pu Duan
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Mei Hong
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
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21
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Ding J, Wu J, Hou X, Yang L, Gao Y, Zheng J, Jia N, He Z, Zhang H, Wang C, Qi X, Huang J, Pei X, Wang J. α-synuclein-lack expression rescues methamphetamine-induced mossy fiber degeneration in dorsal hippocampal CA3. Neurotoxicology 2024; 101:36-45. [PMID: 38311184 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2024.01.005] [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: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Methamphetamine (METH) - induced cognitive impairments may be related to synaptic degeneration at mossy fiber terminals, critical for spatial memory formation in hippocampal circuits. We have previously found METH-induced neurodegeneration in the striatum by increasing the α-synuclein (α-SYN) level. However, whether and how the METH-induced mossy fiber degeneration is also blamed for the abnormal accumulation of α-SYN remains to be elucidated. Chronic METH exposure decreased mossy fiber density but upregulatedα-SYN and phosphorylated TAU (TAU-pSer396) in hippocampal CA3, associated with glial cell overactivation, axonal neuropathies, and memory impairment. Notably, the knockout of the α-SYN gene significantly alleviated the METH-induced mossy fiber degeneration and memory impairment. Meanwhile, the TAU-pSer396 accumulation and glial activation were ameliorated by α-SYN knockout. Our findings suggest an essential role of α-SYN in mediating METH-induced mossy fiber degeneration, providing promising therapeutic and prophylactic targets for METH-related neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiuyang Ding
- School of Forensic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China; Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Jun Wu
- School of Forensic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Xiaotao Hou
- Guangzhou KingMed Center for Clinical Laboratory Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic Disease Diagnostic, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li Yang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Taian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Taian, China
| | - Yingdong Gao
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Taian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Taian, China
| | - Juan Zheng
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Taian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Taian, China
| | - Nannan Jia
- Neonatal Screening Center, Taian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Taian, China
| | - Zheng He
- Neonatal Screening Center, Taian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Taian, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Taian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Taian, China
| | - Chengfei Wang
- School of Forensic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Xiaolan Qi
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Jiang Huang
- School of Forensic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Xianglin Pei
- School of Materials and Architectural Engineering, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang China.
| | - Jiawen Wang
- School of Forensic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China.
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22
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Eltom K, Mothes T, Libard S, Ingelsson M, Erlandsson A. Astrocytic accumulation of tau fibrils isolated from Alzheimer's disease brains induces inflammation, cell-to-cell propagation and neuronal impairment. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2024; 12:34. [PMID: 38409026 PMCID: PMC10898102 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-024-01745-8] [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: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence highlights the involvement of astrocytes in Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression. We have previously demonstrated that human iPSC-derived astrocytes ingest and modify synthetic tau fibrils in a way that enhances their seeding efficiency. However, synthetic tau fibrils differ significantly from in vivo formed fibrils. To mimic the situation in the brain, we here analyzed astrocytes' processing of human brain-derived tau fibrils and its consequences for cellular physiology. Tau fibrils were extracted from both AD and control brains, aiming to examine any potential differences in astrocyte response depending on the origin of fibrils. Our results show that human astrocytes internalize, but fail to degrade, both AD and control tau fibrils. Instead, pathogenic, seeding capable tau proteoforms are spread to surrounding cells via tunneling nanotubes and exocytosis. Notably, accumulation of AD tau fibrils induces a stronger reactive state in astrocytes, compared to control fibrils, evident by the augmented expression of vimentin and GFAP, as well as by an increased secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-8 and MCP-1. Moreover, conditioned media from astrocytes with AD tau fibril deposits induce synapse and metabolic impairment in human iPSC-derived neurons. Taken together, our data suggest that the accumulation of brain-derived AD tau fibrils induces a more robust inflammatory and neurotoxic phenotype in human astrocytes, accentuating the nature of tau fibrils as an important contributing factor to inflammation and neurodegeneration in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalid Eltom
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Molecular Geriatrics, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 751 85, Sweden
| | - Tobias Mothes
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Molecular Geriatrics, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 751 85, Sweden
| | - Sylwia Libard
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Neuro-Oncology and Neurodegeneration, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Pathology, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Martin Ingelsson
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Molecular Geriatrics, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 751 85, Sweden
- University Health Network, Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Departments of Medicine and Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anna Erlandsson
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Molecular Geriatrics, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 751 85, Sweden.
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23
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Bhuvaneshwar K, Gusev Y. Translational bioinformatics and data science for biomarker discovery in mental health: an analytical review. Brief Bioinform 2024; 25:bbae098. [PMID: 38493340 PMCID: PMC10944574 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbae098] [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: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Translational bioinformatics and data science play a crucial role in biomarker discovery as it enables translational research and helps to bridge the gap between the bench research and the bedside clinical applications. Thanks to newer and faster molecular profiling technologies and reducing costs, there are many opportunities for researchers to explore the molecular and physiological mechanisms of diseases. Biomarker discovery enables researchers to better characterize patients, enables early detection and intervention/prevention and predicts treatment responses. Due to increasing prevalence and rising treatment costs, mental health (MH) disorders have become an important venue for biomarker discovery with the goal of improved patient diagnostics, treatment and care. Exploration of underlying biological mechanisms is the key to the understanding of pathogenesis and pathophysiology of MH disorders. In an effort to better understand the underlying mechanisms of MH disorders, we reviewed the major accomplishments in the MH space from a bioinformatics and data science perspective, summarized existing knowledge derived from molecular and cellular data and described challenges and areas of opportunities in this space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krithika Bhuvaneshwar
- Innovation Center for Biomedical Informatics (ICBI), Georgetown University, Washington DC, 20007, USA
| | - Yuriy Gusev
- Innovation Center for Biomedical Informatics (ICBI), Georgetown University, Washington DC, 20007, USA
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24
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Glynn C, Chun JE, Donahue CC, Nadler MJS, Fan Z, Hyman BT. Reconstitution of the Alzheimer's Disease Tau Core Structure from Recombinant Tau 297-391 Yields Variable Quaternary Structures as Seen by Negative Stain and Cryo-EM. Biochemistry 2024; 63:194-201. [PMID: 38154792 PMCID: PMC10795186 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
The protein tau misfolds into disease-specific fibrillar structures in more than 20 neurodegenerative diseases collectively referred to as tauopathies. To understand and prevent disease-specific mechanisms of filament formation, in vitro models for aggregation that robustly yield these different end point structures will be necessary. Here, we used cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to reconstruct fibril polymorphs taken on by residues 297-391 of tau under conditions previously shown to give rise to the core structure found in Alzheimer's disease (AD). While we were able to reconstitute the AD tau core fold, the proportion of these paired helical filaments (PHFs) was highly variable, and a majority of filaments were composed of PHFs with an additional identical C-shaped protofilament attached near the PHF interface, termed triple helical filaments (THFs). Since the impact of filament layer quaternary structure on the biological properties of tau and other amyloid filaments is not known, the applications for samples of this morphology are presently uncertain. We further demonstrate the variation in the proportion of PHFs and PHF-like fibrils compared to other morphologies as a function of shaking time and AD polymorph-favoring cofactor concentration. This variation in polymorph abundance, even under identical experimental conditions, highlights the variation that can arise both within a lab and in different laboratory settings when reconstituting specific fibril polymorphs in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calina Glynn
- Department
of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Harvard
Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Joshua E. Chun
- Department
of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Harvard
Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Cameron C. Donahue
- Department
of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Harvard
Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Monica J. S. Nadler
- Department
of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Harvard
Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Zhanyun Fan
- Department
of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Harvard
Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Bradley T. Hyman
- Department
of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Harvard
Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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25
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El Hajjar L, Bridot C, Nguyen M, Cantrelle FX, Landrieu I, Smet-Nocca C. Phosphorylation of Tau Protein by CDK2/cyclin A and GSK3β Recombinant Kinases: Analysis of Phosphorylation Patterns by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2754:271-306. [PMID: 38512672 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3629-9_15] [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: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of proteins can be investigated by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy as a powerful analytical tool to define modification sites, their relative stoichiometry, and crosstalk between modifications. As a Structural Biology method, NMR provides important additional information on changes in protein conformation and dynamics upon modification as well as a mapping of binding sites upon biomolecular interactions. Indeed, PTMs not only mediate functional modulation in protein-protein interactions, but can also induce diverse structural responses with different biological outcomes. Here we present protocols that have been developed for the production and phosphorylation of the neuronal tau protein. Under its aggregated form, tau is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases named tauopathies involving tau dysfunction and/or mutations. As a common feature shared by various tauopathies, tau aggregates are found into a form displaying an increased, abnormal phosphorylation, also referred to hyperphosphorylation. We have used NMR to investigate the phosphorylation patterns of tau induced by several kinases or cell extracts, how phosphorylation affects the local and overall conformation of tau, its interactions with partners (proteins, DNA, small-molecules, etc.) including tubulin and microtubules, and its capacity to form insoluble fibrillar aggregates. We present here detailed protocols for in vitro phosphorylation of tau by the recombinant kinases CDK2/cyclin A and GSK3β, the production of the recombinant kinases thereof, as well as the analytical characterization of phosphorylated tau by NMR spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa El Hajjar
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
- CNRS EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France
| | - Clarisse Bridot
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
- CNRS EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France
| | - Marine Nguyen
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
- CNRS EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France
| | - François-Xavier Cantrelle
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
- CNRS EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France
| | - Isabelle Landrieu
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France
- CNRS, EMR9002 BSI Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France
- LabEx (Laboratory of Excellence) DISTALZ (Development of Innovative Strategies for a Transdisciplinary Approach to Alzheimer's Disease ANR-11-LABX-01), Lille, France
| | - Caroline Smet-Nocca
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, Lille, France.
- CNRS EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, Lille, France.
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26
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Dorado-Martínez C, Montiel-Flores E, Ordoñez-Librado JL, Gutierrez-Valdez AL, Garcia-Caballero CA, Sanchez-Betancourt J, Reynoso-Erazo L, Tron-Alvarez R, Rodríguez-Lara V, Avila-Costa MR. Histological and Memory Alterations in an Innovative Alzheimer's Disease Animal Model by Vanadium Pentoxide Inhalation. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 99:121-143. [PMID: 38640149 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230818] [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: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Background Previous work from our group has shown that chronic exposure to Vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) causes cytoskeletal alterations suggesting that V2O5 can interact with cytoskeletal proteins through polymerization and tyrosine phosphatases inhibition, causing Alzheimer's disease (AD)-like hippocampal cell death. Objective This work aims to characterize an innovative AD experimental model through chronic V2O5 inhalation, analyzing the spatial memory alterations and the presence of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), amyloid-β (Aβ) senile plaques, cerebral amyloid angiopathy, and dendritic spine loss in AD-related brain structures. Methods 20 male Wistar rats were divided into control (deionized water) and experimental (0.02 M V2O5 1 h, 3/week for 6 months) groups (n = 10). The T-maze test was used to assess spatial memory once a month. After 6 months, histological alterations of the frontal and entorhinal cortices, CA1, subiculum, and amygdala were analyzed by performing Congo red, Bielschowsky, and Golgi impregnation. Results Cognitive results in the T-maze showed memory impairment from the third month of V2O5 inhalation. We also noted NFTs, Aβ plaque accumulation in the vascular endothelium and pyramidal neurons, dendritic spine, and neuronal loss in all the analyzed structures, CA1 being the most affected. Conclusions This model characterizes neurodegenerative changes specific to AD. Our model is compatible with Braak AD stage IV, which represents a moment where it is feasible to propose therapies that have a positive impact on stopping neuronal damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Dorado-Martínez
- Neuromorphology Lab, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, UNAM, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla, Edo. Mex., Mexico
| | - Enrique Montiel-Flores
- Neuromorphology Lab, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, UNAM, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla, Edo. Mex., Mexico
| | - Jose Luis Ordoñez-Librado
- Neuromorphology Lab, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, UNAM, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla, Edo. Mex., Mexico
| | - Ana Luisa Gutierrez-Valdez
- Neuromorphology Lab, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, UNAM, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla, Edo. Mex., Mexico
| | - Cesar Alfonso Garcia-Caballero
- Neuromorphology Lab, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, UNAM, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla, Edo. Mex., Mexico
| | | | - Leonardo Reynoso-Erazo
- Health Education Project, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Rocio Tron-Alvarez
- Health Education Project, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Vianey Rodríguez-Lara
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, Faculty of Medicine, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Maria Rosa Avila-Costa
- Neuromorphology Lab, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, UNAM, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla, Edo. Mex., Mexico
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27
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Sengupta U, Kayed R. Tau Oligomers as Pathogenic Seeds: Preparation, Characterization, and Propagation In Vitro and In Vivo. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2754:147-183. [PMID: 38512666 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3629-9_9] [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: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Tau oligomers have been shown to be the main toxic tau species in several neurodegenerative disorders. To study tau oligomers, we have developed reagents and established methods for the reliable preparation, isolation, and detection of tau oligomers as well as their seeding and propagation both in vitro and in vivo. Detailed below are methods for isolation of tau oligomers from brain tissues and detection of tau oligomers using tau oligomer-specific antibodies by biochemical, immunohistochemical, and biophysical methods. Further, methods for evaluating the biological activity of the tau oligomers including their effects on synaptic function, seeding, and propagation in cell models and in vivo are also described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urmi Sengupta
- George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Departments of Neurology, and Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Rakez Kayed
- George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
- Departments of Neurology, and Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
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28
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Canet G, Rocaboy E, Diego-Diàz S, Whittington RA, Julien C, Planel E. Methods for Biochemical Isolation of Insoluble Tau in Rodent Models of Tauopathies. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2754:323-341. [PMID: 38512674 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3629-9_17] [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: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
The intracellular accumulation of microtubule-associated protein tau is a characteristic feature of tauopathies, a group of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease. Formation of insoluble tau aggregates is initiated by the abnormal hyperphosphorylation and oligomerization of tau. Over the past decades, multiple transgenic rodent models mimicking tauopathies have been develop, showcasing this neuropathological hallmark. The biochemical analysis of insoluble tau in these models has served as a valuable tool to understand the progression of tau-related pathology. In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive review of the two primary methods for isolating insoluble tau, namely, sarkosyl and formic acid extraction (and their variants), which are employed for biochemical analysis in transgenic mouse models of tauopathy. We also analyze the strengths and limitations of these methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey Canet
- Faculté de Médecine, Département de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Axe Neurosciences, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Emma Rocaboy
- Faculté de Médecine, Département de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Axe Neurosciences, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Sofia Diego-Diàz
- Faculté de Médecine, Département de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Axe Neurosciences, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Robert A Whittington
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carl Julien
- Centre de Recherche en Sciences Animales de Deschambault, Deschambault, QC, Canada
- Faculté des sciences de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Emmanuel Planel
- Faculté de Médecine, Département de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada.
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Axe Neurosciences, Quebec, QC, Canada.
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Zhong H, Liu H, Liu H. Molecular Mechanism of Tau Misfolding and Aggregation: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulation. Curr Med Chem 2024; 31:2855-2871. [PMID: 37031392 DOI: 10.2174/0929867330666230409145247] [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: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023]
Abstract
Tau dysfunction has a close association with many neurodegenerative diseases, which are collectively referred to as tauopathies. Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) formed by misfolding and aggregation of tau are the main pathological process of tauopathy. Therefore, uncovering the misfolding and aggregation mechanism of tau protein will help to reveal the pathogenic mechanism of tauopathies. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is well suited for studying the dynamic process of protein structure changes. It provides detailed information on protein structure changes over time at the atomic resolution. At the same time, MD simulation can also simulate various conditions conveniently. Based on these advantages, MD simulations are widely used to study conformational transition problems such as protein misfolding and aggregation. Here, we summarized the structural features of tau, the factors affecting its misfolding and aggregation, and the applications of MD simulations in the study of tau misfolding and aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyang Zhong
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Hongli Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Huanxiang Liu
- Faculty of Applied Science, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao, SAR, 999078, China
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Asamu MO, Oladipo OO, Abayomi OA, Adebayo AA. Alzheimer's disease: The role of T lymphocytes in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Brain Res 2023; 1821:148589. [PMID: 37734576 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148589] [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: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease, the leading cause of progressive cognitive decline globally, has been reported to be enhanced by neuroinflammation. Brain-resident innate immune cells and adaptive immune cells work together to produce neuroinflammation. Studies over the past decade have established the neuroimmune axis present in Alzheimer's disease; the crosstalk between adaptive and innate immune cells within and outside the brain is crucial to the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease. Although the role of the adaptive immune system in Alzheimer's disease is not fully understood, it has been hypothesized that the brain's immune homeostasis is significantly disrupted, which greatly contributes to neuroinflammation. Brain-infiltrating T cells possess proinflammatory phenotypes and activities that directly contribute to neuroinflammation. The pro-inflammatory activities of the adaptive immune system in Alzheimer's disease are characterized by the upregulation of effector T cell activities and the downregulation of regulatory T cell activities in the brain, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid. In this review, we discuss the major impact of T lymphocytes on the pathogenesis and progression of Alzheimer's disease. Understanding the role and mechanism of action of T cells in Alzheimer's disease would significantly contribute to the identification of novel biomarkers for diagnosing and monitoring the progression of the disease. This knowledge could also be crucial to the development of immunotherapies for Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moses O Asamu
- Department of Anatomy, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria; College of Health Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria
| | - Oladapo O Oladipo
- Department of Physiology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria; College of Health Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria.
| | - Oluseun A Abayomi
- College of Health Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria; Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria
| | - Afeez A Adebayo
- Department of Physiology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria; College of Health Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria
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31
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Tumurbaatar B, Fracassi A, Scaduto P, Guptarak J, Woltjer R, Jupiter D, Taglialatela G. Preserved autophagy in cognitively intact non-demented individuals with Alzheimer's neuropathology. Alzheimers Dement 2023; 19:5355-5370. [PMID: 37191183 PMCID: PMC10651802 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Growing evidence supports that dysfunctional autophagy, the major cell mechanism responsible for removing protein aggregates and a route of clearance for Tau in healthy neurons, is a major finding in demented Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. However, the association of autophagy with maintenance of cognitive integrity in resilient individuals who have AD neuropathology but remain non-demented (NDAN) has not been evaluated. METHODS Using post mortem brain samples from age-matched healthy control, AD, and NDAN subjects, we evaluated autophagy in relation to Tau pathology using Western blot, immunofluorescence and RNA-seq. RESULTS Compared to AD patients, NDAN subjects had preserved autophagy and reduced tauopathy. Furthermore, expression of autophagy genes and AD-related proteins were significantly associated in NDAN compared to AD and control subjects. DISCUSSION Our results suggest preserved autophagy is a protective mechanism that maintains cognitive integrity in NDAN individuals. This novel observation supports the potential of autophagy-inducing strategies in AD therapeutics. HIGHLIGHTS NDAN subjects have preserved autophagic protein levels comparable with control subjects. Compared to control subjects, NDAN subjects have significantly reduced Tau oligomers and PHF Tau phosphorylation at synapses that negatively correlate with autophagy markers. Transcription of autophagy genes strongly associates with AD-related proteins in NDAN donors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Batbayar Tumurbaatar
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), 301 University Blvd, Galveston, Texas, 77555 USA
| | - Anna Fracassi
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), 301 University Blvd, Galveston, Texas, 77555 USA
| | - Pietro Scaduto
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), 301 University Blvd, Galveston, Texas, 77555 USA
| | - Jutatip Guptarak
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), 301 University Blvd, Galveston, Texas, 77555 USA
| | - Randall Woltjer
- Department of Pathology, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Daniel Jupiter
- Department of Biostatistics & Data Science, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), 301 University Blvd, Galveston, Texas, 77555 USA
| | - Giulio Taglialatela
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), 301 University Blvd, Galveston, Texas, 77555 USA
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Jiang Y, MacNeil LT. Simple model systems reveal conserved mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies. Mol Neurodegener 2023; 18:82. [PMID: 37950311 PMCID: PMC10638731 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00664-x] [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: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The lack of effective therapies that slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related tauopathies highlights the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the fundamental cellular mechanisms underlying these diseases. Model organisms, including yeast, worms, and flies, provide simple systems with which to investigate the mechanisms of disease. The evolutionary conservation of cellular pathways regulating proteostasis and stress response in these organisms facilitates the study of genetic factors that contribute to, or protect against, neurodegeneration. Here, we review genetic modifiers of neurodegeneration and related cellular pathways identified in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, and the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, focusing on models of AD and related tauopathies. We further address the potential of simple model systems to better understand the fundamental mechanisms that lead to AD and other neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwei Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Lesley T MacNeil
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
- Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
- Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada.
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Davidson R, Krider RI, Borsellino P, Noorda K, Alhwayek G, Vida TA. Untangling Tau: Molecular Insights into Neuroinflammation, Pathophysiology, and Emerging Immunotherapies. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:8816-8839. [PMID: 37998730 PMCID: PMC10670294 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45110553] [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: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation, a core pathological feature observed in several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), is rapidly gaining attention as a target in understanding the molecular underpinnings of these disorders. Glial cells, endothelial cells, peripheral immune cells, and astrocytes produce a variety of pro-inflammatory mediators that exacerbate the disease progression. Additionally, microglial cells play a complex role in AD, facilitating the clearance of pathological amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ) plaques and aggregates of the tau protein. Tau proteins, traditionally associated with microtubule stabilization, have come under intense scrutiny for their perturbed roles in neurodegenerative conditions. In this narrative review, we focus on recent advances from molecular insights that have revealed aberrant tau post-translational modifications, such as phosphorylation and acetylation, serving as pathological hallmarks. These modifications also trigger the activation of CNS-resident immune cells, such as microglia and astrocytes substantially contributing to neuroinflammation. This intricate relationship between tau pathologies and neuroinflammation fosters a cascading impact on neural pathophysiology. Furthermore, understanding the molecular mechanisms underpinning tau's influence on neuroinflammation presents a frontier for the development of innovative immunotherapies. Neurodegenerative diseases have been relatively intractable to conventional pharmacology using small molecules. We further comprehensively document the many alternative approaches using immunotherapy targeting tau pathological epitopes and structures with a wide array of antibodies. Clinical trials are discussed using these therapeutic approaches, which have both promising and disappointing outcomes. Future directions for tau immunotherapies may include combining treatments with Aβ immunotherapy, which may result in more significant clinical outcomes for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Thomas A. Vida
- Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, 625 Shadow Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89106, USA; (R.D.); (R.I.K.); (P.B.); (K.N.); (G.A.)
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Schneeweis A, Pak DTS. Wherefore Art Tau? Functional importance of site-specific tau phosphorylation in diverse subcellular domains. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2023; 164:106475. [PMID: 37778693 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2023.106475] [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: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Tau has canonically been considered as an axonal protein, but studies have observed tau localization in other subcellular domains of neurons. This relocated tau has been identified in both physiological and pathological conditions, and it is often labeled mislocalized. Furthermore, these forms of tau are referred to as "hyperphosphorylated" without specifying the phosphosites involved. On the contrary, we speculate that tau may have multiple physiological functions in various locations regulated via specific phosphorylation sites, although this picture is obscured by a lack of comprehensive phosphosite analysis. Here, we examine findings in the literature on the subcellular location of tau and potential roles tau has in those regions. We intentionally focus on the site-specific phosphorylated patterns involved in governing these properties, which are not well elucidated. To facilitate understanding of these events, we have begun establishing a comprehensive map of tau phosphorylation signatures. Such efforts may clarify tau's diverse physiological functions beyond the axon as well as promote development of novel therapeutic strategies directed against distinct tau subpopulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Schneeweis
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Daniel T S Pak
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA.
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35
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Wysocki R, Rodrigues JI, Litwin I, Tamás MJ. Mechanisms of genotoxicity and proteotoxicity induced by the metalloids arsenic and antimony. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:342. [PMID: 37904059 PMCID: PMC10616229 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04992-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
Arsenic and antimony are metalloids with profound effects on biological systems and human health. Both elements are toxic to cells and organisms, and exposure is associated with several pathological conditions including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. At the same time, arsenic- and antimony-containing compounds are used in the treatment of multiple diseases. Although these metalloids can both cause and cure disease, their modes of molecular action are incompletely understood. The past decades have seen major advances in our understanding of arsenic and antimony toxicity, emphasizing genotoxicity and proteotoxicity as key contributors to pathogenesis. In this review, we highlight mechanisms by which arsenic and antimony cause toxicity, focusing on their genotoxic and proteotoxic effects. The mechanisms used by cells to maintain proteostasis during metalloid exposure are also described. Furthermore, we address how metalloid-induced proteotoxicity may promote neurodegenerative disease and how genotoxicity and proteotoxicity may be interrelated and together contribute to proteinopathies. A deeper understanding of cellular toxicity and response mechanisms and their links to pathogenesis may promote the development of strategies for both disease prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Wysocki
- Department of Genetics and Cell Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wroclaw, 50-328, Wroclaw, Poland.
| | - Joana I Rodrigues
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Box 462, 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Ireneusz Litwin
- Academic Excellence Hub - Research Centre for DNA Repair and Replication, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wroclaw, 50-328, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Markus J Tamás
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Box 462, 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden.
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36
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Nunes LGA, Cain A, Comyns C, Hoffmann PR, Krahn N. Deciphering the Role of Selenoprotein M. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1906. [PMID: 38001759 PMCID: PMC10668967 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12111906] [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: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Selenocysteine (Sec), the 21st amino acid, is structurally similar to cysteine but with a sulfur to selenium replacement. This single change retains many of the chemical properties of cysteine but often with enhanced catalytic and redox activity. Incorporation of Sec into proteins is unique, requiring additional translation factors and multiple steps to insert Sec at stop (UGA) codons. These Sec-containing proteins (selenoproteins) are found in all three domains of life where they often are involved in cellular homeostasis (e.g., reducing reactive oxygen species). The essential role of selenoproteins in humans requires us to maintain appropriate levels of selenium, the precursor for Sec, in our diet. Too much selenium is also problematic due to its toxic effects. Deciphering the role of Sec in selenoproteins is challenging for many reasons, one of which is due to their complicated biosynthesis pathway. However, clever strategies are surfacing to overcome this and facilitate production of selenoproteins. Here, we focus on one of the 25 human selenoproteins, selenoprotein M (SELENOM), which has wide-spread expression throughout our tissues. Its thioredoxin motif suggests oxidoreductase function; however, its mechanism and functional role(s) are still being uncovered. Furthermore, the connection of both high and low expression levels of SELENOM to separate diseases emphasizes the medical application for studying the role of Sec in this protein. In this review, we aim to decipher the role of SELENOM through detailing and connecting current evidence. With multiple proposed functions in diverse tissues, continued research is still necessary to fully unveil the role of SELENOM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lance G. A. Nunes
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96813-5525, USA
| | - Antavius Cain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA;
| | - Cody Comyns
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511-4902, USA
| | - Peter R. Hoffmann
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96813-5525, USA
| | - Natalie Krahn
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA;
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511-4902, USA
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Ahn S, Suh JS, Jang YK, Kim H, Han K, Lee Y, Choi G, Kim TJ. TAUCON and TAUCOM: A novel biosensor based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer for detecting tau hyperphosphorylation-associated cellular pathologies. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 237:115533. [PMID: 37517333 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115533] [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: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Tauopathies are neurodegenerative diseases characterized by abnormal conformational changes in tau protein. Early hyperphosphorylation-induced conformational changes are considered a hallmark of tauopathy, but real-time tracking methods are lacking. Here, we present two novel fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based tau biosensors that detect such changes with high spatiotemporal resolution at the single-cell level. The TAUCON biosensor measures instantaneous conformational changes in hyperphosphorylated tau within 20 min, while the TAUCOM biosensor detects changes in the paper-clip structure of microtubule-associated tau. Our biosensors provide faster and more precise detection than conventional methods and can serve as valuable tools for investigating the initial causes, mechanisms, progression, and treatment of tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanghyun Ahn
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Pusan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Soo Suh
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Pusan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoon-Kwan Jang
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Pusan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Heonsu Kim
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Pusan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Kiseok Han
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Pusan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Yerim Lee
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Pusan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Gyuho Choi
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Pusan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Jin Kim
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Pusan, 46241, Republic of Korea; Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Pusan, 46241, Republic of Korea; Institute of System Biology, Pusan National University, Pusan, 46241, Republic of Korea.
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Frost B. Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies: disorders of disrupted neuronal identity. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:797-813. [PMID: 37591720 PMCID: PMC10528597 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Postmitotic neurons require persistently active controls to maintain terminal differentiation. Unlike dividing cells, aberrant cell cycle activation in mature neurons causes apoptosis rather than transformation. In Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related tauopathies, evidence suggests that pathogenic forms of tau drive neurodegeneration via neuronal cell cycle re-entry. Multiple interconnected mechanisms linking tau to cell cycle activation have been identified, including, but not limited to, tau-induced overstabilization of the actin cytoskeleton, consequent changes to nuclear architecture, and disruption of heterochromatin-mediated gene silencing. Cancer- and development-associated pathways are upregulated in human and cellular models of tauopathy, and many tau-induced cellular phenotypes are also present in various cancers and progenitor/stem cells. In this review, I delve into mechanistic parallels between tauopathies, cancer, and development, and highlight the role of tau in cancer and in the developing brain. Based on these studies, I put forth a model by which pathogenic forms of tau disrupt the program that maintains terminal neuronal differentiation, driving cell cycle re-entry and consequent neuronal death. This framework presents tauopathies as conditions involving the profound toxic disruption of neuronal identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bess Frost
- Sam & Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA; Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA; Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
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Olesen MA, Quintanilla RA. Pathological Impact of Tau Proteolytical Process on Neuronal and Mitochondrial Function: a Crucial Role in Alzheimer's Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:5691-5707. [PMID: 37332018 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03434-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Tau protein plays a pivotal role in the central nervous system (CNS), participating in microtubule stability, axonal transport, and synaptic communication. Research interest has focused on studying the role of post-translational tau modifications in mitochondrial failure, oxidative damage, and synaptic impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Soluble tau forms produced by its pathological cleaved induced by caspases could lead to neuronal injury contributing to oxidative damage and cognitive decline in AD. For example, the presence of tau cleaved by caspase-3 has been suggested as a relevant factor in AD and is considered a previous event before neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) formation.Interestingly, we and others have shown that caspase-cleaved tau in N- or C- terminal sites induce mitochondrial bioenergetics defects, axonal transport impairment, neuronal injury, and cognitive decline in neuronal cells and murine models. All these abnormalities are considered relevant in the early neurodegenerative manifestations such as memory and cognitive failure reported in AD. Therefore, in this review, we will discuss for the first time the importance of truncated tau by caspases activation in the pathogenesis of AD and how its negative actions could impact neuronal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margrethe A Olesen
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Facultad de Ciencias de La Salud, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, El Llano Subercaseaux 2801, 5to Piso, San Miguel, 8910060, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rodrigo A Quintanilla
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Facultad de Ciencias de La Salud, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, El Llano Subercaseaux 2801, 5to Piso, San Miguel, 8910060, Santiago, Chile.
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40
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Khan MI, Jeong ES, Khan MZ, Shin JH, Kim JD. Stem cells-derived exosomes alleviate neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's pathogenesis by ameliorating neuroinflamation, and regulating the associated molecular pathways. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15731. [PMID: 37735227 PMCID: PMC10514272 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42485-4] [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: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloid beta (Aβ) aggregation and tau hyper phosphorylation (p-tau) are key molecular factors in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The abnormal formation and accumulation of Aβ and p-tau lead to the formation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) which ultimately leads to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. β- and γ-secretases produce Aβ peptides via the amyloidogenic pathway, and several kinases are involved in tau phosphorylation. Exosomes, a recently developed method of intercellular communication, derived from neuronal stem cells (NSC-exos), are intriguing therapeutic options for AD. Exosomes have ability to cross the BBB hence highly recommended for brain related diseases and disorders. In the current study, we examined how NSC-exos could protect human neuroblastoma cells SH-SY5Y (ATCC CRL-2266). NSC-exos were derived from Human neural stem cells (ATCC-BYS012) by ultracentrifugation and the therapeutic effects of the NSC-exos were then investigated in vitro. NSC-exos controlled the associated molecular processes to drastically lower Aβ and p-tau. A dose dependent reduction in β- and γ-secretase, acetylcholinesterase, GSK3β, CDK5, and activated α-secretase activities was also seen. We further showed that BACE1, PSEN1, CDK5, and GSK-3β mRNA expression was suppressed and downregulated, while ADAM10 mRNA was increased. NSC- Exos downregulate NF-B/ERK/JNK-related signaling pathways in activated glial cells HMC3 (ATCC-CRL-3304) and reduce inflammatory mediators such iNOS, IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6, which are associated with neuronal inflammation. The NSC-exos therapy ameliorated the neurodegeneration of human neuroblastoma cells SH-SY5Y by enhancing viability. Overall, these findings support that exosomes produced from stem cells can be a neuro-protective therapy to alleviate AD pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Imran Khan
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Kohsar University, Murree, Pakistan
| | - Eun Sun Jeong
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yeosu Chonnam Hospital, Yeosu, Korea
| | - Muhammad Zubair Khan
- Department of Biotechnology, Chonnam Notational University, San96-1, Dun-Duk Dong, Yeosu, 59626, Chonnam, Korea
| | - Jin Hyuk Shin
- Department of Biotechnology, Chonnam Notational University, San96-1, Dun-Duk Dong, Yeosu, 59626, Chonnam, Korea
| | - Jong Deog Kim
- Department of Biotechnology, Chonnam Notational University, San96-1, Dun-Duk Dong, Yeosu, 59626, Chonnam, Korea.
- Research Center on Anti-Obesity and Health Care, Chonnam National University, San96-1, Dun-Duk Dong, Yeosu, 59626, Chonnam, Korea.
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Han F, Lee J, Chen X, Ziontz J, Ward T, Landau SM, Baker SL, Harrison TM, Jagust WJ. Global brain activity and its coupling with cerebrospinal fluid flow is related to tau pathology. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.12.557492. [PMID: 37745434 PMCID: PMC10515801 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.12.557492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau deposition constitute Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology. Cortical tau deposits first in the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus and then propagates to neocortex in an Aβ-dependent manner. Tau also tends to accumulate earlier in higher-order association cortex than in lower-order primary sensory-motor cortex. While previous research has examined the production and spread of tau, little attention has been paid to its clearance. Low-frequency (<0.1 Hz) global brain activity during the resting state is coupled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow and potentially reflects glymphatic clearance. Here we report that tau deposition in subjects with evaluated Aβ, accompanied by cortical thinning and cognitive decline, is strongly associated with decreased coupling between CSF flow and global brain activity. Substantial modulation of global brain activity is also manifested as propagating waves of brain activation between higher- and lower-order regions, resembling tau spreading. Together, the findings suggest an important role of resting-state global brain activity in AD tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Han
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - JiaQie Lee
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Xi Chen
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jacob Ziontz
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Tyler Ward
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Susan M Landau
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Theresa M Harrison
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - William J Jagust
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Di Primio C, Quaranta P, Mignanelli M, Siano G, Bimbati M, Scarlatti A, Piazza CR, Spezia PG, Perrera P, Basolo F, Poma AM, Costa M, Pistello M, Cattaneo A. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection leads to Tau pathological signature in neurons. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad282. [PMID: 37731949 PMCID: PMC10508204 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 has represented an issue for global health since its outbreak in March 2020. It is now evident that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection results in a wide range of long-term neurological symptoms and is worryingly associated with the aggravation of Alzheimer's disease. Little is known about the molecular basis of these manifestations. Here, several strain variants were used to infect SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and K18-hACE C57BL/6J mice. The Tau phosphorylation profile and aggregation propensity upon infection were investigated on cellular extracts, subcellular fractions, and brain tissue. The viral proteins spike, nucleocapsid, and membrane were overexpressed in SH-SY5Y cells, and the direct interaction and effect on Tau phosphorylation were checked using immunoblot experiments. Upon infection, Tau is phosphorylated at several pathological epitopes associated with Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Moreover, this event increases Tau's propensity to form insoluble aggregates and alters its subcellular localization. Our data support the hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2 infection in the central nervous system triggers downstream effects altering Tau function, eventually leading to the impairment of neuronal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Di Primio
- Institute of Neuroscience, Italian National Research Council (CNR), Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Paola Quaranta
- Institute of Neuroscience, Italian National Research Council (CNR), Pisa 56124, Italy
- Retrovirus Center, Virology Section, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa 56100, Italy
| | - Marianna Mignanelli
- Laboratorio di Biologia Bio@SNS, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Pisa 56126, Italy
| | - Giacomo Siano
- Laboratorio di Biologia Bio@SNS, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Pisa 56126, Italy
| | - Matteo Bimbati
- Laboratorio di Biologia Bio@SNS, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Pisa 56126, Italy
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Verona 37134, Italy
| | - Arianna Scarlatti
- Laboratorio di Biologia Bio@SNS, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Pisa 56126, Italy
| | - Carmen Rita Piazza
- Retrovirus Center, Virology Section, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa 56100, Italy
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy
| | - Piero Giorgio Spezia
- Retrovirus Center, Virology Section, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa 56100, Italy
| | - Paola Perrera
- Retrovirus Center, Virology Section, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa 56100, Italy
| | - Fulvio Basolo
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Anello Marcello Poma
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Mario Costa
- Institute of Neuroscience, Italian National Research Council (CNR), Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Mauro Pistello
- Retrovirus Center, Virology Section, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa 56100, Italy
- Virology Unit, Pisa University Hospital, Pisa 56100, Italy
| | - Antonino Cattaneo
- Laboratorio di Biologia Bio@SNS, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Pisa 56126, Italy
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43
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Rajbanshi B, Guruacharya A, Mandell JW, Bloom GS. Localization, induction, and cellular effects of tau phosphorylated at threonine 217. Alzheimers Dement 2023; 19:2874-2887. [PMID: 36633254 PMCID: PMC10336182 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12892] [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: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Tau phosphorylation at T217 is a promising Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarker, but its functional consequences were unknown. METHODS Human brain and cultured mouse neurons were analyzed by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence for total tau, taupT217 , taupT181 , taupT231 , and taupS396/pS404 . Direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM) super resolution microscopy was used to localize taupT217 in cultured neurons. Enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-tau was expressed in fibroblasts as wild type and T217E pseudo-phosphorylated tau, and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) reported tau turnover rates on microtubules. RESULTS In the brain, taupT217 appears in neurons at Braak stages I and II, becomes more prevalent later, and co-localizes partially with other phospho-tau epitopes. In cultured neurons, taupT217 is increased by extracellular tau oligomers (xcTauOs) and is associated with developing post-synaptic sites. FRAP recovery was fastest for EGFP-tauT217E . CONCLUSION TaupT217 increases in the brain as AD progresses and is induced by xcTauOs. Post-synaptic taupT217 suggests a role for T217 phosphorylation in synapse impairment. T217 phosphorylation reduces tau's affinity for microtubules. HIGHLIGHTS Validation of anti-tau phosphorylated at threonine-217 (taupT217 ) specificity is essential due to epitope redundancy. taupT217 increases as Alzheimer's disease progresses and is found throughout diseased neurons. taupT217 is associated with developing post-synaptic sites in cultured neurons. Extracellular oligomers of tau, but not amyloid beta, increase intracellular taupT217 . T217E pseudo-phosphorylation reduces tau's affinity for microtubules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binita Rajbanshi
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | | | - James W. Mandell
- Department of Pathology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - George S. Bloom
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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Tsujioka S, Sumino A, Nagasawa Y, Sumikama T, Flechsig H, Puppulin L, Tomita T, Baba Y, Kakuta T, Ogoshi T, Umeda K, Kodera N, Murakoshi H, Shibata M. Imaging single CaMKII holoenzymes at work by high-speed atomic force microscopy. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadh1069. [PMID: 37390213 PMCID: PMC10313165 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh1069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) plays a pivotal role in synaptic plasticity. It is a dodecameric serine/threonine kinase that has been highly conserved across metazoans for over a million years. Despite the extensive knowledge of the mechanisms underlying CaMKII activation, its behavior at the molecular level has remained unobserved. In this study, we used high-speed atomic force microscopy to visualize the activity-dependent structural dynamics of rat/hydra/C. elegans CaMKII with nanometer resolution. Our imaging results revealed that the dynamic behavior is dependent on CaM binding and subsequent pT286 phosphorylation. Among the species studies, only rat CaMKIIα with pT286/pT305/pT306 exhibited kinase domain oligomerization. Furthermore, we revealed that the sensitivity of CaMKII to PP2A in the three species differs, with rat, C. elegans, and hydra being less dephosphorylated in that order. The evolutionarily acquired features of mammalian CaMKIIα-specific structural arrangement and phosphatase tolerance may differentiate neuronal function between mammals and other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shotaro Tsujioka
- Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Ayumi Sumino
- Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Yutaro Nagasawa
- Department of Physiological Sciences, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan
- Supportive Center for Brain Research, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Takashi Sumikama
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Holger Flechsig
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Leonardo Puppulin
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Takuya Tomita
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Yudai Baba
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Takahiro Kakuta
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Tomoki Ogoshi
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Kenichi Umeda
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Kodera
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Hideji Murakoshi
- Department of Physiological Sciences, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan
- Supportive Center for Brain Research, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Mikihiro Shibata
- Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
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Pinzi L, Bisi N, Sorbi C, Franchini S, Tonali N, Rastelli G. Insights into the Structural Conformations of the Tau Protein in Different Aggregation Status. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28114544. [PMID: 37299020 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28114544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau is a protein characterized by large structural portions displaying extended conformational changes. Unfortunately, the accumulation of this protein into toxic aggregates in neuronal cells leads to a number of severe pathologies, collectively named tauopathies. In the last decade, significant research advancements were achieved, including a better understanding of Tau structures and their implication in different tauopathies. Interestingly, Tau is characterized by a high structural variability depending on the type of disease, the crystallization conditions, and the formation of pathologic aggregates obtained from in vitro versus ex vivo samples. In this review, we reported an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of Tau structures reported in the Protein Data Bank, with a special focus on discussing the connections between structural features, different tauopathies, different crystallization conditions, and the use of in vitro or ex vivo samples. The information reported in this article highlights very interesting links between all these aspects, which we believe may be of particular relevance for a more informed structure-based design of compounds able to modulate Tau aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Pinzi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Giuseppe Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Nicolò Bisi
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Paris-Saclay, BioCIS, Bat. Henri Moissan, 17 Av. des Sciences, 91400 Orsay, France
| | - Claudia Sorbi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Giuseppe Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Silvia Franchini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Giuseppe Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Nicolò Tonali
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Paris-Saclay, BioCIS, Bat. Henri Moissan, 17 Av. des Sciences, 91400 Orsay, France
| | - Giulio Rastelli
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Giuseppe Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
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46
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Susmitha G, Kumar R. Role of microbial dysbiosis in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Neuropharmacology 2023; 229:109478. [PMID: 36871788 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly and detected during the advanced stages where the chances of reversal are minimum. The gut-brain axis mediates a bidirectional communication between the gut and brain, which is dependent on bacterial products such as short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and neurotransmitters. Accumulating lines of evidence suggests that AD is associated with significant alteration in the composition of gut microbiota. Furthermore, transfer of gut microbiota from healthy individuals to patients can reshape the gut microbiota structure and thus holds the potential to be exploited for the treatment of various neurodegenerative disease. Moreover, AD-associated gut dysbiosis can be partially reversed by using probiotics, prebiotics, natural compounds and dietary modifications, but need further validations. Reversal of AD associated gut dysbiosis alleviate AD-associated pathological feature and therefore can be explored as a therapeutic approach in the future. The current review article will describe various studies suggesting that AD dysbiosis occurs with AD and highlights the causal role by focussing on the interventions that hold the potential to reverse the gut dysbiosis partially.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gudimetla Susmitha
- Department of Biotechnology, GITAM Institute of Sciences, GITAM (Deemed to be) University, Vishakhapatnam, India
| | - Rahul Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, GITAM Institute of Sciences, GITAM (Deemed to be) University, Vishakhapatnam, India.
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Abbate C. The Adult Neurogenesis Theory of Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2023:JAD221279. [PMID: 37182879 DOI: 10.3233/jad-221279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease starts in neural stem cells (NSCs) in the niches of adult neurogenesis. All primary factors responsible for pathological tau hyperphosphorylation are inherent to adult neurogenesis and migration. However, when amyloid pathology is present, it strongly amplifies tau pathogenesis. Indeed, the progressive accumulation of extracellular amyloid-β deposits in the brain triggers a state of chronic inflammation by microglia. Microglial activation has a significant pro-neurogenic effect that fosters the process of adult neurogenesis and supports neuronal migration. Unfortunately, this "reactive" pro-neurogenic activity ultimately perturbs homeostatic equilibrium in the niches of adult neurogenesis by amplifying tau pathogenesis in AD. This scenario involves NSCs in the subgranular zone of the hippocampal dentate gyrus in late-onset AD (LOAD) and NSCs in the ventricular-subventricular zone along the lateral ventricles in early-onset AD (EOAD), including familial AD (FAD). Neuroblasts carrying the initial seed of tau pathology travel throughout the brain via neuronal migration driven by complex signals and convey the disease from the niches of adult neurogenesis to near (LOAD) or distant (EOAD) brain regions. In these locations, or in close proximity, a focus of degeneration begins to develop. Then, tau pathology spreads from the initial foci to large neuronal networks along neural connections through neuron-to-neuron transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Abbate
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, Milan, Italy
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48
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El Mammeri N, Gampp O, Duan P, Hong M. Membrane-induced tau amyloid fibrils. Commun Biol 2023; 6:467. [PMID: 37117483 PMCID: PMC10147698 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04847-6] [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: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The intrinsically disordered protein tau aggregates into β-sheet amyloid fibrils that spread in human brains afflicted with Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. Tau interaction with lipid membranes might play a role in the formation and spreading of these pathological aggregates. Here we investigate the conformation and assembly of membrane-induced tau aggregates using solid-state NMR and transmission electron microscopy. A tau construct that encompasses the microtubule-binding repeats and a proline-rich domain is reconstituted into cholesterol-containing phospholipid membranes. 2D 13C-13C correlation spectra indicate that tau converted from a random coil to a β-sheet conformation over weeks. Small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) cause different equilibrium conformations from large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) and multilamellar vesicles (MLVs). Importantly, SUV-bound tau developed long fibrils that exhibit the characteristic β-sheet chemical shifts of Tyr310 in heparin-fibrillized tau. In comparison, LUVs and MLVs do not induce fibrils but cause different β-sheet aggregates. Lipid-protein correlation spectra indicate that these tau aggregates reside at the membrane-water interface, without inserting into the middle of the lipid bilayer. Removal of cholesterol from the SUVs abolished the fibrils, indicating that both membrane curvature and cholesterol are required for tau fibril formation. These results have implications for how lipid membranes might nucleate tau aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia El Mammeri
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Olivia Gampp
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Pu Duan
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mei Hong
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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49
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Hussong SA, Banh AQ, Van Skike CE, Dorigatti AO, Hernandez SF, Hart MJ, Ferran B, Makhlouf H, Gaczynska M, Osmulski PA, McAllen SA, Dineley KT, Ungvari Z, Perez VI, Kayed R, Galvan V. Soluble pathogenic tau enters brain vascular endothelial cells and drives cellular senescence and brain microvascular dysfunction in a mouse model of tauopathy. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2367. [PMID: 37185259 PMCID: PMC10126555 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37840-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Vascular mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) may constitute a therapeutically addressable biological pathway underlying dementia. We previously demonstrated that soluble pathogenic forms of tau (tau oligomers) accumulate in brain microvasculature of AD and other tauopathies, including prominently in microvascular endothelial cells. Here we show that soluble pathogenic tau accumulates in brain microvascular endothelial cells of P301S(PS19) mice modeling tauopathy and drives AD-like brain microvascular deficits. Microvascular impairments in P301S(PS19) mice were partially negated by selective removal of pathogenic soluble tau aggregates from brain. We found that similar to trans-neuronal transmission of pathogenic forms of tau, soluble tau aggregates are internalized by brain microvascular endothelial cells in a heparin-sensitive manner and induce microtubule destabilization, block endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activation, and potently induce endothelial cell senescence that was recapitulated in vivo in microvasculature of P301S(PS19) mice. Our studies suggest that soluble pathogenic tau aggregates mediate AD-like brain microvascular deficits in a mouse model of tauopathy, which may arise from endothelial cell senescence and eNOS dysfunction triggered by internalization of soluble tau aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy A Hussong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L Young Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
- Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L Young Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
- Oklahoma City Veterans Health Care System, 921 NE 13th Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Andy Q Banh
- South Texas Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Texas Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health San Antonio, 4939 Charles Katz Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Candice E Van Skike
- Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health San Antonio, 4939 Charles Katz Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Angela O Dorigatti
- Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health San Antonio, 4939 Charles Katz Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Stephen F Hernandez
- Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health San Antonio, 4939 Charles Katz Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Matthew J Hart
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L Young Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
- Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L Young Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
- Center for Therapeutic Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L Young Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Beatriz Ferran
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L Young Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
- Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L Young Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Haneen Makhlouf
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L Young Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
- Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L Young Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Maria Gaczynska
- Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health San Antonio, 4939 Charles Katz Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Pawel A Osmulski
- Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health San Antonio, 4939 Charles Katz Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Salome A McAllen
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
- Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Kelly T Dineley
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
- Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Zoltan Ungvari
- Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L Young Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 800 Stanton L Young Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
- International Training Program in Geroscience, Doctoral School of Basic and Translational Medicine, Department of Public Health, Semmelweis University, H-1085 Budapest, Üllői út 26, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Rakez Kayed
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
- Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Veronica Galvan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L Young Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.
- Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L Young Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.
- Oklahoma City Veterans Health Care System, 921 NE 13th Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.
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Kostes WW, Brafman DA. The Multifaceted Role of WNT Signaling in Alzheimer's Disease Onset and Age-Related Progression. Cells 2023; 12:cells12081204. [PMID: 37190113 DOI: 10.3390/cells12081204] [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: 03/05/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolutionary conserved WNT signaling pathway orchestrates numerous complex biological processes during development and is critical to the maintenance of tissue integrity and homeostasis in the adult. As it relates to the central nervous system, WNT signaling plays several roles as it relates to neurogenesis, synaptic formation, memory, and learning. Thus, dysfunction of this pathway is associated with multiple diseases and disorders, including several neurodegenerative disorders. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by several pathologies, synaptic dysfunction, and cognitive decline. In this review, we will discuss the various epidemiological, clinical, and animal studies that demonstrate a precise link between aberrant WNT signaling and AD-associated pathologies. In turn, we will discuss the manner in which WNT signaling influences multiple molecular, biochemical, and cellular pathways upstream of these end-point pathologies. Finally, we will discuss how merging tools and technologies can be used to generate next generation cellular models to dissect the relationship between WNT signaling and AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- William W Kostes
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - David A Brafman
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
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