Calpain-mediated cleavage of the cyclin-dependent kinase-5 activator p39 to p29

S-Nitrosylation of p39 promotes its degradation and contributes to synaptic dysfunction induced by β-amyloid peptide

Alzheimer's disease (AD), characterized by cognitive decline, is increasingly recognized as a disorder marked by synaptic loss and dysfunction. Despite this understanding, the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms contributing to synaptic impairment remain largely unknown. In this study, we elucidate a previously undiscovered signaling pathway wherein the S-nitrosylation of the Cdk5 activator p39, a post-translational modification involving the addition of nitric oxide to protein cysteine residues, plays a crucial role in synaptic dysfunction associated with AD. Our investigation reveals heightened p39 S-nitrosylation in the brain of an amyloid precursor protein (APP)/presenilin 1 (PS1) transgenic mouse model of AD. Additionally, soluble amyloid-β oligomers (Aβ), implicated in synaptic loss in AD, induce p39 S-nitrosylation in cultured neurons. Notably, we uncover that p39 protein level is regulated by S-nitrosylation, with nitric oxide S-nitrosylating p39 at Cys265 and subsequently promoting its degradation. Furthermore, our study demonstrates that S-nitrosylation of p39 at Cys265 significantly contributes to amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide-induced dendrite retraction and spine loss. Collectively, our findings highlight S-nitrosylation of p39 as a novel aberrant redox protein modification involved in the pathogenesis of AD, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target for the disease.

CDK5 as a therapeutic tool for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: A review

Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains one of the most challenging and prevalent neurodegenerative disorders worldwide. Despite extensive research efforts, effective treatments for AD are lacking, emphasising the need for a deeper understanding of its underlying molecular mechanisms. Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5), a serine/threonine kinase primarily associated with cell cycle regulation and neuronal development, has emerged as a key player in AD pathology. This review article comprehensively explores the multifaceted roles of CDK5 in the pathogenesis of AD. We begin by elucidating the physiological functions of CDK5 in normal brain development and neuronal maintenance, highlighting its involvement in synaptic plasticity, neurotransmitter release, and cytoskeletal dynamics. Subsequently, we delve into the dysregulation of CDK5 activity observed in AD, encompassing aberrant hyperactivation, and dysregulated protein interactions. Moreover, we discuss the intricate interplay between CDK5 and AD-related proteins, including amyloid-beta precursor protein (APP) and tau protein, elucidating their collective impact on disease progression. Finally, we described various approaches available for the inhibition of CDK-5, which can be explored as future therapeutic intervention for AD. Through synthesizing evidence from in vitro studies, animal models, and clinical investigations, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the intricate relationship between CDK5 dysregulation and AD pathogenesis, offering insights that may inform future therapeutic interventions strategies.

De Novo Rational Design of Peptide-Based Protein-Protein Inhibitors (Pep-PPIs) Approach by Mapping the Interaction Motifs of the PP Interface and Physicochemical Filtration: A Case on p25-Cdk5-Mediated Neurodegenerative Diseases

Protein-protein interactions, or PPIs, are a part of every biological activity and have been linked to a number of diseases, including cancer, infectious diseases, and neurological disorders. As such, targeting PPIs is considered a strategic and vital approach in the development of new medications. Nonetheless, the wide and flat contact interface makes it difficult to find small-molecule PP inhibitors. An alternative strategy would be to use the PPI interaction motifs as building blocks for the design of peptide-based inhibitors. Herein, we designed 12-mer peptide inhibitors to target p25-inducing-cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk5) hyperregulation, a PPI that has been shown to perpetuate neuroinflammation, which is one of the major causal implications of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and frontotemporal dementia. We generated a library of 5 062 500 peptide combination sequences (PCS) derived from the interaction motif of Cdk5/p25 PP interface. The 20 amino acids were differentiated into six groups, namely, hydrophobic (aliphatic), aromatic, basic, acidic, unique, and polar uncharged, on the basis of their physiochemical properties. To preserve the interaction motif necessary for ideal binding, de novo modeling of all possible peptide sequence substitutions was considered. A set of filters, backed by the Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm, was then used to create a shortlisted custom peptide library that met specific bioavailability, toxicity, and therapeutic relevance, leading to a refined library of 15 PCS. A greedy algorithm and coarse-grained force field were used to predict peptide structure and folding before subsequent modeling studies. Molecular docking was performed to estimate the relative binding affinities, and out of the top hits, Pep15 was subjected to molecular dynamics simulations and binding free-energy calculations in comparison to a known peptide inhibitor with experimental data (template peptide). Interestingly, the identified peptide through our protocol, Pep15, was found to show a significantly higher binding affinity than the reference template peptide (-48.10 ± 0.23 kcal/mol and -17.53 ± 0.27 kcal/mol, respectively). In comparison to the template peptide, Pep15 was found to possess a more compact and buried surface area, tighter binding landscape, and reduced conformational variability, leading to enhanced structural and kinetic stability of the Cdk5/p25 complex. Notably, both peptide inhibitors were found to have a minimal impact on the architectural integrity of the Cdk5/p25 secondary structure. Herein, we propose Pep15 as a novel and potentially disruptive peptide drug for Cdk5/p25-mediated neurodegenerative phenotypes that require further clinical investigation. The systematic protocol and findings of this report would serve as a valuable tool in the identification of critical PPI interface reactive residues, designing of analogs, and identification of more potent peptide-based PPI inhibitors.

Calcium (Ca2+) hemostasis, mitochondria, autophagy, and mitophagy contribute to Alzheimer's disease as early moderators

This review rigorously investigates the early cerebral changes associated with Alzheimer's disease, which manifest long before clinical symptoms arise. It presents evidence that the dysregulation of calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis, along with mitochondrial dysfunction and aberrant autophagic processes, may drive the disease's progression during its asymptomatic, preclinical stage. Understanding the intricate molecular interplay that unfolds during this critical period offers a window into identifying novel therapeutic targets, thereby advancing the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. The review delves into both established and emerging insights into the molecular alterations precipitated by the disruption of Ca2+ balance, setting the stage for cognitive decline and neurodegeneration.

CDK5: an oncogene or an anti-oncogene: location location location

Recent studies have uncovered various physiological functions of CDK5 in many nonneuronal tissues. Upregulation of CDK5 and/or its activator p35 in neurons promotes healthy neuronal functions, but their overexpression in nonneuronal tissues is causally linked to cancer of many origins. This review focuses on the molecular mechanisms by which CDK5 recruits diverse tissue-specific substrates to elicit distinct phenotypes in sixteen different human cancers. The emerging theme suggests that CDK5's role as an oncogene or anti-oncogene depends upon its subcellular localization. CDK5 mostly acts as an oncogene, but in gastric cancer, it is a tumor suppressor due to its unique nuclear localization. This indicates that CDK5's access to certain nuclear substrates converts it into an anti-oncogenic kinase. While acting as a bonafide oncogene, CDK5 also activates a few cancer-suppressive pathways in some cancers, presumably due to the mislocalization of nuclear substrates in the cytoplasm. Therefore, directing CDK5 to the nucleus or exporting tumor-suppressive nuclear substrates to the cytoplasm may be promising approaches to combat CDK5-induced oncogenicity, analogous to neurotoxicity triggered by nuclear CDK5. Furthermore, while p35 overexpression is oncogenic, hyperactivation of CDK5 by inducing p25 formation results in apoptosis, which could be exploited to selectively kill cancer cells by dialing up CDK5 activity, instead of inhibiting it. CDK5 thus acts as a molecular rheostat, with different activity levels eliciting distinct functional outcomes. Finally, as CDK5's role is defined by its substrates, targeting them individually or in conjunction with CDK5 should create potentially valuable new clinical opportunities.

Identification of Novel Compounds Inhibiting the Kinase Activity of the CDK5/p25 Complex via Direct Binding to p25

Tamoxifen, the gold standard drug for endocrine therapy for breast cancer, modulates the phosphorylation status of the TAU protein in Alzheimer's disease by inhibiting CDK5 kinase activity. Its binding to p25 prevents CDK5/p25 complexation and hence a decrease of CDK5 activity. In breast tumors, this complex is involved in the proliferation and survival of cancer cells, as well as in the disease's prognosis. Still, the molecular stability of the CDK5/p25 complex following tamoxifen exposure in this cancer type has not yet been clearly deciphered. Here, we report the functional characterization of CDK5 and its p25 regulatory subunit in the absence and presence of tamoxifen. In addition, two novel inhibitors of the kinase activity of the CDK5/p25 complex are identified, both of which would reduce the risk of recurrence of estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancers and prevent drawbacks induced by tamoxifen exposure. Accordingly, 6His-CDK5 and 6His-p25 have been expressed and purified. Fluorescence anisotropy measurements have been used to assess that the two proteins do form an active complex, and thermodynamic parameters of their interaction were measured. It was also confirmed that tamoxifen directly binds to p25 and inhibits CDK5 kinase activity. Similar observations were obtained using 4-hydroxytamoxifen, an active metabolized form of tamoxifen. Two novel compounds have been identified here that harbor a benzofuran moiety and were shown to target directly p25, and their bindings resulted in decreased CDK5 kinase activity. This encouraging alternative opens the way to the ensuing chemical optimization of this scaffold. It also promises a more specific therapeutic approach that may both tackle the pathological signaling in breast cancer and provide a potential new drug for Alzheimer's disease.

Cdk5-p25 as a key element linking amyloid and tau pathologies in Alzheimer's disease: Mechanisms and possible therapeutic interventions

Despite the fact that the small atypical serine/threonine cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is expressed in a number of tissues, its activity is restricted to the central nervous system due to the neuron-only localization of its activators p35 and p39. Although its importance for the proper development and function of the brain and its role as a switch between neuronal survival and death are unmistakable and unquestionable, Cdk5 is nevertheless increasingly emerging, as supported by a large number of publications on the subject, as a therapeutic target of choice in the fight against Alzheimer's disease. Thus, its aberrant over activation via the calpain-dependent conversion of p35 into p25 is observed during the pathogenesis of the disease where it leads to the hyperphosphorylation of the β-amyloid precursor protein and tau. The present review highlights the pivotal roles of the hyperactive Cdk5-p25 complex activity in contributing to the development of Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis, with a particular emphasis on the linking function between Aβ and tau that this kinase fulfils and on the fact that Cdk5-p25 is part of a deleterious feed forward loop giving rise to a molecular machinery runaway leading to AD pathogenesis. Additionally, we discuss the advances and challenges related to the possible strategies aimed at specifically inhibiting Cdk5-p25 activity and which could lead to promising anti-AD therapeutics.

Melatonin ameliorates tau-related pathology via the miR-504-3p and CDK5 axis in Alzheimer’s disease

Background

Intracellular accumulation of the microtubule-associated protein tau and its hyperphosphorylated forms is a key neuropathological feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Melatonin has been shown to prevent tau hyperphosphorylation in cellular and animal models. However, the molecular mechanisms by which melatonin attenuates tau hyperphosphorylation and tau-related pathologies are not fully understood.

Methods

Immunofluorescence, immunoblotting analysis and thioflavin-S staining were employed to examine the effects of early and late treatment of melatonin on tau-related pathology in hTau mice, in which nonmutated human tau is overexpressed on a mouse tau knockout background. High-throughput microRNA (miRNA) sequencing, quantitative RT-PCR, luciferase reporter assay and immunoblotting analysis were performed to determine the molecular mechanism.

Results

We found that both early and late treatment of melatonin efficiently decreased the phosphorylation of soluble and insoluble tau at sites related to AD. Moreover, melatonin significantly reduced the number of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and attenuated neuronal loss in the cortex and hippocampus. Furthermore, using miRNA microarray analysis, we found that miR-504-3p expression was upregulated by melatonin in the hTau mice. The administration of miR-504-3p mimics dramatically decreased tau phosphorylation by targeting p39, an activator of the well-known tau kinase cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5). Compared with miR-504-3p mimics alone, co-treatment with miR-504-3p mimics and p39 failed to reduce tau hyperphosphorylation.

Conclusions

Our results suggest for the first time that melatonin alleviates tau-related pathologies through upregulation of miR-504-3p expression by targeting the p39/CDK5 axis and provide novel insights into AD treatment strategies.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40035-022-00302-4.

Calpain as a therapeutic target in cancer

INTRODUCTION

Calpain-1 and calpain-2 are prototypical classical isoforms of the calpain family of calcium-activated cysteine proteases. Their substrate proteins participate in a wide range of cellular processes, including transcription, survival, proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. Dysregulated calpain activity has been implicated in tumorigenesis, suggesting that calpains may be promising therapeutic targets.

AREAS COVERED

This review covers clinical and basic research studies implicating calpain-1 and calpain-2 expression and activity in tumorigenesis and metastasis. We highlight isoform specific functions and provide an overview of substrates and cancer-related signalling pathways affected by calpain-mediated proteolytic cleavage. We also discuss efforts to develop clinically relevant calpain specific inhibitors and spotlight the challenges facing inhibitor development.

EXPERT OPINION

Rationale for targeting calpain-1 and calpain-2 in cancer is supported by pre-clinical and clinical studies demonstrating that calpain inhibition has the potential to attenuate carcinogenesis and block metastasis of aggressive tumors. The wide range of substrates and cleavage products, paired with inconsistencies in model systems, underscores the need for more complete understanding of physiological substrates and how calpain cleavage alters their function in cellular processes. The development of isoform specific calpain inhibitors remains an important goal with therapeutic potential in cancer and other diseases.

Calpain-Mediated Alterations in Astrocytes Before and During Amyloid Chaos in Alzheimer's Disease

One of the changes found in the brain in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is increased calpain, derived from calcium dysregulation, oxidative stress, and/or neuroinflammation, which are all assumed to be basic pillars in neurodegenerative diseases. The role of calpain in synaptic plasticity, neuronal death, and AD has been discussed in some reviews. However, astrocytic calpain changes sometimes appear to be secondary and consequent to neuronal damage in AD. Herein, we explore the possibility of calpain-mediated astroglial reactivity in AD, both preceding and during the amyloid phase. We discuss the types of brain calpains but focus the review on calpains 1 and 2 and some important targets in astrocytes. We address the signaling involved in controlling calpain expression, mainly involving p38/mitogen-activated protein kinase and calcineurin, as well as how calpain regulates the expression of proteins involved in astroglial reactivity through calcineurin and cyclin-dependent kinase 5. Throughout the text, we have tried to provide evidence of the connection between the alterations caused by calpain and the metabolic changes associated with AD. In addition, we discuss the possibility that calpain mediates amyloid-β clearance in astrocytes, as opposed to amyloid-β accumulation in neurons.

Protocols for Characterization of Cdk5 Kinase Activity

Cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) are generally known to be involved in controlling the cell cycle, but Cdk5 is a unique member of this protein family for being most active in post-mitotic neurons. Cdk5 is developmentally important in regulating neuronal migration, neurite outgrowth, and axon guidance. Cdk5 is enriched in synaptic membranes and is known to modulate synaptic activity. Postnatally, Cdk5 can also affect neuronal processes such as dopaminergic signaling and pain sensitivity. Dysregulated Cdk5, in contrast, has been linked to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Despite primarily being implicated in neuronal development and activity, Cdk5 has lately been linked to non-neuronal functions including cancer cell growth, immune responses, and diabetes. Since Cdk5 activity is tightly regulated, a method for measuring its kinase activity is needed to fully understand the precise role of Cdk5 in developmental and disease processes. This article includes methods for detecting Cdk5 kinase activity in cultured cells or tissues, identifying new substrates, and screening for new kinase inhibitors. Furthermore, since Cdk5 shares homology and substrate specificity with Cdk1 and Cdk2, the Cdk5 kinase assay can be used, with modification, to measure the activity of other Cdks as well. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC. This article has been contributed to by US Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA. Basic Protocol 1: Measuring Cdk5 activity from protein lysates Support Protocol 1: Immunoprecipitation of Cdk5 using Dynabeads Alternate Protocol: Non-radioactive protocols to measure Cdk5 kinase activity Support Protocol 2: Western blot analysis for the detection of Cdk5, p35, and p39 Support Protocol 3: Immunodetection analysis for Cdk5, p35, and p39 Support Protocol 4: Genetically engineered mice (+ and - controls) Basic Protocol 2: Identifying new Cdk5 substrates and kinase inhibitors.

Alzheimer's Disease: A Molecular View of β-Amyloid Induced Morbific Events

Amyloid-β (Aβ) is a dynamic peptide of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) which accelerates the disease progression. At the cell membrane and cell compartments, the amyloid precursor protein (APP) undergoes amyloidogenic cleavage by β- and γ-secretases and engenders the Aβ. In addition, externally produced Aβ gets inside the cells by receptors mediated internalization. An elevated amount of Aβ yields spontaneous aggregation which causes organelles impairment. Aβ stimulates the hyperphosphorylation of tau protein via acceleration by several kinases. Aβ travels to the mitochondria and interacts with its functional complexes, which impairs the mitochondrial function leading to the activation of apoptotic signaling cascade. Aβ disrupts the Ca²⁺ and protein homeostasis of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi complex (GC) that promotes the organelle stress and inhibits its stress recovery machinery such as unfolded protein response (UPR) and ER-associated degradation (ERAD). At lysosome, Aβ precedes autophagy dysfunction upon interacting with autophagy molecules. Interestingly, Aβ act as a transcription regulator as well as inhibits telomerase activity. Both Aβ and p-tau interaction with neuronal and glial receptors elevate the inflammatory molecules and persuade inflammation. Here, we have expounded the Aβ mediated events in the cells and its cosmopolitan role on neurodegeneration, and the current clinical status of anti-amyloid therapy.

The Role of CDK5 in Tumours and Tumour Microenvironments

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5), which belongs to the protein kinase family, regulates neuronal function but is also associated with cancer development and has been proposed as a target for cancer treatment. Indeed, CDK5 has roles in cell proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, inflammation, and immune response. Aberrant CDK5 activation triggers tumour progression in numerous types of cancer. In this review, we summarise the role of CDK5 in cancer and neurons and CDK5 inhibitors. We expect that our review helps researchers to develop CDK5 inhibitors as treatments for refractory cancer.

Site-specific phosphorylation of Fbxw7 by Cdk5/p25 and its resulting decreased stability are linked to glutamate-induced excitotoxicity

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that regulates brain development and neurodegeneration. Cdk5 is activated by p25 that is generated from calpain-dependent cleavage of p35. The generation of p25 is responsible for the aberrant hyper-activation of Cdk5, which causes neurodegeneration. Using in vitro assays, we discovered that F-box/WD repeat-containing protein 7 (Fbxw7) is a new substrate of Cdk5. Additionally, Cdk5-dependent phosphorylation of Fbxw7 was detected in the presence of p25, and two amino acid residues (S349 and S372) were determined to be major phosphorylation sites. This phosphorylation was eventually linked to decreased stability of Fbxw7. Using a culture model of cortical neurons challenged with glutamate, we confirmed that decreased stability of Fbxw7 was indeed Cdk5-dependent. Furthermore, diminished levels of Fbxw7 led to increased levels of transcription factor AP-1 (c-Jun), a known substrate of Fbxw7. Given that previous reports demonstrate that c-Jun plays a role in accelerating neuronal apoptosis in these pathological models, our data support the concepts of a molecular cascade in which Cdk5-mediated phosphorylation of Fbxw7 negatively regulates Fbxw7 expression, thereby contributing to neuronal cell death following glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity.

Involvement of calpain in the neuropathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common (60% to 80%) age‐related disease associated with dementia and is characterized by a deterioration of behavioral and cognitive capacities leading to death in few years after diagnosis, mainly due to complications from chronic illness. The characteristic hallmarks of the disease are extracellular senile plaques (SPs) and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) with neuropil threads, which are a direct result of amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing to Aβ, and τ hyperphosphorylation. However, many indirect underlying processes play a role in this event. One of these underlying mechanisms leading to these histological hallmarks is the uncontrolled hyperactivation of a family of cysteine proteases called calpains. Under normal physiological condition calpains participate in many processes of cells’ life and their activation is tightly controlled. However, with an increase in age, increased oxidative stress and other excitotoxicity assaults, this regulatory system becomes impaired and result in increased activation of these proteases involving them in the pathogenesis of various diseases including neurodegeneration like AD. Reviewed here is a pool of data on the implication of calpains in the pathogenesis of AD, the underlying molecular mechanism, and the potential of targeting these enzymes for AD therapeutics.

Synaptic roles of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 & its implications in epilepsy

There is an urgent need to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying epilepsy to find novel prognostic/diagnostic biomarkers to prevent epilepsy patients at risk. Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) is involved in multiple neuronal functions and plays a crucial role in maintaining homeostatic synaptic plasticity by regulating intracellular signalling cascades at synapses. CDK5 deregulation is shown to be associated with various neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. The association between chronic loss of CDK5 and seizures has been reported in animal models of epilepsy. Genetic expression of CDK5 at transcriptome level has been shown to be abnormal in intractable epilepsy. In this review various possible mechanisms by which deregulated CDK5 may alter synaptic transmission and possibly lead to epileptogenesis have been discussed. Further, CDK5 has been proposed as a potential biomarker as well as a pharmacological target for developing treatments for epilepsy.

Peripheral and orofacial pain sensation is unaffected by the loss of p39

Cdk5 is a key neuronal kinase necessary for proper brain development, which has recently been implicated in modulating nociception. Conditional deletion of Cdk5 in pain-sensing neurons attenuates pain responses to heat in both the periphery and orofacial regions. Cdk5 activity is regulated by binding to the activators p35 and p39, both of which possess a cyclin box. Our previous examination of the nociceptive role of the well-characterized Cdk5 activator p35 using mice that either lack or overexpress this regulatory subunit demonstrated that Cdk5/p35 activity affects mechanical, chemical, and thermal nociception. In contrast, the nociceptive role of Cdk5’s other less-studied activator p39 is unknown. Here, we report that the knockout of p39 in mice did not affect orofacial and peripheral nociception. The lack of any algesic response to nociceptive stimuli in the p39 knockout mice contrasts with the hypoalgesic effects that result from the deletion of p35. Our data demonstrate different and nonoverlapping roles of Cdk5 activators in the regulation of orofacial as well as peripheral nociception with a crucial role for Cdk5/p35 in pain signaling.

Cdk5 links with DNA damage response and cancer

As an atypical member of cyclin dependent kinase family, Cyclin dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is considered as a neuron-specific kinase in the past decade due to the abundant existence of its activator p35 in post-mitotic neurons. Recent studies show that Cdk5 participates in a series of biological and pathological processes in non-neuronal cells, and is generally dysregulated in various cancer cells. The inhibition or knockdown of Cdk5 has been proven to play an anti-cancer role through various mechanisms, and can synergize the killing effect of chemotherapeutics. DNA damage response (DDR) is a series of regulatory events including DNA damage, cell-cycle arrest, regulation of DNA replication, and repair or bypass of DNA damage to ensure the maintenance of genomic stability and cell viability. Here we describe the regulatory mechanisms of Cdk5, its controversial roles in apoptosis and focus on its links to DDR and cancer.

Cyclin I-like (CCNI2) is a cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) activator and is involved in cell cycle regulation

In contrast to conventional cyclin-dependent kinases that are important for mitotic cell division, cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) is predominantly activated in post-mitotic cells and is involved in various cellular events. The kinase activity of CDK5 is tightly regulated by specific activators including p35, p39, and cyclin I (CCNI). Here we show that cyclin I-like (CCNI2), a homolog of CCNI, interacts with CDK5 and activates the kinase activity of CDK5. Different from CCNI, which colocalizes with CDK5 in the nuclei in transfected cells, CCNI2 mainly retains CDK5 in the cytoplasm as well as on the cell membrane. Furthermore, although the expression level of CCNI2 mRNA and CCNI2 protein do not change significantly during cell cycle, depletion of CCNI2 with siRNA affects cell cycle progression as well as cell proliferation. In conclusion, our data strongly suggest that CCNI2 is a novel CDK5 activator and is involved in cell cycle regulation.

Morin reverses neuropathological and cognitive impairments in APPswe/PS1dE9 mice by targeting multiple pathogenic mechanisms

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia worldwide, characterized by progressive cognitive impairment and multiple distinct neuropathological features. Currently, there are no available therapies to delay or block the disease progression. Thus, the disease-modifying therapies are urgent for this devastating disorder by simultaneously targeting multiple distinct pathological processes. Morin, a natural bioflavonoid, have been shown to be strongly neuroprotective in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we first investigated the disease-modifying effects of chronic morin administration on the neuropathological and cognitive impairments in APPswe/PS1dE9 double transgenic mice. Our results showed that chronic morin administration prevented spatial learning and memory deficits in the APPswe/PS1dE9 mice. Morin treatment in the APPswe/PS1dE9 mice markedly reduced cerebral Aβ production and Aβ plaque burden via promoting non-amyloidogenic APP processing pathway by increasing ADAM10 expression, inhibiting amyloidogenic APP processing pathway by decreased BACE1 and PS1 expression, and facilitating Aβ degradation by enhancing Aβ-degrading enzyme expression. In addition, we also found that morin treatment in the APPswe/PS1dE9 mice markedly decreased tau hyperphosphorylation via its inhibitory effect on CDK5 signal pathway. Furthermore, morin treatment in the APPswe/PS1dE9 mice markedly reduced the activated glial cells and increased the expression of synaptic markers. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that chronic morin treatment restores cognitive functions and reverses multiple distinct neuropathological AD-like hallmarks in the APPswe/PS1dE9 mice. This study provides novel insights into the neuroprotective actions and neurobiological mechanisms of morin against AD, suggesting that morin is a potently promising disease-modifying agent for treatment of AD.

Cdk5 activity in the brain - multiple paths of regulation

Cyclin dependent kinase-5 (Cdk5), a family member of the cyclin-dependent kinases, plays a pivotal role in the central nervous system. During embryogenesis, Cdk5 is indispensable for brain development and, in the adult brain, it is essential for numerous neuronal processes, including higher cognitive functions such as learning and memory formation. However, Cdk5 activity becomes deregulated in several neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease, which leads to neurotoxicity. Therefore, precise control over Cdk5 activity is essential for its physiological functions. This Commentary covers the various mechanisms of Cdk5 regulation, including several recently identified protein activators and inhibitors of Cdk5 that control its activity in normal and diseased brains. We also discuss the autoregulatory activity of Cdk5 and its regulation at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional and post-translational levels. We finally highlight physiological and pathological roles of Cdk5 in the brain. Specific modulation of these protein regulators is expected to provide alternative strategies for the development of effective therapeutic interventions that are triggered by deregulation of Cdk5.

Sumoylation of p35 modulates p35/cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) 5 complex activity

Cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) 5 is critical for central nervous system development and neuron-specific functions including neurite outgrowth as well as synaptic function and plasticity. Cdk5 activity requires association with one of the two regulatory subunits, called p35 and p39. p35 redistribution as well as misregulation of Cdk5 activity is followed by cell death in several models of neurodegeneration. Posttranslational protein modification by small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) proteins (sumoylation) has emerged as key regulator of protein targeting and protein/protein interaction. Under cell-free in vitro conditions, we found p35 covalently modified by SUMO1. Using both biochemical and FRET-/FLIM-based approaches, we demonstrated that SUMO2 is robustly conjugated to p35 in cells and identified the two major SUMO acceptor lysines in p35, K246 and K290. Furthermore, different degrees of oxidative stress resulted in differential p35 sumoylation, linking oxidative stress that is encountered in neurodegenerative diseases to the altered activity of Cdk5. Functionally, sumoylation of p35 increased the activity of the p35/Cdk5 complex. We thus identified a novel neuronal SUMO target and show that sumoylation is a likely candidate mechanism for the rapid modulation of p35/Cdk5 activity in physiological situations as well as in disease.

Physiological and pathological phosphorylation of tau by Cdk5

Hyperphosphorylation of microtubule-associated protein tau is one of the major pathological events in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other related neurodegenerative diseases, including frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17). Mutations in the tau gene MAPT are a cause of FTDP-17, and the mutated tau proteins are hyperphosphorylated in patient brains. Thus, it is important to determine the molecular mechanism of hyperphosphorylation of tau to understand the pathology of these diseases collectively called tauopathy. Tau is phosphorylated at many sites via several protein kinases, and a characteristic is phosphorylation at Ser/Thr residues in Ser/Thr-Pro sequences, which are targeted by proline-directed protein kinases such as ERK, GSK3β, and Cdk5. Among these kinases, Cdk5 is particularly interesting because it could be abnormally activated in AD. Cdk5 is a member of the cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks), but in contrast to the major Cdks, which promote cell cycle progression in proliferating cells, Cdk5 is activated in post-mitotic neurons via the neuron-specific activator p35. Cdk5-p35 plays a critical role in brain development and physiological synaptic activity. In contrast, in disease brains, Cdk5 is thought to be hyperactivated by p25, which is the N-terminal truncated form of p35 and is generated by cleavage with calpain. Several reports have indicated that tau is hyperphosphorylated by Cdk5-p25. However, normal and abnormal phosphorylation of tau by Cdk5 is still not completely understood. In this article, we summarize the physiological and pathological phosphorylation of tau via Cdk5.

Preferential targeting of p39-activated Cdk5 to Rac1-induced lamellipodia

Cdk5 is a member of the cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) family that plays a role in various neuronal activities including brain development, synaptic regulation, and neurodegeneration. Cdk5 requires the neuronal specific activators, p35 and p39 for subcellular compartmentalization. However, it is not known how active Cdk5 is recruited to F-actin cytoskeleton, which is a Cdk5 target. Here we found p35 and p39 localized to F-actin rich regions of the plasma membrane and investigated the underlying targeting mechanism in vitro by expressing them with Rho family GTPases in Neuro2A cells. Both p35 and p39 accumulated at the cell peripheral lamellipodia and perinuclear regions, where active Rac1 is localized. Interestingly, p35 and p39 displayed different localization patterns as p35 was found more at the perinuclear region and p39 was found more in peripheral lamellipodia. We then confirmed this distinct localization in primary hippocampal neurons. We also determined that the localization of p39 to lamellipodia requires myristoylation and Lys clusters within the N-terminal p10 region. Additionally, we found that p39-Cdk5, but not p35-Cdk5 suppressed lamellipodia formation by reducing Rac1 activity. These results suggest that p39-Cdk5 has a dominant role in Rac1-dependent lamellipodial activity.

Development and implementation of a high-throughput compound screening assay for targeting disrupted ER calcium homeostasis in Alzheimer's disease

Disrupted intracellular calcium homeostasis is believed to occur early in the cascade of events leading to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Particularly familial AD mutations linked to Presenilins result in exaggerated agonist-evoked calcium release from endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Here we report the development of a fully automated high-throughput calcium imaging assay utilizing a genetically-encoded FRET-based calcium indicator at single cell resolution for compound screening. The established high-throughput screening assay offers several advantages over conventional high-throughput calcium imaging technologies. We employed this assay for drug discovery in AD by screening compound libraries consisting of over 20,000 small molecules followed by structure-activity-relationship analysis. This led to the identification of Bepridil, a calcium channel antagonist drug in addition to four further lead structures capable of normalizing the potentiated FAD-PS1-induced calcium release from ER. Interestingly, it has recently been reported that Bepridil can reduce Aβ production by lowering BACE1 activity. Indeed, we also detected lowered Aβ, increased sAPPα and decreased sAPPβ fragment levels upon Bepridil treatment. The latter findings suggest that Bepridil may provide a multifactorial therapeutic modality for AD by simultaneously addressing multiple aspects of the disease.

Inhibition of aberrant cyclin-dependent kinase 5 activity attenuates isoflurane neurotoxicity in the developing brain

Aberrant CDK5 activity is implicated in a number of neurodegenerative disorders. Isoflurane exposure leads to neuronal apoptosis, and subsequent learning and memory defects in the developing brain. The present study was designed to examine whether and how CDK5 activity plays a role in developmental isoflurane neurotoxicity. Rat pups and hippocampal neuronal cultures were exposed to 1.5% isoflurane for 4 h. The protein and mRNA levels of CDK5, p35 and p25 were detected by western blot and QReal-Time PCR. CDK5 activity was evaluated in vitro using Histone H1 as a substrate. Roscovitine (an inhibitor of CDK5) was applied before isoflurane treatment, cleaved Caspase-3, Bcl-2, Bax, MEF2 and phospho-MEF2A-Ser-408 expressions were determined. Dominant-Negative CDK5 was transfected before isoflurane treatment. Neuronal apoptosis was evaluated by Flow cytometry (FCM) and TUNEL-staining. Cognitive functions were assessed by Morris water maze. We found that isoflurane treatment led to an aberrant CDK5 activation due to its activator p25 that was cleaved from p35 by calpain. Inhibition of CDK5 activity with Roscovitine enhanced Bcl-2, and decreased cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax expressions. In addition, isoflurane exposure resulted in a decrease of MEF2 and increase of phospho-MEF2A-Ser-408, which were rescued by Roscovitine or Dominant-Negative CDK5 transfection. Dominant-Negative CDK5 transfection also decreased the percentage of TUNEL-positive cells in isoflurane neurotoxicity. Moreover, Roscovitine remarkably alleviated the learning and memory deficits induced by postnatal isoflurane exposure. These results indicated that aberrant CDK5 activity-dependent MEF2 phosphorylation mediates developmental isoflurane neurotoxicity. Inhibition of CDK5 overactivation contributes to the relief of isoflurane neurotoxicity in the developing brain.

Inhibition of calpain-regulated p35/cdk5 plays a central role in sildenafil-induced protection against chemical hypoxia produced by malonate

Phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitors have recently been reported to exert beneficial effects against ischemia-reperfusion injury in several organs but their neuroprotective effects in brain stroke models are scarce. The present study was undertaken to assess the effects of sildenafil against cell death caused by intrastriatal injection of malonate, an inhibitor of succinate dehydrogenase; which produces both energy depletion and lesions similar to those seen in cerebral ischemia. Our data demonstrate that sildenafil (1.5mg/kg by mouth (p.o.)), given 30min before malonate (1.5μmol/2μL), significantly decreased the lesion volume caused by this toxin. This protective effect can be probably related to the inhibition of excitotoxic pathways. Thus, malonate induced the activation of the calcium-dependent protease, calpain and the cyclin-dependent kinase 5, cdk5; which resulted in the hyperphosphorylation of tau and the cleavage of the protective transcription factor, myocyte enhancer factor 2, MEF2. All these effects were also significantly reduced by sildenafil pre-treatment, suggesting that sildenafil protects against malonate-induced cell death through the regulation of the calpain/p25/cdk5 signaling pathway. Similar findings were obtained using inhibitors of calpain or cdk5, further supporting our contention. Sildenafil also increased MEF2 phosphorylation and Bcl-2/Bax and Bcl-xL/Bax ratios, effects that might as well contribute to prevent cell death. Finally, sildenafil neuroprotection was extended not only to rat hippocampal slices subjected to oxygen and glucose deprivation when added at the time of reoxygenation, but also, in vivo when administered after malonate injection. Thus, the therapeutic window for sildenafil against malonate-induced hypoxia was set at 3h.

Tau protein kinases: involvement in Alzheimer's disease

Tau phosphorylation is regulated by a balance between tau kinase and phosphatase activities. Disruption of this equilibrium was suggested to be at the origin of abnormal tau phosphorylation and thereby might contribute to tau aggregation. Thus, understanding the regulation modes of tau phosphorylation is of high interest in determining the possible causes at the origin of the formation of tau aggregates in order to elaborate protection strategies to cope with these lesions in Alzheimer's disease. Among the possible and specific interventions that reverse tau phosphorylation is the inhibition of certain tau kinases. Here, we extensively reviewed tau protein kinases, their physiological roles and regulation, their involvement in tau phosphorylation and their relevance to AD. We also reviewed the most common inhibitory compounds acting on each tau kinase.

Advances in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease: focusing on tau-mediated neurodegeneration

In addition to senile plaques and cerebral amyloid angiopathy, the hyperphosphorylation of tau protein and formation of intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) represents another neuropathological hallmark in AD brain. Tau is a microtubule-associated protein and localizes predominantly in the axons of neurons with the primary function in maintaining microtubules stability. When the balance between tau phosphorylation and dephosphorylation is changed in favor of the former, tau is hyperphosphorylated and the level of the free tau fractions elevated. The hyperphosphorylation of tau protein and formation of NFTs represent a characteristic neuropathological feature in AD brain. We have discussed the role of Aβ in AD in our previous review, this review focused on the recent advances in tau-mediated AD pathology, mainly including tau hyperphosphorylation, propagation of tau pathology and the relationship between tau and Aβ.

Augmented generation of protein fragments during wakefulness as the molecular cause of sleep: a hypothesis

Despite extensive understanding of sleep regulation, the molecular-level cause and function of sleep are unknown. I suggest that they originate in individual neurons and stem from increased production of protein fragments during wakefulness. These fragments are transient parts of protein complexes in which the fragments were generated. Neuronal Ca²⁺ fluxes are higher during wakefulness than during sleep. Subunits of transmembrane channels and other proteins are cleaved by Ca²⁺-activated calpains and by other nonprocessive proteases, including caspases and secretases. In the proposed concept, termed the fragment generation (FG) hypothesis, sleep is a state during which the production of fragments is decreased (owing to lower Ca²⁺ transients) while fragment-destroying pathways are upregulated. These changes facilitate the elimination of fragments and the remodeling of protein complexes in which the fragments resided. The FG hypothesis posits that a proteolytic cleavage, which produces two fragments, can have both deleterious effects and fitness-increasing functions. This (previously not considered) dichotomy can explain both the conservation of cleavage sites in proteins and the evolutionary persistence of sleep, because sleep would counteract deleterious aspects of protein fragments. The FG hypothesis leads to new explanations of sleep phenomena, including a longer sleep after sleep deprivation. Studies in the 1970s showed that ethanol-induced sleep in mice can be strikingly prolonged by intracerebroventricular injections of either Ca²⁺ alone or Ca²⁺ and its ionophore (Erickson et al., Science 1978;199:1219-1221; Harris, Pharmacol Biochem Behav 1979;10:527-534; Erickson et al., Pharmacol Biochem Behav 1980;12:651-656). These results, which were never interpreted in connection to protein fragments or the function of sleep, may be accounted for by the FG hypothesis about molecular causation of sleep.

Extraneuronal activities and regulatory mechanisms of the atypical cyclin-dependent kinase Cdk5

Cyclin-dependent kinase, Cdk5, is an atypical but essential member of the Cdk family of proline-directed serine/threonine kinases with no evident role in cell cycle progression. Cdk5 is present in post-mitotic and terminally differentiated neuronal/glial cells and is also known to arrest cell cycle. Also atypical is the activation of Cdk5 by binding of a non-cyclin activator protein, namely, the Cdk5 regulatory proteins Cdk5R1 (p35), truncated Cdk5R1 (p25), or Cdk5R2 (p39). Despite its ubiquitous presence in all cells and tissues, Cdk5 is often referred to as a neuron-specific kinase largely due to the abundant presence of the activator proteins in neuronal cells. Recently, this concept of a canonical neuronal function of Cdk5 has been extended, if not challenged, by the observation of p35 and p39 expression, as well as Cdk5 activity, in multiple non-neuronal cells. Extraneuronal Cdk5 regulates critical biological processes including transcript-selective translation control for regulation of macrophage gene expression, glucose-inducible insulin secretion, hematopoietic cell differentiation, vascular angiogenesis, cell migration, senescence, and wound-healing, among others. Recent advances in the extraneuronal functions of Cdk5 are reviewed and discussed here in the context of their physiological activities and pathophysiological implications with some speculative comments on the endogenous control mechanisms that might "turn on" Cdk5 activity. The potential importance of targeted inhibition of Cdk5 as therapeutic agents against glucotoxicity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer is also discussed.

Special Issue on "Cdk5 and Brain Disorders": Prologue

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) was identified almost two decades ago as a Tau kinase specific to the nervous system. Shortly after its discovery, it was revealed that this atypical member of the CDK family does not partner with cyclins but with two other proteins, p35 and p39. P35 is predominantly expressed in post-mitotic neurons, whereas p39 is expressed in many different tissues including the brain, pancreas, muscle cells, neutrophils, and many other cell types. A proline-directed serine/threonine (S/T) kinase, predominantly active in the nervous system, Cdk5 regulates a multitude of functions including nervous system development, neuronal migration, cytoskeletal dynamics, axonal guidance, synaptic plasticity, neurotransmission, neuronal survival and death, to mention a few. In association with its ubiquitous expression in other tissues, Cdk5 is implicated in a wide range of functions, such as gene transcription, vesicular transport, apoptosis, cell adhesion, migration, exocytosis, etc. A focal point of investigation surrounding Cdk5 is its deregulation in pathogenic processes of neurodegenerative disorders, which has emphasized on its hyperactivation by p25, a calpain-cleaved product of p35 leading to Tau and neurofilament hyperphosphorylation followed by neuronal death. What has intrigued researchers about Cdk5 is its tight regulation in carrying out many normal physiological functions while its deregulation under pathological conditions, is linked to neurodegenerative diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer's disease (AD), Neiman Pick's Type C disease and others. Between these two so-called 'good Cdk5 (Cdk5/p35)' and 'bad Cdk5 (Cdk5/p25)', the latter has become the target for therapeutic intervention in neurodegenerative disorders.

Targeted proteolysis of plectin isoform 1a accounts for hemidesmosome dysfunction in mice mimicking the dominant skin blistering disease EBS-Ogna

Autosomal recessive mutations in the cytolinker protein plectin account for the multisystem disorders epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) associated with muscular dystrophy (EBS-MD), pyloric atresia (EBS-PA), and congenital myasthenia (EBS-CMS). In contrast, a dominant missense mutation leads to the disease EBS-Ogna, manifesting exclusively as skin fragility. We have exploited this trait to study the molecular basis of hemidesmosome failure in EBS-Ogna and to reveal the contribution of plectin to hemidesmosome homeostasis. We generated EBS-Ogna knock-in mice mimicking the human phenotype and show that blistering reflects insufficient protein levels of the hemidesmosome-associated plectin isoform 1a. We found that plectin 1a, in contrast to plectin 1c, the major isoform expressed in epidermal keratinocytes, is proteolytically degraded, supporting the notion that degradation of hemidesmosome-anchored plectin is spatially controlled. Using recombinant proteins, we show that the mutation renders plectin's 190-nm-long coiled-coil rod domain more vulnerable to cleavage by calpains and other proteases activated in the epidermis but not in skeletal muscle. Accordingly, treatment of cultured EBS-Ogna keratinocytes as well as of EBS-Ogna mouse skin with calpain inhibitors resulted in increased plectin 1a protein expression levels. Moreover, we report that plectin's rod domain forms dimeric structures that can further associate laterally into remarkably stable (paracrystalline) polymers. We propose focal self-association of plectin molecules as a novel mechanism contributing to hemidesmosome homeostasis and stabilization.

Hemidesmosomes are specialized protein complexes that promote anchorage of the basal keratinocyte cell layer of the epidermis to the underlying dermis. They provide tissue integrity and resistance to mechanical forces. When hemidesmosomes do not function properly, skin blistering ensues in response to mechanical trauma. Plectin is an essential component of hemidesmosomes. Humans carrying recessive mutations in the plectin gene most frequently develop multisystem disorders, where in addition to skin other tissues are also affected. However, there is a unique dominant plectin mutation, which leads to the disease epidermolysis bullosa simplex Ogna (EBS-Ogna), affecting skin exclusively. Because of that, EBS-Ogna is an exceptional system to study the contribution of plectin to hemidesmosome function. We have generated an EBS-Ogna mouse model that mimics the human disease. Using this model, we have learned that selective degradation of hemidesmosome-associated plectin isoform 1a by proteases activated specifically in keratinocytes results in reduced numbers and dysfunction of hemidesmosomes. In contrast, plectin-1c, another plectin isoform expressed in keratinocytes, is not degraded. Moreover, we find that plectin dimers can oligomerize via their long coiled-coil rod domain, a process likely to be instrumental in maintenance of hemidesmosome integrity. These findings highlight the importance of plectin-1a for hemidesmosome function.

CDK5 interacts with Slo and affects its surface expression and kinetics through direct phosphorylation

Large-conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK) channels are ubiquitous and play an important role in a number of diseases. In hair cells of the ear, they play a critical role in electrical tuning, a mechanism of frequency discrimination. These channels show variable kinetics and expression along the tonotopic axis. Although the molecular underpinnings to its function in hair cells are poorly understood, it is established that BK channels consist of a pore-forming α-subunit (Slo) and a number of accessory subunits. Here we identify CDK5, a member of the cyclin-dependent kinase family, as an interacting partner of Slo. We show CDK5 to be present in hair cells and expressed in high concentrations in the cuticular plate and in the circumferential zone. In human embryonic kidney cells, we show that CDK5 inhibits surface expression of Slo by direct phosphorylation of Slo. Similarly, we note that CDK5 affects Slo voltage activation and deactivation kinetics, by a direct phosphorylation of T847. Taken together with its increasing expression along the tonotopic axis, these data suggest that CDK5 likely plays a critical role in electrical tuning and surface expression of Slo in hair cells.

Involvement of cyclin-dependent kinase-5 in the kainic acid-mediated degeneration of glutamatergic synapses in the rat hippocampus

Increased levels of glutamate causing excitotoxic damage accompany neurological disorders such as ischemia/stroke, epilepsy and some neurodegenerative diseases. Cyclin-dependent kinase-5 (Cdk5) is important for synaptic plasticity and is deregulated in neurodegenerative diseases. However, the mechanisms by which kainic acid (KA)-induced excitotoxic damage involves Cdk5 in neuronal injury are not fully understood. In this work, we have thus studied involvement of Cdk5 in the KA-mediated degeneration of glutamatergic synapses in the rat hippocampus. KA induced degeneration of mossy fiber synapses and decreased glutamate receptor (GluR)6/7 and post-synaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) levels in rat hippocampus in vivo after intraventricular injection of KA. KA also increased the cleavage of Cdk5 regulatory protein p35, and Cdk5 phosphorylation in the hippocampus at 12 h after treatment. Studies with hippocampal neurons in vitro showed a rapid decline in GluR6/7 and PSD95 levels after KA treatment with the breakdown of p35 protein and phosphorylation of Cdk5. These changes depended on an increase in calcium as shown by the chelators 1,2-bis(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N ',N'-tetraacetic acid acetoxymethyl ester (BAPTA-AM) and glycol-bis (2-aminoethylether)-N,N,N ',N '-tetra-acetic acid. Inhibition of Cdk5 using roscovitine or employing dominant-negative Cdk5 and Cdk5 silencing RNA constructs counteracted the decreases in GluR6/7 and PSD95 levels induced by KA in hippocampal neurons. The dominant-negative Cdk5 was also able to decrease neuronal degeneration induced by KA in cultured neurons. The results show that Cdk5 is essentially involved in the KA-mediated alterations in synaptic proteins and in cell degeneration in hippocampal neurons after an excitotoxic injury. Inhibition of pathways activated by Cdk5 may be beneficial for treatment of synaptic degeneration and excitotoxicity observed in various brain diseases.

Twice switched at birth: cell cycle-independent roles of the "neuron-specific" cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) in non-neuronal cells

Cdk5 (cyclin-dependent kinase 5 or initially NCLK for neuronal CDC2-like kinase) was switched twice at its birth nearly twenty years ago: first it was thought to be cyclin-dependent, second it was assumed to be primarily of importance in neuronal cells-both turned out not to be the case. In this review we want to discuss issues of pharmacological inhibition, to highlight the versatile roles, and to summarize the growing evidence for the functional importance of Cdk5 in non-neuronal tissues, such as blood cells, tumor cells, epithelial cells, the vascular endothelium, testis, adipose and endocrine tissues. The organizing principles we follow are apoptosis/cell death, migration/motility, aspects of inflammation, and, finally, secretion/metabolism.

AMP-activated protein kinase: a potential player in Alzheimer's disease

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) stimulates energy production via glucose and lipid metabolism, whereas it inhibits energy consuming functions, such as protein and cholesterol synthesis. Increased cytoplasmic AMP and Ca(2+) levels are the major activators of neuronal AMPK signaling. Interestingly, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with several abnormalities in neuronal energy metabolism, for example, decline in glucose uptake, mitochondrial dysfunctions and defects in cholesterol metabolism, and in addition, with problems in maintaining Ca(2+) homeostasis. Epidemiological studies have also revealed that many metabolic and cardiovascular diseases are risk factors for cognitive impairment and sporadic AD. Emerging studies indicate that AMPK signaling can regulate tau protein phosphorylation and amyloidogenesis, the major hallmarks of AD. AMPK is also a potent activator of autophagic degradation which seems to be suppressed in AD. All these observations imply that AMPK is involved in the pathogenesis of AD. However, the responses of AMPK activation are dependent on stimulation and the extent of activating stress. Evidently, AMPK signaling can repress and delay the appearance of AD pathology but later on, with increasing neuronal stress, it can trigger detrimental effects that augment AD pathogenesis. We will outline the potential role of AMPK function in respect to various aspects affecting AD pathogenesis.

Identification of p10 as a neurotoxic product generated from the proteolytic cleavage of the neuronal Cdk5 activator

The involvement of cyclin-dependent kinase-5 (Cdk5) and p25, the proteolytic fragment of activator p35, has long been implicated in the development of neuron-fibrillary tangles (NFTs), a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Findings in this area over the past decade have been highly controversial and inconclusive. Here we report unprecedented detection of endogenous p10, the smaller proteolytic fragment of the Cdk5 activator p35 in treated primary cortical neurons that underwent significant apoptosis, triggered by proteasome inhibitors MG132 and lactacystin, and protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine (STS). p10 appeared exclusively in the detergent-resistant fraction made up of nuclear matrix, membrane-bound organelles, insoluble membrane proteins, and cytoskeletal components. Intriguingly, transient overexpression of p10 in neural cells induced apoptotic morphologies, suggesting that p10 may play an important role in mediating neuronal cell death in neurodegenerative diseases. We demonstrated for the first time that p10-mediated apoptosis occurred via a caspases-independent pathway. Furthermore, as p10 may contain the myristoylation signal for p35 which is responsible for binding p35 to several intracellular components and the membrane, all in all these novel results present that the accumulation of p10 to the detergent-insoluble fraction may be a crucial pathological event to triggering neuronal cell death.

S-nitrosylation of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (cdk5) regulates its kinase activity and dendrite growth during neuronal development

Precise regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5), a member of the cyclin-dependent kinase family, is critical for proper neuronal development and functions. Cdk5 is activated through its association with the neuron-specific activator p35 or p39. Nonetheless, how its kinase activity is regulated in neurons is not well understood. In this study, we found that Cdk5 activity is regulated by S-nitrosylation, a post-translational modification of protein that affects a plethora of neuronal functions. S-nitrosylation of Cdk5 occurs at Cys83, which is one of the critical amino acids within the ATP-binding pocket of the kinase. Upon S-nitrosylation, Cdk5 exhibits reduced kinase activity, whereas mutation of Cys83 to Ala on Cdk5 renders the kinase refractory to such inhibition. Importantly, S-nitrosylated Cdk5 can be detected in the mouse brain, and blocking the S-nitrosylation of Cdk5 in cultured hippocampal neurons enhances dendritic growth and branching. Together, our findings reveal an important role of S-nitrosylation in regulating Cdk5 kinase activity and dendrite growth in neurons during development.

Regulation and role of cyclin-dependent kinase activity in neuronal survival and death

Cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk)5 is a proline-directed Ser/Thr protein kinase that functions mainly in neurons and is activated by binding to a regulatory subunit, p35 or p39. Kinase activity is mainly determined by the amount of p35 available, which is controlled by a balance between synthesis and degradation. Kinase activity is also regulated by Cdk5 phosphorylation, but the activity of phosphorylated Cdk5 is in contrast to that of cycling Cdks. Cdk5 is a versatile protein kinase that regulates multiple neuronal activities including neuronal migration and synaptic signaling. Further, Cdk5 plays a role in both survival and death of neurons. Long-term inactivation of Cdk5 triggers cell death, and the survival activity of Cdk5 is apparent when neurons suffer from stress. In contrast, hyper-activation of Cdk5 by p25 promotes cell death, probably by reactivating cell-cycle machinery in the nucleus. The pro-death activity is suppressed by membrane association of Cdk5 via myristoylation of p35. Appropriate activity, localization, and regulation of Cdk5 may be critical for long-term survival of neurons, which is more than 80 years in the case of humans.

Membrane association facilitates degradation and cleavage of the cyclin-dependent kinase 5 activators p35 and p39

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is activated by binding to its activators, p35 and p39. The level of Cdk5 activity is determined by the amount of p35 and p39, which is regulated not only by transcription but also via proteasomal degradation. Alternatively, calpain-induced cleavage of p35 to p25 can induce aberrant Cdk5 activation. As the regulation of p35 and p39 proteolysis is not well understood, we have studied here the mechanisms governing their degradation and cleavage. We find that p35 and p39 undergo proteasomal degradation in neurons, with p39 showing a slower degradation rate than p35. Degradation of the activators is dependent on their respective N-terminal p10 region, as indicated by experiments in which cognate p10 regions were swapped between p35 and p39. The effect of the p10 region on degradation and cleavage could be assigned to its membrane binding properties, mediated predominantly by myristoylation. Together, these results indicate that both proteasomal degradation and calpain cleavage of p35 and p39 are stimulated by membrane association, which is in turn mediated via myristoylation of their p10 regions. However, p35 and p39 show differences in degradation and cleavage rates, which may in fact underlie the distinct physiological and pathological functions of these two Cdk5 activators.

Targeting Cdk5 activity in neuronal degeneration and regeneration

The major priming event in neurodegeneration is loss of neurons. Loss of neurons by apoptotic mechanisms is a theme for studies focused on determining therapeutic strategies. Neurons following an insult, activate a number of signal transduction pathways, of which, kinases are the leading members. Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is one of the kinases that have been linked to neurodegeneration. Cdk5 along with its principal activator p35 is involved in multiple cellular functions ranging from neuronal differentiation and migration to synaptic transmission. However, during neurotoxic stress, intracellular rise in Ca(2+) activates calpain, which cleaves p35 to generate p25. The long half-life of Cdk5/p25 results in a hyperactive, aberrant Cdk5 that hyperphosphorylates Tau, neurofilament and other cytoskeletal proteins. These hyperphosphorylated cytoskeletal proteins set the groundwork to forming neurofibrillary tangles and aggregates of phosphorylated proteins, hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis. Attempts to selectively target Cdk5/p25 activity without affecting Cdk5/p35 have been largely unsuccessful. A polypeptide inhibitor, CIP (Cdk5 inhibitory peptide), developed in our laboratory, successfully inhibits Cdk5/p25 activity in vitro, in cultured primary neurons, and is currently undergoing validation tests in mouse models of neurodegeneration. Here, we discuss the therapeutic potential of CIP in regenerating neurons that are exposed to neurodegenerative stimuli.

Inhibition of calpain increases LIS1 expression and partially rescues in vivo phenotypes in a mouse model of lissencephaly

Lissencephaly is a devastating neurological disorder due to defective neuronal migration. LIS1 (or PAFAH1B1) was identified as the gene mutated in lissencephaly patients, and was found to regulate cytoplasmic dynein function and localization. Here, we show that more than half of LIS1 is degraded via calpain-dependent proteolysis, and that inhibition or knockdown of calpains protects LIS1 from proteolysis, resulting in the augmentation of LIS1 levels in Lis1+/− mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells, which leads to rescue of the aberrant distribution of cytoplasmic dynein, mitochondria and β-COP positive vesicles. We also show that calpain inhibitors improve neuronal migration of Lis1+/− cerebellar granular neurons. Intra-peritoneal injection of ALLN to pregnant Lis1+/− dams rescued apoptotic neuronal cell death and neuronal migration defects in Lis1+/− offspring. Furthermore, in utero knockdown of calpain by shRNA rescued defective cortical layering in Lis1+/− mice. Thus, the inhibition of calpain is a potential therapeutic intervention for lissencephaly.