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Viola G, Trivellato D, Meulli L, Tira R, Lauriola A, Munari F, Montagnana M, Buffelli M, Assfalg M, D'Onofrio M. Stable ubiquitin conjugation for biological interrogation of ubiquitinated tau repeat domain. Bioorg Chem 2024; 150:107549. [PMID: 38896934 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Protein semisynthesis approaches are key for gaining insights into the effects of post-translational modifications (PTMs) on the structure and function of modified proteins. Among PTMs, ubiquitination involves the conjugation of a small protein modifier to a substrate amino acid residue and is unique in controlling a variety of cellular processes. Interest has grown in understanding the role of ubiquitination in neurodegenerative conditions, including tauopathies. The latter are characterized by the accumulation of the intrinsically disordered protein tau in the form of neurofibrillary tangles in the brains of patients. The presence of ubiquitinated tau in the pathological aggregates suggests that ubiquitination might play a role in the formation of abnormal protein deposits. In this study, we developed a new strategy, based on dehydroalanine chemistry, to install wild type ubiquitin on a tau repeat domain construct with site-specificity. We optimized a three-step reaction which yielded a good amount of highly pure tau repeat domain ubiquitinated in position 353. The structural features of the conjugate were examined by circular dichroism and NMR spectroscopy. The ubiquitinated tau was challenged in a number of assays: fibrils formation under aggregating conditions in vitro, chemical stability upon exposure to a variety of biological media including cell extracts, and internalization into astrocytes. The results demonstrated the wide applicability of the new semisynthetic strategy for the investigation of ubiquitinated substrates in vitro or in cell, and in particular for studying if ubiquitination has a role in the molecular mechanisms that underlie the aberrant transition of tau into pathological aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Viola
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | | | - Lorenzo Meulli
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Roberto Tira
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Angela Lauriola
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Francesca Munari
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Martina Montagnana
- Department of Engineering for Innovation Medicine, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Mario Buffelli
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Michael Assfalg
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
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Zhou J, Chuang Y', Redding-Ochoa J, Zhang R, Platero AJ, Barrett AH, Troncoso JC, Worley PF, Zhang W. The autophagy adaptor TRIAD3A promotes tau fibrillation by nested phase separation. Nat Cell Biol 2024; 26:1274-1286. [PMID: 39009640 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-024-01461-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Multiple neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by aberrant proteinaceous accumulations of tau. Here, we report a RING-in-between-RING-type E3 ligase, TRIAD3A, that functions as an autophagy adaptor for tau. TRIAD3A(RNF216) is an essential gene with mutations causing age-progressive neurodegeneration. Our studies reveal that TRIAD3A E3 ligase catalyses mixed K11/K63 polyubiquitin chains and self-assembles into liquid-liquid phase separated (LLPS) droplets. Tau is ubiquitinated and accumulates within TRIAD3A LLPS droplets and, via LC3 interacting regions, targets tau for autophagic degradation. Unexpectedly, tau sequestered within TRIAD3A droplets rapidly converts to fibrillar aggregates without the transitional liquid phase of tau. In vivo studies show that TRIAD3A decreases the accumulation of phosphorylated tau in a tauopathy mouse model, and a disease-associated mutation of TRIAD3A increases accumulation of phosphorylated tau, exacerbates gliosis and increases pathological tau spreading. In human Alzheimer disease brain, TRIAD3A co-localizes with tau amyloid in multiple histological forms, suggesting a role in tau proteostasis. TRIAD3A is an autophagic adaptor that utilizes E3 ligase and LLPS as a mechanism to capture cargo and appears especially relevant to neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiechao Zhou
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yang 'an Chuang
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience and Brain Disease Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Department of Psychology, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Javier Redding-Ochoa
- Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rongzhen Zhang
- Lab of Brewing Microbiology and Applied Enzymology, School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi City, People's Republic of China
| | - Alexander J Platero
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Alexander H Barrett
- Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Juan C Troncoso
- Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Paul F Worley
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Wenchi Zhang
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Ye J, Wan H, Chen S, Liu GP. Targeting tau in Alzheimer's disease: from mechanisms to clinical therapy. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:1489-1498. [PMID: 38051891 PMCID: PMC10883484 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.385847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Alzheimer's disease is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease affecting older adults. Primary features of Alzheimer's disease include extracellular aggregation of amyloid-β plaques and the accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles, formed by tau protein, in the cells. While there are amyloid-β-targeting therapies for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, these therapies are costly and exhibit potential negative side effects. Mounting evidence suggests significant involvement of tau protein in Alzheimer's disease-related neurodegeneration. As an important microtubule-associated protein, tau plays an important role in maintaining the stability of neuronal microtubules and promoting axonal growth. In fact, clinical studies have shown that abnormal phosphorylation of tau protein occurs before accumulation of amyloid-β in the brain. Various therapeutic strategies targeting tau protein have begun to emerge, and are considered possible methods to prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease. Specifically, abnormalities in post-translational modifications of the tau protein, including aberrant phosphorylation, ubiquitination, small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)ylation, acetylation, and truncation, contribute to its microtubule dissociation, misfolding, and subcellular missorting. This causes mitochondrial damage, synaptic impairments, gliosis, and neuroinflammation, eventually leading to neurodegeneration and cognitive deficits. This review summarizes the recent findings on the underlying mechanisms of tau protein in the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease and discusses tau-targeted treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinwang Ye
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology and Ecology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Huali Wan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Sihua Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology and Ecology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Gong-Ping Liu
- Co-innovation Center of Neurodegeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education of China and Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
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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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Balusu S, De Strooper B. The necroptosis cell death pathway drives neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:96. [PMID: 38852117 PMCID: PMC11162975 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02747-5] [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: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Although apoptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis have been implicated in AD, none fully explains the extensive neuronal loss observed in AD brains. Recent evidence shows that necroptosis is abundant in AD, that necroptosis is closely linked to the appearance of Tau pathology, and that necroptosis markers accumulate in granulovacuolar neurodegeneration vesicles (GVD). We review here the neuron-specific activation of the granulovacuolar mediated neuronal-necroptosis pathway, the potential AD-relevant triggers upstream of this pathway, and the interaction of the necrosome with the endo-lysosomal pathway, possibly providing links to Tau pathology. In addition, we underscore the therapeutic potential of inhibiting necroptosis in neurodegenerative diseases such as AD, as this presents a novel avenue for drug development targeting neuronal loss to preserve cognitive abilities. Such an approach seems particularly relevant when combined with amyloid-lowering drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sriram Balusu
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Bart De Strooper
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
- Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
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Nguyen HD, Kim WK, Huong Vu G. Molecular mechanisms implicated in protein changes in the Alzheimer's disease human hippocampus. Mech Ageing Dev 2024; 219:111930. [PMID: 38554950 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2024.111930] [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: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
This study aimed to elucidate the specific biochemical pathways linked to changes in proteins in the Alzheimer's disease (AD) human hippocampus. Our data demonstrate a constant rise in the expression of four proteins (VGF, GFAP, HSPB1, and APP) across all eleven studies. Notably, UBC was the most centrally involved and had increased expression in the hippocampus tissue of individuals with AD. Modified proteins in the hippocampal tissue were found to activate the innate immune system and disrupt communication across chemical synapses. Four hub proteins (CD44, APP, ITGB2, and APOE) are connected to amyloid plaques, whereas two hub proteins (RPL24 and RPS23) are related to neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). The presence of modified proteins was discovered to trigger the activation of microglia and decrease the functioning of ribosomes and mitochondria in the hippocampus. Three significant microRNAs (hsa-miR-106b-5p, hsa-miR-17-5p, and hsa-miR-16-5p) and transcription factors (MYT1L, PIN1, and CSRNP3) have been discovered to improve our understanding of the alterations in proteins within the hippocampal tissues that lead to the progression of AD. These findings establish a path for possible treatments for AD to employ therapeutic strategies that specifically focus on the proteins or processes linked to the illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai Duc Nguyen
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sunchon National University, Suncheon 57922, Republic of Korea; Division of Microbiology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University, Louisiana, USA.
| | - Woong-Ki Kim
- Division of Microbiology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University, Louisiana, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Giang Huong Vu
- Department of Public Health, Hong Bang Health Center, Hai Phong, Vietnam
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Zubčić K, Franić D, Pravica M, Hof PR, Šimić G, Boban M. Effects of heterologous human tau protein expression in yeast models of proteotoxic stress response. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e14304. [PMID: 37341072 PMCID: PMC11163194 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The primary histological characteristic of Alzheimer's disease is the presence of neurofibrillary tangles, which are large aggregates of tau protein. Aging is the primary risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease, however, the underlying causes of tau protein aggregation and toxicity are unclear. AIMS Here we investigated tau aggregation and toxicity under the conditions of compromised protein homeostasis. METHODS We used heterologous expression of human tau protein in the unicellular eukaryote yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae with evolutionarily conserved protein quality control pathways and examined tau-dependent toxicity and aggregation using growth assays, fluorescence microscopy, and a split luciferase-based reporter NanoBiT. RESULTS Tau protein expressed in yeast under mild proteotoxic stress, or in mutants with impaired pathways for proteotoxic stress response, did not lead to synthetic toxicity or the formation of obvious aggregates. Chronologically old cells also did not develop observable tau aggregates. Our examination of tau oligomerization in living cells using NanoBiT reporter suggests that tau does not form significant levels of oligomers under basal conditions or under mild proteotoxic stress. CONCLUSION Together our data suggest that human tau protein does not represent a major burden to the protein quality control system in yeast cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara Zubčić
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of MedicineZagrebCroatia
| | - Dina Franić
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of MedicineZagrebCroatia
| | - Mihaela Pravica
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of MedicineZagrebCroatia
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's DiseaseFriedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Goran Šimić
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of MedicineZagrebCroatia
| | - Mirta Boban
- Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of MedicineZagrebCroatia
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Pierson SR, Kolling LJ, James TD, Pushpavathi SG, Marcinkiewcz CA. Serotonergic dysfunction may mediate the relationship between alcohol consumption and Alzheimer's disease. Pharmacol Res 2024; 203:107171. [PMID: 38599469 PMCID: PMC11088857 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
The impact of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its related dementias is rapidly expanding, and its mitigation remains an urgent social and technical challenge. To date there are no effective treatments or interventions for AD, but recent studies suggest that alcohol consumption is correlated with the risk of developing dementia. In this review, we synthesize data from preclinical, clinical, and epidemiological models to evaluate the combined role of alcohol consumption and serotonergic dysfunction in AD, underscoring the need for further research on this topic. We first discuss the limitations inherent to current data-collection methods, and how neuropsychiatric symptoms common among AD, alcohol use disorder, and serotonergic dysfunction may mask their co-occurrence. We additionally describe how excess alcohol consumption may accelerate the development of AD via direct effects on serotonergic function, and we explore the roles of neuroinflammation and proteostasis in mediating the relationship between serotonin, alcohol consumption, and AD. Lastly, we argue for a shift in current research to disentangle the pathogenic effects of alcohol on early-affected brainstem structures in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha R Pierson
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa, United States
| | - Louis J Kolling
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa, United States
| | - Thomas D James
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa, United States
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Choe MS, Yeo HC, Kim JS, Lee J, Lee HJ, Kim HR, Baek KM, Jung NY, Choi M, Lee MY. Simple modeling of familial Alzheimer's disease using human pluripotent stem cell-derived cerebral organoid technology. Stem Cell Res Ther 2024; 15:118. [PMID: 38659053 PMCID: PMC11040922 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-024-03732-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cerebral organoids (COs) are the most advanced in vitro models that resemble the human brain. The use of COs as a model for Alzheimer's disease (AD), as well as other brain diseases, has recently gained attention. This study aimed to develop a human AD CO model using normal human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) that recapitulates the pathological phenotypes of AD and to determine the usefulness of this model for drug screening. METHODS We established AD hPSC lines from normal hPSCs by introducing genes that harbor familial AD mutations, and the COs were generated using these hPSC lines. The pathological features of AD, including extensive amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation, tauopathy, and neurodegeneration, were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Amylo-Glo staining, thioflavin-S staining, immunohistochemistry, Bielschowsky's staining, and western blot analysis. RESULTS The AD COs exhibited extensive Aβ accumulation. The levels of paired helical filament tau and neurofibrillary tangle-like silver deposits were highly increased in the AD COs. The number of cells immunoreactive for cleaved caspase-3 was significantly increased in the AD COs. In addition, treatment of AD COs with BACE1 inhibitor IV, a β-secretase inhibitor, and compound E, a γ-secretase inhibitor, significantly attenuated the AD pathological features. CONCLUSION Our model effectively recapitulates AD pathology. Hence, it is a valuable platform for understanding the mechanisms underlying AD pathogenesis and can be used to test the efficacy of anti-AD drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mu Seog Choe
- Department of Molecular Physiology, College of Pharmacy, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vessel-Organ Interaction Research Center (VOICE, MRC), Kyungpook National University, 41566, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Han Cheol Yeo
- Department of Molecular Physiology, College of Pharmacy, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vessel-Organ Interaction Research Center (VOICE, MRC), Kyungpook National University, 41566, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Joong Sun Kim
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, 61186, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Jean Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, 03080, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae Jun Lee
- Division of Radiation Biomedical Research, Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences (KIRAMS), 01812, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung-Ryong Kim
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Dentistry, Jeonbuk National University, 54896, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung Min Baek
- Department of Cardiovascular and Neurologic Disease, College of Oriental Medicine, Daegu Haany University, 42158, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Na-Yeon Jung
- Department of Neurology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Pusan National University School of Medicine, 50612, Yangsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Murim Choi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, 03080, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Min Young Lee
- Department of Molecular Physiology, College of Pharmacy, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vessel-Organ Interaction Research Center (VOICE, MRC), Kyungpook National University, 41566, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
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Alhadidy MM, Kanaan NM. Biochemical approaches to assess the impact of post-translational modifications on pathogenic tau conformations using recombinant protein. Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:301-318. [PMID: 38348781 PMCID: PMC10903483 DOI: 10.1042/bst20230596] [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: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Tau protein is associated with many neurodegenerative disorders known as tauopathies. Aggregates of tau are thought of as a main contributor to neurodegeneration in these diseases. Increasingly, evidence points to earlier, soluble conformations of abnormally modified monomers and multimeric tau as toxic forms of tau. The biological processes driving tau from physiological species to pathogenic conformations remain poorly understood, but certain avenues are currently under investigation including the functional consequences of various pathological tau changes (e.g. mutations, post-translational modifications (PTMs), and protein-protein interactions). PTMs can regulate several aspects of tau biology such as proteasomal and autophagic clearance, solubility, and aggregation. Moreover, PTMs can contribute to the transition of tau from normal to pathogenic conformations. However, our understating of how PTMs specifically regulate the transition of tau into pathogenic conformations is partly impeded by the relative lack of structured frameworks to assess and quantify these conformations. In this review, we describe a set of approaches that includes several in vitro assays to determine the contribution of PTMs to tau's transition into known pathogenic conformations. The approaches begin with different methods to create recombinant tau proteins carrying specific PTMs followed by validation of the PTMs status. Then, we describe a set of biochemical and biophysical assays that assess the contribution of a given PTM to different tau conformations, including aggregation, oligomerization, exposure of the phosphatase-activating domain, and seeding. Together, these approaches can facilitate the advancement of our understanding of the relationships between PTMs and tau conformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed M. Alhadidy
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, U.S.A
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, U.S.A
| | - Nicholas M. Kanaan
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, U.S.A
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, U.S.A
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do Nascimento Amorim MDS, Silva França ÁR, Santos-Oliveira R, Rodrigues Sanches J, Marinho Melo T, Araújo Serra Pinto B, Barbosa LRS, Alencar LMR. Atomic Force Microscopy Applied to the Study of Tauopathies. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:699-715. [PMID: 38305187 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00819] [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: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a scanning probe microscopy technique which has a physical principle, the measurement of interatomic forces between a very thin tip and the surface of a sample, allowing the obtaining of quantitative data at the nanoscale, contributing to the surface study and mechanical characterization. Due to its great versatility, AFM has been used to investigate the structural and nanomechanical properties of several inorganic and biological materials, including neurons affected by tauopathies. Tauopathies are neurodegenerative diseases featured by aggregation of phosphorylated tau protein inside neurons, leading to functional loss and progressive neurotoxicity. In the broad universe of neurodegenerative diseases, tauopathies comprise the most prevalent, with Alzheimer's disease as its main representative. This review highlights the use of AFM as a suitable research technique for the study of cellular damages in tauopathies, even in early stages, allowing elucidation of pathogenic mechanisms of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria do Socorro do Nascimento Amorim
- Laboratory of Biophysics and Nanosystems, Department of Physics, Federal University of Maranhão, Campus Bacanga, São Luís 65080-805, Maranhão, Brazil
| | - Álefe Roger Silva França
- Laboratory of Biophysics and Nanosystems, Department of Physics, Federal University of Maranhão, Campus Bacanga, São Luís 65080-805, Maranhão, Brazil
| | - Ralph Santos-Oliveira
- Nuclear Engineering Institute, Brazilian Nuclear Energy Commission, Rio de Janeiro 21941906, Brazil
- Laboratory of Nanoradiopharmacy, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro 23070200, Brazil
| | - Jonas Rodrigues Sanches
- Laboratory of Experimental Physiology, Department of Physiological Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, Campus Bacanga, São Luís, 65080-805, Maranhão, Brazil
| | - Thamys Marinho Melo
- Laboratory of Experimental Physiology, Department of Physiological Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, Campus Bacanga, São Luís, 65080-805, Maranhão, Brazil
| | - Bruno Araújo Serra Pinto
- Laboratory of Experimental Physiology, Department of Physiological Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, Campus Bacanga, São Luís, 65080-805, Maranhão, Brazil
| | - Leandro R S Barbosa
- Department of General Physics, Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
- Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Campinas 13083-100, SP, Brazil
| | - Luciana Magalhães Rebelo Alencar
- Laboratory of Biophysics and Nanosystems, Department of Physics, Federal University of Maranhão, Campus Bacanga, São Luís 65080-805, Maranhão, Brazil
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Sahara N, Higuchi M. Diagnostic and therapeutic targeting of pathological tau proteins in neurodegenerative disorders. FEBS Open Bio 2024; 14:165-180. [PMID: 37746832 PMCID: PMC10839408 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13711] [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: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies, characterized by fibrillar tau accumulation in neurons and glial cells, constitute a major neuropathological category of neurodegenerative diseases. Neurofibrillary tau lesions are strongly associated with cognitive deficits in these diseases, but the causal mechanisms underlying tau-induced neuronal dysfunction remain unresolved. Recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy examination have revealed various core structures of tau filaments from different tauopathy patients, which can be used to classify tauopathies. In vivo visualization of tau pathology is now available using several tau positron emission tomography tracers. Among these radioprobes, PM-PBB3 allows high-contrast imaging of tau deposits in the brains of patients with diverse disorders and tauopathy mouse models. Selective degradation of pathological tau species by the ubiquitin-proteasome system or autophagy machinery is a potential therapeutic strategy. Alternatively, the non-cell-autonomous clearance of pathological tau species through neuron-glia networks could be reinforced as a disease-modifying treatment. In addition, the development of neuroinflammatory biomarkers is required for understanding the contribution of immunocompetent cells in the brain to preventing neurodegeneration. This review provides an overview of the current research and development of diagnostic and therapeutic agents targeting divergent tau pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naruhiko Sahara
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, Institute for Quantum Medical SciencesNational Institutes for Quantum Science and TechnologyChibaJapan
| | - Makoto Higuchi
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, Institute for Quantum Medical SciencesNational Institutes for Quantum Science and TechnologyChibaJapan
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13
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Rani N, Sahu M, Ambasta RK, Kumar P. Triaging between post-translational modification of cell cycle regulators and their therapeutics in neurodegenerative diseases. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 94:102174. [PMID: 38135008 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.102174] [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: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease, present challenges in healthcare because of their complicated etiologies and absence of healing remedies. Lately, the emerging role of post-translational modifications (PTMs), in the context of cell cycle regulators, has garnered big interest as a potential avenue for therapeutic intervention. The review explores the problematic panorama of PTMs on cell cycle regulators and their implications in neurodegenerative diseases. We delve into the dynamic phosphorylation, acetylation, ubiquitination, SUMOylation, Glycation, and Neddylation that modulate the key cell cycle regulators, consisting of cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), and their inhibitors. The dysregulation of these PTMs is related to aberrant cell cycle in neurons, which is one of the factors involved in neurodegenerative pathologies. Moreover, the effect of exogenous activation of CDKs and CDK inhibitors through PTMs on the signaling cascade was studied in postmitotic conditions of NDDs. Furthermore, the therapeutic implications of CDK inhibitors and associated alteration in PTMs were discussed. Lastly, we explored the putative mechanism of PTMs to restore normal neuronal function that might reverse NDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neetu Rani
- Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University (Formerly DCE), Delhi 110042
| | - Mehar Sahu
- Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University (Formerly DCE), Delhi 110042
| | - Rashmi K Ambasta
- Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University (Formerly DCE), Delhi 110042; Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, SRM University, Sonepat, Haryana, India.
| | - Pravir Kumar
- Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University (Formerly DCE), Delhi 110042.
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14
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Ayoub CA, Moore KI, Kuret J. Quantification of Methylation and Phosphorylation Stoichiometry. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2754:221-235. [PMID: 38512670 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3629-9_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Tauopathies including Alzheimer's disease (AD) are neurodegenerative disorders accompanied by the conversion of functional forms of the microtubule associated protein Tau into non-functional aggregates. A variety of post-translational modifications (PTMs) on Tau precede or accompany the conversion, placing them in position to modulate Tau function as well as its propensity to aggregate. Although Tau PTMs can be characterized by their sites of modification, their total stoichiometry when summed over all sites also is an important metric of their potential impact on function. Here we provide a protocol for rapidly producing recombinant Tau with enzyme-specific PTMs at high stoichiometry in vitro and demonstrate its utility in the context of hyperphosphorylation. Additionally, protocols for estimating phosphorylation and methylation stoichiometry on Tau proteins isolated from any source are presented. Together these methods support experimentation on Tau PTM function over a wide range of experimental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Ayoub
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Khadijah I Moore
- Interdisciplinary Biophysics Graduate Program, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jeff Kuret
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA.
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15
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Kalyaanamoorthy S, Opare SK, Xu X, Ganesan A, Rao PPN. Post-Translational Modifications in Tau and Their Roles in Alzheimer's Pathology. Curr Alzheimer Res 2024; 21:24-49. [PMID: 38623984 DOI: 10.2174/0115672050301407240408033046] [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: 01/01/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Microtubule-Associated Protein Tau (also known as tau) has been shown to accumulate into paired helical filaments and neurofibrillary tangles, which are known hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Decades of research have shown that tau protein undergoes extensive post-translational modifications (PTMs), which can alter the protein's structure, function, and dynamics and impact the various properties such as solubility, aggregation, localization, and homeostasis. There is a vast amount of information describing the impact and role of different PTMs in AD pathology and neuroprotection. However, the complex interplay between these PTMs remains elusive. Therefore, in this review, we aim to comprehend the key post-translational modifications occurring in tau and summarize potential connections to clarify their impact on the physiology and pathophysiology of tau. Further, we describe how different computational modeling methods have helped in understanding the impact of PTMs on the structure and functions of the tau protein. Finally, we highlight the tau PTM-related therapeutics strategies that are explored for the development of AD therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stanley Kojo Opare
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Xiaoxiao Xu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aravindhan Ganesan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Praveen P N Rao
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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16
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Parolini F, Ataie Kachoie E, Leo G, Civiero L, Bubacco L, Arrigoni G, Munari F, Assfalg M, D'Onofrio M, Capaldi S. Site-Specific Ubiquitination of Tau Amyloids Promoted by the E3 Ligase CHIP. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202310230. [PMID: 37878393 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202310230] [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: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Post-translational modifications of Tau are emerging as key players in determining the onset and progression of different tauopathies such as Alzheimer's disease, and are recognized to mediate the structural diversity of the disease-specific Tau amyloids. Here we show that the E3 ligase CHIP catalyzes the site-specific ubiquitination of Tau filaments both in vitro and in cellular models, proving that also Tau amyloid aggregates are direct substrate of PTMs. Transmission electron microscopy and mass spectrometry analysis on ubiquitin-modified Tau amyloids revealed that the conformation of the filaments restricts CHIP-mediated ubiquitination to specific positions of the repeat domain, while only minor alterations in the structure of the fibril core were inferred using seeding experiments in vitro and in a cell-based tauopathy model. Overexpression of CHIP significantly increased the ubiquitination of exogenous PHF, proving that the ligase can interact and modify Tau aggregates also in a complex cellular environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Giulia Leo
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134, Verona, Italy
| | - Laura Civiero
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, 35121, Padova, Italy
- IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, 30126, Venice, Italy
| | - Luigi Bubacco
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, 35121, Padova, Italy
| | - Giorgio Arrigoni
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
- Proteomics Center, University of Padova and Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Francesca Munari
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134, Verona, Italy
| | - Michael Assfalg
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134, Verona, Italy
| | | | - Stefano Capaldi
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134, Verona, Italy
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17
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Romero-Fernandez W, Carvajal-Tapia C, Prusky A, Katdare KA, Wang E, Shostak A, Ventura-Antunes L, Harmsen HJ, Lippmann ES, Fuxe K, MacGurn JA, Borroto-Escuela DO, Schrag MS. Detection, visualization and quantification of protein complexes in human Alzheimer's disease brains using proximity ligation assay. Sci Rep 2023; 13:11948. [PMID: 37488165 PMCID: PMC10366145 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38000-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Examination of healthy and diseased human brain is essential to translational neuroscience. Protein-protein interactions play a pivotal role in physiological and pathological processes, but their detection is difficult, especially in aged and fixed human brain tissue. We used the in-situ proximity ligation assay (PLA) to broaden the range of molecular interactions assessable in-situ in the human neuropathology. We adapted fluorescent in-situ PLA to detect ubiquitin-modified proteins in human brains with Alzheimer's disease (AD), including approaches for the management of autofluorescence and quantification using a high-content image analysis system. We confirmed that phosphorylated microtubule-associated protein tau (Serine202, Threonine205) aggregates were modified by ubiquitin and that phospho-tau-ubiquitin complexes were increased in hippocampal and frontal cortex regions in AD compared to non-AD brains. Overall, we refined PLA for use in human neuropathology, which has revealed a profound change in the distribution of ubiquitin in AD brain and its association with characteristic tau pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilber Romero-Fernandez
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, MRBIII 465 21St Avenue S, Suite 6158, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA.
| | - Cristian Carvajal-Tapia
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, MRBIII 465 21St Avenue S, Suite 6158, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA
| | - Alex Prusky
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, MRBIII 465 21St Avenue S, Suite 6158, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA
| | - Ketaki A Katdare
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Emmeline Wang
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, MRBIII 465 21St Avenue S, Suite 6158, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA
| | - Alena Shostak
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, MRBIII 465 21St Avenue S, Suite 6158, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA
| | - Lissa Ventura-Antunes
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, MRBIII 465 21St Avenue S, Suite 6158, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA
| | - Hannah J Harmsen
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA
| | - Ethan S Lippmann
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, MRBIII 465 21St Avenue S, Suite 6158, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
- Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Kjell Fuxe
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Solna, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jason A MacGurn
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA
| | - Dasiel O Borroto-Escuela
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Solna, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
- Receptomics and Brain Disorders Lab, Department of Human Physiology, Sport and Exercise, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaga, Edificio Lopez-Penalver, Jimenez Fraud 10, 29071, Málaga, Spain
| | - Matthew S Schrag
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, MRBIII 465 21St Avenue S, Suite 6158, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA.
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA.
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18
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Opland CK, Bryan MR, Harris B, McGillion-Moore J, Tian X, Chen Y, Itano MS, Diering GH, Meeker RB, Cohen TJ. Activity-dependent tau cleavage by caspase-3 promotes neuronal dysfunction and synaptotoxicity. iScience 2023; 26:106905. [PMID: 37305696 PMCID: PMC10251131 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau-mediated toxicity is associated with cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression. In particular, tau post-translational modifications (PTMs) are thought to generate aberrant tau species resulting in neuronal dysfunction. Despite being well characterized in postmortem AD brain, it is unclear how caspase-mediated C-terminal tau cleavage promotes neurodegeneration, as few studies have developed the models to dissect this pathogenic mechanism. Here, we show that proteasome impairment results in cleaved tau accumulation at the post-synaptic density (PSD), a process that is modulated by neuronal activity. Cleaved tau (at residue D421) impairs neuronal firing and causes inefficient initiation of network bursts, consistent with reduced excitatory drive. We propose that reduced neuronal activity, or silencing, is coupled to proteasome dysfunction, which drives cleaved tau accumulation at the PSD and subsequent synaptotoxicity. Our study connects three common themes in the progression of AD: impaired proteostasis, caspase-mediated tau cleavage, and synapse degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carli K. Opland
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Miles R. Bryan
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Braxton Harris
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jake McGillion-Moore
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Xu Tian
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Youjun Chen
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Michelle S. Itano
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Graham H. Diering
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Rick B. Meeker
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Todd J. Cohen
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7260, USA
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19
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The Involvement of Post-Translational Modifications in Regulating the Development and Progression of Alzheimer's Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:3617-3632. [PMID: 36877359 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03277-z] [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: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
Post-translational modifications (PTMs) have been recently reported to be involved in the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In detail, PTMs include phosphorylation, glycation, acetylation, sumoylation, ubiquitination, methylation, nitration, and truncation, which are associated with pathological functions of AD-related proteins, such as β-amyloid (Aβ), β-site APP-cleavage enzyme 1 (BACE1), and tau protein. In particular, the roles of aberrant PTMs in the trafficking, cleavage, and degradation of AD-associated proteins, leading to the cognitive decline of the disease, are summarized under AD conditions. By summarizing these research progress, the gaps will be filled between PMTs and AD, which will facilitate the discovery of potential biomarkers, leading to the establishment of novel clinical intervention methods against AD.
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20
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Ainani H, Bouchmaa N, Ben Mrid R, El Fatimy R. Liquid-liquid phase separation of protein tau: An emerging process in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 178:106011. [PMID: 36702317 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic reactions within cells occur in various isolated compartments with or without borders, the latter being known as membrane-less organelles (MLOs). The MLOs show liquid-like properties and are formed by a process known as liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). MLOs contribute to different molecules interactions such as protein-protein, protein-RNA, and RNA-RNA driven by various factors, such as multivalency of intrinsic disorders. MLOs are involved in several cell signaling pathways such as transcription, immune response, and cellular organization. However, disruption of these processes has been found in different pathologies. Recently, it has been demonstrated that protein aggregates, a characteristic of some neurodegenerative diseases, undergo similar phase separation. Tau protein is known as a major neurofibrillary tangles component in Alzheimer's disease (AD). This protein can undergo phase separation to form a MLO known as tau droplet in vitro and in vivo, and this process can be facilitated by several factors, including crowding agents, RNA, and phosphorylation. Tau droplet has been shown to mature into insoluble aggregates suggesting that this process may precede and induce neurodegeneration in AD. Here we review major factors involved in liquid droplet formation within a cell. Additionally, we highlight recent findings concerning tau aggregation following phase separation in AD, along with the potential therapeutic strategies that could be explored in this process against the progression of this pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Ainani
- Institute of Biological Sciences (ISSB), UM6P-Faculty of Medical Sciences (UM6P-FMS), Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Ben-Guerir, Morocco
| | - Najat Bouchmaa
- Institute of Biological Sciences (ISSB), UM6P-Faculty of Medical Sciences (UM6P-FMS), Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Ben-Guerir, Morocco
| | - Reda Ben Mrid
- Institute of Biological Sciences (ISSB), UM6P-Faculty of Medical Sciences (UM6P-FMS), Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Ben-Guerir, Morocco
| | - Rachid El Fatimy
- Institute of Biological Sciences (ISSB), UM6P-Faculty of Medical Sciences (UM6P-FMS), Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Ben-Guerir, Morocco.
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21
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Trivellato D, Floriani F, Barracchia CG, Munari F, D'Onofrio M, Assfalg M. Site-directed double monoubiquitination of the repeat domain of the amyloid-forming protein tau impairs self-assembly and coacervation. Bioorg Chem 2023; 132:106347. [PMID: 36630781 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
In Alzheimer's disease and related disorders called tauopathies, the microtubule-associated protein tau accumulates in the brain in the form of amyloid-like supramolecular filaments. As an intrinsically disordered protein, tau undergoes many post-translational modifications, including ubiquitination. Alterations to the levels of ubiquitination of tau have been observed at various stages of neurodegenerative conditions. We focus on proteoform-specific interrogations to obtain mechanistic insight into the effects of ubiquitination on disease-related conformational transitions of tau. Single and double ubiquitination of tau at residues Lys311 and Lys317 is strongly associated with pathological conditions. In this study, we leveraged disulfide-directed chemistry to install ubiquitin at one or both of those positions in the isolated microtubule-binding repeat domain of tau. We obtained homogeneously modified tau proteins and observed that they retained disordered character in solution. We found that ubiquitination in position 317 (with or without ubiquitination in position 311) impaired the formation of ordered fibrillar structures via oligomeric intermediates. Since the transition to fibrillar species may proceed via an alternative condensation pathway involving liquid droplet intermediates, we further tested the ability of the ubiquitinated proteoforms to phase separate. Single monoubiquitinated tau species were able to coacervate, however no liquid droplets were observed for the double ubiquitinated form. Taken together, the data indicate that double ubiquitination in the third repeat of tau disfavors the formation of amyloid aggregates by distinct mechanisms, suggesting that the presence of ubiquitinated residues 311 and 317 in insoluble tau may result from modifications in advanced stages of aggregation. These findings contribute to our understanding of the influence of site-specific ubiquitination on the pathological conformational transitions of a prototypical intrinsically disordered protein.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fulvio Floriani
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | | | - Francesca Munari
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | | | - Michael Assfalg
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy.
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22
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Romero-Fernandez W, Carvajal-Tapia C, Prusky A, Katdare K, Wang E, Shostak A, Ventura-Antunes L, Harmsen H, Lippmann E, Borroto-Escuela D, MacGurn J, Fuxe K, Schrag M. Detection, Visualization and Quantification of Protein Complexes in Human Alzheimer's Disease Brains using Proximity Ligation Assay. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2570335. [PMID: 36824944 PMCID: PMC9949263 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2570335/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Examination of healthy and diseased human brain is essential to translational neuroscience. Protein-protein interactions play a pivotal role in physiological and pathological processes, but their detection is difficult, especially in aged and fixed human brain tissue. We used the proximity ligation assay (PLA) to broaden the range of molecular interactions assessable in-situ in human neuropathology. We adapted fluorescent in-situ PLA to detect ubiquitin-modified proteins in human brains with Alzheimer's disease (AD), including approaches for the management of autofluorescence and quantification using a high-content image analysis system. We confirmed that hyperphosphorylated microtubule-associated protein tau (Serine202, Threonine205) aggregates were modified by ubiquitin and that phospho-tau-ubiquitin complexes were increased in hippocampal and frontal cortex regions in AD compared to non-AD brains. Overall, we refined PLA for use in human neuropathology, which has revealed a profound change in the distribution of ubiquitin in AD brain and its association with characteristic tau pathologies.
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23
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Sato Y, Terawaki S, Oikawa D, Shimizu K, Okina Y, Ito H, Tokunaga F. Involvement of heterologous ubiquitination including linear ubiquitination in Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1089213. [PMID: 36726375 PMCID: PMC9884707 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1089213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
In neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the progressive accumulation of ubiquitin-positive cytoplasmic inclusions leads to proteinopathy and neurodegeneration. Along with the seven types of Lys-linked ubiquitin chains, the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex (LUBAC)-mediated Met1-linked linear ubiquitin chain, which activates the canonical NF-κB pathway, is also involved in cytoplasmic inclusions of tau in AD and TAR DNA-binding protein 43 in ALS. Post-translational modifications, including heterologous ubiquitination, affect proteasomal and autophagic degradation, inflammatory responses, and neurodegeneration. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SHARPIN and RBCK1 (which encodes HOIL-1L), components of LUBAC, were recently identified as genetic risk factors of AD. A structural biological simulation suggested that most of the SHARPIN SNPs that cause an amino acid replacement affect the structure and function of SHARPIN. Thus, the aberrant LUBAC activity is related to AD. Protein ubiquitination and ubiquitin-binding proteins, such as ubiquilin 2 and NEMO, facilitate liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), and linear ubiquitination seems to promote efficient LLPS. Therefore, the development of therapeutic approaches that target ubiquitination, such as proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) and inhibitors of ubiquitin ligases, including LUBAC, is expected to be an additional effective strategy to treat neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Sato
- Center for Research on Green Sustainable Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan,Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan
| | - Seigo Terawaki
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan,Department of Molecular and Genetic Medicine, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Japan
| | - Daisuke Oikawa
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kouhei Shimizu
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Okina
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hidefumi Ito
- Department of Neurology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Fuminori Tokunaga
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan,*Correspondence: Fuminori Tokunaga,
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24
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Duda JM, Thomas SN. Combination of Stable Isotope Labeling by Amino Acids in Cell Culture (SILAC) and Substrate Trapping for the Detection of Transient Protein Interactions. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2603:219-234. [PMID: 36370283 PMCID: PMC10567058 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2863-8_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Antibody-based affinity purification is a recognized method for use in studying protein-protein interactions. There are four different classes of proteins that are typically identified with such affinity purification workflows: bait protein, proteins that specifically interact with the bait protein, proteins nonspecifically associated with the antibody, and proteins that cross-react with the antibody. Mass spectrometry can be used to differentiate these classes of proteins in affinity-purified mixtures. Here we describe the use of stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture, substrate trapping, and mass spectrometry to enable the objective identification of the components of affinity-purified protein complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolene M Duda
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota College of Biological Sciences, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Stefani N Thomas
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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25
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Yan Y, Wang X, Chaput D, Shin MK, Koh Y, Gan L, Pieper AA, Woo JAA, Kang DE. X-linked ubiquitin-specific peptidase 11 increases tauopathy vulnerability in women. Cell 2022; 185:3913-3930.e19. [PMID: 36198316 PMCID: PMC9588697 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Although women experience significantly higher tau burden and increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) than men, the underlying mechanism for this vulnerability has not been explained. Here, we demonstrate through in vitro and in vivo models, as well as human AD brain tissue, that X-linked ubiquitin specific peptidase 11 (USP11) augments pathological tau aggregation via tau deubiquitination initiated at lysine-281. Removal of ubiquitin provides access for enzymatic tau acetylation at lysines 281 and 274. USP11 escapes complete X-inactivation, and female mice and people both exhibit higher USP11 levels than males. Genetic elimination of usp11 in a tauopathy mouse model preferentially protects females from acetylated tau accumulation, tau pathology, and cognitive impairment. USP11 levels also strongly associate positively with tau pathology in females but not males. Thus, inhibiting USP11-mediated tau deubiquitination may provide an effective therapeutic opportunity to protect women from increased vulnerability to AD and other tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Yan
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, USF Health College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Xinming Wang
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Dale Chaput
- Department of Molecular Medicine, USF Health College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Min-Kyoo Shin
- Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA; Harrington Discovery Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Yeojung Koh
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA; Harrington Discovery Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Li Gan
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrew A Pieper
- Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA; Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA; Geriatric Psychiatry, GRECC, Cleveland, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, OH, USA; Harrington Discovery Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Jung-A A Woo
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, USF Health College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA.
| | - David E Kang
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA; Louis Strokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, USF Health College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA.
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26
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Tabassum Z, Tseng JH, Isemann C, Tian X, Chen Y, Herring LE, Cohen TJ. Identification of a reciprocal negative feedback loop between tau-modifying proteins MARK2 kinase and CBP acetyltransferase. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101977. [PMID: 35469920 PMCID: PMC9136110 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The posttranslational regulation of the neuronal proteome is critical for brain homeostasis but becomes dysregulated in the aged or diseased brain, in which abnormal posttranslational modifications (PTMs) are frequently observed. While the full extent of modified substrates that comprise the "PTM-ome" are slowly emerging, how the upstream enzymes catalyzing these processes are regulated themselves is not well understood, particularly in the context of neurodegeneration. Here, we describe the reciprocal regulation of a kinase, the microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 2 (MARK2), and an acetyltransferase, CREB-binding protein (CBP), two enzymes known to extensively modify tau proteins in the progression of Alzheimer's disease. We found that MARK2 negatively regulates CBP and, conversely, CBP directly acetylates and inhibits MARK2 kinase activity. These findings highlight a reciprocal negative feedback loop between a kinase and an acetyltransferase, which has implications for how PTM interplay is coordinated on substrates including tau. Our study suggests that PTM profiles occur through the posttranslational control of the master PTM remodeling enzymes themselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zarin Tabassum
- Department of Neurology, UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jui-Heng Tseng
- Department of Neurology, UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Camryn Isemann
- Department of Neurology, UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Xu Tian
- Department of Neurology, UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Youjun Chen
- Department of Neurology, UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Laura E Herring
- UNC Proteomics Core Facility, Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Todd J Cohen
- Department of Neurology, UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
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27
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Azevedo R, Jacquemin C, Villain N, Fenaille F, Lamari F, Becher F. Mass Spectrometry for Neurobiomarker Discovery: The Relevance of Post-Translational Modifications. Cells 2022; 11:1279. [PMID: 35455959 PMCID: PMC9031030 DOI: 10.3390/cells11081279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are incurable, heterogeneous, and age-dependent disorders that challenge modern medicine. A deeper understanding of the pathogenesis underlying neurodegenerative diseases is necessary to solve the unmet need for new diagnostic biomarkers and disease-modifying therapy and reduce these diseases' burden. Specifically, post-translational modifications (PTMs) play a significant role in neurodegeneration. Due to its proximity to the brain parenchyma, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has long been used as an indirect way to measure changes in the brain. Mass spectrometry (MS) analysis in neurodegenerative diseases focusing on PTMs and in the context of biomarker discovery has improved and opened venues for analyzing more complex matrices such as brain tissue and blood. Notably, phosphorylated tau protein, truncated α-synuclein, APP and TDP-43, and many other modifications were extensively characterized by MS. Great potential is underlying specific pathological PTM-signatures for clinical application. This review focuses on PTM-modified proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases and highlights the most important and recent breakthroughs in MS-based biomarker discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Azevedo
- CEA, INRAE, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), SPI, Université Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (C.J.); (N.V.); (F.F.)
| | - Chloé Jacquemin
- CEA, INRAE, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), SPI, Université Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (C.J.); (N.V.); (F.F.)
| | - Nicolas Villain
- CEA, INRAE, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), SPI, Université Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (C.J.); (N.V.); (F.F.)
- Institut du Cerveau (ICM), Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, 75013 Paris, France
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Memory and Alzheimer’s Disease, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, AP-HP Sorbonne Université, CEDEX 13, 75651 Paris, France
| | - François Fenaille
- CEA, INRAE, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), SPI, Université Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (C.J.); (N.V.); (F.F.)
| | - Foudil Lamari
- Department of Metabolic Biochemistry (AP-HP Sorbonne), Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, CEDEX 13, 75651 Paris, France;
| | - François Becher
- CEA, INRAE, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), SPI, Université Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (C.J.); (N.V.); (F.F.)
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28
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Munari F, Mollica L, Valente C, Parolini F, Kachoie EA, Arrigoni G, D'Onofrio M, Capaldi S, Assfalg M. Structural Basis for Chaperone‐Independent Ubiquitination of Tau Protein by Its E3 Ligase CHIP. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202112374. [PMID: 35107860 PMCID: PMC9303552 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202112374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The multi‐site ubiquitination of Tau protein found in Alzheimer's disease filaments hints at the failed attempt of neurons to remove early toxic species. The ubiquitin‐dependent degradation of Tau is regulated in vivo by the E3 ligase CHIP, a quality controller of the cell proteome dedicated to target misfolded proteins for degradation. In our study, by using site‐resolved NMR, biochemical and computational methods, we elucidate the structural determinants underlying the molecular recognition between the ligase and its intrinsically disordered substrate. We reveal a multi‐domain dynamic interaction that explains how CHIP can direct ubiquitination of Tau at multiple sites even in the absence of chaperones, including its typical partner Hsp70/Hsc70. Our findings thus provide mechanistic insight into the chaperone‐independent engagement of a disordered protein by its E3 ligase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Munari
- Department of Biotechnology University of Verona Strada Le Grazie 15 37134 Verona Italy
| | - Luca Mollica
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine University of Milan Milan Italy
| | - Carlo Valente
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine University of Milan Milan Italy
| | - Francesca Parolini
- Department of Biotechnology University of Verona Strada Le Grazie 15 37134 Verona Italy
| | - Elham Ataie Kachoie
- Department of Biotechnology University of Verona Strada Le Grazie 15 37134 Verona Italy
| | - Giorgio Arrigoni
- Department of Biomedical Sciences University of Padova Padova Italy
- Proteomics Center University of Padova and Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova Padova Italy
| | - Mariapina D'Onofrio
- Department of Biotechnology University of Verona Strada Le Grazie 15 37134 Verona Italy
| | - Stefano Capaldi
- Department of Biotechnology University of Verona Strada Le Grazie 15 37134 Verona Italy
| | - Michael Assfalg
- Department of Biotechnology University of Verona Strada Le Grazie 15 37134 Verona Italy
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29
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Ye H, Han Y, Li P, Su Z, Huang Y. The Role of Post-Translational Modifications on the Structure and Function of Tau Protein. J Mol Neurosci 2022; 72:1557-1571. [PMID: 35325356 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-022-02002-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Involving addition of chemical groups or protein units to specific residues of the target protein, post-translational modifications (PTMs) alter the charge, hydrophobicity, and conformation of a protein, which in tune influences protein function, protein - protein interaction, and protein aggregation. While the occurrence of PTMs is dynamic and subject to regulations, conformational disorder of the target protein facilitates PTMs. The microtubule-associated protein tau is a typical intrinsically disordered protein that undergoes a variety of PTMs including phosphorylation, acetylation, ubiquitination, methylation, and oxidation. Accumulated evidence shows that these PTMs play a critical role in regulating tau-microtubule interaction, tau localization, tau degradation and aggregation, and reinforces the correlation between tau PTMs and pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disease. Here, we review tau PTMs with an emphasis on their influence on tau structure. With available biophysical characterization results, we describe how PTMs induce conformational changes in tau monomer and regulate tau aggregation. Compared to functional analysis of tau PTMs, biophysical characterization of tau PTMs is lagging. While it is challenging, characterizing the specific effects of PTMs on tau conformation and interaction is indispensable to unravel the tau PTM code.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiqiong Ye
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China
| | - Yue Han
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China
| | - Ping Li
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China
| | - Zhengding Su
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China
| | - Yongqi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China. .,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China. .,Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.
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30
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Parolini F, Tira R, Barracchia CG, Munari F, Capaldi S, D'Onofrio M, Assfalg M. Ubiquitination of Alzheimer's-related tau protein affects liquid-liquid phase separation in a site- and cofactor-dependent manner. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 201:173-181. [PMID: 35016968 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.12.191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The formation of biomolecular condensates has emerged as a crucial player both in neuronal physiology and neurodegeneration. Phase separation of the Alzheimer's related protein tau into liquid condensates is facilitated by polyanions and is regulated by post-translational modifications. Given the central role of ubiquitination in proteostasis regulation and signaling, we investigated the behavior of monoubiquitinated tau during formation of condensates. We ubiquitinated the lysine-rich, four-repeat domain of tau either unspecifically via enzymatic conjugation or in a position-specific manner by semisynthesis. Ubiquitin conjugation at specific sites weakened multivalent tau/RNA interactions and disfavored tau/heparin condensation. Yet, heterogeneous ubiquitination was tolerated during phase separation and stabilized droplets against aggregation-linked dissolution. Thus, we demonstrated that cofactor chemistry and site of modification affect the mesoscopic and molecular signatures of ubiquitinated tau condensates. Our findings suggest that ubiquitination could influence the physiological states and pathological transformations of tau in cellular condensates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Roberto Tira
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | | | - Francesca Munari
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Stefano Capaldi
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | | | - Michael Assfalg
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy.
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31
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Li L, Jiang Y, Wang JZ, Liu R, Wang X. Tau Ubiquitination in Alzheimer's Disease. Front Neurol 2022; 12:786353. [PMID: 35211074 PMCID: PMC8860969 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.786353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Paired helical filaments (PHFs) from the Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain are highly ubiquitinated and ubiquitination likely plays a vital role in tau filament formation. Whether tau ubiquitination is the causality or consequence of the disease in AD remains elusive. The following questions are worth considering: What does the extent of tau ubiquitination contribute to tau pathology in AD? Does tau ubiquitination influence aggregation or spreading during disease progression? In addition, tau is polyubiquitinated in nerve growth factor-induced PC12 cells and participates in mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling, in addition to its microtubule stabilization function. Therefore, ubiquitination possibly mediates tau signaling under physiological conditions, but tau aggregation in the pathobiology of AD. Here, we review the advancements in tau ubiquitination and the potential therapeutic effects of targeting tau ubiquitination to alleviate tau pathology in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longfei Li
- Key Laboratory of Education Ministry/Hubei Province of China for Neurological Disorders, Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanli Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Education Ministry/Hubei Province of China for Neurological Disorders, Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jian-Zhi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Education Ministry/Hubei Province of China for Neurological Disorders, Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Jianghan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Rong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Education Ministry/Hubei Province of China for Neurological Disorders, Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaochuan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Education Ministry/Hubei Province of China for Neurological Disorders, Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Jianghan University, Wuhan, China
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32
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Puangmalai N, Sengupta U, Bhatt N, Gaikwad S, Montalbano M, Bhuyan A, Garcia S, McAllen S, Sonawane M, Jerez C, Zhao Y, Kayed R. Lysine 63-linked ubiquitination of tau oligomers contributes to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101766. [PMID: 35202653 PMCID: PMC8942844 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ubiquitin-modified tau aggregates are abundantly found in human brains diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies. Soluble tau oligomers (TauO) are the most neurotoxic tau species that propagate pathology and elicit cognitive deficits, but whether ubiquitination contributes to tau formation and spreading is not fully understood. Here, we observed that K63-linked, but not K48-linked, ubiquitinated TauO accumulated at higher levels in AD brains compared with age-matched controls. Using mass spectrometry analyses, we identified 11 ubiquitinated sites on AD brain-derived TauO (AD TauO). We found that K63-linked TauO are associated with enhanced seeding activity and propagation in human tau-expressing primary neuronal and tau biosensor cells. Additionally, exposure of tau-inducible HEK cells to AD TauO with different ubiquitin linkages (wild type, K48, and K63) resulted in enhanced formation and secretion of K63-linked TauO, which was associated with impaired proteasome and lysosome functions. Multipathway analysis also revealed the involvement of K63-linked TauO in cell survival pathways, which are impaired in AD. Collectively, our study highlights the significance of selective TauO ubiquitination, which could influence tau aggregation, accumulation, and subsequent pathological propagation. The insights gained from this study hold great promise for targeted therapeutic intervention in AD and related tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicha Puangmalai
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA; Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Urmi Sengupta
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA; Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Nemil Bhatt
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA; Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Sagar Gaikwad
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA; Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Mauro Montalbano
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA; Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Arijit Bhuyan
- School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Stephanie Garcia
- School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Salome McAllen
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Minal Sonawane
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA; Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Cynthia Jerez
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA; Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Yingxin Zhao
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA; Institute for Translational Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Rakez Kayed
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA; Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA.
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33
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Munari F, Mollica L, Valente C, Parolini F, Kachoie EA, Arrigoni G, D'Onofrio M, Capaldi S, Assfalg M. Structural Basis for Chaperone‐Independent Ubiquitination of Tau Protein by Its E3 Ligase CHIP. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202112374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Munari
- Department of Biotechnology University of Verona Strada Le Grazie 15 37134 Verona Italy
| | - Luca Mollica
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine University of Milan Milan Italy
| | - Carlo Valente
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine University of Milan Milan Italy
| | - Francesca Parolini
- Department of Biotechnology University of Verona Strada Le Grazie 15 37134 Verona Italy
| | - Elham Ataie Kachoie
- Department of Biotechnology University of Verona Strada Le Grazie 15 37134 Verona Italy
| | - Giorgio Arrigoni
- Department of Biomedical Sciences University of Padova Padova Italy
- Proteomics Center University of Padova and Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova Padova Italy
| | - Mariapina D'Onofrio
- Department of Biotechnology University of Verona Strada Le Grazie 15 37134 Verona Italy
| | - Stefano Capaldi
- Department of Biotechnology University of Verona Strada Le Grazie 15 37134 Verona Italy
| | - Michael Assfalg
- Department of Biotechnology University of Verona Strada Le Grazie 15 37134 Verona Italy
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34
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Limorenko G, Lashuel HA. Revisiting the grammar of Tau aggregation and pathology formation: how new insights from brain pathology are shaping how we study and target Tauopathies. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 51:513-565. [PMID: 34889934 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00127b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Converging evidence continues to point towards Tau aggregation and pathology formation as central events in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and other Tauopathies. Despite significant advances in understanding the morphological and structural properties of Tau fibrils, many fundamental questions remain about what causes Tau to aggregate in the first place. The exact roles of cofactors, Tau post-translational modifications, and Tau interactome in regulating Tau aggregation, pathology formation, and toxicity remain unknown. Recent studies have put the spotlight on the wide gap between the complexity of Tau structures, aggregation, and pathology formation in the brain and the simplicity of experimental approaches used for modeling these processes in research laboratories. Embracing and deconstructing this complexity is an essential first step to understanding the role of Tau in health and disease. To help deconstruct this complexity and understand its implication for the development of effective Tau targeting diagnostics and therapies, we firstly review how our understanding of Tau aggregation and pathology formation has evolved over the past few decades. Secondly, we present an analysis of new findings and insights from recent studies illustrating the biochemical, structural, and functional heterogeneity of Tau aggregates. Thirdly, we discuss the importance of adopting new experimental approaches that embrace the complexity of Tau aggregation and pathology as an important first step towards developing mechanism- and structure-based therapies that account for the pathological and clinical heterogeneity of Alzheimer's disease and Tauopathies. We believe that this is essential to develop effective diagnostics and therapies to treat these devastating diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galina Limorenko
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Hilal A Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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35
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Acosta DM, Mancinelli C, Bracken C, Eliezer D. Post-translational modifications within tau paired helical filament nucleating motifs perturb microtubule interactions and oligomer formation. J Biol Chem 2021; 298:101442. [PMID: 34838590 PMCID: PMC8741514 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-translationally modified tau is the primary component of tau neurofibrillary tangles, a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Post-translational modifications within the tau microtubule binding domain (MBD), which encompasses two hexapeptide motifs that act as critical nucleating regions for tau aggregation, can potentially modulate tau aggregation as well as interactions with microtubules (MTs) and membranes. Here we characterize the effects of a recently discovered tau PTM, lysine succinylation, on tau-tubulin interactions, and compare these to the effects of two previously reported MBD modifications, lysine acetylation and tyrosine phosphorylation. As generation of site-specific PTMs in proteins is challenging, we used short synthetic peptides to quantify the effects on tubulin binding of three site-specific PTMs located within the PHF6* (residues 275-280) and PHF6 (residues 306-311) hexapeptide motifs: K280 acetylation, Y310 phosphorylation and K311 succinylation. We compared these effects to those observed for MBD PTM-mimetic point mutations K280Q, Y310E and K311E. Finally, we evaluated the effects of these PTM-mimetic mutations on MBD membrane binding and membrane-induced fibril and oligomer formation. We found that all three PTMs perturb tau MT binding, with Y310 phosphorylation exerting the strongest effect. PTM mimetic mutations partially recapitulated the effects of the PTMs on MT binding and also disrupted tau membrane binding and membrane induced oligomer and fibril formation. These results imply that these PTMs, including the novel and AD-specific succinylation of tau K311, may influence both the physiological and pathological interactions of tau and thus represent targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana M Acosta
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Program in Structural Biology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - Chiara Mancinelli
- Department of Biochemistry and Program in Structural Biology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - Clay Bracken
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - David Eliezer
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Program in Structural Biology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065.
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Limorenko G, Lashuel HA. To target Tau pathologies, we must embrace and reconstruct their complexities. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 161:105536. [PMID: 34718129 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The accumulation of hyperphosphorylated fibrillar Tau aggregates in the brain is one of the defining hallmarks of Tauopathy diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. However, the primary events or molecules responsible for initiation of the pathological Tau aggregation and spreading remain unknown. The discovery of heparin as an effective inducer of Tau aggregation in vitro was instrumental to enabling different lines of research into the role of Tau aggregation in the pathogenesis of Tauopathies. However, recent proteomics and cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) studies have revealed that heparin-induced Tau fibrils generated in vitro do not reproduce the biochemical and ultrastructural properties of disease-associated brain-derived Tau fibrils. These observations demand that we reassess our current approaches for investigating the mechanisms underpinning Tau aggregation and pathology formation. Our review article presents an up-to-date survey and analyses of 1) the evolution of our understanding of the interactions between Tau and heparin, 2) the various structural and mechanistic models of the heparin-induced Tau aggregation, 3) the similarities and differences between brain-derived and heparin-induced Tau fibrils; and 4) emerging concepts on the biochemical and structural determinants underpinning Tau pathological heterogeneity in Tauopathies. Our analyses identify specific knowledge gaps and call for 1) embracing the complexities of Tau pathologies; 2) reassessment of current approaches to investigate, model and reproduce pathological Tau aggregation as it occurs in the brain; 3) more research towards a better understanding of the naturally-occurring cofactor molecules that are associated with Tau brain pathology initiation and propagation; and 4) developing improved approaches for in vitro production of the Tau aggregates and fibrils that recapitulate and/or amplify the biochemical and structural complexity and diversity of pathological Tau in Tauopathies. This will result in better and more relevant tools, assays, and mechanistic models, which could significantly improve translational research and the development of drugs and antibodies that have higher chances for success in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galina Limorenko
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hilal A Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Mohamed Asik R, Suganthy N, Aarifa MA, Kumar A, Szigeti K, Mathe D, Gulyás B, Archunan G, Padmanabhan P. Alzheimer's Disease: A Molecular View of β-Amyloid Induced Morbific Events. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9091126. [PMID: 34572312 PMCID: PMC8468668 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9091126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajmohamed Mohamed Asik
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 636921, Singapore; (R.M.A.); (B.G.)
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Centre, 59 Nanyang Drive, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 636921, Singapore
- Department of Animal Science, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India;
| | - Natarajan Suganthy
- Department of Nanoscience and Technology, Alagappa University, Karaikudi 630003, Tamil Nadu, India;
| | - Mohamed Asik Aarifa
- Department of Animal Science, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India;
| | - Arvind Kumar
- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad 500007, Telangana, India;
| | - Krisztián Szigeti
- Department of Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Semmelweis University, 1094 Budapest, Hungary; (K.S.); (D.M.)
- CROmed Translational Research Centers, 1094 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Domokos Mathe
- Department of Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Semmelweis University, 1094 Budapest, Hungary; (K.S.); (D.M.)
- CROmed Translational Research Centers, 1094 Budapest, Hungary
- In Vivo Imaging Advanced Core Facility, Hungarian Center of Excellence for Molecular Medicine (HCEMM), 1094 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Balázs Gulyás
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 636921, Singapore; (R.M.A.); (B.G.)
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Centre, 59 Nanyang Drive, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 636921, Singapore
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Govindaraju Archunan
- Department of Animal Science, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India;
- Marudupandiyar College, Thanjavur 613403, Tamil Nadu, India
- Correspondence: (G.A.); (P.P.)
| | - Parasuraman Padmanabhan
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 636921, Singapore; (R.M.A.); (B.G.)
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Centre, 59 Nanyang Drive, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 636921, Singapore
- Correspondence: (G.A.); (P.P.)
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Giong HK, Subramanian M, Yu K, Lee JS. Non-Rodent Genetic Animal Models for Studying Tauopathy: Review of Drosophila, Zebrafish, and C. elegans Models. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:8465. [PMID: 34445171 PMCID: PMC8395099 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathy refers to a group of progressive neurodegenerative diseases, including frontotemporal lobar degeneration and Alzheimer's disease, which correlate with the malfunction of microtubule-associated protein Tau (MAPT) due to abnormal hyperphosphorylation, leading to the formation of intracellular aggregates in the brain. Despite extensive efforts to understand tauopathy and develop an efficient therapy, our knowledge is still far from complete. To find a solution for this group of devastating diseases, several animal models that mimic diverse disease phenotypes of tauopathy have been developed. Rodents are the dominating tauopathy models because of their similarity to humans and established disease lines, as well as experimental approaches. However, powerful genetic animal models using Drosophila, zebrafish, and C. elegans have also been developed for modeling tauopathy and have contributed to understanding the pathophysiology of tauopathy. The success of these models stems from the short lifespans, versatile genetic tools, real-time in-vivo imaging, low maintenance costs, and the capability for high-throughput screening. In this review, we summarize the main findings on mechanisms of tauopathy and discuss the current tauopathy models of these non-rodent genetic animals, highlighting their key advantages and limitations in tauopathy research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoi-Khoanh Giong
- Disease Target Structure Research Center, KRIBB, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea; (H.-K.G.); (M.S.)
- KRIBB School, University of Science and Technology, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea
- Dementia DTC R&D Convergence Program, KIST, Hwarang-ro 14 gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02792, Korea
| | - Manivannan Subramanian
- Disease Target Structure Research Center, KRIBB, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea; (H.-K.G.); (M.S.)
- Dementia DTC R&D Convergence Program, KIST, Hwarang-ro 14 gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02792, Korea
| | - Kweon Yu
- Disease Target Structure Research Center, KRIBB, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea; (H.-K.G.); (M.S.)
- KRIBB School, University of Science and Technology, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea
- Dementia DTC R&D Convergence Program, KIST, Hwarang-ro 14 gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02792, Korea
| | - Jeong-Soo Lee
- Disease Target Structure Research Center, KRIBB, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea; (H.-K.G.); (M.S.)
- KRIBB School, University of Science and Technology, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea
- Dementia DTC R&D Convergence Program, KIST, Hwarang-ro 14 gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02792, Korea
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Nargeh H, Aliabadi F, Ajami M, Pazoki-Toroudi H. Role of Polyphenols on Gut Microbiota and the Ubiquitin-Proteasome System in Neurodegenerative Diseases. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2021; 69:6119-6144. [PMID: 34038102 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c00923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Today, neurodegenerative diseases have become a remarkable public health challenge due to their direct relation with aging. Accordingly, understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms occurring in the pathogenesis of them is essential. Both protein aggregations as a result of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) inefficiency and gut microbiota alternation are the main pathogenic hallmarks. Polyphenols upregulating this system may decrease the developing rate of neurodegenerative diseases. Most of the dietary intake of polyphenols is converted into other microbial metabolites, which have completely different biological properties from the original polyphenols and should be thoroughly investigated. Herein, several prevalent neurodegenerative diseases are pinpointed to explain the role of gut microbiota alternations and the role of molecular changes, especially UPS down-regulation in their pathogenesis. Some of the most important polyphenols found in our diet are explained along with their microbial metabolites in the body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanieh Nargeh
- Department of Life Science Engineering, Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, University of Tehran, Tehran 1417466191, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Aliabadi
- Physiology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 14535, Iran
| | - Marjan Ajami
- Faculty of Nutrition Sciences & Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, 7th Floor, Bldg No. 2 SBUMS, Arabi Avenue, Daneshjoo Boulevard, Velenjak, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran
| | - Hamidreza Pazoki-Toroudi
- Physiology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 14535, Iran
- Department of Physiology and Physiology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 14535, Iran
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40
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Wysocka A, Palasz E, Steczkowska M, Niewiadomska G. Dangerous Liaisons: Tau Interaction with Muscarinic Receptors. Curr Alzheimer Res 2021; 17:224-237. [PMID: 32329686 PMCID: PMC7509759 DOI: 10.2174/1567205017666200424134311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The molecular processes underlying neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer's Disease - AD) remain poorly understood. There is also an imperative need for disease-modifying therapies in AD since the present treatments, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and NMDA antagonists, do not halt its progression. AD and other dementias present unique pathological features such as that of microtubule associated protein tau metabolic regulation. Tau has numerous binding partners, including signaling molecules, cytoskeletal elements and lipids, which suggests that it is a multifunctional protein. AD has also been associated with severe loss of cholinergic markers in the brain and such loss may be due to the toxic interaction of tau with cholinergic muscarinic receptors. By using specific antagonists of muscarinic receptors it was found in vitro that extracellular tau binds to M1 and M3 receptors and which the increase of intracellular calcium found in neuronal cells upon tau-binding. However, so far, the significance of tau signaling through muscarinic receptor in vivo in tauopathic models remains uncertain. The data reviewed in the present paper highlight the significant effect of M1 receptor/tau interaction in exacerbating tauopathy related pathological features and suggest that selective M1 agonists may serve as a prototype for future therapeutic development toward modification of currently intractable neurodegenerative diseases, such as tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrianna Wysocka
- Neurobiology Center, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ewelina Palasz
- Department of Applied Physiology, Mossakowski Medical Research Center, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marta Steczkowska
- Department of Applied Physiology, Mossakowski Medical Research Center, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Grazyna Niewiadomska
- Neurobiology Center, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
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41
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Characterization of the structural determinants of the ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation of human hepatic tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase. Biochem J 2021; 478:1999-2017. [PMID: 33960368 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20210213] [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: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Human hepatic tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (hTDO) is a homotetrameric hemoprotein. It is one of the most rapidly degraded liver proteins with a half-life (t1/2) of ∼2.3 h, relative to an average t1/2 of ∼2-3 days for total liver protein. The molecular mechanism underlying the poor longevity of hTDO remains elusive. Previously, we showed that hTDO could be recognized and ubiquitinated by two E3 ubiquitin (Ub) ligases, gp78/AMFR and CHIP, and subsequently degraded via Ub-dependent proteasomal degradation pathway. Additionally, we identified 15 ubiquitination K-sites and demonstrated that Trp-binding to an exosite impeded its proteolytic degradation. Here, we further established autophagic-lysosomal degradation as an alternative back-up pathway for cellular hTDO degradation. In addition, with protein kinases A and C, we identified 13 phosphorylated Ser/Thr (pS/pT) sites. Mapping these pS/pT sites on the hTDO surface revealed their propinquity to acidic Asp/Glu (D/E) residues engendering negatively charged DEpSpT clusters vicinal to the ubiquitination K-sites over the entire protein surface. Through site-directed mutagenesis of positively charged patches of gp78, previously documented to interact with the DEpSpT clusters in other target proteins, we uncovered the likely role of the DEpSpT clusters in the molecular recognition of hTDO by gp78 and plausibly other E3 Ub-ligases. Furthermore, cycloheximide-chase analyses revealed the critical structural relevance of the disordered N- and C-termini not only in the Ub-ligase recognition, but also in the proteasome engagement. Together, the surface DEpSpT clusters and the N- and C-termini constitute an intrinsic bipartite degron for hTDO physiological turnover.
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Carlomagno Y, Manne S, DeTure M, Prudencio M, Zhang YJ, Hanna Al-Shaikh R, Dunmore JA, Daughrity LM, Song Y, Castanedes-Casey M, Lewis-Tuffin LJ, Nicholson KA, Wszolek ZK, Dickson DW, Fitzpatrick AWP, Petrucelli L, Cook CN. The AD tau core spontaneously self-assembles and recruits full-length tau to filaments. Cell Rep 2021; 34:108843. [PMID: 33730588 PMCID: PMC8094113 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau accumulation is a major pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies, but the mechanism(s) of tau aggregation remains unclear. Taking advantage of the identification of tau filament cores by cryoelectron microscopy, we demonstrate that the AD tau core possesses the intrinsic ability to spontaneously aggregate in the absence of an inducer, with antibodies generated against AD tau core filaments detecting AD tau pathology. The AD tau core also drives aggregation of full-length wild-type tau, increases seeding potential, and templates abnormal forms of tau present in brain homogenates and antemortem cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with AD in an ultrasensitive real-time quaking-induced conversion (QuIC) assay. Finally, we show that the filament cores in corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and Pick's disease (PiD) similarly assemble into filaments under physiological conditions. These results document an approach to modeling tau aggregation and have significant implications for in vivo investigation of tau transmission and biomarker development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yari Carlomagno
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Sireesha Manne
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Michael DeTure
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Mercedes Prudencio
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Yong-Jie Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | | | | | - Yuping Song
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | | | - Katharine A Nicholson
- Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Dennis W Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Anthony W P Fitzpatrick
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Leonard Petrucelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
| | - Casey N Cook
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
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Zhou X, Chen X, Hong T, Zhang M, Cai Y, Cui L. TTC3-Mediated Protein Quality Control, A Potential Mechanism for Cognitive Impairment. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2021; 42:1659-1669. [PMID: 33638766 PMCID: PMC9239942 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-021-01060-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The tetrapeptide repeat domain 3 (TTC3) gene falls within Down's syndrome (DS) critical region. Cognitive impairment is a common phenotype of DS and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and overexpression of TTC3 can accelerate cognitive decline, but the specific mechanism is unknown. The TTC3-mediated protein quality control (PQC) mechanism, similar to the PQC system, is divided into three parts: it acts as a cochaperone to assist proteins in folding correctly; it acts as an E3 ubiquitin ligase (E3s) involved in protein degradation processes through the ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS); and it may also eventually cause autophagy by affecting mitochondrial function. Thus, this article reviews the research progress on the structure, function, and metabolism of TTC3, including the recent research progress on TTC3 in DS and AD; the role of TTC3 in cognitive impairment through PQC in combination with the abovementioned attributes of TTC3; and the potential targets of TTC3 in the treatment of such diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Zhou
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, No.57, Renmindadaonan Road, Xiashan District, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Xiongjin Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, No.57, Renmindadaonan Road, Xiashan District, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Tingting Hong
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, No.57, Renmindadaonan Road, Xiashan District, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Miaoping Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, No.57, Renmindadaonan Road, Xiashan District, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Yujie Cai
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, No.57, Renmindadaonan Road, Xiashan District, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Lili Cui
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, No.57, Renmindadaonan Road, Xiashan District, Zhanjiang, China.
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Gu JL, Liu F. Tau in Alzheimer's Disease: Pathological Alterations and an Attractive Therapeutic Target. Curr Med Sci 2021; 40:1009-1021. [PMID: 33428128 DOI: 10.1007/s11596-020-2282-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disease with two major hallmarks: extracellular amyloid plaques made of amyloid-β (Aβ) and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) of abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau. The number of NFTs correlates positively with the severity of dementia in AD patients. However, there is still no efficient therapy available for AD treatment and prevention so far. A deeper understanding of AD pathogenesis has identified novel strategies for the generation of specific therapies over the past few decades. Several studies have suggested that the prion-like seeding and spreading of tau pathology in the brain may be a key driver of AD. Tau protein is considered as a promising candidate target for the development of therapeutic interventions due to its considerable pathological role in a variety of neurodegenerative disorders. Abnormal tau hyperphosphorylation plays a detrimental pathological role, eventually leading to neurodegeneration. In the present review, we describe the recent research progresses in the pathological mechanisms of tau protein in AD and briefly discuss tau-based therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Lan Gu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China. .,Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration and Ministry of Education of Jiangsu, Nantong, 226001, China.
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
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45
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Alquezar C, Arya S, Kao AW. Tau Post-translational Modifications: Dynamic Transformers of Tau Function, Degradation, and Aggregation. Front Neurol 2021; 11:595532. [PMID: 33488497 PMCID: PMC7817643 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.595532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-translational modifications (PTMs) on tau have long been recognized as affecting protein function and contributing to neurodegeneration. The explosion of information on potential and observed PTMs on tau provides an opportunity to better understand these modifications in the context of tau homeostasis, which becomes perturbed with aging and disease. Prevailing views regard tau as a protein that undergoes abnormal phosphorylation prior to its accumulation into the toxic aggregates implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies. However, the phosphorylation of tau may, in fact, represent part of the normal but interrupted function and catabolism of the protein. In addition to phosphorylation, tau undergoes another forms of post-translational modification including (but not limited to), acetylation, ubiquitination, glycation, glycosylation, SUMOylation, methylation, oxidation, and nitration. A holistic appreciation of how these PTMs regulate tau during health and are potentially hijacked in disease remains elusive. Recent studies have reinforced the idea that PTMs play a critical role in tau localization, protein-protein interactions, maintenance of levels, and modifying aggregate structure. These studies also provide tantalizing clues into the possibility that neurons actively choose how tau is post-translationally modified, in potentially competitive and combinatorial ways, to achieve broad, cellular programs commensurate with the distinctive environmental conditions found during development, aging, stress, and disease. Here, we review tau PTMs and describe what is currently known about their functional impacts. In addition, we classify these PTMs from the perspectives of protein localization, electrostatics, and stability, which all contribute to normal tau function and homeostasis. Finally, we assess the potential impact of tau PTMs on tau solubility and aggregation. Tau occupies an undoubtedly important position in the biology of neurodegenerative diseases. This review aims to provide an integrated perspective of how post-translational modifications actively, purposefully, and dynamically remodel tau function, clearance, and aggregation. In doing so, we hope to enable a more comprehensive understanding of tau PTMs that will positively impact future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Aimee W. Kao
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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Briel N, Pratsch K, Roeber S, Arzberger T, Herms J. Contribution of the astrocytic tau pathology to synapse loss in progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration. Brain Pathol 2020; 31:e12914. [PMID: 33089580 PMCID: PMC8412068 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary 4‐repeat tauopathies with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) like Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) or Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD) show diverse cellular pathology in various brain regions. Besides shared characteristics of neuronal and oligodendroglial cytoplasmic inclusions of accumulated hyperphosphorylated tau protein (pTau), astrocytes in PSP and CBD contain pathognomonic pTau aggregates — hence, lending the designation tufted astrocytes (TA) or astrocytic plaques (AP), respectively. pTau toxicity is most commonly assigned to neurons, whereas the implications of astrocytic pTau for maintaining neurotransmission within the tripartite synapse of human brains is not well understood. We performed immunofluorescent synapse labeling and automated puncta quantification in the medial frontal gyrus (MFG) and striatal regions from PSP and CBD postmortem samples to capture morphometric synaptic alterations. This approach indicated general synaptic losses of both, excitatory and inhibitory bipartite synapses in the frontal cortex of PSP cases, whereas in CBD lower synapse densities were only related to astrocytic plaques. In contrast to tufted astrocytes in PSP, affected astrocytes in CBD could not preserve synaptic integrity within their spatial domains, when compared to non‐affected internal astrocytes or astrocytes in healthy controls. These findings suggest a pTau pathology‐associated role of astrocytes in maintaining connections within neuronal circuits, considered as the microscopic substrate of cognitive dysfunction in CBD. By contrasting astrocytic‐synaptic associations in both diseases, we hereby highlight astrocytic pTau as an important subject of prospective research and as a potential cellular target for therapeutic approaches in the primary tauopathies PSP and CBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Briel
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) e.V., Site Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.,Munich Medical Research School, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Katrin Pratsch
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) e.V., Site Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Sigrun Roeber
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Arzberger
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) e.V., Site Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Jochen Herms
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) e.V., Site Munich, Munich, Germany.,Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.,Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
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47
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Weng FL, He L. Disrupted ubiquitin proteasome system underlying tau accumulation in Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Aging 2020; 99:79-85. [PMID: 33422896 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Accumulation of phosphorylated tau (p-tau) has long been an underappreciated hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Tau is one of the major components of microtubule networks in neurons, and its abnormal phosphorylation and aggregation are closely related to the impairment of axonal transport. Abnormalities in axonal transport can impede autophagy in neurons, interrupting the autophagic clearance of amyloid beta. The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) maintains intracellular proteostasis by degrading abnormal or redundant proteins. Ever-mounting evidence suggests that UPS deficits contribute to p-tau accumulation. And targeting UPS attenuates tau pathology. This review endeavors to exam the potential role of UPS in p-tau aggregation, and how pathogenic tau may inflict other abnormalities such as amyloid beta accumulation in Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang-Lin Weng
- Department of Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ling He
- Department of Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
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48
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Soeda Y, Takashima A. New Insights Into Drug Discovery Targeting Tau Protein. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:590896. [PMID: 33343298 PMCID: PMC7744460 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.590896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubule-associated protein tau is characterized by the fact that it is an intrinsically disordered protein due to its lack of a stable conformation and high flexibility. Intracellular inclusions of fibrillar forms of tau with a β-sheet structure accumulate in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Accordingly, detachment of tau from microtubules and transition of tau from a disordered state to an abnormally aggregated state are essential events preceding the onset of tau-related diseases. Many reports have shown that this transition is caused by post-translational modifications, including hyperphosphorylation and acetylation. The misfolded tau is self-assembled and forms a tau oligomer before the appearance of tau inclusions. Animal and pathological studies using human samples have demonstrated that tau oligomer formation contributes to neuronal loss. During the progression of tauopathies, tau seeds are released from cells and incorporated into other cells, leading to the propagation of pathological tau aggregation. Accumulating evidence suggests several potential approaches for blocking tau-mediated toxicity: (1) direct inhibition of pathological tau aggregation and (2) inhibition of tau post-translational modifications that occur prior to pathological tau aggregation, (3) inhibition of tau propagation and (4) stabilization of microtubules. In addition to traditional low-molecular-weight compounds, newer drug discovery approaches such as the development of medium-molecular-weight drugs (peptide- or oligonucleotide-based drugs) and high-molecular-weight drugs (antibody-based drugs) provide alternative pathways to preventing the formation of abnormal tau. Of particular interest are recent studies suggesting that tau droplet formation by liquid-liquid phase separation may be the initial step in aberrant tau aggregation, as well results that implicate roles for tau in dendritic and nuclear functions. Here, we review the mechanisms through which drugs can target tau and consider recent clinical trials for the treatment of tauopathies. In addition, we discuss the utility of these newer strategies and propose future directions for research on tau-targeted therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiyuki Soeda
- Laboratory for Alzheimer's Disease, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akihiko Takashima
- Laboratory for Alzheimer's Disease, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, Tokyo, Japan
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Silva MC, Haggarty SJ. Tauopathies: Deciphering Disease Mechanisms to Develop Effective Therapies. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21238948. [PMID: 33255694 PMCID: PMC7728099 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21238948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the pathological accumulation of microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) in the form of neurofibrillary tangles and paired helical filaments in neurons and glia, leading to brain cell death. These diseases include frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) and can be sporadic or inherited when caused by mutations in the MAPT gene. Despite an incredibly high socio-economic burden worldwide, there are still no effective disease-modifying therapies, and few tau-focused experimental drugs have reached clinical trials. One major hindrance for therapeutic development is the knowledge gap in molecular mechanisms of tau-mediated neuronal toxicity and death. For the promise of precision medicine for brain disorders to be fulfilled, it is necessary to integrate known genetic causes of disease, i.e., MAPT mutations, with an understanding of the dysregulated molecular pathways that constitute potential therapeutic targets. Here, the growing understanding of known and proposed mechanisms of disease etiology will be reviewed, together with promising experimental tau-directed therapeutics, such as recently developed tau degraders. Current challenges faced by the fields of tau research and drug discovery will also be addressed.
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50
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Masnata M, Salem S, de Rus Jacquet A, Anwer M, Cicchetti F. Targeting Tau to Treat Clinical Features of Huntington's Disease. Front Neurol 2020; 11:580732. [PMID: 33329322 PMCID: PMC7710872 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.580732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized by severe motor, cognitive and psychiatric impairments. While motor deficits often confirm diagnosis, cognitive dysfunctions usually manifest early in the disease process and are consistently ranked among the leading factors that impact the patients' quality of life. The genetic component of HD, a mutation in the huntingtin (HTT) gene, is traditionally presented as the main contributor to disease pathology. However, accumulating evidence suggests the implication of the microtubule-associated tau protein to the pathogenesis and therefore, proposes an alternative conceptual framework where tau and mutant huntingtin (mHTT) act conjointly to drive neurodegeneration and cognitive dysfunction. This perspective on disease etiology offers new avenues to design therapeutic interventions and could leverage decades of research on Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies to rapidly advance drug discovery. In this mini review, we examine the breadth of tau-targeting treatments currently tested in the preclinical and clinical settings for AD and other tauopathies, and discuss the potential application of these strategies to HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Masnata
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Axe Neurosciences, Québec, QC, Canada.,Département de Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Shireen Salem
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Axe Neurosciences, Québec, QC, Canada.,Département de Médecine Moléculaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Aurelie de Rus Jacquet
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Axe Neurosciences, Québec, QC, Canada.,Département de Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Mehwish Anwer
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Axe Neurosciences, Québec, QC, Canada.,Département de Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Francesca Cicchetti
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Axe Neurosciences, Québec, QC, Canada.,Département de Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Département de Médecine Moléculaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
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