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Nadel CM, Pokhrel S, Wucherer K, Oehler A, Thwin AC, Basu K, Callahan MD, Southworth DR, Mordes DA, Craik CS, Gestwicki JE. Phosphorylation of tau at a single residue inhibits binding to the E3 ubiquitin ligase, CHIP. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7972. [PMID: 39266525 PMCID: PMC11393453 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52075-1] [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: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT/tau) accumulates in a family of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). In disease, tau is aberrantly modified by post-translational modifications (PTMs), including hyper-phosphorylation. However, it is often unclear which of these PTMs contribute to tau's accumulation or what mechanisms might be involved. To explore these questions, we focus on a cleaved proteoform of tau (tauC3), which selectively accumulates in AD and was recently shown to be degraded by its direct binding to the E3 ubiquitin ligase, CHIP. Here, we find that phosphorylation of tauC3 at a single residue, pS416, is sufficient to weaken its interaction with CHIP. A co-crystal structure of CHIP bound to the C-terminus of tauC3 reveals the mechanism of this clash, allowing design of a mutation (CHIPD134A) that partially restores binding and turnover of pS416 tauC3. We confirm that, in our models, pS416 is produced by the known AD-associated kinase, MARK2/Par-1b, providing a potential link to disease. In further support of this idea, an antibody against pS416 co-localizes with tauC3 in degenerative neurons within the hippocampus of AD patients. Together, these studies suggest a molecular mechanism for how phosphorylation at a discrete site contributes to accumulation of a tau proteoform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cory M Nadel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Saugat Pokhrel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Kristin Wucherer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Abby Oehler
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Aye C Thwin
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Koli Basu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Matthew D Callahan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Daniel R Southworth
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Daniel A Mordes
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Charles S Craik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Jason E Gestwicki
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
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2
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Isei MO, Girardi PA, Rodwell-Bullock J, Nehrke K, Johnson GVW. Site-specific phosphorylation of tau impacts mitochondrial function and response to stressors. J Neurochem 2024; 168:1019-1029. [PMID: 37787052 PMCID: PMC10987400 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15975] [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: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Phosphorylation of tau at sites associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) likely plays a role in the disease progression. Mitochondrial impairment, correlating with increased presence of phosphorylated tau, has been identified as a contributing factor to neurodegenerative processes in AD. However, how tau phosphorylated at specific sites impacts mitochondrial function has not been fully defined. We examined how AD-relevant phosphomimetics of tau impact selected aspects of mitochondrial biology. To mimic phosphorylation at AD-associated sites, the serine/threonine (Ser/Thr) sites in wild-type green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged tau (T4) were converted to glutamic acid (E) to make pseudo-phosphorylated GFP-tagged Ser-396/404 (2EC) and GFP-tagged Thr-231/Ser-235 (2EM) constructs. These constructs were expressed in immortalized mouse hippocampal neuronal cell lines, and their impact on specific mitochondrial functions and responses to stressors were measured. Phosphomimetic tau altered mitochondrial distribution. Specifically, mitochondria accumulated in the soma of cells expressing either 2EC or 2EM and neurite-like extensions in 2EC cells were shorter. Additionally, adenosine triphosphate levels were reduced in both 2EC- and 2EM-expressing cells, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production increased in 2EC cells during oxidation of succinate when compared to T4-expressing cells. Thapsigargin reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and increased ROS production in both 2EC and 2EM cells relative to T4 cells, with no significant difference in the effects of rotenone. These results show that tau phosphorylation at specific AD-relevant epitopes negatively affects mitochondria, with the extent of dysfunction and stress response varying according to the sites of phosphorylation. Altogether, these findings show that phosphorylated tau increases mitochondrial susceptibility to stressors and extend our understanding of potential mechanisms whereby phosphorylated tau promotes mitochondria dysfunction in tauopathies, including AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael O Isei
- University of Rochester, Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Peter A Girardi
- University of Rochester, Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Joel Rodwell-Bullock
- University of Rochester, Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Keith Nehrke
- University of Rochester, Department of Medicine, Nephrology Division, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Gail VW Johnson
- University of Rochester, Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Rochester, New York, USA
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3
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Shi H, Zhao Y. Modulation of Tau Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease by Dietary Bioactive Compounds. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:831. [PMID: 38255905 PMCID: PMC10815728 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020831] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-associated protein essential for microtubule assembly and stability in neurons. The abnormal intracellular accumulation of tau aggregates is a major characteristic of brains from patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies. In AD, the presence of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), which is composed of hyperphosphorylated tau protein, is positively correlated with the severity of the cognitive decline. Evidence suggests that the accumulation and aggregation of tau cause synaptic dysfunction and neuronal degeneration. Thus, the prevention of abnormal tau phosphorylation and elimination of tau aggregates have been proposed as therapeutic strategies for AD. However, currently tau-targeting therapies for AD and other tauopathies are limited. A number of dietary bioactive compounds have been found to modulate the posttranslational modifications of tau, including phosphorylation, small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) mediated modification (SUMOylation) and acetylation, as well as inhibit tau aggregation and/or promote tau degradation. The advantages of using these dietary components over synthetic substances in AD prevention and intervention are their safety and accessibility. This review summarizes the mechanisms leading to tau pathology in AD and highlights the effects of bioactive compounds on the hyperphosphorylation, aggregation and clearance of tau protein. The potential of using these bioactive compounds for AD prevention and intervention is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huahua Shi
- Department of Bioengineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Weihai 264209, China;
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Department of Bioengineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Weihai 264209, China;
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
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4
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Davidson R, Krider RI, Borsellino P, Noorda K, Alhwayek G, Vida TA. Untangling Tau: Molecular Insights into Neuroinflammation, Pathophysiology, and Emerging Immunotherapies. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:8816-8839. [PMID: 37998730 PMCID: PMC10670294 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45110553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation, a core pathological feature observed in several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), is rapidly gaining attention as a target in understanding the molecular underpinnings of these disorders. Glial cells, endothelial cells, peripheral immune cells, and astrocytes produce a variety of pro-inflammatory mediators that exacerbate the disease progression. Additionally, microglial cells play a complex role in AD, facilitating the clearance of pathological amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ) plaques and aggregates of the tau protein. Tau proteins, traditionally associated with microtubule stabilization, have come under intense scrutiny for their perturbed roles in neurodegenerative conditions. In this narrative review, we focus on recent advances from molecular insights that have revealed aberrant tau post-translational modifications, such as phosphorylation and acetylation, serving as pathological hallmarks. These modifications also trigger the activation of CNS-resident immune cells, such as microglia and astrocytes substantially contributing to neuroinflammation. This intricate relationship between tau pathologies and neuroinflammation fosters a cascading impact on neural pathophysiology. Furthermore, understanding the molecular mechanisms underpinning tau's influence on neuroinflammation presents a frontier for the development of innovative immunotherapies. Neurodegenerative diseases have been relatively intractable to conventional pharmacology using small molecules. We further comprehensively document the many alternative approaches using immunotherapy targeting tau pathological epitopes and structures with a wide array of antibodies. Clinical trials are discussed using these therapeutic approaches, which have both promising and disappointing outcomes. Future directions for tau immunotherapies may include combining treatments with Aβ immunotherapy, which may result in more significant clinical outcomes for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Thomas A. Vida
- Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, 625 Shadow Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89106, USA; (R.D.); (R.I.K.); (P.B.); (K.N.); (G.A.)
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Nadel CM, Wucherer K, Oehler A, Thwin AC, Basu K, Callahan MD, Southworth DR, Mordes DA, Craik CS, Gestwicki JE. Phosphorylation of a Cleaved Tau Proteoform at a Single Residue Inhibits Binding to the E3 Ubiquitin Ligase, CHIP. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.16.553575. [PMID: 37645969 PMCID: PMC10462110 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.16.553575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT/tau) accumulates in a family of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). In disease, tau is aberrantly modified by post-translational modifications (PTMs), including hyper-phosphorylation. However, it is often unclear which of these PTMs contribute to tau's accumulation or what mechanisms might be involved. To explore these questions, we focused on a cleaved proteoform of tau (tauC3), which selectively accumulates in AD and was recently shown to be degraded by its direct binding to the E3 ubiquitin ligase, CHIP. Here, we find that phosphorylation of tauC3 at a single residue, pS416, is sufficient to block its interaction with CHIP. A co-crystal structure of CHIP bound to the C-terminus of tauC3 revealed the mechanism of this clash and allowed design of a mutation (CHIPD134A) that partially restores binding and turnover of pS416 tauC3. We find that pS416 is produced by the known AD-associated kinase, MARK2/Par-1b, providing a potential link to disease. In further support of this idea, an antibody against pS416 co-localizes with tauC3 in degenerative neurons within the hippocampus of AD patients. Together, these studies suggest a discrete molecular mechanism for how phosphorylation at a specific site contributes to accumulation of an important tau proteoform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cory M Nadel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158
| | - Kristin Wucherer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158
| | - Abby Oehler
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158
| | - Aye C Thwin
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158
| | - Koli Basu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158
| | - Matthew D Callahan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158
| | - Daniel R Southworth
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158
| | - Daniel A Mordes
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158
| | - Charles S Craik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158
| | - Jason E Gestwicki
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158
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Isei MO, Girardi PA, Rodwell-Bullock J, Nehrke K, Johnson GVW. Site-specific phosphorylation of tau impacts mitochondrial biology and response to stressors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.19.529131. [PMID: 36824940 PMCID: PMC9949115 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.19.529131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
Abstract
Phosphorylation of tau at sites associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) likely plays a role in the disease progression. Mitochondrial impairment, correlating with increased presence of phosphorylated tau, has been identified as a contributing factor to neurodegenerative processes in AD. However, how tau phosphorylated at specific sites impacts mitochondrial function has not been fully defined. We examined how AD-relevant phosphomimetics of tau impact selected aspects of mitochondrial biology. To mimic phosphorylation at AD-associated sites, the Ser/Thr sites in wild-type GFP tagged-tau (T4) were converted to glutamic acid (E) to make pseudophosphorylated GFP tagged-Ser-396/404 (2EC) and GFP tagged-Thr-231/Ser-235 (2EM) constructs. These constructs were expressed in neuronal HT22 cells and their impact on specific mitochondrial functions and responses to stressors were measured. Phosphomimetic tau altered mitochondrial distribution. Specifically, mitochondria accumulated in the soma of cells expressing either 2EC or 2EM, and neurite-like extensions in 2EC cells were shorter. Additionally, ATP levels were reduced in both 2EC and 2EM expressing cells, and ROS production increased in 2EC cells during oxidation of succinate when compared to T4 expressing cells. Thapsigargin reduced mitochondrial membrane potential (Ψ m ) and increased ROS production in both 2EC and 2EM cells relative to T4 cells, with no significant difference in the effects of rotenone. These results show that tau phosphorylation at specific AD-relevant epitopes negatively affects mitochondria, with the extent of dysfunction and stress response varying according to the sites of phosphorylation. Altogether, these findings extend our understanding of potential mechanisms whereby phosphorylated tau promotes mitochondria dysfunction in tauopathies, including AD. Funding information R01 AG067617.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael O Isei
- University of Rochester, Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Peter A Girardi
- University of Rochester, Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Joel Rodwell-Bullock
- University of Rochester, Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Keith Nehrke
- University of Rochester, Department of Medicine, Nephrology Division, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Gail VW Johnson
- University of Rochester, Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Rochester, New York, USA
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7
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Sahayaraj AE, Viswanathan R, Pinhero F, Abdul Vahid A, Vijayan V. Sequence-Dependent Conformational Properties of PGGG Motif in Tau Repeats: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Narrow Pick Filament. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:136-147. [PMID: 36512636 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00602] [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] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are a class of neurodegenerative diseases correlated with the presence of pathological Tau fibrils as a diagnostic marker. The microtubule-binding repeat region of Tau protein, which includes R1, R2, R3, and R4 repeats, constitutes the core of these fibrils. Each repeat consists of a semiconserved C-terminal hexapeptide flanked by KxGS and PGGG motifs. Previous studies have shown the influence of these peptides on protein aggregation, yet their repeat-specific properties are less explored. Using molecular dynamics, we probed the sequence-specific influence of the C-terminal hexapeptide (264ENLKHQ269) in determining the compact local conformation of the R1 repeat of the narrow Pick filament (NPF) with a homologous E264G mutation. In addition to that, we also studied the influence of 262S phosphorylation on this conformation as the phosphorylation is proposed to alleviate the pathogenesis of Pick's disease. Interestingly, we determined that E264G mutation induces a conformational shift of 270PGGG273 from a turn to a random coil. This conformational dependence is experimentally verified with the R1R3-E264G mutant construct, which displayed accelerated aggregation compared with the R1R3 wild-type construct. A significant delay in aggregation of the R1R3-G326E mutant further demonstrates the importance of 326G in determining the conformation of the R3 repeat. Thus, we conclude that the conformational properties of the PGGG motif in Tau repeats are strongly dependent on the repeat-specific sequence of the C-terminal hexapeptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allwin Ebenezer Sahayaraj
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Renjith Viswanathan
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Faina Pinhero
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Arshad Abdul Vahid
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Vinesh Vijayan
- School of Chemistry, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala PO, Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
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8
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de Lima IB, Ribeiro FM. The Implication of Glial Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors in Alzheimer's Disease. Curr Neuropharmacol 2023; 21:164-182. [PMID: 34951388 PMCID: PMC10190153 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x20666211223140303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) was first identified more than 100 years ago, yet aspects pertaining to its origin and the mechanisms underlying disease progression are not well known. To this date, there is no therapeutic approach or disease-modifying drug that could halt or at least delay disease progression. Until recently, glial cells were seen as secondary actors in brain homeostasis. Although this view was gradually refuted and the relevance of glial cells for the most diverse brain functions such as synaptic plasticity and neurotransmission was vastly proved, many aspects of its functioning, as well as its role in pathological conditions, remain poorly understood. Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) in glial cells were shown to be involved in neuroinflammation and neurotoxicity. Besides its relevance for glial function, glutamatergic receptors are also central in the pathology of AD, and recent studies have shown that glial mGluRs play a role in the establishment and progression of AD. AD-related alterations in Ca2+ signalling, APP processing, and Aβ load, as well as AD-related neurodegeneration, are influenced by glial mGluRs. However, different types of mGluRs play different roles, depending on the cell type and brain region that is being analysed. Therefore, in this review, we focus on the current understanding of glial mGluRs and their implication in AD, providing an insight for future therapeutics and identifying existing research gaps worth investigating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izabella B.Q. de Lima
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Fabíola M. Ribeiro
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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9
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Bartolome F, Carro E, Alquezar C. Oxidative Stress in Tauopathies: From Cause to Therapy. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:antiox11081421. [PMID: 35892623 PMCID: PMC9332496 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11081421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxidative stress (OS) is the result of an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the antioxidant capacity of cells. Due to its high oxygen demand, the human brain is highly susceptible to OS and, thus, it is not a surprise that OS has emerged as an essential component of the pathophysiology of several neurodegenerative diseases, including tauopathies. Tauopathies are a heterogeneous group of age-related neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the deposition of abnormal tau protein in the affected neurons. With the worldwide population aging, the prevalence of tauopathies is increasing, but effective therapies have not yet been developed. Since OS seems to play a key role in tauopathies, it has been proposed that the use of antioxidants might be beneficial for tau-related neurodegenerative diseases. Although antioxidant therapies looked promising in preclinical studies performed in cellular and animal models, the antioxidant clinical trials performed in tauopathy patients have been disappointing. To develop effective antioxidant therapies, the molecular mechanisms underlying OS in tauopathies should be completely understood. Here, we review the link between OS and tauopathies, emphasizing the causes of OS in these diseases and the role of OS in tau pathogenesis. We also summarize the antioxidant therapies proposed as a potential treatment for tauopathies and discuss why they have not been completely translated to clinical trials. This review aims to provide an integrated perspective of the role of OS and antioxidant therapies in tauopathies. In doing so, we hope to enable a more comprehensive understanding of OS in tauopathies that will positively impact future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Bartolome
- Group of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre Research Institute (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain;
- Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Spain;
| | - Eva Carro
- Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Spain;
- Neurobiology of Alzheimer’s Disease Unit, Chronic Disease Program, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28222 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carolina Alquezar
- Group of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre Research Institute (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain;
- Correspondence:
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10
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Woo JA, Yan Y, Kee TR, Cazzaro S, McGill Percy KC, Wang X, Liu T, Liggett SB, Kang DE. β-arrestin1 promotes tauopathy by transducing GPCR signaling, disrupting microtubules and autophagy. Life Sci Alliance 2021; 5:5/3/e202101183. [PMID: 34862271 PMCID: PMC8675912 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202101183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
GPCRs regulator, β-arrestin1, is increased in FTLD-tau patients, is required for β2-adrenergic receptor and metabotropic glutamate receptor 2-induced tau phosphorylation, promotes tau aggregation by impairing autophagy, and destabilizes microtubule dynamics, whereas genetic reduction in β-arrestin1 mitigates tauopathy and cognitive impairments. G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) have been shown to play integral roles in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis. However, it is unclear how diverse GPCRs similarly affect Aβ and tau pathogenesis. GPCRs share a common mechanism of action via the β-arrestin scaffolding signaling complexes, which not only serve to desensitize GPCRs by internalization, but also mediate multiple downstream signaling events. As signaling via the GPCRs, β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR), and metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGluR2) promotes hyperphosphorylation of tau, we hypothesized that β-arrestin1 represents a point of convergence for such pathogenic activities. Here, we report that β-arrestins are not only essential for β2AR and mGluR2-mediated increase in pathogenic tau but also show that β-arrestin1 levels are increased in brains of Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD-tau) patients. Increased β-arrestin1 in turn drives the accumulation of pathogenic tau, whereas reduced ARRB1 alleviates tauopathy and rescues impaired synaptic plasticity and cognitive impairments in PS19 mice. Biochemical and cellular studies show that β-arrestin1 drives tauopathy by destabilizing microtubules and impeding p62/SQSTM1 autophagy flux by interfering with p62 body formation, which promotes pathogenic tau accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Aa Woo
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Yan Yan
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Teresa R Kee
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Sara Cazzaro
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Kyle C McGill Percy
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Xinming Wang
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Tian Liu
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Stephen B Liggett
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, University of South Florida, College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - David E Kang
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
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11
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Carroll T, Guha S, Nehrke K, Johnson GVW. Tau Post-Translational Modifications: Potentiators of Selective Vulnerability in Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:1047. [PMID: 34681146 PMCID: PMC8533264 DOI: 10.3390/biology10101047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, and its severity is characterized by the progressive formation of tau neurofibrillary tangles along a well-described path through the brain. This spatial progression provides the basis for Braak staging of the pathological progression for AD. Tau protein is a necessary component of AD pathology, and recent studies have found that soluble tau species with selectively, but not extensively, modified epitopes accumulate along the path of disease progression before AD-associated insoluble aggregates form. As such, modified tau may represent a key cellular stressing agent that potentiates selective vulnerability in susceptible neurons during AD progression. Specifically, studies have found that tau phosphorylated at sites such as T181, T231, and S396 may initiate early pathological changes in tau by disrupting proper tau localization, initiating tau oligomerization, and facilitating tau accumulation and extracellular export. Thus, this review elucidates potential mechanisms through which tau post-translational modifications (PTMs) may simultaneously serve as key modulators of the spatial progression observed in AD development and as key instigators of early pathology related to neurodegeneration-relevant cellular dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trae Carroll
- Department of Pathology, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA;
| | - Sanjib Guha
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA;
| | - Keith Nehrke
- Department of Medicine, Nephrology Division, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA;
| | - Gail V. W. Johnson
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA;
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12
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Irwin R, Faust O, Petrovic I, Wolf SG, Hofmann H, Rosenzweig R. Hsp40s play complementary roles in the prevention of tau amyloid formation. eLife 2021; 10:69601. [PMID: 34369377 PMCID: PMC8437434 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69601] [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: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The microtubule-associated protein, tau, is the major subunit of neurofibrillary tangles associated with neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease. In the cell, however, tau aggregation can be prevented by a class of proteins known as molecular chaperones. While numerous chaperones are known to interact with tau, though, little is known regarding the mechanisms by which these prevent tau aggregation. Here, we describe the effects of ATP-independent Hsp40 chaperones, DNAJA2 and DNAJB1, on tau amyloid-fiber formation and compare these to the small heat shock protein HSPB1. We find that the chaperones play complementary roles, with each preventing tau aggregation differently and interacting with distinct sets of tau species. Whereas HSPB1 only binds tau monomers, DNAJB1 and DNAJA2 recognize aggregation-prone conformers and even mature fibers. In addition, we find that both Hsp40s bind tau seeds and fibers via their C-terminal domain II (CTDII), with DNAJA2 being further capable of recognizing tau monomers by a second, distinct site in CTDI. These results lay out the mechanisms by which the diverse members of the Hsp40 family counteract the formation and propagation of toxic tau aggregates and highlight the fact that chaperones from different families/classes play distinct, yet complementary roles in preventing pathological protein aggregation. Several neurological conditions, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, are characterized by the build-up of protein clumps known as aggregates. In the case of Alzheimer’s disease, a key protein, called tau, aggregates to form fibers that are harmful to neuronal cells in the brain. One of the ways our cells can prevent this from occurring is through the action of proteins known as molecular chaperones, which can bind to tau proteins and prevent them from sticking together. Tau can take on many forms. For example, a single tau protein on its own, known as a monomer, is unstructured. In patients with Alzheimer’s, these monomers join together into small clusters, known as seeds, that rapidly aggregate and accumulate into rigid, structured fibers. One chaperone, HSPB1, is known to bind to tau monomers and prevent them from being incorporated into fibers. Recently, another group of chaperones, called J-domain proteins, was also found to interact with tau. However, it was unclear how these chaperones prevent aggregation and whether they bind to tau in a similar manner as HSPB1. To help answer this question, Irwin, Faust et al. studied the effect of two J-domain proteins, as well as the chaperone HSBP1, on tau aggregation. This revealed that, unlike HSBP1, the two J-domain proteins can bind to multiple forms of tau, including when it has already aggregated in to seeds and fibers. This suggests that these chaperones can stop the accumulation of fibers at several different stages of the aggregation process. Further experiments examining which sections of the J-domain proteins bind to tau, showed that both attach to fibers via the same region. However, the two J-domain proteins are not identical in their interaction with tau. While one of them uses a distinct region to bind to tau monomers, the other does not bind to single tau proteins at all. These results demonstrate how different cellular chaperones can complement one another in order to inhibit harmful protein aggregation. Further studies will be needed to understand the full role of J-domain proteins in preventing tau from accumulating into fibers, as well as their potential as drug targets for developing new treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Irwin
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ofrah Faust
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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13
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Niu J, Iqbal K, Liu F, Hu W. Rats Display Sexual Dimorphism in Phosphorylation of Brain Tau with Age. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 82:855-869. [PMID: 34092647 DOI: 10.3233/jad-210341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Women have a two-fold higher risk than men to Alzheimer's disease (AD) at midlife. Larger brain tau burden was consistently shown in older women than age-matched men. The biological basis for this gender disparity remains elusive. OBJECTIVE We sought to know whether tau expression and phosphorylation physiologically differ between males and females. METHODS We used western blots and immunohistochemistry to compare the levels of total tau and phosphorylated tau in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex (EC) between sexes in Wistar rats at 40 days, and 8 and 20 months of age. RESULTS We detected no statistically significant difference in total tau, 3R-tau, and 4R-tau between sexes. However, female rats exhibited lower levels of tau unphosphorylated at the Tau-1 site at 40 days of age. At 8 months of age, females showed higher levels of tau phosphorylated at Ser190, Ser387, and Ser395 (Ser199, Ser396, and Ser404 of human tau, respectively) than males in EC. At 20 months of age, both brain regions of female rats consistently showed higher levels than males of tau phosphorylated at Ser253, Ser387, PHF-1 (Ser387/395), and Ser413 sites, which correspond to Ser262, Ser396, Ser396/404, and Ser422 of human tau, respectively. CONCLUSION Rats of both sexes have comparable levels of total tau, 3R-tau, and 4R-tau, whereas females exhibit higher levels of tau phosphorylated at multiple sites that are implicated in AD tau pathology, indicating a sexual dimorphism of tau phosphorylation that may potentially underlie the disparity in brain tau burden and risk for AD between sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Niu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Wen Hu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
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14
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Valencia A, Bieber VLR, Bajrami B, Marsh G, Hamann S, Wei R, Ling K, Rigo F, Arnold HM, Golonzhka O, Hering H. Antisense Oligonucleotide-Mediated Reduction of HDAC6 Does Not Reduce Tau Pathology in P301S Tau Transgenic Mice. Front Neurol 2021; 12:624051. [PMID: 34262517 PMCID: PMC8273312 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.624051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Acetylation of tau protein is dysregulated in Alzheimer's Disease (AD). It has been proposed that acetylation of specific sites in the KXGS motif of tau can regulate phosphorylation of nearby residues and reduce the propensity of tau to aggregate. Histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) is a cytoplasmic enzyme involved in deacetylation of multiple targets, including tau, and it has been suggested that inhibition of HDAC6 would increase tau acetylation at the KXGS motifs and thus may present a viable therapeutic approach to treat AD. To directly test the contribution of HDAC6 to tau pathology, we intracerebroventricularly injected an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) directed against HDAC6 mRNA into brains of P301S tau mice (PS19 model), which resulted in a 70% knockdown of HDAC6 protein in the brain. Despite a robust decrease in levels of HDAC6, no increase in tau acetylation was observed. Additionally, no change of tau phosphorylation or tau aggregation was detected upon the knockdown of HDAC6. We conclude that HDAC6 does not impact tau pathology in PS19 mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Ru Wei
- Biogen, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Karen Ling
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA, United States
| | - Frank Rigo
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA, United States
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15
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Candelise N, Scaricamazza S, Salvatori I, Ferri A, Valle C, Manganelli V, Garofalo T, Sorice M, Misasi R. Protein Aggregation Landscape in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Clinical Relevance and Future Applications. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22116016. [PMID: 34199513 PMCID: PMC8199687 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22116016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Intrinsic disorder is a natural feature of polypeptide chains, resulting in the lack of a defined three-dimensional structure. Conformational changes in intrinsically disordered regions of a protein lead to unstable β-sheet enriched intermediates, which are stabilized by intermolecular interactions with other β-sheet enriched molecules, producing stable proteinaceous aggregates. Upon misfolding, several pathways may be undertaken depending on the composition of the amino acidic string and the surrounding environment, leading to different structures. Accumulating evidence is suggesting that the conformational state of a protein may initiate signalling pathways involved both in pathology and physiology. In this review, we will summarize the heterogeneity of structures that are produced from intrinsically disordered protein domains and highlight the routes that lead to the formation of physiological liquid droplets as well as pathogenic aggregates. The most common proteins found in aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases and their structural variability will be addressed. We will further evaluate the clinical relevance and future applications of the study of the structural heterogeneity of protein aggregates, which may aid the understanding of the phenotypic diversity observed in neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niccolò Candelise
- Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, c/o CERC, 00143 Rome, Italy; (S.S.); (I.S.); (A.F.); (C.V.)
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, National Research Council, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-338-891-2668
| | - Silvia Scaricamazza
- Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, c/o CERC, 00143 Rome, Italy; (S.S.); (I.S.); (A.F.); (C.V.)
| | - Illari Salvatori
- Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, c/o CERC, 00143 Rome, Italy; (S.S.); (I.S.); (A.F.); (C.V.)
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, 00161 Rome, Italy; (V.M.); (T.G.); (M.S.); (R.M.)
| | - Alberto Ferri
- Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, c/o CERC, 00143 Rome, Italy; (S.S.); (I.S.); (A.F.); (C.V.)
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, National Research Council, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Cristiana Valle
- Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, c/o CERC, 00143 Rome, Italy; (S.S.); (I.S.); (A.F.); (C.V.)
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, National Research Council, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Manganelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, 00161 Rome, Italy; (V.M.); (T.G.); (M.S.); (R.M.)
| | - Tina Garofalo
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, 00161 Rome, Italy; (V.M.); (T.G.); (M.S.); (R.M.)
| | - Maurizio Sorice
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, 00161 Rome, Italy; (V.M.); (T.G.); (M.S.); (R.M.)
| | - Roberta Misasi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, 00161 Rome, Italy; (V.M.); (T.G.); (M.S.); (R.M.)
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16
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Bao C, Bajrami B, Marcotte DJ, Chodaparambil JV, Kerns HM, Henderson J, Wei R, Gao B, Dillon GM. Mechanisms of Regulation and Diverse Activities of Tau-Tubulin Kinase (TTBK) Isoforms. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2021; 41:669-685. [PMID: 32424773 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-020-00875-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Tau-tubulin kinase 1 (TTBK1) is a CNS-specific, kinase that has been implicated in the pathological phosphorylation of tau in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD). TTBK1 is a challenging therapeutic target because it shares a highly conserved catalytic domain with its homolog, TTBK2, a ubiquitously expressed kinase genetically linked to the disease spinocerebellar ataxia type 11. The present study attempts to elucidate the functional distinctions between the TTBK isoforms and increase our understanding of them as distinct targets for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease. We demonstrate that in cortical neurons, TTBK1, not TTBK2, is the isoform responsible for tau phosphorylation at epitopes enriched in tauopathies such as Serine 422. In addition, although our elucidation of the crystal structure of the TTBK2 kinase domain indicates almost identical structural similarity with TTBK1, biochemical and cellular assays demonstrate that the enzymatic activity of these two proteins is regulated by a combination of unique extra-catalytic sequences and autophosphorylation events. Finally, we have identified an unbiased list of neuronal interactors and phosphorylation substrates for TTBK1 and TTBK2 that highlight the unique cellular pathways and functional networks that each isoform is involved in. This data address an important gap in knowledge regarding the implications of targeting TTBK kinases and may prove valuable in the development of potential therapies for disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ru Wei
- Biogen, Cambridge, MA, 02134, USA
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17
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Wei Y, Liu M, Wang D. The propagation mechanisms of extracellular tau in Alzheimer's disease. J Neurol 2021; 269:1164-1181. [PMID: 33913022 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-021-10573-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Tubulin-associated unit (tau) is an important microtubule-associated protein. The abnormal intracellular aggregation of tau has been strongly associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Accumulating evidence has conclusively demonstrated that tau is present in the cytoplasm of neurons and is also actively released into the extracellular space. However, the types of tau species that are released are unclear, as is the mechanism of their release by donor neurons and subsequent uptake by recipient neurons in AD. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of abnormal tau cell-to-cell transmission can provide novel insights into the etiology and pathogenesis of AD and can help identify new targets for the development of AD therapies focused on counteracting neurodegeneration or even preventing it. From this perspective, the present review focuses on recent advances in understanding the mechanisms regulating the levels of extracellular tau and discusses the role of such mechanisms in the propagation of tau-associated pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Wei
- Xiyuan Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing city, 100091, China.
| | - Meixia Liu
- Xiyuan Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing city, 100091, China
| | - Dongxin Wang
- Jining Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine, Shandong province, 272000, China
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18
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Duquette A, Pernègre C, Veilleux Carpentier A, Leclerc N. Similarities and Differences in the Pattern of Tau Hyperphosphorylation in Physiological and Pathological Conditions: Impacts on the Elaboration of Therapies to Prevent Tau Pathology. Front Neurol 2021; 11:607680. [PMID: 33488502 PMCID: PMC7817657 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.607680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau protein, a neuronal microtubule-associated protein, becomes hyperphosphorylated in several neurodegenerative diseases called tauopathies. Hyperphosphorylation of tau is correlated to its redistribution from the axon to the somato-dendritic compartment at early stages of tauopathies. Interestingly, tau hyperphosphorylation begins in different regions of the brain in each tauopathy. In some regions, both neurons and glial cells develop tau hyperphosphorylation. Tau hyperphosphorylation is also observed in physiological conditions such as hibernation and brain development. In the first section of present article, we will review the spatiotemporal and cellular distribution of hyperphosphorylated tau in the most frequent tauopathies. In the second section, we will compare the pattern of tau hyperphosphorylation in physiological and pathological conditions and discuss the sites that could play a pivotal role in the conversion of non-toxic to toxic forms of hyperphosphorylated tau. Furthermore, we will discuss the role of hyperphosphorylated tau in physiological and pathological conditions and the fact that tau hyperphosphorylation is reversible in physiological conditions but not in a pathological ones. In the third section, we will speculate how the differences and similarities between hyperphosphorylated tau in physiological and pathological conditions could impact the elaboration of therapies to prevent tau pathology. In the fourth section, the different therapeutic approaches using tau as a direct or indirect therapeutic target will be presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Duquette
- Research Center of the University of Montreal Hospital (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada.,Département de Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Camille Pernègre
- Research Center of the University of Montreal Hospital (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada.,Département de Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Ariane Veilleux Carpentier
- Research Center of the University of Montreal Hospital (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada.,Département de Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Nicole Leclerc
- Research Center of the University of Montreal Hospital (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada.,Département de Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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19
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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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20
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Drepper F, Biernat J, Kaniyappan S, Meyer HE, Mandelkow EM, Warscheid B, Mandelkow E. A combinatorial native MS and LC-MS/MS approach reveals high intrinsic phosphorylation of human Tau but minimal levels of other key modifications. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:18213-18225. [PMID: 33106314 PMCID: PMC7939451 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.015882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal changes of neuronal Tau protein, such as phosphorylation and aggregation, are considered hallmarks of cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease. Abnormal phosphorylation is thought to precede aggregation and therefore to promote aggregation, but the nature and extent of phosphorylation remain ill-defined. Tau contains ∼85 potential phosphorylation sites, which can be phosphorylated by various kinases because the unfolded structure of Tau makes them accessible. However, methodological limitations (e.g. in MS of phosphopeptides, or antibodies against phosphoepitopes) led to conflicting results regarding the extent of Tau phosphorylation in cells. Here we present results from a new approach based on native MS of intact Tau expressed in eukaryotic cells (Sf9). The extent of phosphorylation is heterogeneous, up to ∼20 phosphates per molecule distributed over 51 sites. The medium phosphorylated fraction Pm showed overall occupancies of ∼8 Pi (± 5) with a bell-shaped distribution; the highly phosphorylated fraction Ph had 14 Pi (± 6). The distribution of sites was highly asymmetric (with 71% of all P-sites in the C-terminal half of Tau). All sites were on Ser or Thr residues, but none were on Tyr. Other known posttranslational modifications were near or below our detection limit (e.g. acetylation, ubiquitination). These findings suggest that normal cellular Tau shows a remarkably high extent of phosphorylation, whereas other modifications are nearly absent. This implies that abnormal phosphorylations at certain sites may not affect the extent of phosphorylation significantly and do not represent hyperphosphorylation. By implication, the pathological aggregation of Tau is not likely a consequence of high phosphorylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Friedel Drepper
- Group of Biochemistry and Functional Proteomics, Institute of Biology II, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jacek Biernat
- DZNE (German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases), Bonn, Germany
| | - Senthilvelrajan Kaniyappan
- DZNE (German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases), Bonn, Germany; Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Geriatric Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Helmut E Meyer
- Medical Proteome Center, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; Department of Biomedical Research, Leibniz-Institute for Analytical Sciences (ISAS), Dortmund, Germany
| | - Eva Maria Mandelkow
- DZNE (German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases), Bonn, Germany; CAESAR Research Center, Bonn, Germany
| | - Bettina Warscheid
- Group of Biochemistry and Functional Proteomics, Institute of Biology II, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Eckhard Mandelkow
- DZNE (German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases), Bonn, Germany; CAESAR Research Center, Bonn, Germany.
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21
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Kang DE, Woo JA. Cofilin, a Master Node Regulating Cytoskeletal Pathogenesis in Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2020; 72:S131-S144. [PMID: 31594228 PMCID: PMC6971827 DOI: 10.3233/jad-190585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The defining pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are proteinopathies marked by the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide and hyperphosphorylated tau. In addition, Hirano bodies and cofilin-actin rods are extensively found in AD brains, both of which are associated with the actin cytoskeleton. The actin-binding protein cofilin known for its actin filament severing, depolymerizing, nucleating, and bundling activities has emerged as a significant player in AD pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss the regulation of cofilin by multiple signaling events impinging on LIM kinase-1 (LIMK1) and/or Slingshot homolog-1 (SSH1) downstream of Aβ. Such pathophysiological signaling pathways impact actin dynamics to regulate synaptic integrity, mitochondrial translocation of cofilin to promote neurotoxicity, and formation of cofilin-actin pathology. Other intracellular signaling proteins, such as β-arrestin, RanBP9, Chronophin, PLD1, and 14-3-3 also impinge on the regulation of cofilin downstream of Aβ. Finally, we discuss the role of activated cofilin as a bridge between actin and microtubule dynamics by displacing tau from microtubules, thereby destabilizing tau-induced microtubule assembly, missorting tau, and promoting tauopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E Kang
- Byrd Institute and Alzheimer's Center, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA.,Division of Research, James A. Haley VA Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Jung A Woo
- Byrd Institute and Alzheimer's Center, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA.,Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA
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22
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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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Lin L, Petralia RS, Lake R, Wang YX, Hoffman DA. A novel structure associated with aging is augmented in the DPP6-KO mouse brain. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2020; 8:197. [PMID: 33225987 PMCID: PMC7682109 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-020-01065-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In addition to its role as an auxiliary subunit of A-type voltage-gated K+ channels, we have previously reported that the single transmembrane protein Dipeptidyl Peptidase Like 6 (DPP6) impacts neuronal and synaptic development. DPP6-KO mice are impaired in hippocampal-dependent learning and memory and exhibit smaller brain size. Using immunofluorescence and electron microscopy, we report here a novel structure in hippocampal area CA1 that was significantly more prevalent in aging DPP6-KO mice compared to WT mice of the same age and that these structures were observed earlier in development in DPP6-KO mice. These novel structures appeared as clusters of large puncta that colocalized NeuN, synaptophysin, and chromogranin A. They also partially labeled for MAP2, and with synapsin-1 and VGluT1 labeling on their periphery. Electron microscopy revealed that these structures are abnormal, enlarged presynaptic swellings filled with mainly fibrous material with occasional peripheral, presynaptic active zones forming synapses. Immunofluorescence imaging then showed that a number of markers for aging and especially Alzheimer’s disease were found as higher levels in these novel structures in aging DPP6-KO mice compared to WT. Together these results indicate that aging DPP6-KO mice have increased numbers of novel, abnormal presynaptic structures associated with several markers of Alzheimer’s disease.
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Arastoo M, Lofthouse R, Penny LK, Harrington CR, Porter A, Wischik CM, Palliyil S. Current Progress and Future Directions for Tau-Based Fluid Biomarker Diagnostics in Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E8673. [PMID: 33212983 PMCID: PMC7698492 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite continued efforts, there remain no disease-modifying drugs approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or European Medicines Agency (EMA) to combat the global epidemic of Alzheimer's disease. Currently approved medicines are unable to delay disease progression and are limited to symptomatic treatment. It is well established that the pathophysiology of this disease remains clinically silent for decades prior to symptomatic clinical decline. Identifying those at risk of disease progression could allow for effective treatment whilst the therapeutic window remains open for preservation of quality of life. This review aims to evaluate critically the current advances in the interpretation of tau-based biomarkers and their use to provide insights into the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease, whilst highlighting important future directions for the field. This review emphasises the need for a more comprehensive analysis and interrogation of tau within biological fluids, to aid in obtaining a disease specific molecular signature for each stage of Alzheimer's disease. Success in achieving this could provide essential utility for presymptomatic patient selection for clinical trials, monitoring disease progression, and evaluating disease modifying therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Arastoo
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZP, UK; (M.A.); (R.L.); (L.K.P.); (C.R.H.); (A.P.); (S.P.)
- Scottish Biologics Facility, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZP, UK
| | - Richard Lofthouse
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZP, UK; (M.A.); (R.L.); (L.K.P.); (C.R.H.); (A.P.); (S.P.)
- Scottish Biologics Facility, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZP, UK
| | - Lewis K. Penny
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZP, UK; (M.A.); (R.L.); (L.K.P.); (C.R.H.); (A.P.); (S.P.)
- Scottish Biologics Facility, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZP, UK
| | - Charles R. Harrington
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZP, UK; (M.A.); (R.L.); (L.K.P.); (C.R.H.); (A.P.); (S.P.)
- Genting TauRx Diagnostic Centre Sdn. Bhd., Aberdeen AB24 5RP, UK
- TauRx Therapeutics Ltd., Aberdeen AB24 5RP, UK
| | - Andy Porter
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZP, UK; (M.A.); (R.L.); (L.K.P.); (C.R.H.); (A.P.); (S.P.)
- Scottish Biologics Facility, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZP, UK
| | - Claude M. Wischik
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZP, UK; (M.A.); (R.L.); (L.K.P.); (C.R.H.); (A.P.); (S.P.)
- Genting TauRx Diagnostic Centre Sdn. Bhd., Aberdeen AB24 5RP, UK
- TauRx Therapeutics Ltd., Aberdeen AB24 5RP, UK
| | - Soumya Palliyil
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZP, UK; (M.A.); (R.L.); (L.K.P.); (C.R.H.); (A.P.); (S.P.)
- Scottish Biologics Facility, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZP, UK
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Tau PTM Profiles Identify Patient Heterogeneity and Stages of Alzheimer's Disease. Cell 2020; 183:1699-1713.e13. [PMID: 33188775 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 357] [Impact Index Per Article: 89.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
To elucidate the role of Tau isoforms and post-translational modification (PTM) stoichiometry in Alzheimer's disease (AD), we generated a high-resolution quantitative proteomics map of 95 PTMs on multiple isoforms of Tau isolated from postmortem human tissue from 49 AD and 42 control subjects. Although Tau PTM maps reveal heterogeneity across subjects, a subset of PTMs display high occupancy and frequency for AD, suggesting importance in disease. Unsupervised analyses indicate that PTMs occur in an ordered manner, leading to Tau aggregation. The processive addition and minimal set of PTMs associated with seeding activity was further defined by analysis of size-fractionated Tau. To summarize, features in the Tau protein critical for disease intervention at different stages of disease are identified, including enrichment of 0N and 4R isoforms, underrepresentation of the C terminus, an increase in negative charge in the proline-rich region (PRR), and a decrease in positive charge in the microtubule binding domain (MBD).
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Fu DL, Li JH, Shi YH, Zhang XL, Lin Y, Zheng GQ. Sanhua Decoction, a Classic Herbal Prescription, Exerts Neuroprotection Through Regulating Phosphorylated Tau Level and Promoting Adult Endogenous Neurogenesis After Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury. Front Physiol 2020; 11:57. [PMID: 32116767 PMCID: PMC7026024 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Ischemia stroke is the leading cause of death and long-term disability. Sanhua Decoction (SHD), a classic Chinese herbal prescription, has been used for ischemic stroke for about thousands of years. Here, we aim to investigate the neuroprotective effects of SHD on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (CIR) injury rat models. Methods: The male Sprague-Dawley rats (body weight, 250-280 g; age, 7-8 weeks) were randomly divided into sham group, CIR group, and SHD group and were further divided into subgroups according to different time points at 6 h, 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 d, respectively. The SHD group received intragastric administration of SHD at 10 g kg-1 d-1. The focal CIR models were induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion according to Longa's method, while sham group had the same operation without suture insertion. Neurological deficit score (NDS) was evaluated using the Longa's scale. BrdU, doublecortin (DCX), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were used to label proliferation, migration, and differentiation of nerve cells before being observed by immunofluorescence. The expression of reelin, total tau (t-tau), and phosphorylated tau (p-tau) were evaluated by western blot and RT-qPCR. Results: SHD can significantly improve NDS at 1, 3, 7, and 14 d (p < 0.05), increase the number of BrdU positive and BrdU/DCX positive cells in subventricular zone at 3, 7, and 14 d (p < 0.05), upregulate BrdU/GFAP positive cells in the ischemic penumbra at 28 d after CIR (p < 0.05), and reduce p-tau level at 1, 3, 7, and 14 d (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference on reelin and t-tau level between three groups at each time points after CIR. Conclusions: SHD exerts neuroprotection probably by regulating p-tau level and promoting the proliferation, migration, and differentiation of endogenous neural stem cells, accompanying with neurobehavioral recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Guo-Qing Zheng
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
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27
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Hefti MM, Kim S, Bell AJ, Betters RK, Fiock KL, Iida MA, Smalley ME, Farrell K, Fowkes ME, Crary JF. Tau Phosphorylation and Aggregation in the Developing Human Brain. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2019; 78:930-938. [PMID: 31504677 PMCID: PMC6751069 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlz073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau hyperphosphorylation, mostly at serine (Ser) or threonine (Thr) residues, plays a key role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease (AD) and other tauopathies. Rodent studies show similar hyperphosphorylation in the developing brain, which may be involved in regulating axonal growth and plasticity, but detailed human studies are lacking. Here, we examine tau phosphorylation by immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting in human fetal and adult autopsy brain tissue. Of the 20 cases with sufficient tissue preservation, 18 (90%) showed positive staining for S214 (pSer214), with the majority also positive for CP13 (pSer202), and PHF-1 (pSer396/pSer404). AT8 (pSer202/pThr205) and RZ3 (pThr231) were largely negative while PG5 (pSer409) was negative in all cases. Immunoblotting showed tau monomers with a similar staining pattern. We also observed phospho-tau aggregates in the fetal molecular layer, staining positively for S214, CP13, and PHF1 and negative for thioflavin S. These corresponded to high-molecular weight (∼150 kD) bands seen on Western blots probed with S214, PHF1, and PG5. We therefore conclude that fetal phosphorylation overlaps with AD in some residues, while others (e.g. T231, S409) appear to be unique to AD, and that tau is capable of forming nontoxic aggregates in the developing brain. These findings suggest that the fetal brain is resilient to formation of toxic aggregates, the mechanism for which may yield insights into the pathogenesis of tau aggregation and toxicity in the aging brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco M Hefti
- Department of Pathology
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - SoongHo Kim
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Department of Neuroscience
- Friedmann Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Aaron J Bell
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Analytical Instrumentation Facility Campus Box 7531, Monteith Research Center, 2410 Campus Shore Drive, Room 246, Raleigh, NC 27695-7531
| | - Ryan K Betters
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | | | - Megan A Iida
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Department of Neuroscience
- Friedmann Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | | | - Kurt Farrell
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Department of Neuroscience
- Friedmann Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | | | - John F Crary
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Department of Neuroscience
- Friedmann Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
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28
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Tapia-Rojas C, Cabezas-Opazo F, Deaton CA, Vergara EH, Johnson GVW, Quintanilla RA. It's all about tau. Prog Neurobiol 2018; 175:54-76. [PMID: 30605723 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2018.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2017] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Tau is a protein that is highly enriched in neurons and was originally defined by its ability to bind and stabilize microtubules. However, it is now becoming evident that the functions of tau extend beyond its ability to modulate microtubule dynamics. Tau plays a role in mediating axonal transport, synaptic structure and function, and neuronal signaling pathways. Although tau plays important physiological roles in neurons, its involvement in neurodegenerative diseases, and most prominently in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease (AD), has directed the majority of tau studies. However, a thorough knowledge of the physiological functions of tau and its post-translational modifications under normal conditions are necessary to provide the foundation for understanding its role in pathological settings. In this review, we will focus on human tau, summarizing tau structure and organization, as well as its posttranslational modifications associated with physiological processes. We will highlight possible mechanisms involved in mediating the turnover of tau and finally discuss newly elucidated tau functions in a physiological context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheril Tapia-Rojas
- Laboratory of Neurobiology of Aging, Centro de Biología Celular y Biomedicina (CEBICEM), Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
| | - Fabian Cabezas-Opazo
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carol A Deaton
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, USA
| | - Erick H Vergara
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gail V W Johnson
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, USA
| | - Rodrigo A Quintanilla
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Centro de Investigación y Estudio del Consumo de Alcohol en Adolescentes (CIIA), Santiago, Chile.
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Pradeepkiran JA, Reddy AP, Reddy PH. Pharmacophore-based models for therapeutic drugs against phosphorylated tau in Alzheimer's disease. Drug Discov Today 2018; 24:616-623. [PMID: 30453058 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2018.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2018] [Revised: 09/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Phosphorylated tau (P-tau) has received much attention in the field of Alzheimer's disease (AD), as a potential therapeutic target owing to its involvement with synaptic damage and neuronal dysfunction. The continuous failure of amyloid β (Aβ)-targeted therapeutics highlights the urgency to consider alternative therapeutic strategies for AD. The present review describes the latest developments in tau biology and function. It also explains abnormal interactions between P-tau with Aβ and the mitochondrial fission protein Drp1, leading to excessive mitochondrial fragmentation and synaptic damage in AD neurons. This article also addresses 3D pharmacophore-based drug models designed to treat patients with AD and other tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jangampalli Adi Pradeepkiran
- Garrison Institute on Aging, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th Street, MS 9424, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Arubala P Reddy
- Pharmacology & Neuroscience Department, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th Street, MS 9424, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - P Hemachandra Reddy
- Garrison Institute on Aging, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th Street, MS 9424, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Cell Biology & Biochemistry Department, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th Street, MS 9424, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Pharmacology & Neuroscience Department, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th Street, MS 9424, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Neurology Department, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th Street, MS 9424, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Departments, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th Street, MS 9424, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Garrison Institute on Aging, South West Campus, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 6630 S. Quaker Suite E, MS 7495, Lubbock, TX 79413, USA.
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30
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Press-Sandler O, Miller Y. Molecular mechanisms of membrane-associated amyloid aggregation: Computational perspective and challenges. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2018; 1860:1889-1905. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2018.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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Giacomini C, Koo CY, Yankova N, Tavares IA, Wray S, Noble W, Hanger DP, Morris JDH. A new TAO kinase inhibitor reduces tau phosphorylation at sites associated with neurodegeneration in human tauopathies. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2018; 6:37. [PMID: 29730992 PMCID: PMC5937037 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-018-0539-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related tauopathies, the microtubule-associated protein tau is highly phosphorylated and aggregates to form neurofibrillary tangles that are characteristic of these neurodegenerative diseases. Our previous work has demonstrated that the thousand-and-one amino acid kinases (TAOKs) 1 and 2 phosphorylate tau on more than 40 residues in vitro. Here we show that TAOKs are phosphorylated and active in AD brain sections displaying mild (Braak stage II), intermediate (Braak stage IV) and advanced (Braak stage VI) tau pathology and that active TAOKs co-localise with both pre-tangle and tangle structures. TAOK activity is also enriched in pathological tau containing sarkosyl-insoluble extracts prepared from AD brain. Two new phosphorylated tau residues (T123 and T427) were identified in AD brain, which appear to be targeted specifically by TAOKs. A new small molecule TAOK inhibitor (Compound 43) reduced tau phosphorylation on T123 and T427 and also on additional pathological sites (S262/S356 and S202/T205/S208) in vitro and in cell models. The TAOK inhibitor also decreased tau phosphorylation in differentiated primary cortical neurons without affecting markers of synapse and neuron health. Notably, TAOK activity also co-localised with tangles in post-mortem frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) brain tissue. Furthermore, the TAOK inhibitor decreased tau phosphorylation in induced pluripotent stem cell derived neurons from FTLD patients, as well as cortical neurons from a transgenic mouse model of tauopathy (Tau35 mice). Our results demonstrate that abnormal TAOK activity is present at pre-tangles and tangles in tauopathies and that TAOK inhibition effectively decreases tau phosphorylation on pathological sites. Thus, TAOKs may represent a novel target to reduce or prevent tau-associated neurodegeneration in tauopathies.
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32
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Caballero B, Wang Y, Diaz A, Tasset I, Juste YR, Stiller B, Mandelkow EM, Mandelkow E, Cuervo AM. Interplay of pathogenic forms of human tau with different autophagic pathways. Aging Cell 2018; 17. [PMID: 29024336 PMCID: PMC5770880 DOI: 10.1111/acel.12692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Loss of neuronal proteostasis, a common feature of the aging brain, is accelerated in neurodegenerative disorders, including different types of tauopathies. Aberrant turnover of tau, a microtubule-stabilizing protein, contributes to its accumulation and subsequent toxicity in tauopathy patients' brains. A direct toxic effect of pathogenic forms of tau on the proteolytic systems that normally contribute to their turnover has been proposed. In this study, we analyzed the contribution of three different types of autophagy, macroautophagy, chaperone-mediated autophagy, and endosomal microautophagy to the degradation of tau protein variants and tau mutations associated with this age-related disease. We have found that the pathogenic P301L mutation inhibits degradation of tau by any of the three autophagic pathways, whereas the risk-associated tau mutation A152T reroutes tau for degradation through a different autophagy pathway. We also found defective autophagic degradation of tau when using mutations that mimic common posttranslational modifications in tau or known to promote its aggregation. Interestingly, although most mutations markedly reduced degradation of tau through autophagy, the step of this process preferentially affected varies depending on the type of tau mutation. Overall, our studies unveil a complex interplay between the multiple modifications of tau and selective forms of autophagy that may determine its physiological degradation and its faulty clearance in the disease context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Caballero
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology; Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx NY 10461 USA
- Institute for Aging Studies; Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx NY 10461 USA
| | - Yipeng Wang
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE); 53175 Bonn Germany
- CAESAR Research Center; 53175 Bonn Germany
| | - Antonio Diaz
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology; Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx NY 10461 USA
- Institute for Aging Studies; Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx NY 10461 USA
| | - Inmaculada Tasset
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology; Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx NY 10461 USA
- Institute for Aging Studies; Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx NY 10461 USA
| | - Yves Robert Juste
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology; Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx NY 10461 USA
- Institute for Aging Studies; Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx NY 10461 USA
| | - Barbara Stiller
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology; Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx NY 10461 USA
- Institute for Aging Studies; Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx NY 10461 USA
| | - Eva-Maria Mandelkow
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE); 53175 Bonn Germany
- CAESAR Research Center; 53175 Bonn Germany
| | - Eckhard Mandelkow
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE); 53175 Bonn Germany
- CAESAR Research Center; 53175 Bonn Germany
| | - Ana Maria Cuervo
- Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology; Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx NY 10461 USA
- Institute for Aging Studies; Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Bronx NY 10461 USA
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Multivalent cross-linking of actin filaments and microtubules through the microtubule-associated protein Tau. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1981. [PMID: 29215007 PMCID: PMC5719408 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02230-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubule-associated proteins regulate microtubule dynamics, bundle actin filaments, and cross-link actin filaments with microtubules. In addition, aberrant interaction of the microtubule-associated protein Tau with filamentous actin is connected to synaptic impairment in Alzheimer’s disease. Here we provide insight into the nature of interaction between Tau and actin filaments. We show that Tau uses several short helical segments to bind in a dynamic, multivalent process to the hydrophobic pocket between subdomains 1 and 3 of actin. Although a single Tau helix is sufficient to bind to filamentous actin, at least two, flexibly linked helices are required for actin bundling. In agreement with a structural model of Tau repeat sequences in complex with actin filaments, phosphorylation at serine 262 attenuates binding of Tau to filamentous actin. Taken together the data demonstrate that bundling of filamentous actin and cross-linking of the cellular cytoskeleton depend on the metamorphic and multivalent nature of microtubule-associated proteins. The microtubule associated protein Tau also interacts with filamentous actin. Here the authors combine biophysical experiments and NMR studies to characterize the structural changes that occur in Tau upon binding to filamentous actin and show that phosphorylation of serine 262 attenuates actin binding of Tau.
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34
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Longhena F, Zaltieri M, Grigoletto J, Faustini G, La Via L, Ghidoni R, Benussi L, Missale C, Spano P, Bellucci A. Depletion of Progranulin Reduces GluN2B-Containing NMDA Receptor Density, Tau Phosphorylation, and Dendritic Arborization in Mouse Primary Cortical Neurons. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2017; 363:164-175. [DOI: 10.1124/jpet.117.242164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
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35
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Carlomagno Y, Chung DEC, Yue M, Castanedes-Casey M, Madden BJ, Dunmore J, Tong J, DeTure M, Dickson DW, Petrucelli L, Cook C. An acetylation-phosphorylation switch that regulates tau aggregation propensity and function. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:15277-15286. [PMID: 28760828 PMCID: PMC5602388 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.794602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Revised: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The aberrant accumulation of tau protein is a pathological hallmark of a class of neurodegenerative diseases known as tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. On the basis of previous observations that tau is a direct substrate of histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6), we sought to map all HDAC6-responsive sites in tau and determine how acetylation in a site-specific manner affects tau's biophysical properties in vitro. Our findings indicate that several acetylation sites in tau are responsive to HDAC6 and that acetylation on Lys-321 (within a KCGS motif) is both essential for acetylation-mediated inhibition of tau aggregation in vitro and a molecular tactic for preventing phosphorylation on the downstream Ser-324 residue. To determine the functional consequence of this HDAC6-regulated phosphorylation event, we examined tau's ability to promote microtubule assembly and found that phosphorylation of Ser-324 interferes with the normal microtubule-stabilizing function of tau. Tau phosphorylation of Ser-324 (pSer-324) has not previously been evaluated in the context of tauopathy, and here we observed increased deposition of pSer-324–positive tau both in mouse models of tauopathy and in patients with Alzheimer's disease. These findings uncover a novel acetylation–phosphorylation switch at Lys-321/Ser-324 that coordinately regulates tau polymerization and function. Because the disease relevance of this finding is evident, additional studies are needed to examine the role of pSer-324 in tau pathobiology and to determine whether therapeutically modulating this acetylation–phosphorylation switch affects disease progression in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yari Carlomagno
- From the Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida 32224
| | - Dah-Eun Chloe Chung
- From the Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida 32224.,the Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, Florida 32224, and
| | - Mei Yue
- From the Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida 32224
| | | | - Benjamin J Madden
- the Medical Genome Facility Proteomics Core, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905
| | - Judy Dunmore
- From the Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida 32224
| | - Jimei Tong
- From the Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida 32224
| | - Michael DeTure
- From the Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida 32224
| | - Dennis W Dickson
- From the Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida 32224.,the Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, Florida 32224, and
| | - Leonard Petrucelli
- From the Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida 32224, .,the Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, Florida 32224, and
| | - Casey Cook
- From the Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida 32224, .,the Neurobiology of Disease Graduate Program, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jacksonville, Florida 32224, and
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36
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Oliveira J, Costa M, de Almeida MSC, da Cruz e Silva OA, Henriques AG. Protein Phosphorylation is a Key Mechanism in Alzheimer’s Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2017; 58:953-978. [DOI: 10.3233/jad-170176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Joana Oliveira
- Department of Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Signalling Laboratory, iBiMED, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Márcio Costa
- Department of Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Signalling Laboratory, iBiMED, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | | | - Odete A.B. da Cruz e Silva
- Department of Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Signalling Laboratory, iBiMED, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Ana Gabriela Henriques
- Department of Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Signalling Laboratory, iBiMED, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
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37
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Reduction of Nuak1 Decreases Tau and Reverses Phenotypes in a Tauopathy Mouse Model. Neuron 2016; 92:407-418. [PMID: 27720485 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2016] [Revised: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Many neurodegenerative proteinopathies share a common pathogenic mechanism: the abnormal accumulation of disease-related proteins. As growing evidence indicates that reducing the steady-state levels of disease-causing proteins mitigates neurodegeneration in animal models, we developed a strategy to screen for genes that decrease the levels of tau, whose accumulation contributes to the pathology of both Alzheimer disease (AD) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Integrating parallel cell-based and Drosophila genetic screens, we discovered that tau levels are regulated by Nuak1, an AMPK-related kinase. Nuak1 stabilizes tau by phosphorylation specifically at Ser356. Inhibition of Nuak1 in fruit flies suppressed neurodegeneration in tau-expressing Drosophila, and Nuak1 haploinsufficiency rescued the phenotypes of a tauopathy mouse model. These results demonstrate that decreasing total tau levels is a valid strategy for mitigating tau-related neurodegeneration and reveal Nuak1 to be a novel therapeutic entry point for tauopathies.
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38
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Mair W, Muntel J, Tepper K, Tang S, Biernat J, Seeley WW, Kosik KS, Mandelkow E, Steen H, Steen JA. FLEXITau: Quantifying Post-translational Modifications of Tau Protein in Vitro and in Human Disease. Anal Chem 2016; 88:3704-14. [PMID: 26877193 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5b04509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), are associated with the aggregation of modified microtubule associated protein tau. This pathological state of tau is often referred to as "hyperphosphorylated". Due to limitations in technology, an accurate quantitative description of this state is lacking. Here, a mass spectrometry-based assay, FLEXITau, is presented to measure phosphorylation stoichiometry and provide an unbiased quantitative view of the tau post-translational modification (PTM) landscape. The power of this assay is demonstrated by measuring the state of hyperphosphorylation from tau in a cellular model for AD pathology, mapping, and calculating site occupancies for over 20 phosphorylations. We further employ FLEXITau to define the tau PTM landscape present in AD post-mortem brain. As shown in this study, the application of this assay provides mechanistic understanding of tau pathology that could lead to novel therapeutics, and we envision its further use in prognostic and diagnostic approaches for tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waltraud Mair
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School , Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Jan Muntel
- Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States.,Pathology, Harvard Medical School , Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Katharina Tepper
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases , 53175 Bonn, Germany.,CAESAR, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research , 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Shaojun Tang
- Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States.,Pathology, Harvard Medical School , Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Jacek Biernat
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases , 53175 Bonn, Germany.,CAESAR, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research , 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - William W Seeley
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California , San Francisco, California 94158, United States.,Department of Pathology, University of California , San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Kenneth S Kosik
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara , Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Eckhard Mandelkow
- DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases , 53175 Bonn, Germany.,CAESAR, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research , 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Hanno Steen
- Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States.,Pathology, Harvard Medical School , Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Judith A Steen
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital , Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States.,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School , Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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39
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Koss DJ, Robinson L, Mietelska-Porowska A, Gasiorowska A, Sepčić K, Turk T, Jaspars M, Niewiadomska G, Scott RH, Platt B, Riedel G. Polymeric alkylpyridinium salts permit intracellular delivery of human Tau in rat hippocampal neurons: requirement of Tau phosphorylation for functional deficits. Cell Mol Life Sci 2015; 72:4613-32. [PMID: 26070304 PMCID: PMC11113860 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-015-1949-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2015] [Revised: 05/13/2015] [Accepted: 06/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Patients suffering from tauopathies including frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) present with intra-neuronal aggregation of microtubule-associated protein Tau. During the disease process, Tau undergoes excessive phosphorylation, dissociates from microtubules and aggregates into insoluble neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), accumulating in the soma. While many aspects of the disease pathology have been replicated in transgenic mouse models, a region-specific non-transgenic expression model is missing. Complementing existing models, we here report a novel region-specific approach to modelling Tau pathology. Local co-administration of the pore-former polymeric 1,3-alkylpyridinium salts (Poly-APS) extracted from marine sponges, and synthetic full-length 4R recombinant human Tau (hTau) was performed in vitro and in vivo. At low doses, Poly-APS was non-toxic and cultured cells exposed to Poly-APS (0.5 µg/ml) and hTau (1 µg/ml; ~22 µM) had normal input resistance, resting-state membrane potentials and Ca(2+) transients induced either by glutamate or KCl, as did cells exposed to a low concentration of the phosphatase inhibitor Okadaic acid (OA; 1 nM, 24 h). Combined hTau loading and phosphatase inhibition resulted in a collapse of the membrane potential, suppressed excitation and diminished glutamate and KCl-stimulated Ca(2+) transients. Stereotaxic infusions of Poly-APS (0.005 µg/ml) and hTau (1 µg/ml) bilaterally into the dorsal hippocampus at multiple sites resulted in hTau loading of neurons in rats. A separate cohort received an additional 7-day minipump infusion of OA (1.2 nM) intrahippocampally. When tested 2 weeks after surgery, rats treated with Poly-APS+hTau+OA presented with subtle learning deficits, but were also impaired in cognitive flexibility and recall. Hippocampal plasticity recorded from slices ex vivo was diminished in Poly-APS+hTau+OA subjects, but not in other treatment groups. Histological sections confirmed the intracellular accumulation of hTau in CA1 pyramidal cells and along their processes; phosphorylated Tau was present only within somata. This study demonstrates that cognitive, physiological and pathological symptoms reminiscent of tauopathies can be induced following non-mutant hTau delivery into CA1 in rats, but functional consequences hinge on increased Tau phosphorylation. Collectively, these data validate a novel model of locally infused recombinant hTau protein as an inducer of Tau pathology in the hippocampus of normal rats; future studies will provide insights into the pathological spread and maturation of Tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dave J Koss
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, AB25 2ZD, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Lianne Robinson
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, AB25 2ZD, Aberdeen, UK
- Behavioural Neuroscience Core Facility, Division of Neuroscience, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | | | - Anna Gasiorowska
- Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland
- Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Kristina Sepčić
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tom Turk
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marcel Jaspars
- Department of Chemistry, Marine Biodiscovery Centre, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Grazyna Niewiadomska
- Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Roderick H Scott
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, AB25 2ZD, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Bettina Platt
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, AB25 2ZD, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Gernot Riedel
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, AB25 2ZD, Aberdeen, UK.
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40
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Sengupta U, Guerrero-Muñoz MJ, Castillo-Carranza DL, Lasagna-Reeves CA, Gerson JE, Paulucci-Holthauzen AA, Krishnamurthy S, Farhed M, Jackson GR, Kayed R. Pathological interface between oligomeric alpha-synuclein and tau in synucleinopathies. Biol Psychiatry 2015; 78:672-83. [PMID: 25676491 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2014] [Revised: 12/05/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aberrant accumulation of α-synuclein constitutes inclusion bodies that are considered a characteristic feature of a group of neurological disorders described as synucleinopathies. Often, multiple disease-causing proteins overlap within a given disease pathology. An emerging body of research focuses on the oligomeric populations of various pathogenic proteins, considering them as the culprits causing neuronal damage and degeneration. To this end, the use of conformation-specific antibodies has proven to be an effective tool. Previous work from our laboratory and others has shown that oligomeric entities of α-synuclein and tau accumulate in their respective diseases, but their interrelationship at this higher order has yet to be shown in synucleinopathies. METHODS Here, we used two novel conformation-specific antibodies, F8H7 and Syn33, which recognize α-synuclein oligomers and were developed in our laboratory. We investigated brain tissue from five of each Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies patients by performing biophysical and biochemical assays using these antibodies, in addition to the previously characterized anti-tau oligomer antibody T22. RESULTS We demonstrate that in addition to the deposition of oligomeric α-synuclein, tau oligomers accumulate in these diseased brains compared with control brains. Moreover, we observed that oligomers of tau and α-synuclein exist in the same aggregates, forming hybrid oligomers in these patients' brains. CONCLUSIONS In addition to the deposition of tau oligomers, our results also provide compelling evidence of co-occurrence of α-synuclein and tau into their most toxic forms, i.e., oligomers suggesting that these species interact and influence each other's aggregation via an interface in synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urmi Sengupta
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas; Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Marcos J Guerrero-Muñoz
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas; Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Diana L Castillo-Carranza
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas; Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Cristian A Lasagna-Reeves
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas; Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Julia E Gerson
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas; Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | | | - Shashirekha Krishnamurthy
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas; Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Malika Farhed
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas; Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - George R Jackson
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas; Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas; Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Rakez Kayed
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas; Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas; Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas.
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41
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Morris M, Knudsen GM, Maeda S, Trinidad JC, Ioanoviciu A, Burlingame AL, Mucke L. Tau post-translational modifications in wild-type and human amyloid precursor protein transgenic mice. Nat Neurosci 2015; 18:1183-9. [PMID: 26192747 PMCID: PMC8049446 DOI: 10.1038/nn.4067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 333] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The microtubule-associated protein tau has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative disorders. Reducing tau levels ameliorates AD-related synaptic, network, and behavioral abnormalities in human amyloid precursor protein (hAPP) transgenic mice. We used mass spectrometry to characterize the post-translational modification of endogenous tau isolated from wildtype and hAPP mice. We identified seven types of tau modifications at 63 sites in wildtype mice. Wildtype and hAPP mice had similar modifications, supporting the hypothesis that neuronal dysfunction in hAPP mice is enabled by physiological forms of tau. Our findings provide clear evidence for acetylation and ubiquitination of the same lysine residues; some sites were also targeted by lysine methylation. Our findings refute the hypothesis of extensive O-GlcNAc modification of endogenous tau. The complex post-translational modification of physiological tau suggests that tau is regulated by diverse mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meaghan Morris
- 1] Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, California, USA. [2] Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Department of Biological Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Giselle M Knudsen
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Sumihiro Maeda
- 1] Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, California, USA. [2] Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jonathan C Trinidad
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Alexandra Ioanoviciu
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Alma L Burlingame
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Lennart Mucke
- 1] Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, California, USA. [2] Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
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42
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Elie A, Prezel E, Guérin C, Denarier E, Ramirez-Rios S, Serre L, Andrieux A, Fourest-Lieuvin A, Blanchoin L, Arnal I. Tau co-organizes dynamic microtubule and actin networks. Sci Rep 2015; 5:9964. [PMID: 25944224 PMCID: PMC4421749 DOI: 10.1038/srep09964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The crosstalk between microtubules and actin is essential for cellular functions. However, mechanisms underlying the microtubule-actin organization by cross-linkers remain largely unexplored. Here, we report that tau, a neuronal microtubule-associated protein, binds to microtubules and actin simultaneously, promoting in vitro co-organization and coupled growth of both networks. By developing an original assay to visualize concomitant microtubule and actin assembly, we show that tau can induce guided polymerization of actin filaments along microtubule tracks and growth of single microtubules along actin filament bundles. Importantly, tau mediates microtubule-actin co-alignment without changing polymer growth properties. Mutagenesis studies further reveal that at least two of the four tau repeated motifs, primarily identified as tubulin-binding sites, are required to connect microtubules and actin. Tau thus represents a molecular linker between microtubule and actin networks, enabling a coordination of the two cytoskeletons that might be essential in various neuronal contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Auréliane Elie
- 1] Inserm, U836, BP170, 38042 Grenoble, Cedex 9, France [2] Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, BP170, 38042 Grenoble, Cedex 9, France
| | - Elea Prezel
- 1] Inserm, U836, BP170, 38042 Grenoble, Cedex 9, France [2] Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, BP170, 38042 Grenoble, Cedex 9, France
| | - Christophe Guérin
- Institut de Recherches en Technologies et Sciences pour le Vivant, iRTSV, Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire et Végétale, CNRS/CEA/INRA/UJF, 38054 Grenoble, France
| | - Eric Denarier
- 1] Inserm, U836, BP170, 38042 Grenoble, Cedex 9, France [2] Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, BP170, 38042 Grenoble, Cedex 9, France [3] iRTSV, GPC, CEA, 38054 Grenoble, France
| | - Sacnicte Ramirez-Rios
- 1] Inserm, U836, BP170, 38042 Grenoble, Cedex 9, France [2] Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, BP170, 38042 Grenoble, Cedex 9, France
| | - Laurence Serre
- 1] Inserm, U836, BP170, 38042 Grenoble, Cedex 9, France [2] Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, BP170, 38042 Grenoble, Cedex 9, France
| | - Annie Andrieux
- 1] Inserm, U836, BP170, 38042 Grenoble, Cedex 9, France [2] Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, BP170, 38042 Grenoble, Cedex 9, France [3] iRTSV, GPC, CEA, 38054 Grenoble, France
| | - Anne Fourest-Lieuvin
- 1] Inserm, U836, BP170, 38042 Grenoble, Cedex 9, France [2] Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, BP170, 38042 Grenoble, Cedex 9, France [3] iRTSV, GPC, CEA, 38054 Grenoble, France
| | - Laurent Blanchoin
- Institut de Recherches en Technologies et Sciences pour le Vivant, iRTSV, Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire et Végétale, CNRS/CEA/INRA/UJF, 38054 Grenoble, France
| | - Isabelle Arnal
- 1] Inserm, U836, BP170, 38042 Grenoble, Cedex 9, France [2] Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, BP170, 38042 Grenoble, Cedex 9, France
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43
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Deng SS, Wu LY, Wang YC, Cao PR, Xu L, Li QR, Liu M, Zhang L, Jiang YJ, Yang XY, Sun SN, Tan MJ, Qian M, Zang Y, Feng L, Li J. Protein kinase A rescues microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 2-induced microtubule instability and neurite disruption by phosphorylating serine 409. J Biol Chem 2014; 290:3149-60. [PMID: 25512381 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.629873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 2 (MARK2)/PAR-1b and protein kinase A (PKA) are both involved in the regulation of microtubule stability and neurite outgrowth, but whether a direct cross-talk exists between them remains unclear. Here, we found the disruption of microtubule and neurite outgrowth induced by MARK2 overexpression was blocked by active PKA. The interaction between PKA and MARK2 was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation and immunocytochemistry both in vitro and in vivo. PKA was found to inhibit MARK2 kinase activity by phosphorylating a novel site, serine 409. PKA could not reverse the microtubule disruption effect induced by a serine 409 to alanine (Ala) mutant of MARK2 (MARK2 S409A). In contrast, mutation of MARK2 serine 409 to glutamic acid (Glu) (MARK2 S409E) did not affect microtubule stability and neurite outgrowth. We propose that PKA functions as an upstream inhibitor of MARK2 in regulating microtubule stability and neurite outgrowth by directly interacting and phosphorylating MARK2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si-Si Deng
- From the National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 189 Guo Shoujing Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Le-Yu Wu
- Department of Neuropharmacology, CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ya-Chao Wang
- School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Peng-Rong Cao
- From the National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 189 Guo Shoujing Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Lei Xu
- From the National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 189 Guo Shoujing Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Qian-Ru Li
- From the National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 189 Guo Shoujing Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Meng Liu
- From the National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 189 Guo Shoujing Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Lun Zhang
- From the National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 189 Guo Shoujing Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yue-Jing Jiang
- From the National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 189 Guo Shoujing Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xiao-Yu Yang
- Department of Neuropharmacology, CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Sheng-Nan Sun
- The Chemical Proteomics Center and State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China, and
| | - Min-jia Tan
- The Chemical Proteomics Center and State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China, and
| | - Min Qian
- School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Yi Zang
- From the National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 189 Guo Shoujing Road, Shanghai 201203, China,
| | - Linyin Feng
- Department of Neuropharmacology, CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China,
| | - Jia Li
- From the National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 189 Guo Shoujing Road, Shanghai 201203, China, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai 200062, China
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44
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Tepper K, Biernat J, Kumar S, Wegmann S, Timm T, Hübschmann S, Redecke L, Mandelkow EM, Müller DJ, Mandelkow E. Oligomer formation of tau protein hyperphosphorylated in cells. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:34389-407. [PMID: 25339173 PMCID: PMC4256367 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.611368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal phosphorylation (“hyperphosphorylation”) and aggregation of Tau protein are hallmarks of Alzheimer disease and other tauopathies, but their causative connection is still a matter of debate. Tau with Alzheimer-like phosphorylation is also present in hibernating animals, mitosis, or during embryonic development, without leading to pathophysiology or neurodegeneration. Thus, the role of phosphorylation and the distinction between physiological and pathological phosphorylation needs to be further refined. So far, the systematic investigation of highly phosphorylated Tau was difficult because a reliable method of preparing reproducible quantities was not available. Here, we generated full-length Tau (2N4R) in Sf9 cells in a well defined phosphorylation state containing up to ∼20 phosphates as judged by mass spectrometry and Western blotting with phospho-specific antibodies. Despite the high concentration in living Sf9 cells (estimated ∼230 μm) and high phosphorylation, the protein was not aggregated. However, after purification, the highly phosphorylated protein readily formed oligomers, whereas fibrils were observed only rarely. Exposure of mature primary neuronal cultures to oligomeric phospho-Tau caused reduction of spine density on dendrites but did not change the overall cell viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Tepper
- From the DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 53175 Bonn, Germany, the CAESAR Research Center, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Jacek Biernat
- From the DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 53175 Bonn, Germany, the CAESAR Research Center, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Satish Kumar
- From the DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 53175 Bonn, Germany, the CAESAR Research Center, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Susanne Wegmann
- the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETHZ, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Timm
- the Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University, 35390 Giessen, Germany, and
| | - Sabrina Hübschmann
- From the DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 53175 Bonn, Germany, the CAESAR Research Center, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Lars Redecke
- the Joint Laboratory for Structural Biology of Infection and Inflammation, University of Hamburg and University of Lübeck, ℅DESY, 22603 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Eva-Maria Mandelkow
- From the DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 53175 Bonn, Germany, the CAESAR Research Center, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Daniel J Müller
- the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETHZ, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Eckhard Mandelkow
- From the DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 53175 Bonn, Germany, the CAESAR Research Center, 53175 Bonn, Germany,
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45
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Camero S, Benítez MJ, Cuadros R, Hernández F, Ávila J, Jiménez JS. Thermodynamics of the interaction between Alzheimer's disease related tau protein and DNA. PLoS One 2014; 9:e104690. [PMID: 25126942 PMCID: PMC4134230 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2014] [Accepted: 07/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau hyperphosphorylation can be considered as one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease and other tauophaties. Besides its well-known role as a microtubule associated protein, Tau displays a key function as a protector of genomic integrity in stress situations. Phosphorylation has been proven to regulate multiple processes including nuclear translocation of Tau. In this contribution, we are addressing the physicochemical nature of DNA-Tau interaction including the plausible influence of phosphorylation. By means of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) we measured the equilibrium constant and the free energy, enthalpy and entropy changes associated to the Tau-DNA complex formation. Our results show that unphosphorylated Tau binding to DNA is reversible. This fact is in agreement with the protective role attributed to nuclear Tau, which stops binding to DNA once the insult is over. According to our thermodynamic data, oscillations in the concentration of dephosphorylated Tau available to DNA must be the variable determining the extent of Tau binding and DNA protection. In addition, thermodynamics of the interaction suggest that hydrophobicity must represent an important contribution to the stability of the Tau-DNA complex. SPR results together with those from Tau expression in HEK cells show that phosphorylation induces changes in Tau protein which prevent it from binding to DNA. The phosphorylation-dependent regulation of DNA binding is analogous to the Tau-microtubules binding inhibition induced by phosphorylation. Our results suggest that hydrophobicity may control Tau location and DNA interaction and that impairment of this Tau-DNA interaction, due to Tau hyperphosphorylation, could contribute to Alzheimer's pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Camero
- Departamento de Química Física Aplicada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, (CSIC/UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - María J. Benítez
- Departamento de Química Física Aplicada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, (CSIC/UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Raquel Cuadros
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, (CSIC/UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Félix Hernández
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, (CSIC/UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Ávila
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, (CSIC/UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan S. Jiménez
- Departamento de Química Física Aplicada, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail:
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Ostrovskaya RU, Vakhitova YV, Kuzmina US, Salimgareeva MK, Zainullina LF, Gudasheva TA, Vakhitov VA, Seredenin SB. Neuroprotective effect of novel cognitive enhancer noopept on AD-related cellular model involves the attenuation of apoptosis and tau hyperphosphorylation. J Biomed Sci 2014; 21:74. [PMID: 25096780 PMCID: PMC4422191 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-014-0074-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2014] [Accepted: 07/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Noopept (N-phenyl-acetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester) was constructed as a dipeptide analog of the standard cognition enhancer, piracetam. Our previous experiments have demonstrated the cognition restoring effect of noopept in several animal models of Alzheimer disease (AD). Noopept was also shown to prevent ionic disbalance, excitotoxicity, free radicals and pro-inflammatory cytokines accumulation, and neurotrophine deficit typical for different kinds of brain damages, including AD. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective action of noopept on cellular model of AD, Aβ25–35-induced toxicity in PC12 cells and revealed the underlying mechanisms. Results The neuroprotective effect of noopept (added to the medium at 10 μM concentration, 72 hours before Аβ25–35) was studied on Аβ25–35-induced injury (5 μM for 24 h) in PC12 cells. The ability of drug to protect the impairments of cell viability, calcium homeostasis, ROS level, mitochondrial function, tau phosphorylation and neurite outgrowth caused by Аβ25–35 were evaluated. Following the exposure of PC12 cells to Аβ25–35 an increase of the level of ROS, intracellular calcium, and tau phosphorylation at Ser396 were observed; these changes were accompanied by a decrease in cell viability and an increase of apoptosis. Noopept treatment before the amyloid-beta exposure improved PC12 cells viability, reduced the number of early and late apoptotic cells, the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species and calcium and enhanced the mitochondrial membrane potential. In addition, pretreatment of PC12 cell with noopept significantly attenuated tau hyperphosphorylation at Ser396 and ameliorated the alterations of neurite outgrowth evoked by Аβ25–35. Conclusions Taken together, these data provide evidence that novel cognitive enhancer noopept protects PC12 cell against deleterious actions of Aβ through inhibiting the oxidative damage and calcium overload as well as suppressing the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Moreover, neuroprotective properties of noopept likely include its ability to decrease tau phosphorylation and to restore the altered morphology of PC12 cells. Therefore, this nootropic dipeptide is able to positively affect not only common pathogenic pathways but also disease-specific mechanisms underlying Aβ-related pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita U Ostrovskaya
- Zakusov Institute of Pharmacology RAS, Baltiyskaya 8, 125315, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Yulia V Vakhitova
- Institute of Biochemistry and Genetics Ufa Scientific Centre RAS, Prospect Oktyabrya, 71, 450054, Ufa, Russia.
| | - Uliyana Sh Kuzmina
- Institute of Biochemistry and Genetics Ufa Scientific Centre RAS, Prospect Oktyabrya, 71, 450054, Ufa, Russia.
| | - Milyausha Kh Salimgareeva
- Institute of Biochemistry and Genetics Ufa Scientific Centre RAS, Prospect Oktyabrya, 71, 450054, Ufa, Russia.
| | - Liana F Zainullina
- Institute of Biochemistry and Genetics Ufa Scientific Centre RAS, Prospect Oktyabrya, 71, 450054, Ufa, Russia.
| | - Tatiana A Gudasheva
- Zakusov Institute of Pharmacology RAS, Baltiyskaya 8, 125315, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Vener A Vakhitov
- Institute of Biochemistry and Genetics Ufa Scientific Centre RAS, Prospect Oktyabrya, 71, 450054, Ufa, Russia.
| | - Sergey B Seredenin
- Zakusov Institute of Pharmacology RAS, Baltiyskaya 8, 125315, Moscow, Russia.
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Flach K, Ramminger E, Hilbrich I, Arsalan-Werner A, Albrecht F, Herrmann L, Goedert M, Arendt T, Holzer M. Axotrophin/MARCH7 acts as an E3 ubiquitin ligase and ubiquitinates tau protein in vitro impairing microtubule binding. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2014; 1842:1527-38. [PMID: 24905733 PMCID: PMC4311138 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2014.05.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2013] [Revised: 05/05/2014] [Accepted: 05/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Tau is the major microtubule-associated protein in neurons involved in microtubule stabilization in the axonal compartment. Changes in tau gene expression, alternative splicing and posttranslational modification regulate tau function and in tauopathies can result in tau mislocalization and dysfunction, causing tau aggregation and cell death. To uncover proteins involved in the development of tauopathies, a yeast two-hybrid system was used to screen for tau-interacting proteins. We show that axotrophin/MARCH7, a RING-variant domain containing protein with similarity to E3 ubiquitin ligases interacts with tau. We defined the tau binding domain to amino acids 552–682 of axotrophin comprising the RING-variant domain. Co-immunoprecipitation and co-localization confirmed the specificity of the interaction. Intracellular localization of axotrophin is determined by an N-terminal nuclear targeting signal and a C-terminal nuclear export signal. In AD brain nuclear localization is lost and axotrophin is rather associated with neurofibrillary tangles. We find here that tau becomes mono-ubiquitinated by recombinant tau-interacting RING-variant domain, which diminishes its microtubule-binding. In vitro ubiquitination of four-repeat tau results in incorporation of up to four ubiquitin molecules compared to two molecules in three-repeat tau. In summary, we present a novel tau modification occurring preferentially on 4-repeat tau protein which modifies microtubule-binding and may impact on the pathogenesis of tauopathies. We search for tau-interacting proteins using a cytotrap yeast two-hybrid assay. MARCH7 was identified as a tau-binding protein and confirmed by several methods. Recombinant MARCH7 Ring-variant domain uses Ubc5 for E3 self-ubiquitinating activity. MARCH7 Ring-variant domain mono-ubiquitinates tau protein at multiple sites including the microtubule-binding domain. Mono-ubiquitination of tau protein diminishes its microtubule-binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Flach
- Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, Department of Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration, University of Leipzig, 04109 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ellen Ramminger
- Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, Department of Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration, University of Leipzig, 04109 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Isabel Hilbrich
- Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, Department of Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration, University of Leipzig, 04109 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Annika Arsalan-Werner
- Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, Department of Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration, University of Leipzig, 04109 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Franziska Albrecht
- Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, Department of Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration, University of Leipzig, 04109 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lydia Herrmann
- Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, Department of Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration, University of Leipzig, 04109 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Michel Goedert
- MRC, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Neurobiology Division, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Thomas Arendt
- Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, Department of Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration, University of Leipzig, 04109 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Max Holzer
- Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, Department of Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration, University of Leipzig, 04109 Leipzig, Germany.
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48
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Tenreiro S, Eckermann K, Outeiro TF. Protein phosphorylation in neurodegeneration: friend or foe? Front Mol Neurosci 2014; 7:42. [PMID: 24860424 PMCID: PMC4026737 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2014.00042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2014] [Accepted: 04/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein misfolding and aggregation is a common hallmark in neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and fronto-temporal dementia (FTD). In these disorders, the misfolding and aggregation of specific proteins occurs alongside neuronal degeneration in somewhat specific brain areas, depending on the disorder and the stage of the disease. However, we still do not fully understand the mechanisms governing protein aggregation, and whether this constitutes a protective or detrimental process. In PD, alpha-synuclein (aSyn) forms protein aggregates, known as Lewy bodies, and is phosphorylated at serine 129. Other residues have also been shown to be phosphorylated, but the significance of phosphorylation in the biology and pathophysiology of the protein is still controversial. In AD and in FTD, hyperphosphorylation of tau protein causes its misfolding and aggregation. Again, our understanding of the precise consequences of tau phosphorylation in the biology and pathophysiology of the protein is still limited. Through the use of a variety of model organisms and technical approaches, we are now gaining stronger insight into the effects of phosphorylation in the behavior of these proteins. In this review, we cover recent findings in the field and discuss how targeting phosphorylation events might be used for therapeutic intervention in these devastating diseases of the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Tenreiro
- Cell and Molecular Neuroscience Unit, Instituto de Medicina Molecular Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Katrin Eckermann
- Department of Neurology, Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University Medical Center Göttingen Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tiago F Outeiro
- Cell and Molecular Neuroscience Unit, Instituto de Medicina Molecular Lisboa, Portugal ; Instituto de Fisiologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa Lisboa, Portugal ; Department of NeuroDegeneration and Restorative Research, Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University Medical Center Göttingen Göttingen, Germany
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49
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Schwalbe M, Biernat J, Bibow S, Ozenne V, Jensen MR, Kadavath H, Blackledge M, Mandelkow E, Zweckstetter M. Phosphorylation of human Tau protein by microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 2. Biochemistry 2013; 52:9068-79. [PMID: 24251416 DOI: 10.1021/bi401266n] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Tau protein plays an important role in neuronal physiology and Alzheimer's neurodegeneration. Its abilities to aggregate abnormally, to bind to microtubules (MTs), and to promote MT assembly are all influenced by phosphorylation. Phosphorylation of serine residues in the KXGS motifs of Tau's repeat domain, crucial for MT interactions and aggregation, is facilitated most efficiently by microtubule-associated protein/microtubule affinity-regulating kinases (MARKs). Here we applied high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance analysis to study the kinetics of phosphorylation of Tau by MARK2 and its impact on the structure and microtubule binding of Tau. We demonstrate that MARK2 binds to the N-terminal tail of Tau and selectively phosphorylates three major and five minor serine residues in the repeat domain and C-terminal tail. Structural changes induced by phosphorylation of Tau by MARK2 are highly localized in the proximity of the phosphorylation site and do not affect the global conformation, in contrast to phosphorylation in the proline-rich region. Furthermore, single-residue analysis of binding of Tau to MTs provides support for a model in which Tau's hot spots of MT interaction bind independently of each other and are differentially affected by phosphorylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Schwalbe
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) , 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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50
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Agholme L, Nath S, Domert J, Marcusson J, Kågedal K, Hallbeck M. Proteasome inhibition induces stress kinase dependent transport deficits--implications for Alzheimer's disease. Mol Cell Neurosci 2013; 58:29-39. [PMID: 24270002 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2013.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2013] [Revised: 10/10/2013] [Accepted: 11/14/2013] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by accumulation of two misfolded and aggregated proteins, β-amyloid and hyperphosphorylated tau. Both cellular systems responsible for clearance of misfolded and aggregated proteins, the lysosomal and the proteasomal, have been shown to be malfunctioning in the aged brain and more so in patients with neurodegenerative diseases, including AD. This malfunction could be contributing to β-amyloid and tau accumulation, eventually aggregating in plaques and tangles. We have investigated the impact of decreased proteasome activity on tau phosphorylation as well as on microtubule stability and transport. To do this, we used our recently developed neuronal model where human SH-SY5Y cells obtain neuronal morphology and function through differentiation. We found that exposure to low doses of the proteasome inhibitor MG-115 caused tau phosphorylation, microtubule destabilization and disturbed neuritic transport. Furthermore, reduced proteasome activity activated several proteins implicated in tau phosphorylation and AD pathology, including c-Jun N-terminal kinase, c-Jun and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) 1/2. Restoration of the microtubule transport was achieved by inhibiting ERK 1/2 activation, and simultaneous inhibition of both ERK 1/2 and c-Jun reversed the proteasome inhibition-induced tau phosphorylation. Taken together, this study suggests that a decrease in proteasome activity can, through activation of c-Jun and ERK 1/2, result in several events related to neurodegenerative diseases. Restoration of proteasome activity or modulation of ERK 1/2 and c-Jun function can open new treatment possibilities against neurodegenerative diseases such as AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lotta Agholme
- Experimental Pathology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Sangeeta Nath
- Experimental Pathology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Jakob Domert
- Experimental Pathology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Jan Marcusson
- Geriatric, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Katarina Kågedal
- Experimental Pathology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Martin Hallbeck
- Experimental Pathology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; Department of Clinical Pathology, County Council of Östergötland, Linköping, Sweden.
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