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Orsini F, Bosica M, Martucci A, De Paola M, Comolli D, Pascente R, Forloni G, Fraser PE, Arancio O, Fioriti L. SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein Induces Tau Pathological Changes That Can Be Counteracted by SUMO2. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7169. [PMID: 39000276 PMCID: PMC11241313 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25137169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurologic manifestations are an immediate consequence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the etiologic agent of COVID-19, which, however, may also trigger long-term neurological effects. Notably, COVID-19 patients with neurological symptoms show elevated levels of biomarkers associated with brain injury, including Tau proteins linked to Alzheimer's pathology. Studies in brain organoids revealed that SARS-CoV-2 alters the phosphorylation and distribution of Tau in infected neurons, but the mechanisms are currently unknown. We hypothesize that these pathological changes are due to the recruitment of Tau into stress granules (SGs) operated by the nucleocapsid protein (NCAP) of SARS-CoV-2. To test this hypothesis, we investigated whether NCAP interacts with Tau and localizes to SGs in hippocampal neurons in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we tested whether SUMOylation, a posttranslational modification of NCAP and Tau, modulates their distribution in SGs and their pathological interaction. We found that NCAP and Tau colocalize and physically interact. We also found that NCAP induces hyperphosphorylation of Tau and causes cognitive impairment in mice infected with NCAP in their hippocampus. Finally, we found that SUMOylation modulates NCAP SG formation in vitro and cognitive performance in infected mice. Our data demonstrate that NCAP induces Tau pathological changes both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we demonstrate that SUMO2 ameliorates NCAP-induced Tau pathology, highlighting the importance of the SUMOylation pathway as a target of intervention against neurotoxic insults, such as Tau oligomers and viral infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franca Orsini
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milano, MI, Italy; (F.O.); (M.B.); (A.M.); (M.D.P.); (D.C.); (R.P.); (G.F.)
| | - Marco Bosica
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milano, MI, Italy; (F.O.); (M.B.); (A.M.); (M.D.P.); (D.C.); (R.P.); (G.F.)
| | - Annacarla Martucci
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milano, MI, Italy; (F.O.); (M.B.); (A.M.); (M.D.P.); (D.C.); (R.P.); (G.F.)
| | - Massimiliano De Paola
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milano, MI, Italy; (F.O.); (M.B.); (A.M.); (M.D.P.); (D.C.); (R.P.); (G.F.)
| | - Davide Comolli
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milano, MI, Italy; (F.O.); (M.B.); (A.M.); (M.D.P.); (D.C.); (R.P.); (G.F.)
| | - Rosaria Pascente
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milano, MI, Italy; (F.O.); (M.B.); (A.M.); (M.D.P.); (D.C.); (R.P.); (G.F.)
| | - Gianluigi Forloni
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milano, MI, Italy; (F.O.); (M.B.); (A.M.); (M.D.P.); (D.C.); (R.P.); (G.F.)
| | - Paul E. Fraser
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 2S8, Canada;
| | - Ottavio Arancio
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Taub Institute for Research of Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA;
| | - Luana Fioriti
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milano, MI, Italy; (F.O.); (M.B.); (A.M.); (M.D.P.); (D.C.); (R.P.); (G.F.)
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Taub Institute for Research of Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA;
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Kettunen P, Koistinaho J, Rolova T. Contribution of CNS and extra-CNS infections to neurodegeneration: a narrative review. J Neuroinflammation 2024; 21:152. [PMID: 38845026 PMCID: PMC11157808 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-024-03139-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Central nervous system infections have been suggested as a possible cause for neurodegenerative diseases, particularly sporadic cases. They trigger neuroinflammation which is considered integrally involved in neurodegenerative processes. In this review, we will look at data linking a variety of viral, bacterial, fungal, and protozoan infections to Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis and unspecified dementia. This narrative review aims to bring together a broad range of data currently supporting the involvement of central nervous system infections in the development of neurodegenerative diseases. The idea that no single pathogen or pathogen group is responsible for neurodegenerative diseases will be discussed. Instead, we suggest that a wide range of susceptibility factors may make individuals differentially vulnerable to different infectious pathogens and subsequent pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pinja Kettunen
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jari Koistinaho
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Taisia Rolova
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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3
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Granholm ACE, Englund E, Gilmore A, Head E, Yong WH, Perez SE, Guzman SJ, Hamlett ED, Mufson EJ. Neuropathological findings in Down syndrome, Alzheimer's disease and control patients with and without SARS-COV-2: preliminary findings. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:92. [PMID: 38801558 PMCID: PMC11130011 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02743-9] [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: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 virus that led to COVID-19 is associated with significant and long-lasting neurologic symptoms in many patients, with an increased mortality risk for people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and/or Down syndrome (DS). However, few studies have evaluated the neuropathological and inflammatory sequelae in postmortem brain tissue obtained from AD and people with DS with severe SARS-CoV-2 infections. We examined tau, beta-amyloid (Aβ), inflammatory markers and SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein in DS, AD, and healthy non-demented controls with COVID-19 and compared with non-infected brain tissue from each disease group (total n = 24). A nested ANOVA was used to determine regional effects of the COVID-19 infection on arborization of astrocytes (Sholl analysis) and percent-stained area of Iba-1 and TMEM 119. SARS-CoV-2 antibodies labeled neurons and glial cells in the frontal cortex of all subjects with COVID-19, and in the hippocampus of two of the three DS COVID-19 cases. SARS-CoV-2-related alterations were observed in peri-vascular astrocytes and microglial cells in the gray matter of the frontal cortex, hippocampus, and para-hippocampal gyrus. Bright field microscopy revealed scattered intracellular and diffuse extracellular Aβ deposits in the hippocampus of controls with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections. Overall, the present preliminary findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infections induce abnormal inflammatory responses in Down syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Charlotte E Granholm
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Research Complex II, Aurora, CO, USA.
| | - Elisabet Englund
- Division of Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Anah Gilmore
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Research Complex II, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Elizabeth Head
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - William H Yong
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Sylvia E Perez
- Department of Translational Neuroscience and Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Samuel J Guzman
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Eric D Hamlett
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Elliott J Mufson
- Department of Translational Neuroscience and Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
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4
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Vavougios GD, Mavridis T, Doskas T, Papaggeli O, Foka P, Hadjigeorgiou G. SARS-CoV-2-Induced Type I Interferon Signaling Dysregulation in Olfactory Networks Implications for Alzheimer's Disease. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2024; 46:4565-4579. [PMID: 38785545 PMCID: PMC11119810 DOI: 10.3390/cimb46050277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Type I interferon signaling (IFN-I) perturbations are major drivers of COVID-19. Dysregulated IFN-I in the brain, however, has been linked to both reduced cognitive resilience and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. Previous works from our group have proposed a model where peripheral induction of IFN-I may be relayed to the CNS, even in the absence of fulminant infection. The aim of our study was to identify significantly enriched IFN-I signatures and genes along the transolfactory route, utilizing published datasets of the nasal mucosa and olfactory bulb amygdala transcriptomes of COVID-19 patients. We furthermore sought to identify these IFN-I signature gene networks associated with Alzheimer's disease pathology and risk. Gene expression data involving the nasal epithelium, olfactory bulb, and amygdala of COVID-19 patients and transcriptomic data from Alzheimer's disease patients were scrutinized for enriched Type I interferon pathways. Gene set enrichment analyses and gene-Venn approaches were used to determine genes in IFN-I enriched signatures. The Agora web resource was used to identify genes in IFN-I signatures associated with Alzheimer's disease risk based on its aggregated multi-omic data. For all analyses, false discovery rates (FDR) <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Pathways associated with type I interferon signaling were found in all samples tested. Each type I interferon signature was enriched by IFITM and OAS family genes. A 14-gene signature was associated with COVID-19 CNS and the response to Alzheimer's disease pathology, whereas nine genes were associated with increased risk for Alzheimer's disease based on Agora. Our study provides further support to a type I interferon signaling dysregulation along the extended olfactory network as reconstructed herein, ranging from the nasal epithelium and extending to the amygdala. We furthermore identify the 14 genes implicated in this dysregulated pathway with Alzheimer's disease pathology, among which HLA-C, HLA-B, HLA-A, PSMB8, IFITM3, HLA-E, IFITM1, OAS2, and MX1 as genes with associated conferring increased risk for the latter. Further research into its druggability by IFNb therapeutics may be warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- George D. Vavougios
- Department of Neurology, Medical School, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 1678, Cyprus
| | - Theodoros Mavridis
- Department of Neurology, Tallaght University Hospital (TUH)/The Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Dublin, Incorporating the National Children’s Hospital (AMNCH), D24 NR0A Dublin, Ireland;
| | | | - Olga Papaggeli
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 115 21 Athens, Greece; (O.P.); (P.F.)
| | - Pelagia Foka
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 115 21 Athens, Greece; (O.P.); (P.F.)
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5
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Vavougios GD, Tseriotis VS, Liampas A, Mavridis T, de Erausquin GA, Hadjigeorgiou G. Type I interferon signaling, cognition and neurodegeneration following COVID-19: update on a mechanistic pathogenetic model with implications for Alzheimer's disease. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1352118. [PMID: 38562226 PMCID: PMC10982434 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1352118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
COVID-19's effects on the human brain reveal a multifactorial impact on cognition and the potential to inflict lasting neuronal damage. Type I interferon signaling, a pathway that represents our defense against pathogens, is primarily affected by COVID-19. Type I interferon signaling, however, is known to mediate cognitive dysfunction upon its dysregulation following synaptopathy, microgliosis and neuronal damage. In previous studies, we proposed a model of outside-in dysregulation of tonic IFN-I signaling in the brain following a COVID-19. This disruption would be mediated by the crosstalk between central and peripheral immunity, and could potentially establish feed-forward IFN-I dysregulation leading to neuroinflammation and potentially, neurodegeneration. We proposed that for the CNS, the second-order mediators would be intrinsic disease-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) such as proteopathic seeds, without the requirement of neuroinvasion to sustain inflammation. Selective vulnerability of neurogenesis sites to IFN-I dysregulation would then lead to clinical manifestations such as anosmia and cognitive impairment. Since the inception of our model at the beginning of the pandemic, a growing body of studies has provided further evidence for the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the human CNS and cognition. Several preclinical and clinical studies have displayed IFN-I dysregulation and tauopathy in gene expression and neuropathological data in new cases, correspondingly. Furthermore, neurodegeneration identified with a predilection for the extended olfactory network furthermore supports the neuroanatomical concept of our model, and its independence from fulminant neuroinvasion and encephalitis as a cause of CNS damage. In this perspective, we summarize the data on IFN-I as a plausible mechanism of cognitive impairment in this setting, and its potential contribution to Alzheimer's disease and its interplay with COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- George D. Vavougios
- Department of Neurology, Medical School, University of Cyprus, Lefkosia, Cyprus
| | | | - Andreas Liampas
- Department of Neurology, Medical School, University of Cyprus, Lefkosia, Cyprus
| | - Theodore Mavridis
- Tallaght University Hospital (TUH)/The Adelaide and Meath Hospital Dublin, Incorporating the National Children's Hospital (AMNCH), Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gabriel A. de Erausquin
- Laboratory of Brain Development, Modulation and Repair, The Glenn Biggs Institute of Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Disorders, Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
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6
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Oliveira BR, Nehlmeier I, Kempf AM, Venugopalan V, Rehders M, Ceniza MEP, Cavalcanti PADTPV, Hoffmann M, Pöhlmann S, Brix K. Cytoskeletal β-tubulin and cysteine cathepsin L deregulation by SARS-CoV-2 spike protein interaction with the neuronal model cell line SH-SY5Y. Biochimie 2024:S0300-9084(24)00044-0. [PMID: 38432290 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2024.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 mainly infects the respiratory tract but can also target other organs, including the central nervous system. While it was recently shown that cells of the blood-brain-barrier are permissive to SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro, it remains debated whether neurons can be infected. In this study, we demonstrate that vesicular stomatitis virus particles pseudotyped with the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 variants WT, Alpha, Delta and Omicron enter the neuronal model cell line SH-SY5Y. Cell biological analyses of the pseudo-virus treated cultures showed marked alterations in microtubules of SH-SY5Y cells. Because the changes in β-tubulin occurred in most cells, but only few were infected, we further asked whether interaction of the cells with spike protein might be sufficient to cause molecular and structural changes. For this, SH-SY5Y cells were incubated with trimeric spike proteins for time intervals of up to 24 h. CellProfiler™-based image analyses revealed changes in the intensities of microtubule staining in spike protein-incubated cells. Furthermore, expression of the spike protein-processing protease cathepsin L was found to be up-regulated by wild type, Alpha and Delta spike protein pseudotypes and cathepsin L was found to be secreted from spike protein-treated cells. We conclude that the mere interaction of the SARS-CoV-2 with neuronal cells can affect cellular architecture and proteolytic capacities. The molecular mechanisms underlying SARS-CoV-2 spike protein induced cytoskeletal changes in neuronal cells remain elusive and require future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernardo R Oliveira
- Constructor University, School of Science, Campus Ring 1, D-28759, Bremen, Germany
| | - Inga Nehlmeier
- Deutsches Primatenzentrum - Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, Abteilung Infektionsbiologie, Kellnerweg 4, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Amy Madeleine Kempf
- Deutsches Primatenzentrum - Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, Abteilung Infektionsbiologie, Kellnerweg 4, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany; Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August University Göttingen, Wilhelmsplatz 1, D-37073, Göttingen, Germany.
| | | | - Maren Rehders
- Constructor University, School of Science, Campus Ring 1, D-28759, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Marianne E P Ceniza
- Constructor University, School of Science, Campus Ring 1, D-28759, Bremen, Germany.
| | | | - Markus Hoffmann
- Deutsches Primatenzentrum - Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, Abteilung Infektionsbiologie, Kellnerweg 4, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany; Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August University Göttingen, Wilhelmsplatz 1, D-37073, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Stefan Pöhlmann
- Deutsches Primatenzentrum - Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, Abteilung Infektionsbiologie, Kellnerweg 4, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany; Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August University Göttingen, Wilhelmsplatz 1, D-37073, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Klaudia Brix
- Constructor University, School of Science, Campus Ring 1, D-28759, Bremen, Germany.
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Choi CY, Gadhave K, Villano J, Pekosz A, Mao X, Jia H. Generation and characterization of a humanized ACE2 mouse model to study long-term impacts of SARS-CoV-2 infection. J Med Virol 2024; 96:e29349. [PMID: 38185937 PMCID: PMC10783855 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has officially ended, the persistent challenge of long-COVID or post-acute COVID sequelae (PASC) continues to impact societies globally, highlighting the urgent need for ongoing research into its mechanisms and therapeutic approaches. Our team has recently developed a novel humanized ACE2 mouse model (hACE2ki) designed explicitly for long-COVID/PASC research. This model exhibits human ACE2 expression in tissue and cell-specific patterns akin to mouse Ace2. When we exposed young adult hACE2ki mice (6 weeks old) to various SARS-CoV-2 lineages, including WA, Delta, and Omicron, at a dose of 5 × 105 PFU/mouse via nasal instillation, the mice demonstrated distinctive phenotypes characterized by differences in viral load in the lung, trachea, and nasal turbinate, weight loss, and changes in pro-inflammatory cytokines and immune cell profiles in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Notably, no mortality was observed in this age group. Further, to assess the model's relevance for long-COVID studies, we investigated tau protein pathologies, which are linked to Alzheimer's disease, in the brains of these mice post SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our findings revealed the accumulation and longitudinal propagation of tau, confirming the potential of our hACE2ki mouse model for preclinical studies of long-COVID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Yong Choi
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School, of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Kundlik Gadhave
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jason Villano
- Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Andrew Pekosz
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Xiaobo Mao
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Department of Material Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Hongpeng Jia
- Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School, of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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Chen J, Chen J, Lei Z, Zhang F, Zeng LH, Wu X, Li S, Tan J. Amyloid precursor protein facilitates SARS-CoV-2 virus entry into cells and enhances amyloid-β-associated pathology in APP/PS1 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:396. [PMID: 38104129 PMCID: PMC10725492 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02692-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Although there are indications of a trend towards less severe acute respiratory symptoms and a decline in overall lethality from the novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), more and more attention has been paid to the long COVID, including the increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in COVID-19 patients. In this study, we aim to investigate the involvement of N-terminal amyloid precursor protein (APP) in SARS-CoV-2-induced amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology. Utilizing both in vitro and in vivo methodologies, we first investigated the interaction between the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and N-terminal APP via LSPR and CoIP assays. The in vitro impacts of APP overexpression on virus infection were further evaluated in HEK293T/ACE2 cells, SH-SY5Y cells, and Vero cells. We also analyzed the pseudovirus infection in vivo in a mouse model overexpressing human wild-type APP. Finally, we evaluated the impact of APP on pseudovirus infection within human brain organoids and assessed the chronic effects of pseudovirus infection on Aβ levels. We reported here for the first time that APP, the precursor of the Aβ of AD, interacts with the Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, both in vivo and in vitro data further indicated that APP promotes the cellular entry of the virus, and exacerbates Aβ-associated pathology in the APP/PS1 mouse model of AD, which can be ameliorated by N-terminal APP blockage. Our findings provide experimental evidence to interpret APP-related mechanisms underlying AD-like neuropathology in COVID-19 patients and may pave the way to help inform risk management and therapeutic strategies against diseases accordingly.
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Grants
- This study was supported by the High-level Talent Foundation of Guizhou Medical University (YJ19017, HY2020, J.T.), Anyu Biopharmaceutics, Inc., Hangzhou (06202010204, J.T.), and Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science foundation (LY19HH090013, ZW),
- Scientific Research Project of higher education Institutions in Guizhou Province [192(2022), J.C.], Science and Technology Program of Guizhou Province [ZK(2023), General 301, J.C.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310058, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Novel Targets and Drug Study for Neural Repair of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, 310015, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, 550025, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Junsheng Chen
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, 550025, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Zhifeng Lei
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, 550025, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Fengning Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, 550025, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Ling-Hui Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Novel Targets and Drug Study for Neural Repair of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, 310015, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ximei Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310058, Hangzhou, China
| | - Song Li
- First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, 116021, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
| | - Jun Tan
- Key Laboratory of Novel Targets and Drug Study for Neural Repair of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, 310015, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, 550025, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.
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Amadoro G, Latina V, Stigliano E, Micera A. COVID-19 and Alzheimer's Disease Share Common Neurological and Ophthalmological Manifestations: A Bidirectional Risk in the Post-Pandemic Future. Cells 2023; 12:2601. [PMID: 37998336 PMCID: PMC10670749 DOI: 10.3390/cells12222601] [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: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
A growing body of evidence indicates that a neuropathological cross-talk takes place between the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) -the pandemic severe pneumonia that has had a tremendous impact on the global economy and health since three years after its outbreak in December 2019- and Alzheimer's Disease (AD), the leading cause of dementia among human beings, reaching 139 million by the year 2050. Even though COVID-19 is a primary respiratory disease, its causative agent, the so-called Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is also endowed with high neuro-invasive potential (Neurocovid). The neurological complications of COVID-19, resulting from the direct viral entry into the Central Nervous System (CNS) and/or indirect systemic inflammation and dysregulated activation of immune response, encompass memory decline and anosmia which are typically associated with AD symptomatology. In addition, patients diagnosed with AD are more vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection and are inclined to more severe clinical outcomes. In the present review, we better elucidate the intimate connection between COVID-19 and AD by summarizing the involved risk factors/targets and the underlying biological mechanisms shared by these two disorders with a particular focus on the Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, APOlipoprotein E (APOE), aging, neuroinflammation and cellular pathways associated with the Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP)/Amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau neuropathologies. Finally, the involvement of ophthalmological manifestations, including vitreo-retinal abnormalities and visual deficits, in both COVID-19 and AD are also discussed. Understanding the common physiopathological aspects linking COVID-19 and AD will pave the way to novel management and diagnostic/therapeutic approaches to cope with them in the post-pandemic future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppina Amadoro
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology (IFT), National Research Council (CNR), Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy;
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Viale Regina Elena 295, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Latina
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology (IFT), National Research Council (CNR), Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy;
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Viale Regina Elena 295, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Egidio Stigliano
- Area of Pathology, Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Istituto di Anatomia Patologica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Alessandra Micera
- Research and Development Laboratory for Biochemical, Molecular and Cellular Applications in Ophthalmological Sciences, IRCCS-Fondazione Bietti, Via Santo Stefano Rotondo, 6, 00184 Rome, Italy
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