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Li J, Huang X, An Y, Chen X, Chen Y, Xu M, Shan H, Zhang M. The role of snapin in regulation of brain homeostasis. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:1696-1701. [PMID: 38103234 PMCID: PMC10960280 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.389364] [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: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain homeostasis refers to the normal working state of the brain in a certain period, which is important for overall health and normal life activities. Currently, there is a lack of effective treatment methods for the adverse consequences caused by brain homeostasis imbalance. Snapin is a protein that assists in the formation of neuronal synapses and plays a crucial role in the normal growth and development of synapses. Recently, many researchers have reported the association between snapin and neurologic and psychiatric disorders, demonstrating that snapin can improve brain homeostasis. Clinical manifestations of brain disease often involve imbalances in brain homeostasis and may lead to neurological and behavioral sequelae. This article aims to explore the role of snapin in restoring brain homeostasis after injury or diseases, highlighting its significance in maintaining brain homeostasis and treating brain diseases. Additionally, it comprehensively discusses the implications of snapin in other extracerebral diseases such as diabetes and viral infections, with the objective of determining the clinical potential of snapin in maintaining brain homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawen Li
- Shanghai Key Lab of Forensic Medicine, Key Lab of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, China (Academy of Forensic Science), Shanghai, China
- Institute of Forensic Sciences, Suzhou Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xinqi Huang
- Institute of Forensic Sciences, Suzhou Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yumei An
- Institute of Forensic Sciences, Suzhou Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xueshi Chen
- Institute of Forensic Sciences, Suzhou Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yiyang Chen
- Institute of Forensic Sciences, Suzhou Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Mingyuan Xu
- Institute of Forensic Sciences, Suzhou Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Haiyan Shan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Mingyang Zhang
- Shanghai Key Lab of Forensic Medicine, Key Lab of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, China (Academy of Forensic Science), Shanghai, China
- Institute of Forensic Sciences, Suzhou Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
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2
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Li Z, Yin B, Zhang S, Lan Z, Zhang L. Targeting protein kinases for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: Recent progress and future perspectives. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 261:115817. [PMID: 37722288 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a serious neurodegenerative disease characterized by memory impairment, mental retardation, impaired motor balance, loss of self-care and even death. Among the complex and diverse pathological changes in AD, protein kinases are deeply involved in abnormal phosphorylation of Tau proteins to form intracellular neuronal fiber tangles, neuronal loss, extracellular β-amyloid (Aβ) deposits to form amyloid plaques, and synaptic disturbances. As a disease of the elderly, the growing geriatric population is directly driving the market demand for AD therapeutics, and protein kinases are potential targets for the future fight against AD. This perspective provides an in-depth look at the role of the major protein kinases (GSK-3β, CDK5, p38 MAPK, ERK1/2, and JNK3) in the pathogenesis of AD. At the same time, the development of different protein kinase inhibitors and the current state of clinical advancement are also outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijia Li
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, China
| | - Bo Yin
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, China
| | - Shuangqian Zhang
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, China
| | - Zhigang Lan
- Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Lan Zhang
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, China.
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Lee YH, Suh BK, Lee U, Ryu SH, Shin SR, Chang S, Park SK, Chung KC. DYRK3 phosphorylates SNAPIN to regulate axonal retrograde transport and neurotransmitter release. Cell Death Dis 2022; 8:503. [PMID: 36585413 PMCID: PMC9803678 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-022-01290-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Among the five members of the dual-specificity tyrosine-phosphorylation-regulated kinase (DYRK) family, the cellular functions of DYRK3 have not been fully elucidated. Some studies have indicated limited physiological roles and substrates of DYRK3, including promotion of glioblastoma, requirement in influenza virus replication, and coupling of stress granule condensation with mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 signaling. Here, we demonstrate that serum deprivation causes a decrease in intracellular DYRK3 levels via the proteolytic autophagy pathway, as well as the suppression of DYRK3 gene expression. To further demonstrate how DYRK3 affects cell viability, especially in neurons, we used a yeast two-hybrid assay and identified multiple DYRK3-binding proteins, including SNAPIN, a SNARE-associated protein implicated in synaptic transmission. We also found that DYRK3 directly phosphorylates SNAPIN at the threonine (Thr) 14 residue, increasing the interaction of SNAPIN with other proteins such as dynein and synaptotagmin-1. In central nervous system neurons, SNAPIN is associated with and mediate the retrograde axonal transport of diverse cellular products from the distal axon terminal to the soma and the synaptic release of neurotransmitters, respectively. Moreover, phosphorylation of SNAPIN at Thr-14 was found to positively modulate mitochondrial retrograde transport in mouse cortical neurons and the recycling pool size of synaptic vesicles, contributing to neuronal viability. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that DYRK3 phosphorylates SNAPIN, positively regulating the dynein-mediated retrograde transport of mitochondria and SNARE complex-mediated exocytosis of synaptic vesicles within the neurons. This finding further suggests that DYRK3 affects cell viability and provides a novel neuroprotective mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Hyung Lee
- grid.15444.300000 0004 0470 5454Department of Systems Biology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Bo Kyoung Suh
- grid.49100.3c0000 0001 0742 4007Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do Korea
| | - Unghwi Lee
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905Department of Physiology and Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seung Hyun Ryu
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905Department of Physiology and Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sung Ryong Shin
- grid.49100.3c0000 0001 0742 4007Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do Korea
| | - Sunghoe Chang
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905Department of Physiology and Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sang Ki Park
- grid.49100.3c0000 0001 0742 4007Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do Korea
| | - Kwang Chul Chung
- grid.15444.300000 0004 0470 5454Department of Systems Biology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
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Ramón-Landreau M, Sánchez-Puelles C, López-Sánchez N, Lozano-Ureña A, Llabrés-Mas AM, Frade JM. E2F4DN Transgenic Mice: A Tool for the Evaluation of E2F4 as a Therapeutic Target in Neuropathology and Brain Aging. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232012093. [PMID: 36292945 PMCID: PMC9603043 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232012093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
E2F4 was initially described as a transcription factor with a key function in the regulation of cell quiescence. Nevertheless, a number of recent studies have established that E2F4 can also play a relevant role in cell and tissue homeostasis, as well as tissue regeneration. For these non-canonical functions, E2F4 can also act in the cytoplasm, where it is able to interact with many homeostatic and synaptic regulators. Since E2F4 is expressed in the nervous system, it may fulfill a crucial role in brain function and homeostasis, being a promising multifactorial target for neurodegenerative diseases and brain aging. The regulation of E2F4 is complex, as it can be chemically modified through acetylation, from which we present evidence in the brain, as well as methylation, and phosphorylation. The phosphorylation of E2F4 within a conserved threonine motif induces cell cycle re-entry in neurons, while a dominant negative form of E2F4 (E2F4DN), in which the conserved threonines have been substituted by alanines, has been shown to act as a multifactorial therapeutic agent for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We generated transgenic mice neuronally expressing E2F4DN. We have recently shown using this mouse strain that expression of E2F4DN in 5xFAD mice, a known murine model of AD, improved cognitive function, reduced neuronal tetraploidization, and induced a transcriptional program consistent with modulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide proteostasis and brain homeostasis recovery. 5xFAD/E2F4DN mice also showed reduced microgliosis and astrogliosis in both the cerebral cortex and hippocampus at 3-6 months of age. Here, we analyzed the immune response in 1 year-old 5xFAD/E2F4DN mice, concluding that reduced microgliosis and astrogliosis is maintained at this late stage. In addition, the expression of E2F4DN also reduced age-associated microgliosis in wild-type mice, thus stressing its role as a brain homeostatic agent. We conclude that E2F4DN transgenic mice represent a promising tool for the evaluation of E2F4 as a therapeutic target in neuropathology and brain aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Ramón-Landreau
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neurobiology, Cajal Institute, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28002 Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Sánchez-Puelles
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neurobiology, Cajal Institute, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28002 Madrid, Spain
| | - Noelia López-Sánchez
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neurobiology, Cajal Institute, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28002 Madrid, Spain
| | - Anna Lozano-Ureña
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neurobiology, Cajal Institute, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28002 Madrid, Spain
| | - Aina M. Llabrés-Mas
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neurobiology, Cajal Institute, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28002 Madrid, Spain
| | - José M. Frade
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neurobiology, Cajal Institute, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28002 Madrid, Spain
- Cajal International Neuroscience Center, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, UAH Science and Technology Campus, Avenida León 1, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-91-585-4740
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Preclinical and randomized clinical evaluation of the p38α kinase inhibitor neflamapimod for basal forebrain cholinergic degeneration. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5308. [PMID: 36130946 PMCID: PMC9492778 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32944-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The endosome-associated GTPase Rab5 is a central player in the molecular mechanisms leading to degeneration of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCN), a long-standing target for drug development. As p38α is a Rab5 activator, we hypothesized that inhibition of this kinase holds potential as an approach to treat diseases associated with BFCN loss. Herein, we report that neflamapimod (oral small molecule p38α inhibitor) reduces Rab5 activity, reverses endosomal pathology, and restores the numbers and morphology of BFCNs in a mouse model that develops BFCN degeneration. We also report on the results of an exploratory (hypothesis-generating) phase 2a randomized double-blind 16-week placebo-controlled clinical trial (Clinical trial registration: NCT04001517/EudraCT #2019-001566-15) of neflamapimod in mild-to-moderate dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), a disease in which BFCN degeneration is an important driver of disease expression. A total of 91 participants, all receiving background cholinesterase inhibitor therapy, were randomized 1:1 between neflamapimod 40 mg or matching placebo capsules (taken orally twice-daily if weight <80 kg or thrice-daily if weight >80 kg). Neflamapimod does not show an effect in the clinical study on the primary endpoint, a cognitive-test battery. On two secondary endpoints, a measure of functional mobility and a dementia rating-scale, improvements were seen that are consistent with an effect on BFCN function. Neflamapimod treatment is well-tolerated with no study drug associated treatment discontinuations. The combined preclinical and clinical observations inform on the validity of the Rab5-based pathogenic model of cholinergic degeneration and provide a foundation for confirmatory (hypothesis-testing) clinical evaluation of neflamapimod in DLB.
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Luo Q, Schnöder L, Hao W, Litzenburger K, Decker Y, Tomic I, Menger MD, Liu Y, Fassbender K. p38α‐MAPK‐deficient myeloid cells ameliorate symptoms and pathology of
APP
‐transgenic Alzheimer's disease mice. Aging Cell 2022; 21:e13679. [PMID: 35909315 PMCID: PMC9381888 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13679] [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: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia in the elderly, is pathologically characterized by extracellular deposition of amyloid‐β peptides (Aβ) and microglia‐dominated inflammatory activation in the brain. p38α‐MAPK is activated in both neurons and microglia. How p38α‐MAPK in microglia contributes to AD pathogenesis remains unclear. In this study, we conditionally knocked out p38α‐MAPK in all myeloid cells or specifically in microglia of APP‐transgenic mice, and examined animals for AD‐associated pathologies (i.e., cognitive deficits, Aβ pathology, and neuroinflammation) and individual microglia for their inflammatory activation and Aβ internalization at different disease stages (e.g., at 4 and 9 months of age). Our experiments showed that p38α‐MAPK‐deficient myeloid cells were more effective than p38α‐MAPK‐deficient microglia in reducing cerebral Aβ and neuronal impairment in APP‐transgenic mice. Deficiency of p38α‐MAPK in myeloid cells inhibited inflammatory activation of individual microglia at 4 months but enhanced it at 9 months. Inflammatory activation promoted microglial internalization of Aβ. Interestingly, p38α‐MAPK‐deficient myeloid cells reduced IL‐17a‐expressing CD4‐positive lymphocytes in 9 but not 4‐month‐old APP‐transgenic mice. By cross‐breeding APP‐transgenic mice with Il‐17a‐knockout mice, we observed that IL‐17a deficiency potentially activated microglia and reduced Aβ deposition in the brain as shown in 9‐month‐old myeloid p38α‐MAPK‐deficient AD mice. Thus, p38α‐MAPK deficiency in all myeloid cells, but not only in microglia, prevents AD progression. IL‐17a‐expressing lymphocytes may partially mediate the pathogenic role of p38α‐MAPK in peripheral myeloid cells. Our study supports p38α‐MAPK as a therapeutic target for AD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghua Luo
- Department of Neurology Saarland University Homburg Germany
- German Institute for Dementia Prevention (DIDP) Saarland University Homburg Germany
| | - Laura Schnöder
- Department of Neurology Saarland University Homburg Germany
- German Institute for Dementia Prevention (DIDP) Saarland University Homburg Germany
| | - Wenlin Hao
- Department of Neurology Saarland University Homburg Germany
- German Institute for Dementia Prevention (DIDP) Saarland University Homburg Germany
| | - Kathrin Litzenburger
- Department of Neurology Saarland University Homburg Germany
- German Institute for Dementia Prevention (DIDP) Saarland University Homburg Germany
| | - Yann Decker
- Department of Neurology Saarland University Homburg Germany
- German Institute for Dementia Prevention (DIDP) Saarland University Homburg Germany
| | - Inge Tomic
- Department of Neurology Saarland University Homburg Germany
- German Institute for Dementia Prevention (DIDP) Saarland University Homburg Germany
| | - Michael D. Menger
- Institute for Clinical and Experimental Surgery Saarland University Homburg Germany
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Neurology Saarland University Homburg Germany
- German Institute for Dementia Prevention (DIDP) Saarland University Homburg Germany
| | - Klaus Fassbender
- Department of Neurology Saarland University Homburg Germany
- German Institute for Dementia Prevention (DIDP) Saarland University Homburg Germany
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