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Lizama BN, North HA, Pandey K, Williams C, Duong D, Cho E, Di Caro V, Ping L, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Lah J, Levey AI, Grundman M, Caggiano AO, Seyfried NT, Hamby ME. An interim exploratory proteomics biomarker analysis of a phase 2 clinical trial to assess the impact of CT1812 in Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 199:106575. [PMID: 38914170 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
CT1812 is a novel, brain penetrant small molecule modulator of the sigma-2 receptor (S2R) that is currently in clinical development for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Preclinical and early clinical data show that, through S2R, CT1812 selectively prevents and displaces binding of amyloid beta (Aβ) oligomers from neuronal synapses and improves cognitive function in animal models of AD. SHINE is an ongoing phase 2 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial (COG0201) in participants with mild to moderate AD, designed to assess the safety and efficacy of 6 months of CT1812 treatment. To elucidate the mechanism of action in AD patients and pharmacodynamic biomarkers of CT1812, the present study reports exploratory cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker data from 18 participants in an interim analysis of the first set of patients in SHINE (part A). Untargeted mass spectrometry-based discovery proteomics detects >2000 proteins in patient CSF and has documented utility in accelerating the identification of novel AD biomarkers reflective of diverse pathophysiologies beyond amyloid and tau, and enabling identification of pharmacodynamic biomarkers in longitudinal interventional trials. We leveraged this technique to analyze CSF samples taken at baseline and after 6 months of CT1812 treatment. Proteome-wide protein levels were detected using tandem mass tag-mass spectrometry (TMT-MS), change from baseline was calculated for each participant, and differential abundance analysis by treatment group was performed. This analysis revealed a set of proteins significantly impacted by CT1812, including pathway engagement biomarkers (i.e., biomarkers tied to S2R biology) and disease modification biomarkers (i.e., biomarkers with altered levels in AD vs. healthy control CSF but normalized by CT1812, and biomarkers correlated with favorable trends in ADAS-Cog11 scores). Brain network mapping, Gene Ontology, and pathway analyses revealed an impact of CT1812 on synapses, lipoprotein and amyloid beta biology, and neuroinflammation. Collectively, the findings highlight the utility of this method in pharmacodynamic biomarker identification and providing mechanistic insights for CT1812, which may facilitate the clinical development of CT1812 and enable appropriate pre-specification of biomarkers in upcoming clinical trials of CT1812.
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Affiliation(s)
- B N Lizama
- Cognition Therapeutics, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - H A North
- Cognition Therapeutics, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - K Pandey
- Emtherapro Inc, Systems Biology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - C Williams
- Cognition Therapeutics, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - D Duong
- Emory University School of Medicine, Biochemistry, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - E Cho
- Cognition Therapeutics, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - V Di Caro
- Cognition Therapeutics, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - L Ping
- Emory University School of Medicine, Neurology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - K Blennow
- Paris Brain Institute, ICM, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Sorbonne University, Paris, France; Neurodegenerative Disorder Research Center, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, and Department of Neurology, Institute on Aging and Brain Disorders, University of Science and Technology of China and First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei, PR China; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - H Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden; Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London, UK; Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China; Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - J Lah
- Emory University School of Medicine, Neurology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - A I Levey
- Emory University School of Medicine, Neurology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - M Grundman
- Global R&D Partners, LLC, San Diego, California, USA; Dept. of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, USA
| | | | - N T Seyfried
- Emory University School of Medicine, Biochemistry, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - M E Hamby
- Cognition Therapeutics, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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Alba-González A, Yáñez J, Anadón R, Folgueira M. Neurogranin-like immunoreactivity in the zebrafish brain during development. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:2593-2607. [PMID: 36018391 PMCID: PMC9618489 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02550-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Neurogranin (Nrgn) is a neural protein that is enriched in the cerebral cortex and is involved in synaptic plasticity via its interaction with calmodulin. Recently we reported its expression in the brain of the adult zebrafish (Alba-González et al. J Comp Neurol 530:1569–1587, 2022). In this study we analyze the development of Nrgn-like immunoreactivity (Nrgn-like-ir) in the brain and sensory structures of zebrafish embryos and larvae, using whole mounts and sections. First Nrgn-like positive neurons appeared by 2 day post-fertilization (dpf) in restricted areas of the brain, mostly in the pallium, epiphysis and hindbrain. Nrgn-like populations increased noticeably by 3 dpf, reaching an adult-like pattern in 6 dpf. Most Nrgn-like positive neurons were observed in the olfactory organ, retina (most ganglion cells, some amacrine and bipolar cells), pallium, lateral hypothalamus, thalamus, optic tectum, torus semicircularis, octavolateralis area, and viscerosensory column. Immunoreactivity was also observed in axonal tracts originating in Nrgn-like neuronal populations, namely, the projection of Nrgn-like immunopositive primary olfactory fibers to olfactory glomeruli, that of Nrgn-like positive pallial cells to the hypothalamus, the Nrgn-like-ir optic nerve to the pretectum and optic tectum, the Nrgn-like immunolabeled lateral hypothalamus to the contralateral region via the horizontal commissure, the octavolateralis area to the midbrain via the lateral lemniscus, and the viscerosensory column to the dorsal isthmus via the secondary gustatory tract. The late expression of Nrgn in zebrafish neurons is probably related to functional maturation of higher brain centers, as reported in the mammalian telencephalon. The analysis of Nrgn expression in the zebrafish brain suggests that it may be a useful marker for specific neuronal circuitries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anabel Alba-González
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of A Coruña, Campus da Zapateira, 15008-A, Coruña, Spain.,Centro de Investigaciones Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), University of A Coruña, 15071-A, Coruña, Spain
| | - Julián Yáñez
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of A Coruña, Campus da Zapateira, 15008-A, Coruña, Spain. .,Centro de Investigaciones Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), University of A Coruña, 15071-A, Coruña, Spain.
| | - Ramón Anadón
- Department of Functional Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Mónica Folgueira
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of A Coruña, Campus da Zapateira, 15008-A, Coruña, Spain. .,Centro de Investigaciones Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), University of A Coruña, 15071-A, Coruña, Spain.
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3
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Mohanraj N, Joshi NS, Poulose R, Patil RR, Santhoshkumar R, Kumar A, Waghmare GP, Saha AK, Haider SZ, Markandeya YS, Dey G, Rao LT, Govindaraj P, Mehta B. A proteomic study to unveil lead toxicity-induced memory impairments invoked by synaptic dysregulation. Toxicol Rep 2022; 9:1501-1513. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2022.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Dulewicz M, Kulczyńska-Przybik A, Słowik A, Borawska R, Mroczko B. Neurogranin and Neuronal Pentraxin Receptor as Synaptic Dysfunction Biomarkers in Alzheimer's Disease. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10194575. [PMID: 34640593 PMCID: PMC8509697 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10194575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaptic loss and dysfunction are one of the earliest signs of neurodegeneration associated with cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It seems that by assessing proteins related to synapses, one may reflect their dysfunction and improve the understanding of neurobiological processes in the early stage of the disease. To our best knowledge, this is the first study that analyzes the CSF concentrations of two synaptic proteins together, such as neurogranin (Ng) and neuronal pentraxins receptor (NPTXR) in relation to neurochemical dementia biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease. Methods: Ng, NPTXR and classical AD biomarkers concentrations were measured in the CSF of patients with AD and non-demented controls (CTRL) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Luminex xMAP technology. Results: The CSF level of Ng was significantly higher, whereas the NPTXR was significantly lower in the AD patients than in cognitively healthy controls. As a first, we calculated the NPTXR/Ng ratio as an indicator of synaptic disturbance. The patients with AD presented a significantly decreased NPTXR/Ng ratio. The correlation was observed between both proteins in the AD and the whole study group. Furthermore, the relationship between the Ng level and pTau181 was found in the AD group of patients. Conclusions: The Ng and NPTXR concentrations in CSF are promising synaptic dysfunction biomarkers reflecting pathological changes in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Dulewicz
- Department of Neurodegeneration Diagnostics, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-269 Bialystok, Poland; (A.K.-P.); (R.B.); (B.M.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Agnieszka Kulczyńska-Przybik
- Department of Neurodegeneration Diagnostics, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-269 Bialystok, Poland; (A.K.-P.); (R.B.); (B.M.)
| | - Agnieszka Słowik
- Department of Neurology, Jagiellonian University, 30-688 Krakow, Poland;
| | - Renata Borawska
- Department of Neurodegeneration Diagnostics, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-269 Bialystok, Poland; (A.K.-P.); (R.B.); (B.M.)
| | - Barbara Mroczko
- Department of Neurodegeneration Diagnostics, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-269 Bialystok, Poland; (A.K.-P.); (R.B.); (B.M.)
- Department of Biochemical Diagnostics, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-269 Bialystok, Poland
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5
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Hong S, Dobricic V, Ohlei O, Bos I, Vos SJB, Prokopenko D, Tijms BM, Andreasson U, Blennow K, Vandenberghe R, Gabel S, Scheltens P, Teunissen CE, Engelborghs S, Frisoni G, Blin O, Richardson JC, Bordet R, Lleó A, Alcolea D, Popp J, Clark C, Peyratout G, Martinez-Lage P, Tainta M, Dobson RJB, Legido-Quigley C, Sleegers K, Van Broeckhoven C, Tanzi RE, Ten Kate M, Wittig M, Franke A, Lill CM, Barkhof F, Lovestone S, Streffer J, Zetterberg H, Visser PJ, Bertram L. TMEM106B and CPOX are genetic determinants of cerebrospinal fluid Alzheimer's disease biomarker levels. Alzheimers Dement 2021; 17:1628-1640. [PMID: 33991015 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neurofilament light (NfL), chitinase-3-like protein 1 (YKL-40), and neurogranin (Ng) are biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD) to monitor axonal damage, astroglial activation, and synaptic degeneration, respectively. METHODS We performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using DNA and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from the EMIF-AD Multimodal Biomarker Discovery study for discovery, and the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative study for validation analyses. GWAS were performed for all three CSF biomarkers using linear regression models adjusting for relevant covariates. RESULTS We identify novel genome-wide significant associations between DNA variants in TMEM106B and CSF levels of NfL, and between CPOX and YKL-40. We confirm previous work suggesting that YKL-40 levels are associated with DNA variants in CHI3L1. DISCUSSION Our study provides important new insights into the genetic architecture underlying interindividual variation in three AD-related CSF biomarkers. In particular, our data shed light on the sequence of events regarding the initiation and progression of neuropathological processes relevant in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengjun Hong
- Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (LIGA), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Valerija Dobricic
- Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (LIGA), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Olena Ohlei
- Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (LIGA), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Isabelle Bos
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Centrum Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, the Netherlands
| | - Stephanie J B Vos
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Centrum Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, the Netherlands
| | - Dmitry Prokopenko
- Genetics and Aging Unit and McCance Center for Brain Health, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Betty M Tijms
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, the Netherlands
| | - Ulf Andreasson
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Rik Vandenberghe
- Laboratory for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Neurology Service, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Silvy Gabel
- Laboratory for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Philip Scheltens
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, the Netherlands
| | - Charlotte E Teunissen
- Neurochemistry Laboratory, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sebastiaan Engelborghs
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Neurology and Center for Neurosciences, UZ Brussel and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Giovanni Frisoni
- University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Olivier Blin
- AIX Marseille University, INS, Ap-hm, Marseille, France
| | | | - Regis Bordet
- Inserm, CHU Lille, University of Lille, Lille, France
| | - Alberto Lleó
- Memory Unit, Neurology Department. Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Alcolea
- Memory Unit, Neurology Department. Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Julius Popp
- Centre for Gerontopsychiatric Medicine, Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Old Age Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christopher Clark
- Centre for Gerontopsychiatric Medicine, Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Gwendoline Peyratout
- Old Age Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pablo Martinez-Lage
- Department of Neurology, Center for Research and Advanced Therapies, CITA-Alzheimer Foundation, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Mikel Tainta
- Department of Neurology, Center for Research and Advanced Therapies, CITA-Alzheimer Foundation, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Richard J B Dobson
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- NIHR BioResource Centre Maudsley, NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) & Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, UK
- Health Data Research UK London, University College London, London, UK
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, UK
- The National Institute for Health Research University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | - Cristina Legido-Quigley
- Steno Diabetes Center, Copenhagen, Denmark and Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Kristel Sleegers
- Neurodegenerative Brain Diseases Group, Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Christine Van Broeckhoven
- Neurodegenerative Brain Diseases Group, Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Rudolph E Tanzi
- Genetics and Aging Unit and McCance Center for Brain Health, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mara Ten Kate
- Alzheimer Center and Department of Neurology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Michael Wittig
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Andre Franke
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Christina M Lill
- Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (LIGA), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
- Ageing Epidemiology Research Unit, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Frederik Barkhof
- Institutes of Neurology and Healthcare Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Johannes Streffer
- Reference Center for Biological Markers of Dementia (BIODEM), Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Translational Medicine Neuroscience, UCB Biopharma SPRL, Braine l'Alleud, Belgium
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London, UK
| | - Pieter Jelle Visser
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Centrum Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, the Netherlands
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Instutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lars Bertram
- Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (LIGA), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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6
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Butt OH, Long JM, Henson RL, Herries E, Sutphen CL, Fagan AM, Cruchaga C, Ladenson JH, Holtzman DM, Morris JC, Ances BM, Schindler SE. Cognitively normal APOE ε4 carriers have specific elevation of CSF SNAP-25. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 102:64-72. [PMID: 33765432 PMCID: PMC8793109 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) synaptosomal-associated protein 25 (SNAP-25) and neurogranin (Ng) are recently described biomarkers for pre- and postsynaptic integrity known to be elevated in symptomatic Alzheimer disease (AD). Their relationship with Apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 carrier status, the major genetic risk factor for AD, remains unclear. In this study, CSF SNAP-25 and Ng were compared in cognitively normal APOE ε4 carriers and noncarriers (n = 274, mean age 65 ± 9.0 years, 39% APOE ε4 carriers, 58% female). CSF SNAP-25, not CSF Ng, was specifically elevated in APOE ε4 carriers versus noncarriers (5.95 ± 1.72 pg/mL, 4.44 ± 1.40 pg/mL, p < 0.0001), even after adjusting for age, sex, years of education, and amyloid status (p < 0.0001). CSF total tau (t-tau), phosphorylated-tau-181 (ptau181), and neurofilament light chain (NfL) also did not vary by APOE ε4 status. Our findings suggest APOE ε4 carriers have amyloid-related and amyloid-independent presynaptic disruption as reflected by elevated CSF SNAP-25 levels. In contrast, postsynaptic disruption as reflected by elevations in CSF neurogranin is related to amyloid status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar H Butt
- Department of Neurology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Justin M Long
- Department of Neurology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA; Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA; Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rachel L Henson
- Department of Neurology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA; Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Elizabeth Herries
- Department of Neurology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA; Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Courtney L Sutphen
- Department of Neurology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA; Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Anne M Fagan
- Department of Neurology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA; Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA; Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Carlos Cruchaga
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA; Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA; Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jack H Ladenson
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - David M Holtzman
- Department of Neurology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA; Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA; Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - John C Morris
- Department of Neurology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA; Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA; Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Beau M Ances
- Department of Neurology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA; Department of Radiology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA; Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA; Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Suzanne E Schindler
- Department of Neurology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA; Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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7
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Gribaudo S, Saraulli D, Nato G, Bonzano S, Gambarotta G, Luzzati F, Costanzi M, Peretto P, Bovetti S, De Marchis S. Neurogranin Regulates Adult-Born Olfactory Granule Cell Spine Density and Odor-Reward Associative Memory in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22084269. [PMID: 33924098 PMCID: PMC8074334 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22084269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurogranin (Ng) is a brain-specific postsynaptic protein, whose role in modulating Ca2+/calmodulin signaling in glutamatergic neurons has been linked to enhancement in synaptic plasticity and cognitive functions. Accordingly, Ng knock-out (Ng-ko) mice display hippocampal-dependent learning and memory impairments associated with a deficit in long-term potentiation induction. In the adult olfactory bulb (OB), Ng is expressed by a large population of GABAergic granule cells (GCs) that are continuously generated during adult life, undergo high synaptic remodeling in response to the sensory context, and play a key role in odor processing. However, the possible implication of Ng in OB plasticity and function is yet to be investigated. Here, we show that Ng expression in the OB is associated with the mature state of adult-born GCs, where its active-phosphorylated form is concentrated at post-synaptic sites. Constitutive loss of Ng in Ng-ko mice resulted in defective spine density in adult-born GCs, while their survival remained unaltered. Moreover, Ng-ko mice show an impaired odor-reward associative memory coupled with reduced expression of the activity-dependent transcription factor Zif268 in olfactory GCs. Overall, our data support a role for Ng in the molecular mechanisms underlying GC plasticity and the formation of olfactory associative memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Gribaudo
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology (DBIOS), University of Torino, 10123 Turin, Italy; (S.G.); (G.N.); (S.B.); (F.L.); (P.P.)
| | - Daniele Saraulli
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology (IBCN), National Research Council, 00143 Rome, Italy;
| | - Giulia Nato
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology (DBIOS), University of Torino, 10123 Turin, Italy; (S.G.); (G.N.); (S.B.); (F.L.); (P.P.)
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, 10043 Turin, Italy;
| | - Sara Bonzano
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology (DBIOS), University of Torino, 10123 Turin, Italy; (S.G.); (G.N.); (S.B.); (F.L.); (P.P.)
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, 10043 Turin, Italy;
| | - Giovanna Gambarotta
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, 10043 Turin, Italy;
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences (DSCB), University of Torino, 10043 Turin, Italy
| | - Federico Luzzati
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology (DBIOS), University of Torino, 10123 Turin, Italy; (S.G.); (G.N.); (S.B.); (F.L.); (P.P.)
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, 10043 Turin, Italy;
| | - Marco Costanzi
- Department of Human Sciences, LUMSA University, 00193 Rome, Italy;
| | - Paolo Peretto
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology (DBIOS), University of Torino, 10123 Turin, Italy; (S.G.); (G.N.); (S.B.); (F.L.); (P.P.)
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, 10043 Turin, Italy;
| | - Serena Bovetti
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology (DBIOS), University of Torino, 10123 Turin, Italy; (S.G.); (G.N.); (S.B.); (F.L.); (P.P.)
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, 10043 Turin, Italy;
- Correspondence: (S.B.); (S.D.M.)
| | - Silvia De Marchis
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology (DBIOS), University of Torino, 10123 Turin, Italy; (S.G.); (G.N.); (S.B.); (F.L.); (P.P.)
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, 10043 Turin, Italy;
- Correspondence: (S.B.); (S.D.M.)
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8
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O’Day DH. Calmodulin Binding Proteins and Alzheimer's Disease: Biomarkers, Regulatory Enzymes and Receptors That Are Regulated by Calmodulin. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21197344. [PMID: 33027906 PMCID: PMC7582761 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21197344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The integral role of calmodulin in the amyloid pathway and neurofibrillary tangle formation in Alzheimer’s disease was first established leading to the “Calmodulin Hypothesis”. Continued research has extended our insight into the central function of the small calcium sensor and effector calmodulin and its target proteins in a multitude of other events associated with the onset and progression of this devastating neurodegenerative disease. Calmodulin’s involvement in the contrasting roles of calcium/CaM-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) and calcineurin (CaN) in long term potentiation and depression, respectively, and memory impairment and neurodegeneration are updated. The functions of the proposed neuronal biomarker neurogranin, a calmodulin binding protein also involved in long term potentiation and depression, is detailed. In addition, new discoveries into calmodulin’s role in regulating glutamate receptors (mGluR, NMDAR) are overviewed. The interplay between calmodulin and amyloid beta in the regulation of PMCA and ryanodine receptors are prime examples of how the buildup of classic biomarkers can underly the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s. The role of calmodulin in the function of stromal interaction molecule 2 (STIM2) and adenosine A2A receptor, two other proteins linked to neurodegenerative events, is discussed. Prior to concluding, an analysis of how targeting calmodulin and its binding proteins are viable routes for Alzheimer’s therapy is presented. In total, calmodulin and its binding proteins are further revealed to be central to the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danton H. O’Day
- Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G5, Canada;
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
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Svirsky S, Henchir J, Li Y, Ma X, Carlson S, Dixon CE. Neurogranin Protein Expression Is Reduced after Controlled Cortical Impact in Rats. J Neurotrauma 2019; 37:939-949. [PMID: 31691647 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2019.6759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is known to cause short- and long-term synaptic changes in the brain, possibly underlying downstream cognitive impairments. Neuronal levels of neurogranin, a calcium-sensitive calmodulin-binding protein essential for synaptic plasticity and postsynaptic signaling, are correlated with cognitive function. This study aims to understand the effect of TBI on neurogranin by characterizing changes in protein expression at various time points after injury. Adult, male rats were subjected to either controlled cortical impact (CCI) or control surgery. Expression of neurogranin and post-synaptic density 95 (PSD-95) were evaluated by Western blot in the cortex and hippocampus at 24 h and 1, 2, and 4 weeks post-injury. We hypothesized that CCI reduces neurogranin levels in the cortex and hippocampus, and demonstrate different expression patterns from PSD-95. Neurogranin levels were reduced in the ipsilateral cortex and hippocampus up to 2 weeks after injury but recovered to sham levels by 4 weeks. The contralateral cortex and hippocampus were relatively resistant to changes in neurogranin expression post-injury. Qualitative immunohistochemical assessment corroborated the immunoblot findings. Particularly, the pericontusional cortex and ipsilateral Cornu Ammonis (CA)3 region showed marked reduction in immunoreactivity. PSD-95 demonstrated similar expression patterns to neurogranin in the cortex; however, in the hippocampus, protein expression was increased compared with sham at the 2 and 4 week time points. Our results indicate that CCI lowers neurogranin expression with temporal and regional specificity and that this occurs independently of dendritic loss. Further understanding of the role of neurogranin in synaptic biology after TBI will elucidate pathological mechanisms contributing to cognitive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Svirsky
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.,Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Jeremy Henchir
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Youming Li
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Xiecheng Ma
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Shaun Carlson
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - C Edward Dixon
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.,Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.,V.A. Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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10
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Çevik S, Özgenç MM, Güneyk A, Evran Ş, Akkaya E, Çalış F, Katar S, Soyalp C, Hanımoğlu H, Kaynar MY. NRGN, S100B and GFAP levels are significantly increased in patients with structural lesions resulting from mild traumatic brain injuries. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2019; 183:105380. [PMID: 31234132 DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2019.105380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2018] [Revised: 05/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether serum neurogranin (NRGN), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and calcium-binding protein S100 beta (S100B) levels are associated with traumatic intracranial lesions compared to computed tomography (CT) findings of patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). PATIENTS AND METHODS The cross-sectional study cohort included 48 patients who were admitted to the Emergency Department with a complaint of mTBI, a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 14-15, and at least one symptom of head trauma (i.e., post-traumatic amnesia, nausea or vomiting, post-traumatic seizures, persistent headache, and transient loss of consciousness). Blood samples and CT scans were obtained for all patients within 4 h of injury. Age-matched patients without intracranial traumatic pathology (CT-) were recruited as a control group. Blood samples were measured for NRGN, GFAP, and S100B levels. RESULTS Of 48 patients, 24 were CT + and had significantly higher serum NRGN (5.79 vs. 2.95 ng/mL), GFAP (0.59 vs.0.36 ng/mL), and S100B (1.72 vs.0.73 μg/L) levels than those who were CT- (p = 0.001, p = 0.026, and p < 0.001, respectively). ROC curves showed that NRGN, GFAP, and S100B levels were sufficient to distinguish traumatic brain injury in patients with mTBI. At the cut-off value for NRGN of 1.87 ng/mL, sensivity was 83.3%, and specificity was 58.3%. At the cut-off value for GFAP of 0.23 ng/mL, sensivity was 75% and specificity was 62.5%. The optimal cut-off value for S100B was 0.47 μg/L (95.8% sensitivity and 62.5% specificity). CONCLUSION This is the first study to evaluate NRGN in human serum after mTBI. We confirmed that NRGN levels were significantly higher in CT + patients than CT- patients in the mTBI patient population. Future studies of larger populations and different age groups (especially pediatric) can help reduce the number of CT scans as a reliable and noninvasive diagnostic tool for evaluating NRGN protein levels in mTBI patients with a low probability of intracranial lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serdar Çevik
- Department of Neurosurgery, Bezmialem Vakıf University, Adnan Menderes Bulvarı, Vatan caddesi 34093, Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey.
| | | | - Ahmet Güneyk
- Department of Biochemstry, Ağrı State Hospital, Ağrı, Turkey
| | - Şevket Evran
- Department of Neurosurgery, Bahçelievler State Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Enes Akkaya
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Health Sciences, Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Fatih Çalış
- Deparrment of Neurosurgery, Medeniyet University, Göztepe Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Salim Katar
- Department of Neurosurgery, Selahaddin Eyyübi State Hospital, Diyarbakır, Turkey
| | - Celaleddin Soyalp
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Yüzüncü Yıl University School of Medicine, Van, Turkey
| | - Hakan Hanımoğlu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Biruni University, İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Yaşar Kaynar
- Department of Neurosurgery, Istanbul University Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey
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Garrido-García A, de Andrés R, Jiménez-Pompa A, Soriano P, Sanz-Fuentes D, Martínez-Blanco E, Díez-Guerra FJ. Neurogranin Expression Is Regulated by Synaptic Activity and Promotes Synaptogenesis in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons. Mol Neurobiol 2019; 56:7321-7337. [PMID: 31020616 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-019-1593-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Neurogranin (Ng) is a calmodulin (CaM)-binding protein that is phosphorylated by protein kinase C (PKC) and is highly enriched in the dendrites and spines of telencephalic neurons. It is proposed to be involved in regulating CaM availability in the post-synaptic environment to modulate the efficiency of excitatory synaptic transmission. There is a close relationship between Ng and cognitive performance; its expression peaks in the forebrain coinciding with maximum synaptogenic activity, and it is reduced in several conditions of impaired cognition. We studied the expression of Ng in cultured hippocampal neurons and found that both protein and mRNA levels were about 10% of that found in the adult hippocampus. Long-term blockade of NMDA receptors substantially decreased Ng expression. On the other hand, treatments that enhanced synaptic activity such as long-term bicuculline treatment or co-culture with glial cells or cholesterol increased Ng expression. Chemical long-term potentiation (cLTP) induced an initial drop of Ng, with a minimum after 15 min followed by a slow recovery during the next 2-4 h. This effect was most evident in the synaptosome-enriched fraction, thus suggesting local synthesis in dendrites. Lentiviral expression of Ng led to increased density of both excitatory and inhibitory synapses in the second and third weeks of culture. These results indicate that Ng expression is regulated by synaptic activity and that Ng promotes the synaptogenesis process. Given its relationship with cognitive function, we propose targeting of Ng expression as a promising strategy to prevent or alleviate the cognitive deficits associated with aging and neuropathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Garrido-García
- Departamento de Biología Molecular and Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (UAM-CSIC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto Cajal (CSIC), Av. Doctor Arce, 37, 28002, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raquel de Andrés
- Departamento de Biología Molecular and Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (UAM-CSIC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Amanda Jiménez-Pompa
- Departamento de Biología Molecular and Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (UAM-CSIC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Farmacología y Terapéutica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Patricia Soriano
- Departamento de Biología Molecular and Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (UAM-CSIC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Diego Sanz-Fuentes
- Departamento de Biología Molecular and Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (UAM-CSIC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena Martínez-Blanco
- Departamento de Biología Molecular and Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (UAM-CSIC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - F Javier Díez-Guerra
- Departamento de Biología Molecular and Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (UAM-CSIC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
- Laboratory of Neuronal Plasticity, Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Nicolás Cabrera, 1, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
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12
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Jacob S, Sumathi T. Extenuation of in utero toxic effects of MeHg in the developing neurons by Fisetin via modulating the expression of synaptic transmission and plasticity regulators in hippocampus of the rat offspring. Chem Biol Interact 2019; 305:3-10. [PMID: 30890323 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2019.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The neurotoxic environmental contaminant, methylmercury (MeHg), has shown to have detrimental effects on the developing brain when exposed during gestation. We have shown in our earlier studies that gestational administration of 3,3',4',7-Tetrahydroxyflavone or Fisetin reduces the toxic effects of MeHg in the developing rat brain. The current study has pivoted to study the mechanism behind the mitigating action of Fisetin against prenatal MeHg exposure induced neurotoxicity. Negligible data is available about the toxicity targets of MeHg in the developing brain. Studies have exhibited that MeHg exposure cause toxic effects on synaptic transmission and plasticity in the offspring brain. Hence, we aimed to study the effect of Fisetin on MeHg induced alterations in the expressions of regulatory genes and proteins involved in synaptic plasticity and transmission. Pregnant rats were grouped according to the type of oral administration as, (i) Control, (ii) MeHg (1.5 mg/kg b. w.), (iii) MeHg + Fisetin (30 mg/kg b. w.) and (iv) Fisetin (30 mg/kg b. w). Maternal administration of Fisetin prevented MeHg exposure induced downregulation of neurogranin (Nrgn), dendrin (Ddn), Syntaxin 1 A (Stx1a), Lin-7 homolog A (Lin7a), Complexin-2 (Cplx2) and Exocyst complex component 8 (Exoc8) genes in the offspring rat. Fisetin also prevented MeHg exposure induced downregulation of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), Glial-cell derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) protein expressions and hampered reactive astrogliosis in the hippocampus of F1 generation rats. Hence, through this study, we conclude that Fisetin modulates the expression of regulatory genes and proteins involved in synaptic transmission and plasticity and extenuates MeHg neurotoxicity in the developing rat brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherin Jacob
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Dr. ALM Post Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Taramani Campus, Chennai, 600113, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Thangarajan Sumathi
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Dr. ALM Post Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Taramani Campus, Chennai, 600113, Tamil Nadu, India.
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13
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Intrahippocampal injection of a lentiviral vector expressing neurogranin enhances cognitive function in 5XFAD mice. Exp Mol Med 2018; 50:e461. [PMID: 29568074 PMCID: PMC5898899 DOI: 10.1038/emm.2017.302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Progressive cognitive declines are the main clinical symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cognitive impairment in AD is directly correlated with amyloid beta (Aβ)-mediated synaptic deficits. It is known that upregulation of neurogranin (Ng), a postsynaptic protein, contributes to the enhancement of synaptic plasticity and cognitive function. By contrast, downregulation of Ng expression results in learning and memory impairments. Interestingly, Ng expression is significantly reduced in the parenchyma of brains with AD. However, the pathological role that downregulated Ng plays in the cognitive dysfunctions observed in AD remains unclear. Therefore, the present study examined whether enhancing Ng expression affected cognitive functions in 5XFAD mice, an animal model of AD. We found that the Ng reductions and cognitive decline observed in 5XFAD mice were restored in mice that were intrahippocampally injected with an Ng-expressing lentiviral vector. Furthermore, overexpression of Ng upregulated expression of postsynaptic density protein-95 in the hippocampus of 5XFAD mice. These results suggest that the cause of cognitive decline in AD may be at least partially associated with reduced Ng levels, and thus, supplementation of Ng may be an appropriate therapeutic strategy for individuals with AD.
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14
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Wellington H, Paterson RW, Suárez‐González A, Poole T, Frost C, Sjöbom U, Slattery CF, Magdalinou NK, Lehmann M, Portelius E, Fox NC, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Schott JM. CSF neurogranin or tau distinguish typical and atypical Alzheimer disease. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2018; 5:162-171. [PMID: 29468177 PMCID: PMC5817822 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Revised: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To assess whether high levels of cerebrospinal fluid neurogranin are found in atypical as well as typical Alzheimer's disease. Methods Immunoassays were used to measure cerebrospinal fluid neurogranin in 114 participants including healthy controls (n = 27), biomarker-proven amnestic Alzheimer's disease (n = 68), and the atypical visual variant of Alzheimer's (n = 19) according to international criteria. CSF total-tau, Aβ42, and neurofilament light concentrations were investigated using commercially available assays. All affected individuals had T1-weighted volumetric MR images available for analysis of whole and regional brain volumes. Associations between neurogranin, brain volumes, total-tau, Aβ42, and neurofilament light were assessed. Results Median cerebrospinal fluid neurogranin concentrations were higher in typical and atypical Alzheimer's compared to controls (P < 0.001 and P = 0.005). Both neurogranin and total-tau concentrations, but not neurofilament light and Aβ42, were higher in typical Alzheimer's compared to atypical patients (P = 0.004 and P = 0.03). There were significant differences in the left hippocampus and right and left superior parietal lobules in atypical patients, which were larger (P = 0.03) and smaller (P = 0.001 and P < 0.001), respectively, compared to typical patients. We found no evidence of associations between neurogranin and brain volumes but a strong association with total-tau (P < 0.001) and a weaker association with neurofilament light (P = 0.005). Interpretation These results show significant differences in neurogranin and total-tau between typical and atypical patients, which may relate to factors other than disease topography. The differential relationships between neurogranin, total-tau and neurofilament light in the Alzheimer's variants, provide evidence for mechanistically distinct and coupled markers of neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ross W. Paterson
- Dementia Research CentreInstitute of Neurology, Queen Square, UCLLondonUK
| | | | - Teresa Poole
- Dementia Research CentreInstitute of Neurology, Queen Square, UCLLondonUK
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population HealthDepartment of Medical StatisticsLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUK
| | - Chris Frost
- Dementia Research CentreInstitute of Neurology, Queen Square, UCLLondonUK
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population HealthDepartment of Medical StatisticsLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUK
| | - Ulrika Sjöbom
- Clinical Neurochemistry LaboratorySahlgrenska University HospitalMölndalSweden
| | | | | | - Manja Lehmann
- Dementia Research CentreInstitute of Neurology, Queen Square, UCLLondonUK
| | - Eric Portelius
- Clinical Neurochemistry LaboratorySahlgrenska University HospitalMölndalSweden
- Institute of Neuroscience and PhysiologyDepartment of Psychiatry and NeurochemistryThe Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of GothenburgMölndalSweden
| | - Nick C. Fox
- Dementia Research CentreInstitute of Neurology, Queen Square, UCLLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLLondonUK
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Clinical Neurochemistry LaboratorySahlgrenska University HospitalMölndalSweden
- Institute of Neuroscience and PhysiologyDepartment of Psychiatry and NeurochemistryThe Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of GothenburgMölndalSweden
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Molecular NeuroscienceInstitute of Neurology, UCLLondonUK
- Clinical Neurochemistry LaboratorySahlgrenska University HospitalMölndalSweden
- Institute of Neuroscience and PhysiologyDepartment of Psychiatry and NeurochemistryThe Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of GothenburgMölndalSweden
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLLondonUK
| | - Jonathan M. Schott
- Dementia Research CentreInstitute of Neurology, Queen Square, UCLLondonUK
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15
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Pereira JB, Westman E, Hansson O. Association between cerebrospinal fluid and plasma neurodegeneration biomarkers with brain atrophy in Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Aging 2017; 58:14-29. [PMID: 28692877 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Revised: 05/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The aggregation and deposition of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides into plaques is an early event in Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is followed by different aspects of neurodegeneration that can be measured in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or plasma using neurofilament light (NFL), neurogranin (Ng), total Tau (T-Tau), and phosphorylated tau (P-Tau) levels. The relationship between these biomarkers and regional brain atrophy across the different stages of AD remains largely unexplored. In this study, we assessed whether NFL, Ng, T-Tau, and P-Tau levels in CSF and NFL in plasma are associated with cortical thinning and subcortical volume loss in cognitively normal, mild cognitive impairment, and AD subjects with and without Aβ pathology. Our main findings showed that CSF NFL levels were associated with brain atrophy in all groups, but plasma NFL only correlated with atrophy in symptomatic cases. In contrast, Ng was associated with regional brain atrophy only in individuals with Aβ pathology. Altogether, our main findings suggest that Ng is strongly associated with Aβ pathology, whereas NFL is more unspecific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana B Pereira
- Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Eric Westman
- Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Oskar Hansson
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Memory Clinic, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden
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16
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Huynh RA, Mohan C. Alzheimer's Disease: Biomarkers in the Genome, Blood, and Cerebrospinal Fluid. Front Neurol 2017; 8:102. [PMID: 28373857 PMCID: PMC5357660 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2017.00102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, resulting in behavioral changes. It is estimated that nearly 36 million are affected globally with numbers reaching 115 million by 2050. AD can only be definitively diagnosed at autopsy since its manifestations of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles throughout the brain cannot yet be fully captured with current imaging technologies. Current AD therapeutics have also been suboptimal. Besides identifying markers that distinguish AD from controls, there has been a recent drive to identify better biomarkers that can predict the rates of cognitive decline and neocortical amyloid burden in those who exhibit preclinical, prodromal, or clinical AD. This review covers biomarkers of three main types: genes, cerebrospinal fluid-derived, and blood-derived biomarkers. Looking ahead, cutting-edge OMICs technologies, including proteomics and metabolomics, ought to be fully tapped in order to mine even better biomarkers for AD that are more predictive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Ann Huynh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston , Houston, TX , USA
| | - Chandra Mohan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston , Houston, TX , USA
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17
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Sun X, Dong C, Levin B, Crocco E, Loewenstein D, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Wright CB. APOE ε4 carriers may undergo synaptic damage conferring risk of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement 2016; 12:1159-1166. [PMID: 27321472 PMCID: PMC5742562 DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2016.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Revised: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in apolipoprotein E ε4 (APOE ε4) carriers remains unclear. We hypothesize that APOE isoforms have differential effects on synaptic function. METHODS We compared levels of CSF neurogranin (Ng) between APOE ε4 carriers and noncarriers in 399 subjects with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and AD. We examined associations between Ng levels and age, education, gender, CSF-Aβ42, and tau protein. RESULTS Neurogranin levels were significantly higher in APOE ε4 carriers compared to APOE ε4 noncarriers with MCI. Levels of Ng between the APOE ε4 carriers and APOE ε4 noncarriers with AD did not differ. Ng levels were correlated with MMSE and levels of tau and Aβ42. DISCUSSION Significantly higher CSF Ng levels in APOE ε4 carriers with MCI may reflect synaptic injury underlying early cognitive impairment. Neurogranin may be an early biomarker of AD and important for disease diagnosis and timing of intervention in APOE ε4 carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Sun
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
| | - Chuanhui Dong
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Bonnie Levin
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Elizabeth Crocco
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - David Loewenstein
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University Gothenburg, Molndal, Sweden; Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University Gothenburg, Molndal, Sweden; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Clinton B Wright
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
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Winston CN, Goetzl EJ, Akers JC, Carter BS, Rockenstein EM, Galasko D, Masliah E, Rissman RA. Prediction of conversion from mild cognitive impairment to dementia with neuronally derived blood exosome protein profile. ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA: DIAGNOSIS, ASSESSMENT & DISEASE MONITORING 2016; 3:63-72. [PMID: 27408937 PMCID: PMC4925777 DOI: 10.1016/j.dadm.2016.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 242] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Levels of Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related proteins in plasma neuronal derived exosomes (NDEs) were quantified to identify biomarkers for prediction and staging of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD. Methods Plasma exosomes were extracted, precipitated, and enriched for neuronal source by anti-L1CAM antibody absorption. NDEs were characterized by size (Nanosight) and shape (TEM) and extracted NDE protein biomarkers were quantified by ELISAs. Plasma NDE cargo was injected into normal mice, and results were characterized by immunohistochemistry to determine pathogenic potential. Results Plasma NDE levels of P-T181-tau, P-S396-tau, and Aβ1–42 were significantly higher, whereas those of neurogranin (NRGN) and the repressor element 1-silencing transcription factor (REST) were significantly lower in AD and MCI converting to AD (ADC) patients compared to cognitively normal controls (CNC) subjects and stable MCI patients. Mice injected with plasma NDEs from ADC patients displayed increased P-tau (PHF-1 antibody)–positive cells in the CA1 region of the hippocampus compared to plasma NDEs from CNC and stable MCI patients. Conclusions Abnormal plasma NDE levels of P-tau, Aβ1–42, NRGN, and REST accurately predict conversion of MCI to AD dementia. Plasma NDEs from demented patients seeded tau aggregation and induced AD-like neuropathology in normal mouse CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charisse N Winston
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Edward J Goetzl
- Jewish Home of San Francisco, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Johnny C Akers
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Bob S Carter
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Edward M Rockenstein
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Douglas Galasko
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Eliezer Masliah
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Robert A Rissman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Kester MI, Teunissen CE, Crimmins DL, Herries EM, Ladenson JH, Scheltens P, van der Flier WM, Morris JC, Holtzman DM, Fagan AM. Neurogranin as a Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarker for Synaptic Loss in Symptomatic Alzheimer Disease. JAMA Neurol 2016; 72:1275-80. [PMID: 26366630 DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2015.1867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 178] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Neurogranin (NGRN) seems to be a promising novel cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker for synaptic loss; however, clinical, and especially longitudinal, data are sparse. OBJECTIVE To examine the utility of NGRN, with repeated CSF sampling, for diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of Alzheimer disease (AD). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Longitudinal study of consecutive patients who underwent 2 lumbar punctures between the beginning of 1995 and the end of 2010 within the memory clinic-based Amsterdam Dementia Cohort. The study included 163 patients: 37 cognitively normal participants (mean [SE] age, 64 [2] years; 38% female; and mean [SE] Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE] score, 28 [0.3]), 61 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (mean [SE] age, 68 [1] years; 38% female; and mean [SE] MMSE score, 27 [0.3]), and 65 patients with AD (mean [SE] age, 65 [1] years; 45% female; and mean [SE] MMSE score, 22 [0.7]). The mean (SE) interval between lumbar punctures was 2.0 (0.1) years, and the mean (SE) duration of cognitive follow-up was 3.8 (0.2) years. Measurements of CSF NGRN levels were obtained in January and February 2014. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURE Levels of NGRN in CSF samples. RESULTS Baseline CSF levels of NGRN in patients with AD (median level, 2381 pg/mL [interquartile range, 1651-3416 pg/mL]) were higher than in cognitively normal participants (median level, 1712 pg/mL [interquartile range, 1206-2724 pg/mL]) (P = .04). Baseline NGRN levels were highly correlated with total tau and tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 in all patient groups (all P < .001), but not with Aβ42. Baseline CSF levels of NGRN were also higher in patients with MCI who progressed to AD (median level, 2842 pg/mL [interquartile range, 1882-3950 pg/mL]) compared with those with stable MCI (median level, 1752 pg/mL [interquartile range, 1024-2438 pg/mL]) (P = .004), and they were predictive of progression from MCI to AD (hazard ratio, 1.8 [95% CI, 1.1-2.9]; stratified by tertiles). Linear mixed-model analyses demonstrated that within-person levels of NGRN increased over time in cognitively normal participants (mean [SE] level, 90 [45] pg/mL per year; P < .05) but not in patients with MCI or AD. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Neurogranin is a promising biomarker for AD because levels were elevated in patients with AD compared with cognitively normal participants and predicted progression from MCI to AD. Within-person levels of NGRN increased in cognitively normal participants but not in patients with later stage MCI or AD, which suggests that NGRN may reflect presymptomatic synaptic dysfunction or loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maartje I Kester
- Alzheimer Center and Department of Neurology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Charlotte E Teunissen
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Daniel L Crimmins
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Elizabeth M Herries
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Jack H Ladenson
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Philip Scheltens
- Alzheimer Center and Department of Neurology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Wiesje M van der Flier
- Alzheimer Center and Department of Neurology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands4Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - John C Morris
- The Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri6Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri7Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington Universit
| | - David M Holtzman
- The Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri6Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri7Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington Universit
| | - Anne M Fagan
- The Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri6Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri7Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington Universit
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20
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Hellwig K, Kvartsberg H, Portelius E, Andreasson U, Oberstein TJ, Lewczuk P, Blennow K, Kornhuber J, Maler JM, Zetterberg H, Spitzer P. Neurogranin and YKL-40: independent markers of synaptic degeneration and neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease. ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY 2015; 7:74. [PMID: 26698298 PMCID: PMC4690296 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-015-0161-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Neuroinflammation and synaptic degeneration are major neuropathological hallmarks in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Neurogranin and YKL-40 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are newly discovered markers indicating synaptic damage and microglial activation, respectively. Methods CSF samples from 95 individuals including 39 patients with AD dementia (AD-D), 13 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD (MCI-AD), 29 with MCI not due to AD (MCI-o) and 14 patients with non-AD dementias (non-AD-D) were analyzed for neurogranin and YKL-40. Results Patients with dementia or MCI due to AD showed elevated levels of CSF neurogranin (p < 0.001 for AD-D and p < 0.05 for MCI-AD) and YKL-40 (p < 0.05 for AD-D and p = 0.15 for MCI-AD) compared to mildly cognitively impaired subjects not diagnosed with AD. CSF levels of neurogranin and YKL-40 did not differ between MCI not due to AD and non-AD dementias. In AD subjects no correlation between YKL-40 and neurogranin was found. The CSF neurogranin levels correlated moderately with tau and p-tau but not with Aβ42 or the MMSE in AD samples. No relevant associations between YKL-40 and MMSE or the core AD biomarkers, Aβ42, t-tau and p-tau were found in AD subjects. Conclusions Neurogranin and YKL-40 are promising AD biomarkers, independent of and complementary to the established core AD biomarkers, reflecting additional pathological changes in the course of AD. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13195-015-0161-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin Hellwig
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University clinic Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Hlin Kvartsberg
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden. .,AlzeCure Foundation, Karolinska Institutet Science Park, Huddinge, Sweden.
| | - Erik Portelius
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden.
| | - Ulf Andreasson
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden.
| | - Timo Jan Oberstein
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University clinic Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Piotr Lewczuk
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University clinic Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany. .,Department of Neurodegeneration Diagnostics, Medical University of Białystok, Białystok, Poland.
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden.
| | - Johannes Kornhuber
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University clinic Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Juan Manuel Maler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University clinic Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden. .,Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
| | - Philipp Spitzer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University clinic Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
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21
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Kaleka KS, Gerges NZ. Neurogranin restores amyloid β-mediated synaptic transmission and long-term potentiation deficits. Exp Neurol 2015; 277:115-123. [PMID: 26721336 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2015.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Revised: 12/08/2015] [Accepted: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Amyloid β (Aβ) is widely considered one of the early causes of cognitive deficits observed in Alzheimer's disease. Many of the deficits caused by Aβ are attributed to its disruption of synaptic function represented by its blockade of long-term potentiation (LTP) and its induction of synaptic depression. Identifying pathways that reverse these synaptic deficits may open the door to new therapeutic targets. In this study, we explored the possibility that Neurogranin (Ng)-a postsynaptic calmodulin (CaM) targeting protein that enhances synaptic function-may rescue Aβ-mediated deficits in synaptic function. Our results show that Ng is able to reverse synaptic depression and LTP deficits induced by Aβ. Furthermore, Ng's restoration of synaptic transmission is through the insertion of GluA1-containing α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid glutamate receptors (AMPARs). These restorative effects of Ng are dependent on the interaction of Ng and CaM and CaM-dependent activation of CaMKII. Overall, this study identifies a novel mechanism to rescue synaptic deficits induced by Aβ oligomers. It also suggests Ng and CaM signaling as potential therapeutic targets for Alzheimer's disease as well as important tools to further explore the pathophysiology underlying the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanwardeep Singh Kaleka
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 West Watertown Plank Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53132, United States; Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 West Watertown Plank Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53132, United States
| | - Nashaat Z Gerges
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 West Watertown Plank Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53132, United States; Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 West Watertown Plank Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53132, United States.
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22
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Abstract
Increasing plasticity in neurons of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been proposed as a possible therapeutic tool to enhance extinction, a process that is impaired in post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and addiction. To test this hypothesis, we generated transgenic mice that overexpress neurogranin (a calmodulin-binding protein that facilitates long-term potentiation) in the PFC. Neurogranin overexpression in the PFC enhanced long-term potentiation and increased the rates of extinction learning of both fear conditioning and sucrose self-administration. Our results indicate that elevated neurogranin function within the PFC can enhance local plasticity and increase the rate of extinction learning across different behavioral tasks. Thus, neurogranin can provide a molecular link between enhanced plasticity and enhanced extinction.
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23
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Kvartsberg H, Portelius E, Andreasson U, Brinkmalm G, Hellwig K, Lelental N, Kornhuber J, Hansson O, Minthon L, Spitzer P, Maler JM, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Lewczuk P. Characterization of the postsynaptic protein neurogranin in paired cerebrospinal fluid and plasma samples from Alzheimer's disease patients and healthy controls. ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY 2015; 7:40. [PMID: 26136856 PMCID: PMC4487851 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-015-0124-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Synaptic dysfunction and degeneration are central events in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathophysiology that are thought to occur early in disease progression. Synaptic pathology may be studied by examining protein biomarkers specific for different synaptic elements. We recently showed that the dendritic protein neurogranin (Ng), including the endogenous Ng peptide 48 to 76 (Ng48–76), is markedly increased in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in AD and that Ng48–76 is the dominant peptide in human brain tissue. The aim of this study was to characterize Ng in plasma and CSF using mass spectrometry and to investigate the performance of plasma Ng as an AD biomarker. Methods Paired plasma and CSF samples from patients with AD (n = 25) and healthy controls (n = 20) were analyzed in parallel using an immunoassay developed in-house on the Meso Scale Discovery platform and hybrid immunoaffinity-mass spectrometry (HI-MS). A second plasma material from patients with AD (n = 13) and healthy controls (n = 17) was also analyzed with HI-MS. High-resolution mass spectrometry was used for identification of endogenous plasma Ng peptides. Results Ng in human plasma is present as several endogenous peptides. Of the 16 endogenous Ng peptides identified, seven were unique for plasma and not detectable in CSF. However, Ng48–76 was not present in plasma. CSF Ng was significantly increased in AD compared with controls (P < 0.0001), whereas the plasma Ng levels were similar between the groups in both studies. Plasma and CSF Ng levels showed no correlation. CSF Ng was stable during storage at −20°C for up to 2 days, and no de novo generation of peptides were detected. Conclusions For the first time, to our knowledge, we have identified several endogenous Ng peptides in human plasma. In agreement with previous studies, we show that CSF Ng is significantly increased in AD as compared with healthy controls. The origin of Ng in plasma and its possible use as a biomarker need to be further investigated. The results suggest that CSF Ng, in particular Ng48–76, might reflect the neurodegenerative processes within the brain, indicating a role for Ng as a potential novel clinical biomarker for synaptic function in AD. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13195-015-0124-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hlin Kvartsberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, House V3/SU Mölndal, SE-431 80 Mölndal, Sweden ; AlzeCure Foundation, Karolinska Institutet Science Park, Hälsovägen 7, SE-141 57 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Erik Portelius
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, House V3/SU Mölndal, SE-431 80 Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Ulf Andreasson
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, House V3/SU Mölndal, SE-431 80 Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Gunnar Brinkmalm
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, House V3/SU Mölndal, SE-431 80 Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Konstantin Hellwig
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Natalia Lelental
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Johannes Kornhuber
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Oskar Hansson
- Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Memory Clinic, Clinical Memory Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Klinikgatan 22, SE-222 42 Lund, Sweden
| | - Lennart Minthon
- Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Memory Clinic, Clinical Memory Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Klinikgatan 22, SE-222 42 Lund, Sweden
| | - Philipp Spitzer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Juan M Maler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, House V3/SU Mölndal, SE-431 80 Mölndal, Sweden ; Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square 588, WC1N 3BG London, UK
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, House V3/SU Mölndal, SE-431 80 Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Piotr Lewczuk
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
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24
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Yang J, Korley FK, Dai M, Everett AD. Serum neurogranin measurement as a biomarker of acute traumatic brain injury. Clin Biochem 2015; 48:843-8. [PMID: 26025774 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2015.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2015] [Revised: 05/15/2015] [Accepted: 05/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Neurogranin (NRGN) is a small neuronal protein that plays an important role in synaptic signaling by regulating calmodulin (CaM) availability. In this study, we developed an ELISA to measure NRGN quantitatively in serum samples from a cohort of acute traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients and a non-TBI control cohort, and explored the potential value of NRGN as a circulating biomarker for TBI. DESIGN AND METHODS Recombinant His-NRGN protein was used to develop mouse monoclonal capture and rabbit polyclonal detection antibodies, and they were used to develop a sandwich ELISA. After validation, we used this ELISA to measure serum samples from a cohort of typical adult acute TBI patients (N=76 TBI cases) and non-TBI control patients (N=150 controls). RESULTS The NRGN ELISA lower limit of detection was 0.055ng/mL, lower limit of quantification was 0.2ng/mL, and interassay CVs were ≤10.7%. The average recovery was 99.9% (range from 97.2-102%). Serum NRGN concentrations in TBI cases were significantly higher than in controls (median values were 0.18ng/mL vs. 0.02ng/mL, p<0.0001), but did not discriminate TBI cases with intracranial hemorrhage (p=0.09). CONCLUSIONS We have developed a highly sensitive and reproducible ELISA for measuring circulating NRGN in blood samples. Serum NRGN concentrations in acute TBI patients were significantly higher than in controls, indicating that NRGN could have utility as a circulating biomarker for acute TBI. This report provides evidence to support larger and controlled TBI clinical studies for NRGN validation and prediction of outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Yang
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Frederick K Korley
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Min Dai
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Allen D Everett
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
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25
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Koob AO, Shaked GM, Bender A, Bisquertt A, Rockenstein E, Masliah E. Neurogranin binds α-synuclein in the human superior temporal cortex and interaction is decreased in Parkinson's disease. Brain Res 2014; 1591:102-10. [PMID: 25446004 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2014] [Revised: 10/06/2014] [Accepted: 10/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Neurogranin is a calmodulin binding protein that has been implicated in learning and memory, long-term potentiation and synaptic plasticity. Neurons expressing neurogranin in the cortex degenerate in late stages of Parkinson's disease with widespread α-synuclein pathology. While analyzing neurogranin gene expression levels through rtPCR in brains of mouse models overexpressing human α-synuclein, we found levels were elevated 2.5 times when compared to nontransgenic animals. Immunohistochemistry in the cortex revealed colocalization between α-synuclein and neurogranin in mouse transgenics when compared to control mice. Coimmunoprecipitation studies in the superior temporal cortex in humans confirmed interaction between α-synuclein and neurogranin, and decreased interaction between α-synuclein and neurogranin was noticed in patients diagnosed with Parkinson's disease when compared to normal control brains. Additionally, phosphorylated neurogranin levels were also decreased in the human superior temporal cortex in patients diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and patients diagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies. Here, we show for the first time that neurogranin binds to α-synuclein in the human cortex, and this interaction decreases in Parkinson's disease along with the phosphorylation of neurogranin, a molecular process thought to be involved in learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew O Koob
- Departments of Neurosciences, 9500 Gilman Drive, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0624, United States; Departments of Psychiatry, 9500 Gilman Drive, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0624, United States.
| | - Gideon M Shaked
- Departments of Neurosciences, 9500 Gilman Drive, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0624, United States
| | - Andreas Bender
- Department of Neurology, University of Munich, Klinikum der Universität München-Großhadern, 81377 München, Germany
| | - Alejandro Bisquertt
- Departments of Neurosciences, 9500 Gilman Drive, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0624, United States
| | - Edward Rockenstein
- Departments of Neurosciences, 9500 Gilman Drive, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0624, United States
| | - Eliezer Masliah
- Departments of Neurosciences, 9500 Gilman Drive, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0624, United States; Departments of Pathology, 9500 Gilman Drive, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0624, United States.
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Hoffman L, Chandrasekar A, Wang X, Putkey JA, Waxham MN. Neurogranin alters the structure and calcium binding properties of calmodulin. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:14644-55. [PMID: 24713697 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.560656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurogranin (Ng) is a member of the IQ motif class of calmodulin (CaM)-binding proteins, and interactions with CaM are its only known biological function. In this report we demonstrate that the binding affinity of Ng for CaM is weakened by Ca(2+) but to a lesser extent (2-3-fold) than that previously suggested from qualitative observations. We also show that Ng induced a >10-fold decrease in the affinity of Ca(2+) binding to the C-terminal domain of CaM with an associated increase in the Ca(2+) dissociation rate. We also discovered a modest, but potentially important, increase in the cooperativity in Ca(2+) binding to the C-lobe of CaM in the presence of Ng, thus sharpening the threshold for the C-domain to become Ca(2+)-saturated. Domain mapping using synthetic peptides indicated that the IQ motif of Ng is a poor mimetic of the intact protein and that the acidic sequence just N-terminal to the IQ motif plays an important role in reproducing Ng-mediated decreases in the Ca(2+) binding affinity of CaM. Using NMR, full-length Ng was shown to make contacts largely with residues in the C-domain of CaM, although contacts were also detected in residues in the N-terminal domain. Together, our results can be consolidated into a model where Ng contacts residues in the N- and C-lobes of both apo- and Ca(2+)-bound CaM and that although Ca(2+) binding weakens Ng interactions with CaM, the most dramatic biochemical effect is the impact of Ng on Ca(2+) binding to the C-terminal lobe of CaM.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Xu Wang
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - John A Putkey
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - M Neal Waxham
- From the Departments of Neurobiology and Anatomy and
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Sarafian TA, Ryan CM, Souda P, Masliah E, Kar UK, Vinters HV, Mathern GW, Faull KF, Whitelegge JP, Watson JB. Impairment of mitochondria in adult mouse brain overexpressing predominantly full-length, N-terminally acetylated human α-synuclein. PLoS One 2013; 8:e63557. [PMID: 23667637 PMCID: PMC3646806 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2012] [Accepted: 04/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
While most forms of Parkinson's Disease (PD) are sporadic in nature, a small percentage of PD have genetic causes as first described for dominant, single base pair changes as well as duplication and triplication in the α-synuclein gene. The α-synuclein gene encodes a 140 amino acid residue protein that interacts with a variety of organelles including synaptic vesicles, lysosomes, endoplasmic reticulum/Golgi vesicles and, reported more recently, mitochondria. Here we examined the structural and functional interactions of human α-synuclein with brain mitochondria obtained from an early, pre-manifest mouse model for PD over-expressing human α-synuclein (ASOTg). The membrane potential in ASOTg brain mitochondria was decreased relative to wildtype (WT) mitochondria, while reactive oxygen species (ROS) were elevated in ASOTg brain mitochondria. No selective interaction of human α-synuclein with mitochondrial electron transport complexes cI-cV was detected. Monomeric human α-synuclein plus carboxyl terminally truncated forms were the predominant isoforms detected in ASOTg brain mitochondria by 2-dimensional PAGE (Native/SDS) and immunoblotting. Oligomers or fibrils were not detected with amyloid conformational antibodies. Mass spectrometry of human α-synuclein in both ASOTg brain mitochondria and homogenates from surgically resected human cortex demonstrated that the protein was full-length and postranslationally modified by N-terminal acetylation. Overall the study showed that accumulation of full-length, N-terminally acetylated human α-synuclein was sufficient to disrupt brain mitochondrial function in adult mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodore A. Sarafian
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Christopher M. Ryan
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Puneet Souda
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Eliezer Masliah
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Upendra K. Kar
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Harry V. Vinters
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Gary W. Mathern
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Kym F. Faull
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Julian P. Whitelegge
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Joseph B. Watson
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
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Zhong L, Gerges NZ. Neurogranin targets calmodulin and lowers the threshold for the induction of long-term potentiation. PLoS One 2012; 7:e41275. [PMID: 22848456 PMCID: PMC3405117 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2012] [Accepted: 06/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcium entry and the subsequent activation of CaMKII trigger synaptic plasticity in many brain regions. The induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 region of the hippocampus requires a relatively high amount of calcium-calmodulin. This requirement is usually explained, based on in vitro and theoretical studies, by the low affinity of CaMKII for calmodulin. An untested hypothesis, however, is that calmodulin is not randomly distributed within the spine and its targeting within the spine regulates LTP. We have previously shown that overexpression of neurogranin enhances synaptic strength in a calmodulin-dependent manner. Here, using post-embedding immunogold labeling, we show that calmodulin is not randomly distributed, but spatially organized in the spine. Moreover, neurogranin regulates calmodulin distribution such that its overexpression concentrates calmodulin closer to the plasma membrane, where a high level of CaMKII immunogold labeling is also found. Interestingly, the targeting of calmodulin by neurogranin results in lowering the threshold for LTP induction. These findings highlight the significance of calmodulin targeting within the spine in synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Zhong
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Nashaat Z. Gerges
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
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29
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Abstract
Learning-related potentiation of synaptic strength at Cornu ammonis subfield 1 (CA1) hippocampal excitatory synapses is dependent on neuronal activity and the activation of glutamate receptors. However, molecular mechanisms that regulate and fine-tune the expression of long-term potentiation (LTP) are not well understood. Recently it has been indicated that neurogranin (Ng), a neuron-specific, postsynaptic protein that is phosphorylated by protein kinase C, potentiates synaptic transmission in an LTP-like manner. Here, we report that a Ng mutant that is unable to be phosphorylated cannot potentiate synaptic transmission in rat CA1 hippocampal neurons and results in a submaximal expression of LTP. Our results provide the first evidence that the phosphorylation of Ng can regulate LTP expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Zhong
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226 U.S.A
| | - Kanwardeep S. Kaleka
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226 U.S.A
| | - Nashaat Z. Gerges
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226 U.S.A
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30
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Krafft GA, Klein WL. ADDLs and the signaling web that leads to Alzheimer’s disease. Neuropharmacology 2010; 59:230-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2010.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2010] [Accepted: 07/13/2010] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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31
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Díez-Guerra FJ. Neurogranin, a link between calcium/calmodulin and protein kinase C signaling in synaptic plasticity. IUBMB Life 2010; 62:597-606. [DOI: 10.1002/iub.357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Abstract
Long-term changes of synaptic plasticity depend on protein synthesis and transcription. Ng (neurogranin) is a small protein concentrated at dendrites and spines of forebrain neurons, involved in synaptic plasticity through the regulation of CaM (calmodulin)-mediated signalling. Ng presents a central IQ motif that mediates its binding to CaM and PA (phosphatidic acid) and that can be phosphorylated by PKC (protein kinase C). In the present manuscript, we report that Ng displays a strong nuclear localization when expressed in cell lines and hippocampal neurons, either alone or fused to GFP (green fluorescent protein; GFP–Ng). Furthermore, using subcellular fractionation and immunocytochemical techniques, we were able to localize endogenous Ng in the nuclei of rat forebrain neurons. Nuclear localization of Ng depends on its IQ motif and is reduced by binding to cytoplasmic CaM. Also, PKC stimulation induces a transient nuclear translocation of Ng in acute hippocampal slices. A similar translocation is observed in the neurons of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus after the induction of generalized seizures in adult rats. In summary, the results of the present study show that a fraction of rat brain Ng is localized in the neuronal nuclei and that synaptic activity regulates its translocation from the cytoplasm. The possible involvement of Ng in the regulation of intranuclear Ca2+/CaM-dependent signalling and gene expression is discussed.
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33
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Zhong L, Cherry T, Bies CE, Florence MA, Gerges NZ. Neurogranin enhances synaptic strength through its interaction with calmodulin. EMBO J 2009; 28:3027-39. [PMID: 19713936 PMCID: PMC2736013 DOI: 10.1038/emboj.2009.236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2009] [Accepted: 07/23/2009] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning-correlated plasticity at CA1 hippocampal excitatory synapses is dependent on neuronal activity and NMDA receptor (NMDAR) activation. However, the molecular mechanisms that transduce plasticity stimuli to postsynaptic potentiation are poorly understood. Here, we report that neurogranin (Ng), a neuron-specific and postsynaptic protein, enhances postsynaptic sensitivity and increases synaptic strength in an activity- and NMDAR-dependent manner. In addition, Ng-mediated potentiation of synaptic transmission mimics and occludes long-term potentiation (LTP). Expression of Ng mutants that lack the ability to bind to, or dissociate from, calmodulin (CaM) fails to potentiate synaptic transmission, strongly suggesting that regulated Ng-CaM binding is necessary for Ng-mediated potentiation. Moreover, knocking-down Ng blocked LTP induction. Thus, Ng-CaM interaction can provide a mechanistic link between induction and expression of postsynaptic potentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Zhong
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Tiffani Cherry
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Christine E Bies
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Matthew A Florence
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Nashaat Z Gerges
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
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Arendt T. Synaptic degeneration in Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol 2009; 118:167-79. [PMID: 19390859 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-009-0536-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 365] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2009] [Revised: 04/07/2009] [Accepted: 04/07/2009] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Synaptic loss is the major neurobiological substrate of cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Synaptic failure is an early event in the pathogenesis that is clearly detectable already in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a prodromal state of AD. It progresses during the course of AD and in most early stages involves mechanisms of compensation before reaching a stage of decompensated function. This dynamic process from an initially reversible functionally responsive stage of down-regulation of synaptic function to stages irreversibly associated with degeneration might be related to a disturbance of structural brain self-organization and involves morpho-regulatory molecules such as the amyloid precursor protein. Further, recent evidence suggests a role for diffusible oligomers of amyloid beta in synaptic dysfunction. To form synaptic connections and to continuously re-shape them in a process of ongoing structural adaptation, neurons must permanently withdraw from the cell cycle. Previously, we formulated the hypothesis that differentiated neurons after having withdrawn from the cell cycle are able to use molecular mechanisms primarily developed to control proliferation alternatively to control synaptic plasticity. The existence of these alternative effector pathways within neurons might put them at risk of erroneously converting signals derived from plastic synaptic changes into the program of cell cycle activation, which subsequently leads to cell death. The molecular mechanisms involved in cell cycle activation might, thus, link aberrant synaptic changes to cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Arendt
- Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Jahnallee 59, 04109 Leipzig, Germany.
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35
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Mus E, Hof PR, Tiedge H. Dendritic BC200 RNA in aging and in Alzheimer's disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2007; 104:10679-84. [PMID: 17553964 PMCID: PMC1965572 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0701532104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 245] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2007] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Small untranslated BC1 and BC200 RNAs are translational regulators that are selectively targeted to somatodendritic domains of neurons. They are thought to operate as modulators of local protein synthesis in postsynaptic dendritic microdomains, in a capacity in which they would contribute to the maintenance of long-term synaptic plasticity. Because plasticity failure has been proposed to be a starting point for the neurodegenerative changes that are seen in Alzheimer's disease (AD), we asked whether somatodendritic levels of human BC200 RNA are deregulated in AD brains. We found that in normal aging, BC200 levels in cortical areas were reduced by >60% between the ages of 49 and 86. In contrast, BC200 RNA was significantly up-regulated in AD brains, in comparison with age-matched normal brains. This up-regulation in AD was specific to brain areas that are involved in the disease. Relative BC200 levels in those areas increased in parallel with the progression of AD, as reflected by Clinical Dementia Rating scores. In more advanced stages of the disease, BC200 RNA often assumed a clustered perikaryal localization, indicating that dendritic loss is accompanied by somatic overexpression. Mislocalization and overexpression of BC200 RNA may be reactive-compensatory to, or causative of, synaptodendritic deterioration in AD neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- El Mus
- *The Robert F. Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, and
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Department of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029
| | - Henri Tiedge
- *The Robert F. Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, and
- Department of Neurology, State University of New York Health Science Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203; and
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36
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Domínguez-González I, Vázquez-Cuesta S, Algaba A, Díez-Guerra F. Neurogranin binds to phosphatidic acid and associates to cellular membranes. Biochem J 2007; 404:31-43. [PMID: 17295609 PMCID: PMC1868841 DOI: 10.1042/bj20061483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Neurogranin (Ng) is a 78-amino-acid-long protein concentrated at dendritic spines of forebrain neurons that is involved in synaptic plasticity through the regulation of CaM (calmodulin)-mediated signalling. Ng features a central IQ motif that mediates binding to CaM and is phosphorylated by PKC (protein kinase C). We have analysed the subcellular distribution of Ng and found that it associates to cellular membranes in rat brain. In vitro binding assays revealed that Ng selectively binds to PA (phosphatidic acid) and that this interaction is prevented by CaM and PKC phosphorylation. Using the peptide Ng-(29-47) and a mutant with an internal deletion (Ng-IQless), we have shown that Ng binding to PA and to cellular membranes is mediated by its IQ motif. Ng expressed in NIH-3T3 cells accumulates at peripheral regions of the plasma membrane and localizes at intracellular vesicles that can be clearly visualized following saponin permeabilization. This distribution was affected by PLD (phospholipase D) and PIP5K (phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinase) overexpression. Based on these results, we propose that Ng binding to PA may be involved in Ng accumulation at dendritic spines and that Ng could modulate PA signalling in the postsynaptic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Domínguez-González
- Departamento de Biología Molecular and Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa”, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), E-28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Silvia N. Vázquez-Cuesta
- Departamento de Biología Molecular and Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa”, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), E-28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alicia Algaba
- Departamento de Biología Molecular and Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa”, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), E-28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - F. Javier Díez-Guerra
- Departamento de Biología Molecular and Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa”, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), E-28049, Madrid, Spain
- To whom correspondence should be addressed (email )
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37
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Higo N, Oishi T, Yamashita A, Murata Y, Matsuda K, Hayashi M. Northern blot and in situ hybridization analyses for the neurogranin mRNA in the developing monkey cerebral cortex. Brain Res 2006; 1078:35-48. [PMID: 16497282 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2006.01.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2005] [Revised: 01/03/2006] [Accepted: 01/08/2006] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Neurogranin is a postsynaptic substrate for protein kinase C, and its expression is related to dendritic spine development and postsynaptic plasticity. Using both Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization techniques, we investigated the developmental changes of neurogranin expression in the monkey cerebral cortex. In each of four neocortical areas examined, i.e., the prefrontal area (area FD of von Bonin and Bailey), the temporal association area (TE), the primary somatosensory area (PB), and the primary visual area (OC), the Northern blot analysis showed that the amount of neurogranin mRNA was low during the prenatal and perinatal periods until postnatal day 8. It increased during postnatal development and reached its peak value at postnatal day 70 (in area OC) or postnatal month 6 (in area FD, TE, and PB). After that, the amount of neurogranin mRNA in the cerebral neocortex decreased gradually until postnatal years 2-3. The in situ hybridization experiments also showed a transient increase of neurogranin mRNA in the neocortex during postnatal day 70 to postnatal month 6. The transient increase was prominent in layers II and III of areas FD and TE; deep in layer III of area PB; and in layers II, III, and IV of area OC. In the hippocampus, in contrast to the results in the neocortex, the expression of neurogranin mRNA was decreased almost continuously during the postnatal period. The transiently increased expression of neurogranin in the postnatal neocortex may be a molecular basis for the postsynaptic modification of afferent inputs possibly from subcortical structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriyuki Higo
- Neuroscience Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan.
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38
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Yang HM, Lee PHH, Lim TM, Sheu FS. Neurogranin expression in stably transfected N2A cell line affects cytosolic calcium level by nitric oxide stimulation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004; 129:171-8. [PMID: 15469893 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbrainres.2004.06.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/05/2004] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
To test a cellular effect of rodent neurogranin (Ng) oxidation as compared to Ng phosphorylation, we develop a cell model capable of stable expression of Ng using the Tet-On system, and determine whether Ng oxidation regulates intracellular calcium level. Our results show that Ng oxidation by nitric oxide donor induces an increase of [Ca(2+)](i) in Ng-expressed cells as compared to the control cells without expressing Ng. These results suggest that Ng oxidation plays a significant role in intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis, essential for the activated signaling networks in learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Ming Yang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore
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39
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Higo N, Oishi T, Yamashita A, Matsuda K, Hayashi M. Cell type- and region-specific expression of protein kinase C-substrate mRNAs in the cerebellum of the macaque monkey. J Comp Neurol 2003; 467:135-49. [PMID: 14595765 DOI: 10.1002/cne.10850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
We performed nonradioactive in situ hybridization histochemistry in the monkey cerebellum to investigate the localization of protein kinase C-substrate (growth-associated protein-43 [GAP-43], myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate [MARCKS], and neurogranin) mRNAs. Hybridization signals for GAP-43 mRNA were observed in the molecular and granule cell layers of both infant and adult cerebellar cortices. Signals for MARCKS mRNA were observed in the molecular, Purkinje cell, and granule cell layers of both infant and adult cortices. Moreover, both GAP-43 and MARCKS mRNAs were expressed in the external granule cell layer of the infant cortex. In the adult cerebellar vermis, signals for both GAP-43 and MARCKS mRNAs were more intense in lobules I, IX, and X than in the remaining lobules. In the adult hemisphere, both mRNAs were more intense in the flocculus and the dorsal paraflocculus than in other lobules. Such lobule-specific expressions were not prominent in the infant cerebellar cortex. Signals for neurogranin, a postsynaptic substrate for protein kinase C, were weak or not detectable in any regions of either the infant or adult cerebellar cortex. The prominent signals for MARCKS mRNA were observed in the deep cerebellar nuclei, but signals for both GAP-43 and neurogranin mRNAs were weak or not detectable. The prominent signals for both GAP-43 and MARCKS mRNAs were observed in the inferior olive, but signals for neurogranin were weak or not detectable. The cell type- and region-specific expression of GAP-43 and MARCKS mRNAs in the cerebellum may be related to functional specialization regarding plasticity in each type of cell and each region of the cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriyuki Higo
- Neuroscience Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan.
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40
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Singec I, Knoth R, Ditter M, Frotscher M, Volk B. Neurogranin expression by cerebellar neurons in rodents and non-human primates. J Comp Neurol 2003; 459:278-89. [PMID: 12655510 DOI: 10.1002/cne.10600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Neurogranin (NG) is a brain-specific protein kinase C substrate involved in the regulation of calcium signaling and neuronal plasticity. A rostrocaudal expression profile, with large amounts in telencephalic brain regions and low expression levels in phylogenetically older brain structures, was reported previously. In the cerebellum, expression of NG has not been described. By using immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization, we found that NG is expressed in the mouse (C57Bl/6), rat (Wistar), and monkey (Cercopithecus aetiops) cerebella. In the mouse cerebellum, Golgi cells were strongly immunoreactive for NG, whereas other cerebellar neurons were devoid of this protein. Cell counts showed 1.6-fold more immunopositive Golgi cells in the hemispheres (61.1 +/- 8.0 cells/mm(2)) than in the vermis (37.5 +/- 3.3 cells/mm(2)). Developmental studies showed detectable NG in the mouse cerebellum as early as on postnatal day 10 (P10). In contrast to the mouse, in the rat cerebellum we found only a few Golgi cells containing NG (hemispheres, 2.4 +/- 0.5 cells/mm(2); vermis, 1.5 +/- 0.3 cells/mm(2)). In the monkey cerebellum, unipolar brush cells, localized in the granular layer, were heavily labeled, whereas Golgi cells were devoid of NG. This study demonstrated that NG is strongly expressed in specific gamma-aminobutyric acidergic neurons in the rodent cerebellum. In addition, NG expression in the primate cerebellum by brush cells, which are excitatory, showed remarkable cell type-specific and species-specific expression patterns of a postsynaptic protein mediating calcium signaling mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilyas Singec
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.
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41
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Dooley TP, Curto EV, Reddy SP, Davis RL, Lambert G, Wilborn TW. A method to improve selection of molecular targets by circumventing the ADME pharmacokinetic system utilizing PharmArray DNA microarrays. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2003; 303:828-41. [PMID: 12670486 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-291x(03)00438-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
DNA microarrays may be used to identify potential molecular targets for drug discovery. Yet, DNA microarray experiments provide massive amounts of data. To limit the choice of potential molecular targets, it may be desirable to eliminate genes coincidentally up-regulated in tissues implicated in absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) pharmacokinetics. DNA microarray experiments were performed to demonstrate a gene-exclusion approach using as an example RNA samples of neural origin, i.e., a human neuroblastoma cell line (SK-N-SH) and brain tissue, as the intended hypothetical site(s) of drug action. Biomarkers were identified using PharmArray DNA microarrays. The lists of neuroblastoma and neural biomarkers were constrained by limiting selection to the subset of genes that were not highly expressed in three transformed cell lines from liver, colon, and kidney (HepG2, Caco-2, and 786-O, respectively) that are routinely used as representatives of the ADME system during in vitro pharmacology and toxicology experiments. Principal component analysis methods with likelihood ratio-related bioinformatic tools were utilized to identify robust potential biomarker genes for the three ADME-related cell lines, neuroblastoma, and normal brain. Biomarkers of each sample were identified and selected genes were validated by qRT-PCR. Hundreds of biomarkers of the three ADME-related cell types, representing hepatocytes, kidney epithelium, and gastrointestinal tract, may now be used as a valuable database to restrict selection of biomarkers as potential molecular targets from the intended samples (e.g., neuroblastoma in this work). In addition to biomarker discovery per se, this demonstration suggests that our model method may be viable to help restrict gene lists during selection of potential molecular targets for subsequent drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas P Dooley
- IntegriDerm Inc., 2800 Milan Court, Birmingham, AL 35211-6908, USA.
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42
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Watson JB, Khorasani H, Persson A, Huang KP, Huang FL, O'Dell TJ. Age-related deficits in long-term potentiation are insensitive to hydrogen peroxide: coincidence with enhanced autophosphorylation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. J Neurosci Res 2002; 70:298-308. [PMID: 12391589 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.10427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can have deleterious effects for both normal aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD). We examined the hypothesis that synapses undergoing long-term potentiation (LTP) are preferentially at risk for ROS-mediated oxidative stress during aging. We observed age-dependent deficits in LTP induced by a high-frequency stimulation (HFS) protocol in the CA1 region of hippocampus from C57BL/6 mice. There was a significant difference between LTP measured over 60 min in young (1-2 months) and old (23-26 months) mice. In oxidative stress studies, exogenous H(2)O(2) (580 micro M) significantly inhibited LTP in young mice; a similar dose of H(2)O(2) failed to inhibit LTP in slices from adult (2-4 months) or from old mice. The results show that there are significant deficits in LTP in aging mice, but such deficits are insensitive to H(2)O(2). Western immunoblotting studies in young mice show that the relative levels of autophosphorylated alpha-Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) are unchanged in hippocampal CA1 treated with H(2)O(2) relative to untreated controls. However with aging, there is a significant enhancement in the levels of autophosphorylated CaMKII in H(2)O(2)-treated CA1 of older mice. Phosphorylation of RC3/neurogranin (Ng) by protein kinase C (PKC) is decreased in CA1 in response to H(2)O(2) treatment, irrespective of age. We propose that, during aging, enhanced local release of H(2)O(2) from mitochondria may induce a compensatory "ceiling" effect at synapses, so that the levels of autophosphorylated alpha CaMKII are aberrantly saturated, leading to alterations in synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- J B Watson
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA.
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Miyakawa T, Yared E, Pak JH, Huang FL, Huang KP, Crawley JN. Neurogranin null mutant mice display performance deficits on spatial learning tasks with anxiety related components. Hippocampus 2002; 11:763-75. [PMID: 11811671 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.1092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Neurogranin/RC3 is a protein that binds calmodulin and serves as a substrate for protein kinase C. Neuronally distributed in the hippocampus and forebrain, neurogranin is highly expressed in dendritic spines of hippocampal pyramidal cells, implicating this protein in long-term potentiation and in learning and memory processes. Null mutation of the neurogranin gene Ng generated viable knockout mice for analysis of the behavioral phenotype resulting from the absence of neurogranin protein. Ng -/- mice were normal on measures of general health, neurological reflexes, sensory abilities, and motor functions, as compared to wild type littermate controls. On the Morris water task, Ng -/- mice failed to reach acquisition criterion on the hidden platform test and did not show selective search on the probe trial. In the Barnes circular maze, another test for spatial navigation learning, Ng -/- mice showed impairments on some components of transfer, but normal performance on time spent around the target hole. Abnormal and idiosyncratic behaviors were detected, that appeared to represent an anxiogenic phenotype in Ng -/- mice, as measured in the light<-->dark exploration test and the open field center time parameter. These findings of apparent deficits in spatial learning and anxiety-like tendencies in Ng -/- support a role for neurogranin in the hippocampally-mediated interaction between stress and performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Miyakawa
- Section on Behavioral Neuropharmacology, Experimental Therapeutics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1375, USA
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Mons N, Enderlin V, Jaffard R, Higueret P. Selective age-related changes in the PKC-sensitive, calmodulin-binding protein, neurogranin, in the mouse brain. J Neurochem 2001; 79:859-67. [PMID: 11723178 DOI: 10.1046/j.1471-4159.2001.00646.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Brain ageing is associated with a dysregulation of intracellular calcium (Ca(2+)) homeostasis which leads to deficits in Ca(2+)-dependent signalling pathways and altered neuronal functions. Given the crucial role of neurogranin/RC3 (Ng) in the post-synaptic regulation of Ca(2+) and calmodulin levels, age-dependent changes in the levels of Ng mRNA and protein expression were analysed in 3, 12, 24 and 31-month-old mouse brains. Ageing produced significant decreases in Ng mRNA expression in the dorsal hippocampal subfields, retrosplenial and primary motor cortices, whereas no reliable changes were seen in any other cortical regions examined. Western blot indicated that Ng protein expression was also down-regulated in the ageing mouse brain. Analysis of Ng immunoreactivity in both hippocampal CA1 and retrosplenial areas indicated that Ng protein in aged mice decreased predominantly in the dendritic segments of pyramidal neurones. These data suggest that age-related changes of post-synaptic Ng in selected brain areas, and particularly in hippocampus, may contribute to altered Ca(2+)/calmodulin-signalling pathways and to region-specific impairments of synaptic plasticity and cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Mons
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives UMR CNRS 5106, Université de Bordeaux, Talence, France.
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Arendt T. Alzheimer's disease as a disorder of mechanisms underlying structural brain self-organization. Neuroscience 2001; 102:723-65. [PMID: 11182240 DOI: 10.1016/s0306-4522(00)00516-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Mental function has as its cerebral basis a specific dynamic structure. In particular, cortical and limbic areas involved in "higher brain functions" such as learning, memory, perception, self-awareness and consciousness continuously need to be self-adjusted even after development is completed. By this lifelong self-optimization process, the cognitive, behavioural and emotional reactivity of an individual is stepwise remodelled to meet the environmental demands. While the presence of rigid synaptic connections ensures the stability of the principal characteristics of function, the variable configuration of the flexible synaptic connections determines the unique, non-repeatable character of an experienced mental act. With the increasing need during evolution to organize brain structures of increasing complexity, this process of selective dynamic stabilization and destabilization of synaptic connections becomes more and more important. These mechanisms of structural stabilization and labilization underlying a lifelong synaptic remodelling according to experience, are accompanied, however, by increasing inherent possibilities of failure and may, thus, not only allow for the evolutionary acquisition of "higher brain function" but at the same time provide the basis for a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders. It is the objective of the present paper to outline the hypothesis that it might be the disturbance of structural brain self-organization which, based on both genetic and epigenetic information, constantly "creates" and "re-creates" the brain throughout life, that is the defect that underlies Alzheimer's disease (AD). This hypothesis is, in particular, based on the following lines of evidence. (1) AD is a synaptic disorder. (2) AD is associated with aberrant sprouting at both the presynaptic (axonal) and postsynaptic (dendritic) site. (3) The spatial and temporal distribution of AD pathology follows the pattern of structural neuroplasticity in adulthood, which is a developmental pattern. (4) AD pathology preferentially involves molecules critical for the regulation of modifications of synaptic connections, i.e. "morphoregulatory" molecules that are developmentally controlled, such as growth-inducing and growth-associated molecules, synaptic molecules, adhesion molecules, molecules involved in membrane turnover, cytoskeletal proteins, etc. (5) Life events that place an additional burden on the plastic capacity of the brain or that require a particularly high plastic capacity of the brain might trigger the onset of the disease or might stimulate a more rapid progression of the disease. In other words, they might increase the risk for AD in the sense that they determine when, not whether, one gets AD. (6) AD is associated with a reactivation of developmental programmes that are incompatible with a differentiated cellular background and, therefore, lead to neuronal death. From this hypothesis, it can be predicted that a therapeutic intervention into these pathogenetic mechanisms is a particular challenge as it potentially interferes with those mechanisms that at the same time provide the basis for "higher brain function".
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Affiliation(s)
- T Arendt
- Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, Department of Neuroanatomy, University of Leipzig, Jahnallee 59, D-04109, Leipzig, Germany.
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Abstract
The phenomenon of mRNA sorting to defined subcellular domains is observed in diverse organisms such as yeast and man. It is now becoming increasingly clear that specific transport of mRNAs to extrasomal locations in nerve cells of the central and peripheral nervous system may play an important role in nerve cell development and synaptic plasticity. Although the majority of mRNAs that are expressed in a given neuron are confined to the cell somata, some transcript species are specifically delivered to dendrites and/or, albeit less frequently, to the axonal domain. The physiological role and the molecular mechanisms of mRNA compartmentalization is now being investigated extensively. Even though most of the fundamental aspects await to be fully characterized, a few interesting data are emerging. In particular, there are a number of different subcellular distribution patterns of different RNA species in a given neuronal cell type and RNA compartmentalization may differ depending on the electrical activity of nerve cells. Furthermore, RNA transport is different in neurons of different developmental stages. Considerable evidence is now accumulating that mRNA sorting, at least to dendrites and the initial axonal segment, enables local synthesis of key proteins that are detrimental for synaptic function, nerve cell development and the establishment and maintenance of nerve cell polarity. The molecular determinants specifying mRNA compartmentalization to defined microdomains of nerve cells are just beginning to be unravelled. Targeting appears to be determined by sequence elements residing in the mRNA molecule to which proteins bind in a manner to direct these transcripts along cytoskeletal components to their site of function where they may be anchored to await transcriptional activation upon demand.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Mohr
- University of Hamburg, Institut für Zellbiochemie und klinische Neurobiologie, Germany.
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Davidsson P, Puchades M, Blennow K. Identification of synaptic vesicle, pre- and postsynaptic proteins in human cerebrospinal fluid using liquid-phase isoelectric focusing. Electrophoresis 1999; 20:431-7. [PMID: 10217148 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1522-2683(19990301)20:3<431::aid-elps431>3.0.co;2-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Synaptic pathology is central in the pathogenesis of several psychiatric disorders, for example in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and schizophrenia. Quantification of specific synaptic proteins has proved to be a useful method to estimate synapitc density in the brain. Using this approach, several synaptic proteins have been demonstrated to be altered in both AD and schizophrenia. Until recently, the analysis of synaptic pathology has been limited to postmortem tissue. In living subjects, these synaptic proteins may be studied through analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). In an earlier study performed by us, one synaptic vesicle specific protein, synaptotagmin, was detected in CSF for the first time using a procedure based on affinity chromatography, reversed-phase chromatography, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and chemiluminescence immunoblotting. However, other synaptic proteins were not detectable with this procedure. Therefore, we have developed a procedure including precipitation of CSF proteins with trichloroacetic acid, followed by liquid-phase isoelectric focusing using the Rotofor Cell, and finally analysis of Rotofor fractions by Western blotting for identification of synaptic proteins in CSF. Five synaptic proteins, rab3a, synaptotagmin, growth-associated protein (GAP-43), synaptosomal-associated protein (SNAP-25) and neurogranin, have been demonstrated in CSF using this method. The major advantage of liquid-phase isoelectric focusing (IEF) using the Rotofor cell is that it provides synaptic proteins from CSF in sufficient quantities for identification. This method may also be suitable for identification of other types of trace amounts of brain-specific proteins in CSF. These results demonstrate that several synaptic proteins can be identified and measured in CSF to study synaptic function and pathology in degenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Davidsson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Mölndal, Sweden.
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Vaittinen S, Lukka R, Sahlgren C, Rantanen J, Hurme T, Lendahl U, Eriksson JE, Kalimo H. Specific and innervation-regulated expression of the intermediate filament protein nestin at neuromuscular and myotendinous junctions in skeletal muscle. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 1999; 154:591-600. [PMID: 10027416 PMCID: PMC1850010 DOI: 10.1016/s0002-9440(10)65304-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The intermediate filament proteins nestin, vimentin, and desmin show a specific temporal expression pattern during the development of myofibers from myogenic precursor cells. Nestin and vimentin are actively expressed during early developmental stages to be later down-regulated, vimentin completely and nestin to minimal levels, whereas desmin expression begins later and is maintained in mature myofibers, in which desmin participates in maintaining structural integrity. In this study we have analyzed the expression levels and distribution pattern of nestin in intact and denervated muscle in rat and in human. Nestin immunoreactivity was specifically and focally localized in the sarcoplasm underneath neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) and in the vicinity of the myotendinous junctions (MTJs), ie, in regions associated with acetylcholine receptors (AChRs). This association prompted us to analyze nestin in neurogenically and myogenically denervated muscle. Immunoblot analysis disclosed a marked overall increase of accumulated nestin protein. Similar to the extrajunctional redistribution of AChRs in denervated myofibers, nestin immunoreactivity extended widely beyond the NMJ region. Re-innervation caused complete reversion of these changes. Our study demonstrates that the expression levels and distribution pattern of nestin are regulated by innervation, ie, signal transduction into myofibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Vaittinen
- Department of Pathology, Turku University Hospital, Finland
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Martínez de Arrieta C, Morte B, Coloma A, Bernal J. The human RC3 gene homolog, NRGN contains a thyroid hormone-responsive element located in the first intron. Endocrinology 1999; 140:335-43. [PMID: 9886843 DOI: 10.1210/endo.140.1.6461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
NRGN is the human homolog of the neuron-specific rat RC3/neurogranin gene. This gene encodes a postsynaptic 78-amino acid protein kinase substrate that binds calmodulin in the absence of calcium, and that has been implicated in dendritic spine formation and synaptic plasticity. In the rat brain RC3 is under thyroid hormone control in specific neuronal subsets in both developing and adult animals. To evaluate whether the human gene is also a target of thyroid hormone we have searched for T3-responsive elements in NRGN cloned genomic fragments spanning the whole gene. Labeled DNA fragments were incubated with T3 receptors (T3R) and 9-cis-retinoic acid receptors and immunoprecipitated using an anti T3R antibody. A receptor-binding site was localized in the first intron, 3000 bp downstream from the origin of transcription. Footprinting analysis revealed the sequence GGATTAAATGAGGTAA, closely related to the consensus T3-responsive element of the direct repeat (DR4) type. This sequence binds the T3R-9-cis-retinoic acid receptors heterodimers, but not T3R monomers or homodimers, and is able to confer regulation by T3R and T3 when fused upstream of the NRGN or thymidine kinase promoters. The data reported in this work suggest that NRGN is a direct target of thyroid hormone in human brain, and that control of expression of this gene could underlay many of the consequences ofhypothyroidism on mental states during development as well as in adult subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Martínez de Arrieta
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain
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Landry CF, Campagnoni AT. Targeting of mRNAs into Neuronal and Glial Processes: Intracellular and Extracellular Influences. Neuroscientist 1998. [DOI: 10.1177/107385849800400204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Neurons and macroglia share the common, polarizing, morphological feature of multiple processes extending from a cell body, thereby defining two cellular domains. Frequently, specialized cellular activities occur within these processes, such as the dendrites of neurons and the myelin sheath of oligodendrocytes, which serve to define some of the functions of the cell. As a consequence, molecules involved in carrying out these functions need to be targeted to these domains, and mechanisms must exist for selecting and delivering these molecules to their appropriate locations. One mechanism that is emerging as increasingly important in targeting proteins to distal processes of neural cells is the translocation of the mRNAs encoding those proteins. In this review, we present many examples of such translocated mRNAs in neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. There is a growing consensus that four major steps occur in mRNA targeting after transcription and exit of these molecules from the nucleus. These include 1) the assembly of mRNA into an RNA-protein granule, presumably around some translocation signal within the mRNA; 2) transport of the mRNA granule complex to distal sites via the cytoskeleton; 3) anchoring of the granule at the targeting site; and 4) translation of the localized mRNA to generate protein products in situ. It has become increasingly apparent that mRNA translocation is an active process, although many of the components of the translocation apparatus remain to be identified. Recent evidence also indicates that a number of factors can regulate the transport of mRNAs from within and without the cell. These include cell-cell contact, differentiation state, electrical activity, and trophic factors, which seem to exert their influence through signal transduction mechanisms that are only beginning to be defined. NEUROSCIENTIST 4:77-87, 1998
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles F. Landry
- Mental Retardation Research Center and Brain Research Institute University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine Los Angeles, California
| | - Anthony T. Campagnoni
- Mental Retardation Research Center and Brain Research Institute University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine Los Angeles, California
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