1
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Raine J, Tolwinski N, Gruber J, Mathuru AS. Evaluating the inter-species transmission risk of amyloid beta peptide aggregates via ingestion. Alzheimers Res Ther 2024; 16:123. [PMID: 38849926 PMCID: PMC11157902 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-024-01487-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent reports suggest that amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides can exhibit prion-like pathogenic properties. Transmission of Aβ peptide and the development of associated pathologies after surgeries with contaminated instruments and intravenous or intracerebral inoculations have now been reported across fish, rodents, primates, and humans. This raises a worrying prospect of Aβ peptides also having other characteristics typical of prions, such as evasion of the digestive process. We asked if such transmission of Aβ aggregates via ingestion was possible. METHODS We made use of a transgenic Drosophila melanogaster line expressing human Aβ peptide prone to aggregation. Fly larvae were fed to adult zebrafish under two feeding schemes. The first was a short-term, high-intensity scheme over 48 h to determine transmission and retention in the gut. The second, long-term scheme specifically examined retention and accumulation in the brain. The gut and brain tissues were examined by histology, western blotting, and mass spectrometric analyses. RESULTS None of the analyses could detect Aβ aggregates in the guts of zebrafish following ingestion, despite being easily detectable in the feed. Additionally, there was no detectable accumulation of Aβ in the brain tissue or development of associated pathologies after prolonged feeding. CONCLUSIONS While human Aβ aggregates do not appear to be readily transmissible by ingestion across species, two prospects remain open. First, this mode of transmission, if occurring, may stay below a detectable threshold and may take much longer to manifest. A second possibility is that the human Aβ peptide is not able to trigger self-propagation or aggregation in other species. Either possibility requires further investigation, taking into account the possibility of such transmission from agricultural species used in the food industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Raine
- Yale-NUS College, 12 College Avenue West, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nicholas Tolwinski
- Yale-NUS College, 12 College Avenue West, Singapore, Singapore
- Program in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jan Gruber
- Yale-NUS College, 12 College Avenue West, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Healthy Longevity Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ajay S Mathuru
- Yale-NUS College, 12 College Avenue West, Singapore, Singapore.
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- Institute of Digital Medicine (WisDM) Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- Healthy Longevity Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore.
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2
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Hsueh SCC, Nijland M, Aina A, Plotkin SS. Cyclization Scaffolding for Improved Vaccine Immunogen Stability: Application to Tau Protein in Alzheimer's Disease. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:2035-2044. [PMID: 38427576 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Effective scaffolding of immunogens is crucial for generating conformationally selective antibodies through active immunization, particularly in the treatment of protein misfolding diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Previous computational work has revealed that a disorder-prone region of the tau protein, when in a stacked form, is predicted to structurally resemble a small, soluble protofibril, having conformational properties similar to those of experimental in vitro tau oligomers. Such an oligomeric structural mimic has the potential to serve as a vaccine immunogen design for Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we developed a cyclization scaffolding method in Rosetta, in which multiple cyclic peptides are stacked into a protofibril. Cyclization results in significant stabilization of protofibril-like structures by constraining the conformational space. Applying this method to the disorder-prone region of the tau fibril, we evaluated the metastability of the cyclized tau immunogen using molecular dynamics simulations, and we identified sequences of two cyclic constructs having high metastability in the protofibril. We then assessed their thermodynamic stability by computing the free energy required to separate a distal chain from the rest of the stacked structure. Our computational results, based on molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations, demonstrate that two cyclized constructs, cyclo-(VKSEKLDFKDRVQSKIFyN) and cyclo-(VKSEKLDFKDRVQSKIYvG) (lowercase letters indicate d-form amino acids), possess significantly increased thermodynamic stability in the protofibril over an uncyclized linear construct VKSEKLDFKDRVQSKI. The cyclization scaffolding approach proposed here holds promise as a means to effectively design immunogens for protein misfolding diseases, particularly those involving liposome-conjugated peptide constructs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn C C Hsueh
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Mark Nijland
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, Wageningen University, Wageningen 6708 WG, The Netherlands
| | - Adekunle Aina
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Steven S Plotkin
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1, Canada
- Genome Science and Technology Program, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1, Canada
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3
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Stepanchuk AA, Stys PK. Spectral Fluorescence Pathology of Protein Misfolding Disorders. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:898-908. [PMID: 38407017 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein misfolding has been extensively studied in the context of neurodegenerative disorders and systemic amyloidoses. Due to misfolding and aggregation of proteins being highly heterogeneous and generating a variety of structures, a growing body of evidence illustrates numerous ways how the aggregates contribute to progression of diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and prion disorders. Different misfolded species of the same protein, commonly referred to as strains, appear to play a significant role in shaping the disease clinical phenotype and clinical progression. The distinct toxicity profiles of various misfolded proteins underscore their importance. Current diagnostics struggle to differentiate among these strains early in the disease course. This review explores the potential of spectral fluorescence approaches to illuminate the complexities of protein misfolding pathology and discusses the applications of advanced spectral methods in the detection and characterization of protein misfolding disorders. By examining spectrally variable probes, current data analysis approaches, and important considerations for the use of these techniques, this review aims to provide an overview of the progress made in this field and highlights directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiia A Stepanchuk
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Peter K Stys
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
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4
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Wang X, Li H, Sheng Y, He B, Liu Z, Li W, Yu S, Wang J, Zhang Y, Chen J, Qin L, Meng X. The function of sphingolipids in different pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease: A comprehensive review. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 171:116071. [PMID: 38183741 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.116071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Sphingolipids (SPLs) represent a highly diverse and structurally complex lipid class. The discussion of SPL metabolism-related issues is of importance in understanding the neuropathological progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD is characterized by the accumulation of extracellular deposits of the amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) and intraneuronal aggregates of the microtubule-associated protein tau. Critical roles of Aβ oligomer deposited and ganglioside GM1 could be formed as "seed" from insoluble GAβ polymer in initiating the pathogenic process, while tau might also mediate SPLs and their toxicity. The interaction between ceramide and α-Synuclein (α-Syn) accelerates the aggregation of ferroptosis and exacerbates the pathogenesis of AD. For instance, reducing the levels of SPLs can mitigate α-Syn accumulation and inhibit AD progression. Meanwhile, loss of SPLs may inhibit the expression of APOE4 and confer protection against AD, while the loss of APOE4 expression also disrupts SPLs homeostasis. Moreover, the heightened activation of sphingomyelinase promotes the ferroptosis signaling pathway, leading to exacerbated AD symptoms. Ferroptosis plays a vital role in the pathological progression of AD by influencing Aβ, tau, APOE, and α-Syn. Conversely, the development of AD also exacerbates the manifestation of ferroptosis and SPLs. We are compiling the emerging techniques (Derivatization and IM-MS) of sphingolipidomics, to overcome the challenges of AD diagnosis and treatment. In this review, we examined the intricate neuro-mechanistic interactions between SPLs and Aβ, tau, α-Syn, APOE, and ferroptosis, mediating the onset of AD. Furthermore, our findings highlight the potential of targeting SPLs as underexplored avenue for devising innovative therapeutic strategies against AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Binjiang District, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Huaqiang Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Binjiang District, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Yunjie Sheng
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Binjiang District, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Bingqian He
- Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Binjiang District, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Zeying Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Binjiang District, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Wanli Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Binjiang District, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Shujie Yu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Binjiang District, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Jiajing Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Binjiang District, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Yixin Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Binjiang District, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Jianyu Chen
- Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, PR China.
| | - Luping Qin
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Binjiang District, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, PR China.
| | - Xiongyu Meng
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Binjiang District, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, PR China.
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5
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Sun S, Wang C, Zhao P, Kline GM, Grandjean JMD, Jiang X, Labaudiniere R, Wiseman RL, Kelly JW, Balch WE. Capturing the conversion of the pathogenic alpha-1-antitrypsin fold by ATF6 enhanced proteostasis. Cell Chem Biol 2023; 30:22-42.e5. [PMID: 36630963 PMCID: PMC9930901 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2022.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Genetic variation in alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) causes AAT deficiency (AATD) through liver aggregation-associated gain-of-toxic pathology and/or insufficient AAT activity in the lung manifesting as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Here, we utilize 71 AATD-associated variants as input through Gaussian process (GP)-based machine learning to study the correction of AAT folding and function at a residue-by-residue level by pharmacological activation of the ATF6 arm of the unfolded protein response (UPR). We show that ATF6 activators increase AAT neutrophil elastase (NE) inhibitory activity, while reducing polymer accumulation for the majority of AATD variants, including the prominent Z variant. GP-based profiling of the residue-by-residue response to ATF6 activators captures an unexpected role of the "gate" area in managing AAT-specific activity. Our work establishes a new spatial covariant (SCV) understanding of the convertible state of the protein fold in response to genetic perturbation and active environmental management by proteostasis enhancement for precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuhong Sun
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Chao Wang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Pei Zhao
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Gabe M Kline
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Xin Jiang
- Protego Biopharma, 10945 Vista Sorrento Parkway, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - R Luke Wiseman
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jeffery W Kelly
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - William E Balch
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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6
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Stepanchuk AA, Morgan ML, Joseph JT, Stys PK. Dual-probe fluorescence spectroscopy for sensitive quantitation of Alzheimer’s amyloid pathology. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022; 10:153. [DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01456-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractProtein misfolding is a prominent pathological hallmark of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Studies have shown that the diversity of β sheet-rich protein deposits (such as amyloid β plaques and neurofibrillary tangles), present across different brain regions, might underlie different disease phenotypes and only certain types of aggregates might be associated with cognitive decline. Conformationally sensitive fluorescent amyloid probes have the ability to report different structures of protein aggregates by virtue of their shifting emission spectra. Here we defined the binding affinity of the fluorescent amyloid probes BSB and MCAAD to disease-relevant protein aggregates, and combined the two probes to examine formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded mouse and human brain samples. Coupled with quantitative spectral phasor analysis, the dual-probe staining approach revealed remarkable heterogeneity of protein aggregates across the samples. Distinct emission spectra were consistent with certain types of deposits present in the mouse and human brain sections. The sensitivity of this staining, imaging and analysis approach outperformed conventional immunohistochemistry with the detected spectral differences between the greater parenchyma of cognitively normal and AD cases indicating a subtle yet widespread proteopathy associated with disease. Our method offers more sensitive, objective, and quantitative examination of protein misfolding pathology using conventional tissue sections.
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7
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Hsueh SCC, Aina A, Roman AY, Cashman NR, Peng X, Plotkin SS. Optimizing Epitope Conformational Ensembles Using α-Synuclein Cyclic Peptide "Glycindel" Scaffolds: A Customized Immunogen Method for Generating Oligomer-Selective Antibodies for Parkinson's Disease. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022; 13:2261-2280. [PMID: 35840132 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Effectively presenting epitopes on immunogens, in order to raise conformationally selective antibodies through active immunization, is a central problem in treating protein misfolding diseases, particularly neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease. We seek to selectively target conformations enriched in toxic, oligomeric propagating species while sparing the healthy forms of the protein that are often more abundant. To this end, we computationally modeled scaffolded epitopes in cyclic peptides by inserting/deleting a variable number of flanking glycines ("glycindels") to best mimic a misfolding-specific conformation of an epitope of α-synuclein enriched in the oligomer ensemble, as characterized by a region most readily disordered and solvent-exposed in a stressed, partially denatured protofibril. We screen and rank the cyclic peptide scaffolds of α-synuclein in silico based on their ensemble overlap properties with the fibril, oligomer-model and isolated monomer ensembles. We present experimental data of seeded aggregation that support nucleation rates consistent with computationally predicted cyclic peptide conformational similarity. We also introduce a method for screening against structured off-pathway targets in the human proteome by selecting scaffolds with minimal conformational similarity between their epitope and the same solvent-exposed primary sequence in structured human proteins. Different cyclic peptide scaffolds with variable numbers of glycines are predicted computationally to have markedly different conformational ensembles. Ensemble comparison and overlap were quantified by the Jensen-Shannon divergence and a new measure introduced here, the embedding depth, which determines the extent to which a given ensemble is subsumed by another ensemble and which may be a more useful measure in developing immunogens that confer conformational selectivity to an antibody.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn C C Hsueh
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Adekunle Aina
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Andrei Yu Roman
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, Canada
| | - Neil R Cashman
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, Canada
| | - Xubiao Peng
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Steven S Plotkin
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada.,Genome Science and Technology Program, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
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8
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Xu G, Fromholt S, Borchelt DR. Modeling the Competition between Misfolded Aβ Conformers That Produce Distinct Types of Amyloid Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease. Biomolecules 2022; 12:886. [PMID: 35883442 PMCID: PMC9313290 DOI: 10.3390/biom12070886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The amyloid pathology characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD) can be broadly classified as either fibrillary amyloid or diffuse amyloid. Fibrillary amyloid is found in cored-neuritic deposits, fibrillar deposits, and vascular deposits, and binds strongly to the amyloid revealing dyes Thioflavin-S or Congo Red. Diffuse amyloid can appear as wispy dispersed deposits or compact tufted deposits dispersed in neuropil, and binds amyloid dyes weakly if at all. In AD brains, both types of pathology are detected. Homogenates from AD brains, or the brains of transgenic mice modeling AD-amyloidosis, have been used to seed pathology in vulnerable host transgenic models. These studies suggest that pathologies may arise from distinct conformers or strains of misfolded Aβ, similar to propagating prions. Using Aβ strains sourced from four different AD-amyloidosis models, we injected pathological seeds into the brains of newborn mice from three different transgenic hosts with distinctive Aβ pathologies. Two of the seeding sources were from mice that primarily develop cored-neuritic Aβ deposits (cored strain) while the other two seeding sources were from mice that develop diffuse Aβ deposits (diffuse strain). These seeds were injected into host APP mice in which the resident strain was either diffuse or cored-neuritic pathology. Seeding-homogenates were injected into the brains of newborn mice to initiate propagation as early as possible. Depending upon the level of transgene expression in the host, we show that the injected strains of misfolded Aβ from the seeding homogenate were able to outcompete the resident strain of the APP host model. In serial passaging experiments, it appeared that the diffuse strain was more easily propagated than the cored strain. Collectively, our studies align with the idea that different types of Aβ pathology in AD brains arise from different populations of Aβ conformers that compete to populate the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilian Xu
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (G.X.); (S.F.)
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Susan Fromholt
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (G.X.); (S.F.)
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - David R. Borchelt
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (G.X.); (S.F.)
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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9
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Stanciu GD, Ababei DC, Rusu RN, Bild V, Tamba BI. Exploring the Involvement of the Amyloid Precursor Protein A673T Mutation against Amyloid Pathology and Alzheimer's Disease in Relation to Therapeutic Editing Tools. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:1270. [PMID: 35745842 PMCID: PMC9228826 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14061270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is biologically defined as a complex neurodegenerative condition with a multilayered nature that leads to a progressive decline in cognitive function and irreversible neuronal loss. It is one of the primary diseases among elderly individuals. With an increasing incidence and a high failure rate for pharmaceutical options that are merely symptom-targeting and supportive with many side effects, there is an urgent need for alternative strategies. Despite extensive knowledge on the molecular basis of AD, progress concerning effective disease-modifying therapies has proven to be a challenge. The ability of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system to help identify target molecules or to generate new preclinical disease models could shed light on the pathogenesis of AD and provide promising therapeutic possibilities. Here, we sought to highlight the current understanding of the involvement of the A673T mutation in amyloid pathology, focusing on its roles in protective mechanisms against AD, in relation to the recent status of available therapeutic editing tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Dumitrita Stanciu
- Advanced Research and Development Center for Experimental Medicine (CEMEX), Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (G.D.S.); (B.-I.T.)
| | - Daniela Carmen Ababei
- Pharmacodynamics and Clinical Pharmacy Department, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (R.N.R.); (V.B.)
| | - Razvan Nicolae Rusu
- Pharmacodynamics and Clinical Pharmacy Department, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (R.N.R.); (V.B.)
| | - Veronica Bild
- Pharmacodynamics and Clinical Pharmacy Department, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (R.N.R.); (V.B.)
| | - Bogdan-Ionel Tamba
- Advanced Research and Development Center for Experimental Medicine (CEMEX), Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (G.D.S.); (B.-I.T.)
- Department of Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology and Algesiology, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
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10
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Silveira IA, Mullis AS, Cairns DM, Shevzov-Zebrun A, Whalen J, Galuppo A, Walsh KG, Kaplan DL. Screening neuroprotective compounds in herpes-induced Alzheimer's disease cell and 3D tissue models. Free Radic Biol Med 2022; 186:76-92. [PMID: 35537596 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2022.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that can cause life-altering and debilitating cognitive decline. AD's etiology is poorly understood, and no disease-modifying therapeutics exist. Here, we describe the use of 2D and 3D tissue culture models of herpesvirus-induced AD, which recapitulate hallmark disease features of plaque formation, gliosis, neuroinflammation, and impaired neuronal signaling, to screen a panel of 21 medications, supplements, and nutraceuticals with purported neuroprotective benefits. This screen identified green tea catechins and resveratrol as having strong anti-plaque properties, functional neuroprotective benefits, and minimal neurotoxicity, providing support for their further investigation as AD preventives and therapies. Two other candidates, citicoline and metformin, reduced plaque formation and were minimally toxic, but did not protect against virus-induced impairments in neuronal signaling. This study establishes a simple platform for rapidly screening and characterizing AD compounds of interest in 2D and 3D human cortical tissue models representing physiologically relevant disease features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella A Silveira
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Adam S Mullis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Dana M Cairns
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA; Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Anna Shevzov-Zebrun
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Jordyn Whalen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Alexa Galuppo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Katherine G Walsh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - David L Kaplan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA; Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
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11
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Smethurst P, Franklin H, Clarke BE, Sidle K, Patani R. The role of astrocytes in prion-like mechanisms of neurodegeneration. Brain 2022; 145:17-26. [PMID: 35265969 PMCID: PMC8967097 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that neurodegenerative diseases are not merely neuronal in nature but comprise multicellular involvement, with astrocytes emerging as key players. The pathomechanisms of several neurodegenerative diseases involve the deposition of misfolded protein aggregates in neurons that have characteristic prion-like behaviours such as template-directed seeding, intercellular propagation, distinct conformational strains and protein-mediated toxicity. The role of astrocytes in dealing with these pathological prion-like protein aggregates and whether their responses either protect from or conspire with the disease process is currently unclear. Here we review the existing literature implicating astrocytes in multiple neurodegenerative proteinopathies with a focus on prion-like behaviour in this context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip Smethurst
- Department of Neuromuscular Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Hannah Franklin
- Department of Neuromuscular Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Benjamin E Clarke
- Department of Neuromuscular Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Katie Sidle
- Department of Neuromuscular Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- Correspondence may also be addressed to: Katie Sidle E-mail:
| | - Rickie Patani
- Department of Neuromuscular Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
- Correspondence to: Rickie Patani The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK E-mail:
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12
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Gautam D, Kailashiya J, Tiwari A, Chaurasia RN, Annarapu GK, Guchhait P, Dash D. Fibrinogen Mitigates Prion-Mediated Platelet Activation and Neuronal Cell Toxicity. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:834016. [PMID: 35386203 PMCID: PMC8977893 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.834016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion peptide (PrP) misfolds to infectious scrapie isoform, the β pleat-rich insoluble fibrils responsible for neurodegeneration and fatal conformational diseases in humans. The amino acid sequence 106–126 from prion proteins, PrP(106–126), is highly amyloidogenic and implicated in prion-induced pathologies. Here, we report a novel interaction between PrP(106–126) and the thrombogenic plasma protein fibrinogen that can lead to mitigation of prion-mediated pro-thrombotic responses in human platelets as well as significant decline in neuronal toxicity. Thus, prior exposure to fibrinogen-restrained PrP-induced rise in cytosolic calcium, calpain activation, and shedding of extracellular vesicles in platelets while it, too, averted cytotoxicity of neuronal cells triggered by prion peptide. Interestingly, PrP was found to accelerate fibrin-rich clot formation, which was resistant to plasmin-mediated fibrinolysis, consistent with enhanced thrombus stability provoked by PrP. We propose that PrP-fibrinogen interaction can be clinically exploited further for prevention and management of infectious prion related disorders. Small molecules or peptides mimicking PrP-binding sites on fibrinogen can potentially mitigate PrP-induced cellular toxicity while also preventing the negative impact of PrP on fibrin clot formation and lysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepa Gautam
- Center for Advanced Research on Platelet Signaling and Thrombosis Biology, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Jyotsna Kailashiya
- Center for Advanced Research on Platelet Signaling and Thrombosis Biology, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Arundhati Tiwari
- Center for Advanced Research on Platelet Signaling and Thrombosis Biology, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Rameshwar Nath Chaurasia
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Gowtham K. Annarapu
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, National Capital Region Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, India
| | - Prasenjit Guchhait
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, National Capital Region Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, India
| | - Debabrata Dash
- Center for Advanced Research on Platelet Signaling and Thrombosis Biology, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
- *Correspondence: Debabrata Dash,
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13
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Justo AFO, Suemoto CK. The modulation of neuroinflammation by inducible nitric oxide synthase. J Cell Commun Signal 2022; 16:155-158. [PMID: 35031946 DOI: 10.1007/s12079-021-00663-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The accumulation and propagation of misfolded proteins in the brain is a pathological hallmark shared by many neurodegenerative diseases, such as the depositions of β-amyloid and hyperphosphorylated tau proteins in Alzheimer's disease. Initial evidence shows the role of nitric oxide synthases in the development of neurodegenerative diseases. A recent, in an exciting paper (Bourgognon et al. in Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 118, 1-11, 2021. 10.1073/pnas.2009579118) it was shown that the inducible nitric oxide synthase plays an important role in promoting oxidative and nitrergic stress leading to neuroinflammation and consequently neuronal function impairments and decline in synaptic strength in mouse prion disease. In this context, we reviewed the possible mechanisms of nitric oxide synthase in the generation of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Fernando Oliveira Justo
- Physiopathology in Aging Laboratory, Department of Internal Medicine, University of São Paulo Medical School, Avenida Doutor Arnaldo, 455, Pacaembu, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Claudia Kimie Suemoto
- Physiopathology in Aging Laboratory, Department of Internal Medicine, University of São Paulo Medical School, Avenida Doutor Arnaldo, 455, Pacaembu, São Paulo, Brazil.,Division of Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
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14
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Association and interaction of TOMM40 and PVRL2 with plasma amyloid-β and Alzheimer's disease among Chinese older adults: a population-based study. Neurobiol Aging 2022; 113:143-151. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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15
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Nakano H, Hamaguchi T, Ikeda T, Watanabe‐Nakayama T, Ono K, Yamada M. Inactivation of seeding activity of amyloid β‐protein aggregates in vitro. J Neurochem 2021; 160:499-516. [DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroto Nakano
- Department of Neurology and Neurobiology of Aging Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences Kanazawa Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Hamaguchi
- Department of Neurology and Neurobiology of Aging Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences Kanazawa Japan
| | - Tokuhei Ikeda
- Department of Neurology and Neurobiology of Aging Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences Kanazawa Japan
- Department of Neurology Ishikawa Prefectural Central Hospital Kanazawa Japan
| | - Takahiro Watanabe‐Nakayama
- World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI)‐Nano Life Science Institute Kanazawa University Kanazawa Japan
| | - Kenjiro Ono
- Division of Neurology Department of Internal Medicine Showa University Tokyo Japan
| | - Masahito Yamada
- Department of Neurology and Neurobiology of Aging Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences Kanazawa Japan
- Department of Internal Medicine Department of Neurology Kudanzaka Hospital Tokyo Japan
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16
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Stepanchuk AA, Joseph JT, Stys PK. Spectral photokinetic conversion of the fluorescent probes BSB and K114 for improved detection of amyloid assemblies. JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS 2021; 14:e202100203. [PMID: 34499422 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.202100203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Cross-β-sheet-rich protein fibrils are infamous for their accumulation in the brains of patients diagnosed with a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Disease-relevant fibrils are a result of deviation of the proteins from their native structure to a misfolded state resulting in aggregation and formation of fibrils. In this study, we explored the phenomenon of light-induced fluorescence enhancement of amyloid assemblies stained with two amyloid probes (BSB and K114) using Bombyx mori silk and human AD brain sections. The photoconversion effect, accompanied by an increase in fluorescence intensity and spectral blue-shift, was highly dependent on the chemical structures of the dyes, pH, presence of glycerol and the type of amyloid. The degree of intensity and spectral change over time in response to high laser exposure were quantified and analyzed using custom-written analysis tools. Our findings provide further insight into possible mechanisms of amyloid-mediated photoconversion kinetics of K114 and BSB, and may provide more insight into the molecular nature of various amyloid assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiia A Stepanchuk
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jeffrey T Joseph
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Peter K Stys
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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17
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Jellinger KA, Wenning GK, Stefanova N. Is Multiple System Atrophy a Prion-like Disorder? Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:10093. [PMID: 34576255 PMCID: PMC8472631 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221810093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a rapidly progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disease of uncertain aetiology that belongs to the family of α-synucleinopathies. It clinically presents with parkinsonism, cerebellar, autonomic, and motor impairment in variable combinations. Pathological hallmarks are fibrillary α-synuclein (αSyn)-rich glial cytoplasmic inclusions (GCIs) mainly involving oligodendroglia and to a lesser extent neurons, inducing a multisystem neurodegeneration, glial activation, and widespread demyelinization. The neuronal αSyn pathology of MSA has molecular properties different from Lewy bodies in Parkinson's disease (PD), both of which could serve as a pool of αSyn (prion) seeds that could initiate and drive the pathogenesis of synucleinopathies. The molecular cascade leading to the "prion-like" transfer of "strains" of aggregated αSyn contributing to the progression of the disease is poorly understood, while some presented evidence that MSA is a prion disease. However, this hypothesis is difficult to reconcile with postmortem analysis of human brains and the fact that MSA-like pathology was induced by intracerebral inoculation of human MSA brain homogenates only in homozygous mutant 53T mice, without production of disease-specific GCIs, or with replication of MSA prions in primary astrocyte cultures from transgenic mice expressing human αSyn. Whereas recent intrastriatal injection of Lewy body-derived or synthetic human αSyn fibrils induced PD-like pathology including neuronal αSyn aggregates in macaques, no such transmission of αSyn pathology in non-human primates by MSA brain lysate has been reported until now. Given the similarities between αSyn and prions, there is a considerable debate whether they should be referred to as "prions", "prion-like", "prionoids", or something else. Here, the findings supporting the proposed nature of αSyn as a prion and its self-propagation through seeding as well as the transmissibility of neurodegenerative disorders are discussed. The proof of disease causation rests on the concordance of scientific evidence, none of which has provided convincing evidence for the classification of MSA as a prion disease or its human transmission until now.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gregor K. Wenning
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (G.K.W.); (N.S.)
| | - Nadia Stefanova
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (G.K.W.); (N.S.)
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18
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Ryder MI, Xenoudi P. Alzheimer disease and the periodontal patient: New insights, connections, and therapies. Periodontol 2000 2021; 87:32-42. [PMID: 34463981 DOI: 10.1111/prd.12389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Loss of cognitive function in the aging population, particular those with Alzheimer disease, presents unique challenges to health practitioners. For the dental practitioner these include management of periodontal diseases, caries, and other dental conditions in this special population. It is well established in the cognitively impaired patient that a lack of adherence to dental hygiene routines and professional care leads to increases in the prevalence and severity of these dental conditions, leading to increased loss of teeth. More recent evidence has indicated a possible role of the microbiota of dental plaque associated with periodontal diseases in the development and progression of Alzheimer disease, thereby supporting a two-way interaction of these two diseases. New therapies are needed to address the potential upstream events that may precede overt signs of Alzheimer disease. One of these approaches would be to target these various bacterial, viral, and other microbial pathogens associated with periodontal disease that can translocate into the bloodstream and then to distal sites, such as the brain. Such microbial translocation would lead to local inflammation and buildup of the hallmark signs of Alzheimer disease, including amyloid beta deposits, tau fragmentation and tangles, breakdown of host protective molecules, such as the apolipoproteins, and neuron toxicity. In this review, evidence for the biological basis of the role of the periodontal disease microflora on the initiation and progression of Alzheimer disease will be presented with a focus on the potential role of the keystone pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis with its family of gingipain enzymes. The various mechanisms for which P. gingivalis gingipains may contribute to the initiation and progression of Alzheimer disease are presented. Small-molecule inhibitors of these gingipains and their effects on reducing biological markers of Alzheimer disease may have beneficial effects for the initiation and progression of loss of cognitive function in Alzheimer disease. In addition to these targeted therapies for specific periodontal pathogens, considerations for the dental practitioner in applying more general approaches to reducing the periodontal plaque microflora in the management of the cognitively impaired patient are discussed for this special population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark I Ryder
- Division of Periodontology, Department of Orofacial Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Pinelopi Xenoudi
- College of Dental Medicine, California Northstate University, Elk Grove, California, USA
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19
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Willbold D, Strodel B, Schröder GF, Hoyer W, Heise H. Amyloid-type Protein Aggregation and Prion-like Properties of Amyloids. Chem Rev 2021; 121:8285-8307. [PMID: 34137605 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
This review will focus on the process of amyloid-type protein aggregation. Amyloid fibrils are an important hallmark of protein misfolding diseases and therefore have been investigated for decades. Only recently, however, atomic or near-atomic resolution structures have been elucidated from various in vitro and ex vivo obtained fibrils. In parallel, the process of fibril formation has been studied in vitro under highly artificial but comparatively reproducible conditions. The review starts with a summary of what is known and speculated from artificial in vitro amyloid-type protein aggregation experiments. A partially hypothetic fibril selection model will be described that may be suitable to explain why amyloid fibrils look the way they do, in particular, why at least all so far reported high resolution cryo-electron microscopy obtained fibril structures are in register, parallel, cross-β-sheet fibrils that mostly consist of two protofilaments twisted around each other. An intrinsic feature of the model is the prion-like nature of all amyloid assemblies. Transferring the model from the in vitro point of view to the in vivo situation is not straightforward, highly hypothetic, and leaves many open questions that need to be addressed in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieter Willbold
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry, IBI-7, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany.,Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.,Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), 141700 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Birgit Strodel
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry, IBI-7, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany.,Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Gunnar F Schröder
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry, IBI-7, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany.,Physics Department, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Hoyer
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Henrike Heise
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry, IBI-7, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany.,Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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20
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Agamennone M, Storchi L, Marrone A, Paciotti R. Hampering the early aggregation of PrP-E200K protein by charge-based inhibitors: a computational study. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2021; 35:751-770. [PMID: 34110550 PMCID: PMC8213589 DOI: 10.1007/s10822-021-00393-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
A multilayered computational workflow was designed to identify a druggable binding site on the surface of the E200K pathogenic mutant of the human prion protein, and to investigate the effect of the binding of small molecules in the inhibition of the early aggregation of this protein. At this purpose, we developed an efficient computational tool to scan the molecular interaction properties of a whole MD trajectory, thus leading to the characterization of plausible binding regions on the surface of PrP-E200K. These structural data were then employed to drive structure-based virtual screening and fragment-based approaches to the seeking of small molecular binders of the PrP-E200K. Six promising compounds were identified, and their binding stabilities were assessed by MD simulations. Therefore, analyses of the molecular electrostatic potential similarity between the bound complexes and unbound protein evidenced their potential activity as charged-based inhibitors of the PrP-E200K early aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Loriano Storchi
- Department of Pharmacy, University "G d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- Molecular Discovery Limited, Middlesex, London, UK
| | - Alessandro Marrone
- Department of Pharmacy, University "G d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Roberto Paciotti
- Department of Pharmacy, University "G d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
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21
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Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders are frequently associated with β-sheet-rich amyloid deposits. Amyloid-forming proteins can aggregate under different structural conformations known as strains, which can exhibit a prion-like behavior and distinct pathophenotypes. Precise molecular determinants defining strain specificity and cross-strain interactions (cross-seeding) are currently unknown. The HET-s prion protein from the fungus Podospora anserina represents a model system to study the fundamental properties of prion amyloids. Here, we report the amyloid prion structure of HELLF, a distant homolog of the model prion HET-s. We find that these two amyloids, sharing only 17% sequence identity, have nearly identical β-solenoid folds but lack cross-seeding ability in vivo, indicating that prion specificity can differ in extremely similar amyloid folds. We engineer the HELLF sequence to explore the limits of the sequence-to-fold conservation and to pinpoint determinants of cross-seeding and prion specificity. We find that amyloid fold conservation occurs even at an exceedingly low level of identity to HET-s (5%). Next, we derive a HELLF-based sequence, termed HEC, able to breach the cross-seeding barrier in vivo between HELLF and HET-s, unveiling determinants controlling cross-seeding at residue level. These findings show that virtually identical amyloid backbone structures might not be sufficient for cross-seeding and that critical side-chain positions could determine the seeding specificity of an amyloid fold. Our work redefines the conceptual boundaries of prion strain and sheds light on key molecular features concerning an important class of pathogenic agents.
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22
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Cascella R, Cecchi C. Calcium Dyshomeostasis in Alzheimer's Disease Pathogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094914. [PMID: 34066371 PMCID: PMC8124842 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by amyloid β-protein deposition in senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles consisting of abnormally phosphorylated tau protein, and neuronal loss leading to cognitive decline and dementia. Despite extensive research, the exact mechanisms underlying AD remain unknown and effective treatment is not available. Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain AD pathophysiology; however, there is general consensus that the abnormal aggregation of the amyloid β peptide (Aβ) is the initial event triggering a pathogenic cascade of degenerating events in cholinergic neurons. The dysregulation of calcium homeostasis has been studied considerably to clarify the mechanisms of neurodegeneration induced by Aβ. Intracellular calcium acts as a second messenger and plays a key role in the regulation of neuronal functions, such as neural growth and differentiation, action potential, and synaptic plasticity. The calcium hypothesis of AD posits that activation of the amyloidogenic pathway affects neuronal Ca2+ homeostasis and the mechanisms responsible for learning and memory. Aβ can disrupt Ca2+ signaling through several mechanisms, by increasing the influx of Ca2+ from the extracellular space and by activating its release from intracellular stores. Here, we review the different molecular mechanisms and receptors involved in calcium dysregulation in AD and possible therapeutic strategies for improving the treatment.
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23
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The Protective A673T Mutation of Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) in Alzheimer's Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2021; 58:4038-4050. [PMID: 33914267 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-021-02385-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by extracellular amyloid beta peptides and neurofibrillary tangles consisted of intracellular hyperphosphorylated Tau in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. Most of the mutations in key genes that code for amyloid precursor protein can lead to significant accumulation of these peptides in the brain and cause Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, some point mutations in amyloid precursor protein can cause familial Alzheimer's disease, such as Swedish mutation (KM670/671NL) and A673V mutation. However, recent studies have found that the A673T mutation in amyloid precursor protein gene can protect against Alzheimer's disease, even if it is located next to the Swedish mutation (KM670/671NL) and at the same site as A673V mutation, which are pathogenic. It makes us curious about the protective A673T mutation. Here, we summarize the most recent insights of A673T mutation, focus on their roles in protective mechanisms against Alzheimer's disease, and discuss their involvement in future treatment.
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24
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Ding B, Sepehrimanesh M. Nucleocytoplasmic Transport: Regulatory Mechanisms and the Implications in Neurodegeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:4165. [PMID: 33920577 PMCID: PMC8072611 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22084165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Nucleocytoplasmic transport (NCT) across the nuclear envelope is precisely regulated in eukaryotic cells, and it plays critical roles in maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that dysregulations of NCT are implicated in aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and Huntington disease (HD). This is an emerging research field. The molecular mechanisms underlying impaired NCT and the pathogenesis leading to neurodegeneration are not clear. In this review, we comprehensively described the components of NCT machinery, including nuclear envelope (NE), nuclear pore complex (NPC), importins and exportins, RanGTPase and its regulators, and the regulatory mechanisms of nuclear transport of both protein and transcript cargos. Additionally, we discussed the possible molecular mechanisms of impaired NCT underlying aging and neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS/FTD, HD, and AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baojin Ding
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 410 East Saint Mary Boulevard, Lafayette, LA 70503, USA;
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25
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Choi Y, Kim SM, Heo Y, Lee G, Kang JY, Yoon DS. Nanoelectrical characterization of individual exosomes secreted by Aβ 42-ingested cells using electrostatic force microscopy. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2021; 32:025705. [PMID: 32957091 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/abba58] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Quantifying the physical properties of individual exosomes containing amyloid-β42 (Aβ42) is crucial for a better understanding of an underpinning mechanism of Alzheimer's disease expression which is associated with the Aβ42 transfer. Because of the lack of proper tools, however, there have been very few studies on how the amount of Aβ42 affects the physical properties of exosomes. To answer the question, we investigated the physical properties of exosomes secreted by neuroblastoma by probing individual exosomes using electrostatic force microscopy. Interestingly, we observed that when the higher concentration of Aβ42 oligomers was fed to cells, the higher surface charge of the exosomes appeared. This result indicates that the exosomes contain more Aβ42 with the increase in Aβ42 concentration in cell media, implying that they serve as transport vesicles for Aβ42. Our approach could help to better understand how the neuronal exosomes are related to the propagation of neurodegenerative diseases and to seek how to make an early diagnosis of those diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeseong Choi
- Bio-convergence Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Center for BioMicrosystems, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Su-Mi Kim
- Center for BioMicrosystems, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- R&D Team, Public CMO for Microbial-based Vaccine, Hwasun, Republic of Korea
| | - Youhee Heo
- Center for BioMicrosystems, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sogang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Gyudo Lee
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Korea University, Sejong, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Yoon Kang
- Center for BioMicrosystems, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, KIST School, Korea University of Science and Technology, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae Sung Yoon
- Bio-convergence Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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26
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Kang SG, Eskandari-Sedighi G, Hromadkova L, Safar JG, Westaway D. Cellular Biology of Tau Diversity and Pathogenic Conformers. Front Neurol 2020; 11:590199. [PMID: 33304310 PMCID: PMC7693435 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.590199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau accumulation is a prominent feature in a variety of neurodegenerative disorders and remarkable effort has been expended working out the biochemistry and cell biology of this cytoplasmic protein. Tau's wayward properties may derive from germline mutations in the case of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD-MAPT) but may also be prompted by less understood cues—perhaps environmental or from molecular damage as a consequence of chronological aging—in the case of idiopathic tauopathies. Tau properties are undoubtedly affected by its covalent structure and in this respect tau protein is not only subject to changes in length produced by alternative splicing and endoproteolysis, but different types of posttranslational modifications that affect different amino acid residues. Another layer of complexity concerns alternate conformations—“conformers”—of the same covalent structures; in vivo conformers can encompass soluble oligomeric species, ramified fibrillar structures evident by light and electron microscopy and other forms of the protein that have undergone liquid-liquid phase separation to make demixed liquid droplets. Biological concepts based upon conformers have been charted previously for templated replication mechanisms for prion proteins built of the PrP polypeptide; these are now providing useful explanations to feature tau pathobiology, including how this protein accumulates within cells and how it can exhibit predictable patterns of spread across different neuroanatomical regions of an affected brain. In sum, the documented, intrinsic heterogeneity of tau forms and conformers now begins to speak to a fundamental basis for diversity in clinical presentation of tauopathy sub-types. In terms of interventions, emphasis upon subclinical events may be worthwhile, noting that irrevocable cell loss and ramified protein assemblies feature at end-stage tauopathy, whereas earlier events may offer better opportunities for diverting pathogenic processes. Nonetheless, the complexity of tau sub-types, which may be present even within intermediate disease stages, likely mitigates against one-size-fits-all therapeutic strategies and may require a suite of interventions. We consider the extent to which animal models of tauopathy can be reasonably enrolled in the campaign to produce such interventions and to slow the otherwise inexorable march of disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Gyun Kang
- Center for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | - Lenka Hromadkova
- Department of Neurology and Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Jiri G Safar
- Department of Neurology and Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - David Westaway
- Center for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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McAlary L, Chew YL, Lum JS, Geraghty NJ, Yerbury JJ, Cashman NR. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Proteins, Proteostasis, Prions, and Promises. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:581907. [PMID: 33328890 PMCID: PMC7671971 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.581907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by the progressive degeneration of the motor neurons that innervate muscle, resulting in gradual paralysis and culminating in the inability to breathe or swallow. This neuronal degeneration occurs in a spatiotemporal manner from a point of onset in the central nervous system (CNS), suggesting that there is a molecule that spreads from cell-to-cell. There is strong evidence that the onset and progression of ALS pathology is a consequence of protein misfolding and aggregation. In line with this, a hallmark pathology of ALS is protein deposition and inclusion formation within motor neurons and surrounding glia of the proteins TAR DNA-binding protein 43, superoxide dismutase-1, or fused in sarcoma. Collectively, the observed protein aggregation, in conjunction with the spatiotemporal spread of symptoms, strongly suggests a prion-like propagation of protein aggregation occurs in ALS. In this review, we discuss the role of protein aggregation in ALS concerning protein homeostasis (proteostasis) mechanisms and prion-like propagation. Furthermore, we examine the experimental models used to investigate these processes, including in vitro assays, cultured cells, invertebrate models, and murine models. Finally, we evaluate the therapeutics that may best prevent the onset or spread of pathology in ALS and discuss what lies on the horizon for treating this currently incurable disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke McAlary
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Yee Lian Chew
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Jeremy Stephen Lum
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Nicholas John Geraghty
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Justin John Yerbury
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
- Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Neil R. Cashman
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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28
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Plotkin SS, Cashman NR. Passive immunotherapies targeting Aβ and tau in Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 144:105010. [PMID: 32682954 PMCID: PMC7365083 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau proteins currently represent the two most promising targets to treat Alzheimer's disease. The most extensively developed method to treat the pathologic forms of these proteins is through the administration of exogenous antibodies, or passive immunotherapy. In this review, we discuss the molecular-level strategies that researchers are using to design an effective therapeutic antibody, given the challenges in treating this disease. These challenges include selectively targeting a protein that has misfolded or is pathological rather than the more abundant, healthy protein, designing strategic constructs for immunizing an animal to raise an antibody that has the appropriate conformational selectivity to achieve this end, and clearing the pathological protein species before prion-like cell-to-cell spread of misfolded protein has irreparably damaged neurons, without invoking damaging inflammatory responses in the brain that naturally arise when the innate immune system is clearing foreign agents. The various solutions to these problems in current clinical trials will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven S Plotkin
- University of British Columbia, Department of Physics and Astronomy and Genome Sciences and Technology Program, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada.
| | - Neil R Cashman
- University of British Columbia, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, Canada.
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29
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Walsh DM, Selkoe DJ. Amyloid β-protein and beyond: the path forward in Alzheimer's disease. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2020; 61:116-124. [PMID: 32197217 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2020.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Basic research on the biological mechanism of Alzheimer's disease has focused for decades on the age-related aggregation of the amyloid β-protein and its apparent downstream effects on microglia, astrocytes and neurons, including the posttranslational modification of the tau protein that seems necessary for symptom expression. Here, we discuss the highly challenging process of developing disease-modifying therapies and highlight several key areas of current research that are progressing in exciting directions. We conclude that further deep molecular analyses of the disease, including the mechanisms of β-amyloidosis, will enable more effective clinical trials and ultimately achieve the progress that our patients so deserve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic M Walsh
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States; Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Research Unit, Biogen Inc., 115 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02142, United States.
| | - Dennis J Selkoe
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States.
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30
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Del Rio JA, Ferrer I. Potential of Microfluidics and Lab-on-Chip Platforms to Improve Understanding of " prion-like" Protein Assembly and Behavior. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:570692. [PMID: 33015021 PMCID: PMC7506036 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.570692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Human aging is accompanied by a relevant increase in age-associated chronic pathologies, including neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases. The appearance and evolution of numerous neurodegenerative diseases is paralleled by the appearance of intracellular and extracellular accumulation of misfolded proteins in affected brains. In addition, recent evidence suggests that most of these amyloid proteins can behave and propagate among neural cells similarly to infective prions. In order to improve understanding of the seeding and spreading processes of these "prion-like" amyloids, microfluidics and 3D lab-on-chip approaches have been developed as highly valuable tools. These techniques allow us to monitor changes in cellular and molecular processes responsible for amyloid seeding and cell spreading and their parallel effects in neural physiology. Their compatibility with new optical and biochemical techniques and their relative availability have increased interest in them and in their use in numerous laboratories. In addition, recent advances in stem cell research in combination with microfluidic platforms have opened new humanized in vitro models for myriad neurodegenerative diseases affecting different cellular targets of the vascular, muscular, and nervous systems, and glial cells. These new platforms help reduce the use of animal experimentation. They are more reproducible and represent a potential alternative to classical approaches to understanding neurodegeneration. In this review, we summarize recent progress in neurobiological research in "prion-like" protein using microfluidic and 3D lab-on-chip approaches. These approaches are driven by various fields, including chemistry, biochemistry, and cell biology, and they serve to facilitate the development of more precise human brain models for basic mechanistic studies of cell-to-cell interactions and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose A Del Rio
- Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Center for Networked Biomedical Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases (Ciberned), Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Isidre Ferrer
- Center for Networked Biomedical Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases (Ciberned), Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Bellvitge University Hospital, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
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Presence of intrinsically disordered proteins can inhibit the nucleation phase of amyloid fibril formation of Aβ(1-42) in amino acid sequence independent manner. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12334. [PMID: 32703978 PMCID: PMC7378830 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69129-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular shield effect was studied for intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) that do not adopt compact and stable protein folds. IDPs are found among many stress-responsive gene products and cryoprotective- and drought-protective proteins. We recently reported that some fragments of human genome-derived IDPs are cryoprotective for cellular enzymes, despite a lack of relevant amino acid sequence motifs. This sequence-independent IDP function may reflect their molecular shield effect. This study examined the inhibitory activity of IDPs against fibril formation in an amyloid beta peptide (Aβ(1–42)) model system. Four of five human genome-derived IDPs (size range 20 to 44 amino acids) showed concentration-dependent inhibition of amyloid formation (IC50 range between 60 and 130 μM against 20 μM Aβ(1–42)). The IC50 value was two orders of magnitude lower than that of polyethylene-glycol and dextran, used as neutral hydrophilic polymer controls. Nuclear magnetic resonance with 15 N-labeled Aβ(1–42) revealed no relevant molecular interactions between Aβ(1–42) and IDPs. The inhibitory activities were abolished by adding external amyloid-formation seeds. Therefore, IDPs seemed to act only at the amyloid nucleation phase but not at the elongation phase. These results suggest that IDPs (0.1 mM or less) have a molecular shield effect that prevents aggregation of susceptible molecules.
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32
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Kaeser GE, Chun J. Mosaic Somatic Gene Recombination as a Potentially Unifying Hypothesis for Alzheimer's Disease. Front Genet 2020; 11:390. [PMID: 32457796 PMCID: PMC7221065 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent identification of somatic gene recombination(SGR) in human neurons affecting the well-known Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenic gene, amyloid precursor protein (APP), has implications for the normal and the diseased human brain. The amyloid hypothesis has been the prevailing theory for sporadic AD (SAD) pathogenesis since the discovery of APP gene involvement in familial AD and Down syndrome. Yet, despite enormous scientific and clinical effort, no disease-modifying therapy has emerged. SGR offers a novel mechanism to explain AD pathogenesis and the failures of amyloid-related clinical trials, while maintaining consistency with most aspects of the amyloid hypothesis and additionally supporting possible roles for tau, oxidative stress, inflammation, infection, and prions. SGR retro-inserts novel "genomic complementary DNAs" (gencDNAs) into neuronal genomes and becomes dysregulated in SAD, producing numerous mosaic APP variants, including DNA mutations observed in familial AD. Notably, SGR requires gene transcription, DNA strand-breaks, and reverse transcriptase (RT) activity, all of which may be promoted by well-known AD risk factors and provide a framework for the pursuit of new SGR-based therapeutics. In this perspective, we review evidence for APP SGR in AD pathogenesis and discuss its possible relevance to other AD-related dementias. Further, SGR's requirement for RT activity and the relative absence of AD in aged HIV -infected patients exposed to RT inhibitors suggest that these Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs may represent a near-term disease-modifying therapy for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jerold Chun
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
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33
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Exploring the Etiological Links behind Neurodegenerative Diseases: Inflammatory Cytokines and Bioactive Kynurenines. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21072431. [PMID: 32244523 PMCID: PMC7177899 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21072431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are the most common neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), presenting a broad range of symptoms from motor dysfunctions to psychobehavioral manifestations. A common clinical course is the proteinopathy-induced neural dysfunction leading to anatomically corresponding neuropathies. However, current diagnostic criteria based on pathology and symptomatology are of little value for the sake of disease prevention and drug development. Overviewing the pathomechanism of NDs, this review incorporates systematic reviews on inflammatory cytokines and tryptophan metabolites kynurenines (KYNs) of human samples, to present an inferential method to explore potential links behind NDs. The results revealed increases of pro-inflammatory cytokines and neurotoxic KYNs in NDs, increases of anti-inflammatory cytokines in AD, PD, Huntington's disease (HD), Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated neurocognitive disorders, and decreases of neuromodulatory KYNs in AD, PD, and HD. The results reinforced a strong link between inflammation and neurotoxic KYNs, confirmed activation of adaptive immune response, and suggested a possible role in the decrease of neuromodulatory KYNs, all of which may contribute to the development of chronic low grade inflammation. Commonalities of multifactorial NDs were discussed to present a current limit of diagnostic criteria, a need for preclinical biomarkers, and an approach to search the initiation factors of NDs.
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Li D, Liu C. Structural Diversity of Amyloid Fibrils and Advances in Their Structure Determination. Biochemistry 2020; 59:639-646. [PMID: 31967790 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.9b01069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Protein amyloid fibrils are originally identified as pathological entities in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Recent studies have revealed that amyloid fibrils also serve as functional protein assemblies to fulfill a wide range of biological functions. Deciphering the molecular basis underlying the assembly of amyloid fibrils is essential for understanding their biological and pathological functions. Here, we summarize recent advances in the atomic structure determination of amyloid fibrils formed by both amyloidogenic peptides and full-length proteins. Furthermore, we demonstrate the diversity of amyloid fibrils, with a primary focus on the reversible fibrils, in sequence composition, self-assembled architecture, and physiochemical and pathological properties. Finally, we raise questions that will be answered by the future study of amyloid fibril structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Li
- Bio-X-Renji Hospital Research Center, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine , Shanghai Jiao Tong University , Shanghai 200240 , China.,Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education , Shanghai Jiao Tong University , Shanghai 200030 , China
| | - Cong Liu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry , Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Shanghai 201210 , China
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Abstract
Complex diseases involve dynamic perturbations of pathophysiological processes during disease progression. Transcriptional programs underlying such perturbations are unknown in many diseases. Here, we present core transcriptional regulatory circuits underlying early and late perturbations in prion disease. We first identified cellular processes perturbed early and late using time-course gene expression data from three prion-infected mouse strains. We then built a transcriptional regulatory network (TRN) describing regulation of early and late processes. We found over-represented feed-forward loops (FFLs) comprising transcription factor (TF) pairs and target genes in the TRN. Using gene expression data of brain cell types, we further selected active FFLs where TF pairs and target genes were expressed in the same cell type and showed correlated temporal expression changes in the brain. We finally determined core transcriptional regulatory circuits by combining these active FFLs. These circuits provide insights into transcriptional programs for early and late pathophysiological processes in prion disease.
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36
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Serwer P, Hunter B, Wright ET. Electron Microscopy of In-Plaque Phage T3 Assembly: Proposed Analogs of Neurodegenerative Disease Triggers. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:ph13010018. [PMID: 31963711 PMCID: PMC7170049 DOI: 10.3390/ph13010018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Increased knowledge of virus assembly-generated particles is needed for understanding both virus assembly and host responses to virus infection. Here, we use a phage T3 model and perform electron microscopy (EM) of thin sections (EM-TS) of gel-supported T3 plaques formed at 30 °C. After uranyl acetate/lead staining, we observe intracellular black particles, some with a difficult-to-see capsid. Some black particles (called LBPs) are larger than phage particles. The LBP frequency is increased by including proflavine, a DNA packaging inhibitor, in the growth medium and increasing plaque-forming temperature to 37 °C. Acidic phosphotungstate-precipitate (A-PTA) staining causes LBP substitution by black rings (BRs) that have the size and shape expected of hyper-expanded capsid containers for LBP DNA. BRs are less frequent in liquid cultures, suggesting that hyper-expanded capsids evolved primarily for in-gel (e.g., in-biofilm) propagation. BR-specific A-PTA staining and other observations are explained by α-sheet intense structure of the major subunit of hyper-expanded capsids. We hypothesize that herpes virus triggering of neurodegenerative disease occurs via in-gel propagation-promoted (1) generation of α-sheet intense viral capsids and, in response, (2) host production of α-sheet intense, capsid-interactive, innate immunity amyloid protein that becomes toxic. We propose developing viruses that are therapeutic via detoxifying interaction with this innate immunity protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Serwer
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229–3900, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: 1-210-567-3765
| | - Barbara Hunter
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229–3900, USA;
| | - Elena T. Wright
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229–3900, USA;
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37
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Fossel M. A unified model of dementias and age-related neurodegeneration. Alzheimers Dement 2020; 16:365-383. [PMID: 31943780 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 11/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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38
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Norins LC. Predicted economic damage from a quick, simple Alzheimer's disease cure. Med Hypotheses 2019; 133:109398. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2019.109398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Thellung S, Corsaro A, Bosio AG, Zambito M, Barbieri F, Mazzanti M, Florio T. Emerging Role of Cellular Prion Protein in the Maintenance and Expansion of Glioma Stem Cells. Cells 2019; 8:cells8111458. [PMID: 31752162 PMCID: PMC6912268 DOI: 10.3390/cells8111458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a membrane-anchored glycoprotein representing the physiological counterpart of PrP scrapie (PrPSc), which plays a pathogenetic role in prion diseases. Relatively little information is however available about physiological role of PrPC. Although PrPC ablation in mice does not induce lethal phenotypes, impairment of neuronal and bone marrow plasticity was reported in embryos and adult animals. In neurons, PrPC stimulates neurite growth, prevents oxidative stress-dependent cell death, and favors antiapoptotic signaling. However, PrPC activity is not restricted to post-mitotic neurons, but promotes cell proliferation and migration during embryogenesis and tissue regeneration in adult. PrPC acts as scaffold to stabilize the binding between different membrane receptors, growth factors, and basement proteins, contributing to tumorigenesis. Indeed, ablation of PrPC expression reduces cancer cell proliferation and migration and restores cell sensitivity to chemotherapy. Conversely, PrPC overexpression in cancer stem cells (CSCs) from different tumors, including gliomas—the most malignant brain tumors—is predictive for poor prognosis, and correlates with relapses. The mechanisms of the PrPC role in tumorigenesis and its molecular partners in this activity are the topic of the present review, with a particular focus on PrPC contribution to glioma CSCs multipotency, invasiveness, and tumorigenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Thellung
- Sezione di Farmacologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna & Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (S.T.); (A.C.); (A.G.B.); (M.Z.); (F.B.)
| | - Alessandro Corsaro
- Sezione di Farmacologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna & Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (S.T.); (A.C.); (A.G.B.); (M.Z.); (F.B.)
| | - Alessia G. Bosio
- Sezione di Farmacologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna & Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (S.T.); (A.C.); (A.G.B.); (M.Z.); (F.B.)
| | - Martina Zambito
- Sezione di Farmacologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna & Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (S.T.); (A.C.); (A.G.B.); (M.Z.); (F.B.)
| | - Federica Barbieri
- Sezione di Farmacologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna & Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (S.T.); (A.C.); (A.G.B.); (M.Z.); (F.B.)
| | - Michele Mazzanti
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
- Correspondence: (T.F.); (M.M.); Tel.: +39-01-0353-8806 (T.F.); +39-02-5031-4958 (M.M.)
| | - Tullio Florio
- Sezione di Farmacologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna & Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy; (S.T.); (A.C.); (A.G.B.); (M.Z.); (F.B.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
- Correspondence: (T.F.); (M.M.); Tel.: +39-01-0353-8806 (T.F.); +39-02-5031-4958 (M.M.)
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Caughey B, Kraus A. Transmissibility versus Pathogenicity of Self-Propagating Protein Aggregates. Viruses 2019; 11:E1044. [PMID: 31717531 PMCID: PMC6893620 DOI: 10.3390/v11111044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The prion-like spreading and accumulation of specific protein aggregates appear to be central to the pathogenesis of many human diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Accumulating evidence indicates that inoculation of tissue extracts from diseased individuals into suitable experimental animals can in many cases induce the aggregation of the disease-associated protein, as well as related pathological lesions. These findings, together with the history of the prion field, have raised the questions about whether such disease-associated protein aggregates are transmissible between humans by casual or iatrogenic routes, and, if so, do they propagate enough in the new host to cause disease? These practical considerations are important because real, and perhaps even only imagined, risks of human-to-human transmission of diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's may force costly changes in clinical practice that, in turn, are likely to have unintended consequences. The prion field has taught us that a single protein, PrP, can aggregate into forms that can propagate exponentially in vitro, but range from being innocuous to deadly when injected into experimental animals in ways that depend strongly on factors such as conformational subtleties, routes of inoculation, and host responses. In assessing the hazards posed by various disease-associated, self-propagating protein aggregates, it is imperative to consider both their actual transmissibilities and the pathological consequences of their propagation, if any, in recipient hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
| | - Allison Kraus
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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Zheng Q, Kebede MT, Kemeh MM, Islam S, Lee B, Bleck SD, Wurfl LA, Lazo ND. Inhibition of the Self-Assembly of Aβ and of Tau by Polyphenols: Mechanistic Studies. Molecules 2019; 24:E2316. [PMID: 31234523 PMCID: PMC6630797 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24122316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide and tau protein are thought to play key neuropathogenic roles in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Both Aβ and tau self-assemble to form the two major pathological hallmarks of AD: amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, respectively. In this review, we show that naturally occurring polyphenols abundant in fruits, vegetables, red wine, and tea possess the ability to target pathways associated with the formation of assemblies of Aβ and tau. Polyphenols modulate the enzymatic processing of the amyloid-β precursor protein and inhibit toxic Aβ oligomerization by enhancing the clearance of Aβ42 monomer, modulating monomer-monomer interactions and remodeling oligomers to non-toxic forms. Additionally, polyphenols modulate tau hyperphosphorylation and inhibit tau β-sheet formation. The anti-Aβ-self-assembly and anti-tau-self-assembly effects of polyphenols increase their potential as preventive or therapeutic agents against AD, a complex disease that involves many pathological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuchen Zheng
- Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610, USA.
| | - Micheal T Kebede
- Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610, USA.
| | - Merc M Kemeh
- Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610, USA.
| | - Saadman Islam
- Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610, USA.
| | - Bethany Lee
- Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610, USA.
| | - Stuart D Bleck
- Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610, USA.
| | - Liliana A Wurfl
- Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610, USA.
| | - Noel D Lazo
- Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610, USA.
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42
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Kong C, Xie H, Gao Z, Shao M, Li H, Shi R, Cai L, Gao S, Sun T, Li C. Binding between Prion Protein and Aβ Oligomers Contributes to the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease. Virol Sin 2019; 34:475-488. [PMID: 31093882 DOI: 10.1007/s12250-019-00124-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A plethora of evidence suggests that protein misfolding and aggregation are underlying mechanisms of various neurodegenerative diseases, such as prion diseases and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Like prion diseases, AD has been considered as an infectious disease in the past decades as it shows strain specificity and transmission potential. Although it remains elusive how protein aggregation leads to AD, it is becoming clear that cellular prion protein (PrPC) plays an important role in AD pathogenesis. Here, we briefly reviewed AD pathogenesis and focused on recent progresses how PrPC contributed to AD development. In addition, we proposed a potential mechanism to explain why infectious agents, such as viruses, conduce AD pathogenesis. Microbe infections cause Aβ deposition and upregulation of PrPC, which lead to high affinity binding between Aβ oligomers and PrPC. The interaction between PrPC and Aβ oligomers in turn activates the Fyn signaling cascade, resulting in neuron death in the central nervous system (CNS). Thus, silencing PrPC expression may turn out be an effective treatment for PrPC dependent AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Kong
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, China.,State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China.,Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510095, China
| | - Hao Xie
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Zhenxing Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Ming Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Huan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Run Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Lili Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Shanshan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Taolei Sun
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Chaoyang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China. .,Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510095, China.
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43
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Asp E, Proschitsky M, Lulu M, Rockwell-Postel C, Tsubery H, Krishnan R. Stability and Inter-domain Interactions Modulate Amyloid Binding Activity of a General Amyloid Interaction Motif. J Mol Biol 2019; 431:1920-1939. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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44
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Thellung S, Corsaro A, Nizzari M, Barbieri F, Florio T. Autophagy Activator Drugs: A New Opportunity in Neuroprotection from Misfolded Protein Toxicity. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20040901. [PMID: 30791416 PMCID: PMC6412775 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20040901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this review is to critically analyze promises and limitations of pharmacological inducers of autophagy against protein misfolding-associated neurodegeneration. Effective therapies against neurodegenerative disorders can be developed by regulating the “self-defense” equipment of neurons, such as autophagy. Through the degradation and recycling of the intracellular content, autophagy promotes neuron survival in conditions of trophic factor deprivation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial and lysosomal damage, or accumulation of misfolded proteins. Autophagy involves the activation of self-digestive pathways, which is different for dynamics (macro, micro and chaperone-mediated autophagy), or degraded material (mitophagy, lysophagy, aggrephagy). All neurodegenerative disorders share common pathogenic mechanisms, including the impairment of autophagic flux, which causes the inability to remove the neurotoxic oligomers of misfolded proteins. Pharmacological activation of autophagy is typically achieved by blocking the kinase activity of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) enzymatic complex 1 (mTORC1), removing its autophagy suppressor activity observed under physiological conditions; acting in this way, rapamycin provided the first proof of principle that pharmacological autophagy enhancement can induce neuroprotection through the facilitation of oligomers’ clearance. The demand for effective disease-modifying strategies against neurodegenerative disorders is currently stimulating the development of a wide number of novel molecules, as well as the re-evaluation of old drugs for their pro-autophagic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Thellung
- Sezione di Farmacologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna & Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Corsaro
- Sezione di Farmacologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna & Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy.
| | - Mario Nizzari
- Sezione di Farmacologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna & Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy.
| | - Federica Barbieri
- Sezione di Farmacologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna & Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy.
| | - Tullio Florio
- Sezione di Farmacologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna & Centro di Eccellenza per la Ricerca Biomedica (CEBR), Università di Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy.
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy.
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45
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The biochemical basis of disease. Essays Biochem 2018; 62:619-642. [PMID: 30509933 PMCID: PMC6279435 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20170054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
This article gives the reader an insight into the role of biochemistry in some of the current global health and disease problems. It surveys the biochemical causes of disease in an accessible and succinct form while also bringing in aspects of pharmacology, cell biology, pathology and physiology which are closely aligned with biochemistry. The discussion of the selected diseases highlights exciting new developments and illuminates key biochemical pathways and commonalities. The article includes coverage of diabetes, atherosclerosis, cancer, microorganisms and disease, nutrition, liver disease and Alzheimer’s disease, but does not attempt to be comprehensive in its coverage of disease, since this is beyond its remit and scope. Consequently there are many fascinating biochemical aspects of diseases, both common and rare, that are not addressed here that can be explored in the further reading cited. Techniques and biochemical procedures for studying disease are not covered in detail here, but these can be found readily in a range of biochemical methods sources.
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46
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Paciotti R, Storchi L, Marrone A. An insight of early PrP-E200K aggregation by combined molecular dynamics/fragment molecular orbital approaches. Proteins 2018; 87:51-61. [PMID: 30367504 DOI: 10.1002/prot.25621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Unveiling the events leading to the formation of prion particles is a nowadays challenge in the field of neurochemistry. Pathogenic mutants of prion protein (PrP) are characterized by both an intrinsic tendency to aggregation and scrapie conversion propensity. However, the question about a possible correlation between these two events lasts still unanswered. Here, a multilayered computational workflow was employed to investigate structure, stability, and molecular interaction properties of a dimer of PrPC -E200K, a well-known mutant of the PrP that represents a reduced model of early aggregates of this protein. Based on the combination of molecular dynamics and quantum mechanical approaches, this study provided for an in depth insight of PrPC -E200K dimer in terms of residue-residue interactions. Assembly hypotheses for the early aggregation of PrPC -E200K are paved and compared with PrPSc models reported in the literature to find a structural link between early and late (scrapie) aggregates of this protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Paciotti
- Department of Pharmacy, Università "G d'Annunzio" di Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Loriano Storchi
- Department of Pharmacy, Università "G d'Annunzio" di Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.,Molecular Discovery Limited, Middlesex, London, United Kingdom.,ISTM - CNR, Perugia, Italy
| | - Alessandro Marrone
- Department of Pharmacy, Università "G d'Annunzio" di Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
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47
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Questions concerning the role of amyloid-β in the definition, aetiology and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol 2018; 136:663-689. [PMID: 30349969 PMCID: PMC6208728 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-018-1918-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The dominant hypothesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) aetiology, the neuropathological guidelines for diagnosing AD and the majority of high-profile therapeutic efforts, in both research and in clinical practice, have been built around one possible causal factor, amyloid-β (Aβ). However, the causal link between Aβ and AD remains unproven. Here, in the context of a detailed assessment of historical and contemporary studies, we raise critical questions regarding the role of Aβ in the definition, diagnosis and aetiology of AD. We illustrate that a holistic view of the available data does not support an unequivocal conclusion that Aβ has a central or unique role in AD. Instead, the data suggest alternative views of AD aetiology are potentially valid, at this time. We propose that an unbiased way forward for the field, beyond the current Aβ-centric approach, without excluding a role for Aβ, is required to come to an accurate understanding of AD dementia and, ultimately, an effective treatment.
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48
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Zhang W, Zhao H, Wu Q, Xu W, Xia M. Knockdown of BACE1-AS by siRNA improves memory and learning behaviors in Alzheimer's disease animal model. Exp Ther Med 2018; 16:2080-2086. [PMID: 30186443 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2018.6359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive damage to neurons. Emerging evidence has demonstrated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) serve an important role in many neurological diseases, such as AD. β-secretase 1 (BACE1)-antisense transcript (BACE1-AS) was identified as a conserved non-coding antisense BACE1. Previous reports stated that BACE1-AS positively regulated BACE1 mRNA and subsequently BACE1 protein expression in vitro and in vivo. However, whether BACE1-AS is able to regulate memory and learning behaviors remains to be elucidated. In the present study, the role of lncRNA BACE1-AS on memory and learning was investigated. It was demonstrated that lncRNA BACE1-AS expression was highly expressed in blood samples from AD patients, and also upregulated in peripheral blood samples and hippocampi from an AD animal model. Knockdown of BACE1-AS by short interfering RNA increased the primary hippocampal neurons proliferation in vitro. Knockdown of BACE1-AS mediated by lentivirus in vivo improved the memory and learning behaviors of SAMP8 mice, inhibited BACE1 and amyloid precursor protein production, and phosphorylation of tau protein in hippocampi. Therefore, the present findings suggested that BACE1-AS may be a potential target for management of memory loss related diseases, such as AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenting Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Hefei Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230000, P.R. China
| | - Hao Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Hefei Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230000, P.R. China
| | - Qian Wu
- Department of Neurology, Hefei Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230000, P.R. China
| | - Wenan Xu
- Department of Neurology, Hefei Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230000, P.R. China
| | - Minwu Xia
- Department of Neurology, Hefei Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230000, P.R. China
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49
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Ruiz-Riquelme A, Lau HHC, Stuart E, Goczi AN, Wang Z, Schmitt-Ulms G, Watts JC. Prion-like propagation of β-amyloid aggregates in the absence of APP overexpression. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2018; 6:26. [PMID: 29615128 PMCID: PMC5883524 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-018-0529-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The amyloid cascade hypothesis posits that the initiating event in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the aggregation and deposition of the β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide, which is a proteolytic cleavage product of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). Mounting evidence suggests that the formation and spread of prion-like Aβ aggregates during AD may contribute to disease progression. Inoculation of transgenic mice that overexpress APP with pre-formed Aβ aggregates results in the prion-like induction of cerebral Aβ deposition. To determine whether Aβ deposition can also be induced when physiological APP levels are present in the brain, we inoculated AppNL-F mice, a knock-in model of AD that avoids potential artifacts associated with APP overexpression, with Aβ aggregates derived from the brains of AD patients or transgenic mice. In all cases, induced Aβ deposition was apparent in the corpus callosum, olfactory bulb, and meningeal blood vessels of inoculated mice at 130-150 days post-inoculation, whereas uninoculated and buffer-inoculated animals exhibited minimal or no Aβ deposits at these ages. Interestingly, despite being predominantly composed of protease-resistant Aβ42 aggregates, the induced parenchymal Aβ deposits were largely diffuse and were unreactive to an amyloid-binding dye. These results demonstrate that APP overexpression is not a prerequisite for the prion-like induction of cerebral Aβ deposition. Accordingly, spreading of Aβ deposition may contribute to disease progression in AD patients.
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50
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Jurado S. AMPA Receptor Trafficking in Natural and Pathological Aging. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 10:446. [PMID: 29375307 PMCID: PMC5767248 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (AMPARs) enable most excitatory transmission in the brain and are crucial for mediating basal synaptic strength and plasticity. Because of the importance of their function, AMPAR dynamics, activity and subunit composition undergo a tight regulation which begins as early as prenatal development and continues through adulthood. Accumulating evidence suggests that the precise regulatory mechanisms involved in orchestrating AMPAR trafficking are challenged in the aging brain. In turn dysregulation of AMPARs can be linked to most neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. Understanding the mechanisms that govern AMPAR signaling during natural and pathological cognitive decline will guide the efforts to develop most effective ways to tackle neurodegenerative diseases which are one of the primary burdens afflicting an increasingly aging population. In this review, I provide a brief overview of the molecular mechanisms involved in AMPAR trafficking highlighting what is currently known about how these processes change with age and disease. As a particularly well-studied example of AMPAR dysfunction in pathological aging I focus in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with special emphasis in how the production of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and amyloid-β plaques may contribute to disruption in AMPAR function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Jurado
- Instituto de Neurociencias CSIC-UMH, San Juan de Alicante, Spain
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