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Yu W, Li Y, Zhong F, Deng Z, Wu J, Yu W, Lü Y. Disease-Associated Neurotoxic Astrocyte Markers in Alzheimer Disease Based on Integrative Single-Nucleus RNA Sequencing. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2024; 44:20. [PMID: 38345650 PMCID: PMC10861702 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-024-01453-w] [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: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer disease (AD) is an irreversible neurodegenerative disease, and astrocytes play a key role in its onset and progression. The aim of this study is to analyze the characteristics of neurotoxic astrocytes and identify novel molecular targets for slowing down the progression of AD. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) data were analyzed from various AD cohorts comprising about 210,654 cells from 53 brain tissue. By integrating snRNA-seq data with bulk RNA-seq data, crucial astrocyte types and genes associated with the prognosis of patients with AD were identified. The expression of neurotoxic astrocyte markers was validated using 5 × FAD and wild-type (WT) mouse models, combined with experiments such as western blot, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and immunofluorescence. A group of neurotoxic astrocytes closely related to AD pathology was identified, which were involved in inflammatory responses and pathways related to neuron survival. Combining snRNA and bulk tissue data, ZEP36L, AEBP1, WWTR1, PHYHD1, DST and RASL12 were identified as toxic astrocyte markers closely related to disease severity, significantly elevated in brain tissues of 5 × FAD mice and primary astrocytes treated with Aβ. Among them, WWTR1 was significantly increased in astrocytes of 5 × FAD mice, driving astrocyte inflammatory responses, and has been identified as an important marker of neurotoxic astrocytes. snRNA-seq analysis reveals the biological functions of neurotoxic astrocytes. Six genes related to AD pathology were identified and validated, among which WWTR1 may be a novel marker of neurotoxic astrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wuhan Yu
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No.1 Youyi Road, Yuzhong, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Yin Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Fuxin Zhong
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No.1 Youyi Road, Yuzhong, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Zhangjing Deng
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No.1 Youyi Road, Yuzhong, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Jiani Wu
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No.1 Youyi Road, Yuzhong, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Weihua Yu
- Institutes of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Yang Lü
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No.1 Youyi Road, Yuzhong, Chongqing, 400016, China.
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Niedowicz DM, Katsumata Y, Nelson PT. In severe ADNC, hippocampi with comorbid LATE-NC and hippocampal sclerosis have substantially more astrocytosis than those with LATE-NC or hippocampal sclerosis alone. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2023; 82:987-994. [PMID: 37935530 PMCID: PMC10658353 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlad085] [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] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy neuropathologic change (LATE-NC) and hippocampal sclerosis of aging (HS-A) pathologies are found together at autopsy in ∼20% of elderly demented persons. Although astrocytosis is known to occur in neurodegenerative diseases, it is currently unknown how the severity of astrocytosis is correlated with the common combinations of pathologies in aging brains. To address this knowledge gap, we analyzed a convenience sample of autopsied subjects from the University of Kentucky Alzheimer's Disease Research Center community-based autopsy cohort. The subjects were stratified into 5 groups (n = 51 total): pure ADNC, ADNC + LATE-NC, ADNC + HS-A, ADNC + LATE-NC + HS-A, and low-pathology controls. Following GFAP immunostaining and digital slide scanning with a ScanScope, we measured GFAP-immunoreactive astrocytosis. The severities of GFAP-immunoreactive astrocytosis in hippocampal subfield CA1 and subiculum were compared between groups. The group with ADNC + LATE-NC + HS-A had the most astrocytosis as operationalized by either any GFAP+ or strong GFAP+ immunoreactivity in both CA1 and subiculum. In comparison to that pathologic combination, ADNC + HS or ADNC + LATE-NC alone showed lower astrocytosis. Pure ADNC had only marginally increased astrocytosis in CA1 and subiculum, in comparison to low-pathology controls. We conclude that there appeared to be pathogenetic synergy such that ADNC + LATE-NC + HS-A cases had relatively high levels of astrocytosis in the hippocampal formation.
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Gaur A, Rivet L, Mah E, Bawa KK, Gallagher D, Herrmann N, Lanctôt KL. Novel fluid biomarkers for mild cognitive impairment: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 91:102046. [PMID: 37647995 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.102046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a well-established prodromal stage of dementia (e.g., Alzheimer's disease) that is often accompanied by early signs of neurodegeneration. To facilitate a better characterization of the underlying pathophysiology, we assessed the available literature to evaluate potential fluid biomarkers in MCI. Peer-reviewed articles that measured cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and/or peripheral biomarkers of neuronal injury (total-tau [T-tau], neurofilament light chain [NfL], heart-type fatty acid binding protein [HFABP], neuron-specific enolase, ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1) and/or astroglial pathology (glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP], S100 calcium-binding protein B) in MCI and healthy controls were assessed. Group differences were summarized by standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals calculated using a random-effects model. Heterogeneity was quantified using I2. A total of 107 studies were included in the meta-analysis and 10 studies were qualitatively reviewed. In CSF, concentrations of NfL (SMD = 0.69 [0.56, 0.83]), GFAP (SMD = 0.41 [0.07, 0.75]), and HFABP (SMD = 0.57 [0.26, 0.89]) were elevated in MCI. In blood, increased concentrations of T-tau (SMD = 0.19 [0.09, 0.29]), NfL (SMD = 0.41 [0.32, 0.49]), and GFAP (SMD = 0.39 [0.23, 0.55]) were found in MCI. Heterogeneity that was identified in all comparisons was explored using meta-regression and subgroup analysis. Elevated NfL and GFAP can be detected in both CSF and peripheral blood. Monitoring these biomarkers in clinical settings may provide important insight into underlying neurodegenerative processes in MCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amish Gaur
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Luc Rivet
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Ethan Mah
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Kritleen K Bawa
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Damien Gallagher
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street, 8th Floor, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Nathan Herrmann
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street, 8th Floor, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Krista L Lanctôt
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada; Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street, 8th Floor, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada.
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Makarava N, Mychko O, Molesworth K, Chang JCY, Henry RJ, Tsymbalyuk N, Gerzanich V, Simard JM, Loane DJ, Baskakov IV. Region-Specific Homeostatic Identity of Astrocytes Is Essential for Defining Their Response to Pathological Insults. Cells 2023; 12:2172. [PMID: 37681904 PMCID: PMC10486627 DOI: 10.3390/cells12172172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The transformation of astrocytes into reactive states constitutes a biological response of the central nervous system under a variety of pathological insults. Astrocytes display diverse homeostatic identities that are developmentally predetermined and regionally specified. Upon transformation into reactive states associated with neurodegenerative diseases and other neurological disorders, astrocytes acquire diverse reactive phenotypes. However, it is not clear whether their reactive phenotypes are dictated by region-specific homeostatic identity or by the nature of an insult. To address this question, region-specific gene expression profiling was performed for four brain regions (cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, and hypothalamus) in mice using a custom NanoString panel consisting of selected sets of genes associated with astrocyte functions and their reactivity for five conditions: prion disease, traumatic brain injury, brain ischemia, 5XFAD Alzheimer's disease model and normal aging. Upon transformation into reactive states, genes that are predominantly associated with astrocytes were found to respond to insults in a region-specific manner. Regardless of the nature of the insult or the insult-specificity of astrocyte response, strong correlations between undirected GSA (gene set analysis) scores reporting on astrocyte reactivity and on their homeostatic functions were observed within each individual brain region. The insult-specific gene expression signatures did not separate well from each other and instead partially overlapped, forming continuums. The current study demonstrates that region-specific homeostatic identities of astrocytes are important for defining their response to pathological insults. Within region-specific populations, reactive astrocytes show continuums of gene expression signatures, partially overlapping between individual insults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natallia Makarava
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (N.M.); (J.C.-Y.C.)
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Olga Mychko
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (N.M.); (J.C.-Y.C.)
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Kara Molesworth
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (N.M.); (J.C.-Y.C.)
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Jennifer Chen-Yu Chang
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (N.M.); (J.C.-Y.C.)
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Rebecca J. Henry
- Department of Anesthesiology and Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research (STAR) Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA (D.J.L.)
| | - Natalya Tsymbalyuk
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Volodymyr Gerzanich
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - J. Marc Simard
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - David J. Loane
- Department of Anesthesiology and Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research (STAR) Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA (D.J.L.)
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, D02 R590 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ilia V. Baskakov
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; (N.M.); (J.C.-Y.C.)
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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5
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Calvo N, Einstein G. Steroid hormones: risk and resilience in women's Alzheimer disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1159435. [PMID: 37396653 PMCID: PMC10313425 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1159435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
More women have Alzheimer disease (AD) than men, but the reasons for this phenomenon are still unknown. Including women in clinical research and studying their biology is key to understand not just their increased risk but also their resilience against the disease. In this sense, women are more affected by AD than men, but their reserve or resilience mechanisms might delay symptom onset. The aim of this review was to explore what is known about mechanisms underlying women's risk and resilience in AD and identify emerging themes in this area that merit further research. We conducted a review of studies analyzing molecular mechanisms that may induce neuroplasticity in women, as well as cognitive and brain reserve. We also analyzed how the loss of steroid hormones in aging may be linked to AD. We included empirical studies with human and animal models, literature reviews as well as meta-analyses. Our search identified the importance of 17-b-estradiol (E2) as a mechanism driving cognitive and brain reserve in women. More broadly, our analysis revealed the following emerging perspectives: (1) the importance of steroid hormones and their effects on both neurons and glia for the study of risk and resilience in AD, (2) E2's crucial role in women's brain reserve, (3) women's verbal memory advantage as a cognitive reserve factor, and (4) E2's potential role in linguistic experiences such as multilingualism and hearing loss. Future directions for research include analyzing the reserve mechanisms of steroid hormones on neuronal and glial plasticity, as well as identifying the links between steroid hormone loss in aging and risk for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelia Calvo
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Gillian Einstein
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Tema Genus, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Women’s College Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Centre for Life Course and Aging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Suthard RL, Jellinger AL, Surets M, Shpokayte M, Pyo AY, Buzharsky MD, Senne RA, Dorst K, Leblanc H, Ramirez S. Chronic Gq activation of ventral hippocampal neurons and astrocytes differentially affects memory and behavior. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 125:9-31. [PMID: 36801699 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Network dysfunction is implicated in numerous diseases and psychiatric disorders, and the hippocampus serves as a common origin for these abnormalities. To test the hypothesis that chronic modulation of neurons and astrocytes induces impairments in cognition, we activated the hM3D(Gq) pathway in CaMKII+ neurons or GFAP+ astrocytes within the ventral hippocampus across 3, 6, and 9 months. CaMKII-hM3Dq activation impaired fear extinction at 3 months and acquisition at 9 months. Both CaMKII-hM3Dq manipulation and aging had differential effects on anxiety and social interaction. GFAP-hM3Dq activation impacted fear memory at 6 and 9 months. GFAP-hM3Dq activation impacted anxiety in the open field only at the earliest time point. CaMKII-hM3Dq activation modified the number of microglia, while GFAP-hM3Dq activation impacted microglial morphological characteristics, but neither affected these measures in astrocytes. Overall, our study elucidates how distinct cell types can modify behavior through network dysfunction, while adding a more direct role for glia in modulating behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L Suthard
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Center for Systems Neuroscience, Neurophotonics Center, and Photonics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexandra L Jellinger
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Center for Systems Neuroscience, Neurophotonics Center, and Photonics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michelle Surets
- Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Monika Shpokayte
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Center for Systems Neuroscience, Neurophotonics Center, and Photonics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Angela Y Pyo
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Center for Systems Neuroscience, Neurophotonics Center, and Photonics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Ryan A Senne
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Center for Systems Neuroscience, Neurophotonics Center, and Photonics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kaitlyn Dorst
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Center for Systems Neuroscience, Neurophotonics Center, and Photonics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Heloise Leblanc
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Center for Systems Neuroscience, Neurophotonics Center, and Photonics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Steve Ramirez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Center for Systems Neuroscience, Neurophotonics Center, and Photonics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
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Forrest SL, Kim JH, Crockford DR, Huynh K, Cheong R, Knott S, Kane MA, Ittner LM, Halliday GM, Kril JJ. Distribution Patterns of Astrocyte Populations in the Human Cortex. Neurochem Res 2023; 48:1222-1232. [PMID: 35930103 PMCID: PMC10030423 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-022-03700-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes are a major class of glial cell in the central nervous system that have a diverse range of types and functions thought to be based on their anatomical location, morphology and cellular properties. Recent studies highlight that astrocyte dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis of neurological conditions. However, few studies have described the pattern, distribution and density of astrocytes in the adult human cortex. This study mapped the distribution and density of astrocytes immunolabelled with a range of cytoskeletal and membrane markers in the human frontal cortex. Distinct and overlapping astrocyte populations were determined. The frontal cortex from ten normal control cases (75 ± 9 years) was immunostained with glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), aldehyde dehydrogenase-1 L1 (ALDH1L1), connexin-43 (Cx43), aquaporin-4 (AQP4), and glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1). All markers labelled populations of astrocytes in the grey and white matter, separate cortical layers, subpial and perivascular regions. All markers were informative for labelling different cellular properties and cellular compartments of astrocytes. ALDH1L1 labelled the largest population of astrocytes, and Cx43-immunopositive astrocytes were found in all cortical layers. AQP4 and GLT-1 labelled distal astrocytic process and end-feet in the same population of astrocytes (98% of GLT-1-immunopositive astrocytes contained AQP4). In contrast, GFAP, the most widely used marker, predominantly labelled astrocytes in superficial cortical layers. This study highlights the diversity of astrocytes in the human cortex, providing a reference map of the distribution of distinct and overlapping astrocyte populations which can be used for comparative purposes in various disease, inflammatory and injury states involving astrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelley L Forrest
- Dementia Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, 13A Research Park Drive, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Jordan Hanxi Kim
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Daniel R Crockford
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Katharine Huynh
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Rosie Cheong
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Samantha Knott
- Dementia Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, 13A Research Park Drive, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Madison A Kane
- Dementia Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, 13A Research Park Drive, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Lars M Ittner
- Dementia Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, 13A Research Park Drive, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Glenda M Halliday
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Brain and Mind Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jillian J Kril
- Dementia Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, 13A Research Park Drive, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Fisher DW, Tulloch J, Yu CE, Tsuang D. A Preliminary Comparison of the Methylome and Transcriptome from the Prefrontal Cortex Across Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia. J Alzheimers Dis Rep 2023; 7:279-297. [PMID: 37220618 PMCID: PMC10200238 DOI: 10.3233/adr220114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Pathological amyloid-β and α-synuclein are associated with a spectrum of related dementias, ranging from Alzheimer’s disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), to Parkinson disease dementia (PDD). While these diseases share clinical and pathological features, they also have unique patterns of pathology. However, epigenetic factors that contribute to these pathological differences remain unknown. Objective: In this preliminary study, we explore differences in DNA methylation and transcription in five neuropathologically defined groups: cognitively unimpaired controls, AD, pure DLB, DLB with concomitant AD (DLBAD), and PDD. Methods: We employed an Illumina Infinium 850k array and RNA-seq to quantify these differences in DNA methylation and transcription, respectively. We then used Weighted Gene Co-Network Expression Analysis (WGCNA) to determine transcriptional modules and correlated these with DNA methylation. Results: We found that PDD was transcriptionally unique and correlated with an unexpected hypomethylation pattern compared to the other dementias and controls. Surprisingly, differences between PDD and DLB were especially notable with 197 differentially methylated regions. WGCNA yielded numerous modules associated with controls and the four dementias: one module was associated with transcriptional differences between controls and all the dementias as well as having significant overlap with differentially methylated probes. Functional enrichment demonstrated that this module was associated with responses to oxidative stress. Conclusion: Future work that extends these joint DNA methylation and transcription analyses will be critical to better understanding of differences that contribute to varying clinical presentation across dementias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel W. Fisher
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jessica Tulloch
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Veteran’s Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Chang-En Yu
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Veteran’s Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Debby Tsuang
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Veteran’s Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA
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9
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Neurovascular injury associated non-apoptotic endothelial caspase-9 and astroglial caspase-9 mediate inflammation and contrast sensitivity decline. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:937. [PMID: 36347836 PMCID: PMC9643361 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-05387-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Retinal neurovascular injuries are a leading cause of vision loss in young adults presenting unmet therapeutic needs. Neurovascular injuries damage homeostatic communication between endothelial, pericyte, glial, and neuronal cells through signaling pathways that remain to be established. To understand the mechanisms that contribute to neuronal death, we use a mouse model of retinal vein occlusion (RVO). Using this model, we previously discovered that after vascular damage, there was non-apoptotic activation of endothelial caspase-9 (EC Casp9); knock-out of EC Casp9 led to a decrease in retinal edema, capillary ischemia, and neuronal death. In this study, we aimed to explore the role of EC Casp9 in vision loss and inflammation. We found that EC Casp9 is implicated in contrast sensitivity decline, induction of inflammatory cytokines, and glial reactivity. One of the noted glial changes was increased levels of astroglial cl-caspase-6, which we found to be activated cell intrinsically by astroglial caspase-9 (Astro Casp9). Lastly, we discovered that Astro Casp9 contributes to capillary ischemia and contrast sensitivity decline after RVO (P-RVO). These findings reveal specific endothelial and astroglial non-apoptotic caspase-9 roles in inflammation and neurovascular injury respectively; and concomitant relevancy to contrast sensitivity decline.
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10
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Zamir-Nasta T, Abbasi A, Kakebaraie S, Ahmadi A, Pazhouhi M, Jalili C. Aflatoxin G1 exposure altered the expression of BDNF and GFAP, histopathological of brain tissue, and oxidative stress factors in male rats. Res Pharm Sci 2022; 17:677-685. [PMID: 36704432 PMCID: PMC9872184 DOI: 10.4103/1735-5362.359434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and purpose Aflatoxins are highly toxic compounds that can cause acute and chronic toxicity in humans and animals. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of BDNF and GFAP, histopathological changes, and oxidative stress factors in brain tissue exposed to aflatoxin G1 (AFG1) in male rats. Experimental approach Twenty-eight male Wistar rats were used. Animals were randomly divided into 4 groups of 7 each. The control group received 0.2 mL of corn oil and the treatment groups were exposed to AFG1 (2 mg/kg) intra-peritoneally for 15, 28, and 45 days. The tissue was used for histopathological studies, and the level of TAC, SOD, and MDA, and the expression of BDNF and GFAP genes were evaluated. Findings/Results Real-time PCR results showed that AFG1 increased GFAP expression and decreased BDNF expression in AFG1-treated groups compared to the control group. The tissue level of TAC and SOD over time in the groups receiving AFG1 significantly decreased and the tissue level of MDA increased compared to the control group. Histopathological results showed that AFG1 can cause cell necrosis, a reduction of the normal cells number in the hippocampal region of CA1, cerebral edema, shrinkage of nerve cells, formation of space around neuroglia, and diffusion of gliosis in the cerebral cortex after 45 days. Conclusion and implication AFG1, by causing pathological complications in cortical tissue, was able to affect the exacerbation of nerve tissue damage and thus pave the way for future neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toraj Zamir-Nasta
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, I.R. Iran
| | - Ardeshir Abbasi
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, I.R. Iran
| | - Seyran Kakebaraie
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, I.R. Iran
| | - Arash Ahmadi
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz, I.R. Iran
| | - Mona Pazhouhi
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, I.R. Iran
| | - Cyrus Jalili
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, I.R. Iran,Corresponding author: C. Jalili Tel: +98-9188317220, Fax: +98-8334276477
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11
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Magnaeva AS, Gulevskaya TS, Anufriev PL, Baranich TI, Sukhorukov VS. [Morphological characteristics of the brain nervous tissue during aging]. Arkh Patol 2022; 84:20-28. [PMID: 35880596 DOI: 10.17116/patol20228404120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Identification of morphological manifestations and evaluation of morphometric parameters of the nervous tissue in various structures of the human brain during aging. MATERIAL AND METHODS Autopsy material was obtained from patients whose causes of death were not associated with neurological diseases. Three age groups were studied: young (35-45 years old) (n=10); eldery (75-89 years old) (n=20); centenarians (over 90 years old) (n=10). Quantitative analysis of large neurons in the compact part of the substantia nigra, basal ganglia, layer V of the cortex, and the pyramidal layer of the hippocampus was carried out. In addition, the brain mass, the thickness of the cortex of the precentral gyrus were measured, the glial index was calculated, and the morphological signs of age-related involution of the brain tissue and intracerebral vessels were assessed. RESULTS In senile and centenarians, compared with young people, there was a progressive reduction in large neurons of layer V of the cortex, basal ganglia, the pyramidal layer of the hippocampus and substantia nigra, a decrease in brain mass and thickness of the cortex of the precentral gyrus, as well as an increase in the glial index. Changes in blood vessels characteristic of aging are described. Also, during aging, signs characteristic of neurodegeneration were found. CONCLUSION The results of the study confirm that such brain structures as the cortex of the precentral gyrus, the hippocampus, the basal ganglia, and the substantia nigra lose large neurons with age, followed by the development of gliosis. The identified morphological changes characteristic of aging are phenomenologically similar to a certain set of morphological changes in neurodegenerative diseases of late age.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - T I Baranich
- Research Center of Neurology, Moscow, Russia.,Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
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12
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de Siqueira Mendes FDCC, de Almeida MNF, Falsoni M, Andrade MLF, Felício APG, da Paixão LTVB, Júnior FLDA, Anthony DC, Brites D, Diniz CWP, Sosthenes MCK. The Sedentary Lifestyle and Masticatory Dysfunction: Time to Review the Contribution to Age-Associated Cognitive Decline and Astrocyte Morphotypes in the Dentate Gyrus. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23116342. [PMID: 35683023 PMCID: PMC9180988 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
As aging and cognitive decline progresses, the impact of a sedentary lifestyle on the appearance of environment-dependent cellular morphologies in the brain becomes more apparent. Sedentary living is also associated with poor oral health, which is known to correlate with the rate of cognitive decline. Here, we will review the evidence for the interplay between mastication and environmental enrichment and assess the impact of each on the structure of the brain. In previous studies, we explored the relationship between behavior and the morphological features of dentate gyrus glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive astrocytes during aging in contrasting environments and in the context of induced masticatory dysfunction. Hierarchical cluster and discriminant analysis of GFAP-positive astrocytes from the dentate gyrus molecular layer revealed that the proportion of AST1 (astrocyte arbors with greater complexity phenotype) and AST2 (lower complexity) are differentially affected by environment, aging and masticatory dysfunction, but the relationship is not straightforward. Here we re-evaluated our previous reconstructions by comparing dorsal and ventral astrocyte morphologies in the dentate gyrus, and we found that morphological complexity was the variable that contributed most to cluster formation across the experimental groups. In general, reducing masticatory activity increases astrocyte morphological complexity, and the effect is most marked in the ventral dentate gyrus, whereas the effect of environment was more marked in the dorsal dentate gyrus. All morphotypes retained their basic structural organization in intact tissue, suggesting that they are subtypes with a non-proliferative astrocyte profile. In summary, the increased complexity of astrocytes in situations where neuronal loss and behavioral deficits are present is counterintuitive, but highlights the need to better understand the role of the astrocyte in these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabíola de Carvalho Chaves de Siqueira Mendes
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66073-005, PA, Brazil; (F.d.C.C.d.S.M.); (M.N.F.d.A.); (M.F.); (M.L.F.A.); (A.P.G.F.); (L.T.V.B.d.P.); (F.L.d.A.J.); (C.W.P.D.)
- Curso de Medicina, Centro Universitário do Estado do Pará, Belém 66613-903, PA, Brazil
| | - Marina Negrão Frota de Almeida
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66073-005, PA, Brazil; (F.d.C.C.d.S.M.); (M.N.F.d.A.); (M.F.); (M.L.F.A.); (A.P.G.F.); (L.T.V.B.d.P.); (F.L.d.A.J.); (C.W.P.D.)
| | - Manoela Falsoni
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66073-005, PA, Brazil; (F.d.C.C.d.S.M.); (M.N.F.d.A.); (M.F.); (M.L.F.A.); (A.P.G.F.); (L.T.V.B.d.P.); (F.L.d.A.J.); (C.W.P.D.)
| | - Marcia Lorena Ferreira Andrade
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66073-005, PA, Brazil; (F.d.C.C.d.S.M.); (M.N.F.d.A.); (M.F.); (M.L.F.A.); (A.P.G.F.); (L.T.V.B.d.P.); (F.L.d.A.J.); (C.W.P.D.)
| | - André Pinheiro Gurgel Felício
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66073-005, PA, Brazil; (F.d.C.C.d.S.M.); (M.N.F.d.A.); (M.F.); (M.L.F.A.); (A.P.G.F.); (L.T.V.B.d.P.); (F.L.d.A.J.); (C.W.P.D.)
| | - Luisa Taynah Vasconcelos Barbosa da Paixão
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66073-005, PA, Brazil; (F.d.C.C.d.S.M.); (M.N.F.d.A.); (M.F.); (M.L.F.A.); (A.P.G.F.); (L.T.V.B.d.P.); (F.L.d.A.J.); (C.W.P.D.)
| | - Fábio Leite do Amaral Júnior
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66073-005, PA, Brazil; (F.d.C.C.d.S.M.); (M.N.F.d.A.); (M.F.); (M.L.F.A.); (A.P.G.F.); (L.T.V.B.d.P.); (F.L.d.A.J.); (C.W.P.D.)
| | - Daniel Clive Anthony
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropathology, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QT, UK;
| | - Dora Brites
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-004 Lisbon, Portugal;
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-004 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Cristovam Wanderley Picanço Diniz
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66073-005, PA, Brazil; (F.d.C.C.d.S.M.); (M.N.F.d.A.); (M.F.); (M.L.F.A.); (A.P.G.F.); (L.T.V.B.d.P.); (F.L.d.A.J.); (C.W.P.D.)
| | - Marcia Consentino Kronka Sosthenes
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66073-005, PA, Brazil; (F.d.C.C.d.S.M.); (M.N.F.d.A.); (M.F.); (M.L.F.A.); (A.P.G.F.); (L.T.V.B.d.P.); (F.L.d.A.J.); (C.W.P.D.)
- Correspondence:
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13
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Abstract
Prion diseases are infectious protein misfolding disorders of the central nervous system that result from misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into the pathologic isoform PrPSc. Pathologic hallmarks of prion disease are depositions of pathological prion protein PrPSc, neuronal loss, spongiform degeneration and astrogliosis in the brain. Prion diseases affect human and animals, there is no effective therapy, and they invariably remain fatal. For a long time, neuronal loss was considered the sole reason for neurodegeneration in prion pathogenesis, and the contribution of non-neuronal cells like microglia and astrocytes was considered less important. Recent evidence suggests that neurodegeneration during prion pathogenesis is a consequence of a complex interplay between neuronal and non-neuronal cells in the brain, but the exact role of these non-neuronal cells during prion pathology is still elusive. Astrocytes are non-neuronal cells that regulate brain homeostasis under physiological conditions. However, astrocytes can deposit PrPSc aggregates and propagate prions in prion-infected brains. Additionally, sub-populations of reactive astrocytes that include neurotrophic and neurotoxic species have been identified, differentially expressed in the brain during prion infection. Revealing the exact role of astrocytes in prion disease is hampered by the lack of in vitro models of prion-infected astrocytes. Recently, we established a murine astrocyte cell line persistently infected with mouse-adapted prions, and showed how such astrocytes differentially process various prion strains. Considering the complexity of the role of astrocytes in prion pathogenesis, we need more in vitro and in vivo models for exploring the contribution of sub-populations of reactive astrocytes, their differential regulation of signaling cascades, and the interaction with neurons and microglia during prion pathogenesis. This will help to establish novel in vivo models and define new therapeutic targets against prion diseases. In this review, we will discuss the complex role of astrocytes in prion disease, the existing experimental resources, the challenges to analyze the contribution of astrocytes in prion disease pathogenesis, and future strategies to improve the understanding of their role in prion disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waqas Tahir
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Calgary Prion Research Unit; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Simrika Thapa
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Calgary Prion Research Unit; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Hermann M Schatzl
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Calgary Prion Research Unit; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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14
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Briel N, Ruf VC, Pratsch K, Roeber S, Widmann J, Mielke J, Dorostkar MM, Windl O, Arzberger T, Herms J, Struebing FL. Single-nucleus chromatin accessibility profiling highlights distinct astrocyte signatures in progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration. Acta Neuropathol 2022; 144:615-635. [PMID: 35976433 PMCID: PMC9468099 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-022-02483-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Tauopathies such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD) exhibit characteristic neuronal and glial inclusions of hyperphosphorylated Tau (pTau). Although the astrocytic pTau phenotype upon neuropathological examination is the most guiding feature in distinguishing both diseases, regulatory mechanisms controlling their transitions into disease-specific states are poorly understood to date. Here, we provide accessible chromatin data of more than 45,000 single nuclei isolated from the frontal cortex of PSP, CBD, and control individuals. We found a strong association of disease-relevant molecular changes with astrocytes and demonstrate that tauopathy-relevant genetic risk variants are tightly linked to astrocytic chromatin accessibility profiles in the brains of PSP and CBD patients. Unlike the established pathogenesis in the secondary tauopathy Alzheimer disease, microglial alterations were relatively sparse. Transcription factor (TF) motif enrichments in pseudotime as well as modeling of the astrocytic TF interplay suggested a common pTau signature for CBD and PSP that is reminiscent of an inflammatory immediate-early response. Nonetheless, machine learning models also predicted discriminatory features, and we observed marked differences in molecular entities related to protein homeostasis between both diseases. Predicted TF involvement was supported by immunofluorescence analyses in postmortem brain tissue for their highly correlated target genes. Collectively, our data expand the current knowledge on risk gene involvement (e.g., MAPT, MAPK8, and NFE2L2) and molecular pathways leading to the phenotypic changes associated with CBD and PSP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Briel
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig–Maximilians-University, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 23, 81377 Munich, Germany ,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377 Munich, Germany ,Munich Medical Research School, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Bavariaring 19, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Viktoria C. Ruf
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig–Maximilians-University, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 23, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Katrin Pratsch
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig–Maximilians-University, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 23, 81377 Munich, Germany ,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Sigrun Roeber
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig–Maximilians-University, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 23, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Jeannine Widmann
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig–Maximilians-University, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 23, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Janina Mielke
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig–Maximilians-University, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 23, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Mario M. Dorostkar
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig–Maximilians-University, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 23, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Otto Windl
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig–Maximilians-University, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 23, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Arzberger
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig–Maximilians-University, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 23, 81377 Munich, Germany ,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377 Munich, Germany ,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Nussbaumstr. 7, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Jochen Herms
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig–Maximilians-University, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 23, 81377 Munich, Germany ,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377 Munich, Germany ,Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Felix L. Struebing
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig–Maximilians-University, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 23, 81377 Munich, Germany ,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377 Munich, Germany
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15
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Guo X, Bao X, Wang X, Liu D, Liu P, Chi T, Ji X, Zheng Z, Chen G, Zou L. OAB-14 Effectively Ameliorates the Dysfunction of the Endosomal-Autophagic-Lysosomal Pathway in APP/PS1 Transgenic Mice. ACS Chem Neurosci 2021; 12:3985-3993. [PMID: 34652916 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In Alzheimer's disease (AD), damaged Aβ clearance contributes to elevated levels of Aβ that cause a series of cytotoxic cascade reactions. Thus, targeting Aβ clearance has now been considered a valid therapeutic approach for AD. Cellular uptake and degradation are important mechanisms for Aβ clearance, which are mainly performed by the endosomal-autophagic-lysosomal (EAL) pathway. Our previous study showed that OAB-14, a novel small molecule designed with bexarotene as the lead compound, treatment for 3 months significantly alleviated cognitive disorders and remarkably reduced the deposition of Aβ without affecting its production in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Here, we further revealed that enhancement of the EAL activity is one of the mechanisms that increases Aβ clearance after OAB-14 administration for 3 months. OAB-14 facilitates receptor-mediated endocytosis and restores autophagy flux via the AMPK/mTOR pathway. Meanwhile, OAB-14 enhances the lysosomal activity, and reduced Aβ accumulation in lysosomes was observed in OAB-14-treated AD mice. These results suggest that OAB-14 may promote Aβ clearance in lysosomes by alleviating the EAL dysfunction in AD mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Guo
- Department of Pharmacology, Life Science and Biopharmaceutics School, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, P. R. China
| | - Xuefei Bao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, P. R. China
| | - Xiaojuan Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Life Science and Biopharmaceutics School, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, P. R. China
| | - Danyang Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, Life Science and Biopharmaceutics School, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, P. R. China
| | - Peng Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, Life Science and Biopharmaceutics School, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, P. R. China
| | - Tianyan Chi
- Department of Pharmacology, Life Science and Biopharmaceutics School, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, P. R. China
| | - Xuefei Ji
- Department of Pharmacology, Life Science and Biopharmaceutics School, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, P. R. China
| | - Zhonghui Zheng
- Shandong Xinhua Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Zibo, Shandong 255086, P. R. China
| | - Guoliang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, P. R. China
| | - Libo Zou
- Department of Pharmacology, Life Science and Biopharmaceutics School, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, P. R. China
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16
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Mirzaei N, Davis N, Chau TW, Sastre M. Astrocyte Reactivity in Alzheimer's Disease: Therapeutic Opportunities to Promote Repair. Curr Alzheimer Res 2021; 19:1-15. [PMID: 34719372 DOI: 10.2174/1567205018666211029164106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes are fast climbing the ladder of importance in neurodegenerative disorders, particularly in Alzheimer's disease (AD), with the prominent presence of reactive astrocytes sur- rounding amyloid β- plaques, together with activated microglia. Reactive astrogliosis, implying morphological and molecular transformations in astrocytes, seems to precede neurodegeneration, suggesting a role in the development of the disease. Single-cell transcriptomics has recently demon- strated that astrocytes from AD brains are different from "normal" healthy astrocytes, showing dys- regulations in areas such as neurotransmitter recycling, including glutamate and GABA, and im- paired homeostatic functions. However, recent data suggest that the ablation of astrocytes in mouse models of amyloidosis results in an increase in amyloid pathology as well as in the inflammatory profile and reduced synaptic density, indicating that astrocytes mediate neuroprotective effects. The idea that interventions targeting astrocytes may have great potential for AD has therefore emerged, supported by a range of drugs and stem cell transplantation studies that have successfully shown a therapeutic effect in mouse models of AD. In this article, we review the latest reports on the role and profile of astrocytes in AD brains and how manipulation of astrocytes in animal mod- els has paved the way for the use of treatments enhancing astrocytic function as future therapeutic avenues for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazanin Mirzaei
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90048. United States
| | - Nicola Davis
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammer-smith Hospital, Du Cane Road, LondonW12 0NN. United Kingdom
| | - Tsz Wing Chau
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammer-smith Hospital, Du Cane Road, LondonW12 0NN. United Kingdom
| | - Magdalena Sastre
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammer-smith Hospital, Du Cane Road, LondonW12 0NN. United Kingdom
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17
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Calsolaro V, Matthews PM, Donat CK, Livingston NR, Femminella GD, Guedes SS, Myers J, Fan Z, Tyacke RJ, Venkataraman AV, Perneczky R, Gunn R, Rabiner EA, Gentleman S, Parker CA, Murphy PS, Wren PB, Hinz R, Sastre M, Nutt DJ, Edison P. Astrocyte reactivity with late-onset cognitive impairment assessed in vivo using 11C-BU99008 PET and its relationship with amyloid load. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:5848-5855. [PMID: 34267329 PMCID: PMC8758500 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01193-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
11C-BU99008 is a novel positron emission tomography (PET) tracer that enables selective imaging of astrocyte reactivity in vivo. To explore astrocyte reactivity associated with Alzheimer's disease, 11 older, cognitively impaired (CI) subjects and 9 age-matched healthy controls (HC) underwent 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 18F-florbetaben and 11C-BU99008 PET. The 8 amyloid (Aβ)-positive CI subjects had higher 11C-BU99008 uptake relative to HC across the whole brain, but particularly in frontal, temporal, medial temporal and occipital lobes. Biological parametric mapping demonstrated a positive voxel-wise neuroanatomical correlation between 11C-BU99008 and 18F-florbetaben. Autoradiography using 3H-BU99008 with post-mortem Alzheimer's brains confirmed through visual assessment that increased 3H-BU99008 binding localised with the astrocyte protein glial fibrillary acid protein and was not displaced by PiB or florbetaben. This proof-of-concept study provides direct evidence that 11C-BU99008 can measure in vivo astrocyte reactivity in people with late-life cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Our results confirm that increased astrocyte reactivity is found particularly in cortical regions with high Aβ load. Future studies now can explore how clinical expression of disease varies with astrocyte reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul M Matthews
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Cornelius K Donat
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Centre for Blast Injury Studies, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | | | | | - Jim Myers
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Zhen Fan
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Robin J Tyacke
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Robert Perneczky
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
- Ageing Epidemiology Research Unit (AGE), School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Roger Gunn
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Invicro, London, UK
| | | | - Steve Gentleman
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Christine A Parker
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
- GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenage, UK
| | | | | | - Rainer Hinz
- Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Magdalena Sastre
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - David J Nutt
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Paul Edison
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK.
- Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.
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18
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Wang P, Ye Y. Astrocytes in Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Perspective from Tauopathy and α-Synucleinopathy. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11090938. [PMID: 34575087 PMCID: PMC8471224 DOI: 10.3390/life11090938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are aging-associated chronic pathological conditions affecting primarily neurons in humans. Inclusion bodies containing misfolded proteins have emerged as a common pathologic feature for these diseases. In many cases, misfolded proteins produced by a neuron can be transmitted to another neuron or a non-neuronal cell, leading to the propagation of disease-associated pathology. While undergoing intercellular transmission, misfolded proteins released from donor cells can often change the physiological state of recipient cells. Accumulating evidence suggests that astrocytes are highly sensitive to neuron-originated proteotoxic insults, which convert them into an active inflammatory state. Conversely, activated astrocytes can release a plethora of factors to impact neuronal functions. This review summarizes our current understanding of the complex molecular interplays between astrocyte and neuron, emphasizing on Tau and α-synuclein (α-syn), the disease-driving proteins for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yihong Ye
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-301-594-0845; Fax: +1-301-496-0201
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19
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Dow CT. Warm, Sweetened Milk at the Twilight of Immunity - Alzheimer's Disease - Inflammaging, Insulin Resistance, M. paratuberculosis and Immunosenescence. Front Immunol 2021; 12:714179. [PMID: 34421917 PMCID: PMC8375433 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.714179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
This article prosecutes a case against the zoonotic pathogen Mycobacterium avium ss. paratuberculosis (MAP) as a precipitant of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Like the other major neurodegenerative diseases AD is, at its core, a proteinopathy. Aggregated extracellular amyloid protein plaques and intracellular tau protein tangles are the recognized protein pathologies of AD. Autophagy is the cellular housekeeping process that manages protein quality control and recycling, cellular metabolism, and pathogen elimination. Impaired autophagy and cerebral insulin resistance are invariant features of AD. With a backdrop of age-related low-grade inflammation (inflammaging) and heightened immune risk (immunosenescence), infection with MAP subverts glucose metabolism and further exhausts an already exhausted autophagic capacity. Increasingly, a variety of agents have been found to favorably impact AD; they are agents that promote autophagy and reduce insulin resistance. The potpourri of these therapeutic agents: mTOR inhibitors, SIRT1 activators and vaccines are seemingly random until one recognizes that all these agents also suppress intracellular mycobacterial infection. The zoonotic mycobacterial MAP causes a common fatal enteritis in ruminant animals. Humans are exposed to MAP from contaminated food products and from the environment. The enteritis in animals is called paratuberculosis or Johne’s disease; in humans, it is the putative cause of Crohn’s disease. Beyond Crohn’s, MAP is associated with an increasing number of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases: sarcoidosis, Blau syndrome, autoimmune diabetes, autoimmune thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Moreover, MAP has been associated with Parkinson’s disease. India is one county that has extensively studied the human bio-load of MAP; 30% of more than 28,000 tested individuals were found to harbor, or to have harbored, MAP. This article asserts an unfolding realization that MAP infection of humans 1) is widespread in its presence, 2) is wide-ranging in its zoonosis and 3) provides a plausible link connecting MAP to AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coad Thomas Dow
- McPherson Eye Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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20
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Chung DEC, Roemer S, Petrucelli L, Dickson DW. Cellular and pathological heterogeneity of primary tauopathies. Mol Neurodegener 2021; 16:57. [PMID: 34425874 PMCID: PMC8381569 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-021-00476-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubule-associated protein tau is abnormally aggregated in neuronal and glial cells in a range of neurodegenerative diseases that are collectively referred to as tauopathies. Multiple studies have suggested that pathological tau species may act as a seed that promotes aggregation of endogenous tau in naïve cells and contributes to propagation of tau pathology. While they share pathological tau aggregation as a common feature, tauopathies are distinct from one another with respect to predominant tau isoforms that accumulate and the selective vulnerability of brain regions and cell types that have tau inclusions. For instance, primary tauopathies present with glial tau pathology, while it is mostly neuronal in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Also, morphologies of tau inclusions can greatly vary even within the same cell type, suggesting distinct mechanisms or distinct tau conformers in each tauopathy. Neuropathological heterogeneity across tauopathies challenges our understanding of pathophysiology behind tau seeding and aggregation, as well as our efforts to develop effective therapeutic strategies for AD and other tauopathies. In this review, we describe diverse neuropathological features of tau inclusions in neurodegenerative tauopathies and discuss what has been learned from experimental studies with mouse models, advanced transcriptomics, and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) on the biology underlying cell type-specific tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dah-eun Chloe Chung
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 32224 Jacksonville, FL USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, 77030 Houston, TX USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, 77030 Houston, TX USA
| | - Shanu Roemer
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 32224 Jacksonville, FL USA
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21
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Diaz-Castro B, Bernstein AM, Coppola G, Sofroniew MV, Khakh BS. Molecular and functional properties of cortical astrocytes during peripherally induced neuroinflammation. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109508. [PMID: 34380036 PMCID: PMC8418871 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Astrocytic contributions to neuroinflammation are widely implicated in disease, but they remain incompletely explored. We assess medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) and visual cortex (VCX) astrocyte and whole-tissue gene expression changes in mice following peripherally induced neuroinflammation triggered by a systemic bacterial endotoxin, lipopolysaccharide, which produces sickness-related behaviors, including anhedonia. Neuroinflammation-mediated behavioral changes and astrocyte-specific gene expression alterations peak when anhedonia is greatest and then reverse to normal. Notably, region-specific molecular identities of PFC and VCX astrocytes are largely maintained during reactivity changes. Gene pathway analyses reveal alterations of diverse cell signaling pathways, including changes in cell-cell interactions of multiple cell types that may underlie the central effects of neuroinflammation. Certain astrocyte molecular signatures accompanying neuroinflammation are shared with changes reported in Alzheimer's disease and mouse models. However, we find no evidence of altered neuronal survival or function in the PFC even when neuroinflammation-induced astrocyte reactivity and behavioral changes are significant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanca Diaz-Castro
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA; UK Dementia Research Institute and Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, Edinburgh, Scotland EH16 4SB, UK.
| | - Alexander M Bernstein
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA
| | - Giovanni Coppola
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA; Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA
| | - Michael V Sofroniew
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA
| | - Baljit S Khakh
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA; Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA.
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22
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Viejo L, Noori A, Merrill E, Das S, Hyman BT, Serrano-Pozo A. Systematic review of human post-mortem immunohistochemical studies and bioinformatics analyses unveil the complexity of astrocyte reaction in Alzheimer's disease. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2021; 48:e12753. [PMID: 34297416 PMCID: PMC8766893 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Reactive astrocytes in Alzheimer's disease (AD) have traditionally been demonstrated by increased glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity; however, astrocyte reaction is a complex and heterogeneous phenomenon involving multiple astrocyte functions beyond cytoskeletal remodelling. To better understand astrocyte reaction in AD, we conducted a systematic review of astrocyte immunohistochemical studies in post-mortem AD brains followed by bioinformatics analyses on the extracted reactive astrocyte markers. METHODS NCBI PubMed, APA PsycInfo and WoS-SCIE databases were interrogated for original English research articles with the search terms 'Alzheimer's disease' AND 'astrocytes.' Bioinformatics analyses included protein-protein interaction network analysis, pathway enrichment, and transcription factor enrichment, as well as comparison with public human -omics datasets. RESULTS A total of 306 articles meeting eligibility criteria rendered 196 proteins, most of which were reported to be upregulated in AD vs control brains. Besides cytoskeletal remodelling (e.g., GFAP), bioinformatics analyses revealed a wide range of functional alterations including neuroinflammation (e.g., IL6, MAPK1/3/8 and TNF), oxidative stress and antioxidant defence (e.g., MT1A/2A, NFE2L2, NOS1/2/3, PRDX6 and SOD1/2), lipid metabolism (e.g., APOE, CLU and LRP1), proteostasis (e.g., cathepsins, CRYAB and HSPB1/2/6/8), extracellular matrix organisation (e.g., CD44, MMP1/3 and SERPINA3), and neurotransmission (e.g., CHRNA7, GABA, GLUL, GRM5, MAOB and SLC1A2), among others. CTCF and ESR1 emerged as potential transcription factors driving these changes. Comparison with published -omics datasets validated our results, demonstrating a significant overlap with reported transcriptomic and proteomic changes in AD brains and/or CSF. CONCLUSIONS Our systematic review of the neuropathological literature reveals the complexity of AD reactive astrogliosis. We have shared these findings as an online resource available at www.astrocyteatlas.org.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Viejo
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease (MIND), Charlestown, MA, USA.,Departamento de Farmacología y Terapéutica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ayush Noori
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease (MIND), Charlestown, MA, USA.,Harvard College, Cambridge, MA, USA.,MIND Data Science Lab, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Emily Merrill
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease (MIND), Charlestown, MA, USA.,MIND Data Science Lab, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sudeshna Das
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease (MIND), Charlestown, MA, USA.,MIND Data Science Lab, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Charlestown, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease (MIND), Charlestown, MA, USA.,Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Charlestown, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alberto Serrano-Pozo
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease (MIND), Charlestown, MA, USA.,Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Charlestown, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
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23
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The degree of astrocyte activation is predictive of the incubation time to prion disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:87. [PMID: 33980286 PMCID: PMC8114720 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01192-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and prion diseases, astrocytes acquire disease-associated reactive phenotypes. With growing appreciation of their role in chronic neurodegeneration, the questions whether astrocytes lose their ability to perform homeostatic functions in the reactive states and whether the reactive phenotypes are neurotoxic or neuroprotective remain unsettled. The current work examined region-specific changes in expression of genes, which report on astrocyte physiological functions and their reactive states, in C57Black/6J mice challenged with four prion strains via two inoculation routes. Unexpectedly, strong reverse correlation between the incubation time to the diseases and the degree of astrocyte activation along with disturbance in functional pathways was observed. The animal groups with the most severe astrocyte response and degree of activation showed the most rapid disease progression. The degree of activation tightly intertwined with the global transformation of the homeostatic state, characterized by disturbances in multiple gene sets responsible for normal physiological functions producing a neurotoxic, reactive phenotype as a net result. The neurotoxic reactive phenotype exhibited a universal gene signature regardless of the prion strain. The current work suggests that the degree of astrocyte activation along with the disturbance in their physiological pathways contribute to the faster progression of disease and perhaps even drive prion pathogenesis.
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24
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Douglass ML, Beard H, Shoubridge A, Nazri N, King B, Trim PJ, Duplock SK, Snel MF, Hopwood JJ, Hemsley KM. Is SGSH heterozygosity a risk factor for early-onset neurodegenerative disease? J Inherit Metab Dis 2021; 44:763-776. [PMID: 33423317 DOI: 10.1002/jimd.12359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Lysosomal dysfunction may be an important factor in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Heterozygous mutations in the gene encoding the lysosomal enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GBA1) have been found in PD patients, and some but not all mutations in other lysosomal enzyme genes, for example, NPC1 and MCOLN1 have been associated with PD. We have examined the behaviour and brain structure of mice carrying a D31N mutation in the sulphamidase (Sgsh) gene which encodes a lysosomal sulphatase. Female heterozygotes and wildtype mice aged 12-, 15-, 18- and 21-months of age underwent motor phenotyping and the brain was comprehensively evaluated for disease-associated lesions. Heterozygous mice exhibited impaired performance in the negative geotaxis test when compared with wildtype mice. Whilst the brain of Sgsh heterozygotes aged up to 21-months did not exhibit any of the gross features of PD, Alzheimer's disease or the neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorders, for example, loss of striatal dopamine, reduced GBA activity, α-synuclein-positive inclusions, perturbation of lipid synthesis, or cerebellar Purkinje cell drop-out, we noted discrete structural aberrations in the dendritic tree of cortical pyramidal neurons in 21-month old animals. The overt disease lesions and resultant phenotypic changes previously described in individuals with heterozygous mutations in lysosomal enzyme genes such as glucocerebrosidase may be enzyme dependent. By better understanding why deficiency in, or mutant forms of some but not all lysosomal proteins leads to heightened risk or earlier onset of classical neurodegenerative disorders, novel disease-causing mechanisms may be identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan L Douglass
- Childhood Dementia Research Group, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Helen Beard
- Childhood Dementia Research Group, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Andrew Shoubridge
- Childhood Dementia Research Group, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Nazzmer Nazri
- Childhood Dementia Research Group, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Barbara King
- Childhood Dementia Research Group, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Paul J Trim
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Mass Spectrometry Group, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology, Lifelong Health Theme, SAHMRI, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Stephen K Duplock
- Mass Spectrometry Group, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology, Lifelong Health Theme, SAHMRI, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Marten F Snel
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Mass Spectrometry Group, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology, Lifelong Health Theme, SAHMRI, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - John J Hopwood
- Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology, Lifelong Health Theme, SAHMRI, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Kim M Hemsley
- Childhood Dementia Research Group, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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25
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Klegeris A. Targeting neuroprotective functions of astrocytes in neuroimmune diseases. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2021; 25:237-241. [PMID: 33836642 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2021.1915993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andis Klegeris
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
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26
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Rehman IU, Ahmad R, Khan I, Lee HJ, Park J, Ullah R, Choi MJ, Kang HY, Kim MO. Nicotinamide Ameliorates Amyloid Beta-Induced Oxidative Stress-Mediated Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration in Adult Mouse Brain. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9040408. [PMID: 33920212 PMCID: PMC8070416 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9040408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most predominant age-related neurodegenerative disease, pathologically characterized by the accumulation of aggregates of amyloid beta Aβ1–42 and tau hyperphosphorylation in the brain. It is considered to be the primary cause of cognitive dysfunction. The aggregation of Aβ1–42 leads to neuronal inflammation and apoptosis. Since vitamins are basic dietary nutrients that organisms need for their growth, survival, and other metabolic functions, in this study, the underlying neuroprotective mechanism of nicotinamide (NAM) Vitamin B3 against Aβ1–42 -induced neurotoxicity was investigated in mouse brains. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) Aβ1–42 injection elicited neuronal dysfunctions that led to memory impairment and neurodegeneration in mouse brains. After 24 h after Aβ1–42 injection, the mice were treated with NAM (250 mg/kg intraperitoneally) for 1 week. For biochemical and Western blot studies, the mice were directly sacrificed, while for confocal and “immunohistochemical staining”, mice were perfused transcardially with 4% paraformaldehyde. Our biochemical, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemical results showed that NAM can ameliorate neuronal inflammation and apoptosis by reducing oxidative stress through lowering malondialdehyde and 2,7-dichlorofluorescein levels in an Aβ1–42-injected mouse brains, where the regulation of p-JNK further regulated inflammatory marker proteins (TNF-α, IL-1β, transcription factor NF-kB) and apoptotic marker proteins (Bax, caspase 3, PARP1). Furthermore, NAM + Aβ treatment for 1 week increased the amount of survival neurons and reduced neuronal cell death in Nissl staining. We also analyzed memory dysfunction via behavioral studies and the analysis showed that NAM could prevent Aβ1–42 -induced memory deficits. Collectively, the results of this study suggest that NAM may be a potential preventive and therapeutic candidate for Aβ1–42 -induced reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, and neurotoxicity in an adult mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inayat Ur Rehman
- Division of Life Sciences and Applied Life Science (BK 21 Four), College of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea; (I.U.R.); (R.A.); (I.K.); (H.J.L.); (J.P.); (R.U.)
| | - Riaz Ahmad
- Division of Life Sciences and Applied Life Science (BK 21 Four), College of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea; (I.U.R.); (R.A.); (I.K.); (H.J.L.); (J.P.); (R.U.)
| | - Ibrahim Khan
- Division of Life Sciences and Applied Life Science (BK 21 Four), College of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea; (I.U.R.); (R.A.); (I.K.); (H.J.L.); (J.P.); (R.U.)
| | - Hyeon Jin Lee
- Division of Life Sciences and Applied Life Science (BK 21 Four), College of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea; (I.U.R.); (R.A.); (I.K.); (H.J.L.); (J.P.); (R.U.)
| | - Jungsung Park
- Division of Life Sciences and Applied Life Science (BK 21 Four), College of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea; (I.U.R.); (R.A.); (I.K.); (H.J.L.); (J.P.); (R.U.)
| | - Rahat Ullah
- Division of Life Sciences and Applied Life Science (BK 21 Four), College of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea; (I.U.R.); (R.A.); (I.K.); (H.J.L.); (J.P.); (R.U.)
| | - Myeong Jun Choi
- Research and Development Center, Axceso Bio-pharma co, Anyang 14056, Korea;
| | - Hee Young Kang
- Department of Neurology, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju 52828, Korea;
| | - Myeong Ok Kim
- Division of Life Sciences and Applied Life Science (BK 21 Four), College of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea; (I.U.R.); (R.A.); (I.K.); (H.J.L.); (J.P.); (R.U.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-55-772-1345; Fax: +82-55-772-2656
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27
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Chowen JA, Garcia-Segura LM. Role of glial cells in the generation of sex differences in neurodegenerative diseases and brain aging. Mech Ageing Dev 2021; 196:111473. [PMID: 33766745 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2021.111473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Diseases and aging-associated alterations of the nervous system often show sex-specific characteristics. Glial cells play a major role in the endogenous homeostatic response of neural tissue, and sex differences in the glial transcriptome and function have been described. Therefore, the possible role of these cells in the generation of sex differences in pathological alterations of the nervous system is reviewed here. Studies have shown that glia react to pathological insults with sex-specific neuroprotective and regenerative effects. At least three factors determine this sex-specific response of glia: sex chromosome genes, gonadal hormones and neuroactive steroid hormone metabolites. The sex chromosome complement determines differences in the transcriptional responses in glia after brain injury, while gonadal hormones and their metabolites activate sex-specific neuroprotective mechanisms in these cells. Since the sex-specific neuroprotective and regenerative activity of glial cells causes sex differences in the pathological alterations of the nervous system, glia may represent a relevant target for sex-specific therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Chowen
- Department of Endocrinology, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Instituto de Investigación la Princesa, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutriciόn (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, and IMDEA Food Institute, CEIUAM+CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Luis M Garcia-Segura
- Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
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28
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Platelets: the peripheral donor of mitochondria for diabetes-induced cognitive impairment. Clin Sci (Lond) 2021; 135:593-595. [PMID: 33599730 DOI: 10.1042/cs20201297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This commentary highlights the research entitled: Transplantation of platelet-derived mitochondria alleviates cognitive impairment and mitochondrial dysfunction in db/db mice, presented by Ma et al. appearing in Clinical Science (2020) 134(16), https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20200530. The authors evaluated the effect of xenograft transplantation of mitochondria isolated from peripheral blood platelets in an animal model of type II diabetes and evaluated the effects of transplantation on diabetes-associated cognitive impairment (DACI). They showed cognitive and molecular improvement in response to mitochondrial transplantation to db/db mice brains. Besides, they showed better internalization of the transplanted mitochondria into the diseased animals' hippocampal cells compared with the healthy normal control.
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29
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Salmina AB, Gorina YV, Erofeev AI, Balaban PM, Bezprozvanny IB, Vlasova OL. Optogenetic and chemogenetic modulation of astroglial secretory phenotype. Rev Neurosci 2021; 32:459-479. [PMID: 33550788 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2020-0119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes play a major role in brain function and alterations in astrocyte function that contribute to the pathogenesis of many brain disorders. The astrocytes are attractive cellular targets for neuroprotection and brain tissue regeneration. Development of novel approaches to monitor and to control astroglial function is of great importance for further progress in basic neurobiology and in clinical neurology, as well as psychiatry. Recently developed advanced optogenetic and chemogenetic techniques enable precise stimulation of astrocytes in vitro and in vivo, which can be achieved by the expression of light-sensitive channels and receptors, or by expression of receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs. Optogenetic stimulation of astrocytes leads to dramatic changes in intracellular calcium concentrations and causes the release of gliotransmitters. Optogenetic and chemogenetic protocols for astrocyte activation aid in extracting novel information regarding the function of brain's neurovascular unit. This review summarizes current data obtained by this approach and discusses a potential mechanistic connection between astrocyte stimulation and changes in brain physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alla B Salmina
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky Krasnoyarsk State Medical University, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Yana V Gorina
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky Krasnoyarsk State Medical University, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Alexander I Erofeev
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Pavel M Balaban
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Laboratory of Cellular Neurobiology of Learning, Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ilya B Bezprozvanny
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Olga L Vlasova
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia
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30
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Kushwaha R, Sinha A, Makarava N, Molesworth K, Baskakov IV. Non-cell autonomous astrocyte-mediated neuronal toxicity in prion diseases. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:22. [PMID: 33546775 PMCID: PMC7866439 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01123-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Under normal conditions, astrocytes perform a number of important physiological functions centered around neuronal support and synapse maintenance. In neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and prion diseases, astrocytes acquire reactive phenotypes, which are sustained throughout the disease progression. It is not known whether in the reactive states associated with prion diseases, astrocytes lose their ability to perform physiological functions and whether the reactive states are neurotoxic or, on the contrary, neuroprotective. The current work addresses these questions by testing the effects of reactive astrocytes isolated from prion-infected C57BL/6J mice on primary neuronal cultures. We found that astrocytes isolated at the clinical stage of the disease exhibited reactive, pro-inflammatory phenotype, which also showed downregulation of genes involved in neurogenic and synaptogenic functions. In astrocyte-neuron co-cultures, astrocytes from prion-infected animals impaired neuronal growth, dendritic spine development and synapse maturation. Toward examining the role of factors secreted by reactive astrocytes, astrocyte-conditioned media was found to have detrimental effects on neuronal viability and synaptogenic functions via impairing synapse integrity, and by reducing spine size and density. Reactive microglia isolated from prion-infected animals were found to induce phenotypic changes in primary astrocytes reminiscent to those observed in prion-infected mice. In particular, astrocytes cultured with reactive microglia-conditioned media displayed hypertrophic morphology and a downregulation of genes involved in neurogenic and synaptogenic functions. In summary, the current study provided experimental support toward the non-cell autonomous mechanisms behind neurotoxicity in prion diseases and demonstrated that the astrocyte reactive phenotype associated with prion diseases is synaptotoxic.
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31
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He B, Wang X, He Y, Li H, Yang Y, Shi Z, Liu Q, Wu M, Sun H, Xie J, Zhang Z, Yu P, Jiang J, Cheng J, Yang J, Li Y, Lin WJ, Tang Y, Wang X. Gamma ray-induced glial activation and neuronal loss occur before the delayed onset of brain necrosis. FASEB J 2020; 34:13361-13375. [PMID: 32851721 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202000365rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Radiotherapy is one of the most effective treatments for head and neck tumors. However, delayed radiation-induced brain necrosis (RN) remains a serious issue due to the lack of satisfying prevention and effective treatment. The pathological role of radiation in the delayed onset of brain necrosis is still largely unknown, and the traditional animal model of whole brain irradiation, although being widely used, does not produce reliable and localized brain necrosis mimicking clinical features of RN. In this study, we demonstrated a successful RN mouse model using optimized gamma knife irradiation in male C57BL/6 mice. On the premise that brain necrosis started to appear at 6 weeks postirradiation in our RN model, as confirmed by both MRI and histopathological examinations, we systematically examined different time points before the onset of RN for the histopathological changes and biochemical indicators. Our initial results demonstrated that in the ipsilateral hemisphere of the irradiated brains, a significant decrease in neuronal numbers that occurred at 4 weeks and a sustained increase in TNF-α, iNOS, and other inflammatory cytokines beginning at 1-week postirradiation. Changes of cell morphology and cell numbers of both microglia and astrocytes occurred as early as 1-week postirradiation, and intervention by bevacizumab administration resulted in reduced microglia activation and reduction of radiation-induced lesion volume, indicating that chronic glial activation may result in subsequent elevation of inflammatory factors, which led to the delayed onset of neuronal loss and brain necrosis. Since C57BL/6 is the most widely used strain of genetic engineered mouse model, our data provide an invaluable platform for the mechanistic study of RN pathogenesis, identification of potential imaging and biological biomarkers, and the development of therapeutic treatment for the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baixuan He
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xia Wang
- Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yong He
- Radiotherapeutic Department, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Honghong Li
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuhua Yang
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhongshan Shi
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiang Liu
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Minyi Wu
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haohui Sun
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiatian Xie
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhan Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Pei Yu
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingru Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinping Cheng
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinqing Yang
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi Li
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei-Jye Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yamei Tang
- Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xicheng Wang
- Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
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32
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Tice C, McDevitt J, Langford D. Astrocytes, HIV and the Glymphatic System: A Disease of Disrupted Waste Management? Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:523379. [PMID: 33134185 PMCID: PMC7550659 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.523379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of the glial-lymphatic or glymphatic fluid clearance pathway in the rodent brain led researchers to search for a parallel system in humans and to question the implications of this pathway in neurodegenerative diseases. Magnetic resonance imaging studies revealed that several features of the glymphatic system may be present in humans. In both rodents and humans, this pathway promotes the exchange of interstitial fluid (ISF) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through the arterial perivascular spaces into the brain parenchyma. This process is facilitated in part by aquaporin-4 (AQP4) water channels located primarily on astrocytic end feet that abut cerebral endothelial cells of the blood brain barrier. Decreased expression or mislocalization of AQP4 from astrocytic end feet results in decreased interstitial flow, thereby, promoting accumulation of extracellular waste products like hyperphosphorylated Tau (pTau). Accumulation of pTau is a neuropathological hallmark in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is accompanied by mislocalization of APQ4 from astrocyte end feet to the cell body. HIV infection shares many neuropathological characteristics with AD. Similar to AD, HIV infection of the CNS contributes to abnormal aging with altered AQP4 localization, accumulation of pTau and chronic neuroinflammation. Up to 30% of people with HIV (PWH) suffer from HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), and changes in AQP4 may be clinically important as a contributor to cognitive disturbances. In this review, we provide an overview and discussion of the potential contributions of NeuroHIV to glymphatic system functions by focusing on astrocytes and AQP4. Although HAND encompasses a wide range of neurocognitive impairments and levels of neuroinflammation vary among and within PWH, the potential contribution of disruption in AQP4 may be clinically important in some cases. In this review we discuss implications for possible AQP4 disruption on NeuroHIV disease trajectory and how HIV may influence AQP4 function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin Tice
- Department of Neuroscience, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Jane McDevitt
- Department of Kinesiology, College of Public Health at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Dianne Langford
- Department of Neuroscience, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Verkhratsky A, Augusto-Oliveira M, Pivoriūnas A, Popov A, Brazhe A, Semyanov A. Astroglial asthenia and loss of function, rather than reactivity, contribute to the ageing of the brain. Pflugers Arch 2020; 473:753-774. [PMID: 32979108 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-020-02465-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Astroglia represent a class of heterogeneous, in form and function, cells known as astrocytes, which provide for homoeostasis and defence of the central nervous system (CNS). Ageing is associated with morphological and functional remodelling of astrocytes with a prevalence of morphological atrophy and loss of function. In particular, ageing is associated with (i) decrease in astroglial synaptic coverage, (ii) deficits in glutamate and potassium clearance, (iii) reduced astroglial synthesis of synaptogenic factors such as cholesterol, (iv) decrease in aquaporin 4 channels in astroglial endfeet with subsequent decline in the glymphatic clearance, (v) decrease in astroglial metabolic support through the lactate shuttle, (vi) dwindling adult neurogenesis resulting from diminished proliferative capacity of radial stem astrocytes, (vii) decline in the astroglial-vascular coupling and deficient blood-brain barrier and (viii) decrease in astroglial ability to mount reactive astrogliosis. Decrease in reactive capabilities of astroglia are associated with rise of age-dependent neurodegenerative diseases. Astroglial morphology and function can be influenced and improved by lifestyle interventions such as intellectual engagement, social interactions, physical exercise, caloric restriction and healthy diet. These modifications of lifestyle are paramount for cognitive longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexei Verkhratsky
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK. .,Achucarro Center for Neuroscience, IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48011, Bilbao, Spain. .,Department of Neurosciences, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU and CIBERNED, Leioa, Spain.
| | - Marcus Augusto-Oliveira
- Laboratório de Farmacologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, 66075-110, Brazil
| | - Augustas Pivoriūnas
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, LT-01102, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Alexander Popov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya street 16/10, Moscow, Russia, 117997
| | - Alexey Brazhe
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya street 16/10, Moscow, Russia, 117997.,Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Alexey Semyanov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya street 16/10, Moscow, Russia, 117997. .,Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia.
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Salas IH, Burgado J, Allen NJ. Glia: victims or villains of the aging brain? Neurobiol Dis 2020; 143:105008. [PMID: 32622920 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Aging is the strongest risk factor for metabolic, vascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Aging alone is associated with a gradual decline of cognitive and motor functions. Considering an increasing elderly population in the last century, understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms contributing to brain aging is of vital importance. Recent genetic and transcriptomic findings strongly suggest that glia are the first cells changing with aging. Glial cells constitute around 50% of the total cells in the brain and play key roles regulating brain homeostasis in health and disease. Their essential functions include providing nutritional support to neurons, activation of immune responses, and regulation of synaptic transmission and plasticity. In this review we discuss how glia are altered in the aging brain and whether these alterations are protective or contribute to the age-related pathological cascade. We focus on the major morphological, transcriptional and functional changes affecting glia in a range of systems, including human, non-human primates, and rodents. We also highlight future directions for investigating the roles of glia in brain aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel H Salas
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jillybeth Burgado
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Nicola J Allen
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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35
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Tomov N. Glial cells in intracerebral transplantation for Parkinson's disease. Neural Regen Res 2020; 15:1173-1178. [PMID: 31960796 PMCID: PMC7047789 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.270296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last few decades, intracerebral transplantation has grown from a dubious neuroscientific topic to a plausible modality for treatment of neurological disorders. The possibility for cell replacement opens a new field of perspectives in the therapy of neurodegenerative disorders, ischemia, and neurotrauma, with the most lessons learned from intracerebral transplantation in Parkinson's disease. Multiple animal studies and a few small-scale clinical trials have proven the concept of intracerebral grafting, but still have to provide a uniform and highly efficient approach to the procedure, suitable for clinical application. The success of intracerebral transplantation is highly dependent on the integration of the grafted cells with the host brain. In this process, glial cells are clearly more than passive bystanders. They provide transplanted cells with mechanical support, trophics, mediate synapse formation, and participate in graft vascularization. At the same time, glial cells mediate scarring, graft rejection, and neuroinflammation, which can be detrimental. We can use this information to try to understand the mechanisms behind the glial reaction to intracerebral transplantation. Recognizing and utilizing glial reactivity can move translational research forward and provide an insight not only to post-transplantation events but also to mechanisms of neuronal death and degeneration. Knowledge about glial reactivity to transplanted cells could also be a key for optimization of transplantation protocols, which ultimately should contribute to greater patient benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikola Tomov
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 2, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
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36
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Areškevičiūtė A, Høgh P, Bartoletti-Stella A, Melchior LC, Nielsen PR, Parchi P, Capellari S, Broholm H, Scheie D, Lund EL. A Novel Eight Octapeptide Repeat Insertion in PRNP Causing Prion Disease in a Danish Family. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2020; 78:595-604. [PMID: 31107536 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlz037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Octapeptide repeat insertions (OPRI) found in the prion protein gene (PRNP) constitute a subgroup of pathogenic mutations linked to inherited prion diseases, a hallmark of which is a misfolded prion protein. The number of repeats in OPRI has been associated with different disease phenotypes. However, due to the rarity of the cases and heterogenous disease manifestations, the recognition and classification of these variants has been difficult. Here, we report the first Danish family, the fifth worldwide, carrying a novel 8-OPRI with a unique sequence of the additional 8 inserts: R1-R2-R2-R3-R2-R2-R2a-R2-R3g-R2-R2-R3-R4. The mutation was found on the allele coding for methionine at codon 129 in the PRNP gene. The clinical exome sequencing revealed that no other dementia-associated genes harbored pathogenic alterations. Mutation carriers had onset of symptoms in their early thirties, but disease duration varied from 5 to 11 years. Progressive dementia with psychiatric and motor symptoms were the most prominent clinical features. Clinical, pathological, and genetic characteristics of other 4 reported families with 8-OPRI were reviewed and compared with the findings in the Danish family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aušrinė Areškevičiūtė
- Danish Reference Center for Prion Diseases, Department of Pathology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peter Høgh
- Department of Neurology, Regional Dementia Research Centre, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anna Bartoletti-Stella
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Ospedale Bellaria, Bologna, Italia
| | - Linea Cecilie Melchior
- Danish Reference Center for Prion Diseases, Department of Pathology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pia Rude Nielsen
- Department of Pathology, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Piero Parchi
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Ospedale Bellaria, Bologna, Italia.,Department of Experimental, Diagnostic, and Specialty Medicine (DIMES)
| | - Sabina Capellari
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Ospedale Bellaria, Bologna, Italia.,Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Helle Broholm
- Danish Reference Center for Prion Diseases, Department of Pathology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - David Scheie
- Danish Reference Center for Prion Diseases, Department of Pathology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Eva Løbner Lund
- Danish Reference Center for Prion Diseases, Department of Pathology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Ferrer I, Andrés-Benito P. White matter alterations in Alzheimer's disease without concomitant pathologies. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2020; 46:654-672. [PMID: 32255227 PMCID: PMC7754505 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Aims Most individuals with AD neuropathological changes have co‐morbidities which have an impact on the integrity of the WM. This study analyses oligodendrocyte and myelin markers in the frontal WM in a series of AD cases without clinical or pathological co‐morbidities. Methods From a consecutive autopsy series, 206 cases had neuropathological changes of AD; among them, only 33 were AD without co‐morbidities. WM alterations were first evaluated in coronal sections of the frontal lobe in every case. Then, RT‐qPCR and immunohistochemistry were carried out in the frontal WM of AD cases without co‐morbidities to analyse the expression of selected oligodendrocyte and myelin markers. Results WM demyelination was more marked in AD with co‐morbidities when compared with AD cases without co‐morbidities. Regarding the later, mRNA expression levels of MBP, PLP1, CNP, MAG, MAL, MOG and MOBP were preserved at stages I–II/0–A when compared with middle‐aged (MA) individuals, but significantly decreased at stages III–IV/0–C. This was accompanied by reduced expression of NG2 and PDGFRA mRNA, reduced numbers of NG2‐, Olig2‐ and HDAC2‐immunoreactive cells and reduced glucose transporter immunoreactivity. Partial recovery of some of these markers occurred at stages V–VI/B–C. Conclusions The present observations demonstrate that co‐morbidities have an impact on WM integrity in the elderly and in AD, and that early alterations in oligodendrocytes and transcription of genes linked to myelin proteins in WM occur in AD cases without co‐morbidities. These are followed by partial recovery attempts at advanced stages. These observations suggest that oligodendrocytopathy is part of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Ferrer
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Bellvitge University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain.,Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, CIBERNED (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain
| | - P Andrés-Benito
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, CIBERNED (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain.,Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain
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38
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Abstract
Astrocytes contribute to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative proteinopathies as influencing neuronal degeneration or neuroprotection, and also act as potential mediators of the propagation or elimination of disease-associated proteins. Protein astrogliopathies can be observed in different forms of neurodegenerative conditions. Morphological characterization of astrogliopathy is used only for the classification of tauopathies. Currently, at least six types of astrocytic tau pathologies are distinguished. Astrocytic plaques (AP), tufted astrocytes (TAs), ramified astrocytes (RA), and globular astroglial inclusions are seen predominantly in primary tauopathies, while thorn-shaped astrocytes (TSA) and granular/fuzzy astrocytes (GFA) are evaluated in aging-related tau astrogliopathy (ARTAG). ARTAG can be seen in the white and gray matter and subpial, subependymal, and perivascular locations. Some of these overlap with the features of tau pathology seen in Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Furthermore, gray matter ARTAG shares features with primary tauopathy-related astrocytic tau pathology. Sequential distribution patterns have been described for tau astrogliopathies. Importantly, astrocytic tau pathology in primary tauopathies can be observed in brain areas without neuronal tau deposition. The various morphologies of tau astrogliopathy might reflect a role in the propagation of pathological tau protein, an early response to a yet unidentified neurodegeneration-inducing event, or, particularly for ARTAG, a response to a repeated or prolonged pathogenic process such as blood-brain barrier dysfunction or local mechanical impact. The concept of tau astrogliopathies and ARTAG facilitated communication among research disciplines and triggered the investigation of the significance of astrocytic lesions in neurodegenerative conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabor G Kovacs
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Laboratory Medicine Program, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
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39
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Elahi FM, Casaletto KB, La Joie R, Walters SM, Harvey D, Wolf A, Edwards L, Rivera-Contreras W, Karydas A, Cobigo Y, Rosen HJ, DeCarli C, Miller BL, Rabinovici GD, Kramer JH. Plasma biomarkers of astrocytic and neuronal dysfunction in early- and late-onset Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement 2020; 16:681-695. [PMID: 31879236 PMCID: PMC7138729 DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2019.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We investigated plasma proteomic markers of astrocytopathy, brain degeneration, plasticity, and inflammation in sporadic early-onset versus late-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD and LOAD). METHODS Plasma was analyzed using ultra-sensitive immuno-based assays from 33 EOAD, 30 LOAD, and 36 functionally normal older adults. RESULTS Principle component analyses identified 3 factors: trophic (BDNF, VEGF, TGFβ), degenerative (GFAP, NfL), and inflammatory (TNFα, IL-6, IP-10, IL-10). Trophic factor was elevated in both AD groups and associated with cognition and gray matter volumes. Degenerative factor was elevated in EOAD, with higher levels associated with worse functioning in this group. Biomarkers of inflammation were not significantly different between groups and were only associated with age. DISUCSSION Plasma proteomic biomarkers provide novel means of investigating molecular processes in vivo and their contributions to clinical outcomes. We present initial investigations of several of these fluid biomarkers, capturing aspects of astrocytopathy, neuronal injury, cellular plasticity, and inflammation in EOAD versus LOAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny M Elahi
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kaitlin B Casaletto
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Renaud La Joie
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Samantha M Walters
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Danielle Harvey
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Amy Wolf
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lauren Edwards
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Wilfredo Rivera-Contreras
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Anna Karydas
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yann Cobigo
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Howard J Rosen
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Charles DeCarli
- Department of Neurology and Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Bruce L Miller
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Gil D Rabinovici
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Joel H Kramer
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Ferrer I, Andrés-Benito P, Zelaya MV, Aguirre MEE, Carmona M, Ausín K, Lachén-Montes M, Fernández-Irigoyen J, Santamaría E, del Rio JA. Familial globular glial tauopathy linked to MAPT mutations: molecular neuropathology and seeding capacity of a prototypical mixed neuronal and glial tauopathy. Acta Neuropathol 2020; 139:735-771. [PMID: 31907603 PMCID: PMC7096369 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-019-02122-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Globular glial tauopathy (GGT) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease involving the grey matter and white matter (WM) and characterized by neuronal deposition of hyper-phosphorylated, abnormally conformed, truncated, oligomeric 4Rtau in neurons and in glial cells forming typical globular astrocyte and oligodendrocyte inclusions (GAIs and GOIs, respectively) and coiled bodies. Present studies centre on four genetic GGT cases from two unrelated families bearing the P301T mutation in MAPT and one case of sporadic GGT (sGGT) and one case of GGT linked to MAPT K317M mutation, for comparative purposes. Clinical and neuropathological manifestations and biochemical profiles of phospho-tau are subjected to individual variations in patients carrying the same mutation, even in carriers of the same family, independently of the age of onset, gender, and duration of the disease. Immunohistochemistry, western blotting, transcriptomic, proteomics and phosphoproteomics, and intra-cerebral inoculation of brain homogenates to wild-type (WT) mice were the methods employed. In GGT cases linked to MAPT P301T mutation, astrocyte markers GFAP, ALDH1L1, YKL40 mRNA and protein, GJA1 mRNA, and AQ4 protein are significantly increased; glutamate transporter GLT1 (EAAT2) and glucose transporter (SLC2A1) decreased; mitochondrial pyruvate carrier 1 (MPC1) increased, and mitochondrial uncoupling protein 5 (UCP5) almost absent in GAIs in frontal cortex (FC). Expression of oligodendrocyte markers OLIG1 and OLIG2mRNA, and myelin-related genes MBP, PLP1, CNP, MAG, MAL, MOG, and MOBP are significantly decreased in WM; CNPase, PLP1, and MBP antibodies reveal reduction and disruption of myelinated fibres; and SMI31 antibodies mark axonal damage in the WM. Altered expression of AQ4, GLUC-t, and GLT-1 is also observed in sGGT and in GGT linked to MAPT K317M mutation. These alterations point to primary astrogliopathy and oligodendrogliopathy in GGT. In addition, GGT linked to MAPT P301T mutation proteotypes unveil a proteostatic imbalance due to widespread (phospho)proteomic dearrangement in the FC and WM, triggering a disruption of neuron projection morphogenesis and synaptic transmission. Identification of hyper-phosphorylation of variegated proteins calls into question the concept of phospho-tau-only alteration in the pathogenesis of GGT. Finally, unilateral inoculation of sarkosyl-insoluble fractions of GGT homogenates from GGT linked to MAPT P301T, sGGT, and GGT linked to MAPT K317M mutation in the hippocampus, corpus callosum, or caudate/putamen in wild-type mice produces seeding, and time- and region-dependent spreading of phosphorylated, non-oligomeric, and non-truncated 4Rtau and 3Rtau, without GAIs and GOIs but only of coiled bodies. These experiments prove that host tau strains are important in the modulation of cellular vulnerability and phenotypes of phospho-tau aggregates.
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41
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Sutherland TC, Geoffroy CG. The Influence of Neuron-Extrinsic Factors and Aging on Injury Progression and Axonal Repair in the Central Nervous System. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:190. [PMID: 32269994 PMCID: PMC7109259 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00190] [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: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the aging western population, the average age of incidence for spinal cord injury (SCI) has increased, as has the length of survival of SCI patients. This places great importance on understanding SCI in middle-aged and aging patients. Axon regeneration after injury is an area of study that has received substantial attention and made important experimental progress, however, our understanding of how aging affects this process, and any therapeutic effort to modulate repair, is incomplete. The growth and regeneration of axons is mediated by both neuron intrinsic and extrinsic factors. In this review we explore some of the key extrinsic influences on axon regeneration in the literature, focusing on inflammation and astrogliosis, other cellular responses, components of the extracellular matrix, and myelin proteins. We will describe how each element supports the contention that axonal growth after injury in the central nervous system shows an age-dependent decline, and how this may affect outcomes after a SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa C Sutherland
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, United States
| | - Cédric G Geoffroy
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, United States
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42
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Singh D, Agrawal A, Singal CMS, Pandey HS, Seth P, Sharma SK. Sinomenine inhibits amyloid beta-induced astrocyte activation and protects neurons against indirect toxicity. Mol Brain 2020; 13:30. [PMID: 32127013 PMCID: PMC7055015 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-020-00569-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid beta is a major constituent of the plaques found in the brains of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A growing body of research work suggests that neuroinflammation plays important roles in the development of AD. Thus, considerable efforts are directed towards identification of compounds that can reduce or inhibit neuroinflammation. Here, we show that sinomenine, a compound present in a Chinese medicinal plant, Sinomenium acutum, inhibits oligomeric amyloid beta-induced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO) and inflammation-related molecules from astrocytic cells. The conditioned medium from oligomeric amyloid beta-treated astrocytic cells induces cell death in the hippocampal neuronal cells. Importantly, sinomenine inhibits this cell death. In addition, this compound has inhibitory effects on the production of ROS, NO and inflammation-related factors from oligomeric amyloid-beta treated human astrocytes. Finally, the conditioned medium from oligomeric amyloid beta-treated human astrocytes induces cell death in the primary culture of human neurons, which is inhibited by sinomenine. Thus, sinomenine inhibits amyloid beta-induced production of toxic factors from astrocytes, and confers protection to hippocampal neuronal cells as well as human neurons against indirect toxicity. The results suggest that this compound could provide beneficial effects in AD and other neurodegenerative conditions by reducing inflammation and neuronal cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepali Singh
- National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, 122052, Haryana, India
| | - Apurva Agrawal
- National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, 122052, Haryana, India
| | | | | | - Pankaj Seth
- National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, 122052, Haryana, India
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The Pattern of AQP4 Expression in the Ageing Human Brain and in Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21041225. [PMID: 32059400 PMCID: PMC7072949 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21041225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In the absence of lymphatics, fluid and solutes such as amyloid-β (Aβ) are eliminated from the brain along basement membranes in the walls of cerebral capillaries and arteries—the Intramural Peri-Arterial Drainage (IPAD) pathway. IPAD fails with age and insoluble Aβ is deposited as plaques in the brain and in IPAD pathways as cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA); fluid accumulates in the white matter as reflected by hyperintensities (WMH) on MRI. Within the brain, fluid uptake by astrocytes is regulated by aquaporin 4 (AQP4). We test the hypothesis that expression of astrocytic AQP4 increases in grey matter and decreases in white matter with onset of CAA. AQP4 expression was quantitated by immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy in post-mortem occipital grey and white matter from young and old non-demented human brains, in CAA and in WMH. Results: AQP4 expression tended to increase with normal ageing but AQP4 expression in severe CAA was significantly reduced when compared to moderate CAA (p = 0.018). AQP4 expression tended to decline in the white matter with CAA and WMH, both of which are associated with impaired IPAD. Adjusting the level of AQP4 activity may be a valid therapeutic target for restoring homoeostasis in the brain as IPAD fails with age and CAA.
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44
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Region-specific glial homeostatic signature in prion diseases is replaced by a uniform neuroinflammation signature, common for brain regions and prion strains with different cell tropism. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 137:104783. [PMID: 32001329 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.104783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic neuroinflammation is recognized as a major neuropathological hallmark in a broad spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Frontal Temporal Dementia, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and prion diseases. Both microglia and astrocytes exhibit region-specific homeostatic transcriptional identities, which under chronic neurodegeneration, transform into reactive phenotypes in a region- and disease-specific manner. Little is known about region-specific identity of glia in prion diseases. The current study was designed to determine whether the region-specific homeostatic signature of glia changes with the progression of prion diseases, and whether these changes occur in a region-dependent or universal manner. Also of interest was whether different prion strains give rise to different reactive phenotypes. To answer these questions, we analyzed gene expression in the thalamus, cortex, hypothalamus and hippocampus of mice infected with 22L and ME7 prion strains using a Nanostring Neuroinflammation panel at the subclinical, early clinical and advanced stages of the disease. We found that at the preclinical stage of the disease, the region-specific homeostatic identities were preserved. However, with the appearance of clinical signs, the region-specific signatures were partially lost and replaced with a neuroinflammation signature. While the same sets of genes were activated by both prion strains, the timing of neuroinflammation and the degree of activation in different brain regions was strain-specific. Changes in astrocyte function scored at the top of the activated pathways. Moreover, clustering analysis suggested that the astrocyte function pathway responded to prion infection prior to the Activated Microglia or Neuron and Neurotransmission pathways. The current work established neuroinflammation gene expression signature associated with prion diseases. Our results illustrate that with the disease progression, the region-specific homeostatic transcriptome signatures are replaced by the region-independent neuroinflammation signature, which is common for prion strains with different cell tropism. The prion-associated neuroinflammation signature identified in the current study overlapped only partially with the microglia degenerative phenotype and the disease-associated microglia phenotype reported for animal models of other neurodegenerative diseases.
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45
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Neuroglial patterns are shared by cerebella from prion and prion-like disorder affected patients. Mech Ageing Dev 2019; 184:111176. [PMID: 31689427 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2019.111176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, are considered prion-like disorders because they are all proteinopathies in which aberrant proteins spread throughout the brain during disease progression. The overall aim of this study is to determine how glial cells are commonly involved in the neurodegeneration progress observed in all these pathologies. The suggestion that they are cell types in which prion and prion-like disorders have common behaviour is the hypothesis on which this study is based. Morphological and distribution differences in astroglial and microglial cells in the cerebellum from prion and prion-like disease-affected patients were assessed here by histopathological and immunochemical tools. To our knowledge, this is the first study to focus on the comparative assessment of glial profiles in these human brains. Activated microglial population was demonstrated in both, prion and prion-like disorders, although in higher extent in the first. In astroglial activation, specific patterns of alterations suggesting both degenerative and potentially neuroprotective or restorative stem cell response, were shown to be alternatively shared by cerebella from all disorders studied. Neuro-protective strategies for these disabling disorders are particularly desirable.
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46
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Li KW, Ganz AB, Smit AB. Proteomics of neurodegenerative diseases: analysis of human post-mortem brain. J Neurochem 2019; 151:435-445. [PMID: 30289976 PMCID: PMC6899881 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Dementias are prevalent brain disorders in the aged population. Dementias pose major socio-medical burden, but currently there is no cure available. Novel proteomics approaches hold promise to identify alterations of the brain proteome that could provide clues on disease etiology, and identify candidate proteins to develop further as a biomarker. In this review, we focus on recent proteomics findings from brains affected with Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson Disease Dementia, Frontotemporal Dementia, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. These studies confirmed known cellular changes, and in addition identified novel proteins that may underlie distinct aspects of the diseases. This article is part of the special issue "Proteomics".
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Affiliation(s)
- K. W. Li
- Department of Molecular and Cellular NeurobiologyCenter for Neurogenomics and Cognitive ResearchAmsterdam NeuroscienceVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Andrea B. Ganz
- Department of Molecular and Cellular NeurobiologyCenter for Neurogenomics and Cognitive ResearchAmsterdam NeuroscienceVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - August B. Smit
- Department of Molecular and Cellular NeurobiologyCenter for Neurogenomics and Cognitive ResearchAmsterdam NeuroscienceVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
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Makarava N, Chang JCY, Kushwaha R, Baskakov IV. Region-Specific Response of Astrocytes to Prion Infection. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:1048. [PMID: 31649496 PMCID: PMC6794343 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic neuroinflammation involves reactive microgliosis and astrogliosis, and is regarded as a common pathological hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS and prion diseases. Reactive astrogliosis, routinely observed immunohistochemically as an increase in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) signal, is a well-documented feature of chronic neuroinflammation associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies on single-cell transcriptional profiling of a mouse brain revealed that, under normal conditions, several distinct subtypes of astrocytes with regionally specialized distribution exist. However, it remains unclear whether astrocytic response to pro-inflammatory pathological conditions is uniform across whole brain or is region-specific. The current study compares the response of microglia and astrocytes to prions in mice infected with 22L mouse-adapted prion strain. While the intensity of reactive microgliosis correlated well with the extent of PrPSc deposition, reactive astrogliosis displayed a different, region-specific pattern. In particular, the thalamus and stratum oriens of hippocampus, which are both affected by 22L prions, displayed strikingly different response of astrocytes to PrPSc. Astrocytes in stratum oriens of hippocampus responded to accumulation of PrPSc with visible hypertrophy and increased GFAP, while in the thalamus, despite stronger PrPSc signal, the increase of GFAP was milder than in hippocampus, and the change in astrocyte morphology was less pronounced. The current study suggests that astrocyte response to prion infection is heterogeneous and, in part, defined by brain region. Moreover, the current work emphasizes the needs for elucidating region-specific changes in functional states of astrocytes and exploring the impact of these changes to chronic neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natallia Makarava
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jennifer Chen-Yu Chang
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Rajesh Kushwaha
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Ilia V Baskakov
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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48
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Verkhratsky A, Rodrigues JJ, Pivoriunas A, Zorec R, Semyanov A. Astroglial atrophy in Alzheimer’s disease. Pflugers Arch 2019; 471:1247-1261. [DOI: 10.1007/s00424-019-02310-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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49
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Ferrer I, Zelaya MV, Aguiló García M, Carmona M, López-González I, Andrés-Benito P, Lidón L, Gavín R, Garcia-Esparcia P, Del Rio JA. Relevance of host tau in tau seeding and spreading in tauopathies. Brain Pathol 2019; 30:298-318. [PMID: 31397930 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Human tau seeding and spreading occur following intracerebral inoculation of brain homogenates obtained from tauopathies in transgenic mice expressing natural or mutant tau, and in wild-type (WT) mice. The present study was geared to learning about the patterns of tau seeding, the cells involved and the characteristics of tau following intracerebral inoculation of homogenates from primary age-related tauopathy (PART: neuronal 4Rtau and 3Rtau), aging-related tau astrogliopathy (ARTAG: astrocytic 4Rtau) and globular glial tauopathy (GGT: 4Rtau with neuronal deposits and specific tau inclusions in astrocytes and oligodendrocytes). For this purpose, young and adult WT mice were inoculated unilaterally in the hippocampus or in the lateral corpus callosum with sarkosyl-insoluble fractions from PART, ARTAG and GGT cases, and were killed at variable periods of three to seven months. Brains were processed for immunohistochemistry in paraffin sections. Tau seeding occurred in the ipsilateral hippocampus and corpus callosum and spread to the septal nuclei, periventricular hypothalamus and contralateral corpus callosum, respectively. Tau deposits were mainly found in neurons, oligodendrocytes and threads; the deposits were diffuse or granular, composed of phosphorylated tau, tau with abnormal conformation and 3Rtau and 4Rtau independently of the type of tauopathy. Truncated tau at the aspartic acid 421 and ubiquitination were absent. Tau deposits had the characteristics of pre-tangles. A percentage of intracellular tau deposits co-localized with active (phosphorylated) tau kinases p38 and ERK 1/2. Present study shows that seeding and spreading of human tau into the brain of WT mice involves neurons and glial cells, mainly oligodendrocytes, thereby supporting the idea of a primary role of oligodendrogliopathy, together with neuronopathy, in the progression of tauopathies. In addition, it suggests that human tau inoculation modifies murine tau metabolism with the production and deposition of 3Rtau and 4Rtau, and by activation of specific tau kinases in affected cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isidro Ferrer
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.,Bellvitge University Hospital, IDIBELL (Bellvitge Biomedical Research Centre), Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.,CIBERNED (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Madrid, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Maria Victoria Zelaya
- Pathological Anatomy Department, Hospital of Navarra, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Meritxell Aguiló García
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Margarita Carmona
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.,CIBERNED (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Madrid, Spain
| | - Irene López-González
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.,CIBERNED (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pol Andrés-Benito
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.,CIBERNED (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laia Lidón
- Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology, Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rosalina Gavín
- Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology, Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paula Garcia-Esparcia
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.,CIBERNED (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Antonio Del Rio
- CIBERNED (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Madrid, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.,Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology, Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
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50
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Xie Z, Yang Q, Song D, Quan Z, Qing H. Optogenetic manipulation of astrocytes from synapses to neuronal networks: A potential therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative diseases. Glia 2019; 68:215-226. [PMID: 31400164 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytes are the most widespread and heterogeneous glial cells in the central nervous system and key regulators for brain development. They are capable of receiving neurotransmitters produced by synaptic activities and regulating synaptic functions by releasing gliotransmitters as part of the tripartite synapse. In addition to communicating with neurons at synaptic levels, astrocytes can integrate into inhibitory neural networks to interact with neurons in neuronal circuits. Astrocytes are closely related to the pathogenesis and pathological processes of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Recently, optogenetics has now been applied to reveal the function of astrocytes in physiology and pathology. Herein, we discuss the possibility whether optogenetics could be used to control the release of gliotransmitters and regulate astrocytic membrane channels. Thus, the capability of modulating the bidirectional interactions between astrocytes and neurons in both synaptic and neuronal networks via optogenetics is evaluated. Furthermore, we discuss that manipulating astrocytes via optogenetics might be an effective way to investigate the potential therapeutic strategy for NDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Xie
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Qinghu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China.,College of Life Sciences & Research Center for Resource Peptide Drugs, Shaanxi Engineering & Technological Research Center for Conversation & Utilization of Regional Biological Resources, Yanan University, Yanan, China
| | - Da Song
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenzhen Quan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Hong Qing
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
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