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Jury-Garfe N, Redding-Ochoa J, You Y, Martínez P, Karahan H, Chimal-Juárez E, Johnson TS, Zhang J, Resnick S, Kim J, Troncoso JC, Lasagna-Reeves CA. Enhanced microglial dynamics and a paucity of tau seeding in the amyloid plaque microenvironment contribute to cognitive resilience in Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 148:15. [PMID: 39102080 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02775-1] [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: 05/21/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Asymptomatic Alzheimer's disease (AsymAD) describes the status of individuals with preserved cognition but identifiable Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain pathology (i.e., beta-amyloid (Aβ) deposits, neuritic plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles) at autopsy. In this study, we investigated the postmortem brains of a cohort of AsymAD subjects to gain insight into the mechanisms underlying resilience to AD pathology and cognitive decline. Our results showed that AsymAD cases exhibit enrichment in core plaques, decreased filamentous plaque accumulation, and increased plaque-surrounding microglia. Less pathological tau aggregation in dystrophic neurites was found in AsymAD brains than in AD brains, and tau seeding activity was comparable to that in healthy brains. We used spatial transcriptomics to characterize the plaque niche further and revealed autophagy, endocytosis, and phagocytosis as the pathways associated with the genes upregulated in the AsymAD plaque niche. Furthermore, the levels of ARP2 and CAP1, which are actin-based motility proteins that participate in the dynamics of actin filaments to allow cell motility, were increased in the microglia surrounding amyloid plaques in AsymAD cases. Our findings suggest that the amyloid-plaque microenvironment in AsymAD cases is characterized by the presence of microglia with highly efficient actin-based cell motility mechanisms and decreased tau seeding compared with that in AD brains. These two mechanisms can potentially protect against the toxic cascade initiated by Aβ, preserving brain health, and slowing AD pathology progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Jury-Garfe
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Neurosciences Research Building 214G, 320 West 15th Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Javier Redding-Ochoa
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Yanwen You
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Neurosciences Research Building 214G, 320 West 15th Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Pablo Martínez
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Neurosciences Research Building 214G, 320 West 15th Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Hande Karahan
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Neurosciences Research Building 214G, 320 West 15th Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA
| | - Enrique Chimal-Juárez
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Neurosciences Research Building 214G, 320 West 15th Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Travis S Johnson
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Susan Resnick
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging and National Institute of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jungsu Kim
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Neurosciences Research Building 214G, 320 West 15th Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA
| | - Juan C Troncoso
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Cristian A Lasagna-Reeves
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Neurosciences Research Building 214G, 320 West 15th Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
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Wang J, Huang Q, He K, Li J, Guo T, Yang Y, Lin Z, Li S, Vanderlinden G, Huang Y, Van Laere K, Guan Y, Guo Q, Ni R, Li B, Xie F. Presynaptic density determined by SV2A PET is closely associated with postsynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 availability and independent of amyloid pathology in early cognitive impairment. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:3876-3888. [PMID: 38634334 PMCID: PMC11180932 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) is involved in regulating integrative brain function and synaptic transmission. Aberrant mGluR5 signaling and relevant synaptic failure play a key role in the pathophysiological mechanism of Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS Ten cognitively impaired (CI) individuals and 10 healthy controls (HCs) underwent [18F]SynVesT-1 and [18F]PSS232 positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance to assess synaptic density and mGluR5 availability. The associations between mGluR5 availability and synaptic density were examined. A mediation analysis was performed to investigate the possible mediating effects of mGluR5 availability and synaptic loss on the relationship between amyloid deposition and cognition. RESULTS CI patients exhibited lower mGluR5 availability and synaptic density in the medial temporal lobe than HCs. Regional synaptic density was closely associated with regional mGluR5 availability. mGluR5 availability and synaptic loss partially mediated the relationship between amyloid deposition and cognition. CONCLUSIONS Reductions in mGluR5 availability and synaptic density exhibit similar spatial patterns in AD and are closely linked. HIGHLIGHTS Cognitively impaired patients exhibited lower mGluR5 availability and synaptic density in the medial temporal lobe than HCs. Reductions in mGluR5 availability and synaptic density exhibit similar spatial patterns in AD. Regional synaptic density was closely associated with regional mGluR5 availability. mGluR5 availability and synaptic loss partially mediated the relationship between amyloid deposition and global cognition. With further research, modulating mGluR5 availability might be a potential therapeutic strategy for improving synaptic function in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET CenterHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Qi Huang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET CenterHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Kun He
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET CenterHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Junpeng Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET CenterHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Tengfei Guo
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Bay LaboratoryShenzhenChina
| | - Yang Yang
- Beijing United Imaging Research Institute of Intelligent ImagingBeijingChina
| | - Zengping Lin
- Central Research Institute, United Imaging Healthcare Group Co., LtdShanghaiChina
| | - Songye Li
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical ImagingPET CenterYale University School of MedicineNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Greet Vanderlinden
- Department of Imaging and PathologyNuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Yiyun Huang
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical ImagingPET CenterYale University School of MedicineNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Koen Van Laere
- Department of Imaging and PathologyNuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Yihui Guan
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET CenterHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Qihao Guo
- Department of GerontologyShanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's HospitalShanghaiChina
| | - Ruiqing Ni
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich & ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- Institute for Regenerative MedicineUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Binying Li
- Department of Neurology and Institute of NeurologyRuijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Fang Xie
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET CenterHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
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Coulson RL, Mourrain P, Wang GX. The intersection of sleep and synaptic translation in synaptic plasticity deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders. J Comp Physiol B 2024; 194:253-263. [PMID: 38396062 PMCID: PMC11233386 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-023-01531-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders experience persistent sleep deficits, and there is increasing evidence that sleep dysregulation is an underlying cause, rather than merely an effect, of the synaptic and behavioral defects observed in these disorders. At the molecular level, dysregulation of the synaptic proteome is a common feature of neurodevelopmental disorders, though the mechanism connecting these molecular and behavioral phenotypes is an ongoing area of investigation. A role for eIF2α in shifting the local proteome in response to changes in the conditions at the synapse has emerged. Here, we discuss recent progress in characterizing the intersection of local synaptic translation and sleep and propose a reciprocal mechanism of dysregulation in the development of synaptic plasticity defects in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rochelle L Coulson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Philippe Mourrain
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- INSERM 1024, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
| | - Gordon X Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Wu Tsai Neuroscience Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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4
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Wang J, Huang Q, Chen X, You Z, He K, Guo Q, Huang Y, Yang Y, Lin Z, Guo T, Zhao J, Guan Y, Li B, Xie F. Tau pathology is associated with synaptic density and longitudinal synaptic loss in Alzheimer's disease. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02501-z. [PMID: 38589563 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02501-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
The associations of synaptic loss with amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau pathology measured by positron emission tomography (PET) and plasma analysis in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients are unknown. Seventy-five participants, including 26 AD patients, 19 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients, and 30 normal controls (NCs), underwent [18F]SynVesT-1 PET/MR scans to assess synaptic density and [18F]florbetapir and [18F]MK6240 PET/CT scans to evaluate Aβ plaques and tau tangles. Among them, 19 AD patients, 12 MCI patients, and 29 NCs had plasma Aβ42/40 and p-tau181 levels measured by the Simoa platform. Twenty-three individuals, 6 AD patients, 4 MCI patients, and 13 NCs, underwent [18F]SynVesT-1 PET/MRI and [18F]MK6240 PET/CT scans during a one-year follow-up assessment. The associations of Aβ and tau pathology with cross-sectional and longitudinal synaptic loss were investigated using Pearson correlation analyses, generalized linear models and mediation analyses. AD patients exhibited lower synaptic density than NCs and MCI patients. In the whole cohort, global Aβ deposition was associated with synaptic loss in the medial (r = -0.431, p < 0.001) and lateral (r = -0.406, p < 0.001) temporal lobes. Synaptic density in almost all regions was related to the corresponding regional tau tangles independent of global Aβ deposition in the whole cohort and stratified groups. Synaptic density in the medial and lateral temporal lobes was correlated with plasma Aβ42/40 (r = 0.300, p = 0.020/r = 0.289, p = 0.025) and plasma p-tau 181 (r = -0.412, p = 0.001/r = -0.529, p < 0.001) levels in the whole cohort. Mediation analyses revealed that tau tangles mediated the relationship between Aβ plaques and synaptic density in the whole cohort. Baseline tau pathology was positively associated with longitudinal synaptic loss. This study suggested that tau burden is strongly linked to synaptic density independent of Aβ plaques, and also can predict longitudinal synaptic loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Qi Huang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Xing Chen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 310000, China
| | - Zhiwen You
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 310000, China
| | - Kun He
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Qihao Guo
- Department of Gerontology, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, China
| | - Yiyun Huang
- PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, CT, 06520-8048, USA
| | - Yang Yang
- Beijing United Imaging Research Institute of Intelligent Imaging, Beijing, 100089, China
| | - Zengping Lin
- Central Research Institute, United Imaging Healthcare Group Co., Ltd, Shanghai, 201807, China
| | - Tengfei Guo
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Jun Zhao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 310000, China
| | - Yihui Guan
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China.
| | - Binyin Li
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
| | - Fang Xie
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China.
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5
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León-Paz-de-Rodríguez GE, Rodríguez-León E, Iñiguez-Palomares R. DNA Hyperstructure. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:9013-9026. [PMID: 38434827 PMCID: PMC10905968 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c07379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
This study presents a new procedure to condense DNA molecules and precipitate them onto a glass slide. The resulting DNA molecules undergo autonomous self-assembly, creating closed superstructures on the micrometer scale, which are called DNA hyperstructures. These structures can be observed using low-magnification (4×) light microscopy. Precisely controlling the alcohol/glacial acetic acid ratio and DNA concentration during precipitation enabled the regulation of structure compaction on the slide. The alcohol/glacial acetic acid ratio is inversely proportional to the DNA concentration to achieve optimal compaction on the slide. Confocal microscopy fluorescence analysis of DNA extracts stained with DAPI shows that nucleic acids self-assemble to form structures during precipitation on the slide. This methodology is relevant since it facilitates the precipitation and visualization of DNA, regardless of its origin or molecular weight. To confirm its versatility, results with DNA extracted from human peripheral blood, the Lambda virus, and plasmid pBR322 are presented. The study examined the morphological features of DNA hyperstructures in both healthy individuals and those diagnosed with different medical conditions or illnesses, revealing distinct patterns specific to each case. This innovative technology has potential for disease detection in peripheral blood samples, ranging from cancer and Alzheimer's disease to determining the gender of the gestational product at an early stage.
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6
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DiFilippo A, Jonaitis E, Makuch R, Gambetti B, Fleming V, Ennis G, Barnhart T, Engle J, Bendlin B, Johnson S, Handen B, Krinsky-McHale S, Hartley S, Christian B. Measurement of synaptic density in Down syndrome using PET imaging: a pilot study. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4676. [PMID: 38409349 PMCID: PMC10897336 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54669-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is the most prevalent genetic cause of intellectual disability, resulting from trisomy 21. Recently, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging has been used to image synapses in vivo. The motivation for this pilot study was to investigate whether synaptic density in low functioning adults with DS can be evaluated using the PET radiotracer [11C]UCB-J. Data were acquired from low functioning adults with DS (n = 4) and older neurotypical (NT) adults (n = 37). Motion during the scans required the use of a 10-minute acquisition window for the calculation of synaptic density using SUVR50-60,CS which was determined to be a suitable approximation for specific binding in this analysis using dynamic data from the NT group. Of the regions analyzed a large effect was observed when comparing DS and NT hippocampus and cerebral cortex synaptic density as well as hippocampus and cerebellum volumes. In this pilot study, PET imaging of [11C]UCB-J was successfully completed and synaptic density measured in low functioning DS adults. This work provides the basis for studies where synaptic density may be compared between larger groups of NT adults and adults with DS who have varying degrees of baseline cognitive status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra DiFilippo
- Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Erin Jonaitis
- Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Renee Makuch
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Waisman Center, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Brianna Gambetti
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Waisman Center, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Victoria Fleming
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Waisman Center, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Gilda Ennis
- Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Todd Barnhart
- Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jonathan Engle
- Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Barbara Bendlin
- Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Sterling Johnson
- Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Benjamin Handen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sharon Krinsky-McHale
- New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Sigan Hartley
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Waisman Center, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Bradley Christian
- Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Waisman Center, Madison, WI, USA
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Lee H, Kang H, Moon C, Youn B. PAK3 downregulation induces cognitive impairment following cranial irradiation. eLife 2023; 12:RP89221. [PMID: 38131292 PMCID: PMC10746143 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89221] [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: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Cranial irradiation is used for prophylactic brain radiotherapy as well as the treatment of primary brain tumors. Despite its high efficiency, it often induces unexpected side effects, including cognitive dysfunction. Herein, we observed that mice exposed to cranial irradiation exhibited cognitive dysfunction, including altered spontaneous behavior, decreased spatial memory, and reduced novel object recognition. Analysis of the actin cytoskeleton revealed that ionizing radiation (IR) disrupted the filamentous/globular actin (F/G-actin) ratio and downregulated the actin turnover signaling pathway p21-activated kinase 3 (PAK3)-LIM kinase 1 (LIMK1)-cofilin. Furthermore, we found that IR could upregulate microRNA-206-3 p (miR-206-3 p) targeting PAK3. As the inhibition of miR-206-3 p through antagonist (antagomiR), IR-induced disruption of PAK3 signaling is restored. In addition, intranasal administration of antagomiR-206-3 p recovered IR-induced cognitive impairment in mice. Our results suggest that cranial irradiation-induced cognitive impairment could be ameliorated by regulating PAK3 through antagomiR-206-3 p, thereby affording a promising strategy for protecting cognitive function during cranial irradiation, and promoting quality of life in patients with radiation therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haksoo Lee
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National UniversityBusanRepublic of Korea
| | - Hyunkoo Kang
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National UniversityBusanRepublic of Korea
| | - Changjong Moon
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Animal Behavior, College of Veterinary Medicine and BK21 FOUR Program, Chonnam National UniversityGwangjuRepublic of Korea
| | - BuHyun Youn
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National UniversityBusanRepublic of Korea
- Department of Biological Sciences, Pusan National UniversityBusanRepublic of Korea
- Nuclear Science Research Institute, Pusan National UniversityBusanRepublic of Korea
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Piergiorge RM, da Silva Francisco Junior R, de Vasconcelos ATR, Santos-Rebouças CB. Multi-layered transcriptomic analysis reveals a pivotal role of FMR1 and other developmental genes in Alzheimer's disease-associated brain ceRNA network. Comput Biol Med 2023; 166:107494. [PMID: 37769462 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.107494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an increasingly neurodegenerative disorder that causes progressive cognitive decline and memory impairment. Despite extensive research, the underlying causes of late-onset AD (LOAD) are still in progress. This study aimed to establish a network of competing regulatory interactions involving circular RNAs (circRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) connected to LOAD. A systematic analysis of publicly available expression data was conducted to identify integrated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from the hippocampus of LOAD patients. Subsequently, gene co-expression analysis identified modules comprising highly expressed DEGs that act cooperatively. The competition between co-expressed DEGs and miRNAs/RBPs and the simultaneous interactions between circRNA and miRNA/RBP revealed a complex ceRNA network responsible for post-transcriptional regulation in LOAD. Hippocampal expression data for miRNAs, circRNAs, and RBPs were used to filter relevant relationships for AD. An integrated topological score was used to identify the highly connected hub gene, from which a brain core ceRNA subnetwork was generated. The Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) coding for the RBP FMRP emerged as the prominent driver gene in this subnetwork. FMRP has been previously related to AD but not in a ceRNA network context. Also, the substantial number of neurodevelopmental genes in the ceRNA subnetwork and their related biological pathways strengthen that AD shares common pathological mechanisms with developmental conditions. Our results enhance the current knowledge about the convergent ceRNA regulatory pathways underlying AD and provide potential targets for identifying early biomarkers and developing novel therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Mina Piergiorge
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology Roberto Alcantara Gomes, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | - Cíntia Barros Santos-Rebouças
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology Roberto Alcantara Gomes, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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9
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Jury-Garfe N, You Y, Martínez P, Redding-Ochoa J, Karahan H, Johnson TS, Zhang J, Kim J, Troncoso JC, Lasagna-Reeves CA. Enhanced microglial dynamics and paucity of tau seeding in the amyloid plaque microenvironment contributes to cognitive resilience in Alzheimer's disease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.27.550884. [PMID: 37546928 PMCID: PMC10402121 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.27.550884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Asymptomatic Alzheimer's disease (AsymAD) describes the status of subjects with preserved cognition but with identifiable Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain pathology (i.e. Aβ-amyloid deposits, neuritic plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles) at autopsy. In this study, we investigated the postmortem brains of a cohort of AsymAD cases to gain insight into the underlying mechanisms of resilience to AD pathology and cognitive decline. Our results showed that AsymAD cases exhibit an enrichment of core plaques and decreased filamentous plaque accumulation, as well as an increase in microglia surrounding this last type. In AsymAD cases we found less pathological tau aggregation in dystrophic neurites compared to AD and tau seeding activity comparable to healthy control subjects. We used spatial transcriptomics to further characterize the plaque niche and found autophagy, endocytosis, and phagocytosis within the top upregulated pathways in the AsymAD plaque niche, but not in AD. Furthermore, we found ARP2, an actin-based motility protein crucial to initiate the formation of new actin filaments, increased within microglia in the proximity of amyloid plaques in AsymAD. Our findings support that the amyloid-plaque microenvironment in AsymAD cases is characterized by microglia with highly efficient actin-based cell motility mechanisms and decreased tau seeding compared to AD. These two mechanisms can potentially provide protection against the toxic cascade initiated by Aβ that preserves brain health and slows down the progression of AD pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Jury-Garfe
- Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, USA
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Yanwen You
- Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, USA
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Pablo Martínez
- Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, USA
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Javier Redding-Ochoa
- Departments of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Hande Karahan
- Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, USA
- Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA
| | - Travis S. Johnson
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Jungsu Kim
- Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, USA
- Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA
| | - Juan C. Troncoso
- Departments of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Cristian A. Lasagna-Reeves
- Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, USA
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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10
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Wang H, Yamahashi Y, Riedl M, Amano M, Kaibuchi K. The Evaluation of Rac1 Signaling as a Potential Therapeutic Target of Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11880. [PMID: 37569255 PMCID: PMC10418761 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241511880] [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: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The Small GTPase Rac1 is critical for various fundamental cellular processes, including cognitive functions. The cyclical activation and inactivation of Rac1, mediated by Rac guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RacGEFs) and Rac GTPase-activating proteins (RacGAPs), respectively, are essential for activating intracellular signaling pathways and controlling cellular processes. We have recently shown that the Alzheimer's disease (AD) therapeutic drug donepezil activates the Rac1-PAK pathway in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) for enhanced aversive learning. Also, PAK activation itself in the NAc enhances aversive learning. As aversive learning allows short-term preliminary AD drug screening, here we tested whether sustained Rac1 activation by RacGAP inhibition can be used as an AD therapeutic strategy for improving AD-learning deficits based on aversive learning. We found that the RacGAP domain of breakpoint cluster region protein (Bcr) (Bcr-GAP) efficiently inhibited Rac1 activity in a membrane ruffling assay. We also found that, in striatal/accumbal primary neurons, Bcr knockdown by microRNA mimic-expressing adeno-associated virus (AAV-miRNA mimic) activated Rac1-PAK signaling, while Bcr-GAP-expressing AAV inactivated it. Furthermore, conditional knockdown of Bcr in the NAc of wild-type adult mice enhanced aversive learning, while Bcr-GAP expression in the NAc inhibited it. The findings indicate that Rac1 activation by RacGAP inhibition enhances aversive learning, implying the AD therapeutic potential of Rac1 signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanhuan Wang
- Department of Cell Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 65 Tsurumai, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan; (H.W.); (M.A.)
| | - Yukie Yamahashi
- Division of Cell Biology, International Center for Brain Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake 470-1192, Japan; (Y.Y.); (M.R.)
| | - Marcel Riedl
- Division of Cell Biology, International Center for Brain Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake 470-1192, Japan; (Y.Y.); (M.R.)
| | - Mutsuki Amano
- Department of Cell Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 65 Tsurumai, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan; (H.W.); (M.A.)
| | - Kozo Kaibuchi
- Division of Cell Biology, International Center for Brain Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake 470-1192, Japan; (Y.Y.); (M.R.)
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11
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Yamahashi Y, Tsuboi D, Funahashi Y, Kaibuchi K. Neuroproteomic mapping of kinases and their substrates downstream of acetylcholine: finding and implications. Expert Rev Proteomics 2023; 20:291-298. [PMID: 37787112 DOI: 10.1080/14789450.2023.2265067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Since the emergence of the cholinergic hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), acetylcholine has been viewed as a mediator of learning and memory. Donepezil improves AD-associated learning deficits and memory loss by recovering brain acetylcholine levels. However, it is associated with side effects due to global activation of acetylcholine receptors. Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M1 (M1R), a key mediator of learning and memory, has been an alternative target. The importance of targeting a specific pathway downstream of M1R has recently been recognized. Elucidating signaling pathways beyond M1R that lead to learning and memory holds important clues for AD therapeutic strategies. AREAS COVERED This review first summarizes the role of acetylcholine in aversive learning, one of the outputs used for preliminary AD drug screening. It then describes the phosphoproteomic approach focused on identifying acetylcholine intracellular signaling pathways leading to aversive learning. Finally, the intracellular mechanism of donepezil and its effect on learning and memory is discussed. EXPERT OPINION The elucidation of signaling pathways beyond M1R by phosphoproteomic approach offers a platform for understanding the intracellular mechanism of AD drugs and for developing AD therapeutic strategies. Clarifying the molecular mechanism that links the identified acetylcholine signaling to AD pathophysiology will advance the development of AD therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukie Yamahashi
- Division of Cell Biology, International Center for Brain Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Daisuke Tsuboi
- Division of Cell Biology, International Center for Brain Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Funahashi
- Division of Cell Biology, International Center for Brain Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Kozo Kaibuchi
- Division of Cell Biology, International Center for Brain Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
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12
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Ansari MA, Al-Jarallah A, Babiker FA. Impaired Insulin Signaling Alters Mediators of Hippocampal Synaptic Dynamics/Plasticity: A Possible Mechanism of Hyperglycemia-Induced Cognitive Impairment. Cells 2023; 12:1728. [PMID: 37443762 PMCID: PMC10340300 DOI: 10.3390/cells12131728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurological condition that affects the elderly and is characterized by progressive and irreversible neurodegeneration in the cerebral cortex [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Mubeen A. Ansari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait City 13110, Kuwait
| | - Aishah Al-Jarallah
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait City 13110, Kuwait
| | - Fawzi A. Babiker
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait City 13110, Kuwait
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13
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Griffiths J, Grant SGN. Synapse pathology in Alzheimer's disease. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 139:13-23. [PMID: 35690535 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Synapse loss and damage are central features of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and contribute to the onset and progression of its behavioural and physiological features. Here we review the literature describing synapse pathology in AD, from what we have learned from microscopy in terms of its impacts on synapse architecture, to the mechanistic role of Aβ, tau and glial cells, mitochondrial dysfunction, and the link with AD risk genes. We consider the emerging view that synapse pathology may operate at a further level, that of synapse diversity, and discuss the prospects for leveraging new synaptome mapping methods to comprehensively understand the molecular properties of vulnerable and resilient synapses. Uncovering AD impacts on brain synapse diversity should inform therapeutic approaches targeted at preserving or replenishing lost and damaged synapses and aid the interpretation of clinical imaging approaches that aim to measure synapse damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Griffiths
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK; Dementia Research Institute at Imperial College, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Seth G N Grant
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK.
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14
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Ouyang L, Li Q, Rao S, Su R, Zhu Y, Du G, Xie J, Zhou F, Feng C, Fan G. Cognitive outcomes caused by low-level lead, cadmium, and mercury mixture exposure at distinct phases of brain development. Food Chem Toxicol 2023; 175:113707. [PMID: 36893892 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2023.113707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Contaminated water and food are the main sources of lead, cadmium, and mercury in the human body. Long-term and low-level ingestion of these toxic heavy metals may affect brain development and cognition. However, the neurotoxic effects of exposure to lead, cadmium, and mercury mixture (Pb + Cd + Hg) at different stages of brain development are rarely elucidated. In this study, different doses of low-level Pb + Cd + Hg were administered to Sprague-Dawley rats via drinking water during the critical stage of brain development, late stage, and after maturation, respectively. Our findings showed that Pb + Cd + Hg exposure decreased the density of memory- and learning-related dendritic spines in the hippocampus during the critical period of brain development, resulting in hippocampus-dependent spatial memory deficits. Only the density of learning-related dendritic spines was reduced during the late phase of brain development and a higher-dose of Pb + Cd + Hg exposure was required, which led to hippocampus-independent spatial memory abnormalities. Exposure to Pb + Cd + Hg after brain maturation revealed no significant change in dendritic spines or cognitive function. Further molecular analysis indicated that morphological and functional changes caused by Pb + Cd + Hg exposure during the critical phase were associated with PSD95 and GluA1 dysregulation. Collectively, the effects of Pb + Cd + Hg on cognition varied depending on the brain development stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Ouyang
- School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, PR China
| | - Qi Li
- School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, PR China
| | - Shaoqi Rao
- School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, PR China
| | - Rui Su
- School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, PR China
| | - Yanhui Zhu
- School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, PR China
| | - Guihua Du
- School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, PR China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, PR China
| | - Jie Xie
- School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, PR China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, PR China
| | - Fankun Zhou
- School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, PR China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, PR China
| | - Chang Feng
- School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, PR China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, PR China
| | - Guangqin Fan
- School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, PR China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, PR China.
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15
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Bhardwaj A, Liyanage SI, Weaver DF. Cancer and Alzheimer's Inverse Correlation: an Immunogenetic Analysis. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:3086-3099. [PMID: 36797545 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03260-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Numerous studies have demonstrated an inverse link between cancer and Alzheimer's disease (AD), with data suggesting that people with Alzheimer's have a decreased risk of cancer and vice versa. Although other studies have investigated mechanisms to explain this relationship, the connection between these two diseases remains largely unexplained. Processes seen in cancer, such as decreased apoptosis and increased cell proliferation, seem to be reversed in AD. Given the need for effective therapeutic strategies for AD, comparisons with cancer could yield valuable insights into the disease process and perhaps result in new treatments. Here, through a review of existing literature, we compared the expressions of genes involved in cell proliferation and apoptosis to establish a genetic basis for the reciprocal association between AD and cancer. We discuss an array of genes involved in the aforementioned processes, their relevance to both diseases, and how changes in those genes produce varying effects in either disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Bhardwaj
- Krembil Discovery Tower, Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - S Imindu Liyanage
- Krembil Discovery Tower, Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Donald F Weaver
- Krembil Discovery Tower, Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada.
- Departments of Medicine and Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
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16
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Yao W, Zhou P, Yan Q, Wu X, Xia Y, Li W, Li X, Zhu F. ERVWE1 Reduces Hippocampal Neuron Density and Impairs Dendritic Spine Morphology through Inhibiting Wnt/JNK Non-Canonical Pathway via miR-141-3p in Schizophrenia. Viruses 2023; 15:168. [PMID: 36680208 PMCID: PMC9863209 DOI: 10.3390/v15010168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are remnants of ancestral germline infections by exogenous retroviruses. Human endogenous retroviruses W family envelope gene (HERV-W env, also called ERVWE1), located on chromosome 7q21-22, encodes an envelope glycoprotein from the HERV-W family. Mounting evidence suggests that aberrant expression of ERVWE1 involves the etiology of schizophrenia. Moreover, the genetic and morphological studies indicate that dendritic spine deficits may contribute to the onset of schizophrenia. Here, we reported that ERVWE1 changed the density and morphology of the dendritic spine through inhibiting Wingless-type (Wnt)/c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) non-canonical pathway via miR-141-3p in schizophrenia. In this paper, we found elevated levels of miR-141-3p and a significant positive correlation with ERVWE1 in schizophrenia. Moreover, serum Wnt5a and actin-related protein 2 (Arp2) levels decreased and demonstrated a significant negative correlation with ERVWE1 in schizophrenia. In vitro experiments disclosed that ERVWE1 up-regulated miR-141-3p expression by interacting with transcription factor (TF) Yin Yang 1 (YY1). YY1 modulated miR-141-3p expression by binding to its promoter. The luciferase assay revealed that YY1 enhanced the promoter activity of miR-141-3p. Using the miRNA target prediction databases and luciferase reporter assays, we demonstrated that miR-141-3p targeted Wnt5a at its 3' untranslated region (3' UTR). Furthermore, ERVWE1 suppressed the expression of Arp2 through non-canonical pathway, Wnt5a/JNK signaling pathway. In addition, ERVWE1 inhibited Wnt5a/JNK/Arp2 signal pathway through miR-141-3p. Finally, functional assays showed that ERVWE1 induced the abnormalities in hippocampal neuron morphology and spine density through inhibiting Wnt/JNK non-canonical pathway via miR-141-3p in schizophrenia. Our findings indicated that miR-141-3p, Wnt5a, and Arp2 might be potential clinical blood-based biomarkers or therapeutic targets for schizophrenia. Our work also provided new insight into the role of ERVWE1 in schizophrenia pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Ping Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Qiujin Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Xiulin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yaru Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Wenshi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Xuhang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Fan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy & Immunology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
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17
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Dobrigna M, Poëa-Guyon S, Rousseau V, Vincent A, Toutain A, Barnier JV. The molecular basis of p21-activated kinase-associated neurodevelopmental disorders: From genotype to phenotype. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1123784. [PMID: 36937657 PMCID: PMC10017488 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1123784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the identification of numerous genes involved in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) has reshaped our understanding of their etiology, there are still major obstacles in the way of developing therapeutic solutions for intellectual disability (ID) and other NDDs. These include extensive clinical and genetic heterogeneity, rarity of recurrent pathogenic variants, and comorbidity with other psychiatric traits. Moreover, a large intragenic mutational landscape is at play in some NDDs, leading to a broad range of clinical symptoms. Such diversity of symptoms is due to the different effects DNA variations have on protein functions and their impacts on downstream biological processes. The type of functional alterations, such as loss or gain of function, and interference with signaling pathways, has yet to be correlated with clinical symptoms for most genes. This review aims at discussing our current understanding of how the molecular changes of group I p21-activated kinases (PAK1, 2 and 3), which are essential actors of brain development and function; contribute to a broad clinical spectrum of NDDs. Identifying differences in PAK structure, regulation and spatio-temporal expression may help understanding the specific functions of each group I PAK. Deciphering how each variation type affects these parameters will help uncover the mechanisms underlying mutation pathogenicity. This is a prerequisite for the development of personalized therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Dobrigna
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, UMR 9197, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Saclay, France
| | - Sandrine Poëa-Guyon
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, UMR 9197, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Saclay, France
| | - Véronique Rousseau
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, UMR 9197, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Saclay, France
| | - Aline Vincent
- Department of Genetics, EA7450 BioTARGen, University Hospital of Caen, Caen, France
| | - Annick Toutain
- Department of Genetics, University Hospital of Tours, UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, INSERM, Tours, France
| | - Jean-Vianney Barnier
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, UMR 9197, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Saclay, France
- *Correspondence: Jean-Vianney Barnier,
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18
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Sun J, Zhong X, Fu X, Miller H, Lee P, Yu B, Liu C. The Actin Regulators Involved in the Function and Related Diseases of Lymphocytes. Front Immunol 2022; 13:799309. [PMID: 35371070 PMCID: PMC8965893 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.799309] [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: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Actin is an important cytoskeletal protein involved in signal transduction, cell structure and motility. Actin regulators include actin-monomer-binding proteins, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) family of proteins, nucleation proteins, actin filament polymerases and severing proteins. This group of proteins regulate the dynamic changes in actin assembly/disassembly, thus playing an important role in cell motility, intracellular transport, cell division and other basic cellular activities. Lymphocytes are important components of the human immune system, consisting of T-lymphocytes (T cells), B-lymphocytes (B cells) and natural killer cells (NK cells). Lymphocytes are indispensable for both innate and adaptive immunity and cannot function normally without various actin regulators. In this review, we first briefly introduce the structure and fundamental functions of a variety of well-known and newly discovered actin regulators, then we highlight the role of actin regulators in T cell, B cell and NK cell, and finally provide a landscape of various diseases associated with them. This review provides new directions in exploring actin regulators and promotes more precise and effective treatments for related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianxuan Sun
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Department and Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xingyu Zhong
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoyu Fu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Heather Miller
- Cytek Biosciences, R&D Clinical Reagents, Fremont, CA, United States
| | - Pamela Lee
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Bing Yu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Chaohong Liu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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19
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Duman JG, Blanco FA, Cronkite CA, Ru Q, Erikson KC, Mulherkar S, Saifullah AB, Firozi K, Tolias KF. Rac-maninoff and Rho-vel: The symphony of Rho-GTPase signaling at excitatory synapses. Small GTPases 2022; 13:14-47. [PMID: 33955328 PMCID: PMC9707551 DOI: 10.1080/21541248.2021.1885264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptic connections between neurons are essential for every facet of human cognition and are thus regulated with extreme precision. Rho-family GTPases, molecular switches that cycle between an active GTP-bound state and an inactive GDP-bound state, comprise a critical feature of synaptic regulation. Rho-GTPases are exquisitely controlled by an extensive suite of activators (GEFs) and inhibitors (GAPs and GDIs) and interact with many different signalling pathways to fulfill their roles in orchestrating the development, maintenance, and plasticity of excitatory synapses of the central nervous system. Among the mechanisms that control Rho-GTPase activity and signalling are cell surface receptors, GEF/GAP complexes that tightly regulate single Rho-GTPase dynamics, GEF/GAP and GEF/GEF functional complexes that coordinate multiple Rho-family GTPase activities, effector positive feedback loops, and mutual antagonism of opposing Rho-GTPase pathways. These complex regulatory mechanisms are employed by the cells of the nervous system in almost every step of development, and prominently figure into the processes of synaptic plasticity that underlie learning and memory. Finally, misregulation of Rho-GTPases plays critical roles in responses to neuronal injury, such as traumatic brain injury and neuropathic pain, and in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, including intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's Disease. Thus, decoding the mechanisms of Rho-GTPase regulation and function at excitatory synapses has great potential for combatting many of the biggest current challenges in mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph G. Duman
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Francisco A. Blanco
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Science Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Christopher A. Cronkite
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Qin Ru
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kelly C. Erikson
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shalaka Mulherkar
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ali Bin Saifullah
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Karen Firozi
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kimberley F. Tolias
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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20
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The Use of Nanomedicine to Target Signaling by the PAK Kinases for Disease Treatment. Cells 2021; 10:cells10123565. [PMID: 34944073 PMCID: PMC8700304 DOI: 10.3390/cells10123565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
P21-activated kinases (PAKs) are serine/threonine kinases involved in the regulation of cell survival, proliferation, inhibition of apoptosis, and the regulation of cell morphology. Some members of the PAK family are highly expressed in several types of cancer, and they have also been implicated in several other medical disorders. They are thus considered to be good targets for treatment of cancer and other diseases. Although there are several inhibitors of the PAKs, the utility of some of these inhibitors is reduced for several reasons, including limited metabolic stability. One way to overcome this problem is the use of nanoparticles, which have the potential to increase drug delivery. The overall goals of this review are to describe the roles for PAK kinases in cell signaling and disease, and to describe how the use of nanomedicine is a promising new method for administering PAK inhibitors for the purpose of disease treatment and research. We discuss some of the basic mechanisms behind nanomedicine technology, and we then describe how these techniques are being used to package and deliver PAK inhibitors.
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21
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Khlebodarova TM. The molecular view of mechanical stress of brain cells, local translation, and neurodegenerative diseases. Vavilovskii Zhurnal Genet Selektsii 2021; 25:92-100. [PMID: 34901706 PMCID: PMC8629365 DOI: 10.18699/vj21.011] [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: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The assumption that chronic mechanical stress in brain cells stemming from intracranial hypertension,
arterial hypertension, or mechanical injury is a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases was put forward in the
1990s and has since been supported. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie the way from cell exposure to mechanical stress to disturbances in synaptic plasticity followed by changes in behavior, cognition, and
memory are still poorly understood. Here we review (1) the current knowledge of molecular mechanisms regulating local translation and the actin cytoskeleton state at an activated synapse, where they play a key role in the
formation of various sorts of synaptic plasticity and long-term memory, and (2) possible pathways of mechanical
stress intervention. The roles of the mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) signaling pathway; the RNA-binding
FMRP protein; the CYFIP1 protein, interacting with FMRP; the family of small GTPases; and the WAVE regulatory
complex in the regulation of translation initiation and actin cytoskeleton rearrangements in dendritic spines of the
activated synapse are discussed. Evidence is provided that chronic mechanical stress may result in aberrant activation of mTOR signaling and the WAVE regulatory complex via the YAP/TAZ system, the key sensor of mechanical
signals, and influence the associated pathways regulating the formation of F actin filaments and the dendritic spine
structure. These consequences may be a risk factor for various neurological conditions, including autistic spectrum
disorders and epileptic encephalopathy. In further consideration of the role of the local translation system in the
development of neuropsychic and neurodegenerative diseases, an original hypothesis was put forward that one
of the possible causes of synaptopathies is impaired proteome stability associated with mTOR hyperactivity and
formation of complex dynamic modes of de novo protein synthesis in response to synapse-stimulating factors,
including chronic mechanical stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- T M Khlebodarova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia Kurchatov Genomic Center of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
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22
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Kong Y, Huang L, Li W, Liu X, Zhou Y, Liu C, Zhang S, Xie F, Zhang Z, Jiang D, Zhou W, Ni R, Zhang C, Sun B, Wang J, Guan Y. The Synaptic Vesicle Protein 2A Interacts With Key Pathogenic Factors in Alzheimer's Disease: Implications for Treatment. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:609908. [PMID: 34277597 PMCID: PMC8282058 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.609908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a serious neurodegenerative disease, is pathologically characterized by synaptic loss and dysfunction. Synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A) is an indispensable vesicular protein specifically expressed in synapses and can be used as a biomarker for synaptic density. We found that the expression of SV2A was down-regulated in the hippocampus of AD patients, yet the relation of SV2A to other hallmarks of AD pathology such as amyloid precursor protein (APP), β-amyloid (Aβ), and Tau protein is not thoroughly clear. In addition, SV2A colocalized with APP and was down-regulated at Aβ deposition. Moreover, we found that SV2A deficiency leads to a simultaneous increase in Aβ and Tau hyperphosphorylation, while SV2A overexpression was associated with downregulation of β-site APP cleaving enzyme 1 and apolipoprotein E genes. In addition, evidence gained in the study points to the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling pathway as a possible mediator in SV2A regulation influencing the incidence and development of AD. With limited effective diagnostic methods for AD, a close interplay between SV2A and AD-related proteins demonstrated in our study may provide novel and innovative diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyan Kong
- PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Huang
- Laboratory of Molecular Neural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weihao Li
- Laboratory of Molecular Neural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuanting Liu
- Laboratory of Molecular Neural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yinping Zhou
- Laboratory of Molecular Neural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cuiping Liu
- Laboratory of Molecular Neural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shibo Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Neural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fang Xie
- PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhengwei Zhang
- PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Donglang Jiang
- PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weiyan Zhou
- PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruiqing Ni
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Chencheng Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Bomin Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiao Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Neural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yihui Guan
- PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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23
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Augustin V, Kins S. Fe65: A Scaffolding Protein of Actin Regulators. Cells 2021; 10:cells10071599. [PMID: 34202290 PMCID: PMC8304848 DOI: 10.3390/cells10071599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The scaffolding protein family Fe65, composed of Fe65, Fe65L1, and Fe65L2, was identified as an interaction partner of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), which plays a key function in Alzheimer’s disease. All three Fe65 family members possess three highly conserved interaction domains, forming complexes with diverse binding partners that can be assigned to different cellular functions, such as transactivation of genes in the nucleus, modulation of calcium homeostasis and lipid metabolism, and regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. In this article, we rule out putative new intracellular signaling mechanisms of the APP-interacting protein Fe65 in the regulation of actin cytoskeleton dynamics in the context of various neuronal functions, such as cell migration, neurite outgrowth, and synaptic plasticity.
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24
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Lauterborn JC, Scaduto P, Cox CD, Schulmann A, Lynch G, Gall CM, Keene CD, Limon A. Increased excitatory to inhibitory synaptic ratio in parietal cortex samples from individuals with Alzheimer's disease. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2603. [PMID: 33972518 PMCID: PMC8110554 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22742-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptic disturbances in excitatory to inhibitory (E/I) balance in forebrain circuits are thought to contribute to the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia, although direct evidence for such imbalance in humans is lacking. We assessed anatomical and electrophysiological synaptic E/I ratios in post-mortem parietal cortex samples from middle-aged individuals with AD (early-onset) or Down syndrome (DS) by fluorescence deconvolution tomography and microtransplantation of synaptic membranes. Both approaches revealed significantly elevated E/I ratios for AD, but not DS, versus controls. Gene expression studies in an independent AD cohort also demonstrated elevated E/I ratios in individuals with AD as compared to controls. These findings provide evidence of a marked pro-excitatory perturbation of synaptic E/I balance in AD parietal cortex, a region within the default mode network that is overly active in the disorder, and support the hypothesis that E/I imbalances disrupt cognition-related shifts in cortical activity which contribute to the intellectual decline in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie C Lauterborn
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
| | - Pietro Scaduto
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases. School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, USA
| | - Conor D Cox
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Anton Schulmann
- National Institute of Mental Health, Human Genetics Branch, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gary Lynch
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Christine M Gall
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - C Dirk Keene
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Agenor Limon
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases. School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, USA.
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25
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Amani M, Lauterborn JC, Le AA, Cox BM, Wang W, Quintanilla J, Cox CD, Gall CM, Lynch G. Rapid Aging in the Perforant Path Projections to the Rodent Dentate Gyrus. J Neurosci 2021; 41:2301-2312. [PMID: 33514675 PMCID: PMC8018768 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2376-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Why layers II/III of entorhinal cortex (EC) deteriorate in advance of other regions during the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease is poorly understood. Failure of retrograde trophic support from synapses to cell bodies is a common cause of neuronal atrophy, and we accordingly tested for early-life deterioration in projections of rodent layer II EC neurons. Using electrophysiology and quantitative imaging, changes in EC terminals during young adulthood were evaluated in male rats and mice. Field excitatory postsynaptic potentials, input/output curves, and frequency following capacity by lateral perforant path (LPP) projections from lateral EC to dentate gyrus were unchanged from 3 to 8-10 months of age. In contrast, the unusual presynaptic form of long-term potentiation (LTP) expressed by the LPP was profoundly impaired by 8 months in rats and mice. This impairment was accompanied by a reduction in the spine to terminal endocannabinoid signaling needed for LPP-LTP induction and was offset by an agent that enhances signaling. There was a pronounced age-related increase in synaptophysin within LPP terminals, an effect suggestive of incipient pathology. Relatedly, presynaptic levels of TrkB-receptors mediating retrograde trophic signaling-were reduced in the LPP terminal field. LTP and TrkB content were also reduced in the medial perforant path of 8- to 10-month-old rats. As predicted, performance on an LPP-dependent episodic memory task declined by late adulthood. We propose that memory-related synaptic plasticity in EC projections is unusually sensitive to aging, which predisposes EC neurons to pathogenesis later in life.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neurons within human superficial entorhinal cortex are particularly vulnerable to effects of aging and Alzheimer's disease, although why this is the case is not understood. Here we report that perforant path projections from layer II entorhinal cortex to the dentate gyrus exhibit rapid aging in rodents, including reduced synaptic plasticity and abnormal protein content by 8-10 months of age. Moreover, there was a substantial decline in the performance of an episodic memory task that depends on entorhinal cortical projections at the same ages. Overall, the results suggest that the loss of plasticity and related trophic signaling predispose the entorhinal neurons to functional decline in relatively young adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Gary Lynch
- Departments of Anatomy & Neurobiology
- Psychiatry & Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697
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26
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Wang P, Sui HJ, Li XJ, Bai LN, Bi J, Lai H. Melatonin ameliorates microvessel abnormalities in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease. Neural Regen Res 2021; 16:757-764. [PMID: 33063739 PMCID: PMC8067916 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.295349] [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] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Melatonin can attenuate cardiac microvascular ischemia/reperfusion injury, but it remains unclear whether melatonin can also ameliorate cerebral microvascular abnormalities. Rat models of Alzheimer’s disease were established by six intracerebroventricular injections of amyloid-beta 1–42, administered once every other day. Melatonin (30 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally administered for 13 successive days, with the first dose given 24 hours prior to the first administration of amyloid-beta 1–42. Melatonin ameliorated learning and memory impairments in the Morris water maze test, improved the morphology of microvessels in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, increased microvessel density, alleviated pathological injuries of cerebral neurons, and decreased the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 1 and 2. These findings suggest that melatonin can improve microvessel abnormalities in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus by lowering the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptors, thereby improving the cognitive function of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. This study was approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of Jinzhou Medical University, China (approval No. 2019015) on December 6, 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan Wang
- Department of Anatomy, China Medical University, Shenyang; Department of Neurobiology and Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases of Liaoning Province, Jinzhou Medical University; Department of Neurobiology, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Hai-Juan Sui
- Department of Neurobiology and Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases of Liaoning Province; Department of Pharmacology, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Xiao-Jia Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases of Liaoning Province; Department of Neurobiology, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Li-Na Bai
- Department of Neurobiology and Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases of Liaoning Province; Department of Neurobiology, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Jing Bi
- Department of Neurobiology and Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases of Liaoning Province; Department of Neurobiology, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Hong Lai
- Department of Anatomy, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
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27
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Zhang K, Wang Y, Fan T, Zeng C, Sun ZS. The p21-activated kinases in neural cytoskeletal remodeling and related neurological disorders. Protein Cell 2020; 13:6-25. [PMID: 33306168 PMCID: PMC8776968 DOI: 10.1007/s13238-020-00812-9] [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: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The serine/threonine p21-activated kinases (PAKs), as main effectors of the Rho GTPases Cdc42 and Rac, represent a group of important molecular switches linking the complex cytoskeletal networks to broad neural activity. PAKs show wide expression in the brain, but they differ in specific cell types, brain regions, and developmental stages. PAKs play an essential and differential role in controlling neural cytoskeletal remodeling and are related to the development and fate of neurons as well as the structural and functional plasticity of dendritic spines. PAK-mediated actin signaling and interacting functional networks represent a common pathway frequently affected in multiple neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Considering specific small-molecule agonists and inhibitors for PAKs have been developed in cancer treatment, comprehensive knowledge about the role of PAKs in neural cytoskeletal remodeling will promote our understanding of the complex mechanisms underlying neurological diseases, which may also represent potential therapeutic targets of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaifan Zhang
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Tianda Fan
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China
| | - Cheng Zeng
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhong Sheng Sun
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China. .,Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China. .,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
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28
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Camporesi E, Nilsson J, Brinkmalm A, Becker B, Ashton NJ, Blennow K, Zetterberg H. Fluid Biomarkers for Synaptic Dysfunction and Loss. Biomark Insights 2020; 15:1177271920950319. [PMID: 32913390 PMCID: PMC7444114 DOI: 10.1177/1177271920950319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Synapses are the site for brain communication where information is transmitted between neurons and stored for memory formation. Synaptic degeneration is a global and early pathogenic event in neurodegenerative disorders with reduced levels of pre- and postsynaptic proteins being recognized as a core feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathophysiology. Together with AD, other neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders show altered synaptic homeostasis as an important pathogenic event, and due to that, they are commonly referred to as synaptopathies. The exact mechanisms of synapse dysfunction in the different diseases are not well understood and their study would help understanding the pathogenic role of synaptic degeneration, as well as differences and commonalities among them and highlight candidate synaptic biomarkers for specific disorders. The assessment of synaptic proteins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which can reflect synaptic dysfunction in patients with cognitive disorders, is a keen area of interest. Substantial research efforts are now directed toward the investigation of CSF synaptic pathology to improve the diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders at an early stage as well as to monitor clinical progression. In this review, we will first summarize the pathological events that lead to synapse loss and then discuss the available data on established (eg, neurogranin, SNAP-25, synaptotagmin-1, GAP-43, and α-syn) and emerging (eg, synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A and neuronal pentraxins) CSF biomarkers for synapse dysfunction, while highlighting possible utilities, disease specificity, and technical challenges for their detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Camporesi
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Johanna Nilsson
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ann Brinkmalm
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Bruno Becker
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Nicholas J Ashton
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, The Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health & Biomedical Research Unit for Dementia at South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation, London, UK
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London, UK
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29
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Conventional and Non-Conventional Roles of Non-Muscle Myosin II-Actin in Neuronal Development and Degeneration. Cells 2020; 9:cells9091926. [PMID: 32825197 PMCID: PMC7566000 DOI: 10.3390/cells9091926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Myosins are motor proteins that use chemical energy to produce mechanical forces driving actin cytoskeletal dynamics. In the brain, the conventional non-muscle myosin II (NMII) regulates actin filament cytoskeletal assembly and contractile forces during structural remodeling of axons and dendrites, contributing to morphology, polarization, and migration of neurons during brain development. NMII isoforms also participate in neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity by driving actin cytoskeletal dynamics during synaptic vesicle release and retrieval, and formation, maturation, and remodeling of dendritic spines. NMIIs are expressed differentially in cerebral non-neuronal cells, such as microglia, astrocytes, and endothelial cells, wherein they play key functions in inflammation, myelination, and repair. Besides major efforts to understand the physiological functions and regulatory mechanisms of NMIIs in the nervous system, their contributions to brain pathologies are still largely unclear. Nonetheless, genetic mutations or deregulation of NMII and its regulatory effectors are linked to autism, schizophrenia, intellectual disability, and neurodegeneration, indicating non-conventional roles of NMIIs in cellular mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we summarize the emerging biological roles of NMIIs in the brain, and discuss how actomyosin signaling contributes to dysfunction of neurons and glial cells in the context of neurological disorders. This knowledge is relevant for a deep understanding of NMIIs on the pathogenesis and therapeutics of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases.
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30
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ZHAO W, ZOU W. [Intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms regulating neuronal dendrite morphogenesis]. Zhejiang Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban 2020; 49:90-99. [PMID: 32621417 PMCID: PMC8800678 DOI: 10.3785/j.issn.1008-9292.2020.02.09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Neurons are the structural and functional unit of the nervous system. Precisely regulated dendrite morphogenesis is the basis of neural circuit assembly. Numerous studies have been conducted to explore the regulatory mechanisms of dendritic morphogenesis. According to their action regions, we divide them into two categories: the intrinsic and extrinsic regulators of neuronal dendritic morphogenesis. Intrinsic factors are cell type-specific transcription factors, actin polymerization or depolymerization regulators and regulators of the secretion or endocytic pathways. These intrinsic factors are produced by neuron itself and play an important role in regulating the development of dendrites. The extrinsic regulators are either secreted proteins or transmembrane domain containing cell adhesion molecules. They often form receptor-ligand pairs to mediate attractive or repulsive dendritic guidance. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the intrinsic and external molecular mechanisms of dendrite morphogenesis from multiple model organisms, including Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila and mice. These studies will provide a better understanding on how defective dendrite development and maintenance are associated with neurological diseases.
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