Sialylation enhances the secretion of neurotoxic amyloid-beta peptides

Biological function of sialic acid and sialylation in human health and disease

Sialic acids are predominantly found at the terminal ends of glycoproteins and glycolipids and play key roles in cellular communication and function. The process of sialylation, a form of post-translational modification, involves the covalent attachment of sialic acid to the terminal residues of oligosaccharides and glycoproteins. This modification not only provides a layer of electrostatic repulsion to cells but also serves as a receptor for various biological signaling pathways. Sialylation is involved in several pathophysiological processes. Given its multifaceted involvement in cellular functions, sialylation presents a promising avenue for therapeutic intervention. Current studies are exploring agents that target sialic acid residues on sialoglycans or the sialylation process. These efforts are particularly focused on the fields of cancer therapy, stroke treatment, antiviral strategies, and therapies for central nervous system disorders. In this review, we aimed to summarize the biological functions of sialic acid and the process of sialylation, explore their roles in various pathophysiological contexts, and discuss their potential applications in the development of novel therapeutics.

The alteration and role of glycoconjugates in Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder characterized by abnormal protein deposition. With an alarming 30 million people affected worldwide, AD poses a significant public health concern. While inhibiting key enzymes such as β-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme 1 and γ-secretase or enhancing amyloid-β clearance, has been considered the reasonable strategy for AD treatment, their efficacy has been compromised by ineffectiveness. Furthermore, our understanding of AD pathogenesis remains incomplete. Normal aging is associated with a decline in glucose uptake in the brain, a process exacerbated in patients with AD, leading to significant impairment of a critical post-translational modification: glycosylation. Glycosylation, a finely regulated mechanism of intracellular secondary protein processing, plays a pivotal role in regulating essential functions such as synaptogenesis, neurogenesis, axon guidance, as well as learning and memory within the central nervous system. Advanced glycomic analysis has unveiled that abnormal glycosylation of key AD-related proteins closely correlates with the onset and progression of the disease. In this context, we aimed to delve into the intricate role and underlying mechanisms of glycosylation in the etiopathology and pathogenesis of AD. By highlighting the potential of targeting glycosylation as a promising and alternative therapeutic avenue for managing AD, we strive to contribute to the advancement of treatment strategies for this debilitating condition.

Dessert or Poison? The Roles of Glycosylation in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's Disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of Neurons and glial cells of the central nervous system (CNS) are modified by glycosylation and rely on glycosylation to achieve normal neural function. Neurodegenerative disease is a common disease of the elderly, affecting their healthy life span and quality of life, and no effective treatment is currently available. Recent research implies that various glycosylation traits are altered during neurodegenerative diseases, suggesting a potential implication of glycosylation in disease pathology. Herein, we summarized the current knowledge about glycosylation associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) pathogenesis, focusing on their promising functional avenues. Moreover, we collected research aimed at highlighting the need for such studies to provide a wealth of disease-related glycosylation information that will help us better understand the pathophysiological mechanisms and hopefully specific glycosylation information to provide further diagnostic and therapeutic directions for neurodegenerative diseases.

Protein posttranslational modifications in health and diseases: Functions, regulatory mechanisms, and therapeutic implications

Protein posttranslational modifications (PTMs) refer to the breaking or generation of covalent bonds on the backbones or amino acid side chains of proteins and expand the diversity of proteins, which provides the basis for the emergence of organismal complexity. To date, more than 650 types of protein modifications, such as the most well-known phosphorylation, ubiquitination, glycosylation, methylation, SUMOylation, short-chain and long-chain acylation modifications, redox modifications, and irreversible modifications, have been described, and the inventory is still increasing. By changing the protein conformation, localization, activity, stability, charges, and interactions with other biomolecules, PTMs ultimately alter the phenotypes and biological processes of cells. The homeostasis of protein modifications is important to human health. Abnormal PTMs may cause changes in protein properties and loss of protein functions, which are closely related to the occurrence and development of various diseases. In this review, we systematically introduce the characteristics, regulatory mechanisms, and functions of various PTMs in health and diseases. In addition, the therapeutic prospects in various diseases by targeting PTMs and associated regulatory enzymes are also summarized. This work will deepen the understanding of protein modifications in health and diseases and promote the discovery of diagnostic and prognostic markers and drug targets for diseases.

APP in the Neuromuscular Junction for the Development of Sarcopenia and Alzheimer's Disease

Sarcopenia, an illness condition usually characterized by a loss of skeletal muscle mass and muscle strength or function, is often associated with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), a common type of dementia, leading to memory loss and other cognitive impairment. However, the underlying mechanisms for their associations and relationships are less well understood. The App, a Mendelian gene for early-onset AD, encodes amyloid precursor protein (APP), a transmembrane protein enriched at both the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) and synapses in the central nervous system (CNS). Here, in this review, we highlight APP and its family members' physiological functions and Swedish mutant APP (APP_swe)'s pathological roles in muscles and NMJ. Understanding APP's pathophysiological functions in muscles and NMJ is likely to uncover insights not only into neuromuscular diseases but also AD. We summarize key findings from the burgeoning literature, which may open new avenues to investigate the link between muscle cells and brain cells in the development and progression of AD and sarcopenia.

Increased Transferrin Sialylation Predicts Phenoconversion in Isolated REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

BACKGROUND

Sialic acid-protein interactions are involved in regulating central nervous system immunity; therefore, derangements in sialylation could be involved in neurodegeneration.

OBJECTIVES

We evaluate the differences in serum transferrin sialylation in prodromal and early-stage Parkinson's disease (PD), its relation to substantia nigra degeneration, and the risk of phenoconversion to manifest disease.

METHODS

Sixty treatment-naive PD patients; 72 polysomnography-confirmed isolated rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) patients, that is, patients with prodromal synucleinopathy; and 46 healthy volunteers aged ≥45 years and drinking ≤60 standard drinks per month were included. The proportion of serum low-sialylated, carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) isoforms was assessed using high-performance liquid chromatography, and the values were adjusted for alcohol intake (CDTadj ). Dopamine transporter single-photon emission computed tomography (DaT-SPECT) imaging was performed. In iRBD, phenoconversion risk of DaT-SPECT and CDTadj was evaluated using Cox regression adjusted for age and sex.

RESULTS

Median CDTadj was lower in PD (1.1 [interquartile range: 1.0-1.3]%) compared to controls (1.2 [1.1-1.6]%) (P = 0.001). In iRBD, median CDTadj was lower in subjects with abnormal (1.1 [0.9-1.3]%) than normal (1.3 [1.2-1.6]%) DaT-SPECT (P = 0.005). After a median 44-month follow-up, 20% of iRBD patients progressed to a manifest disease. Although iRBD converters and nonconverters did not significantly differ in CDTadj levels (P = 0.189), low CDTadj increased the risk of phenoconversion with hazard ratio 3.2 (P = 0.045) but did not refine the phenoconversion risk associated with abnormal DaT-SPECT yielding hazard ratio 15.8 (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Decreased serum CDTadj is associated with substantia nigra degeneration in synucleinopathies. iRBD patients with low CDTadj are more likely to phenoconvert to manifest disease. © 2022 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson Movement Disorder Society.

Glycomic and Glycoproteomic Techniques in Neurodegenerative Disorders and Neurotrauma: Towards Personalized Markers

The proteome represents all the proteins expressed by a genome, a cell, a tissue, or an organism at any given time under defined physiological or pathological circumstances. Proteomic analysis has provided unparalleled opportunities for the discovery of expression patterns of proteins in a biological system, yielding precise and inclusive data about the system. Advances in the proteomics field opened the door to wider knowledge of the mechanisms underlying various post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins, including glycosylation. As of yet, the role of most of these PTMs remains unidentified. In this state-of-the-art review, we present a synopsis of glycosylation processes and the pathophysiological conditions that might ensue secondary to glycosylation shortcomings. The dynamics of protein glycosylation, a crucial mechanism that allows gene and pathway regulation, is described. We also explain how-at a biomolecular level-mutations in glycosylation-related genes may lead to neuropsychiatric manifestations and neurodegenerative disorders. We then analyze the shortcomings of glycoproteomic studies, putting into perspective their downfalls and the different advanced enrichment techniques that emanated to overcome some of these challenges. Furthermore, we summarize studies tackling the association between glycosylation and neuropsychiatric disorders and explore glycoproteomic changes in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington disease, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We finally conclude with the role of glycomics in the area of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and provide perspectives on the clinical application of glycoproteomics as potential diagnostic tools and their application in personalized medicine.

Emerging roles of N-linked glycosylation in brain physiology and disorders

N-linked glycosylation is a complex, co- and post-translational series of events that connects metabolism to signaling in almost all cells. Metabolic assembly of N-linked glycans spans multiple cellular compartments, and early N-linked glycan biosynthesis is a central mediator of protein folding and the unfolded protein response (UPR). In the brain, N-linked glycosylated proteins participate in a myriad of processes, from electrical gradients to neurotransmission. However, it is less clear how perturbations in N-linked glycosylation impact and even potentially drive aspects of neurological disorders. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of the metabolic origins of N-linked glycans in the brain, their role in modulating neuronal function, and how aberrant N-linked glycosylation can drive neurological disorders.

Hypoxia/ischemia impairs CD33 (Siglec-3)/TREM2 signaling: Potential role in Alzheimer's pathogenesis

Recent genetic and molecular studies have indicated that the innate immune system, especially microglia, have a crucial role in the accumulation of β-amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In particular, the CD33 receptor, also called Siglec-3, inhibits the TREM2 receptor-induced phagocytic activity of microglia. CD33 receptors recognize the α2,3 and α2,6-linked sialic groups in tissue glycocalyx, especially sialylated gangliosides in human brain. The CD33 receptor triggers cell-type specific responses, e.g., in microglia, CD33 inhibits phagocytosis, whereas in natural killer cells, it inhibits the cytotoxic activity of the NKG2D receptor. Nonetheless, the regulation of the activity of CD33 receptor needs to be clarified. For example, it seems that hypoxia/ischemia, a potential cause of AD pathology, increases the expression of CD33 and its downstream target SHP-1, a tyrosine phosphatase which suppresses the phagocytosis driven by TREM2. Moreover, hypoxia/ischemia increases the deposition of sialylated gangliosides, e.g., GM1, GM2, GM3, and GD1, which are ligands for inhibitory CD33/Siglec-3 receptors. In addition, β-amyloid peptides bind to the sialylated gangliosides in raft-like clusters and subsequently these gangliosides act as seeds for the formation of β-amyloid plaques in AD pathology. It is known that senile plaques contain sialylated GM1, GM2, and GM3 gangliosides, i.e., the same species induced by hypoxia/ischemia treatment. Sialylated gangliosides in plaques might stimulate the CD33/Siglec-3 receptors of microglia and thus impede TREM2-driven phagocytosis. We propose that hypoxia/ischemia, e.g., via the accumulation of sialylated gangliosides, prevents the phagocytosis of β-amyloid deposits by inhibiting CD33/TREM2 signaling.

Tyrosine O-GalNAc Alters the Conformation and Proteolytic Susceptibility of APP Model Glycopeptides

The amyloid-β precursor protein (APP) undergoes proteolytic cleavage by α-, β-, and γ-secretases, to determine its fate in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis. Recent findings suggest a possible role of O-glycosylation in APP’s proteolytic processing. Therefore, we synthesized native and Swedish-double-mutated APP (glyco)peptides with Tyr⁶⁸¹-O-GalNAc. We studied conformational changes and proteolytic processing using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and enzyme cleavage assay, respectively. CD analysis was carried out in four solvent systems to evaluate peptide environment and O-glycosylation induced conformational changes. The Swedish mutation and Tyr⁶⁸¹-O-GalNAc were the key factors driving conformational changes. Furthermore, the level of α- and β-secretase activity was increased by the presence of mutation and this effect was more pronounced for its glycosylated analogues. Our results suggest that O-glycosylation of Tyr⁶⁸¹ can induce a conformational change in APP and affect its proteolytic processing fate toward the amyloidogenic pathway.

The significance of sialylation on the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease

Sialylation, one of the most common and complex modes of glycosylation, corresponds with the development of the infant brain and nervous system. The most prevalent neurodegenerative disease is Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is mainly characterized by cognitive decline and behavioral disorders. However, the relationship between sialylation and AD occurrence is poorly understood. In this article, we reviewed the role of sialylation on the occurrence and development of AD, then discussed the value of sialylation modification for AD diagnosis and treatment.

Genetic Variability in Molecular Pathways Implicated in Alzheimer's Disease: A Comprehensive Review

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease, affecting a significant part of the population. The majority of AD cases occur in the elderly with a typical age of onset of the disease above 65 years. AD presents a major burden for the healthcare system and since population is rapidly aging, the burden of the disease will increase in the future. However, no effective drug treatment for a full-blown disease has been developed to date. The genetic background of AD is extensively studied; numerous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified significant genes associated with increased risk of AD development. This review summarizes more than 100 risk loci. Many of them may serve as biomarkers of AD progression, even in the preclinical stage of the disease. Furthermore, we used GWAS data to identify key pathways of AD pathogenesis: cellular processes, metabolic processes, biological regulation, localization, transport, regulation of cellular processes, and neurological system processes. Gene clustering into molecular pathways can provide background for identification of novel molecular targets and may support the development of tailored and personalized treatment of AD.

Implications of Glycosylation in Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, affecting millions of people worldwide, and no cure is currently available. The major pathological hallmarks of AD are considered to be amyloid beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, generated by respectively APP processing and Tau phosphorylation. Recent evidence imply that glycosylation of these proteins, and a number of other AD-related molecules is altered in AD, suggesting a potential implication of this process in disease pathology. In this review we summarize the understanding of glycans in AD pathogenesis, and discuss how glycobiology can contribute to early diagnosis and treatment of AD, serving as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Furthermore, we look into the potential link between the emerging topic neuroinflammation and glycosylation, combining two interesting, and until recent years, understudied topics in the scope of AD. Lastly, we discuss how new model platforms such as induced pluripotent stem cells can be exploited and contribute to a better understanding of a rather unexplored area in AD.

Disrupted glycosylation of lipids and proteins is a cause of neurodegeneration

Glycosyltransferases represent a large family of enzymes that catalyse the biosynthesis of oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, and glycoconjugates. A number of studies have implicated glycosyltransferases in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases but differentiating cause from effect has been difficult. We have recently discovered that mutations proximal to the substrate binding site of glycosyltransferase 8 domain containing 1 (GLT8D1) are associated with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We demonstrated that ALS-associated mutations reduce activity of the enzyme suggesting a loss-of-function mechanism that is an attractive therapeutic target. Our work is the first evidence that isolated dysfunction of a glycosyltransferase is sufficient to cause a neurodegenerative disease, but connection between neurodegeneration and genetic variation within glycosyltransferases is not new. Previous studies have identified associations between mutations in UGT8 and sporadic ALS, and between ST6GAL1 mutations and conversion of mild cognitive impairment into clinical Alzheimer’s disease. In this review we consider potential mechanisms connecting glycosyltransferase dysfunction to neurodegeneration. The most prominent candidates are ganglioside synthesis and impaired addition of O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) groups to proteins important for axonal and synaptic function. Special consideration is given to examples where genetic mutations within glycosyltransferases are associated with neurodegeneration in recognition of the fact that these changes are likely to be upstream causes present from birth.

Majority of alpha2,6-sialylated glycans in the adult mouse brain exist in O-glycans: SALSA-MS analysis for knockout mice of alpha2,6-sialyltransferase genes

Sialic acids are unique sugars with negative charge and exert various biological functions such as regulation of immune systems, maintenance of nerve tissues and expression of malignant properties of cancers. Alpha 2,6 sialylated N-glycans, one of representative sialylation forms, are synthesized by St6gal1 or St6gal2 gene products in humans and mice. Previously, it has been reported that St6gal1 gene is ubiquitously expressed in almost all tissues. On the other hand, St6gal2 gene is expressed mainly in the embryonic and perinatal stages of brain tissues. However, roles of St6gal2 gene have not been clarified. Expression profiles of N-glycans with terminal α2,6 sialic acid generated by St6gal gene products in the brain have never been directly studied. Using conventional lectin blotting and novel sialic acid linkage-specific alkylamidationmass spectrometry method (SALSA-MS), we investigated the function and expression of St6gal genes and profiles of their products in the adult mouse brain by establishing KO mice lacking St6gal1 gene, St6gal2 gene, or both of them (double knockout). Consequently, α2,6-sialylated N-glycans were scarcely detected in adult mouse brain tissues, and a majority of α2,6-sialylated glycans found in the mouse brain were O-linked glycans. The majority of these α2,6-sialylated O-glycans were shown to be disialyl-T antigen and sialyl-(6)T antigen by mass spectrometry analysis. Moreover, it was revealed that a few α2,6-sialylated N-glycans were produced by the action of St6gal1 gene, despite both St6gal1 and St6gal2 genes being expressed in the adult mouse brain. In the future, where and how sialylated O-linked glycoproteins function in the brain tissue remains to be clarified.

The Role of APP O-Glycosylation in Alzheimer's Disease

The number of people with dementia is increasing rapidly due to the increase in the aging population. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a type of neurodegenerative dementia caused by the accumulation of abnormal proteins. Genetic mutations, smoking, and several other factors have been reported as causes of AD, but alterations in glycans have recently been demonstrated to play a role in AD. Amyloid-β (Aβ), a cleaved fragment of APP, is the source of senile plaque, a pathological feature of AD. APP has been reported to undergo N- and O-glycosylation, and several Polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferases (ppGalNAc-Ts) have been shown to have catalytic activity for the transfer of GalNAc to APP. Since O-glycosylation in the proximity of a cleavage site in many proteins has been reported to be involved in protein processing, O-glycans may affect the cleavage of APP during the Aβ production process. In this report, we describe new findings on the O-glycosylation of APP and Aβ production.

The Glucose Metabolic Pathway as A Potential Target for Therapeutics: Crucial Role of Glycosylation in Alzheimer's Disease

Glucose uptake in the brain decreases because of normal aging but this decline is accelerated in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients. In fact, positron emission tomography (PET) studies have shown that metabolic reductions in AD patients occur decades before the onset of symptoms, suggesting that metabolic deficits may be an upstream event in at least some late-onset cases. A decrease in availability of glucose content induces a considerable impairment/downregulation of glycosylation, which is an important post-translational modification. Glycosylation is an important and highly regulated mechanism of secondary protein processing within cells and it plays a crucial role in modulating stability of proteins, as carbohydrates are important in achieving the proper three-dimensional conformation of glycoproteins. Moreover, glycosylation acts as a metabolic sensor that links glucose metabolism to normal neuronal functioning. All the proteins involved in β-amyloid (Aβ) precursor protein metabolism have been identified as candidates of glycosylation highlighting the possibility that Aβ metabolism could be regulated by their glycosylation. Within this framework, the present review aims to summarize the current understanding on the role of glycosylation in the etiopathology of AD, emphasizing the idea that glucose metabolic pathway may represent an alternative therapeutic option for targeting AD. From this perspective, the pharmacological modulation of glycosylation levels may represent a ‘sweet approach’ to treat AD targeting new mechanisms independent of the amyloid cascade and with comparable impacts in familial and sporadic AD.

Amyloid precursor protein glycosylation is altered in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease

Background

The amyloid precursor protein (APP) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that undergoes alternative proteolytic processing. Its processing through the amyloidogenic pathway originates a large sAPPβ ectodomain fragment and the β-amyloid peptide, while non-amyloidogenic processing generates sAPPα and shorter non-fibrillar fragments. Hence, measuring sAPPα and sAPPβ has been proposed as a means to identify imbalances between the amyloidogenic/non-amyloidogenic pathways in the brain of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients. However, to date, no consistent changes in these proteolytic fragments have been identified in either the brain or cerebrospinal fluid of AD individuals.

Methods

In frontal cortex homogenates from AD patients (n = 7) and non-demented controls (NDC; n = 7), the expression of total APP mRNA and that of the APP isoforms generated by alternative splicing, APP695 and APP containing the Kunitz protease inhibitor (KPI), was analyzed by qRT-PCR using TaqMan and SYBR Green probes. The balance between the amyloidogenic/non-amyloidogenic pathways was examined in western blots estimating the sAPPα and sAPPβ fragments and their membrane-tethered C-terminal fragments CTFα and CTFβ. CHO-PS70 cells, stably over-expressing wild-type human APP, served to evaluate whether Aβ42 peptide treatment results in altered APP glycosylation. We determined the glycosylation pattern of sAPPα and sAPPβ in brain extracts and CHO-PS70 culture media by lectin-binding assays.

Results

In the cortex of AD patients, we detected an increase in total APP mRNA relative to the controls, due to an increase in both the APP695 and APP-KPI variants. However, the sAPPα or sAPPβ protein levels remained unchanged, as did those of CTFα and CTFβ. We studied the glycosylation of the brain sAPPα and sAPPβ using lectins and pan-specific antibodies to discriminate between the fragments originated from neuronal APP695 and glial/KPI variants. Lectin binding identified differences in the glycosylation of sAPPβ species derived from the APP695 and APP-KPI variants, probably reflecting their distinct cellular origin. Moreover, the lectin-binding pattern differed in the sAPPα and sAPPβ originated from all the variants. Finally, when the lectin-binding pattern was compared between AD and NDC groups, significant differences were evident in sAPPα glycosylation. Lectin binding of the soluble sAPPα and sAPPβ from CHO-PS70 cells were also altered in cells treated with the Aβ peptide.

Conclusion

Our analysis of the lectin binding to sAPPα and sAPPβ suggests that glycosylation dictates the proteolytic pathway for APP processing. Differences between the demented and controls indicate that changes in glycosylation may influence the generation of the different APP fragments and, consequently, the pathological progression of AD.

Early Stage Glycosylation Biomarkers in Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is of great cause for concern in our ageing population, which currently lacks diagnostic tools to permit accurate and timely diagnosis for affected individuals. The development of such tools could enable therapeutic interventions earlier in the disease course and thus potentially reducing the debilitating effects of AD. Glycosylation is a common, and important, post translational modification of proteins implicated in a host of disease states resulting in a complex array of glycans being incorporated into biomolecules. Recent investigations of glycan profiles, in a wide range of conditions, has been made possible due to technological advances in the field enabling accurate glycoanalyses. Amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides, tau protein, and other important proteins involved in AD pathogenesis, have altered glycosylation profiles. Crucially, these abnormalities present early in the disease state, are present in the peripheral blood, and help to distinguish AD from other dementias. This review describes the aberrant glycome in AD, focusing on proteins implicated in development and progression, and elucidates the potential of glycome aberrations as early stage biomarkers of AD.

Proteomics Approaches for Biomarker and Drug Target Discovery in ALS and FTD

Neurodegenerative disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are increasing in prevalence but lack targeted therapeutics. Although the pathological mechanisms behind these diseases remain unclear, both ALS and FTD are characterized pathologically by aberrant protein aggregation and inclusion formation within neurons, which correlates with neurodegeneration. Notably, aggregation of several key proteins, including TAR DNA binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43), superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), and tau, have been implicated in these diseases. Proteomics methods are being increasingly applied to better understand disease-related mechanisms and to identify biomarkers of disease, using model systems as well as human samples. Proteomics-based approaches offer unbiased, high-throughput, and quantitative results with numerous applications for investigating proteins of interest. Here, we review recent advances in the understanding of ALS and FTD pathophysiology obtained using proteomics approaches, and we assess technical and experimental limitations. We compare findings from various mass spectrometry (MS) approaches including quantitative proteomics methods such as stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) and tandem mass tagging (TMT) to approaches such as label-free quantitation (LFQ) and sequential windowed acquisition of all theoretical fragment ion mass spectra (SWATH-MS) in studies of ALS and FTD. Similarly, we describe disease-related protein-protein interaction (PPI) studies using approaches including immunoprecipitation mass spectrometry (IP-MS) and proximity-dependent biotin identification (BioID) and discuss future application of new techniques including proximity-dependent ascorbic acid peroxidase labeling (APEX), and biotinylation by antibody recognition (BAR). Furthermore, we explore the use of MS to detect post-translational modifications (PTMs), such as ubiquitination and phosphorylation, of disease-relevant proteins in ALS and FTD. We also discuss upstream technologies that enable enrichment of proteins of interest, highlighting the contributions of new techniques to isolate disease-relevant protein inclusions including flow cytometric analysis of inclusions and trafficking (FloIT). These recently developed approaches, as well as related advances yet to be applied to studies of these neurodegenerative diseases, offer numerous opportunities for discovery of potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers for ALS and FTD.

CD2-associated protein (CD2AP) overexpression accelerates amyloid precursor protein (APP) transfer from early endosomes to the lysosomal degradation pathway

A hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology is the appearance of senile plaques, which are composed of β-amyloid (Aβ) peptides. Aβ is produced by sequential cleavages of amyloid precursor protein (APP) by β- and γ-secretases. These cleavages take place in endosomes during intracellular trafficking of APP through the endocytic and recycling pathways. Genome-wide association studies have identified several risk factors for late-onset AD, one of which is CD2-associated protein (CD2AP), an adaptor molecule that regulates membrane trafficking. Although CD2AP's involvement in APP trafficking has recently been reported, how APP trafficking is regulated remains unclear. We sought to address this question by investigating the effect of CD2AP overexpression or knockdown on the intracellular APP distribution and degradation of APP in cultured COS-7 and HEK293 cells. We found that overexpression of CD2AP increases the localization of APP to Rab7-positive late endosomes, and decreases its localization to Rab5-positive early endosomes. CD2AP overexpression accelerated the onset of APP degradation without affecting its degradation rate. Furthermore, nutrient starvation increased the localization of APP to Rab7-positive late endosomes, and CD2AP overexpression stimulated starvation-induced lysosomal APP degradation. Moreover, the effect of CD2AP on the degradation of APP was confirmed by CD2AP overexpression and knockdown in primary cortical neurons from mice. We conclude that CD2AP accelerates the transfer of APP from early to late endosomes. This transfer in localization stimulates APP degradation by reducing the amount of time before degradation initiation. Taken together, these results may explain why impaired CD2AP function is a risk factor for AD.

Transfer of Functional Cargo in Exomeres

Exomeres are a recently discovered type of extracellular nanoparticle with no known biological function. Herein, we describe a simple ultracentrifugation-based method for separation of exomeres from exosomes. Exomeres are enriched in Argonaute 1-3 and amyloid precursor protein. We identify distinct functions of exomeres mediated by two of their cargo, the β-galactoside α2,6-sialyltransferase 1 (ST6Gal-I) that α2,6- sialylates N-glycans, and the EGFR ligand, amphiregulin (AREG). Functional ST6Gal-I in exomeres can be transferred to cells, resulting in hypersialylation of recipient cell-surface proteins including β1-integrin. AREG-containing exomeres elicit prolonged EGFR and downstream signaling in recipient cells, modulate EGFR trafficking in normal intestinal organoids, and dramatically enhance the growth of colonic tumor organoids. This study provides a simplified method of exomere isolation and demonstrates that exomeres contain and can transfer functional cargo. These findings underscore the heterogeneity of nanoparticles and should accelerate advances in determining the composition and biological functions of exomeres.

Glycosylated amyloid-like proteins in the structural extracellular polymers of aerobic granular sludge enriched with ammonium-oxidizing bacteria

A new type of structural extracellular polymers (EPS) was extracted from aerobic granular sludge dominated by ammonium-oxidizing bacteria. It was analyzed by Raman and FTIR spectroscopy to characterize specific amino acids and protein secondary structure, and by SDS-PAGE with different stains to identify different glycoconjugates. Its intrinsic fluorescence was captured to visualize the location of the extracted EPS in the nitrifying granules, and its hydrogel-forming property was studied by rheometry. The extracted EPS is abundant with cross ß-sheet secondary structure, contains glycosylated proteins/polypeptides, and rich in tryptophan. It forms hydrogel with high mechanical strength. The extraction and discovery of glycosylated proteins and/or amyloids further shows that conventionally used extraction and characterization techniques are not adequate for the study of structural extracellular polymers in biofilms and/or granular sludge. Confirming amyloids secondary structure in such a complex sample is challengeable due to the possibility of amyloids glycosylation and self-assembly. A new definition of extracellular polymers components which includes glycosylated proteins and a better approach to studying them is required to stimulate biofilm research.

Fighting the Cause of Alzheimer's and GNE Myopathy

Age is the common risk factor for both neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases. Alzheimer disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disorder, causes dementia with age progression while GNE myopathy (GNEM), a neuromuscular disorder, causes muscle degeneration and loss of muscle motor movement with age. Individuals with mutations in presenilin or amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene develop AD while mutations in GNE (UDP N-acetylglucosamine 2 epimerase/N-acetyl Mannosamine kinase), key sialic acid biosynthesis enzyme, cause GNEM. Although GNEM is characterized with degeneration of muscle cells, it is shown to have similar disease hallmarks like aggregation of Aβ and accumulation of phosphorylated tau and other misfolded proteins in muscle cell similar to AD. Similar impairment in cellular functions have been reported in both disorders such as disruption of cytoskeletal network, changes in glycosylation pattern, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, upregulation of chaperones, unfolded protein response in ER, autophagic vacuoles, cell death, and apoptosis. Interestingly, AD and GNEM are the two diseases with similar phenotypic condition affecting neuron and muscle, respectively, resulting in entirely different pathology. This review represents a comparative outlook of AD and GNEM that could lead to target common mechanism to find a plausible therapeutic for both the diseases.

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms are associated with cognitive decline at Alzheimer's disease conversion within mild cognitive impairment patients

INTRODUCTION

The growing public threat of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has raised the urgency to quantify the degree of cognitive decline during the conversion process of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to AD and its underlying genetic pathway. The aim of this article was to test genetic common variants associated with accelerated cognitive decline after the conversion of MCI to AD.

METHODS

In 583 subjects with MCI enrolled in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI; ADNI-1, ADNI-Go, and ADNI-2), 245 MCI participants converted to AD at follow-up. We tested the interaction effects between individual single-nucleotide polymorphisms and AD diagnosis trajectory on the longitudinal Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognition scores.

RESULTS

Our findings reveal six genes, including BDH1, ST6GAL1, RAB20, PDS5B, ADARB2, and SPSB1, which are directly or indirectly related to MCI conversion to AD.

DISCUSSION

This genome-wide association study sheds light on a genetic mechanism of longitudinal cognitive changes during the transition period from MCI to AD.

Cholinergic System and Post-translational Modifications: An Insight on the Role in Alzheimer's Disease

BACKGROUND

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of old age dementia. The formation of amyloid plaques (Aβ), neurofibrillary tangles and loss of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons are the hallmark events in the pathology of AD.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Cholinergic system is one of the most important neurotransmitter system involved in learning and memory which preferentially degenerates in the initial stages of AD. Activation of cholinergic receptors (muscarinic and nicotinic) activates multiple pathways which result in post translational modifications (PTMs) in multiple proteins which bring changes in nervous system. Cholinergic receptors-mediated PTMs "in-part" substantially affect the biosynthesis, proteolysis, degradation and expression of many proteins and in particular, amyloid precursor protein (APP). APP is subjected to several PTMs (proteolytic processing, glycosylation, sulfation, and phosphorylation) during its course of processing, resulting in Aβ deposition, leading to AD. Aβ also alters the PTMs of tau which is a microtubule associated protein. Therefore, post-translationally modified tau and Aβ collectively aggravate the neuronal loss that leads to cholinergic hypofunction.

CONCLUSION

Despite the accumulating evidences, the interaction between cholinergic neurotransmission and the physiological significance of PTM events remain speculative and still needs further exploration. This review focuses on the role of cholinergic system and discusses the significance of PTMs in pathological progression of AD and highlights some important future directions.

Analysis of Amyloid Precursor Protein Function in Drosophila melanogaster

The Amyloid precursor protein (APP) has mainly been investigated in connection with its role in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) due to its cleavage resulting in the production of the Aβ peptides that accumulate in the plaques characteristic for this disease. However, APP is an evolutionary conserved protein that is not only found in humans but also in many other species, including Drosophila, suggesting an important physiological function. Besides Aβ, several other fragments are produced by the cleavage of APP; large secreted fragments derived from the N-terminus and a small intracellular C-terminal fragment. Although these fragments have received much less attention than Aβ, a picture about their function is finally emerging. In contrast to mammals, which express three APP family members, Drosophila expresses only one APP protein called APP-like or APPL. Therefore APPL functions can be studied in flies without the complication that other APP family members may have redundant functions. Flies lacking APPL are viable but show defects in neuronal outgrowth in the central and peripheral nervous system (PNS) in addition to synaptic changes. Furthermore, APPL has been connected with axonal transport functions. In the adult nervous system, APPL, and more specifically its secreted fragments, can protect neurons from degeneration. APPL cleavage also prevents glial death. Lastly, APPL was found to be involved in behavioral deficits and in regulating sleep/activity patterns. This review, will describe the role of APPL in neuronal development and maintenance and briefly touch on its emerging function in circadian rhythms while an accompanying review will focus on its role in learning and memory formation.

Glycation vs. glycosylation: a tale of two different chemistries and biology in Alzheimer's disease

In our previous studies, we reported that the activity of an anti-oxidant enzyme, Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn-SOD) became decreased as the result of glycation in vitro and in vivo. Glycated Cu,Zn-SOD produces hydroxyl radicals in the presence of transition metals due to the formation of a Schiff base adduct and a subsequent Amadori product. This results in the site-specific cleavage of the molecule, followed by random fragmentation. The glycation of other anti-oxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin reductase results in a loss or decrease in enzyme activity under pathological conditions, resulting in oxidative stress. The inactivation of anti-oxidant enzymes induces oxidative stress in aging, diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders. It is well known that the levels of Amadori products and N(e)-(carboxylmethyl)lysine (CML) and other carbonyl compounds are increased in diabetes, a situation that will be discussed by the other authors in this special issue. We and others, reported that the glycation products accumulate in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients as well as in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), suggesting that glycation plays a pivotal role in the development of AD. We also showed that enzymatic glycosylation is implicated in the pathogenesis of AD and that oxidative stress is also important in this process. Specific types of glycosylation reactions were found to be up- or downregulated in AD patients, and key AD-related molecules including the amyloid-precursor protein (APP), tau, and APP-cleaving enzymes were shown to be functionally modified as the result of glycosylation. These results suggest that glycation as well as glycosylation are involved in oxidative stress that is associated with aging, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases such as AD.

Glycosylation and other PTMs alterations in neurodegenerative diseases: Current status and future role in neurotrauma

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) present a chief public health threat affecting nations worldwide. As numbers of patients afflicted by TBI are expected to rise, the necessity to increase our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanism(s) as a result of TBI mounts. TBI is known to augment the risk of developing a number of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Hence, it is rational to assume that a common mechanistic ground links the pathophysiology of NDs to that of TBIs. Through this review, we aim to identify the protein-protein interactions, differential proteins expression, and PTMs, mainly glycosylation, that are involved in the pathogenesis of both ND and TBI. OVID and PubMed have been rigorously searched to identify studies that utilized advanced proteomic platforms (MS based) and systems biology tools to unfold the mechanism(s) behind ND in an attempt to unveil the mysterious biological processes that occur postinjury. Various PTMs have been found to be common between TBI and AD, whereas no similarities have been found between TBI and PD. Phosphorylated tau protein, glycosylated amyloid precursor protein, and many other modifications appear to be common in both TBI and AD. PTMs, differential protein profiles, and altered biological pathways appear to have critical roles in ND processes by interfering with their pathological condition in a manner similar to TBI. Advancement in glycoproteomic studies pertaining to ND and TBI is urgently needed in order to develop better diagnostic tools, therapies, and more favorable prognoses.

HNK-1 Carrier Glycoproteins Are Decreased in the Alzheimer's Disease Brain

The human natural killer-1 (HNK-1), 3-sulfonated glucuronic acid, is a glycoepitope marker of cell adhesion that participates in cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions and in neurite growth. Very little is known about the regulation of the HNK-1 glycan in neurodegenerative disease, particularly in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we investigate changes in the levels of HNK-1 carrier glycoproteins in AD. We demonstrate an overall decrease in HNK-1 immunoreactivity in glycoproteins extracted from the frontal cortex of AD subjects, compared with levels from non-demented controls (NDC). Immunoblotting of ventricular post-mortem and lumbar ante-mortem cerebrospinal fluid with HNK-1 antibodies indicate similar levels of carrier glycoproteins in AD and NDC samples. Decrease in HNK-1 carrier glycoproteins were not paralleled by changes in messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of the enzymes involved in the synthesis of the glycoepitope, β-1,4-galactosyltransferase (β4GalT), glucuronyltransferases GlcAT-P and GlcAT-S, or sulfotransferase HNK-1ST. Over-expression of amyloid precursor protein in Tg2576 transgenic mice and in vitro treatment of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells with the amyloidogenic Aβ42 peptide resulted in a decrease in HNK-1 immunoreactivity levels in brain and cellular extracts, whereas the levels of soluble HNK-1 glycoproteins detected in culture media were not affected by Aβ treatment. HNK-1 levels remain unaffected in the brain extracts of Tg-VLW mice, a model of mutant hyperphosphorylated tau, and in SH-SY5Y cells over-expressing hyperphosphorylated wild-type tau. These results provide evidence that cellular levels of HNK-1 carrier glycoforms are decreased in the brain of AD subjects, probably influenced by the β-amyloid protein.

The α2,3-sialyltransferase encoded by myxoma virus is a virulence factor that contributes to immunosuppression

Myxoma virus (MYXV) induces a lethal disease called Myxomatosis in European rabbits. MYXV is one of the rare viruses that encodes an α2,3-sialyltransferase through its M138L gene. In this study, we showed that although the absence of the enzyme was not associated with any in vitro deficit, the M138L deficient strains are highly attenuated in vivo. Indeed, while all rabbits infected with the parental and the revertant strains died within 9 days post-infection from severe myxomatosis, all but one rabbit inoculated with the M138L deficient strains survived the infection. In primary lesions, this resistance to the infection was associated with an increased ability of innate immune cells, mostly neutrophils, to migrate to the site of virus replication at 4 days post-infection. This was followed by the development of a better specific immune response against MYXV. Indeed, at day 9 post-infection, we observed an important proliferation of lymphocytes and an intense congestion of blood vessels in lymph nodes after M138L knockouts infection. Accordingly, in these rabbits, we observed an intense mononuclear cell infiltration throughout the dermis in primary lesions and higher titers of neutralizing antibodies. Finally, this adaptive immune response provided protection to these surviving rabbits against a challenge with the MYXV WT strain. Altogether, these results show that expression of the M138L gene contributes directly or indirectly to immune evasion by MYXV. In the future, these results could help us to better understand the pathogenesis of myxomatosis but also the importance of glycans in regulation of immune responses.

Lysosomal NEU1 deficiency affects amyloid precursor protein levels and amyloid-β secretion via deregulated lysosomal exocytosis

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) belongs to a category of adult neurodegenerative conditions which are associated with intracellular and extracellular accumulation of neurotoxic protein aggregates. Understanding how these aggregates are formed, secreted and propagated by neurons has been the subject of intensive research, but so far no preventive or curative therapy for AD is available and clinical trials have been largely unsuccessful. Here we show that deficiency of the lysosomal sialidase NEU1 leads to the spontaneous occurrence of an AD-like amyloidogenic process in mice. This involves two consecutive events linked to NEU1 loss-of-function – accumulation and amyloidogenic processing of an oversialylated amyloid precursor protein in lysosomes, and extracellular release of Aβ-peptides by excessive lysosomal exocytosis. Furthermore, cerebral injection of NEU1 in an established AD mouse model substantially reduces β-amyloid plaques. Our findings identify an additional pathway for the secretion of Aβ and define NEU1 as a potential therapeutic molecule for AD.

The role of protein glycosylation in Alzheimer disease

Glycosylation is one of the most common, and the most complex, forms of post-translational modification of proteins. This review serves to highlight the role of protein glycosylation in Alzheimer disease (AD), a topic that has not been thoroughly investigated, although glycosylation defects have been observed in AD patients. The major pathological hallmarks in AD are neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques. Neurofibrillary tangles are composed of phosphorylated tau, and the plaques are composed of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ), which is generated from amyloid precursor protein (APP). Defects in glycosylation of APP, tau and other proteins have been reported in AD. Another interesting observation is that the two proteases required for the generation of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ), i.e. γ-secretase and β-secretase, also have roles in protein glycosylation. For instance, γ-secretase and β-secretase affect the extent of complex N-glycosylation and sialylation of APP, respectively. These processes may be important in AD pathogenesis, as proper intracellular sorting, processing and export of APP are affected by how it is glycosylated. Furthermore, lack of one of the key components of γ-secretase, presenilin, leads to defective glycosylation of many additional proteins that are related to AD pathogenesis and/or neuronal function, including nicastrin, reelin, butyrylcholinesterase, cholinesterase, neural cell adhesion molecule, v-ATPase, and tyrosine-related kinase B. Improved understanding of the effects of AD on protein glycosylation, and vice versa, may therefore be important for improving the diagnosis and treatment of AD patients.

Soluble amyloid precursor protein 770 is a novel biomarker candidate for acute coronary syndrome

Most Alzheimer disease patients show deposition of amyloid β (Aβ) peptide in blood vessels as well as the brain parenchyma. We previously found that vascular endothelial cells express amyloid β precursor protein (APP) 770, a different APP isoform from neuronal APP695, and that they produce amyloid β peptide. We analyzed the glycosylation of APP770 and found that O-glycosylated sAPP770 is preferentially processed by proteases for Aβ production. Because the soluble APP cleavage product sAPP is considered to be a possible marker for Alzheimer disease diagnosis, sAPP, consisting of a mixture of these variants, has been widely measured. We hypothesized that measurement of the endothelial APP770 cleavage product in patients separately from that of neuronal APP695 would enable us to discriminate between endothelial and neurological dysfunctions. Our recent findings, showing that the level of plasma sAPP770 is significantly higher in patients with acute coronary syndrome, raise the possibility that sAPP770 could be an indicator of endothelial dysfunction. In this review, we first describe the expression, glycosylation, and processing of APP770, and then discuss sAPP770 as a novel biomarker candidate of acute coronary syndrome.

Beta-amyloid impairs reelin signaling

Reelin is a signaling protein increasingly associated with the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease that relevantly modulates tau phosphorylation. We have previously demonstrated that β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) alters reelin expression. We have now attempted to determine whether abnormal reelin triggered by Aβ will result in signaling malfunction, contributing to the pathogenic process. Here, we show that reelin forms induced by β-amyloid are less capable of down-regulating tau phosphorylation via disabled-1 and GSK3β kinase. We also demonstrate that the scaffold protein 14-3-3 that increases tau phosphorylation by modulating GSK3β activity, is up-regulated during defective reelin signaling. Binding of reelin to its receptor, mainly ApoER2 in the brain, relays the signal into the cell. We associate the impaired reelin signaling with inefficiency of reelin in forming active homodimers and decreased ability to bind efficiently to its receptor, ApoER2. More remarkably, reelin from Alzheimer cortex shows a tendency to form large complexes instead of homodimers, the active form for signaling. Our results suggest that reelin expression is altered by Aβ leading to impaired reelin signaling.

Lectin chromatography/mass spectrometry discovery workflow identifies putative biomarkers of aggressive breast cancers

We used a lectin chromatography/MS-based approach to screen conditioned medium from a panel of luminal (less aggressive) and triple negative (more aggressive) breast cancer cell lines (n=5/subtype). The samples were fractionated using the lectins Aleuria aurantia (AAL) and Sambucus nigra agglutinin (SNA), which recognize fucose and sialic acid, respectively. The bound fractions were enzymatically N-deglycosylated and analyzed by LC-MS/MS. In total, we identified 533 glycoproteins, ∼90% of which were components of the cell surface or extracellular matrix. We observed 1011 glycosites, 100 of which were solely detected in ≥3 triple negative lines. Statistical analyses suggested that a number of these glycosites were triple negative-specific and thus potential biomarkers for this tumor subtype. An analysis of RNaseq data revealed that approximately half of the mRNAs encoding the protein scaffolds that carried potential biomarker glycosites were up-regulated in triple negative vs luminal cell lines, and that a number of genes encoding fucosyl- or sialyltransferases were differentially expressed between the two subtypes, suggesting that alterations in glycosylation may also drive candidate identification. Notably, the glycoproteins from which these putative biomarker candidates were derived are involved in cancer-related processes. Thus, they may represent novel therapeutic targets for this aggressive tumor subtype.

Analysis of amyloid precursor protein function in Drosophila melanogaster

Amyloid precursor proteins (APPs) are evolutionary conserved from nematodes to man (Jacobsen and Iverfeldt in Cell Mol Life Sci 66:2299-2318, 2009) suggesting an important physiological function of these proteins. Human APP is a key factor in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease because its proteolytic processing results in the production of the neurotoxic Aβ-peptide, which accumulates in the amyloid plaques characteristic for this disease (Selkoe in Physiol Rev 81(2):741-766, 2001). However, the processing also leads to the production of several other fragments and the role of these products, as well as the function of the full-length protein is so far not well understood. The functional analysis of APP in vertebrates has been hampered by the fact that two close relatives, APLP1 and APLP2, exist and that knock-out mice for APP only show subtle defects. In contrast, invertebrates like Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila express only one APP-like protein but whereas a null mutation in the C. elegans APL-1 protein is lethal, flies lacking APPL (Amyloid Precursor Protein-like) are viable but show synaptic defects and behavioral abnormalities. Together with the analyses of flies that express APP proteins ectoptically or xenotopically, these studies show that APP proteins are involved in neuronal differentiation, neuritic outgrowth, and synapse formation. In addition, they play a role in long-term memory formation and maintaining brain integrity in adult flies.

The novel membrane protein TMEM59 modulates complex glycosylation, cell surface expression, and secretion of the amyloid precursor protein

Ectodomain shedding of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by the two proteases alpha- and beta-secretase is a key regulatory event in the generation of the Alzheimer disease amyloid beta peptide (Abeta). At present, little is known about the cellular mechanisms that control APP shedding and Abeta generation. Here, we identified a novel protein, transmembrane protein 59 (TMEM59), as a new modulator of APP shedding. TMEM59 was found to be a ubiquitously expressed, Golgi-localized protein. TMEM59 transfection inhibited complex N- and O-glycosylation of APP in cultured cells. Additionally, TMEM59 induced APP retention in the Golgi and inhibited Abeta generation as well as APP cleavage by alpha- and beta-secretase cleavage, which occur at the plasma membrane and in the endosomes, respectively. Moreover, TMEM59 inhibited the complex N-glycosylation of the prion protein, suggesting a more general modulation of Golgi glycosylation reactions. Importantly, TMEM59 did not affect the secretion of soluble proteins or the alpha-secretase like shedding of tumor necrosis factor alpha, demonstrating that TMEM59 did not disturb the general Golgi function. The phenotype of TMEM59 transfection on APP glycosylation and shedding was similar to the one observed in cells lacking conserved oligomeric Golgi (COG) proteins COG1 and COG2. Both proteins are required for normal localization and activity of Golgi glycosylation enzymes. In summary, this study shows that TMEM59 expression modulates complex N- and O-glycosylation and suggests that TMEM59 affects APP shedding by reducing access of APP to the cellular compartments, where it is normally cleaved by alpha- and beta-secretase.

Amyloid precursor protein and its homologues: a family of proteolysis-dependent receptors

The Alzheimer's amyloid precursor protein (APP) belongs to a conserved gene family that also includes the mammalian APLP1 and APLP2, the Drosophila APPL, and the C. elegans APL-1. The biological function of APP is still not fully clear. However, it is known that the APP family proteins have redundant and partly overlapping functions, which demonstrates the importance of studying all APP family members to gain a more complete picture. When APP was first cloned, it was speculated that it could function as a receptor. This theory has been further substantiated by studies showing that APP and its homologues bind both extracellular ligands and intracellular adaptor proteins. The APP family proteins undergo regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP), generating secreted and cytoplasmic fragments that have been ascribed different functions. In this review, we will discuss the APP family with focus on biological functions, binding partners, and regulated processing.

Inhibition by KMI-574 leads to dislocalization of BACE1 from lipid rafts

BACE1 initiates processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) in the production of amyloid beta (Abeta) peptide. After beta-cleavage by BACE1, the C-terminal stub of the APP fragment is further processed by the gamma-secretase complex to produce Abeta. Because APP, Abeta, the gamma-secretase complex, and BACE1 are found in lipid raft membranes, Abeta production is widely accepted to occur in lipid rafts. However, whether BACE1 is activated within the rafts is unclear. To analyze the relationship between the activity and the localization of BACE1, we used a new BACE1 inhibitor, KMI-574, and separated raft membranes on sucrose density gradients. In the presence of KMI-574, the localization of BACE1 shifted from the rafts to nonraft membranes in HEK293 cells. We also analyzed the proteolytically inactive mutants, D93A, D289A, and D93A/D289A, of BACE1. These mutants also moved from rafts to nonrafts, and the D93A/D289A double-mutant localized exclusively to nonraft membranes. The mutants were defective in maturation by glynosylation and formed hyperoligomers, suggesting that the BACE1 oligomers could not exit from the ER and be transported to the Golgi apparatus. Our findings suggest that the activated conformation of BACE1 is important for protein transport and localization to lipid rafts.

Improvement of cerebral function by anti-amyloid precursor protein antibody infusion after traumatic brain injury in rats

We previously demonstrated the increased amyloid precursor protein (APP) immunoreactivity around the site of damage after traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the function of APP after TBI has not been evaluated. In this study, we investigated the effects of direct infusion of an anti-APP antibody into the damaged brain region on cerebral function and morphological changes following TBI in rats. Three days after TBI, there were many TUNEL-positive neurons and astrocytes around the damaged region and a significantly greater number of TUNEL-positive cells in the PBS group compared with the anti-APP group found. Seven days after TBI, there were significantly a greater number of large glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive cells, long elongated projections, and microtubule-associated protein-2-positive cells around the damaged region in the anti-APP group compared with the PBS group found. Seven days after TBI, the region of brain damage was significantly smaller and the time to arrival at a platform was significantly shorter in the anti-APP group compared with the PBS group. Furthermore, after TBI in the anti-APP group, the time to arrival at the platform recovered to that observed in uninjured sham operation group rats. These data suggest that the overproduction of APP after TBI inhibits astrocyte activity and reduces neural cell survival around the damaged brain region, which speculatively may be related to the induction of Alzheimer disease-type dementia after TBI.