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Stanciu GD, Ababei DC, Rusu RN, Bild V, Tamba BI. Exploring the Involvement of the Amyloid Precursor Protein A673T Mutation against Amyloid Pathology and Alzheimer's Disease in Relation to Therapeutic Editing Tools. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:1270. [PMID: 35745842 PMCID: PMC9228826 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14061270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is biologically defined as a complex neurodegenerative condition with a multilayered nature that leads to a progressive decline in cognitive function and irreversible neuronal loss. It is one of the primary diseases among elderly individuals. With an increasing incidence and a high failure rate for pharmaceutical options that are merely symptom-targeting and supportive with many side effects, there is an urgent need for alternative strategies. Despite extensive knowledge on the molecular basis of AD, progress concerning effective disease-modifying therapies has proven to be a challenge. The ability of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system to help identify target molecules or to generate new preclinical disease models could shed light on the pathogenesis of AD and provide promising therapeutic possibilities. Here, we sought to highlight the current understanding of the involvement of the A673T mutation in amyloid pathology, focusing on its roles in protective mechanisms against AD, in relation to the recent status of available therapeutic editing tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Dumitrita Stanciu
- Advanced Research and Development Center for Experimental Medicine (CEMEX), Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (G.D.S.); (B.-I.T.)
| | - Daniela Carmen Ababei
- Pharmacodynamics and Clinical Pharmacy Department, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (R.N.R.); (V.B.)
| | - Razvan Nicolae Rusu
- Pharmacodynamics and Clinical Pharmacy Department, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (R.N.R.); (V.B.)
| | - Veronica Bild
- Pharmacodynamics and Clinical Pharmacy Department, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (R.N.R.); (V.B.)
| | - Bogdan-Ionel Tamba
- Advanced Research and Development Center for Experimental Medicine (CEMEX), Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania; (G.D.S.); (B.-I.T.)
- Department of Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology and Algesiology, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
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2
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The Protective A673T Mutation of Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) in Alzheimer's Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2021; 58:4038-4050. [PMID: 33914267 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-021-02385-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by extracellular amyloid beta peptides and neurofibrillary tangles consisted of intracellular hyperphosphorylated Tau in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. Most of the mutations in key genes that code for amyloid precursor protein can lead to significant accumulation of these peptides in the brain and cause Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, some point mutations in amyloid precursor protein can cause familial Alzheimer's disease, such as Swedish mutation (KM670/671NL) and A673V mutation. However, recent studies have found that the A673T mutation in amyloid precursor protein gene can protect against Alzheimer's disease, even if it is located next to the Swedish mutation (KM670/671NL) and at the same site as A673V mutation, which are pathogenic. It makes us curious about the protective A673T mutation. Here, we summarize the most recent insights of A673T mutation, focus on their roles in protective mechanisms against Alzheimer's disease, and discuss their involvement in future treatment.
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Aggarwal L, Biswas P. Hydration Thermodynamics of the N-Terminal FAD Mutants of Amyloid-β. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:298-310. [PMID: 33440932 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c01286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The hydration thermodynamics of amyloid-β (Aβ) and its pathogenic familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) mutants such as A2V, Taiwan (D7H), Tottori (D7N), and English (H6R) and the protective A2T mutant is investigated by a combination of all-atom, explicit water molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and the three-dimensional reference interaction site model (3D-RISM) theory. The change in the hydration free energy on mutation is decomposed into the energetic and entropic components, which comprise electrostatic and nonelectrostatic contributions. An increase in the hydration free energy is observed for A2V, D7H, D7N, and H6R mutations that increase the aggregation propensity of Aβ and lead to an early onset of Alzheimer's disease, while a reverse trend is noted for the protective A2T mutation. An antiphase correlation is found between the change in the hydration energy and the internal energy of Aβ upon mutation. A residue-wise decomposition analysis shows that the change in the hydration free energy of Aβ on mutation is primarily due to the hydration/dehydration of the side-chain atoms of the negatively charged residues. The decrease in the hydration of the negatively charged residues on mutation may decrease the solubility of the mutant, which increases the observed aggregation propensity of the FAD mutants. Results obtained from the theory show an excellent match with the experimentally reported data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leena Aggarwal
- Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India
| | - Parbati Biswas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India
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Kedia S, Ramakrishna P, Netrakanti PR, Jose M, Sibarita JB, Nadkarni S, Nair D. Real-time nanoscale organization of amyloid precursor protein. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:8200-8215. [PMID: 32255447 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr00052c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Despite an intuitive understanding of the role of APP in health and disease, there exist few attempts to dissect its molecular localization at excitatory synapses. Though the biochemistry involved in the enzymatic processing of APP is well understood, there is a void in understanding the nonuniformity of the product formation in vivo. Here, we employed multiple paradigms of single molecules and ensemble based nanoscopic imaging to reveal that APP molecules are organized into regulatory nanodomains that are differentially compartmentalized in the functional zones of an excitatory synapse. Furthermore, with the aid of high density single particle tracking, we show that the lateral diffusion of APP in live cells dictates an equilibrium between these nanodomains and their nano-environment, which is affected in a detrimental variant of APP. Additionally, we incorporate this spatio-temporal detail 'in silico' to generate a realistic nanoscale topography of APP in dendrites and synapses. This approach uncovers a nanoscale heterogeneity in the molecular organization of APP, depicting a locus for differential APP processing. This holistic paradigm, to decipher the real-time heterogeneity of the substrate molecules on the nanoscale, could enable us to better evaluate the molecular constraints overcoming the ensemble approaches used traditionally to understand the kinetics of product formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shekhar Kedia
- Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
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5
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Rozpędek-Kamińska W, Siwecka N, Wawrzynkiewicz A, Wojtczak R, Pytel D, Diehl JA, Majsterek I. The PERK-Dependent Molecular Mechanisms as a Novel Therapeutic Target for Neurodegenerative Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21062108. [PMID: 32204380 PMCID: PMC7139310 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21062108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Higher prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases is strictly connected with progressive aging of the world population. Interestingly, a broad range of age-related, neurodegenerative diseases is characterized by a common pathological mechanism-accumulation of misfolded and unfolded proteins within the cells. Under certain circumstances, such protein aggregates may evoke endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress conditions and subsequent activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling pathways via the protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK)-dependent manner. Under mild to moderate ER stress, UPR has a pro-adaptive role. However, severe or long-termed ER stress conditions directly evoke shift of the UPR toward its pro-apoptotic branch, which is considered to be a possible cause of neurodegeneration. To this day, there is no effective cure for Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), or prion disease. Currently available treatment approaches for these diseases are only symptomatic and cannot affect the disease progression. Treatment strategies, currently under detailed research, include inhibition of the PERK-dependent UPR signaling branches. The newest data have reported that the use of small-molecule inhibitors of the PERK-mediated signaling branches may contribute to the development of a novel, ground-breaking therapeutic approach for neurodegeneration. In this review, we critically describe all the aspects associated with such targeted therapy against neurodegenerative proteopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wioletta Rozpędek-Kamińska
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, 90-419 Lodz, Poland; (W.R.-K.); (N.S.); (A.W.); (R.W.)
| | - Natalia Siwecka
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, 90-419 Lodz, Poland; (W.R.-K.); (N.S.); (A.W.); (R.W.)
| | - Adam Wawrzynkiewicz
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, 90-419 Lodz, Poland; (W.R.-K.); (N.S.); (A.W.); (R.W.)
| | - Radosław Wojtczak
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, 90-419 Lodz, Poland; (W.R.-K.); (N.S.); (A.W.); (R.W.)
| | - Dariusz Pytel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (D.P.); (J.A.D.)
| | - J. Alan Diehl
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; (D.P.); (J.A.D.)
| | - Ireneusz Majsterek
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, 90-419 Lodz, Poland; (W.R.-K.); (N.S.); (A.W.); (R.W.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-42-272-53-00
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Di Fede G, Giaccone G, Salmona M, Tagliavini F. Translational Research in Alzheimer's and Prion Diseases. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 62:1247-1259. [PMID: 29172000 PMCID: PMC5869996 DOI: 10.3233/jad-170770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Translational neuroscience integrates the knowledge derived by basic neuroscience with the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic tools that may be applied to clinical practice in neurological diseases. This information can be used to improve clinical trial designs and outcomes that will accelerate drug development, and to discover novel biomarkers which can be efficiently employed to early recognize neurological disorders and provide information regarding the effects of drugs on the underlying disease biology. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and prion disease are two classes of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by incomplete knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying their occurrence and the lack of valid biomarkers and effective treatments. For these reasons, the design of therapies that prevent or delay the onset, slow the progression, or improve the symptoms associated to these disorders is urgently needed. During the last few decades, translational research provided a framework for advancing development of new diagnostic devices and promising disease-modifying therapies for patients with prion encephalopathies and AD. In this review, we provide present evidence of how supportive can be the translational approach to the study of dementias and show some results of our preclinical studies which have been translated to the clinical application following the ‘bed-to-bench-and-back’ research model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Di Fede
- IRCCS Foundation "Carlo Besta" Neurological Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Giorgio Giaccone
- IRCCS Foundation "Carlo Besta" Neurological Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Mario Salmona
- IRCCS Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Milan, Italy
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Li Q, Wang BL, Sun FR, Li JQ, Cao XP, Tan L. The role of UNC5C in Alzheimer's disease. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2018; 6:178. [PMID: 29951500 DOI: 10.21037/atm.2018.04.43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative disease in adults characterized by the deposition of extracellular plaques of β-amyloid protein (Aβ), intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), synaptic loss and neuronal apoptosis. AD has a strong and complex genetic component that involving into multiple genes. With recent advances in whole-exome sequencing (WES) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) technology, UNC5C was identified to have association with AD. Emerging studies on cell and animal models identified that aberrant UNC5C may contribute to AD by activating death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1) which is a new component involved in AD pathogenesis with an extensive involvement in aberrant tau, Aβ and neuronal apoptosis/autophagy. In this review, we briefly summarize the biochemical properties, genetics, epigenetics, and the speculative role of UNC5C in AD. We hope our review would bring comprehensive understandings of AD pathogenesis and provide new therapeutic targets for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Li
- Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Bai-Ling Wang
- Department of Geriatrics, Qingdao Mental Health Center, Qingdao 266034, China
| | - Fu-Rong Sun
- Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Jie-Qiong Li
- Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Xi-Peng Cao
- Clinical Research Center, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Lan Tan
- Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
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8
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Colacurcio DJ, Pensalfini A, Jiang Y, Nixon RA. Dysfunction of autophagy and endosomal-lysosomal pathways: Roles in pathogenesis of Down syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease. Free Radic Biol Med 2018; 114:40-51. [PMID: 28988799 PMCID: PMC5748263 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2017.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Revised: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) have an increased risk of early-onset Alzheimer's Disease (AD), largely owing to a triplication of the APP gene, located on chromosome 21. In DS and AD, defects in endocytosis and lysosomal function appear at the earliest stages of disease development and progress to widespread failure of intraneuronal waste clearance, neuritic dystrophy and neuronal cell death. The same genetic factors that cause or increase AD risk are also direct causes of endosomal-lysosomal dysfunction, underscoring the essential partnership between this dysfunction and APP metabolites in AD pathogenesis. The appearance of APP-dependent endosome anomalies in DS beginning in infancy and evolving into the full range of AD-related endosomal-lysosomal deficits provides a unique opportunity to characterize the earliest pathobiology of AD preceding the classical neuropathological hallmarks. Facilitating this characterization is the authentic recapitulation of this endosomal pathobiology in peripheral cells from people with DS and in trisomy mouse models. Here, we review current research on endocytic-lysosomal dysfunction in DS and AD, the emerging importance of APP/βCTF in initiating this dysfunction, and the potential roles of additional trisomy 21 genes in accelerating endosomal-lysosomal impairment in DS. Collectively, these studies underscore the growing value of investigating DS to probe the biological origins of AD as well as to understand and ameliorate the developmental disability of DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Colacurcio
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Anna Pensalfini
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Ying Jiang
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Ralph A Nixon
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Cell Biology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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9
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Chakraborty S, Das P. Emergence of Alternative Structures in Amyloid Beta 1-42 Monomeric Landscape by N-terminal Hexapeptide Amyloid Inhibitors. Sci Rep 2017; 7:9941. [PMID: 28855598 PMCID: PMC5577341 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10212-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by deposition of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides into senile plaques in the brain. While most familial mutations are associated with early-onset AD, recent studies report the AD-protective nature of two genetic human Aβ variants, i.e. A2T and A2V, in the heterozygous state. The mixture of A2V Aβ1-6 (Aβ6) hexapeptide and WT Aβ1–42 (Αβ42) is also found neuroprotective. Motivated by these findings, in this study we investigate the effects of WT, A2V, and A2T Aβ6 hexapeptide binding on the monomeric WT Aβ42 landscape. For this purpose, we have performed extensive atomistic Replica Exchange Molecular Dynamics simulations, elucidating preferential binding of Aβ42 with the A2V and A2T hexapeptides compared to WT Aβ6. A notable reorganization of the Aβ42 landscape is revealed due to hexapeptide association, as manifested by lowering of transient interactions between the central and C-terminal hydrophobic patches. Concurrently, Aβ6-bound Aβ42 monomer exhibits alternative structural features that are strongly dependent on the hexapeptide sequence. For example, a central helix is more frequently populated within the A2T-bound monomer, while A2V-bound Aβ42 is often enhanced in overall disorder. Taken together, the present simulations offer novel molecular insights onto the effect of the N-terminal hexapeptide binding on the Aβ42 monomer structure, which might help in explaining their reported amyloid inhibition properties.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Payel Das
- IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY, 10598, USA.
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10
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Hashimoto Y, Toyama Y, Kusakari S, Nawa M, Matsuoka M. An Alzheimer Disease-linked Rare Mutation Potentiates Netrin Receptor Uncoordinated-5C-induced Signaling That Merges with Amyloid β Precursor Protein Signaling. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:12282-93. [PMID: 27068745 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.698092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
A missense mutation (T835M) in the uncoordinated-5C (UNC5C) netrin receptor gene increases the risk of late-onset Alzheimer disease (AD) and also the vulnerability of neurons harboring the mutation to various insults. The molecular mechanisms underlying T835M-UNC5C-induced death remain to be elucidated. In this study, we show that overexpression of wild-type UNC5C causes low-grade death, which is intensified by an AD-linked mutation T835M. An AD-linked survival factor, calmodulin-like skin protein (CLSP), and a natural ligand of UNC5C, netrin1, inhibit this death. T835M-UNC5C-induced neuronal cell death is mediated by an intracellular death-signaling cascade, consisting of death-associated protein kinase 1/protein kinase D/apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1)/JNK/NADPH oxidase/caspases, which merges at ASK1 with a death-signaling cascade, mediated by amyloid β precursor protein (APP). Notably, netrin1 also binds to APP and partially inhibits the death-signaling cascade, induced by APP. These results may provide new insight into the amyloid β-independent pathomechanism of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Masaaki Matsuoka
- From the Departments of Pharmacology and Dermatological Neuroscience, Tokyo Medical University, 6-1-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8402, Japan
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Tackling amyloidogenesis in Alzheimer's disease with A2V variants of Amyloid-β. Sci Rep 2016; 6:20949. [PMID: 26864599 PMCID: PMC4750079 DOI: 10.1038/srep20949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2015] [Accepted: 01/13/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
We developed a novel therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) exploiting the properties of a natural variant of Amyloid-β (Aβ) carrying the A2V substitution, which protects heterozygous carriers from AD by its ability to interact with wild-type Aβ, hindering conformational changes and assembly thereof. As prototypic compound we designed a six-mer mutated peptide (Aβ1-6A2V), linked to the HIV-related TAT protein, which is widely used for brain delivery and cell membrane penetration of drugs. The resulting molecule [Aβ1-6A2VTAT(D)] revealed strong anti-amyloidogenic effects in vitro and protected human neuroblastoma cells from Aβ toxicity. Preclinical studies in AD mouse models showed that short-term treatment with Aβ1-6A2VTAT(D) inhibits Aβ aggregation and cerebral amyloid deposition, but a long treatment schedule unexpectedly increases amyloid burden, although preventing cognitive deterioration. Our data support the view that the AβA2V-based strategy can be successfully used for the development of treatments for AD, as suggested by the natural protection against the disease in human A2V heterozygous carriers. The undesirable outcome of the prolonged treatment with Aβ1-6A2VTAT(D) was likely due to the TAT intrinsic attitude to increase Aβ production, avidly bind amyloid and boost its seeding activity, warning against the use of the TAT carrier in the design of AD therapeutics.
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12
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Choong XY, Tosh JL, Pulford LJ, Fisher EMC. Dissecting Alzheimer disease in Down syndrome using mouse models. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:268. [PMID: 26528151 PMCID: PMC4602094 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is a common genetic condition caused by the presence of three copies of chromosome 21 (trisomy 21). This greatly increases the risk of Alzheimer disease (AD), but although virtually all people with DS have AD neuropathology by 40 years of age, not all develop dementia. To dissect the genetic contribution of trisomy 21 to DS phenotypes including those relevant to AD, a range of DS mouse models has been generated which are trisomic for chromosome segments syntenic to human chromosome 21. Here, we consider key characteristics of human AD in DS (AD-DS), and our current state of knowledge on related phenotypes in AD and DS mouse models. We go on to review important features needed in future models of AD-DS, to understand this type of dementia and so highlight pathogenic mechanisms relevant to all populations at risk of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Yu Choong
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute of Neurology, University College London London, UK ; The LonDownS Consortium London, UK
| | - Justin L Tosh
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute of Neurology, University College London London, UK ; The LonDownS Consortium London, UK
| | - Laura J Pulford
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute of Neurology, University College London London, UK ; The LonDownS Consortium London, UK
| | - Elizabeth M C Fisher
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute of Neurology, University College London London, UK ; The LonDownS Consortium London, UK
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Das P, Murray B, Belfort G. Alzheimer's protective A2T mutation changes the conformational landscape of the Aβ₁₋₄₂ monomer differently than does the A2V mutation. Biophys J 2015; 108:738-47. [PMID: 25650940 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2014.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Revised: 12/01/2014] [Accepted: 12/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides plays a crucial role in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recently, it has been reported that an A2T mutation in Aβ can protect against AD. Interestingly, a nonpolar A2V mutation also has been found to offer protection against AD in the heterozygous state, although it causes early-onset AD in homozygous carriers. Since the conformational landscape of the Aβ monomer is known to directly contribute to the early-stage aggregation mechanism, it is important to characterize the effects of the A2T and A2V mutations on Aβ₁₋₄₂ monomer structure. Here, we have performed extensive atomistic replica-exchange molecular dynamics simulations of the solvated wild-type (WT), A2V, and A2T Aβ₁₋₄₂ monomers. Our simulations reveal that although all three variants remain as collapsed coils in solution, there exist significant structural differences among them at shorter timescales. A2V exhibits an enhanced double-hairpin population in comparison to the WT, similar to those reported in toxic WT Aβ₁₋₄₂ oligomers. Such double-hairpin formation is caused by hydrophobic clustering between the N-terminus and the central and C-terminal hydrophobic patches. In contrast, the A2T mutation causes the N-terminus to engage in unusual electrostatic interactions with distant residues, such as K16 and E22, resulting in a unique population comprising only the C-terminal hairpin. These findings imply that a single A2X (where X = V or T) mutation in the primarily disordered N-terminus of the Aβ₁₋₄₂ monomer can dramatically alter the β-hairpin population and switch the equilibrium toward alternative structures. The atomistically detailed, comparative view of the structural landscapes of A2V and A2T variant monomers obtained in this study can enhance our understanding of the mechanistic differences in their early-stage aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Payel Das
- Soft Matter Theory and Simulations Group, Computational Biology Center, IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York.
| | - Brian Murray
- Howard P. Isermann Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York
| | - Georges Belfort
- Howard P. Isermann Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York
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Marttinen M, Kurkinen KM, Soininen H, Haapasalo A, Hiltunen M. Synaptic dysfunction and septin protein family members in neurodegenerative diseases. Mol Neurodegener 2015; 10:16. [PMID: 25888325 PMCID: PMC4391194 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-015-0013-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 03/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive decline and disease progression in different neurodegenerative diseases typically involves synaptic dysfunction preceding the neuronal loss. The synaptic dysfunction is suggested to be caused by imbalanced synaptic plasticity i.e. enhanced induction of long-term depression and concomitantly decreased long-term potentiation accompanied with excess stimulation of extrasynaptic N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors due to various disturbances in pre- and postsynaptic sites. Recent research has identified neurodegenerative disease-related changes in protein accumulation and aggregation, gene expression, and protein functions, which may contribute to imbalanced synaptic function. Nevertheless, a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms regulating synaptic plasticity in health and disease is still lacking and therefore characterization of new candidates involved in these mechanisms is needed. Septins, a highly conserved group of guanosine-5'-triphosphate (GTP)-binding proteins, show high neuronal expression and are implicated in the regulation of synaptic vesicle trafficking and neurotransmitter release. In this review, we first summarize the evidence how synaptic dysfunction is related to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Then, we discuss different aspects of the potential involvement of the septin family members in the regulation of synaptic function in relation to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikael Marttinen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland. .,Institute of Clinical Medicine - Neurology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland. .,Department of Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
| | - Kaisa Ma Kurkinen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland. .,Institute of Clinical Medicine - Neurology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland. .,Department of Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
| | - Hilkka Soininen
- Institute of Clinical Medicine - Neurology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland. .,Department of Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
| | - Annakaisa Haapasalo
- Institute of Clinical Medicine - Neurology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland. .,Department of Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
| | - Mikko Hiltunen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland. .,Institute of Clinical Medicine - Neurology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland. .,Department of Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
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15
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Nasica-Labouze J, Nguyen PH, Sterpone F, Berthoumieu O, Buchete NV, Coté S, De Simone A, Doig AJ, Faller P, Garcia A, Laio A, Li MS, Melchionna S, Mousseau N, Mu Y, Paravastu A, Pasquali S, Rosenman DJ, Strodel B, Tarus B, Viles JH, Zhang T, Wang C, Derreumaux P. Amyloid β Protein and Alzheimer's Disease: When Computer Simulations Complement Experimental Studies. Chem Rev 2015; 115:3518-63. [PMID: 25789869 DOI: 10.1021/cr500638n] [Citation(s) in RCA: 475] [Impact Index Per Article: 52.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Nasica-Labouze
- †Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC), UPR9080 CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Phuong H Nguyen
- †Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC), UPR9080 CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Fabio Sterpone
- †Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC), UPR9080 CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Olivia Berthoumieu
- ‡LCC (Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier (UPS), Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse (INPT), 205 route de Narbonne, BP 44099, Toulouse F-31077 Cedex 4, France
| | | | - Sébastien Coté
- ∥Département de Physique and Groupe de recherche sur les protéines membranaires (GEPROM), Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3T5, Canada
| | - Alfonso De Simone
- ⊥Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J Doig
- #Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Faller
- ‡LCC (Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier (UPS), Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse (INPT), 205 route de Narbonne, BP 44099, Toulouse F-31077 Cedex 4, France
| | | | - Alessandro Laio
- ○The International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy
| | - Mai Suan Li
- ◆Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland.,¶Institute for Computational Science and Technology, SBI Building, Quang Trung Software City, Tan Chanh Hiep Ward, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Simone Melchionna
- ⬠Instituto Processi Chimico-Fisici, CNR-IPCF, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | | | - Yuguang Mu
- ▲School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, 637551 Singapore
| | - Anant Paravastu
- ⊕National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, 1800 East Paul Dirac Drive, Tallahassee, Florida 32310, United States
| | - Samuela Pasquali
- †Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC), UPR9080 CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France
| | | | - Birgit Strodel
- △Institute of Complex Systems: Structural Biochemistry (ICS-6), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Bogdan Tarus
- †Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC), UPR9080 CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France
| | - John H Viles
- ▼School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Tong Zhang
- †Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC), UPR9080 CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France.,▲School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, 637551 Singapore
| | | | - Philippe Derreumaux
- †Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC), UPR9080 CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France.,□Institut Universitaire de France, 75005 Paris, France
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16
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Hassan MA, Saeij JP. Incorporating alternative splicing and mRNA editing into the genetic analysis of complex traits. Bioessays 2014; 36:1032-40. [PMID: 25171292 PMCID: PMC4280019 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201400079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The nomination of candidate genes underlying complex traits is often focused on genetic variations that alter mRNA abundance or result in non-conservative changes in amino acids. Although inconspicuous in complex trait analysis, genetic variants that affect splicing or RNA editing can also generate proteomic diversity and impact genetic traits. Indeed, it is known that splicing and RNA editing modulate several traits in humans and model organisms. Using high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis, it is now possible to integrate the genetics of transcript abundance, alternative splicing (AS) and editing with the analysis of complex traits. We recently demonstrated that both AS and mRNA editing are modulated by genetic and environmental factors, and potentially engender phenotypic diversity in a genetically segregating mouse population. Therefore, the analysis of splicing and RNA editing can expand not only the regulatory landscape of transcriptome and proteome complexity, but also the repertoire of candidate genes for complex traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Musa A. Hassan
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Biology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jeroen P.J. Saeij
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Biology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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17
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Benilova I, Gallardo R, Ungureanu AA, Castillo Cano V, Snellinx A, Ramakers M, Bartic C, Rousseau F, Schymkowitz J, De Strooper B. The Alzheimer disease protective mutation A2T modulates kinetic and thermodynamic properties of amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregation. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:30977-89. [PMID: 25253695 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.599027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Missense mutations in alanine 673 of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), which corresponds to the second alanine of the amyloid β (Aβ) sequence, have dramatic impact on the risk for Alzheimer disease; A2V is causative, and A2T is protective. Assuming a crucial role of amyloid-Aβ in neurodegeneration, we hypothesized that both A2V and A2T mutations cause distinct changes in Aβ properties that may at least partially explain these completely different phenotypes. Using human APP-overexpressing primary neurons, we observed significantly decreased Aβ production in the A2T mutant along with an enhanced Aβ generation in the A2V mutant confirming earlier data from non-neuronal cell lines. More importantly, thioflavin T fluorescence assays revealed that the mutations, while having little effect on Aβ42 peptide aggregation, dramatically change the properties of the Aβ40 pool with A2V accelerating and A2T delaying aggregation of the Aβ peptides. In line with the kinetic data, Aβ A2T demonstrated an increase in the solubility at equilibrium, an effect that was also observed in all mixtures of the A2T mutant with the wild type Aβ40. We propose that in addition to the reduced β-secretase cleavage of APP, the impaired propensity to aggregate may be part of the protective effect conferred by A2T substitution. The interpretation of the protective effect of this mutation is thus much more complicated than proposed previously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iryna Benilova
- From the VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, the Center for Human Genetics and Leuven Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Leuven
| | - Rodrigo Gallardo
- the VIB Switch Laboratory, the Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
| | - Andreea-Alexandra Ungureanu
- Laboratory of Solid State Physics and Magnetism, University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, and Imec, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Virginia Castillo Cano
- the VIB Switch Laboratory, the Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
| | - An Snellinx
- From the VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, the Center for Human Genetics and Leuven Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Leuven
| | - Meine Ramakers
- the VIB Switch Laboratory, the Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
| | - Carmen Bartic
- Laboratory of Solid State Physics and Magnetism, University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, and Imec, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frederic Rousseau
- the VIB Switch Laboratory, the Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
| | - Joost Schymkowitz
- the VIB Switch Laboratory, the Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
| | - Bart De Strooper
- From the VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, the Center for Human Genetics and Leuven Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Leuven,
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