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Walker CK, Liu E, Greathouse KM, Adamson AB, Wilson JP, Poovey EH, Curtis KA, Muhammad HM, Weber AJ, Bennett DA, Seyfried NT, Gaiteri C, Herskowitz JH. Dendritic spine head diameter predicts episodic memory performance in older adults. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn5181. [PMID: 39110801 PMCID: PMC11305389 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn5181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Episodic memory in older adults is varied and perceived to rely on numbers of synapses or dendritic spines. We analyzed 2157 neurons among 128 older individuals from the Religious Orders Study and Rush Memory and Aging Project. Analysis of 55,521 individual dendritic spines by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and nested model cross-validation revealed that the dendritic spine head diameter in the temporal cortex, but not the premotor cortex, improved the prediction of episodic memory performance in models containing β amyloid plaque scores, neurofibrillary tangle pathology, and sex. These findings support the emerging hypothesis that, in the temporal cortex, synapse strength is more critical than quantity for memory in old age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney K. Walker
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Evan Liu
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Kelsey M. Greathouse
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Ashley B. Adamson
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Julia P. Wilson
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Emily H. Poovey
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Kendall A. Curtis
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Hamad M. Muhammad
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Audrey J. Weber
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - David A. Bennett
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Nicholas T. Seyfried
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Christopher Gaiteri
- Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Jeremy H. Herskowitz
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
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2
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Akhgari A, Michel TM, Vafaee MS. Dendritic spines and their role in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders. Rev Neurosci 2024; 35:489-502. [PMID: 38440811 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2023-0151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Since Cajal introduced dendritic spines in the 19th century, they have attained considerable attention, especially in neuropsychiatric and neurologic disorders. Multiple roles of dendritic spine malfunction and pathology in the progression of various diseases have been reported. Thus, it is inevitable to consider these structures as new therapeutic targets for treating neuropsychiatric and neurologic disorders such as autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, dementia, Down syndrome, etc. Therefore, we attempted to prepare a narrative review of the literature regarding the role of dendritic spines in the pathogenesis of aforementioned diseases and to shed new light on their pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aisan Akhgari
- Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Golgasht Street, Tabriz 5166616471, Iran
| | - Tanja Maria Michel
- Research Unit for Psychiatry, Odense University Hospital, J. B. Winsløws Vej 4, Odense 5000, Denmark
- Clinical Institute, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, Odense 5230, Denmark
| | - Manouchehr Seyedi Vafaee
- Research Unit for Psychiatry, Odense University Hospital, J. B. Winsløws Vej 4, Odense 5000, Denmark
- Clinical Institute, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, Odense 5230, Denmark
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3
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Tao X, Zhang W, Chen C, Tao Y, Tao Y, Chen Z, Zhang G. miR-101a-3p/ROCK2 axis regulates neuronal injury in Parkinson's disease models. Aging (Albany NY) 2024; 16:8732-8746. [PMID: 38775730 PMCID: PMC11164493 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). This study focuses on deciphering the role of microRNA (miR)-101a-3p in the neuronal injury of PD and its regulatory mechanism. METHODS We constructed a mouse model of PD by intraperitoneal injection of 1-methyl 4-phenyl 1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine hydrochloride (MPTP), and used 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) to treat Neuro-2a cells to construct an in-vitro PD model. Neurological dysfunction in mice was evaluated by swimming test and traction test. qRT-PCR was utilized to examine miR-101a-3p expression and ROCK2 expression in mouse brain tissues and Neuro-2a cells. Western blot was conducted to detect the expression of α-synuclein protein and ROCK2 in mouse brain tissues and Neuro-2a cells. The targeting relationship between miR-101a-3p and ROCK2 was determined by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. The apoptosis of neuro-2a cells was assessed by flow cytometry. RESULTS Low miR-101a-3p expression and high ROCK2 expression were found in the brain tissues of PD mice and MPP+-treated Neuro-2a cells; PD mice showed decreased neurological disorders, and apoptosis of Neuro-2a cells was increased after MPP+ treatment, both of which were accompanied by increased accumulation of α-synuclein protein. After miR-101a-3p was overexpressed, the neurological function of PD mice was improved, and the apoptosis of Neuro-2a cells induced by MPP+ was alleviated, and the accumulation of α-synuclein protein was reduced; ROCK2 overexpression counteracted the protective effect of miR-101a-3p. Additionally, ROCK2 was identified as the direct target of miR-101a-3p. CONCLUSION MiR-101a-3p can reduce neuronal apoptosis and neurological deficit in PD mice by inhibiting ROCK2 expression, suggesting that miR-101a-3p is a promising therapeutic target for PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Tao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, China
| | - Wenfei Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, China
| | - Chen Chen
- Department of Orthodontics, Wuhan First Stomatological Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, China
| | - Yang Tao
- Department of Nursing, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, China
| | - Yun Tao
- Department of Stomatology, Wuhan Central Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, China
| | - Zhibiao Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, China
| | - Ge Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, China
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4
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Yu L, Zeng F, Fan M, Zhang K, Duan J, Tan Y, Liao P, Wen J, Wang C, Wang M, Yuan J, Pang X, Huang Y, Zhang Y, Li JD, Zhang Z, Hu Z. PCDH17 restricts dendritic spine morphogenesis by regulating ROCK2-dependent control of the actin cytoskeleton, modulating emotional behavior. Zool Res 2024; 45:535-550. [PMID: 38747058 PMCID: PMC11188600 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Proper regulation of synapse formation and elimination is critical for establishing mature neuronal circuits and maintaining brain function. Synaptic abnormalities, such as defects in the density and morphology of postsynaptic dendritic spines, underlie the pathology of various neuropsychiatric disorders. Protocadherin 17 (PCDH17) is associated with major mood disorders, including bipolar disorder and depression. However, the molecular mechanisms by which PCDH17 regulates spine number, morphology, and behavior remain elusive. In this study, we found that PCDH17 functions at postsynaptic sites, restricting the number and size of dendritic spines in excitatory neurons. Selective overexpression of PCDH17 in the ventral hippocampal CA1 results in spine loss and anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in mice. Mechanistically, PCDH17 interacts with actin-relevant proteins and regulates actin filament (F-actin) organization. Specifically, PCDH17 binds to ROCK2, increasing its expression and subsequently enhancing the activity of downstream targets such as LIMK1 and the phosphorylation of cofilin serine-3 (Ser3). Inhibition of ROCK2 activity with belumosudil (KD025) ameliorates the defective F-actin organization and spine structure induced by PCDH17 overexpression, suggesting that ROCK2 mediates the effects of PCDH17 on F-actin content and spine development. Hence, these findings reveal a novel mechanism by which PCDH17 regulates synapse development and behavior, providing pathological insights into the neurobiological basis of mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laidong Yu
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Molecular Precision Medicine, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Fangfang Zeng
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Molecular Precision Medicine, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Mengshu Fan
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Molecular Precision Medicine, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Kexuan Zhang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Molecular Precision Medicine, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Jingjing Duan
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Molecular Precision Medicine, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Hunan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Yalu Tan
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Molecular Precision Medicine, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Hunan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Panlin Liao
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Molecular Precision Medicine, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Hunan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Jin Wen
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Molecular Precision Medicine, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Chenyu Wang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Molecular Precision Medicine, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Meilin Wang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Molecular Precision Medicine, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Jialong Yuan
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Molecular Precision Medicine, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Xinxin Pang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Molecular Precision Medicine, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Yan Huang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Molecular Precision Medicine, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Hunan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Yangzhou Zhang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Molecular Precision Medicine, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Hunan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Jia-Da Li
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China. E-mail:
| | - Zhuohua Zhang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Molecular Precision Medicine, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Department of Neurosciences, University of South China Medical School, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China. E-mail:
| | - Zhonghua Hu
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Molecular Precision Medicine, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Hunan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China. E-mail:
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5
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Lu W, Wang Y, Wen J. The Roles of RhoA/ROCK/NF-κB Pathway in Microglia Polarization Following Ischemic Stroke. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2024; 19:19. [PMID: 38753217 DOI: 10.1007/s11481-024-10118-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Ischemic stroke is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Nevertheless, there still lacks the effective therapies for ischemic stroke. Microglia are resident macrophages of the central nervous system (CNS) and can initiate immune responses and monitor the microenvironment. Microglia are activated and polarize into proinflammatory or anti‑inflammatory phenotype in response to various brain injuries, including ischemic stroke. Proinflammatory microglia could generate immunomodulatory mediators, containing cytokines and chemokines, these mediators are closely associated with secondary brain damage following ischemic stroke. On the contrary, anti-inflammatory microglia facilitate recovery following stroke. Regulating the activation and the function of microglia is crucial in exploring the novel treatments for ischemic stroke patients. Accumulating studies have revealed that RhoA/ROCK pathway and NF-κB are famous modulators in the process of microglia activation and polarization. Inhibiting these key modulators can promote the polarization of microglia to anti-inflammatory phenotype. In this review, we aimed to provide a comprehensive overview on the role of RhoA/ROCK pathway and NF-κB in the microglia activation and polarization, reveal the relationship between RhoA/ROCK pathway and NF-κB in the pathological process of ischemic stroke. In addition, we likewise discussed the drug modulators targeting microglia polarization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weizhuo Lu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Medical Branch, Hefei Technology College, Hefei, China
| | - Yilin Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jiyue Wen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
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6
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Bach SV, Bauman AJ, Hosein D, Tuscher JJ, Ianov L, Greathouse KM, Henderson BW, Herskowitz JH, Martinowich K, Day JJ. Distinct roles of Bdnf I and Bdnf IV transcript variant expression in hippocampal neurons. Hippocampus 2024; 34:218-229. [PMID: 38362938 PMCID: PMC11039386 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) plays a critical role in brain development, dendritic growth, synaptic plasticity, as well as learning and memory. The rodent Bdnf gene contains nine 5' non-coding exons (I-IXa), which are spliced to a common 3' coding exon (IX). Transcription of individual Bdnf variants, which all encode the same BDNF protein, is initiated at unique promoters upstream of each non-coding exon, enabling precise spatiotemporal and activity-dependent regulation of Bdnf expression. Although prior evidence suggests that Bdnf transcripts containing exon I (Bdnf I) or exon IV (Bdnf IV) are uniquely regulated by neuronal activity, the functional significance of different Bdnf transcript variants remains unclear. To investigate functional roles of activity-dependent Bdnf I and IV transcripts, we used a CRISPR activation system in which catalytically dead Cas9 fused to a transcriptional activator (VPR) is targeted to individual Bdnf promoters with single guide RNAs, resulting in transcript-specific Bdnf upregulation. Bdnf I upregulation is associated with gene expression changes linked to dendritic growth, while Bdnf IV upregulation is associated with genes that regulate protein catabolism. Upregulation of Bdnf I, but not Bdnf IV, increased mushroom spine density, volume, length, and head diameter, and also produced more complex dendritic arbors in cultured rat hippocampal neurons. In contrast, upregulation of Bdnf IV, but not Bdnf I, in the rat hippocampus attenuated contextual fear expression. Our data suggest that while Bdnf I and IV are both activity-dependent, BDNF produced from these promoters may serve unique cellular, synaptic, and behavioral functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svitlana V. Bach
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
- The Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Allison J. Bauman
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Darya Hosein
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Jennifer J. Tuscher
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Lara Ianov
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
- Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Kelsey M. Greathouse
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Benjamin W. Henderson
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Jeremy H. Herskowitz
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Keri Martinowich
- The Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jeremy J. Day
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
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7
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Zhang C, Liu YC, Wang D, Wang Y. Discovery of a novel ROCK2 ATP competitive inhibitor by DNA-encoded library selection. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 699:149537. [PMID: 38280309 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
Neurodegeneration disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), have garnered significant attention due to their impact on individuals and society as a whole. Understanding the mechanisms behind these disorders and developing effective therapy strategies is of utmost importance. One potential therapeutic target that has emerged is Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 2 (ROCK2), as its accumulation and activity have been closely linked to memory loss. In this report, we present the findings of a recent discovery involving a new molecule that has the ability to competitively inhibit ROCK2 activity. This molecule was identified through the utilization of a DNA-encoded library (DEL) screening platform. Following selection against ROCK2, an off-DNA compound was synthesized and examined to ascertain its inhibitory properties, selectivity, mechanism of action, and binding mode analysis. From the screening, compound CH-2 has demonstrated an IC50 value of 28 nM against ROCK2, while exhibiting a 5-fold selectivity over ROCK1. Further analysis through molecular docking has provided insights into the specific binding modes of this compound. Our findings suggest that DEL selection offers a rapid method for identifying new inhibitors. Among these, the CH-2 compound shows promise as a potential ROCK2 inhibitor and warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenhua Zhang
- Institute for Cancer Research, School of Basic Medical Science, Health Science Center of Xi'an Jiaotong University, 76 YanTa XiLu, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Yu-Chih Liu
- TandemAI Technology Shanghai Co., Ltd., Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Depu Wang
- Med-X Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Yili Wang
- Institute for Cancer Research, School of Basic Medical Science, Health Science Center of Xi'an Jiaotong University, 76 YanTa XiLu, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China.
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8
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Ripoli C, Dagliyan O, Renna P, Pastore F, Paciello F, Sollazzo R, Rinaudo M, Battistoni M, Martini S, Tramutola A, Sattin A, Barone E, Saneyoshi T, Fellin T, Hayashi Y, Grassi C. Engineering memory with an extrinsically disordered kinase. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadh1110. [PMID: 37967196 PMCID: PMC10651130 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh1110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Synaptic plasticity plays a crucial role in memory formation by regulating the communication between neurons. Although actin polymerization has been linked to synaptic plasticity and dendritic spine stability, the causal link between actin polymerization and memory encoding has not been identified yet. It is not clear whether actin polymerization and structural changes in dendritic spines are a driver or a consequence of learning and memory. Using an extrinsically disordered form of the protein kinase LIMK1, which rapidly and precisely acts on ADF/cofilin, a direct modifier of actin, we induced long-term enlargement of dendritic spines and enhancement of synaptic transmission in the hippocampus on command. The activation of extrinsically disordered LIMK1 in vivo improved memory encoding and slowed cognitive decline in aged mice exhibiting reduced cofilin phosphorylation. The engineered memory by an extrinsically disordered LIMK1 supports a direct causal link between actin-mediated synaptic transmission and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Ripoli
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Onur Dagliyan
- Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institute, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pietro Renna
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Pastore
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Fabiola Paciello
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Raimondo Sollazzo
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Rinaudo
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Battistoni
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Martini
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Tramutola
- Department of Biochemical Sciences “A. Rossi-Fanelli”, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Sattin
- Optical Approaches to Brain Function Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Eugenio Barone
- Department of Biochemical Sciences “A. Rossi-Fanelli”, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Takeo Saneyoshi
- Department of Pharmacology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Tommaso Fellin
- Optical Approaches to Brain Function Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Yasunori Hayashi
- Department of Pharmacology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Claudio Grassi
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
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9
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Lu W, Chen Z, Wen J. The role of RhoA/ROCK pathway in the ischemic stroke-induced neuroinflammation. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 165:115141. [PMID: 37437375 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
It is widely known that ischemic stroke is the prominent cause of death and disability. To date, neuroinflammation following ischemic stroke represents a complex event, which is an essential process and affects the prognosis of both experimental stroke animals and stroke patients. Intense neuroinflammation occurring during the acute phase of stroke contributes to neuronal injury, BBB breakdown, and worse neurological outcomes. Inhibition of neuroinflammation may be a promising target in the development of new therapeutic strategies. RhoA is a small GTPase protein that activates a downstream effector, ROCK. The up-regulation of RhoA/ROCK pathway possesses important roles in promoting the neuroinflammation and mediating brain injury. In addition, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) is another vital regulator of ischemic stroke-induced neuroinflammation through regulating the functions of microglial cells and astrocytes. After stroke onset, the microglial cells and astrocytes are activated and undergo the morphological and functional changes, thereby deeply participate in a complicated neuroinflammation cascade. In this review, we focused on the relationship among RhoA/ROCK pathway, NF-κB and glial cells in the neuroinflammation following ischemic stroke to reveal new strategies for preventing the intense neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weizhuo Lu
- Medical Branch, Hefei Technology College, Hefei, China
| | - Zhiwu Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
| | - Jiyue Wen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
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10
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Walker CK, Greathouse KM, Tuscher JJ, Dammer EB, Weber AJ, Liu E, Curtis KA, Boros BD, Freeman CD, Seo JV, Ramdas R, Hurst C, Duong DM, Gearing M, Murchison CF, Day JJ, Seyfried NT, Herskowitz JH. Cross-Platform Synaptic Network Analysis of Human Entorhinal Cortex Identifies TWF2 as a Modulator of Dendritic Spine Length. J Neurosci 2023; 43:3764-3785. [PMID: 37055180 PMCID: PMC10198456 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2102-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteomic studies using postmortem human brain tissue samples have yielded robust assessments of the aging and neurodegenerative disease(s) proteomes. While these analyses provide lists of molecular alterations in human conditions, like Alzheimer's disease (AD), identifying individual proteins that affect biological processes remains a challenge. To complicate matters, protein targets may be highly understudied and have limited information on their function. To address these hurdles, we sought to establish a blueprint to aid selection and functional validation of targets from proteomic datasets. A cross-platform pipeline was engineered to focus on synaptic processes in the entorhinal cortex (EC) of human patients, including controls, preclinical AD, and AD cases. Label-free quantification mass spectrometry (MS) data (n = 2260 proteins) was generated on synaptosome fractionated tissue from Brodmann area 28 (BA28; n = 58 samples). In parallel, dendritic spine density and morphology was measured in the same individuals. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis was used to construct a network of protein co-expression modules that were correlated with dendritic spine metrics. Module-trait correlations were used to guide unbiased selection of Twinfilin-2 (TWF2), which was the top hub protein of a module that positively correlated with thin spine length. Using CRISPR-dCas9 activation strategies, we demonstrated that boosting endogenous TWF2 protein levels in primary hippocampal neurons increased thin spine length, thus providing experimental validation for the human network analysis. Collectively, this study describes alterations in dendritic spine density and morphology as well as synaptic proteins and phosphorylated tau from the entorhinal cortex of preclinical and advanced stage AD patients.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Proteomic studies can yield vast lists of molecules that are altered under various experimental or disease conditions. Here, we provide a blueprint to facilitate mechanistic validation of protein targets from human brain proteomic datasets. We conducted a proteomic analysis of human entorhinal cortex (EC) samples spanning cognitively normal and Alzheimer's disease (AD) cases with a comparison of dendritic spine morphology in the same samples. Network integration of proteomics with dendritic spine measurements allowed for unbiased discovery of Twinfilin-2 (TWF2) as a regulator of dendritic spine length. A proof-of-concept experiment in cultured neurons demonstrated that altering Twinfilin-2 protein level induced corresponding changes in dendritic spine length, thus providing experimental validation for the computational framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney K Walker
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
| | - Kelsey M Greathouse
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
| | - Jennifer J Tuscher
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
| | - Eric B Dammer
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Audrey J Weber
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
| | - Evan Liu
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
| | - Kendall A Curtis
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
| | - Benjamin D Boros
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
| | - Cameron D Freeman
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
| | - Jung Vin Seo
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
| | - Raksha Ramdas
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
| | - Cheyenne Hurst
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Duc M Duong
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Marla Gearing
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Charles F Murchison
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
| | - Jeremy J Day
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
| | - Nicholas T Seyfried
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Jeremy H Herskowitz
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
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11
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Hurst C, Pugh DA, Abreha MH, Duong DM, Dammer EB, Bennett DA, Herskowitz JH, Seyfried NT. Integrated Proteomics to Understand the Role of Neuritin (NRN1) as a Mediator of Cognitive Resilience to Alzheimer's Disease. Mol Cell Proteomics 2023; 22:100542. [PMID: 37024090 PMCID: PMC10233303 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcpro.2023.100542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms and pathways enabling certain individuals to remain cognitively normal despite high levels of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology remain incompletely understood. These cognitively normal people with AD pathology are described as preclinical or asymptomatic AD (AsymAD) and appear to exhibit cognitive resilience to the clinical manifestations of AD dementia. Here we present a comprehensive network-based approach from cases clinically and pathologically defined as asymptomatic AD to map resilience-associated pathways and extend mechanistic validation. Multiplex tandem mass tag MS (TMT-MS) proteomic data (n = 7787 proteins) was generated on brain tissue from Brodmann area 6 and Brodmann area 37 (n = 109 cases, n = 218 total samples) and evaluated by consensus weighted gene correlation network analysis. Notably, neuritin (NRN1), a neurotrophic factor previously linked to cognitive resilience, was identified as a hub protein in a module associated with synaptic biology. To validate the function of NRN1 with regard to the neurobiology of AD, we conducted microscopy and physiology experiments in a cellular model of AD. NRN1 provided dendritic spine resilience against amyloid-β (Aβ) and blocked Aβ-induced neuronal hyperexcitability in cultured neurons. To better understand the molecular mechanisms of resilience to Aβ provided by NRN1, we assessed how exogenous NRN1 alters the proteome by TMT-MS (n = 8238 proteins) of cultured neurons and integrated the results with the AD brain network. This revealed overlapping synapse-related biology that linked NRN1-induced changes in cultured neurons with human pathways associated with cognitive resilience. Collectively, this highlights the utility of integrating the proteome from the human brain and model systems to advance our understanding of resilience-promoting mechanisms and prioritize therapeutic targets that mediate resilience to AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheyenne Hurst
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory School of Medicine, Emory Goizueta Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Derian A Pugh
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Measho H Abreha
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory School of Medicine, Emory Goizueta Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Duc M Duong
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory School of Medicine, Emory Goizueta Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Eric B Dammer
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory School of Medicine, Emory Goizueta Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - David A Bennett
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jeremy H Herskowitz
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
| | - Nicholas T Seyfried
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory School of Medicine, Emory Goizueta Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
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12
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Bach SV, Bauman AJ, Hosein D, Tuscher JJ, Ianov L, Greathouse KM, Henderson BW, Herskowitz JH, Martinowich K, Day JJ. Distinct roles of Bdnf I and Bdnf IV transcript variant expression in hippocampal neurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.05.535694. [PMID: 37066216 PMCID: PMC10104043 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.05.535694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/27/2023]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) plays a critical role in brain development, dendritic growth, synaptic plasticity, as well as learning and memory. The rodent Bdnf gene contains nine 5' non-coding exons (I-IXa), which are spliced to a common 3' coding exon (IX). Transcription of individual Bdnf variants, which all encode the same BDNF protein, is initiated at unique promoters upstream of each non-coding exon, enabling precise spatiotemporal and activity-dependent regulation of Bdnf expression. Although prior evidence suggests that Bdnf transcripts containing exon I (Bdnf I) or exon IV (Bdnf IV) are uniquely regulated by neuronal activity, the functional significance of different Bdnf transcript variants remains unclear. To investigate functional roles of activity-dependent Bdnf I and IV transcripts, we used a CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) system in which catalytically-dead Cas9 (dCas9) fused to a transcriptional activator (VPR) is targeted to individual Bdnf promoters with single guide RNAs (sgRNAs), resulting in transcript-specific Bdnf upregulation. Bdnf I upregulation is associated with gene expression changes linked to dendritic growth, while Bdnf IV upregulation is associated with genes that regulate protein catabolism. Upregulation of Bdnf I, but not Bdnf IV, increased mushroom spine density, volume, length, and head diameter, and also produced more complex dendritic arbors in cultured rat hippocampal neurons. In contrast, upregulation of Bdnf IV, but not Bdnf I, in the rat hippocampus attenuated contextual fear expression. Our data suggest that while Bdnf I and IV are both activity-dependent, BDNF produced from these promoters may serve unique cellular, synaptic, and behavioral functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svitlana V. Bach
- The Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Allison J. Bauman
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Darya Hosein
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Jennifer J. Tuscher
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Lara Ianov
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
- Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Kelsey M. Greathouse
- Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Benjamin W. Henderson
- Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Jeremy H. Herskowitz
- Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Keri Martinowich
- The Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jeremy J. Day
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
- Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
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13
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Pham AQ, Dore K. Novel approaches to increase synaptic resilience as potential treatments for Alzheimer's disease. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 139:84-92. [PMID: 35370089 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.03.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
A significant proportion of brains with Alzheimer's disease pathology are obtained from patients that were cognitively normal, suggesting that differences within the brains of these individuals made them resilient to the disease. Here, we describe recent approaches that specifically increase synaptic resilience, as loss of synapses is considered to be the first change in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. We start by discussing studies showing benefit from increased expression of neurotrophic factors and protective genes. Methods that effectively make dendritic spines stronger, specifically by acting through actin network proteins, scaffolding proteins and inhibition of phosphatases are described next. Importantly, the therapeutic strategies presented in this review tackle Alzheimer's disease not by targeting plaques and tangles, but instead by making synapses resilient to the pathology associated with Alzheimer's disease, which has tremendous potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Q Pham
- Department of Neurosciences, Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, UCSD, La Jolla 92093, United States
| | - Kim Dore
- Department of Neurosciences, Center for Neural Circuits and Behavior, UCSD, La Jolla 92093, United States.
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14
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Chandra PK, Braun SE, Maity S, Castorena-Gonzalez JA, Kim H, Shaffer JG, Cikic S, Rutkai I, Fan J, Guidry JJ, Worthylake DK, Li C, Abdel-Mageed AB, Busija DW. Circulating Plasma Exosomal Proteins of Either SHIV-Infected Rhesus Macaque or HIV-Infected Patient Indicates a Link to Neuropathogenesis. Viruses 2023; 15:794. [PMID: 36992502 PMCID: PMC10058833 DOI: 10.3390/v15030794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the suppression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication by combined antiretroviral therapy (cART), 50-60% of HIV-infected patients suffer from HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). Studies are uncovering the role of extracellular vesicles (EVs), especially exosomes, in the central nervous system (CNS) due to HIV infection. We investigated links among circulating plasma exosomal (crExo) proteins and neuropathogenesis in simian/human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV)-infected rhesus macaques (RM) and HIV-infected and cART treated patients (Patient-Exo). Isolated EVs from SHIV-infected (SHIV-Exo) and uninfected (CTL-Exo) RM were predominantly exosomes (particle size < 150 nm). Proteomic analysis quantified 5654 proteins, of which 236 proteins (~4%) were significantly, differentially expressed (DE) between SHIV-/CTL-Exo. Interestingly, different CNS cell specific markers were abundantly expressed in crExo. Proteins involved in latent viral reactivation, neuroinflammation, neuropathology-associated interactive as well as signaling molecules were expressed at significantly higher levels in SHIV-Exo than CTL-Exo. However, proteins involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, ATP production, autophagy, endocytosis, exocytosis, and cytoskeleton organization were significantly less expressed in SHIV-Exo than CTL-Exo. Interestingly, proteins involved in oxidative stress, mitochondrial biogenesis, ATP production, and autophagy were significantly downregulated in primary human brain microvascular endothelial cells exposed with HIV+/cART+ Patient-Exo. We showed that Patient-Exo significantly increased blood-brain barrier permeability, possibly due to loss of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 protein and actin cytoskeleton structure. Our novel findings suggest that circulating exosomal proteins expressed CNS cell markers-possibly associated with viral reactivation and neuropathogenesis-that may elucidate the etiology of HAND.
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Affiliation(s)
- Partha K. Chandra
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Stephen E. Braun
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Division of Immunology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA 70433, USA
| | - Sudipa Maity
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | | | - Hogyoung Kim
- Department of Urology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Jeffrey G. Shaffer
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Sinisa Cikic
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Ibolya Rutkai
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Jia Fan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Jessie J. Guidry
- Proteomics Core Facility, Louisiana State University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - David K. Worthylake
- Proteomics Core Facility, Louisiana State University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Chenzhong Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Asim B. Abdel-Mageed
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
- Department of Urology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - David W. Busija
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
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15
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Villalonga E, Mosrin C, Normand T, Girardin C, Serrano A, Žunar B, Doudeau M, Godin F, Bénédetti H, Vallée B. LIM Kinases, LIMK1 and LIMK2, Are Crucial Node Actors of the Cell Fate: Molecular to Pathological Features. Cells 2023; 12:cells12050805. [PMID: 36899941 PMCID: PMC10000741 DOI: 10.3390/cells12050805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
LIM kinase 1 (LIMK1) and LIM kinase 2 (LIMK2) are serine/threonine and tyrosine kinases and the only two members of the LIM kinase family. They play a crucial role in the regulation of cytoskeleton dynamics by controlling actin filaments and microtubule turnover, especially through the phosphorylation of cofilin, an actin depolymerising factor. Thus, they are involved in many biological processes, such as cell cycle, cell migration, and neuronal differentiation. Consequently, they are also part of numerous pathological mechanisms, especially in cancer, where their involvement has been reported for a few years and has led to the development of a wide range of inhibitors. LIMK1 and LIMK2 are known to be part of the Rho family GTPase signal transduction pathways, but many more partners have been discovered over the decades, and both LIMKs are suspected to be part of an extended and various range of regulation pathways. In this review, we propose to consider the different molecular mechanisms involving LIM kinases and their associated signalling pathways, and to offer a better understanding of their variety of actions within the physiology and physiopathology of the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elodie Villalonga
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire; UPR4301, CNRS, University of Orleans and INSERM, CEDEX 2, 45071 Orleans, France
| | - Christine Mosrin
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire; UPR4301, CNRS, University of Orleans and INSERM, CEDEX 2, 45071 Orleans, France
| | - Thierry Normand
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire; UPR4301, CNRS, University of Orleans and INSERM, CEDEX 2, 45071 Orleans, France
| | - Caroline Girardin
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire; UPR4301, CNRS, University of Orleans and INSERM, CEDEX 2, 45071 Orleans, France
| | - Amandine Serrano
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire; UPR4301, CNRS, University of Orleans and INSERM, CEDEX 2, 45071 Orleans, France
| | - Bojan Žunar
- Laboratory for Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Michel Doudeau
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire; UPR4301, CNRS, University of Orleans and INSERM, CEDEX 2, 45071 Orleans, France
| | - Fabienne Godin
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire; UPR4301, CNRS, University of Orleans and INSERM, CEDEX 2, 45071 Orleans, France
| | - Hélène Bénédetti
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire; UPR4301, CNRS, University of Orleans and INSERM, CEDEX 2, 45071 Orleans, France
| | - Béatrice Vallée
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire; UPR4301, CNRS, University of Orleans and INSERM, CEDEX 2, 45071 Orleans, France
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-(0)2-38-25-76-11
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16
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Linseman DA, Lu Q. Editorial: Rho family GTPases and their effectors in neuronal survival and neurodegeneration. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1161072. [PMID: 36896267 PMCID: PMC9989285 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1161072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Linseman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United States
| | - Qun Lu
- The Harriet and John Wooten Laboratory for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases Research, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States
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17
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Collins R, Lee H, Jones DH, Elkins JM, Gillespie JA, Thomas C, Baldwin AG, Jones K, Waters L, Paine M, Atack JR, Ward SE, Grubisha O, Foley DW. Comparative Analysis of Small-Molecule LIMK1/2 Inhibitors: Chemical Synthesis, Biochemistry, and Cellular Activity. J Med Chem 2022; 65:13705-13713. [PMID: 36205722 PMCID: PMC9619402 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
LIM domain kinases 1 and 2 (LIMK1 and LIMK2) regulate actin dynamics and subsequently key cellular functions such as proliferation and migration. LIMK1 and LIMK2 phosphorylate and inactivate cofilin leading to increased actin polymerization. As a result, LIMK inhibitors are emerging as a promising treatment strategy for certain cancers and neurological disorders. High-quality chemical probes are required if the role of these kinases in health and disease is to be understood. To that end, we report the results of a comparative assessment of 17 reported LIMK1/2 inhibitors in a variety of in vitro enzymatic and cellular assays. Our evaluation has identified three compounds (TH-257, LIJTF500025, and LIMKi3) as potent and selective inhibitors suitable for use as in vitro and in vivo pharmacological tools for the study of LIMK function in cell biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross Collins
- Medicines
Discovery Institute, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Hyunah Lee
- Centre
for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7DQ, United Kingdom
| | - D. Heulyn Jones
- Medicines
Discovery Institute, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan M. Elkins
- Centre
for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7DQ, United Kingdom
| | - Jason A. Gillespie
- Medicines
Discovery Institute, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Carys Thomas
- Medicines
Discovery Institute, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Alex G. Baldwin
- Medicines
Discovery Institute, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Kimberley Jones
- Medicines
Discovery Institute, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Loren Waters
- Medicines
Discovery Institute, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Marie Paine
- Medicines
Discovery Institute, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - John R. Atack
- Medicines
Discovery Institute, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Simon E. Ward
- Medicines
Discovery Institute, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Olivera Grubisha
- Medicines
Discovery Institute, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - David W. Foley
- Medicines
Discovery Institute, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
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18
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Blok LER, Boon M, van Reijmersdal B, Höffler KD, Fenckova M, Schenck A. Genetics, molecular control and clinical relevance of habituation learning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 143:104883. [PMID: 36152842 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Habituation is the most fundamental form of learning. As a firewall that protects our brain from sensory overload, it is indispensable for cognitive processes. Studies in humans and animal models provide increasing evidence that habituation is affected in autism and related monogenic neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). An integrated application of habituation assessment in NDDs and their animal models has unexploited potential for neuroscience and medical care. With the aim to gain mechanistic insights, we systematically retrieved genes that have been demonstrated in the literature to underlie habituation. We identified 258 evolutionarily conserved genes across species, describe the biological processes they converge on, and highlight regulatory pathways and drugs that may alleviate habituation deficits. We also summarize current habituation paradigms and extract the most decisive arguments that support the crucial role of habituation for cognition in health and disease. We conclude that habituation is a conserved, quantitative, cognition- and disease-relevant process that can connect preclinical and clinical work, and hence is a powerful tool to advance research, diagnostics, and treatment of NDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Elisabeth Rosalie Blok
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Marina Boon
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Boyd van Reijmersdal
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Kira Daniela Höffler
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Michaela Fenckova
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Branisovska 31, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Annette Schenck
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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19
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Walker CK, Greathouse KM, Liu E, Muhammad HM, Boros BD, Freeman CD, Seo JV, Herskowitz JH. Comparison of Golgi-Cox and Intracellular Loading of Lucifer Yellow for Dendritic Spine Density and Morphology Analysis in the Mouse Brain. Neuroscience 2022; 498:1-18. [PMID: 35752428 PMCID: PMC9420811 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.06.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Dendritic spines are small protrusions on dendrites that serve as the postsynaptic site of the majority of excitatory synapses. These structures are important for normal synaptic transmission, and alterations in their density and morphology have been documented in various disease states. Over 130 years ago, Ramón y Cajal used Golgi-stained tissue sections to study dendritic morphology. Despite the array of technological advances, including iontophoretic microinjection of Lucifer yellow (LY) fluorescent dye, Golgi staining continues to be one of the most popular approaches to visualize dendritic spines. Here, we compared dendritic spine density and morphology among pyramidal neurons in layers 2/3 of the mouse medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and pyramidal neurons in hippocampal CA1 using three-dimensional digital reconstructions of (1) brightfield microscopy z-stacks of Golgi-impregnated dendrites and (2) confocal microscopy z-stacks of LY-filled dendrites. Analysis of spine density revealed that the LY microinjection approach enabled detection of approximately three times as many spines as the Golgi staining approach in both brain regions. Spine volume measurements were larger using Golgi staining compared to LY microinjection in both mPFC and CA1. Spine length was mostly comparable between techniques in both regions. In the mPFC, head diameter was similar for Golgi staining and LY microinjection. However, in CA1, head diameter was approximately 50% smaller on LY-filled dendrites compared to Golgi staining. These results indicate that Golgi staining and LY microinjection yield different spine density and morphology measurements, with Golgi staining failing to detect dendritic spines and overestimating spine size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney K Walker
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
| | - Kelsey M Greathouse
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
| | - Evan Liu
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
| | - Hamad M Muhammad
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
| | - Benjamin D Boros
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
| | - Cameron D Freeman
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
| | - Jung Vin Seo
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
| | - Jeremy H Herskowitz
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.
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20
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Zhang H, Ben Zablah Y, Zhang H, Liu A, Gugustea R, Lee D, Luo X, Meng Y, Li S, Zhou C, Xin T, Jia Z. Inhibition of Rac1 in ventral hippocampal excitatory neurons improves social recognition memory and synaptic plasticity. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:914491. [PMID: 35936771 PMCID: PMC9354987 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.914491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Rac1 is critically involved in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, neuronal structure, synaptic plasticity, and memory. Rac1 overactivation is reported in human patients and animal models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and contributes to their spatial memory deficits, but whether Rac1 dysregulation is also important in other forms of memory deficits is unknown. In addition, the cell types and synaptic mechanisms involved remain unclear. In this study, we used local injections of AAV virus containing a dominant-negative (DN) Rac1 under the control of CaMKIIα promoter and found that the reduction of Rac1 hyperactivity in ventral hippocampal excitatory neurons improves social recognition memory in APP/PS1 mice. Expression of DN Rac1 also improves long-term potentiation, a key synaptic mechanism for memory formation. Our results suggest that overactivation of Rac1 in hippocampal excitatory neurons contributes to social memory deficits in APP/PS1 mice and that manipulating Rac1 activity may provide a potential therapeutic strategy to treat social deficits in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiwang Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Medicine and Health Key Laboratory of Neurosurgery, Jinan, China
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Physiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Youssif Ben Zablah
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Physiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Haorui Zhang
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Physiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - An Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Radu Gugustea
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Physiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Dongju Lee
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Physiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Xiao Luo
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Physiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Yanghong Meng
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Physiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Song Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Caoxian People’s Hospital, Caoxian, China
| | - Changxi Zhou
- Department of Geriatrics, The Second Medical Center and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Changxi Zhou,
| | - Tao Xin
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Medicine and Health Key Laboratory of Neurosurgery, Jinan, China
- Tao Xin,
| | - Zhengping Jia
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Physiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Zhengping Jia,
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21
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Singh R, Pokle AV, Ghosh P, Ganeshpurkar A, Swetha R, Singh SK, Kumar A. Pharmacophore-based virtual screening, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations study for the identification of LIM kinase-1 inhibitors. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022:1-15. [PMID: 35862656 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2101529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
LIM kinases (LIMKs) are a family of protein kinases involved in the regulation of actin dynamics. There are two isoforms of LIMKs i.e., LIMK1 and LIMK2. LIMK1 is expressed abundantly in neuronal tissues. LIMK1 plays an essential role in the degradation of dendritic spines, which are important for our higher brain functions, such as memory and learning. The inhibition of LIMK1 improves the size and density of dendritic spines and acts as a protective effect against Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we have adopted ligand-based drug design and molecular modelling methods to identify virtual hits. The pharmacophoric features of PF-00477736 were used to screen the Zinc15 compounds library. The identified hits were then passed through drug-likeliness and PAINS filters. Further, comprehensive docking and rigorous molecular dynamics simulation study afforded three virtual hits viz., ZINC504485634, ZINC16940431 and ZINC1091071. The hits showed a better docking score than the standard ligand, PF-00477736. The docking score was found to be -8.85, -7.50 and -7.68 kcal/mol. These hits exhibited optimal binding properties with the target in docking study, blood-brain barrier permeability, in silico pharmacokinetics and low predicted toxicity.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory 1, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Ankit Vyankatrao Pokle
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory 1, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Powsali Ghosh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory 1, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Ankit Ganeshpurkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Poona College of Pharmacy, Bharti Vidyapeeth, Erandwane, Pune, India
| | - Rayala Swetha
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory 1, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Sushil Kumar Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory 1, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Ashok Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory 1, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
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22
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LIM Kinases, Promising but Reluctant Therapeutic Targets: Chemistry and Preclinical Validation In Vivo. Cells 2022; 11:cells11132090. [PMID: 35805176 PMCID: PMC9265711 DOI: 10.3390/cells11132090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
LIM Kinases are important actors in the regulation of cytoskeleton dynamics by controlling microtubule and actin filament turnover. The signaling pathways involving LIM kinases for actin filament remodeling are well established. They are downstream effectors of small G proteins of the Rho-GTPases family and have become promising targets for the treatment of several major diseases because of their position at the lower end of these signaling cascades. Cofilin, which depolymerizes actin filaments, is the best-known substrate of these enzymes. The phosphorylation of cofilin to its inactive form by LIM kinases avoids actin filament depolymerization. The balance between phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated cofilin is thought to play an important role in tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Since 2006, many small molecules have been developed for LIMK inhibition, and in this review article, we will discuss the structure–activity relationships of the few inhibitor families that have been tested in vivo on different pathological models.
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23
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Neuner SM, Telpoukhovskaia M, Menon V, O'Connell KMS, Hohman TJ, Kaczorowski CC. Translational approaches to understanding resilience to Alzheimer's disease. Trends Neurosci 2022; 45:369-383. [PMID: 35307206 PMCID: PMC9035083 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Individuals who maintain cognitive function despite high levels of Alzheimer's disease (AD)-associated pathology are said to be 'resilient' to AD. Identifying mechanisms underlying resilience represents an exciting therapeutic opportunity. Human studies have identified a number of molecular and genetic factors associated with resilience, but the complexity of these cohorts prohibits a complete understanding of which factors are causal or simply correlated with resilience. Genetically and phenotypically diverse mouse models of AD provide new and translationally relevant opportunities to identify and prioritize new resilience mechanisms for further cross-species investigation. This review will discuss insights into resilience gained from both human and animal studies and highlight future approaches that may help translate these insights into therapeutics designed to prevent or delay AD-related dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Neuner
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | | | - Vilas Menon
- Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Kristen M S O'Connell
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA; Tufts University, School of Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Boston, MA 02111, USA; The University of Maine, Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Timothy J Hohman
- Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Catherine C Kaczorowski
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA; Tufts University, School of Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Boston, MA 02111, USA; The University of Maine, Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Orono, ME 04469, USA.
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24
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Lapresa R, Agulla J, Gonzalez-Guerrero S, Bolaños JP, Almeida A. Amyloid-β Induces Cdh1-Mediated Rock2 Stabilization Causing Neurodegeneration. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:884470. [PMID: 35496276 PMCID: PMC9047900 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.884470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cognitive decline, which is causally related to the accumulation of abnormally folded amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide and hyperphosphorylated tau protein aggregates. The dendritic spine regulator Rho protein kinase 2 (Rock2) accumulates in the brain at the earliest stages of AD and remains increased during disease progression. However, the molecular mechanism that upregulates Rock2 in AD, and its role in the disease progression, are unknown. Here, we found that oligomers of the amyloidogenic fragment 25–35 of the Aβ peptide (Aβ25-35) trigger Rock2 accumulation and activation in mouse cortical neurons in primary culture and in mouse hippocampus in vivo. Neuronal apoptotic death and memory impairment caused by Aβ25-35 administration were rescued by genetic and pharmacological inhibition of Rock2 activity. Mechanistically, Aβ25-35 elicited cyclin dependent kinase-5 (Cdk5)-mediated phosphorylation of Cdh1, a cofactor that is essential for the activity of the E3 ubiquitin ligase anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) in neurons. Notably, phosphorylated Cdh1 was disassembled from the APC/C complex, causing its inactivation and subsequent Rock2 protein stabilization and activation. Moreover, Aβ25-35-induced neuronal apoptosis was prevented by expressing a phosphodefective form of Cdh1, but not by a phosphomimetic Cdh1. Finally, Cdh1 inactivation, using both genetic and pharmacological approaches, enhanced Aβ25-35-mediated neuronal death through a mechanism that was prevented by inhibition of Rock2 activity. These results indicate that the Cdk5-Cdh1 signaling pathway accounts for the increased Rock2 activity by amyloidogenic Aβ peptides and that this mechanism may contribute to neurodegeneration and memory loss in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebeca Lapresa
- Institute of Functional Biology and Genomics, CSIC, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca, University Hospital of Salamanca, CSIC, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Jesus Agulla
- Institute of Functional Biology and Genomics, CSIC, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca, University Hospital of Salamanca, CSIC, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Sonia Gonzalez-Guerrero
- Institute of Functional Biology and Genomics, CSIC, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca, University Hospital of Salamanca, CSIC, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Juan P. Bolaños
- Institute of Functional Biology and Genomics, CSIC, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca, University Hospital of Salamanca, CSIC, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Angeles Almeida
- Institute of Functional Biology and Genomics, CSIC, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca, University Hospital of Salamanca, CSIC, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- *Correspondence: Angeles Almeida,
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25
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Vidaurre-Gallart I, Fernaud-Espinosa I, Cosmin-Toader N, Talavera-Martínez L, Martin-Abadal M, Benavides-Piccione R, Gonzalez-Cid Y, Pastor L, DeFelipe J, García-Lorenzo M. A Deep Learning-Based Workflow for Dendritic Spine Segmentation. Front Neuroanat 2022; 16:817903. [PMID: 35370569 PMCID: PMC8967951 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2022.817903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The morphological analysis of dendritic spines is an important challenge for the neuroscientific community. Most state-of-the-art techniques rely on user-supervised algorithms to segment the spine surface, especially those designed for light microscopy images. Therefore, processing large dendritic branches is costly and time-consuming. Although deep learning (DL) models have become one of the most commonly used tools in image segmentation, they have not yet been successfully applied to this problem. In this article, we study the feasibility of using DL models to automatize spine segmentation from confocal microscopy images. Supervised learning is the most frequently used method for training DL models. This approach requires large data sets of high-quality segmented images (ground truth). As mentioned above, the segmentation of microscopy images is time-consuming and, therefore, in most cases, neuroanatomists only reconstruct relevant branches of the stack. Additionally, some parts of the dendritic shaft and spines are not segmented due to dyeing problems. In the context of this research, we tested the most successful architectures in the DL biomedical segmentation field. To build the ground truth, we used a large and high-quality data set, according to standards in the field. Nevertheless, this data set is not sufficient to train convolutional neural networks for accurate reconstructions. Therefore, we implemented an automatic preprocessing step and several training strategies to deal with the problems mentioned above. As shown by our results, our system produces a high-quality segmentation in most cases. Finally, we integrated several postprocessing user-supervised algorithms in a graphical user interface application to correct any possible artifacts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Isabel Fernaud-Espinosa
- Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales, Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Miguel Martin-Abadal
- Departament de Matemàtiques i Informàtica, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma, Spain
| | - Ruth Benavides-Piccione
- Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales, Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- *Correspondence: Ruth Benavides-Piccione
| | - Yolanda Gonzalez-Cid
- Departament de Matemàtiques i Informàtica, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma, Spain
- E-Health and Multidisciplinary Telemedicine Through Cyber-Physical Intelligent Systems, IdISBa, Palma, Spain
| | - Luis Pastor
- VG-LAB, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain
- Research Center for Computational Simulation (CCS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier DeFelipe
- Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales, Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marcos García-Lorenzo
- VG-LAB, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain
- Research Center for Computational Simulation (CCS), Madrid, Spain
- Marcos García-Lorenzo
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26
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Tolomeu HV, Fraga CAM. The Outcomes of Small-Molecule Kinase Inhibitors and the Role of ROCK2 as a Molecular Target for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. CNS & NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS DRUG TARGETS 2022; 21:188-205. [PMID: 34414875 DOI: 10.2174/1871527320666210820092220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease is rapidly becoming a major threat to public health, with an increasing number of individuals affected as the world's population ages. In this sense, studies have been carried out aiming at the identification of new small-molecule kinase inhibitors useful for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. OBJECTIVE In the present study, we investigated the compounds developed as inhibitors of different protein kinases associated with the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. METHODS The applied methodology was the use of the Clarivate Analytics Integrity and ClinicalTrials. com databases. Moreover, we highlight ROCK2 as a promising target despite being little studied for this purpose. A careful structure-activity relationship analysis of the ROCK2 inhibitors was performed to identify important structural features and fragments for the interaction with the kinase active site, aiming to rationally design novel potent and selective inhibitors. RESULTS We were able to notice some structural characteristics that could serve as the basis to better guide the rational design of new ROCK2 inhibitors as well as some more in-depth characteristics regarding the topology of the active site of both isoforms of these enzymes, thereby identifying differences that could lead to planning more selective compounds. CONCLUSION We hope that this work can be useful to update researchers working in this area, enabling the emergence of new ideas and a greater direction of efforts for designing new ROCK2 inhibitors to identify new therapeutic alternatives for Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heber Victor Tolomeu
- Laboratório de Avaliação e Síntese de Substâncias Bioativas (LASSBio), Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil | Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia e Química Medicinal, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21941- 902 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Carlos Alberto Manssour Fraga
- Laboratório de Avaliação e Síntese de Substâncias Bioativas (LASSBio), Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil | Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia e Química Medicinal, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21941- 902 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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27
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Ariawan D, Au C, Paric E, Fath T, Ke YD, Kassiou M, van Eersel J, Ittner LM. The Nature of Diamino Linker and Halogen Bonding Define Selectivity of Pyrrolopyrimidine-Based LIMK1 Inhibitors. Front Chem 2021; 9:781213. [PMID: 34966720 PMCID: PMC8711653 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.781213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The LIM-domain kinase (LIMK) family consists of two isoforms, LIMK1 and LIMK2, which are highly homologous, making selective inhibitor development challenging. LIMK regulates dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton, thereby impacting many cellular functions including cell morphology and motility. Here, we designed and synthesised analogues of a known pyrrolopyrimidine LIMK inhibitor with moderate selectivity for LIMK1 over LIMK2 to gain insights into which features contribute to both activity and selectivity. We incorporated a different stereochemistry around a cyclohexyl central moiety to achieve better selectivity for different LIMK isoforms. Inhibitory activity was assessed by kinase assays, and biological effects in cells were determined using an in vitro wound closure assay. Interestingly, a slight change in stereochemistry alters LIMK isoform selectivity. Finally, a docking study was performed to predict how the new compounds interact with the target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daryl Ariawan
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Carol Au
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Esmeralda Paric
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Thomas Fath
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Yazi D Ke
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael Kassiou
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Darlington, NSW, Australia
| | - Janet van Eersel
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Lars M Ittner
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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28
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Weber AJ, Adamson AB, Greathouse KM, Andrade JP, Freeman CD, Seo JV, Rae RJ, Walker CK, Herskowitz JH. Conditional deletion of ROCK2 induces anxiety-like behaviors and alters dendritic spine density and morphology on CA1 pyramidal neurons. Mol Brain 2021; 14:169. [PMID: 34794469 PMCID: PMC8600782 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00878-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Rho-associated kinase isoform 2 (ROCK2) is an attractive drug target for several neurologic disorders. A critical barrier to ROCK2-based research and therapeutics is the lack of a mouse model that enables investigation of ROCK2 with spatial and temporal control of gene expression. To overcome this, we generated ROCK2fl/fl mice. Mice expressing Cre recombinase in forebrain excitatory neurons (CaMKII-Cre) were crossed with ROCK2fl/fl mice (Cre/ROCK2fl/fl), and the contribution of ROCK2 in behavior as well as dendritic spine morphology in the hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and basolateral amygdala (BLA) was examined. Cre/ROCK2fl/fl mice spent reduced time in the open arms of the elevated plus maze and increased time in the dark of the light-dark box test compared to littermate controls. These results indicated that Cre/ROCK2fl/fl mice exhibited anxiety-like behaviors. To examine dendritic spine morphology, individual pyramidal neurons in CA1 hippocampus, mPFC, and the BLA were targeted for iontophoretic microinjection of fluorescent dye, followed by high-resolution confocal microscopy and neuronal 3D reconstructions for morphometry analysis. In dorsal CA1, Cre/ROCK2fl/fl mice displayed significantly increased thin spine density on basal dendrites and reduced mean spine head volume across all spine types on apical dendrites. In ventral CA1, Cre/ROCK2fl/fl mice exhibited significantly increased spine length on apical dendrites. Spine density and morphology were comparable in the mPFC and BLA between both genotypes. These findings suggest that neuronal ROCK2 mediates spine density and morphology in a compartmentalized manner among CA1 pyramidal cells, and that in the absence of ROCK2 these mechanisms may contribute to anxiety-like behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey J Weber
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Ashley B Adamson
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Kelsey M Greathouse
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Julia P Andrade
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Cameron D Freeman
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Jung Vin Seo
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Rosaria J Rae
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Courtney K Walker
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Jeremy H Herskowitz
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.
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Schulte S, Gries M, Christmann A, Schäfer KH. Using multielectrode arrays to investigate neurodegenerative effects of the amyloid-beta peptide. Bioelectron Med 2021; 7:15. [PMID: 34711287 PMCID: PMC8554832 DOI: 10.1186/s42234-021-00078-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multielectrode arrays are widely used to analyze the effects of potentially toxic compounds, as well as to evaluate neuroprotective agents upon the activity of neural networks in short- and long-term cultures. Multielectrode arrays provide a way of non-destructive analysis of spontaneous and evoked neuronal activity, allowing to model neurodegenerative diseases in vitro. Here, we provide an overview on how these devices are currently used in research on the amyloid-β peptide and its role in Alzheimer's disease, the most common neurodegenerative disorder. MAIN BODY Most of the studies analysed here indicate fast responses of neuronal cultures towards aggregated forms of amyloid-β, leading to increases of spike frequency and impairments of long-term potentiation. This in turn suggests that this peptide might play a crucial role in causing the typical neuronal dysfunction observed in patients with Alzheimer's disease. CONCLUSIONS Although the number of studies using multielectrode arrays to examine the effect of the amyloid-β peptide onto neural cultures or whole compartments is currently limited, they still show how this technique can be used to not only investigate the interneuronal communication in neural networks, but also making it possible to examine the effects onto synaptic currents. This makes multielectrode arrays a powerful tool in future research on neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Schulte
- Department of Informatics and Microsystems and Technology, University of Applied Science Kaiserslautern, 66482 Zweibrücken, Germany
| | - Manuela Gries
- Department of Informatics and Microsystems and Technology, University of Applied Science Kaiserslautern, 66482 Zweibrücken, Germany
| | - Anne Christmann
- Department of Informatics and Microsystems and Technology, University of Applied Science Kaiserslautern, 66482 Zweibrücken, Germany
| | - Karl-Herbert Schäfer
- Department of Informatics and Microsystems and Technology, University of Applied Science Kaiserslautern, 66482 Zweibrücken, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 68167 Mannheim, Germany
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Walker CK, Herskowitz JH. Dendritic Spines: Mediators of Cognitive Resilience in Aging and Alzheimer's Disease. Neuroscientist 2021; 27:487-505. [PMID: 32812494 PMCID: PMC8130863 DOI: 10.1177/1073858420945964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive resilience is often defined as the ability to remain cognitively normal in the face of insults to the brain. These insults can include disease pathology, such as plaques and tangles associated with Alzheimer's disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, or other lesions. Factors such as physical or mental activity and genetics may contribute to cognitive resilience, but the neurobiological underpinnings remain ill-defined. Emerging evidence suggests that dendritic spine structural plasticity is one plausible mechanism. In this review, we highlight the basic structure and function of dendritic spines and discuss how spine density and morphology change in aging and Alzheimer's disease. We note evidence that spine plasticity mediates resilience to stress, and we tackle dendritic spines in the context of cognitive resilience to Alzheimer's disease. Finally, we examine how lifestyle and genetic factors may influence dendritic spine plasticity to promote cognitive resilience before discussing evidence for actin regulatory kinases as therapeutic targets for Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney K. Walker
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
| | - Jeremy H. Herskowitz
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
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31
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LIM-Kinases in Synaptic Plasticity, Memory, and Brain Diseases. Cells 2021; 10:cells10082079. [PMID: 34440848 PMCID: PMC8391678 DOI: 10.3390/cells10082079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning and memory require structural and functional modifications of synaptic connections, and synaptic deficits are believed to underlie many brain disorders. The LIM-domain-containing protein kinases (LIMK1 and LIMK2) are key regulators of the actin cytoskeleton by affecting the actin-binding protein, cofilin. In addition, LIMK1 is implicated in the regulation of gene expression by interacting with the cAMP-response element-binding protein. Accumulating evidence indicates that LIMKs are critically involved in brain function and dysfunction. In this paper, we will review studies on the roles and underlying mechanisms of LIMKs in the regulation of long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD), the most extensively studied forms of long-lasting synaptic plasticity widely regarded as cellular mechanisms underlying learning and memory. We will also discuss the involvement of LIMKs in the regulation of the dendritic spine, the structural basis of synaptic plasticity, and memory formation. Finally, we will discuss recent progress on investigations of LIMKs in neurological and mental disorders, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Williams–Beuren syndrome, schizophrenia, and autism spectrum disorders.
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32
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Martín-Cámara O, Cores Á, López-Alvarado P, Menéndez JC. Emerging targets in drug discovery against neurodegenerative diseases: Control of synapsis disfunction by the RhoA/ROCK pathway. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 225:113742. [PMID: 34388381 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Synaptic spine morphology is controlled by the activity of Rac1, Cdc42 and RhoA, which need to be finely balanced, and in particular RhoA/ROCK prevents the formation of new protrusions by stabilizing actin formation. These processes are crucial to the maturation process, slowing the de novo generation of new spines. The RhoA/ROCK also influences plasticity processes, and selective modulation by ROCK1 of MLC-dependent actin dynamics leads to neurite retraction, but not to spine retraction. ROCK1 is also responsible for the reduction of the readily releasable pool of synaptic vesicles. These and other evidences suggest that ROCK1 is the main isoform acting on the presynaptic neuron. On the other hand, ROCK2 seems to have broad effects on LIMK/cofilin-dependent plasticity processes such as cofilin-dependent PSD changes. The RhoA/ROCK pathway is an important factor in several different brain-related pathologies via both downstream and upstream pathways. In the aggregate, these evidences show that the RhoA/ROCK pathway has a central role in the etiopathogenesis of a large group of CNS diseases, which underscores the importance of the pharmacological modulation of RhoA/ROCK as an important pathway to drug discovery in the neurodegenerative disease area. This article aims at providing the first review of the role of compounds acting on the RhoA/ROCK pathway in the control of synaptic disfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olmo Martín-Cámara
- Unidad de Química Orgánica y Farmacéutica, Departamento de Química en Ciencias Farmacéuticas. Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ángel Cores
- Unidad de Química Orgánica y Farmacéutica, Departamento de Química en Ciencias Farmacéuticas. Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar López-Alvarado
- Unidad de Química Orgánica y Farmacéutica, Departamento de Química en Ciencias Farmacéuticas. Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - J Carlos Menéndez
- Unidad de Química Orgánica y Farmacéutica, Departamento de Química en Ciencias Farmacéuticas. Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
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33
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Zhang H, Ben Zablah Y, Liu A, Lee D, Zhang H, Meng Y, Zhou C, Liu X, Wang Y, Jia Z. Overexpression of LIMK1 in hippocampal excitatory neurons improves synaptic plasticity and social recognition memory in APP/PS1 mice. Mol Brain 2021; 14:121. [PMID: 34315506 PMCID: PMC8314529 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00833-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence indicates that the actin regulator cofilin is overactivated in Alzheimer's Disease (AD), but whether this abnormality contributes to synaptic and cognitive impairments in AD is unclear. In addition, the brain region and cell types involved remain unknown. In this study, we specifically manipulate LIMK1, the key protein kinase that phosphorylates and inactivates cofilin, in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Using local injections of the AAV virus containing LIMK1 under the control of the CaMKIIα promoter, we show that expression of LIMK1 in hippocampal excitatory neurons increases cofilin phosphorylation (i.e., decreases cofilin activity), rescues impairments in long-term potentiation, and improves social memory in APP/PS1 mice. Our results suggest that deficits in LIMK1/cofilin signaling in the hippocampal excitatory neurons contribute to AD pathology and that manipulations of LIMK1/cofilin activity provide a potential therapeutic strategy to treat AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiwang Zhang
- Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550000, Guizhou, China.,Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.,Department of Physiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Youssif Ben Zablah
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.,Department of Physiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - An Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Dongju Lee
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.,Department of Physiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Haorui Zhang
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.,Department of Physiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Yanghong Meng
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.,Department of Physiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Changxi Zhou
- Department of Geriatrics, The Second Medical Center and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, 28 Fuxing Road, Beijing, China
| | - Xingde Liu
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, 550001, Guizhou, China
| | - Yiming Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, Guizhou, China. .,Mental Health Education and Counseling Center for College Students, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, Guizhou, China.
| | - Zhengping Jia
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada. .,Department of Physiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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34
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Cai R, Wang Y, Huang Z, Zou Q, Pu Y, Yu C, Cai Z. Role of RhoA/ROCK signaling in Alzheimer's disease. Behav Brain Res 2021; 414:113481. [PMID: 34302876 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase (ROCK), a serine/threonine kinase regulated by the small GTPase RhoA, is involved in regulating cell migration, proliferation, and survival. Numerous studies have shown that the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway can promote Alzheimer's disease (AD) occurrence. ROCK activation increases β-secretase activity and promotes amyloid-beta (Aβ) production; moreover, Aβ further activates ROCK. This is suggestive of a possible positive feedback role for Aβ and ROCK. Moreover, ROCK activation promotes the formation of neurofibrillary tangles and abnormal synaptic contraction. Additionally, ROCK activation can promote the neuroinflammatory response by activating microglia and astrocytes to release inflammatory cytokines. Therefore, ROCK is a promising drug target in AD; further, there is a need to elucidate the specific mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- RuoLan Cai
- Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563003, China; Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Chongqing, 400013, China; Department of Neurology, Chongqing General Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400013, China
| | - YangYang Wang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Chongqing, 400013, China; Department of Neurology, Chongqing General Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400013, China
| | - ZhenTing Huang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Chongqing, 400013, China; Department of Neurology, Chongqing General Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400013, China
| | - Qian Zou
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Chongqing, 400013, China; Department of Neurology, Chongqing General Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400013, China
| | - YinShuang Pu
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Chongqing, 400013, China; Department of Neurology, Chongqing General Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400013, China
| | - Changyin Yu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China.
| | - Zhiyou Cai
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Chongqing, 400013, China; Department of Neurology, Chongqing General Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400013, China.
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35
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Zhong W, Zhao L, Yang Z, Yu-Chian Chen C. Graph convolutional network approach to investigate potential selective Limk1 inhibitors. J Mol Graph Model 2021; 107:107965. [PMID: 34167067 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2021.107965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Since the Limk1 is a promising drug target and few inhibitors with good Limk1/ROCK2 selectivity have been reported, discovering potential and selective Limk1 inhibitors with novel scaffolds is becoming an urgent need to develop new treatments for the related diseases. Here, we utilized molecular docking to screen potential compounds of Limk1 from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) database. Meanwhile, we performed a three-dimensional graph convolutional network (3DGCN), based on 3D molecular graph, to predict the inhibitory activity of Limk1 and ROCK2. Compared with the baseline models (RF, GCN and Weave), the 3DGCN achieved higher accuracy and the averaged RMSE values on test sets for Limk1 and ROCK2 were 0.721 and 0.852 respectively. In 3DGCN, above 80% of the test-set molecules from both two datasets were predicted within absolute error of 1.0 and the feature visualization suggested that it could automatically learn relevant structure features including 3D molecular information from a specific task for prediction. Furthermore, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations within 100 ns were employed to verify the stability of ligand-protein complexes and reveal the binding modes of the potential selective lead compounds of Limk1. Finally, integrating docking results, the predicted values by the 3DGCN and the MD analysis, we found that 7549 and 2007_15649 might be the potential and selective inhibitors for Limk1 receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihe Zhong
- Artificial Intelligence Medical Center, School of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 510275, China; School of Biomedical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 510275, China
| | - Lu Zhao
- Artificial Intelligence Medical Center, School of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 510275, China; Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510655, China
| | - Ziduo Yang
- Artificial Intelligence Medical Center, School of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 510275, China
| | - Calvin Yu-Chian Chen
- Artificial Intelligence Medical Center, School of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 510275, China; Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 40447, Taiwan; Department of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, Asia University, Taichung, 41354, Taiwan.
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36
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Li X, Tong J, Liu J, Wang Y. Down-regulation of ROCK2 alleviates ethanol-induced cerebral nerve injury partly by the suppression of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Bioengineered 2021; 11:779-790. [PMID: 32684089 PMCID: PMC8291877 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2020.1795404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic alcohol consumption leads to hippocampal neuronal impairment, which related to neuronal death, oxidative stress, and inflammatory response. Rho-associated protein kinase 2 (ROCK2) is a major regulator in the central nervous system injury. However, the effects of ROCK2 in ethanol-induced brain injury have not been explored. In this work, we investigated the neuroprotective effects and the mechanism of ROCK2 inhibition in vivo. Wistar rats were exposed to 37% ethanol for 8 weeks to establish brain injury models. Morris water maze test was performed to evaluate cognitive function, and we found that the down-regulation of ROCK2 reduced the escape latency and increased the passing times and percentage of time spent in the target quadrant of rats. The results of H&E staining and Nissl staining showed that ROCK2 inhibition alleviated the pathological injury induced by ethanol. PI staining and Western blot confirmed that inhibiting ROCK2 attenuated the neuronal death and apoptosis as reflected by the reduced PI-positive neurons and the decreased expression of cleaved-caspase-3 and cleaved-caspase-9. Furthermore, the down-regulation of ROCK2 ameliorated the oxidative stress and inflammatory response induced by ethanol in rats as reflected by the up-regulation of IL-10, SOD, and GSH and reduction of TNF-α, IL-6, and MDA respectively. Additionally, Western blot and EMSA analysis revealed that the down-regulation of ROCK2 suppressed the nuclear transfer of NF-κB p65. In conclusion, our data suggested that ROCK2 inhibition ameliorated ethanol-mediated hippocampal neuronal impairment by anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative effects at least partially through the suppression of the NF-κB pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinguo Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University , Shenyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Tong
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of China Medical University , Shenyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Jihui Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University , Shenyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yibao Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University , Shenyang, People's Republic of China
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Zhang H, Liu W, Ge H, Li K. Aberrant expression of miR-148a-3p in Alzheimer's disease and its protective role against amyloid-β induced neurotoxicity. Neurosci Lett 2021; 756:135953. [PMID: 33979697 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.135953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The current study investigated the expression change and clinical value of miR-148a-3p in AD patients, and further examined the role of miR-148a-3p in Aβ-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. MATERIAL AND METHODS qRT-PCR was used for the measurement of miR-148a-3p expression levels. ROC curve was established to calculate the diagnostic value of serum miR-148a-3p for AD. CCK-8 and flow cytometry assay was applied for the detection of cell viability and apoptosis. Additionally, the luciferase reporter assay was performed to confirm the target relationship between ROCK1 and miR-148a-3p. RESULTS Serum miR-148a-3p was downregulated in AD patients compared with that in healthy controls, and was positively associated with the MMSE score in AD patients. Serum miR-148a-3p had the potential to distinguish AD patients from healthy controls, and the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were respectively 85.5 % and 87.0 % at a cutoff value of 0.827. MiR-148a-3p attenuated Aβ25-35 induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells, and ROCK1 was the target gene. CONCLUSION Serum miR-148a-3p is correlated with MMSE score in AD patients, and it might be helpful for the AD diagnosis. Overexpression of miR-148a-3p attenuated Aβ induced neurotoxicity in AD by targeting ROCK1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Zhang
- The First Department of Neurology, Rizhao People's Hospital, Rizhao, 276800, Shandong, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Neurology, Zhucheng People's Hospital, Zhucheng, 262200, Shandong, China
| | - Hongliang Ge
- Department of Neurology, Shanxian Central Hospital, Heze, 274300, Shandong, China
| | - Kun Li
- Department of Neurology, Shanxian Central Hospital, Heze, 274300, Shandong, China.
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38
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Kang X, Li W, Liu W, Liang H, Deng J, Wong CC, Zhao S, Kang W, To KF, Chiu PWY, Wang G, Yu J, Ng EKW. LIMK1 promotes peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer and is a therapeutic target. Oncogene 2021; 40:3422-3433. [PMID: 33883692 PMCID: PMC8116207 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-01656-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Revised: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Peritoneal metastasis is a common form of metastasis among advanced gastric cancer patients. In this study, we reported the identification of LIM domain kinase 1 (LIMK1) as a promoter of gastric cancer peritoneal metastasis, and its potential to be a therapeutic target of dabrafenib (DAB). Using transcriptomic sequencing of paired gastric cancer peritoneal metastasis, primary tumors, and normal gastric tissues, we first unveiled that LIMK1 is selectively up-regulated in metastatic tumors. Increased LIMK1 in gastric cancer peritoneal metastasis was validated by immunohistochemistry analysis of an independent patient cohort. In vitro functional studies demonstrated that LIMK1 knockout or knockdown significantly inhibited cell migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells. LIMK1 knockout also abrogated peritoneal and liver metastases of gastric cancer cells in nude mice in vivo. Dabrafenib, a small molecule targeting LIMK1, was found to decrease cell migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells in vitro and abolish peritoneal and liver metastasis formation in vivo. Mechanistically, either LIMK1 knockout or Dabrafenib inhibited LIMK1 expression and phosphorylation of its downstream target cofilin. Taken together, our results demonstrated that LIMK1 functions as a metastasis promoter in gastric cancer by inhibiting LIMK1-p-cofilin and that Dabrafenib has the potential to serve as a novel treatment for gastric cancer peritoneal metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Kang
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Surgery, Hebei Medical University 4th Hospital, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Weilin Li
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Weixin Liu
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Han Liang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital, City Key Laboratory of Tianjin Cancer Center and National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Jingyu Deng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital, City Key Laboratory of Tianjin Cancer Center and National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Chi Chun Wong
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Sinan Zhao
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Endocrinology, Hebei Medical University 2nd Hospital, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Wei Kang
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ka Fai To
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Philip Wai Yan Chiu
- Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Guiying Wang
- Department of Surgery, Hebei Medical University 4th Hospital, Shijiazhuang, China.
| | - Jun Yu
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Enders Kwok Wai Ng
- Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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39
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Schneider B, Baudry A, Pietri M, Alleaume-Butaux A, Bizingre C, Nioche P, Kellermann O, Launay JM. The Cellular Prion Protein-ROCK Connection: Contribution to Neuronal Homeostasis and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:660683. [PMID: 33912016 PMCID: PMC8072021 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.660683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-based neurodegenerative diseases such as prion, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's diseases have distinct etiologies and clinical manifestations, but they share common pathological events. These diseases are caused by abnormally folded proteins (pathogenic prions PrPSc in prion diseases, β-amyloids/Aβ and Tau in Alzheimer's disease, α-synuclein in Parkinson's disease) that display β-sheet-enriched structures, propagate and accumulate in the nervous central system, and trigger neuronal death. In prion diseases, PrPSc-induced corruption of the physiological functions exerted by normal cellular prion proteins (PrPC) present at the cell surface of neurons is at the root of neuronal death. For a decade, PrPC emerges as a common cell surface receptor for other amyloids such as Aβ and α-synuclein, which relays, at least in part, their toxicity. In lipid-rafts of the plasma membrane, PrPC exerts a signaling function and controls a set of effectors involved in neuronal homeostasis, among which are the RhoA-associated coiled-coil containing kinases (ROCKs). Here we review (i) how PrPC controls ROCKs, (ii) how PrPC-ROCK coupling contributes to neuronal homeostasis, and (iii) how the deregulation of the PrPC-ROCK connection in amyloid-based neurodegenerative diseases triggers a loss of neuronal polarity, affects neurotransmitter-associated functions, contributes to the endoplasmic reticulum stress cascade, renders diseased neurons highly sensitive to neuroinflammation, and amplifies the production of neurotoxic amyloids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benoit Schneider
- Inserm UMR-S1124, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Faculté des Sciences, Paris, France
| | - Anne Baudry
- Inserm UMR-S1124, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Faculté des Sciences, Paris, France
| | - Mathéa Pietri
- Inserm UMR-S1124, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Faculté des Sciences, Paris, France
| | - Aurélie Alleaume-Butaux
- Inserm UMR-S1124, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Faculté des Sciences, Paris, France.,Université de Paris - BioMedTech Facilities- INSERM US36
- CNRS UMS2009 - Structural and Molecular Analysis Platform, Paris, France
| | - Chloé Bizingre
- Inserm UMR-S1124, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Faculté des Sciences, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Nioche
- Inserm UMR-S1124, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Faculté des Sciences, Paris, France.,Université de Paris - BioMedTech Facilities- INSERM US36
- CNRS UMS2009 - Structural and Molecular Analysis Platform, Paris, France
| | - Odile Kellermann
- Inserm UMR-S1124, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Faculté des Sciences, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Marie Launay
- Inserm UMR 942, Hôpital Lariboisière, Paris, France.,Pharma Research Department, Hoffmann-La-Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
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40
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Brabec JL, Lara MK, Tyler AL, Mahoney JM. System-Level Analysis of Alzheimer's Disease Prioritizes Candidate Genes for Neurodegeneration. Front Genet 2021; 12:625246. [PMID: 33889174 PMCID: PMC8056044 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.625246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder. Since the advent of the genome-wide association study (GWAS) we have come to understand much about the genes involved in AD heritability and pathophysiology. Large case-control meta-GWAS studies have increased our ability to prioritize weaker effect alleles, while the recent development of network-based functional prediction has provided a mechanism by which we can use machine learning to reprioritize GWAS hits in the functional context of relevant brain tissues like the hippocampus and amygdala. In parallel with these developments, groups like the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) have compiled rich compendia of AD patient data including genotype and biomarker information, including derived volume measures for relevant structures like the hippocampus and the amygdala. In this study we wanted to identify genes involved in AD-related atrophy of these two structures, which are often critically impaired over the course of the disease. To do this we developed a combined score prioritization method which uses the cumulative distribution function of a gene’s functional and positional score, to prioritize top genes that not only segregate with disease status, but also with hippocampal and amygdalar atrophy. Our method identified a mix of genes that had previously been identified in AD GWAS including APOE, TOMM40, and NECTIN2(PVRL2) and several others that have not been identified in AD genetic studies, but play integral roles in AD-effected functional pathways including IQSEC1, PFN1, and PAK2. Our findings support the viability of our novel combined score as a method for prioritizing region- and even cell-specific AD risk genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey L Brabec
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Montana Kay Lara
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Anna L Tyler
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, United States
| | - J Matthew Mahoney
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States.,The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, United States
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41
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Zheng K, Hu F, Zhou Y, Zhang J, Zheng J, Lai C, Xiong W, Cui K, Hu YZ, Han ZT, Zhang HH, Chen JG, Man HY, Liu D, Lu Y, Zhu LQ. miR-135a-5p mediates memory and synaptic impairments via the Rock2/Adducin1 signaling pathway in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1903. [PMID: 33771994 PMCID: PMC7998005 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22196-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant regulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but most abnormally expressed miRNAs found in AD are not regulated by synaptic activity. Here we report that dysfunction of miR-135a-5p/Rock2/Add1 results in memory/synaptic disorder in a mouse model of AD. miR-135a-5p levels are significantly reduced in excitatory hippocampal neurons of AD model mice. This decrease is tau dependent and mediated by Foxd3. Inhibition of miR-135a-5p leads to synaptic disorder and memory impairments. Furthermore, excess Rock2 levels caused by loss of miR-135a-5p plays an important role in the synaptic disorder of AD via phosphorylation of Ser726 on adducin 1 (Add1). Blocking the phosphorylation of Ser726 on Add1 with a membrane-permeable peptide effectively rescues the memory impairments in AD mice. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that synaptic-related miR-135a-5p mediates synaptic/memory deficits in AD via the Rock2/Add1 signaling pathway, illuminating a potential therapeutic strategy for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Zheng
- Department of Geriatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Fan Hu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Lab of Neurological Disorder of Education Ministry, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Yang Zhou
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Lab of Neurological Disorder of Education Ministry, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Juan Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Lab of Neurological Disorder of Education Ministry, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Jie Zheng
- Department of Geriatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Chuan Lai
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Lab of Neurological Disorder of Education Ministry, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Wan Xiong
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Lab of Neurological Disorder of Education Ministry, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Ke Cui
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Lab of Neurological Disorder of Education Ministry, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Ya-Zhuo Hu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Aging and Geriatrics, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disease, Institute of Geriatrics, Chinese PLA General Hospital and Chinese PLA Medical Academy, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Zhi-Tao Han
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Aging and Geriatrics, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disease, Institute of Geriatrics, Chinese PLA General Hospital and Chinese PLA Medical Academy, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Hong-Hong Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Aging and Geriatrics, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disease, Institute of Geriatrics, Chinese PLA General Hospital and Chinese PLA Medical Academy, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Jian-Guo Chen
- The Institute of Brain Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Heng-Ye Man
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dan Liu
- The Institute of Brain Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Youming Lu
- The Institute of Brain Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China.
| | - Ling-Qiang Zhu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Lab of Neurological Disorder of Education Ministry, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China.
- The Institute of Brain Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P. R. China.
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42
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Weber AJ, Herskowitz JH. Perspectives on ROCK2 as a Therapeutic Target for Alzheimer's Disease. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:636017. [PMID: 33790742 PMCID: PMC8005730 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.636017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Rho-associated coiled-coil containing kinase isoform 2 (ROCK2) is a member of the AGC family of serine/threonine kinases and an extensively studied regulator of actin-mediated cytoskeleton contractility. Over the past decade, new evidence has emerged that suggests ROCK2 regulates autophagy. Recent studies indicate that dysregulation of autophagy contributes to the development of misfolded tau aggregates among entorhinal cortex (EC) excitatory neurons in early Alzheimer's disease (AD). While the accumulation of tau oligomers and fibrils is toxic to neurons, autophagy facilitates the degradation of these pathologic species and represents a major cellular pathway for tau disposal in neurons. ROCK2 is expressed in excitatory neurons and pharmacologic inhibition of ROCK2 can induce autophagy pathways. In this mini-review, we explore potential mechanisms by which ROCK2 mediates autophagy and actin dynamics and discuss how these pathways represent therapeutic avenues for Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jeremy H. Herskowitz
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Departments of Neurology and Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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43
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Gory-Fauré S, Powell R, Jonckheere J, Lanté F, Denarier E, Peris L, Nguyen CH, Buisson A, Lafanechère L, Andrieux A. Pyr1-Mediated Pharmacological Inhibition of LIM Kinase Restores Synaptic Plasticity and Normal Behavior in a Mouse Model of Schizophrenia. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:627995. [PMID: 33790791 PMCID: PMC8006432 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.627995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The search for effective treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders is ongoing, with progress being made as brain structure and neuronal function become clearer. The central roles played by microtubules (MT) and actin in synaptic transmission and plasticity suggest that the cytoskeleton and its modulators could be relevant targets for the development of new molecules to treat psychiatric diseases. In this context, LIM Kinase - which regulates both the actin and MT cytoskeleton especially in dendritic spines, the post-synaptic compartment of the synapse - might be a good target. In this study, we analyzed the consequences of blocking LIMK1 pharmacologically using Pyr1. We investigated synaptic plasticity defects and behavioral disorders in MAP6 KO mice, an animal model useful for the study of psychiatric disorders, particularly schizophrenia. Our results show that Pyr1 can modulate MT dynamics in neurons. In MAP6 KO mice, chronic LIMK inhibition by long-term treatment with Pyr1 can restore normal dendritic spine density and also improves long-term potentiation, both of which are altered in these mice. Pyr1 treatment improved synaptic plasticity, and also reduced social withdrawal and depressive/anxiety-like behavior in MAP6 KO mice. Overall, the results of this study validate the hypothesis that modulation of LIMK activity could represent a new therapeutic strategy for neuropsychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie Gory-Fauré
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurosciences, Grenoble Institute Neuroscience, Inserm U1216, Grenoble, France.,Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Rebecca Powell
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurosciences, Grenoble Institute Neuroscience, Inserm U1216, Grenoble, France.,Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Julie Jonckheere
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurosciences, Grenoble Institute Neuroscience, Inserm U1216, Grenoble, France.,Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Fabien Lanté
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurosciences, Grenoble Institute Neuroscience, Inserm U1216, Grenoble, France.,Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Eric Denarier
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurosciences, Grenoble Institute Neuroscience, Inserm U1216, Grenoble, France.,Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.,Health Department, Interdisciplinary Research Institute of Grenoble, CEA, Grenoble, France
| | - Leticia Peris
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurosciences, Grenoble Institute Neuroscience, Inserm U1216, Grenoble, France.,Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Chi Hung Nguyen
- Chimie et Modélisation pour la Biologie du Cancer, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR9187, Inserm U1196, Orsay, France
| | - Alain Buisson
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurosciences, Grenoble Institute Neuroscience, Inserm U1216, Grenoble, France.,Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Laurence Lafanechère
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.,Microenvironment, Cell Plasticity and Signaling Department, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Inserm U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Annie Andrieux
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurosciences, Grenoble Institute Neuroscience, Inserm U1216, Grenoble, France.,Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.,Health Department, Interdisciplinary Research Institute of Grenoble, CEA, Grenoble, France
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44
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Walker CK, Greathouse KM, Boros BD, Poovey EH, Clearman KR, Ramdas R, Muhammad HM, Herskowitz JH. Dendritic Spine Remodeling and Synaptic Tau Levels in PS19 Tauopathy Mice. Neuroscience 2021; 455:195-211. [PMID: 33346120 PMCID: PMC8142378 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Synapse or dendritic spine loss is the strongest correlate of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), but not amyloid-β plaques, associate more closely with transition to mild cognitive impairment. Yet, how dendritic spine architecture is affected by hyperphosphorylated tau is still an ongoing question. To address this, we combined cell and biochemical analyses of the Tau P301S mouse line (PS19). Individual pyramidal neurons in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) were targeted for iontophoretic microinjection of fluorescent dye, followed by high-resolution confocal microscopy and 3D morphometry analysis. In the hippocampus, PS19 mice and non-transgenic (NTG) littermates displayed equivalent spine density at 6 and 9 months, but both genotypes exhibited age-related thin spine loss. PS19 mice exhibited significant increases in synaptic tau protein levels and mean dendritic spine head diameter with age. This suggests that CA1 pyramidal neurons in PS19 mice may undergo spine remodeling in response to tau accumulation and age. In the mPFC, spine density was similar among PS19 mice and NTG littermates at 6 and 9 months, but age-related reductions in synaptic tau levels were observed among PS19 mice. Collectively, these studies reveal brain region-specific changes in dendritic spine density and morphology in response to age and the presence of hyperphosphorylated tau in the PS19 mouse line.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney K Walker
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Kelsey M Greathouse
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Benjamin D Boros
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Emily H Poovey
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Kelsey R Clearman
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Raksha Ramdas
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Hamad M Muhammad
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Jeremy H Herskowitz
- Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States.
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45
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L-3-n-Butylphthalide improves synaptic and dendritic spine plasticity and ameliorates neurite pathology in Alzheimer's disease mouse model and cultured hippocampal neurons. Mol Neurobiol 2020; 58:1260-1274. [PMID: 33146400 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-02183-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia among elderly people. Despite enormous efforts, the pathogenesis of AD still remains unclear and no drug has yet been proved to be disease-modifying. As the basis of learning and memory, the plasticity of synapse and dendritic spine has been impaired during AD progression. Previous studies have showed a protective effect of L-3-n-butylphthalide (L-NBP) on cognitive deficits in AD, we wonder whether this protective effect is associated with positive alterations on synapse and dendritic spines. In this study, we first of all confirmed the anti-dementia effect of L-NBP in 13-month-old APP/PS1 mice, and then investigated the alterations in synaptic and dendritic spine plasticity due to L-NBP treatment both in vivo and in vitro. We also conducted preliminary studies and found the possible mechanisms related to the inhibition of over-activated complement cascade and the remodeling of actin cytoskeleton. Besides, we also found extra benefits of L-NBP on presynaptic dystrophic neurites and attempted to give explanations from the view of autophagy regulation. Taken together, our study added some new evidence to the application of L-NBP in AD treatment and provided deeper insight into the relevant mechanisms for future study.
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46
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Qu W, Suazo KF, Liu W, Cheng S, Jeong A, Hottman D, Yuan LL, Distefano MD, Li L. Neuronal Protein Farnesylation Regulates Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity and Cognitive Function. Mol Neurobiol 2020; 58:1128-1144. [PMID: 33098528 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-02169-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Protein prenylation is a post-translational lipid modification that governs a variety of important cellular signaling pathways, including those regulating synaptic functions and cognition in the nervous system. Two enzymes, farnesyltransferase (FT) and geranylgeranyltransferase type I (GGT), are essential for the prenylation process. Genetic reduction of FT or GGT ameliorates neuropathology but only FT haplodeficiency rescues cognitive function in transgenic mice of Alzheimer's disease. A follow-up study showed that systemic or forebrain neuron-specific deficiency of GGT leads to synaptic and cognitive deficits under physiological conditions. Whether FT plays different roles in shaping neuronal functions and cognition remains elusive. This study shows that in contrast to the detrimental effects of GGT reduction, systemic haplodeficiency of FT has little to no impact on hippocampal synaptic plasticity and cognition. However, forebrain neuron-specific FT deletion also leads to reduced synaptic plasticity, memory retention, and hippocampal dendritic spine density. Furthermore, a novel prenylomic analysis identifies distinct pools of prenylated proteins that are affected in the brain of forebrain neuron-specific FT and GGT knockout mice, respectively. Taken together, this study uncovers that physiological levels of FT and GGT in neurons are essential for normal synaptic/cognitive functions and that the prenylation status of specific signaling molecules regulates neuronal functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhui Qu
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Kiall F Suazo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Wenfeng Liu
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, McGuire Translational Research Facility (MTRF) 4-208, 2001 6th Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Shaowu Cheng
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, McGuire Translational Research Facility (MTRF) 4-208, 2001 6th Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Angela Jeong
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, McGuire Translational Research Facility (MTRF) 4-208, 2001 6th Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - David Hottman
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, McGuire Translational Research Facility (MTRF) 4-208, 2001 6th Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Li-Lian Yuan
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Des Moines University, Des Moines, IA, 50312, USA
| | - Mark D Distefano
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Ling Li
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA. .,Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, McGuire Translational Research Facility (MTRF) 4-208, 2001 6th Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA. .,Graduate Program in Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
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47
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Heuer SE, Neuner SM, Hadad N, O'Connell KMS, Williams RW, Philip VM, Gaiteri C, Kaczorowski CC. Identifying the molecular systems that influence cognitive resilience to Alzheimer's disease in genetically diverse mice. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 27:355-371. [PMID: 32817302 PMCID: PMC7433658 DOI: 10.1101/lm.051839.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Individual differences in cognitive decline during normal aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are common, but the molecular mechanisms underlying these distinct outcomes are not fully understood. We utilized a combination of genetic, molecular, and behavioral data from a mouse population designed to model human variation in cognitive outcomes to search for the molecular mechanisms behind this population-wide variation. Specifically, we used a systems genetics approach to relate gene expression to cognitive outcomes during AD and normal aging. Statistical causal-inference Bayesian modeling was used to model systematic genetic perturbations matched with cognitive data that identified astrocyte and microglia molecular networks as drivers of cognitive resilience to AD. Using genetic mapping, we identified Fgf2 as a potential regulator of the astrocyte network associated with individual differences in short-term memory. We also identified several immune genes as regulators of a microglia network associated with individual differences in long-term memory, which was partly mediated by amyloid burden. Finally, significant overlap between mouse and two different human coexpression networks provided strong evidence of translational relevance for the genetically diverse AD-BXD panel as a model of late-onset AD. Together, this work identified two candidate molecular pathways enriched for microglia and astrocyte genes that serve as causal AD cognitive biomarkers, and provided a greater understanding of processes that modulate individual and population-wide differences in cognitive outcomes during AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Heuer
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609, USA.,Tufts University School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA
| | - Sarah M Neuner
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609, USA.,University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, USA
| | - Niran Hadad
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609, USA
| | | | - Robert W Williams
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, USA
| | | | - Chris Gaiteri
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA
| | - Catherine C Kaczorowski
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609, USA.,Tufts University School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA
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48
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Patnaik A, Zagrebelsky M, Korte M, Holz A. Signaling via the p75 neurotrophin receptor facilitates amyloid-β-induced dendritic spine pathology. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13322. [PMID: 32770070 PMCID: PMC7415136 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70153-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Synapse and dendritic spine loss induced by amyloid-β oligomers is one of the main hallmarks of the early phases of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is directly correlated with the cognitive decline typical of this pathology. The p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) binds amyloid-β oligomers in the nM range. While it was shown that µM concentrations of amyloid-β mediate cell death, the role and intracellular signaling of p75NTR for dendritic spine pathology induced by sublethal concentrations of amyloid-β has not been analyzed. We describe here p75NTR as a crucial binding partner in mediating effects of soluble amyloid-β oligomers on dendritic spine density and structure in non-apoptotic hippocampal neurons. Removing or over-expressing p75NTR in neurons rescues or exacerbates the typical loss of dendritic spines and their structural alterations observed upon treatment with nM concentrations of amyloid-β oligomers. Moreover, we show that binding of amyloid-β oligomers to p75NTR activates the RhoA/ROCK signaling cascade resulting in the fast stabilization of the actin spinoskeleton. Our results describe a role for p75NTR and downstream signaling events triggered by binding of amyloid-β oligomers and causing dendritic spine pathology. These observations further our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying one of the main early neuropathological hallmarks of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhisarika Patnaik
- Zoological Institute, Division of Cellular Neurobiology, TU Braunschweig, 38108, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Marta Zagrebelsky
- Zoological Institute, Division of Cellular Neurobiology, TU Braunschweig, 38108, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Martin Korte
- Zoological Institute, Division of Cellular Neurobiology, TU Braunschweig, 38108, Braunschweig, Germany
- Group Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, AG NIND, Inhoffenstrasse 7, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Andreas Holz
- Group Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, AG NIND, Inhoffenstrasse 7, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany.
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Sharma P, Roy K. ROCK-2-selective targeting and its therapeutic outcomes. Drug Discov Today 2020; 25:446-455. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2019.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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50
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Blue Light-Induced Gene Expression Alterations in Cultured Neurons Are the Result of Phototoxic Interactions with Neuronal Culture Media. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0386-19.2019. [PMID: 31879366 PMCID: PMC6946540 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0386-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Blue wavelength light is used as an optical actuator in numerous optogenetic technologies employed in neuronal systems. However, the potential side effects of blue light in neurons has not been thoroughly explored, and recent reports suggest that neuronal exposure to blue light can induce transcriptional alterations in vitro and in vivo. Here, we examined the effects of blue wavelength light in cultured primary rat cortical cells. Exposure to blue light (470 nm) resulted in upregulation of several immediate early genes (IEGs) traditionally used as markers of neuronal activity, including Fos and Fosb, but did not alter the expression of circadian clock genes Bmal1, Cry1, Cry2, Clock, or Per2. IEG expression was increased following 4 h of 5% duty cycle light exposure, and IEG induction was not dependent on light pulse width. Elevated levels of blue light exposure induced a loss of cell viability in vitro, suggestive of overt phototoxicity. Induction of IEGs by blue light was maintained in cortical cultures treated with AraC to block glial proliferation, indicating that induction occurred selectively in postmitotic neurons. Importantly, changes in gene expression induced by blue wavelength light were prevented when cultures were maintained in a photoinert media supplemented with a photostable neuronal supplement instead of commonly utilized neuronal culture media and supplements. Together, these findings suggest that light-induced gene expression alterations observed in vitro stem from a phototoxic interaction between commonly used media and neurons, and offer a solution to prevent this toxicity when using photoactivatable technology in vitro.
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