Increased Aβ Production Leads to Intracellular Accumulation of Aβ in Flotillin-1-Positive Endosomes

Extracellular vesicles versus lipid nanoparticles for the delivery of nucleic acids

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are increasingly investigated for delivering nucleic acid (NA) therapeutics, leveraging their natural role in transporting NA and protein-based cargo in cell-to-cell signaling. Their synthetic counterparts, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), have been developed over the past decades as NA carriers, culminating in the approval of several marketed formulations such as patisiran/Onpattro® and the mRNA-1273/BNT162 COVID-19 vaccines. The success of LNPs has sparked efforts to develop innovative technologies to target extrahepatic organs, and to deliver novel therapeutic modalities, such as tools for in vivo gene editing. Fueled by the recent advancements in both fields, this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the basic characteristics of EV and LNP-based NA delivery systems, from EV biogenesis to structural properties of LNPs. It addresses the primary challenges encountered in utilizing these nanocarriers from a drug formulation and delivery perspective. Additionally, biodistribution profiles, in vitro and in vivo transfection outcomes, as well as their status in clinical trials are compared. Overall, this review provides insights into promising research avenues and potential dead ends for EV and LNP-based NA delivery systems.

A Combination of Heavy Metals and Intracellular Pathway Modulators Induces Alzheimer Disease-like Pathologies in Organotypic Brain Slices

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles (NFT). Modelling aspects of AD is challenging due to its complex multifactorial etiology and pathology. The present study aims to establish a cost-effective and rapid method to model the two primary pathologies in organotypic brain slices. Coronal hippocampal brain slices (150 µm) were generated from postnatal (day 8-10) C57BL6 wild-type mice and cultured for 9 weeks. Collagen hydrogels containing either an empty load or a mixture of human Aβ42 and P301S aggregated tau were applied to the slices. The media was further supplemented with various intracellular pathway modulators or heavy metals to augment the appearance of Aβ plaques and tau NFTs, as assessed by immunohistochemistry. Immunoreactivity for Aβ and tau was significantly increased in the ventral areas in slices with a mixture of human Aβ42 and P301S aggregated tau compared to slices with empty hydrogels. Aβ plaque- and tau NFT-like pathologies could be induced independently in slices. Heavy metals (aluminum, lead, cadmium) potently augmented Aβ plaque-like pathology, which developed intracellularly prior to cell death. Intracellular pathway modulators (scopolamine, wortmannin, MHY1485) significantly boosted tau NFT-like pathologies. A combination of nanomolar concentrations of scopolamine, wortmannin, MHY1485, lead, and cadmium in the media strongly increased Aβ plaque- and tau NFT-like immunoreactivity in ventral areas compared to the slices with non-supplemented media. The results highlight that we could harness the potential of the collagen hydrogel-based spreading of human Aβ42 and P301S aggregated tau, along with pharmacological manipulation, to produce pathologies relevant to AD. The results offer a novel ex vivo organotypic slice model to investigate AD pathologies with potential applications for screening drugs or therapies in the future.

Alzheimer's disease brain-derived extracellular vesicles reveal altered synapse-related proteome and induce cognitive impairment in mice

INTRODUCTION

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been implicated in the spread of neuropathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but their involvement in behavioral outcomes linked to AD remains to be determined.

METHODS

EVs isolated from post mortem brain tissue from control, AD, or frontotemporal dementia (FTD) donors, as well as from APP/PS1 mice, were injected into the hippocampi of wild-type (WT) or a humanized Tau mouse model (hTau/mTauKO). Memory tests were carried out. Differentially expressed proteins in EVs were assessed by proteomics.

RESULTS

Both AD-EVs and APP/PS1-EVs trigger memory impairment in WT mice. We further demonstrate that AD-EVs and FTD-EVs carry Tau protein, present altered protein composition associated with synapse regulation and transmission, and trigger memory impairment in hTau/mTauKO mice.

DISCUSSION

Results demonstrate that AD-EVs and FTD-EVs have negative impacts on memory in mice and suggest that, in addition to spreading pathology, EVs may contribute to memory impairment in AD and FTD.

HIGHLIGHTS

Aβ was detected in EVs from post mortem AD brain tissue and APP/PS1 mice. Tau was enriched in EVs from post mortem AD, PSP and FTD brain tissue. AD-derived EVs and APP/PS1-EVs induce cognitive impairment in wild-type (WT) mice. AD- and FTD-derived EVs induce cognitive impairment in humanized Tau mice. Proteomics findings associate EVs with synapse dysregulation in tauopathies.

Extracellular chaperone networks and the export of J-domain proteins

An extracellular network of molecular chaperones protects a diverse array of proteins that reside in or pass through extracellular spaces. Proteins in the extracellular milieu face numerous challenges that can lead to protein misfolding and aggregation. As a checkpoint for proteins that move between cells, extracellular chaperone networks are of growing clinical relevance. J-domain proteins (JDPs) are ubiquitous molecular chaperones that are known for their essential roles in a wide array of fundamental cellular processes through their regulation of heat shock protein 70s. As the largest molecular chaperone family, JDPs have long been recognized for their diverse functions within cells. Some JDPs are elegantly selective for their "client proteins," some do not discriminate among substrates and others act cooperatively on the same target. The realization that JDPs are exported through both classical and unconventional secretory pathways has fueled investigation into the roles that JDPs play in protein quality control and intercellular communication. The proposed functions of exported JDPs are diverse. Studies suggest that export of DnaJB11 enhances extracellular proteostasis, that intercellular movement of DnaJB1 or DnaJB6 enhances the proteostasis capacity in recipient cells, whereas the import of DnaJB8 increases resistance to chemotherapy in recipient cancer cells. In addition, the export of DnaJC5 and concurrent DnaJC5-dependent ejection of dysfunctional and aggregation-prone proteins are implicated in the prevention of neurodegeneration. This review provides a brief overview of the current understanding of the extracellular chaperone networks and outlines the first wave of studies describing the cellular export of JDPs.

Vascular smooth muscle cell senescence accelerates medin aggregation via small extracellular vesicle secretion and extracellular matrix reorganization

Vascular amyloidosis, caused when peptide monomers aggregate into insoluble amyloid, is a prevalent age-associated pathology. Aortic medial amyloid (AMA) is the most common human amyloid and is composed of medin, a 50-amino acid peptide. Emerging evidence has implicated extracellular vesicles (EVs) as mediators of pathological amyloid accumulation in the extracellular matrix (ECM). To determine the mechanisms of AMA formation with age, we explored the impact of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) senescence, EV secretion, and ECM remodeling on medin accumulation. Medin was detected in EVs secreted from primary VSMCs. Small, round medin aggregates colocalized with EV markers in decellularized ECM in vitro and medin was shown on the surface of EVs deposited in the ECM. Decreasing EV secretion with an inhibitor attenuated aggregation and deposition of medin in the ECM. Medin accumulation in the aortic wall of human subjects was strongly correlated with age and VSMC senescence increased EV secretion, increased EV medin loading and triggered deposition of fibril-like medin. Proteomic analysis showed VSMC senescence induced changes in EV cargo and ECM composition, which led to enhanced EV-ECM binding and accelerated medin aggregation. Abundance of the proteoglycan, HSPG2, was increased in the senescent ECM and colocalized with EVs and medin. Isolated EVs selectively bound to HSPG2 in the ECM and its knock-down decreased formation of fibril-like medin structures. These data identify VSMC-derived EVs and HSPG2 in the ECM as key mediators of medin accumulation, contributing to age-associated AMA development.

The Pursuit of the "Inside" of the Amyloid Hypothesis-Is C99 a Promising Therapeutic Target for Alzheimer's Disease?

Aducanumab, co-developed by Eisai (Japan) and Biogen (U.S.), has received Food and Drug Administration approval for treating Alzheimer's disease (AD). In addition, its successor antibody, lecanemab, has been approved. These antibodies target the aggregated form of the small peptide, amyloid-β (Aβ), which accumulates in the patient brain. The "amyloid hypothesis" based therapy that places the aggregation and toxicity of Aβ at the center of the etiology is about to be realized. However, the effects of immunotherapy are still limited, suggesting the need to reconsider this hypothesis. Aβ is produced from a type-I transmembrane protein, Aβ precursor protein (APP). One of the APP metabolites, the 99-amino acids C-terminal fragment (C99, also called βCTF), is a direct precursor of Aβ and accumulates in the AD patient's brain to demonstrate toxicity independent of Aβ. Conventional drug discovery strategies have focused on Aβ toxicity on the "outside" of the neuron, but C99 accumulation might explain the toxicity on the "inside" of the neuron, which was overlooked in the hypothesis. Furthermore, the common region of C99 and Aβ is a promising target for multifunctional AD drugs. This review aimed to outline the nature, metabolism, and impact of C99 on AD pathogenesis and discuss whether it could be a therapeutic target complementing the amyloid hypothesis.

Therapeutically harnessing extracellular vesicles

The field of extracellular vesicle (EV) research has developed rapidly over the last decade from the study of fundamental biology to a subject of significant clinical relevance. The potential of harnessing EVs in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases - including cancer and neurological and cardiovascular disorders - is now being recognized. Accordingly, the applications of EVs as therapeutic targets, biomarkers, novel drug delivery agents and standalone therapeutics are being actively explored. This Review provides a brief overview of the characteristics and physiological functions of the various classes of EV, focusing on their association with disease and emerging strategies for their therapeutic exploitation.

Brain Exosomes: Friend or Foe in Alzheimer's Disease?

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease. It is known to be a multifactorial disease and several causes are associated with its occurrence as well as progression. However, the accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) is widely considered its major pathogenic hallmark. Additionally, neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and aging (cellular senescence) are considered as additional hits affecting the disease pathology. Several studies are now suggesting important role of inflammation in AD, which shifts our thought towards the brain's resident immune cells, microglia, and astrocytes; how they interact with neurons; and how these interactions are affected by intra and extracellular stressful factors. These interactions can be modulated by different mechanisms and pathways, in which exosomes could play an important role. Exosomes are multivesicular bodies secreted by nearly all types of cells. The exosomes secreted by glial cells or neurons affect the interactions and thus the physiology of these cells by transmitting miRNAs, proteins, and lipids. Exosomes can serve as a friend or foe to the neuron function, depending upon the carried signals. Exosomes, from the healthy microenvironment, may assist neuron function and health, whereas, from the stressed microenvironment, they carry oxidative and inflammatory signals to the neurons and thus prove detrimental to the neuronal function. Furthermore, exosomes can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and from the blood plasma they can enter the brain cells and activate microglia and astrocytes. Exosomes can transport Aβ or Tau, cytokines, miRNAs between the cells, and alter the physiology of recipient cells. They can also assist in Aβ clearance and regulation of synaptic activity. The exosomes derived from different cells play different roles, and this field is still in its infancy stage. This review advocates exosomes' role as a friend or foe in neurodegenerative diseases, especially in the case of Alzheimer's disease.

Selective Surface and Intraluminal Localization of Wnt Ligands on Small Extracellular Vesicles Released by HT-22 Hippocampal Neurons

The Wnt signaling pathway induces various responses underlying the development and maturation of the nervous system. Wnt ligands are highly hydrophobic proteins that limit their diffusion through an aqueous extracellular medium to a target cell. Nevertheless, their attachment to small extracellular vesicles-like exosomes is one of the described mechanisms that allow their transport under this condition. Some Wnt ligands in these vehicles are expected to be dependent on post-translational modifications such as acylation. The mechanisms determining Wnt loading in exosomes and delivery to the target cells are largely unknown. Here, we took advantage of a cell model that secret a highly enriched population of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), hippocampal HT-22 neurons. First, to establish the cell model, we characterized the morphological and biochemical properties of an enriched fraction of sEVs obtained from hippocampal HT-22 neurons that express NCAM-L1, a specific exosomal neuronal marker. Transmission electron microscopy showed a highly enriched fraction of exosome-like vesicles. Next, the exosomal presence of Wnt3a, Wnt5a, and Wnt7a was confirmed by western blot analysis and electron microscopy combined with immunogold. Also, we studied whether palmitoylation is a necessary post-translational modification for the transport Wnt in these vesicles. We found that proteinase-K treatment of exosomes selectively decreased their Wnt5a and Wnt7a content, suggesting that their expression is delimited to the exterior membrane surface. In contrast, Wnt3a remained attached, suggesting that it is localized within the exosome lumen. On the other hand, Wnt-C59, a specific inhibitor of porcupine O-acyltransferase (PORCN), decreased the association of Wnt with exosomes, suggesting that Wnt ligand acylation is necessary for them to be secreted by exosomes. These findings may help to understand the action of the Wnt ligands in the target cell, which could be defined during the packaging of the ligands in the secretory cell sEVs.

Extracellular Vesicles in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease: Small Entities with Large Consequences

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) are incurable, devastating neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the formation and spreading of protein aggregates throughout the brain. Although the exact spreading mechanism is not completely understood, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been proposed as potential contributors. Indeed, EVs have emerged as potential carriers of disease-associated proteins and are therefore thought to play an important role in disease progression, although some beneficial functions have also been attributed to them. EVs can be isolated from a variety of sources, including biofluids, and the analysis of their content can provide a snapshot of ongoing pathological changes in the brain. This underlines their potential as biomarker candidates which is of specific relevance in AD and PD where symptoms only arise after considerable and irreversible neuronal damage has already occurred. In this review, we discuss the known beneficial and detrimental functions of EVs in AD and PD and we highlight their promising potential to be used as biomarkers in both diseases.

The Wide World of Coacervates: From the Sea to Neurodegeneration

The formation of immiscible liquid phases or coacervates is a phenomenon widely observed in biology. Marine organisms, for instance, use liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) as the precursor phase to form various fibrillar or crustaceous materials that are essential for surface adhesion. More recently, the importance of LLPS has been realized in the compartmentalization of living cells and in obtaining ordered but dynamic partitions that can be reversed according to necessity. Here, we compare the properties, features, and peculiarities of intracellular and extracellular coacervates, drawing parallels and learning from the differences. A more general view of the phenomenon may in the future inform new studies to allow a better comprehension of its laws.

Extracellular vesicle-associated lipids in central nervous system disorders

Increasing evidence indicates that lipid metabolism is disturbed in central nervous system (CNS) disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's disease. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes and microvesicles, are nanosized particles that play an essential role in intercellular communication and tissue homeostasis by transporting diverse biologically active molecules, including a large variety of lipid species. In the last decade, studies defined that changes in the EV lipidome closely correlate with disease-progression and -remission in CNS disorders. In this review, we summarize and discuss these changes in the EV lipidome and elaborate on the impact of different EV-associated lipids on pathological processes in CNS disorders. We conclude that EV-associated lipids are closely associated with neuroinflammation, CNS repair, and pathological protein aggregation in CNS disorders, and that modulation of the EV lipidome represents a promising therapeutic strategy to halt disease progression in multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's disease. Moreover, we predict that disease-stage specific EV-associated lipid signatures can be invaluable markers for the diagnosis and early detection of CNS disorders in the future.

Flotillin: A Promising Biomarker for Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by the accumulation of beta amyloid (Aβ) in extracellular senile plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) mainly consisting of tau protein. Although the exact etiology of the disease remains elusive, accumulating evidence highlights the key role of lipid rafts, as well as the endocytic pathways in amyloidogenic amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing and AD pathogenesis. The combination of reduced Aβ42 levels and increased phosphorylated tau protein levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is the most well established biomarker, along with Pittsburgh compound B and positron emission tomography (PiB-PET) for amyloid imaging. However, their invasive nature, the cost, and their availability often limit their use. In this context, an easily detectable marker for AD diagnosis even at preclinical stages is highly needed. Flotillins, being hydrophobic proteins located in lipid rafts of intra- and extracellular vesicles, are mainly involved in signal transduction and membrane–protein interactions. Accumulating evidence highlights the emerging implication of flotillins in AD pathogenesis, by affecting APP endocytosis and processing, Ca²⁺ homeostasis, mitochondrial dysfunction, neuronal apoptosis, Aβ-induced neurotoxicity, and prion-like spreading of Aβ. Importantly, there is also clinical evidence supporting their potential use as biomarker candidates for AD, due to reduced serum and CSF levels that correlate with amyloid burden in AD patients compared with controls. This review focuses on the emerging preclinical and clinical evidence on the role of flotillins in AD pathogenesis, further addressing their potential usage as disease biomarkers.

Higher exosomal tau, amyloid-beta 42 and IL-10 are associated with mild TBIs and chronic symptoms in military personnel

OBJECTIVE

Identify biomarkers in peripheral blood that relate to chronic post-concussive and behavioural symptoms following traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) to ultimately improve clinical management.

RESEARCH DESIGN

We compared military personnel with mild TBIs (mTBIs) (n = 42) to those without TBIs (n = 22) in concentrations of tau, amyloid-beta (Aβ42) and cytokines (tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα, interleukin (IL)-6 and -10) in neuronal-derived exosomes from the peripheral blood. We utilized nanosight technology coupled with ultra-sensitivity immunoassay methods. We also examined the impact of post-concussive and behavioural symptoms including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on these neuronal-derived markers.

RESULTS

We report that concentrations of exosomal tau (F_1, 62 = 10.50), Aβ42 (F_1, 61 = 5.32) and IL-10 (F_1, 59 = 4.32) were elevated in the mTBI group compared to the controls. Within the mTBI group, regression models show that post-concussive symptoms were most related to exosomal tau elevations, whereas exosomal IL-10 levels were related to PTSD symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that chronic post-concussive symptoms following an mTBI relate to altered exosomal activity, and that greater tau pathology may underlie chronic post-concussive symptoms that develop following mTBIs. It also suggests that central inflammatory activity contributes to PTSD symptoms following an mTBI, providing necessary insights into the role of inflammation in chronic PTSD symptoms.

Cell-to-cell Communication by Extracellular Vesicles: Focus on Microglia

Extracellular vesicles, including exosomes and microvesicles, are small, nano-to-micrometer vesicles that are released from cells. While initially observed in immune cells and reticulocytes as vesicles meant to remove archaic proteins, now they have been observed in almost all cell types of multicellular organisms. Growing evidence indicates that extracellular vesicles, containing lipids, proteins and RNAs, represent an efficient way to transfer functional cargoes from one cell to another. In the central nervous system, the extensive cross-talk ongoing between neurons and glia, including microglia, the immune cells of the brain, takes advantage of secreted vesicles, which mediate intercellular communication over long range distance. Recent literature supports a critical role for extracellular vesicles in mediating complex and coordinated communication among neurons, astrocytes and microglia, both in the healthy and in the diseased brain. In this review, we focus on the biogenesis and function of microglia-related extracellular vesicles and focus on their putative role in Alzheimer's disease pathology.

Localization and Processing of the Amyloid-β Protein Precursor in Mitochondria-Associated Membranes

Alteration of mitochondria-associated membranes (MAMs) has been proposed to contribute to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We studied herein the subcellular distribution, the processing, and the protein interactome of the amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP) and its proteolytic products in MAMs. We reveal that AβPP and its catabolites are present in MAMs in cellular models overexpressing wild type AβPP or AβPP harboring the double Swedish or London familial AD mutations, and in brains of transgenic mice model of AD. Furthermore, we evidenced that both β- and γ-secretases are present and harbor AβPP processing activities in MAMs. Interestingly, cells overexpressing APP_swe show increased ER-mitochondria contact sites. We also document increased neutral lipid accumulation linked to Aβ production and reversed by inhibiting β- or γ-secretases. Using a proteomic approach, we show that AβPP and its catabolites interact with key proteins of MAMs controlling mitochondria and ER functions. These data highlight the role of AβPP processing and proteomic interactome in MAMs deregulation taking place in AD.

Disruption of amyloid precursor protein ubiquitination selectively increases amyloid β (Aβ) 40 levels via presenilin 2-mediated cleavage

Amyloid plaques, a neuropathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, are largely composed of amyloid β (Aβ) peptide, derived from cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP) by β- and γ-secretases. The endosome is increasingly recognized as an important crossroad for APP and these secretases, with major implications for APP processing and amyloidogenesis. Among various post-translational modifications affecting APP accumulation, ubiquitination of cytodomain lysines may represent a key signal controlling APP endosomal sorting. Here, we show that substitution of APP C-terminal lysines with arginine disrupts APP ubiquitination and that an increase in the number of substituted lysines tends to increase APP metabolism. An APP mutant lacking all C-terminal lysines underwent the most pronounced increase in processing, leading to accumulation of both secreted and intracellular Aβ40. Artificial APP ubiquitination with rapalog-mediated proximity inducers reduced Aβ40 generation. A lack of APP C-terminal lysines caused APP redistribution from endosomal intraluminal vesicles (ILVs) to the endosomal limiting membrane, with a subsequent decrease in APP C-terminal fragment (CTF) content in secreted exosomes, but had minimal effects on APP lysosomal degradation. Both the increases in secreted and intracellular Aβ40 were abolished by depletion of presenilin 2 (PSEN2), recently shown to be enriched on the endosomal limiting membrane compared with PSEN1. Our findings demonstrate that ubiquitin can act as a signal at five cytodomain-located lysines for endosomal sorting of APP. They further suggest that disruption of APP endosomal sorting reduces its sequestration in ILVs and results in PSEN2-mediated processing of a larger pool of APP-CTF on the endosomal membrane.

Extracellular Vesicle-Associated Aβ Mediates Trans-Neuronal Bioenergetic and Ca2+-Handling Deficits in Alzheimer's Disease Models

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder in which aggregation-prone neurotoxic amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) accumulates in the brain. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small 50-150 nanometer membrane vesicles that have recently been implicated in the prion-like spread of self-aggregating proteins. Here we report that EVs isolated from AD patient CSF and plasma, from the plasma of two AD mouse models, and from the medium of neural cells expressing familial AD presenilin 1 mutations, destabilize neuronal Ca2+ homeostasis, impair mitochondrial function, and sensitize neurons to excitotoxicity. EVs contain a relatively low amount of Aβ but have an increased Aβ42/ Aβ40 ratio; the majority of Aβ is located on the surface of the EVs. Impairment of lysosome function results in increased generation EVs with elevated Aβ42 levels. EVs may mediate transcellular spread of pathogenic Aβ species and that impair neuronal Ca2+ handling and mitochondrial function, and may thereby render neurons vulnerable to excitotoxicity.

Study of Exosomes Shed New Light on Physiology of Amyloidogenesis

Accumulation of toxic amyloid oligomers, a key feature in the pathogenesis of amyloid-related diseases, results from an imbalance between generation and clearance of amyloidogenic proteins. Cell biology has brought to light the key roles of multivesicular endosomes (MVEs) and their intraluminal vesicles (ILVs), which can be secreted as exosomes, in amyloid generation and clearance. To better understand these roles, we have investigated a relevant physiological model of amyloid formation in pigment cells. These cells have tuned their endosomes to optimize the formation of functional amyloid fibrils from the premelanosome protein (PMEL) and to avoid potential accumulation of toxic species. The functional amyloids derived from PMEL reveal striking analogies with the generation of Aβ peptides. We have recently strengthened these analogies using extracellular vesicles as reporters of the endosomal processes that regulate PMEL melanogenesis. We have shown that in pigmented cells, apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is associated with ILVs and exosomes, and regulates the formation of PMEL amyloid fibrils in endosomes. This process secures the generation of amyloid fibrils by exploiting ILVs as amyloid-nucleating platforms. This physiological model of amyloidogenesis could shed new light on the roles of MVEs and exosomes in conditions with pathological amyloid metabolism, such as Alzheimer's disease.

Protein aggregation and neurodegeneration in prototypical neurodegenerative diseases: Examples of amyloidopathies, tauopathies and synucleinopathies

Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases are the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases that generate important health-related direct and indirect socio-economic costs. They are characterized by severe neuronal losses in several disease-specific brain regions associated with deposits of aggregated proteins. In Alzheimer's disease, β-amyloid peptide-containing plaques and intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyperphosphorylated microtubule-associated protein tau are the two main neuropathological lesions, while Parkinson's disease is defined by the presence of Lewy Bodies that are intraneuronal proteinaceous cytoplasmic inclusions. α-Synuclein has been identified as a major protein component of Lewy Bodies and heavily implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. In the past few years, evidence has emerged to explain how these aggregate-prone proteins can undergo spontaneous self-aggregation, propagate from cell to cell, and mediate neurotoxicity. Current research now indicates that oligomeric forms are probably the toxic species. This article discusses recent progress in the understanding of the pathogenesis of these diseases, with a focus on the underlying mechanisms of protein aggregation, and emphasizes the pathophysiological molecular mechanisms leading to cellular toxicity. Finally, we present the putative direct link between β-amyloid peptide and tau in causing toxicity in Alzheimer's disease as well as α-synuclein in Parkinson's disease, along with some of the most promising therapeutic strategies currently in development for those incurable neurodegenerative disorders.

Prions and prion-like pathogens in neurodegenerative disorders

Prions are unique elements in biology, being able to transmit biological information from one organism to another in the absence of nucleic acids. They have been identified as self-replicating proteinaceous agents responsible for the onset of rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorders—known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, or prion diseases—which affect humans and other animal species. More recently, it has been proposed that other proteins associated with common neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, can self-replicate like prions, thus sustaining the spread of neurotoxic entities throughout the nervous system. Here, we review findings that have contributed to expand the prion concept, and discuss if the involved toxic species can be considered bona fide prions, including the capacity to infect other organisms, or whether these pathogenic aggregates share with prions only the capability to self-replicate.

The role of flotillins in regulating aβ production, investigated using flotillin 1-/-, flotillin 2-/- double knockout mice

Flotillin 1 and flotillin 2 associate in the plasma membrane to form microdomains that have roles in cell signaling, regulation of cell-cell contacts, membrane-cytoskeletal interactions, and endocytosis. They are thought to be involved in the trafficking and hence processing of the Amyloid Precursor Protein, APP. In this study we set out to obtain in vivo confirmation of a link between flotillins and cleavage of APP to release amyloidogenic Aβ peptide, and to generate tools that would allow us to ask whether flotillins are functionally redundant. We used a mouse model for Aβ-dependent cerebral amyloidosis, APPPS1 mice, combined with deletion of either flotillin 1 singly, or flotillin 1 and flotillin 2 together. There was a small but significant reduction in Aβ levels, and the abundance of congo-red stained plaques, in brains of 12 week old mice lacking flotillin 1. A similar reduction in Aβ levels was observed in the flotillin 1-/-, flotillin 2-/- double knockouts. We did not observe large effects on the clustering or endocytosis of APP in flotillin 1-/- mouse embryonic fibroblasts. We conclude that flotillins are likely to play some role in APP trafficking or processing, but the relevant cellular mechanisms require more investigation. The availability of flotillin 1-/-, flotillin 2-/- mice, which have no overt phenotypes, will facilitate research into flotillin function in vivo.

Calcium-sensing receptor antagonist (calcilytic) NPS 2143 specifically blocks the increased secretion of endogenous Aβ42 prompted by exogenous fibrillary or soluble Aβ25-35 in human cortical astrocytes and neurons-therapeutic relevance to Alzheimer's disease

The "amyloid-β (Aβ) hypothesis" posits that accumulating Aβ peptides (Aβs) produced by neurons cause Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the Aβs contribution by the more numerous astrocytes remains undetermined. Previously we showed that fibrillar (f)Aβ25-35, an Aβ42 proxy, evokes a surplus endogenous Aβ42 production/accumulation in cortical adult human astrocytes. Here, by using immunocytochemistry, immunoblotting, enzymatic assays, and highly sensitive sandwich ELISA kits, we investigated the effects of fAβ25-35 and soluble (s)Aβ25-35 on Aβ42 and Aβ40 accumulation/secretion by human cortical astrocytes and HCN-1A neurons and, since the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) binds Aβs, their modulation by NPS 2143, a CaSR allosteric antagonist (calcilytic). The fAβ25-35-exposed astrocytes and surviving neurons produced, accumulated, and secreted increased amounts of Aβ42, while Aβ40 also accrued but its secretion was unchanged. Accordingly, secreted Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio values rose for astrocytes and neurons. While slightly enhancing Aβ40 secretion by fAβ25-35-treated astrocytes, NPS 2143 specifically suppressed the fAβ25-35-elicited surges of endogenous Aβ42 secretion by astrocytes and neurons. Therefore, NPS 2143 addition always kept Aβ42/Aβ40 values to baseline or lower levels. Mechanistically, NPS 2143 decreased total CaSR protein complement, transiently raised proteasomal chymotrypsin activity, and blocked excess NO production without affecting the ongoing increases in BACE1/β-secretase and γ-secretase activity in fAβ25-35-treated astrocytes. Compared to fAβ25-35, sAβ25-35 also stimulated Aβ42 secretion by astrocytes and neurons and NPS 2143 specifically and wholly suppressed this effect. Therefore, since NPS 2143 thwarts any Aβ/CaSR-induced surplus secretion of endogenous Aβ42 and hence further vicious cycles of Aβ self-induction/secretion/spreading, calcilytics might effectively prevent/stop the progression to full-blown AD.

Membrane trafficking in neuronal maintenance and degeneration

Defects in membrane trafficking and degradation are hallmarks of most, and maybe all, neurodegenerative disorders. Such defects typically result in the accumulation of undegraded proteins due to aberrant endosomal sorting, lysosomal degradation, or autophagy. The genetic or environmental cause of a specific disease may directly affect these membrane trafficking processes. Alternatively, changes in intracellular sorting and degradation can occur as cellular responses of degenerating neurons to unrelated primary defects such as insoluble protein aggregates or other neurotoxic insults. Importantly, altered membrane trafficking may contribute to the pathogenesis or indeed protect the neuron. The observation of dramatic changes to membrane trafficking thus comes with the challenging need to distinguish pathological from protective alterations. Here, we will review our current knowledge about the protective and destructive roles of membrane trafficking in neuronal maintenance and degeneration. In particular, we will first focus on the question of what type of membrane trafficking keeps healthy neurons alive in the first place. Next, we will discuss what alterations of membrane trafficking are known to occur in Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies, Parkinson's disease, polyQ diseases, peripheral neuropathies, and lysosomal storage disorders. Combining the maintenance and degeneration viewpoints may yield insight into how to distinguish when membrane trafficking functions protectively or contributes to degeneration.

The roles of flotillin microdomains--endocytosis and beyond

Flotillins are membrane proteins that form microdomains in the plasma membrane of all mammalian cell types studied to date. They span the evolutionary spectrum, with proteins related to flotillins present in bacteria, fungi, plants and metazoans, which suggests that they perform important, and probably conserved, functions. Flotillins have been implicated in myriad processes that include endocytosis, signal transduction and regulation of the cortical cytoskeleton, yet the molecular mechanisms that underlie flotillin function in these different cases are still poorly understood. In this Commentary, we will provide an introduction to these intriguing proteins, summarise their proposed functions and discuss in greater detail some recent insights into the role of flotillin microdomains in endocytosis that have been provided by several independent studies. Finally, we will focus on the questions that are raised by these new experiments and their implications for future studies.

Retromers in Alzheimer's disease

Amyloid-β peptide (Aβ), the key pathogenic agent in Alzheimer's disease (AD), is released after sequential proteolytic cleavage of the transmembrane amyloid precursor protein (APP). β-Site APP-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) cleaves APP in early endosomes, and the cause of increased BACE cleavage of APP in AD is not fully resolved yet. It has been proposed that perturbed intracellular trafficking of APP, which leads to prolonged residence time in early endosomes, influences Aβ production and hence the risk for AD. Retromers are a family of proteins that mediate the retrieval of transmembrane proteins from the endosomes to the trans-Golgi network. Misregulation of retromers or retromer-associated proteins influences endosomal localization of APP/BACE1. Here we review the role of retromers in the amyloidogenic processing of APP and their pathogenic role in AD.

SorLA in glia: shared subcellular distribution patterns with caveolin-1

SorLA is an established sorting and trafficking protein in neurons with demonstrated relevance to Alzheimer's disease (AD). It shares these roles with the caveolins, markers of membrane rafts microdomains. To further our knowledge on sorLA's expression and traffic, we studied sorLA expression in various cultured glia and its relation to caveolin-1 (cav-1), a caveolar microdomain marker. RT-PCR and immunoblots demonstrated sorLA expression in rat C6 glioma, primary cultures of rat astrocytes (PCRA), and human astrocytoma 1321N1 cells. PCRA were determined to express the highest levels of sorLA's message. Induction of differentiation of C6 cells into an astrocyte-like phenotype led to a significant decrease in sorLA's mRNA and protein expression. A set of complementary experimental approaches establish that sorLA and cav-1 directly or indirectly interact in glia: (1) co-fractionation in light-density membrane raft fractions of rat C6 glioma, PCRA, and human 1321N1 astrocytoma cells; (2) a subcellular co-localization distribution pattern in vesicular perinuclear compartments seen via confocal imaging in C6 and PCRA; (3) additional confocal analysis in C6 cells suggesting that the perinuclear compartments correspond to their co-localization in early endosomes and the trans-Golgi; and; (4) co-immunoprecipitation data strongly supporting their direct or indirect physical interaction. These findings further establish that sorLA is expressed in glia and that it shares its subcellular distribution pattern with cav-1. A direct or indirect cav-1/sorLA interaction could modify the trafficking and sorting functions of sorLA in glia and its proposed neuroprotective role in AD.

Research advances on flotillins

The proteins of flotillin-1 and flotillin-2 were originally discovered in axon regeneration of goldfish retinal ganglion cells. They are generally used as marker proteins of lipid rafts and considered to be scaffolding proteins of lipid microdomains. Although they are ubiquitously expressed and well-conserved from fly to man, their exact functions remain controversial. In this review, we summarize the structure of flotillins and some functions of them, such as regulating axon regeneration, endocytosis, T cell activation, insulin signaling, membrane protein recruitment, roles in the progression of some diseases and so on.

Cellular basis of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of neurodegenerative disease. A characteristic feature of the disease is the presence of amyloid-β (Aβ) which either in its soluble oligomeric form or in the plaque-associated form is causally linked to neurodegeneration. Aβ peptide is liberated from the membrane-spanning -amyloid precursor protein by sequential proteolytic processing employing β- and γ-secretases. All these proteins involved in the production of Aβ peptide are membrane associated and hence, membrane trafficking and cellular compartmentalization play important roles. In this review, we summarize the key cellular events that lead to the progression of AD.

H2O2 and PAF mediate Abeta1-42-induced Ca2+ dyshomeostasis that is blocked by EGb761

Calcium (Ca2+) dyshomeostasis may be of pivotal importance in mediating the neurotoxic action of amyloid beta peptide (Abeta), but the mechanism whereby Abeta disrupts Ca2+ homeostasis remains unclear. Using hippocampal neuronal cultures, the present study investigated possible mechanisms underlying Ca2+ dyshomeostasis induced by the oligomeric form of Abeta1-42 and two possible mediators of its toxicity, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and platelet-activating factor (PAF). It was found that, both H2O2 and PAF were able to reproduce each of the events induced by oligomeric Abeta1-42, including (a) Ca2+ influx via N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors, (b) enhancement of Ca2+ response to NMDA via activation of protein kinase C (PKC), (c) the increase of extracellular concentrations of glutamate and (d) the increase in cytosolic free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i). Moreover, each of these events could be blocked by Ginkgo biloba extract EGb761, a free radical scavenger with PAF antagonism, and by quercetin, a constituent with well-established free radical scavenging property. In contrast, ginkgolide B, another constituent of EGb761 with well-established PAF-antagonizing activity protected the neurons against Ca2+ dyshomeostasis induced by Abeta1-42 and PAF, but not by H2O2. These results suggested the possibility that Abeta1-42-induced Ca2+ dyshomeostasis might be mediated by formation of toxic mediators such as H2O2 and PAF. Therefore, increased production of toxic mediators such as H2O2 and PAF in the brain may be critical in the pathological mechanism of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's disease (AD), and may serve as major therapeutic targets for these diseases.

The transcellular spread of cytosolic amyloids, prions, and prionoids

Recent reports indicate that a growing number of intracellular proteins are not only prone to pathological aggregation but can also be released and "infect" neighboring cells. Therefore, many complex diseases may obey a simple model of propagation where the penetration of seeds into hosts determines spatial spread and disease progression. We term these proteins prionoids, as they appear to infect their neighbors just like prions--but how can bulky protein aggregates be released from cells and how do they access other cells? The widespread existence of such prionoids raises unexpected issues that question our understanding of basic cell biology.

Mechanism of amyloid plaque formation suggests an intracellular basis of Abeta pathogenicity

The formation of extracellular amyloid plaques is a common patho-biochemical event underlying several debilitating human conditions, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Considerable evidence implies that AD damage arises primarily from small oligomeric amyloid forms of Abeta peptide, but the precise mechanism of pathogenicity remains to be established. Using a cell culture system that reproducibly leads to the formation of Alzheimer's Abeta amyloid plaques, we show here that the formation of a single amyloid plaque represents a template-dependent process that critically involves the presence of endocytosis- or phagocytosis-competent cells. Internalized Abeta peptide becomes sorted to multivesicular bodies where fibrils grow out, thus penetrating the vesicular membrane. Upon plaque formation, cells undergo cell death and intracellular amyloid structures become released into the extracellular space. These data imply a mechanism where the pathogenic activity of Abeta is attributed, at least in part, to intracellular aggregates.

Flotillins are involved in the polarization of primitive and mature hematopoietic cells

Background

Migration of mature and immature leukocytes in response to chemokines is not only essential during inflammation and host defense, but also during development of the hematopoietic system. Many molecules implicated in migratory polarity show uniform cellular distribution under non-activated conditions, but acquire a polarized localization upon exposure to migratory cues.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Here, we present evidence that raft-associated endocytic proteins (flotillins) are pre-assembled in lymphoid, myeloid and primitive hematopoietic cells and accumulate in the uropod during migration. Furthermore, flotillins display a polarized distribution during immunological synapse formation. Employing the membrane lipid-order sensitive probe Laurdan, we show that flotillin accumulation in the immunological synapse is concomittant with membrane ordering in these regions.

Conclusions

Together with the observation that flotillin polarization does not occur in other polarized cell types such as polarized epithelial cells, our results suggest a specific role for flotillins in hematopoietic cell polarization. Based on our results, we propose that in hematopoietic cells, flotillins provide intrinsic cues that govern segregation of certain microdomain-associated molecules during immune cell polarization.

Update on lipid membrane microdomains

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Lipid membrane microdomains are involved in major types of disease, ranging from vascular and metabolic diseases to neurodegeneration, autoimmunity, infectious and inflammatory diseases, and cancer. This review provides an update of membrane microdomain abnormalities.

RECENT FINDINGS

Lipid membrane microdomains are dynamic assemblies of sphingolipids, cholesterol and proteins that dissociate and associate rapidly and form functional clusters. Membrane microdomain clustering is the key to how membrane microdomains can form lipid-protein platforms in cell membranes, functioning in membrane trafficking, cell polarization and signalling. Clustering of membrane microdomains can be modified, for example by dietary lipids and pharmacological agents.

SUMMARY

Metabolic overload through a cholesterol-rich and fat-rich diet can trigger metabolic learning, which is associated with membrane microdomain persistence, persistent signalling and disturbed vesicular traffic. Detailed characterization of lipid membrane microdomains and dynamics at the molecular level is necessary and will help to identify new dietary and pharmacological therapeutic targets for the treatment and prevention of lipid membrane microdomain related diseases.