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Bhole RP, Chikhale RV, Rathi KM. Current biomarkers and treatment strategies in Alzheimer disease: An overview and future perspectives. IBRO Neurosci Rep 2024; 16:8-42. [PMID: 38169888 PMCID: PMC10758887 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2023.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), a progressive degenerative disorder first identified by Alois Alzheimer in 1907, poses a significant public health challenge. Despite its prevalence and impact, there is currently no definitive ante mortem diagnosis for AD pathogenesis. By 2050, the United States may face a staggering 13.8 million AD patients. This review provides a concise summary of current AD biomarkers, available treatments, and potential future therapeutic approaches. The review begins by outlining existing drug targets and mechanisms in AD, along with a discussion of current treatment options. We explore various approaches targeting Amyloid β (Aβ), Tau Protein aggregation, Tau Kinases, Glycogen Synthase kinase-3β, CDK-5 inhibitors, Heat Shock Proteins (HSP), oxidative stress, inflammation, metals, Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) modulators, and Notch signaling. Additionally, we examine the historical use of Estradiol (E2) as an AD therapy, as well as the outcomes of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) that evaluated antioxidants (e.g., vitamin E) and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids as alternative treatment options. Notably, positive effects of docosahexaenoic acid nutriment in older adults with cognitive impairment or AD are highlighted. Furthermore, this review offers insights into ongoing clinical trials and potential therapies, shedding light on the dynamic research landscape in AD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritesh P. Bhole
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Dr. D. Y. Patil institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Research, Pimpri, Pune, India
- Dr. D. Y. Patil Dental College and Hospital, Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pimpri, Pune 411018, India
| | | | - Karishma M. Rathi
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Dr. D. Y. Patil institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Research, Pimpri, Pune, India
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Homanics GE, Park JE, Bailey L, Schaeffer DJ, Schaeffer L, He J, Li S, Zhang T, Haber A, Spruce C, Greenwood A, Murai T, Schultz L, Mongeau L, Ha S, Oluoch J, Stein B, Choi SH, Huhe H, Thathiah A, Strick PL, Carter GW, Silva AC, Sukoff Rizzo SJ. Early molecular events of autosomal-dominant Alzheimer's disease in marmosets with PSEN1 mutations. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:3455-3471. [PMID: 38574388 PMCID: PMC11095452 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13806] [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: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Fundamental questions remain about the key mechanisms that initiate Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the factors that promote its progression. Here we report the successful generation of the first genetically engineered marmosets that carry knock-in (KI) point mutations in the presenilin 1 (PSEN1) gene that can be studied from birth throughout lifespan. METHODS CRISPR/Cas9 was used to generate marmosets with C410Y or A426P point mutations in PSEN1. Founders and their germline offspring are comprehensively studied longitudinally using non-invasive measures including behavior, biomarkers, neuroimaging, and multiomics signatures. RESULTS Prior to adulthood, increases in plasma amyloid beta were observed in PSEN1 mutation carriers relative to non-carriers. Analysis of brain revealed alterations in several enzyme-substrate interactions within the gamma secretase complex prior to adulthood. DISCUSSION Marmosets carrying KI point mutations in PSEN1 provide the opportunity to study the earliest primate-specific mechanisms that contribute to the molecular and cellular root causes of AD onset and progression. HIGHLIGHTS We report the successful generation of genetically engineered marmosets harboring knock-in point mutations in the PSEN1 gene. PSEN1 marmosets and their germline offspring recapitulate the early emergence of AD-related biomarkers. Studies as early in life as possible in PSEN1 marmosets will enable the identification of primate-specific mechanisms that drive disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregg E. Homanics
- Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative MedicineUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of NeurobiologyUniversity of Pittsburgh Brain InstituteUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Jung Eun Park
- Department of NeurobiologyUniversity of Pittsburgh Brain InstituteUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Lauren Bailey
- Department of MedicineUniversity of Pittsburgh Aging Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - David J. Schaeffer
- Department of NeurobiologyUniversity of Pittsburgh Brain InstituteUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Lauren Schaeffer
- Department of NeurobiologyUniversity of Pittsburgh Brain InstituteUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Jie He
- Department of StatisticsUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Shuoran Li
- Department of StatisticsUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Tingting Zhang
- Department of StatisticsUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | | | | | | | - Takeshi Murai
- Department of MedicineUniversity of Pittsburgh Aging Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Laura Schultz
- Department of MedicineUniversity of Pittsburgh Aging Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Lauren Mongeau
- Department of MedicineUniversity of Pittsburgh Aging Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Seung‐Kwon Ha
- Department of NeurobiologyUniversity of Pittsburgh Brain InstituteUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Julia Oluoch
- Department of NeurobiologyUniversity of Pittsburgh Brain InstituteUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Brianne Stein
- Department of NeurobiologyUniversity of Pittsburgh Brain InstituteUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Sang Ho Choi
- Department of NeurobiologyUniversity of Pittsburgh Brain InstituteUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Hasi Huhe
- Department of MedicineUniversity of Pittsburgh Aging Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Amantha Thathiah
- Department of NeurobiologyUniversity of Pittsburgh Brain InstituteUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Peter L. Strick
- Department of NeurobiologyUniversity of Pittsburgh Brain InstituteUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | | | - Afonso C. Silva
- Department of NeurobiologyUniversity of Pittsburgh Brain InstituteUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Stacey J. Sukoff Rizzo
- Department of NeurobiologyUniversity of Pittsburgh Brain InstituteUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of MedicineUniversity of Pittsburgh Aging Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
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Abrahamson EE, Kofler JK, Becker CR, Price JC, Newell KL, Ghetti B, Murrell JR, McLean CA, Lopez OL, Mathis CA, Klunk WE, Villemagne VL, Ikonomovic MD. 11C-PiB PET can underestimate brain amyloid-β burden when cotton wool plaques are numerous. Brain 2022; 145:2161-2176. [PMID: 34918018 PMCID: PMC9630719 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals with familial Alzheimer's disease due to PSEN1 mutations develop high cortical fibrillar amyloid-β load but often have lower cortical 11C-Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) retention than Individuals with sporadic Alzheimer's disease. We hypothesized this is influenced by limited interactions of Pittsburgh compound B with cotton wool plaques, an amyloid-β plaque type common in familial Alzheimer's disease but rare in sporadic Alzheimer's disease. Histological sections of frontal and temporal cortex, caudate nucleus and cerebellum were obtained from 14 cases with sporadic Alzheimer's disease, 12 cases with familial Alzheimer's disease due to PSEN1 mutations, two relatives of a PSEN1 mutation carrier but without genotype information and three non-Alzheimer's disease cases. Sections were processed immunohistochemically using amyloid-β-targeting antibodies and the fluorescent amyloid stains cyano-PiB and X-34. Plaque load was quantified by percentage area analysis. Frozen homogenates from the same brain regions from five sporadic Alzheimer's disease and three familial Alzheimer's disease cases were analysed for 3H-PiB in vitro binding and concentrations of amyloid-β1-40 and amyloid-β1-42. Nine sporadic Alzheimer's disease, three familial Alzheimer's disease and three non-Alzheimer's disease participants had 11C-PiB PET with standardized uptake value ratios calculated using the cerebellum as the reference region. Cotton wool plaques were present in the neocortex of all familial Alzheimer's disease cases and one sporadic Alzheimer's disease case, in the caudate nucleus from four familial Alzheimer's disease cases, but not in the cerebellum. Cotton wool plaques immunolabelled robustly with 4G8 and amyloid-β42 antibodies but weakly with amyloid-β40 and amyloid-βN3pE antibodies and had only background cyano-PiB fluorescence despite labelling with X-34. Relative to amyloid-β plaque load, cyano-Pittsburgh compound B plaque load was similar in sporadic Alzheimer's disease while in familial Alzheimer's disease it was lower in the neocortex and the caudate nucleus. In both regions, insoluble amyloid-β1-42 and amyloid-β1-40 concentrations were similar in familial Alzheimer's disease and sporadic Alzheimer's disease groups, while 3H-PiB binding was lower in the familial Alzheimer's disease than the sporadic Alzheimer's disease group. Higher amyloid-β1-42 concentration associated with higher 3H-PiB binding in sporadic Alzheimer's disease but not familial Alzheimer's disease. 11C-PiB retention correlated with region-matched post-mortem amyloid-β plaque load; however, familial Alzheimer's disease cases with abundant cotton wool plaques had lower 11C-PiB retention than sporadic Alzheimer's disease cases with similar amyloid-β plaque loads. PiB has limited ability to detect amyloid-β aggregates in cotton wool plaques and may underestimate total amyloid-β plaque burden in brain regions with abundant cotton wool plaques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric E Abrahamson
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Pittsburgh VA Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Julia K Kofler
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Carl R Becker
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Julie C Price
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital, A. A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kathy L Newell
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Bernardino Ghetti
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Jill R Murrell
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Catriona A McLean
- Victorian Brain Bank, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Oscar L Lopez
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Chester A Mathis
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - William E Klunk
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Victor L Villemagne
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Milos D Ikonomovic
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Pittsburgh VA Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Zhao Y, Arceneaux L, Culicchia F, Lukiw WJ. Neurofilament Light (NF-L) Chain Protein from a Highly Polymerized Structural Component of the Neuronal Cytoskeleton to a Neurodegenerative Disease Biomarker in the Periphery. HSOA JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMER'S & NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES 2021; 7:056. [PMID: 34881359 PMCID: PMC8651065 DOI: 10.24966/and-9608/100056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Neurofilaments (NFs) are critical scaffolding components of the axoskeleton of healthy neurons interacting directly with multiple synaptic-phosphoproteins to support and coordinate neuronal cell shape, cytoarchitecture, synaptogenesis and neurotransmission. While neuronal presynaptic proteins such as synapsin-2 (SYN II) degrade rapidly via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, a considerably more stable neurofilament light (NF-L) chain protein turns over much more slowly, and in several neurological diseases is accompanied by a pathological shift from an intracellular neuronal cytoplasmic location into various biofluid compartments. NF-L has been found to be significantly elevated in peripheral biofluids in multiple neurodegenerative disorders, however it is not as widely appreciated that NF-L expression within neurons undergoing inflammatory neurodegeneration exhibit a significant down-regulation in these neuron-specific intermediate-filament components. Down-regulated NF-L in neurons correlates well with the observed axonal and neuronal atrophy, neurite deterioration and synaptic disorganization in tissues affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other progressive, age-related neurological diseases. This Review paper: (i) will briefly assess the remarkably high number of neurological disorders that exhibit NF-L depolymerization, liberation from neuron-specific compartments, mobilization and enrichment into pathological biofluids; (ii) will evaluate how NF-L exhibits compartmentalization effects in age-related neurological disorders; (iii) will review how the shift of NF-L compartmentalization from within the neuronal cytoskeleton into peripheral biofluids may be a diagnostic biomarker for neuronal-decline in all cause dementia most useful in distinguishing between closely related neurological disorders; and (iv) will review emerging evidence that deficits in plasma membrane barrier integrity, pathological transport and/or vesicle-mediated trafficking dysfunction of NF-L may contribute to neuronal decline, with specific reference to AD wherever possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhai Zhao
- LSU Neuroscience Center, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans LA 70112, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, LSU Health Science Center, New Orleans LA 70112, USA
| | - Lisa Arceneaux
- LSU Neuroscience Center, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans LA 70112, USA
| | - Frank Culicchia
- LSU Neuroscience Center, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans LA 70112, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans LA 70112, USA
| | - Walter J Lukiw
- LSU Neuroscience Center, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans LA 70112, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans LA 7011, USA
- Department of Neurology, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans LA 70112, USA
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Longhena F, Faustini G, Brembati V, Pizzi M, Benfenati F, Bellucci A. An updated reappraisal of synapsins: structure, function and role in neurological and psychiatric disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 130:33-60. [PMID: 34407457 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Synapsins (Syns) are phosphoproteins strongly involved in neuronal development and neurotransmitter release. Three distinct genes SYN1, SYN2 and SYN3, with elevated evolutionary conservation, have been described to encode for Synapsin I, Synapsin II and Synapsin III, respectively. Syns display a series of common features, but also exhibit distinctive localization, expression pattern, post-translational modifications (PTM). These characteristics enable their interaction with other synaptic proteins, membranes and cytoskeletal components, which is essential for the proper execution of their multiple functions in neuronal cells. These include the control of synapse formation and growth, neuron maturation and renewal, as well as synaptic vesicle mobilization, docking, fusion, recycling. Perturbations in the balanced expression of Syns, alterations of their PTM, mutations and polymorphisms of their encoding genes induce severe dysregulations in brain networks functions leading to the onset of psychiatric or neurological disorders. This review presents what we have learned since the discovery of Syn I in 1977, providing the state of the art on Syns structure, function, physiology and involvement in central nervous system disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Longhena
- Division of Pharmacology, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
| | - Gaia Faustini
- Division of Pharmacology, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
| | - Viviana Brembati
- Division of Pharmacology, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
| | - Marina Pizzi
- Division of Pharmacology, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
| | - Fabio Benfenati
- Italian Institute of Technology, Via Morego 30, Genova, Italy; IRCSS Policlinico San Martino Hospital, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132, Genova, Italy.
| | - Arianna Bellucci
- Division of Pharmacology, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123, Brescia, Italy; Laboratory for Preventive and Personalized Medicine, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
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Mirza FJ, Zahid S. The Role of Synapsins in Neurological Disorders. Neurosci Bull 2017; 34:349-358. [PMID: 29282612 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-017-0201-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Synapsins serve as flagships among the presynaptic proteins due to their abundance on synaptic vesicles and contribution to synaptic communication. Several studies have emphasized the importance of this multi-gene family of neuron-specific phosphoproteins in maintaining brain physiology. In the recent times, increasing evidence has established the relevance of alterations in synapsins as a major determinant in many neurological disorders. Here, we give a comprehensive description of the diverse roles of the synapsin family and the underlying molecular mechanisms that contribute to several neurological disorders. These physiologically important roles of synapsins associated with neurological disorders are just beginning to be understood. A detailed understanding of the diversified expression of synapsins may serve to strategize novel therapeutic approaches for these debilitating neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Javed Mirza
- Neurobiology Research Laboratory, Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Saadia Zahid
- Neurobiology Research Laboratory, Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan.
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Xia D, Watanabe H, Wu B, Lee SH, Li Y, Tsvetkov E, Bolshakov VY, Shen J, Kelleher RJ. Presenilin-1 knockin mice reveal loss-of-function mechanism for familial Alzheimer's disease. Neuron 2015; 85:967-81. [PMID: 25741723 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2014] [Revised: 12/30/2014] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Presenilins play essential roles in memory formation, synaptic function, and neuronal survival. Mutations in the Presenilin-1 (PSEN1) gene are the major cause of familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD). How PSEN1 mutations cause FAD is unclear, and pathogenic mechanisms based on gain or loss of function have been proposed. Here, we generated Psen1 knockin (KI) mice carrying the FAD mutation L435F or C410Y. Remarkably, KI mice homozygous for either mutation recapitulate the phenotypes of Psen1(-/-) mice. Neither mutation altered Psen1 mRNA expression, but both abolished γ-secretase activity. Heterozygosity for the KI mutation decreased production of Aβ40 and Aβ42, increased the Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio, and exacerbated Aβ deposition. Furthermore, the L435F mutation impairs hippocampal synaptic plasticity and memory and causes age-dependent neurodegeneration in the aging cerebral cortex. Collectively, our findings reveal that FAD mutations can cause complete loss of Presenilin-1 function in vivo, suggesting that clinical PSEN mutations produce FAD through a loss-of-function mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Xia
- Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Center for Human Genetic Research, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Hirotaka Watanabe
- Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Bei Wu
- Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sang Hun Lee
- Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
| | - Evgeny Tsvetkov
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
| | - Vadim Y Bolshakov
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA 02478, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jie Shen
- Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Raymond J Kelleher
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Nelson O, Supnet C, Liu H, Bezprozvanny I. Familial Alzheimer's disease mutations in presenilins: effects on endoplasmic reticulum calcium homeostasis and correlation with clinical phenotypes. J Alzheimers Dis 2011; 21:781-93. [PMID: 20634584 DOI: 10.3233/jad-2010-100159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in presenilins 1 and 2 (PS1 and PS2) are responsible for approximately 40% of all early onset familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) monogenic cases. Presenilins (PSs) function as the catalytic subunit of γ-secretase and support cleavage of the amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP). We previously discovered that PSs also function as passive endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium (Ca2+) leak channels and that most FAD mutations in PSs affected their ER Ca2+ leak function. To further validate the relevance of our findings to human disease, we here performed Ca2+ imaging experiments with lymphoblasts established from FAD patients. We discovered that most FAD mutations in PSs disrupted ER Ca2+ leak function and resulted in increased ER Ca2+ pool in human lymphoblasts. However, we found that a subset of PS1 FAD mutants supported ER Ca2+ leak activity, as ER Ca2+ pool was unaffected in lymphoblasts. Most of the "functional" mutations for ER Ca2+ leak were clustered in the exon 8-9 area of PSEN1 gene and segregated with the cotton wool plaques and spastic paraparesis clinical phenotype occasionally observed in PS1 FAD patients. Our findings with the "functional" and "non-functional" PS1 FAD mutants were confirmed in Ca2+ rescue experiments with PS double-knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Based on the combined effects of the PS1 FAD mutations on ER Ca2+ leak and γ-secretase activities we propose a model that explains the heterogeneity observed in FAD. The proposed model has implications for understanding the pathogenesis of both familial and sporadic AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Nelson
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75390-9040, USA
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Variations in the neuropathology of familial Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol 2009; 118:37-52. [PMID: 19306098 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-009-0521-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2008] [Revised: 03/10/2009] [Accepted: 03/11/2009] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in the amyloid precursor protein (APP), presenilin 1 (PSEN1) and presenilin 2 (PSEN2) genes cause autosomal dominant familial Alzheimer's disease (AD). PSEN1 and PSEN2 are essential components of the gamma-secretase complex, which cleaves APP to affect Abeta processing. Disruptions in Abeta processing have been hypothesised to be the major cause of AD (the amyloid cascade hypothesis). These genetic cases exhibit all the classic hallmark pathologies of AD including neuritic plaques, neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), tissue atrophy, neuronal loss and inflammation, often in significantly enhanced quantities. In particular, these cases have average greater hippocampal atrophy and NFT, more significant cortical Abeta42 plaque deposition and more substantial inflammation. Enhanced cerebral Abeta40 angiopathy is a feature of many cases, but particularly those with APP mutations where it can be the dominant pathology. Additional frontotemporal neuronal loss in association with increased tau pathology appears unique to PSEN mutations, with mutations in exons 8 and 9 having enlarged cotton wool plaques throughout their cortex. The mechanisms driving these pathological differences in AD are discussed.
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