Overcoming barriers and thresholds - signaling of oligomeric Aβ through the prion protein to Fyn

Fyn Kinase in Alzheimer's Disease: Unraveling Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications

Alzheimer's disease, characterized by the accumulation of abnormal protein aggregates and neuronal damage in the brain, leads to a gradual decline in cognitive function and memory. As a complex neurodegenerative disorder, it involves disruptions in various biochemical pathways and neurotransmitter systems, contributing to the progressive loss of neurons and synaptic connections. The complexity of Alzheimer's signaling pathways complicates treatment, presenting a formidable challenge in the quest for effective therapeutic interventions. A member of the Src family of kinases (SFKs), Fyn, is a type of non-receptor tyrosine kinase that has been linked to multiple essential CNS processes, such as myelination and synaptic transmission. Fyn is an appealing target for AD treatments because it is uniquely linked to the two major pathologies in AD by its interaction with tau, in addition to being activated by amyloid-beta (Aβ) through PrPC. Fyn mediates neurotoxicity and synaptic impairments caused by Aβ and is involved in regulating the process of Aβ synthesis.Additionally, the tau protein's tyrosine phosphorylation is induced by Fyn. Fyn is also a challenging target because of its widespread body expression and strong homology with other kinases of the Src family, which could cause unintentional off-target effects. This review emphasizes signaling pathways mediated by Fyn that govern neuronal development and plasticity while also summarizing the most noteworthy recent research relevant to Fyn kinase's function in the brain. Additionally, the therapeutic inhibition of Fyn kinase has been discussed, with a focus on the Fyn kinase inhibitors that are in clinical trials, which presents a fascinating opportunity for targeting Fyn kinase in the creation of possible therapeutic approaches for the management of Alzheimer's disease.

Amyloid precursor protein (APP) and amyloid β (Aβ) interact with cell adhesion molecules: Implications in Alzheimer’s disease and normal physiology

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an incurable neurodegenerative disorder in which dysfunction and loss of synapses and neurons lead to cognitive impairment and death. Accumulation and aggregation of neurotoxic amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides generated via amyloidogenic processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP) is considered to play a central role in the disease etiology. APP interacts with cell adhesion molecules, which influence the normal physiological functions of APP, its amyloidogenic and non-amyloidogenic processing, and formation of Aβ aggregates. These cell surface glycoproteins also mediate attachment of Aβ to the neuronal cell surface and induce intracellular signaling contributing to Aβ toxicity. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge surrounding the interactions of cell adhesion molecules with APP and Aβ and analyze the evidence of the critical role these proteins play in regulating the processing and physiological function of APP as well as Aβ toxicity. This is a necessary piece of the complex AD puzzle, which we should understand in order to develop safe and effective therapeutic interventions for AD.

The IDIP framework for assessing protein function and its application to the prion protein

The quest to determine the function of a protein can represent a profound challenge. Although this task is the mandate of countless research groups, a general framework for how it can be approached is conspicuously lacking. Moreover, even expectations for when the function of a protein can be considered to be 'known' are not well defined. In this review, we begin by introducing concepts pertinent to the challenge of protein function assignments. We then propose a framework for inferring a protein's function from four data categories: 'inheritance', 'distribution', 'interactions' and 'phenotypes' (IDIP). We document that the functions of proteins emerge at the intersection of inferences drawn from these data categories and emphasise the benefit of considering them in an evolutionary context. We then apply this approach to the cellular prion protein (PrP^C ), well known for its central role in prion diseases, whose function continues to be considered elusive by many investigators. We document that available data converge on the conclusion that the function of the prion protein is to control a critical post-translational modification of the neural cell adhesion molecule in the context of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and related plasticity programmes. Finally, we argue that this proposed function of PrP^C has already passed the test of time and is concordant with the IDIP framework in a way that other functions considered for this protein fail to achieve. We anticipate that the IDIP framework and the concepts analysed herein will aid the investigation of other proteins whose primary functional assignments have thus far been intractable.

Isoform-specific upregulation of FynT kinase expression is associated with tauopathy and glial activation in Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementias

Cumulative data suggest the involvement of Fyn tyrosine kinase in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Previously, our group has shown increased immunoreactivities of the FynT isoform in AD neocortex (with no change in the alternatively spliced FynB isoform) which associated with neurofibrillary degeneration and reactive astrogliosis. Since both the aforementioned neuropathological features are also variably found in Lewy Body dementias (LBD), we investigated potential perturbations of Fyn expression in the post-mortem neocortex of patients with AD, as well as those diagnosed as having one of the two main subgroups of LBD: Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). We found selective upregulation of FynT expression in AD, PDD, and DLB which also correlated with cognitive impairment. Furthermore, increased FynT expression correlated with hallmark neuropathological lesions, soluble β-amyloid, and phosphorylated tau, as well as markers of microglia and astrocyte activation. In line with the human post-mortem studies, cortical FynT expression in aged mice transgenic for human P301S tau was upregulated and further correlated with accumulation of aggregated phosphorylated tau as well as with microglial and astrocytic markers. Our findings provide further evidence for the involvement of FynT in neurodegenerative dementias, likely via effects on tauopathy and neuroinflammation.

Alzheimer's Disease: An Overview of Major Hypotheses and Therapeutic Options in Nanotechnology

Alzheimer's disease (AD), a progressively fatal neurodegenerative disorder, is the most prominent form of dementia found today. Patients suffering from Alzheimer's begin to show the signs and symptoms, like decline in memory and cognition, long after the cellular damage has been initiated in their brain. There are several hypothesis for the neurodegeneration process; however, the lack of availability of in vivo models makes the recapitulation of AD in humans impossible. Moreover, the drugs currently available in the market serve to alleviate the symptoms and there is no cure for the disease. There have been two major hurdles in the process of finding the same-the inefficiency in cracking the complexity of the disease pathogenesis and the inefficiency in delivery of drugs targeted for AD. This review discusses the different drugs that have been designed over the recent years and the drug delivery options in the field of nanotechnology that have been found most feasible in surpassing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and reaching the brain.

The Link of the Prion Protein with Ca2+ Metabolism and ROS Production, and the Possible Implication in Aβ Toxicity

The cellular prion protein (PrP^C) is an ubiquitous cell surface protein mostly expressed in neurons, where it localizes to both pre- and post-synaptic membranes. PrP^C aberrant conformers are the major components of mammalian prions, the infectious agents responsible for incurable neurodegenerative disorders. PrP^C was also proposed to bind aggregated misfolded proteins/peptides, and to mediate their neurotoxic signal. In spite of long-lasting research, a general consensus on the precise pathophysiologic mechanisms of PrP^C has not yet been reached. Here we review our recent data, obtained by comparing primary neurons from PrP-expressing and PrP-knockout mice, indicating a central role of PrP^C in synaptic transmission and Ca²⁺ homeostasis. Indeed, by controlling gene expression and signaling cascades, PrP^C is able to optimize glutamate secretion and regulate Ca²⁺ entry via store-operated channels and ionotropic glutamate receptors, thereby protecting neurons from threatening Ca²⁺ overloads and excitotoxicity. We will also illustrate and discuss past and unpublished results demonstrating that Aβ oligomers perturb Ca²⁺ homeostasis and cause abnormal mitochondrial accumulation of reactive oxygen species by possibly affecting the PrP-dependent downregulation of Fyn kinase activity.

Analytical Strategy to Prioritize Alzheimer's Disease Candidate Genes in Gene Regulatory Networks Using Public Expression Data

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) progressively destroys cognitive abilities in the aging population with tremendous effects on memory. Despite recent progress in understanding the underlying mechanisms, high drug attrition rates have put a question mark behind our knowledge about its etiology. Re-evaluation of past studies could help us to elucidate molecular-level details of this disease. Several methods to infer such networks exist, but most of them do not elaborate on context specificity and completeness of the generated networks, missing out on lesser-known candidates. In this study, we present a novel strategy that corroborates common mechanistic patterns across large scale AD gene expression studies and further prioritizes potential biomarker candidates. To infer gene regulatory networks (GRNs), we applied an optimized version of the BC3Net algorithm, named BC3Net10, capable of deriving robust and coherent patterns. In principle, this approach initially leverages the power of literature knowledge to extract AD specific genes for generating viable networks. Our findings suggest that AD GRNs show significant enrichment for key signaling mechanisms involved in neurotransmission. Among the prioritized genes, well-known AD genes were prominent in synaptic transmission, implicated in cognitive deficits. Moreover, less intensive studied AD candidates (STX2, HLA-F, HLA-C, RAB11FIP4, ARAP3, AP2A2, ATP2B4, ITPR2, and ATP2A3) are also involved in neurotransmission, providing new insights into the underlying mechanism. To our knowledge, this is the first study to generate knowledge-instructed GRNs that demonstrates an effective way of combining literature-based knowledge and data-driven analysis to identify lesser known candidates embedded in stable and robust functional patterns across disparate datasets.

Neurological dysfunctions associated with altered BACE1-dependent Neuregulin-1 signaling

Inhibition of BACE1 is being pursued as a therapeutic target to treat patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease because BACE1 is the sole β-secretase that generates β-amyloid peptide. Knowledge regarding other cellular functions of BACE1 is therefore critical for the safe use of BACE1 inhibitors in human patients. Neuregulin-1 (Nrg1) is a BACE1 substrate and BACE1 cleavage of Nrg1 is critical for signaling functions in myelination, remyelination, synaptic plasticity, normal psychiatric behaviors, and maintenance of muscle spindles. This review summarizes the most recent discoveries associated with BACE1-dependent Nrg1 signaling in these areas. This body of knowledge will help to provide guidance for preventing unwanted Nrg1-based side effects following BACE1 inhibition in humans. To initiate its signaling cascade, membrane anchored Neuregulin (Nrg), mainly type I and III β1 Nrg1 isoforms and Nrg3, requires ectodomain shedding. BACE1 is one of such indispensable sheddases to release the functional Nrg signaling fragment. The dependence of Nrg on the cleavage by BACE1 is best manifested by disrupting the critical role of Nrg in the control of axonal myelination, schizophrenic behaviors as well as the formation and maintenance of muscle spindles.

The prion protein constitutively controls neuronal store-operated Ca(2+) entry through Fyn kinase

The prion protein (PrP^C) is a cell surface glycoprotein mainly expressed in neurons, whose misfolded isoforms generate the prion responsible for incurable neurodegenerative disorders. Whereas PrP^C involvement in prion propagation is well established, PrP^C physiological function is still enigmatic despite suggestions that it could act in cell signal transduction by modulating phosphorylation cascades and Ca²⁺ homeostasis. Because PrP^C binds neurotoxic protein aggregates with high-affinity, it has also been proposed that PrP^C acts as receptor for amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and that PrP^C-Aβ binding mediates AD-related synaptic dysfunctions following activation of the tyrosine kinase Fyn. Here, use of gene-encoded Ca²⁺ probes targeting different cell domains in primary cerebellar granule neurons (CGN) expressing, or not, PrP^C, allowed us to investigate whether PrP^C regulates store-operated Ca²⁺ entry (SOCE) and the implication of Fyn in this control. Our findings show that PrP^C attenuates SOCE, and Ca²⁺ accumulation in the cytosol and mitochondria, by constitutively restraining Fyn activation and tyrosine phosphorylation of STIM1, a key molecular component of SOCE. This data establishes the existence of a PrP^C-Fyn-SOCE triad in neurons. We also demonstrate that treating cerebellar granule and cortical neurons with soluble Aβ_(1–42) oligomers abrogates the control of PrP^C over Fyn and SOCE, suggesting a PrP^C-dependent mechanizm for Aβ-induced neuronal Ca²⁺ dyshomeostasis.

GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors are upregulated in plasma membranes by the sphingosine-1-phosphate analog FTY720P

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a ceramide derivative serving not only as a regulator of immune properties but also as a modulator of brain functions. To better understand the mechanism underlying the effects of S1P on brain functions, we investigated the potential impact of S1P receptor (S1PR) activation on NMDA receptor subunits. We used acute rat hippocampal slices as a model system, and determined the effects of the active phosphorylated S1P analog, fingolimod (FTY720P) on various NMDA receptors. Treatment with FTY720P significantly increased phosphorylation of GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors at Tyr1472. This effect appears rather specific, as treatment with FTY720P did not modify GluN2B-Tyr1336, GluN2B-Ser1480, GluN2A-Tyr1325 or GluN1-Ser897 phosphorylation. Pre-treatment of hippocampal slices with the compounds W146 and PP1 indicated that FTY720P-induced GluN2B phosphorylation at Tyr1472 epitopes was dependent on activation of S1PR subunit 1 (S1PR1) and Src/Fyn kinase, respectively. Cell surface biotinylation experiments indicated that FTY720P-induced GluN2B phosphorylation at Tyr1472 was also associated with increased levels of GluN1 and GluN2B subunits on membrane surface, whereas no change was observed for GluN2A subunits. We finally demonstrate that FTY720P is inclined to favor Tau and Fyn accumulation on plasma membranes. These results suggest that activation of S1PR1 by FTY720P enhances GluN2B receptor phosphorylation in rat hippocampal slices, resulting in increased levels of GluN1 and GluN2B receptor subunits in neuronal membranes through a mechanism probably involving Fyn and Tau.

Glutamate receptors function as scaffolds for the regulation of β-amyloid and cellular prion protein signaling complexes

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects 36 million people worldwide, but currently has no effective treatment options. One of the original hallmarks of AD are plaques comprised of beta amyloid (Aβ) and neurofibrillary tangles comprised of phosphorylated Tau protein. However, it is soluble oligomeric Aβ which is more closely correlated with cognitive decline and is therefore considered to be the neurotoxic species. Oligomeric Aβ has recently been shown to form complexes with the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored membrane protein, cellular prion protein (PrP(c)), and these complexes are believed to play an important role in the progression of AD pathogenesis. Glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter is responsible for mediating learning and memory under normal physiological conditions. However, the dysregulation of glutamatergic signaling has also been implicated in a number of neurodegenerative diseases including AD. Glutamate acts via both ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluR) and metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR), each of which have been implicated in AD. There is now growing evidence to suggest that mGluR5 may contribute the AD pathogenesis by acting as scaffolds for the PrP(c)/Aβ oligomer complex, enabling the propagation of neurotoxic signaling in AD. In addition, PrP(c) and Aβ oligomer signaling via NMDARs may also contribute to AD pathology. The current review overviews our current understanding of the role of PrP(c) and Aβ oligomers in regulating glutamate receptor signaling, as well as highlights the importance of understanding these signaling complexes to develop more effective therapeutic strategies to treat AD.

The low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 and amyloid-β clearance in Alzheimer's disease

Accumulation and aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides in the brain trigger the development of progressive neurodegeneration and dementia associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Perturbation in Aβ clearance, rather than Aβ production, is likely the cause of sporadic, late-onset AD, which accounts for the majority of AD cases. Since cellular uptake and subsequent degradation constitute a major Aβ clearance pathway, the receptor-mediated endocytosis of Aβ has been intensely investigated. Among Aβ receptors, the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) is one of the most studied receptors. LRP1 is a large endocytic receptor for more than 40 ligands, including apolipoprotein E, α2-macroglobulin and Aβ. Emerging in vitro and in vivo evidence demonstrates that LRP1 is critically involved in brain Aβ clearance. LRP1 is highly expressed in a variety of cell types in the brain including neurons, vascular cells and glial cells, where LRP1 functions to maintain brain homeostasis and control Aβ metabolism. LRP1-mediated endocytosis regulates cellular Aβ uptake by binding to Aβ either directly or indirectly through its co-receptors or ligands. Furthermore, LRP1 regulates several signaling pathways, which also likely influences Aβ endocytic pathways. In this review, we discuss how LRP1 regulates the brain Aβ clearance and how this unique endocytic receptor participates in AD pathogenesis. Understanding of the mechanisms underlying LRP1-mediated Aβ clearance should enable the rational design of novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for AD.

Premature lethality, hyperactivity, and aberrant phosphorylation in transgenic mice expressing a constitutively active form of Fyn

The kinase Fyn, the microtubule-associated protein tau and the peptide amyloid-β (Aβ) constitute a toxic triad in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Tau's subcellular localization is mainly regulated by phosphorylation whereas Fyn's localization is dictated by palmitoylation targeting it to the plasma membrane in a reversible manner. We have previously shown that tau is required for Fyn to be targeted to the dendritic spine. We had also shown that a truncated form of tau (Δtau) that accumulates in the cell soma is capable of trapping Fyn and preventing it from entering the spine. Here we determined that palmitoylation is required for Fyn's membrane and spine localization. We further evaluated the functional consequences of neuronal over-expression of the constitutively active Y531F mutant form of Fyn (FynCA) in transgenic mice. We found that the FynCA transgenic mice displayed a reduced weight, a massively reduced lifespan and a high level of hyperactivity. The lifespan of the FynCA mice was only slightly extended by crossing them with Δtau transgenic mice, possibly reflecting differences in expression patterns of the transgenes and high levels of transgenic FynCA compared to endogenous Fyn. Analysis of synaptosomes revealed that FynCA accumulated at high levels in the spine, resulting in increased levels of the NMDA receptor subunit NR2b phosphorylated at residue Y1472. Tau was strongly phosphorylated at the AT8 epitope S202/T205 as shown by Western blot and immunohistochemistry indicating that an increased tyrosine kinase activity of Fyn has down-stream consequences for serine/threonine-directed phosphorylation.

ApoE and Aβ in Alzheimer's disease: accidental encounters or partners?

Among the three human apolipoprotein E (apoE) isoforms, apoE4 increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). While transporting cholesterol is a primary function, apoE also regulates amyloid-β (Aβ) metabolism, aggregation, and deposition. Although earlier work suggests that different affinities of apoE isoforms to Aβ might account for their effects on Aβ clearance, recent studies indicate that apoE also competes with Aβ for cellular uptake through apoE receptors. Thus, several factors probably determine the variable effects apoE has on Aβ. In this Review, we examine biochemical, structural, and functional studies and propose testable models that address the complex mechanisms underlying apoE-Aβ interaction and how apoE4 may increase AD risk and also serve as a target pathway for therapy.