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Pacheco-Sánchez B, Tovar R, Ben Rabaa M, Sánchez-Salido L, Vargas A, Suárez J, Rodríguez de Fonseca F, Rivera P. Sex-Dependent Altered Expression of Cannabinoid Signaling in Hippocampal Astrocytes of the Triple Transgenic Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease: Implications for Controlling Astroglial Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12598. [PMID: 37628778 PMCID: PMC10454447 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease. In AD-associated neuroinflammation, astrocytes play a key role, finding glial activation both in patients and in animal models. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a neurolipid signaling system with anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties implicated in AD. Astrocytes respond to external cannabinoid signals and also have their own cannabinoid signaling. Our main objective is to describe the cannabinoid signaling machinery present in hippocampal astrocytes from 3×Tg-AD mice to determine if they are actively involved in the neurodegenerative process. Primary cultures of astrocytes from the hippocampus of 3×Tg-AD and non-Tg offspring were carried out. We analyzed the gene expression of astrogliosis markers, the main components of the ECS and Ca2+ signaling. 3×Tg-AD hippocampal astrocytes show low inflammatory activity (Il1b, Il6, and Gls) and Ca2+ flow (P2rx5 and Mcu), associated with low cannabinoid signaling (Cnr1 and Cnr2). These results were more evident in females. Our study corroborates glial involvement in AD pathology, in which cannabinoid signaling plays an important role. 3×Tg-AD mice born with hippocampal astrocytes with differential gene expression of the ECS associated with an innate attenuation of their activity. In addition, we show that there are sex differences from birth in this AD animal, which should be considered when investigating the pathogenesis of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Pacheco-Sánchez
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Hospital Universitario Regional de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain; (B.P.-S.); (R.T.); (M.B.R.); (L.S.-S.); (A.V.); (J.S.)
| | - Rubén Tovar
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Hospital Universitario Regional de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain; (B.P.-S.); (R.T.); (M.B.R.); (L.S.-S.); (A.V.); (J.S.)
| | - Meriem Ben Rabaa
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Hospital Universitario Regional de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain; (B.P.-S.); (R.T.); (M.B.R.); (L.S.-S.); (A.V.); (J.S.)
- Molecular Biotechnology, FH Campus Wien, University for Applied Sciences, Favoritenstraße 222, 1100 Vienna, Austria
| | - Lourdes Sánchez-Salido
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Hospital Universitario Regional de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain; (B.P.-S.); (R.T.); (M.B.R.); (L.S.-S.); (A.V.); (J.S.)
| | - Antonio Vargas
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Hospital Universitario Regional de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain; (B.P.-S.); (R.T.); (M.B.R.); (L.S.-S.); (A.V.); (J.S.)
| | - Juan Suárez
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Hospital Universitario Regional de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain; (B.P.-S.); (R.T.); (M.B.R.); (L.S.-S.); (A.V.); (J.S.)
- Departamento de Anatomía Humana, Medicina Legal e Historia de la Ciencia, Universidad de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - Fernando Rodríguez de Fonseca
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Hospital Universitario Regional de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain; (B.P.-S.); (R.T.); (M.B.R.); (L.S.-S.); (A.V.); (J.S.)
| | - Patricia Rivera
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND, Hospital Universitario Regional de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain; (B.P.-S.); (R.T.); (M.B.R.); (L.S.-S.); (A.V.); (J.S.)
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Sanchez-Varo R, Mejias-Ortega M, Fernandez-Valenzuela JJ, Nuñez-Diaz C, Caceres-Palomo L, Vegas-Gomez L, Sanchez-Mejias E, Trujillo-Estrada L, Garcia-Leon JA, Moreno-Gonzalez I, Vizuete M, Vitorica J, Baglietto-Vargas D, Gutierrez A. Transgenic Mouse Models of Alzheimer's Disease: An Integrative Analysis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:5404. [PMID: 35628216 PMCID: PMC9142061 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) constitutes the most prominent form of dementia among elderly individuals worldwide. Disease modeling using murine transgenic mice was first initiated thanks to the discovery of heritable mutations in amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilins (PS) genes. However, due to the repeated failure of translational applications from animal models to human patients, along with the recent advances in genetic susceptibility and our current understanding on disease biology, these models have evolved over time in an attempt to better reproduce the complexity of this devastating disease and improve their applicability. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview about the major pathological elements of human AD (plaques, tauopathy, synaptic damage, neuronal death, neuroinflammation and glial dysfunction), discussing the knowledge that available mouse models have provided about the mechanisms underlying human disease. Moreover, we highlight the pros and cons of current models, and the revolution offered by the concomitant use of transgenic mice and omics technologies that may lead to a more rapid improvement of the present modeling battery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Sanchez-Varo
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
- Departamento Fisiologia Humana, Histologia Humana, Anatomia Patologica y Educacion Fisica y Deportiva, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain
| | - Marina Mejias-Ortega
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
| | - Juan Jose Fernandez-Valenzuela
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
| | - Cristina Nuñez-Diaz
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
| | - Laura Caceres-Palomo
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
| | - Laura Vegas-Gomez
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
| | - Elisabeth Sanchez-Mejias
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
| | - Laura Trujillo-Estrada
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
| | - Juan Antonio Garcia-Leon
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
| | - Ines Moreno-Gonzalez
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Marisa Vizuete
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
- Departamento Bioquimica y Biologia Molecular, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBIS)-Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Javier Vitorica
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
- Departamento Bioquimica y Biologia Molecular, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBIS)-Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - David Baglietto-Vargas
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
| | - Antonia Gutierrez
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
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Chen S, Acosta D, Li L, Liang J, Chang Y, Wang C, Fitzgerald J, Morrison C, Goulbourne CN, Nakano Y, Villegas NCH, Venkataraman L, Brown C, Serrano GE, Bell E, Wemlinger T, Wu M, Kokiko-Cochran ON, Popovich P, Flowers XE, Honig LS, Vonsattel JP, Scharre DW, Beach TG, Ma Q, Kuret J, Kõks S, Urano F, Duff KE, Fu H. Wolframin is a novel regulator of tau pathology and neurodegeneration. Acta Neuropathol 2022; 143:547-569. [PMID: 35389045 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-022-02417-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Selective neuronal vulnerability to protein aggregation is found in many neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Understanding the molecular origins of this selective vulnerability is, therefore, of fundamental importance. Tau protein aggregates have been found in Wolframin (WFS1)-expressing excitatory neurons in the entorhinal cortex, one of the earliest affected regions in AD. The role of WFS1 in Tauopathies and its levels in tau pathology-associated neurodegeneration, however, is largely unknown. Here we report that WFS1 deficiency is associated with increased tau pathology and neurodegeneration, whereas overexpression of WFS1 reduces those changes. We also find that WFS1 interacts with tau protein and controls the susceptibility to tau pathology. Furthermore, chronic ER stress and autophagy-lysosome pathway (ALP)-associated genes are enriched in WFS1-high excitatory neurons in human AD at early Braak stages. The protein levels of ER stress and autophagy-lysosome pathway (ALP)-associated proteins are changed in tau transgenic mice with WFS1 deficiency, while overexpression of WFS1 reverses those changes. This work demonstrates a possible role for WFS1 in the regulation of tau pathology and neurodegeneration via chronic ER stress and the downstream ALP. Our findings provide insights into mechanisms that underpin selective neuronal vulnerability, and for developing new therapeutics to protect vulnerable neurons in AD.
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Blaudin de Thé FX, Lassus B, Schaler AW, Fowler SL, Goulbourne CN, Jeggo R, Mannoury la Cour C, Millan MJ, Duff KE. P62 accumulates through neuroanatomical circuits in response to tauopathy propagation. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:177. [PMID: 34727983 PMCID: PMC8561893 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01280-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies, trans-synaptic transfer and accumulation of pathological tau from donor to recipient neurons is thought to contribute to disease progression, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Using complementary in vivo and in vitro models, we examined the relationship between these two processes and neuronal clearance. Accumulation of p62 (a marker of defective protein clearance) correlated with pathological tau accumulation in two mouse models of tauopathy spread; Entorhinal Cortex-tau (EC-Tau) mice where tau pathology progresses in time from EC to other brain regions, and PS19 mice injected with tau seeds. In both models and in several brain regions, p62 colocalized with human tau in a pathological conformation (MC1 antibody). In EC-Tau mice, p62 accumulated before overt tau pathology had developed and was associated with the presence of aggregation-competent tau seeds identified using a FRET-based assay. Furthermore, p62 accumulated in the cytoplasm of neurons in the dentate gyrus of EC-Tau mice prior to the appearance of MC1 positive tauopathy. However, MC1 positive tau was shown to be present at the synapse and to colocalize with p62 as shown by immuno electron microscopy. In vitro, p62 colocalized with tau inclusions in two primary cortical neuron models of tau pathology. In a three-chamber microfluidic device containing neurons overexpressing fluorescent tau, seeding of tau in the donor chamber led to tau pathology spread and p62 accumulation in both the donor and the recipient chamber. Overall, these data are in accordance with the hypothesis that the accumulation and trans-synaptic spread of pathological tau disrupts clearance mechanisms, preceding the appearance of obvious tau aggregation. A vicious cycle of tau accumulation and clearance deficit would be expected to feed-forward and exacerbate disease progression across neuronal circuits in human tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- François-Xavier Blaudin de Thé
- Taub Institute for Research On Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, 630 W 168th St, NY 10032 New York, USA
- Neuroscience and Immunoinflammation Therapeutic Area, Institut de Recherche Servier, 125 Chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Benjamin Lassus
- Taub Institute for Research On Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, 630 W 168th St, NY 10032 New York, USA
- HiFiBiO Therapeutics Pépinière Paris Santé Cochin, 29 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Jacques, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Ari W. Schaler
- Taub Institute for Research On Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, 630 W 168th St, NY 10032 New York, USA
- UCLA – Physiology Department, 10833 Le Conte Ave, CHS76200, CA 90095 Los Angeles, USA
| | - Stephanie L. Fowler
- Taub Institute for Research On Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, 630 W 168th St, NY 10032 New York, USA
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, 90 Gower St, W1T 7NF London, UK
| | - Chris N. Goulbourne
- Nathan Kline Institute: Center for Dementia Research, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, NY 10962 Orangeburg, USA
| | - Ross Jeggo
- Neuroscience and Immunoinflammation Therapeutic Area, Institut de Recherche Servier, 125 Chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Clotilde Mannoury la Cour
- Neuroscience and Immunoinflammation Therapeutic Area, Institut de Recherche Servier, 125 Chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Mark J. Millan
- Neuroscience and Immunoinflammation Therapeutic Area, Institut de Recherche Servier, 125 Chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine, France
- Present Address: Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, College of Medicine, Vet and Life Science, Glasgow University, Glasgow, G12 8QQ United Kingdom
| | - Karen E. Duff
- Taub Institute for Research On Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, 630 W 168th St, NY 10032 New York, USA
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, 90 Gower St, W1T 7NF London, UK
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Meisl G, Hidari E, Allinson K, Rittman T, DeVos SL, Sanchez JS, Xu CK, Duff KE, Johnson KA, Rowe JB, Hyman BT, Knowles TPJ, Klenerman D. In vivo rate-determining steps of tau seed accumulation in Alzheimer's disease. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabh1448. [PMID: 34714685 PMCID: PMC8555892 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abh1448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Both the replication of protein aggregates and their spreading throughout the brain are implicated in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the rates of these processes are unknown and the identity of the rate-determining process in humans has therefore remained elusive. By bringing together chemical kinetics with measurements of tau seeds and aggregates across brain regions, we can quantify their replication rate in human brains. Notably, we obtain comparable rates in several different datasets, with five different methods of tau quantification, from postmortem seed amplification assays to tau PET studies in living individuals. Our results suggest that from Braak stage III onward, local replication, rather than spreading between brain regions, is the main process controlling the overall rate of accumulation of tau in neocortical regions. The number of seeds doubles only every ∼5 years. Thus, limiting local replication likely constitutes the most promising strategy to control tau accumulation during AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Meisl
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Eric Hidari
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Kieren Allinson
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Timothy Rittman
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Sarah L. DeVos
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, MassGeneral Institute for Neuro-degenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02114, USA
- Denali Therapeutics Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Justin S. Sanchez
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, MassGeneral Institute for Neuro-degenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02114, USA
| | - Catherine K. Xu
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Karen E. Duff
- Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Keith A. Johnson
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, MassGeneral Institute for Neuro-degenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02114, USA
| | - James B. Rowe
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Bradley T. Hyman
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, MassGeneral Institute for Neuro-degenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02114, USA
| | - Tuomas P. J. Knowles
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, 19 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
| | - David Klenerman
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK
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Spanos F, Liddelow SA. An Overview of Astrocyte Responses in Genetically Induced Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Models. Cells 2020; 9:E2415. [PMID: 33158189 PMCID: PMC7694249 DOI: 10.3390/cells9112415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. Despite many years of intense research, there is currently still no effective treatment. Multiple cell types contribute to disease pathogenesis, with an increasing body of data pointing to the active participation of astrocytes. Astrocytes play a pivotal role in the physiology and metabolic functions of neurons and other cells in the central nervous system. Because of their interactions with other cell types, astrocyte functions must be understood in their biologic context, thus many studies have used mouse models, of which there are over 190 available for AD research. However, none appear able to fully recapitulate the many functional changes in astrocytes reported in human AD brains. Our review summarizes the observations of astrocyte biology noted in mouse models of familial and sporadic AD. The limitations of AD mouse models will be discussed and current attempts to overcome these disadvantages will be described. With increasing understanding of the non-neuronal contributions to disease, the development of new methods and models will provide further insights and address important questions regarding the roles of astrocytes and other non-neuronal cells in AD pathophysiology. The next decade will prove to be full of exciting opportunities to address this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fokion Spanos
- Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA;
| | - Shane A. Liddelow
- Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA;
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
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Parra-Damas A, Saura CA. Tissue Clearing and Expansion Methods for Imaging Brain Pathology in Neurodegeneration: From Circuits to Synapses and Beyond. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:914. [PMID: 33122983 PMCID: PMC7571329 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying the structural alterations occurring during diseases of the nervous system requires imaging heterogeneous cell populations at the circuit, cellular and subcellular levels. Recent advancements in brain tissue clearing and expansion methods allow unprecedented detailed imaging of the nervous system through its entire scale, from circuits to synapses, including neurovascular and brain lymphatics elements. Here, we review the state-of-the-art of brain tissue clearing and expansion methods, mentioning their main advantages and limitations, and suggest their parallel implementation for circuits-to-synapses brain imaging using conventional (diffraction-limited) light microscopy -such as confocal, two-photon and light-sheet microscopy- to interrogate the cellular and molecular basis of neurodegenerative diseases. We discuss recent studies in which clearing and expansion methods have been successfully applied to study neuropathological processes in mouse models and postmortem human brain tissue. Volumetric imaging of cleared intact mouse brains and large human brain samples has allowed unbiased assessment of neuropathological hallmarks. In contrast, nanoscale imaging of expanded cells and brain tissue has been used to study the effect of protein aggregates on specific subcellular structures. Therefore, these approaches can be readily applied to study a wide range of brain processes and pathological mechanisms with cellular and subcellular resolution in a time- and cost-efficient manner. We consider that a broader implementation of these technologies is necessary to reveal the full landscape of cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaldo Parra-Damas
- Institut de Neurociències, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos A Saura
- Institut de Neurociències, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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8
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Fung CW, Guo J, Fu H, Figueroa HY, Konofagou EE, Duff KE. Atrophy associated with tau pathology precedes overt cell death in a mouse model of progressive tauopathy. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/42/eabc8098. [PMID: 33067235 PMCID: PMC7567584 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc8098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD) first develops in the entorhinal cortex (EC), then spreads to the hippocampus, followed by the neocortex. Overall, tau pathology correlates well with neurodegeneration and cell loss, but the spatial and temporal association between tau pathology and overt volume loss (atrophy) associated with structural changes or cell loss is unclear. Using in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with tensor-based morphometry (TBM), we mapped the spatiotemporal pattern of structural changes in a mouse model of AD-like progressive tauopathy. A novel, coregistered in vivo MRI atlas was then applied to identify regions in the medial temporal lobe that had a significant volume reduction. Our study shows that in a mouse model of tauopathy spread, the propagation of tau pathology from the EC to the hippocampus is associated with TBM-related atrophy, but atrophy in the dentate gyrus and subiculum precedes overt cell loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine W Fung
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, 500 W 120th Street, New York, NY 10025, USA
| | - Jia Guo
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, 3227 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Hongjun Fu
- Department of Neuroscience, Chronic Brain Injury, Discovery Themes, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Helen Y Figueroa
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Elisa E Konofagou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, 500 W 120th Street, New York, NY 10025, USA
| | - Karen E Duff
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, UK
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9
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Rodriguez GA, Barrett GM, Duff KE, Hussaini SA. Chemogenetic attenuation of neuronal activity in the entorhinal cortex reduces Aβ and tau pathology in the hippocampus. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000851. [PMID: 32822389 PMCID: PMC7467290 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
High levels of the amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide have been shown to disrupt neuronal function and induce hyperexcitability, but it is unclear what effects Aβ-associated hyperexcitability may have on tauopathy pathogenesis or propagation in vivo. Using a novel transgenic mouse line to model the impact of human APP (hAPP)/Aβ accumulation on tauopathy in the entorhinal cortex–hippocampal (EC-HIPP) network, we demonstrate that hAPP overexpression aggravates EC-Tau aggregation and accelerates pathological tau spread into the hippocampus. In vivo recordings revealed a strong role for hAPP/Aβ, but not tau, in the emergence of EC neuronal hyperactivity and impaired theta rhythmicity. Chronic chemogenetic attenuation of EC neuronal hyperactivity led to reduced hAPP/Aβ accumulation and reduced pathological tau spread into downstream hippocampus. These data strongly support the hypothesis that in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Aβ-associated hyperactivity accelerates the progression of pathological tau along vulnerable neuronal circuits, and demonstrates the utility of chronic, neuromodulatory approaches in ameliorating AD pathology in vivo. A novel, triple transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease reveals that amyloid beta-associated neuronal hyperactivity and network dysfunction accelerates the spread of pathological tau from the entorhinal cortex into the hippocampus. Chronic attenuation of neuronal activity using chemogenetics reduces this effect, supporting a role for neuronal hyperactivity in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo A. Rodriguez
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Geoffrey M. Barrett
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Karen E. Duff
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (SAH); (KED)
| | - S. Abid Hussaini
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail: (SAH); (KED)
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10
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Yin Q, Ji X, Lv R, Pei JJ, Du Y, Shen C, Hou X. Targetting Exosomes as a New Biomarker and Therapeutic Approach for Alzheimer's Disease. Clin Interv Aging 2020; 15:195-205. [PMID: 32103922 PMCID: PMC7025655 DOI: 10.2147/cia.s240400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that mainly occurs in old age and involves progressive cognitive impairment. AD has become a major global issue for public health, with approximately 24 million people currently affected by the disease. Estimates indicted that this number will quadruple by 2050. Because of the high incidence of AD, there is an urgent need to develop new strategies to diagnose and treat AD. Many recent studies have indicated the multiple, yet somewhat controversial, roles of exosomes in AD. Although the underlying mechanisms by which exosomes play a role in AD are still unknown, current evidence suggests that exosomes can carry and spread toxic amyloid-beta, and hyperphosphorylated tau, between cells, and then induce apoptosis, thus contributing to the loss of neurons. In addition, exosomes appear to possess the ability to reduce brain amyloid-beta, and tau hyperphosphorylation, and transfer neuroprotective substances between neural cells. The accumulating data brings hope that the application of exosomes may be helpful for early diagnostics and the identification of new therapeutic targets for AD. Here, we summarized the various roles of exosomes, and how they might relate to the pathogenesis of AD. We also highlight the potential application of exosomes as a therapeutic option in AD therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingqing Yin
- Department of Geriatric Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, People's Republic of China.,Department of Geriatric Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaojuan Ji
- Department of Geriatrics, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing 100035, People's Republic of China
| | - Renjun Lv
- Department of Geriatric Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin-Jing Pei
- Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm 10691, Sweden
| | - Yifeng Du
- Department of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, People's Republic of China
| | - Chao Shen
- Department of Geriatric Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, People's Republic of China
| | - Xunyao Hou
- Department of Geriatric Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, People's Republic of China
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11
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Porter DDL, Morton PD. Clearing techniques for visualizing the nervous system in development, injury, and disease. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 334:108594. [PMID: 31945400 PMCID: PMC10674098 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Modern clearing techniques enable high resolution visualization and 3D reconstruction of cell populations and their structural details throughout large biological samples, including intact organs and even entire organisms. In the past decade, these methods have become more tractable and are now being utilized to provide unforeseen insights into the complexities of the nervous system. While several iterations of optical clearing techniques have been developed, some are more suitable for specific applications than others depending on the type of specimen under study. Here we review findings from select studies utilizing clearing methods to visualize the developing, injured, and diseased nervous system within numerous model systems and species. We note trends and imbalances in the types of research questions being addressed with clearing methods across these fields in neuroscience. In addition, we discuss restrictions in applying optical clearing methods for postmortem tissue from humans and large animals and emphasize the lack in continuity between studies of these species. We aim for this review to serve as a key outline of available tissue clearing methods used successfully to address issues across neuronal development, injury/repair, and aging/disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Demisha D L Porter
- Virginia Tech Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine and Health, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - Paul D Morton
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
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12
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Regional vulnerability and spreading of hyperphosphorylated tau in seeded mouse brain. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 127:398-409. [PMID: 30878534 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We have exploited whole brain microscopy to map the progressive deposition of hyperphosphorylated tau in intact, cleared mouse brain. We found that the three-dimensional spreading pattern of hyperphosphorylated tau in the brain of an aging Tau.P301L mouse model did not resemble that observed in AD patients. Injection of synthetic or patient-derived tau fibrils in the CA1 region resulted in a more faithful spreading pattern. Atlas-guided volumetric analysis showed a connectome-dependent spreading from the injection site and also revealed hyperphosphorylated tau deposits beyond the direct anatomical connections. In fibril-injected brains, we also detected a persistent subpopulation of rod-like and swollen microglia. Furthermore, we showed that the hyperphosphorylated tau load could be reduced by intracranial co-administration of, and to a lesser extent, by repeated systemic dosing with an antibody targeting the microtubule-binding domain of tau. Thus, the combination of targeted seeding and in toto staging of tau pathology allowed assessing regional vulnerability in a comprehensive manner, and holds potential as a preclinical drug validation tool.
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13
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Jadhav S, Avila J, Schöll M, Kovacs GG, Kövari E, Skrabana R, Evans LD, Kontsekova E, Malawska B, de Silva R, Buee L, Zilka N. A walk through tau therapeutic strategies. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2019; 7:22. [PMID: 30767766 PMCID: PMC6376692 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-019-0664-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau neuronal and glial pathologies drive the clinical presentation of Alzheimer's disease and related human tauopathies. There is a growing body of evidence indicating that pathological tau species can travel from cell to cell and spread the pathology through the brain. Throughout the last decade, physiological and pathological tau have become attractive targets for AD therapies. Several therapeutic approaches have been proposed, including the inhibition of protein kinases or protein-3-O-(N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminyl)-L-serine/threonine Nacetylglucosaminyl hydrolase, the inhibition of tau aggregation, active and passive immunotherapies, and tau silencing by antisense oligonucleotides. New tau therapeutics, across the board, have demonstrated the ability to prevent or reduce tau lesions and improve either cognitive or motor impairment in a variety of animal models developing neurofibrillary pathology. The most advanced strategy for the treatment of human tauopathies remains immunotherapy, which has already reached the clinical stage of drug development. Tau vaccines or humanised antibodies target a variety of tau species either in the intracellular or extracellular spaces. Some of them recognise the amino-terminus or carboxy-terminus, while others display binding abilities to the proline-rich area or microtubule binding domains. The main therapeutic foci in existing clinical trials are on Alzheimer's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy and non-fluent primary progressive aphasia. Tau therapy offers a new hope for the treatment of many fatal brain disorders. First efficacy data from clinical trials will be available by the end of this decade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santosh Jadhav
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Dvorakovo nabrezie 10, 811 02, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jesus Avila
- Centro de Biologia Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Consejo Superior de Investigaciones, Cientificas, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, C/ Nicolas Cabrera, 1. Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative, Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Michael Schöll
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of, Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
- Dementia Research Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | - Gabor G Kovacs
- Institute of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, AKH 4J, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1097, Vienna, Austria
| | - Enikö Kövari
- Department of Mental Health and Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Rostislav Skrabana
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Dvorakovo nabrezie 10, 811 02, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lewis D Evans
- Gurdon Institute and Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Eva Kontsekova
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Dvorakovo nabrezie 10, 811 02, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Barbara Malawska
- Department of Physicochemical Drug Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Cracow, Poland
| | - Rohan de Silva
- Reta Lila Weston Institute and Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, 1 Wakefield Street, London, WC1N 1PJ, UK
| | - Luc Buee
- Universite of Lille, Inserm, CHU-Lille, UMRS1172, Alzheimer & Tauopathies, Place de Verdun, 59045, Lille cedex, France.
| | - Norbert Zilka
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Dvorakovo nabrezie 10, 811 02, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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14
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Paonessa F, Evans LD, Solanki R, Larrieu D, Wray S, Hardy J, Jackson SP, Livesey FJ. Microtubules Deform the Nuclear Membrane and Disrupt Nucleocytoplasmic Transport in Tau-Mediated Frontotemporal Dementia. Cell Rep 2019; 26:582-593.e5. [PMID: 30650353 PMCID: PMC6335264 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.12.085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Revised: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuronal microtubule-associated protein tau, MAPT, is central to the pathogenesis of many dementias. Autosomal-dominant mutations in MAPT cause inherited frontotemporal dementia (FTD), but the underlying pathogenic mechanisms are unclear. Using human stem cell models of FTD due to MAPT mutations, we find that tau becomes hyperphosphorylated and mislocalizes to cell bodies and dendrites in cortical neurons, recapitulating a key early event in FTD. Mislocalized tau in the cell body leads to abnormal microtubule movements in FTD-MAPT neurons that grossly deform the nuclear membrane. This results in defective nucleocytoplasmic transport, which is corrected by microtubule depolymerization. Neurons in the post-mortem human FTD-MAPT cortex have a high incidence of nuclear invaginations, indicating that tau-mediated nuclear membrane dysfunction is an important pathogenic process in FTD. Defects in nucleocytoplasmic transport in FTD point to important commonalities in the pathogenic mechanisms of tau-mediated dementias and ALS-FTD due to TDP-43 and C9orf72 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Paonessa
- Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK; Alzheimer's Research UK Stem Cell Research Centre, University of Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Lewis D Evans
- Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK; Alzheimer's Research UK Stem Cell Research Centre, University of Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Ravi Solanki
- Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK; Alzheimer's Research UK Stem Cell Research Centre, University of Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Delphine Larrieu
- Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Selina Wray
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - John Hardy
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Stephen P Jackson
- Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Frederick J Livesey
- Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK; Alzheimer's Research UK Stem Cell Research Centre, University of Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK; UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK.
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15
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Small SA, Swanson LW. A Network Explanation of Alzheimer's Regional Vulnerability. COLD SPRING HARBOR SYMPOSIA ON QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 2019; 83:193-200. [PMID: 30642996 DOI: 10.1101/sqb.2018.83.036889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Studies in patients and mouse models have pinpointed a precise zone in the cerebral cortex selectively vulnerable to the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD): the borderzone covering the entorhinal and perirhinal cortical areas. An independent series of studies has revealed that this entorhinal-perirhinal borderzone is a central cortical hub, with a distinct connectivity pattern across the cerebral hemispheres. Here we develop a hypothesis that explains how this distinct network feature interacts with established pathogenic drivers of AD in explaining the disease's regional vulnerability and suggests how it acts as an anatomical source of disease spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott A Small
- Department of Neurology and the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain and Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - Larry W Swanson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90007, USA
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16
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Fu H, Possenti A, Freer R, Nakano Y, Hernandez Villegas NC, Tang M, Cauhy PVM, Lassus BA, Chen S, Fowler SL, Figueroa HY, Huey ED, Johnson GVW, Vendruscolo M, Duff KE. A tau homeostasis signature is linked with the cellular and regional vulnerability of excitatory neurons to tau pathology. Nat Neurosci 2018; 22:47-56. [PMID: 30559469 PMCID: PMC6330709 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-018-0298-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Excitatory neurons are preferentially impaired in early Alzheimer's disease but the pathways contributing to their relative vulnerability remain largely unknown. Here we report that pathological tau accumulation takes place predominantly in excitatory neurons compared to inhibitory neurons, not only in the entorhinal cortex, a brain region affected in early Alzheimer's disease, but also in areas affected later by the disease. By analyzing RNA transcripts from single-nucleus RNA datasets, we identified a specific tau homeostasis signature of genes differentially expressed in excitatory compared to inhibitory neurons. One of the genes, BCL2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3), a facilitator of autophagy, was identified as a hub, or master regulator, gene. We verified that reducing BAG3 levels in primary neurons exacerbated pathological tau accumulation, whereas BAG3 overexpression attenuated it. These results define a tau homeostasis signature that underlies the cellular and regional vulnerability of excitatory neurons to tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongjun Fu
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, New York, NY, USA. .,Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. .,Department of Neuroscience, Chronic Brain Injury, Discovery Themes, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Andrea Possenti
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rosie Freer
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yoshikazu Nakano
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Maoping Tang
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Paula V M Cauhy
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, New York, NY, USA.,Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil
| | - Benjamin A Lassus
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shuo Chen
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stephanie L Fowler
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, New York, NY, USA
| | - Helen Y Figueroa
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, New York, NY, USA
| | - Edward D Huey
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, New York, NY, USA.,Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gail V W Johnson
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Karen E Duff
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, New York, NY, USA. .,Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. .,Division of Integrative Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
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17
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Aloni E, Ruggiero A, Gross A, Segal M. Learning Deficits in Adult Mitochondria Carrier Homolog 2 Forebrain Knockout Mouse. Neuroscience 2018; 394:156-163. [PMID: 30401654 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.10.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondrial Carrier Homolog 2 (MTCH2) acts as a receptor for the BH3 interacting-domain death agonist (BID) in the mitochondrial outer membrane. Loss of MTCH2 affects mitochondria energy metabolism and function. MTCH2 forebrain conditional KO (MTCH2 BKO) display a deficit in hippocampus-dependent cognitive functions. Here we study age-related MTCH2 BKO behavioral and electrophysiological aspects of hippocampal functions. MTCH2 BKO exhibit impaired spatial but not motor learning and an impairment in long-term potentiation (LTP) in hippocampal slices. Moreover, MTCH2 BKO express an increase in activated microglia, in addition to a reduction in neuron density in the hippocampus, but do not express amyloid-β plaques or neurofibrillary tangles. These results highlight the role of mitochondria in the normal hippocampus-dependent memory formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etay Aloni
- Department of Neurobiology, The Weizmann Institute, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Antonella Ruggiero
- Department of Biological Regulation, The Weizmann Institute, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Atan Gross
- Department of Biological Regulation, The Weizmann Institute, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Menahem Segal
- Department of Neurobiology, The Weizmann Institute, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
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18
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Cellular Prion Protein Mediates the Disruption of Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity by Soluble Tau In Vivo. J Neurosci 2018; 38:10595-10606. [PMID: 30355631 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1700-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) composed of tau protein are a neuropathological hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases, the most common of which is Alzheimer's disease (AD). For some time NFTs were considered the primary cause of synaptic dysfunction and neuronal death, however, more recent evidence suggests that soluble aggregates of tau are key drivers of disease. Here we investigated the effect of different tau species on synaptic plasticity in the male rat hippocampus in vivo Intracerebroventricular injection of soluble aggregates formed from either wild-type or P301S human recombinant tau potently inhibited hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) at CA3-to-CA1 synapses. In contrast, tau monomers and fibrils appeared inactive. Neither baseline synaptic transmission, paired-pulse facilitation nor burst response during high-frequency conditioning stimulation was affected by the soluble tau aggregates. Similarly, certain AD brain soluble extracts inhibited LTP in a tau-dependent manner that was abrogated by either immunodepletion with, or coinjection of, a mid-region anti-tau monoclonal antibody (mAb), Tau5. Importantly, this tau-mediated block of LTP was prevented by administration of mAbs selective for the prion protein (PrP). Specifically, mAbs to both the mid-region (6D11) and N-terminus (MI-0131) of PrP prevented inhibition of LTP by both recombinant and brain-derived tau. These findings indicate that PrP is a mediator of tau-induced synaptic dysfunction.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Here we report that certain soluble forms of tau selectively disrupt synaptic plasticity in the live rat hippocampus. Further, we show that monoclonal antibodies to cellular prion protein abrogate the impairment of long-term potentiation caused both by recombinant and Alzheimer's disease brain-derived soluble tau. These findings support a critical role for cellular prion protein in the deleterious synaptic actions of extracellular soluble tau in tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease. Thus, approaches targeting cellular prion protein, or downstream pathways, might provide an effective strategy for developing therapeutics.
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Alzheimer's disease pathology propagation by exosomes containing toxic amyloid-beta oligomers. Acta Neuropathol 2018; 136:41-56. [PMID: 29934873 PMCID: PMC6015111 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-018-1868-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 317] [Impact Index Per Article: 52.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Revised: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The gradual deterioration of cognitive functions in Alzheimer’s disease is paralleled by a hierarchical progression of amyloid-beta and tau brain pathology. Recent findings indicate that toxic oligomers of amyloid-beta may cause propagation of pathology in a prion-like manner, although the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. Here we show that small extracellular vesicles, exosomes, from Alzheimer patients’ brains contain increased levels of amyloid-beta oligomers and can act as vehicles for the neuron-to-neuron transfer of such toxic species in recipient neurons in culture. Moreover, blocking the formation, secretion or uptake of exosomes was found to reduce both the spread of oligomers and the related toxicity. Taken together, our results imply that exosomes are centrally involved in Alzheimer’s disease and that they could serve as targets for development of new diagnostic and therapeutic principles.
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Abstract
A pathway from the natively unfolded microtubule-associated protein Tau to a highly structured amyloid fibril underlies human Tauopathies. This ordered assembly causes disease and represents the gain of toxic function. In recent years, evidence has accumulated to suggest that Tau inclusions form first in a small number of brain cells, from where they propagate to other regions, resulting in neurodegeneration and disease. Propagation of pathology is often called prion-like, which refers to the capacity of an assembled protein to induce the same abnormal conformation in a protein of the same kind, initiating a self-amplifying cascade. In addition, prion-like encompasses the release of protein aggregates from brain cells and their uptake by neighboring cells. In mice, the intracerebral injection of Tau inclusions induces the ordered assembly of monomeric Tau, followed by its spreading to distant brain regions. Conformational differences between Tau aggregates from transgenic mouse brain and in vitro assembled recombinant protein account for the greater seeding potency of brain aggregates. Short fibrils constitute the major species of seed-competent Tau in the brains of transgenic mice. The existence of multiple human Tauopathies with distinct fibril morphologies has led to the suggestion that different molecular conformers (or strains) of aggregated Tau exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Goedert
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom;
| | - David S Eisenberg
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095
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Dugger BN, Perl DP, Carlson GA. Neurodegenerative Disease Transmission and Transgenesis in Mice. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2017; 9:cshperspect.a023549. [PMID: 28193724 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a023549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Although the discovery of the prion protein (PrP) resulted from its co-purification with scrapie infectivity in Syrian hamsters, work with genetically defined and genetically modified mice proved crucial for understanding the fundamental processes involved not only in prion diseases caused by PrP misfolding, aggregation, and spread but also in other, much more common, neurodegenerative brain diseases. In this review, we focus on methodological and conceptual approaches used to study scrapie and related PrP misfolding diseases in mice and how these approaches have advanced our understanding of related disorders including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany N Dugger
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Daniel P Perl
- F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland 20814
| | - George A Carlson
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158.,McLaughlin Research Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Great Falls, Montana 59405
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Kim D, Basile AO, Bang L, Horgusluoglu E, Lee S, Ritchie MD, Saykin AJ, Nho K. Knowledge-driven binning approach for rare variant association analysis: application to neuroimaging biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak 2017; 17:61. [PMID: 28539126 PMCID: PMC5444041 DOI: 10.1186/s12911-017-0454-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Rapid advancement of next generation sequencing technologies such as whole genome sequencing (WGS) has facilitated the search for genetic factors that influence disease risk in the field of human genetics. To identify rare variants associated with human diseases or traits, an efficient genome-wide binning approach is needed. In this study we developed a novel biological knowledge-based binning approach for rare-variant association analysis and then applied the approach to structural neuroimaging endophenotypes related to late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD). Methods For rare-variant analysis, we used the knowledge-driven binning approach implemented in Bin-KAT, an automated tool, that provides 1) binning/collapsing methods for multi-level variant aggregation with a flexible, biologically informed binning strategy and 2) an option of performing unified collapsing and statistical rare variant analyses in one tool. A total of 750 non-Hispanic Caucasian participants from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) cohort who had both WGS data and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were used in this study. Mean bilateral cortical thickness of the entorhinal cortex extracted from MRI scans was used as an AD-related neuroimaging endophenotype. SKAT was used for a genome-wide gene- and region-based association analysis of rare variants (MAF (minor allele frequency) < 0.05) and potential confounding factors (age, gender, years of education, intracranial volume (ICV) and MRI field strength) for entorhinal cortex thickness were used as covariates. Significant associations were determined using FDR adjustment for multiple comparisons. Results Our knowledge-driven binning approach identified 16 functional exonic rare variants in FANCC significantly associated with entorhinal cortex thickness (FDR-corrected p-value < 0.05). In addition, the approach identified 7 evolutionary conserved regions, which were mapped to FAF1, RFX7, LYPLAL1 and GOLGA3, significantly associated with entorhinal cortex thickness (FDR-corrected p-value < 0.05). In further analysis, the functional exonic rare variants in FANCC were also significantly associated with hippocampal volume and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ1–42 (p-value < 0.05). Conclusions Our novel binning approach identified rare variants in FANCC as well as 7 evolutionary conserved regions significantly associated with a LOAD-related neuroimaging endophenotype. FANCC (fanconi anemia complementation group C) has been shown to modulate TLR and p38 MAPK-dependent expression of IL-1β in macrophages. Our results warrant further investigation in a larger independent cohort and demonstrate that the biological knowledge-driven binning approach is a powerful strategy to identify rare variants associated with AD and other complex disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dokyoon Kim
- Biomedical & Translational Informatics Institute, Geisinger Health System, Danville, PA, USA.,The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Anna O Basile
- The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Lisa Bang
- Biomedical & Translational Informatics Institute, Geisinger Health System, Danville, PA, USA
| | - Emrin Horgusluoglu
- Center for Neuroimaging, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Seunggeun Lee
- Department of Biostatistics and Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Marylyn D Ritchie
- Biomedical & Translational Informatics Institute, Geisinger Health System, Danville, PA, USA.,The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Andrew J Saykin
- Center for Neuroimaging, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Kwangsik Nho
- Center for Neuroimaging, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
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