1
|
Zerva MC, Triantafylloudis C, Paspaliaris V, Skoulakis EMC, Papanikolopoulou K. Choline Metabolites Reverse Differentially the Habituation Deficit and Elevated Memory of Tau Null Drosophila. Cells 2024; 13:746. [PMID: 38727282 PMCID: PMC11083674 DOI: 10.3390/cells13090746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Impaired neuronal plasticity and cognitive decline are cardinal features of Alzheimer's disease and related Tauopathies. Aberrantly modified Tau protein and neurotransmitter imbalance, predominantly involving acetylcholine, have been linked to these symptoms. In Drosophila, we have shown that dTau loss specifically enhances associative long-term olfactory memory, impairs foot shock habituation, and deregulates proteins involved in the regulation of neurotransmitter levels, particularly acetylcholine. Interestingly, upon choline treatment, the habituation and memory performance of mutants are restored to that of control flies. Based on these surprising results, we decided to use our well-established genetic model to understand how habituation deficits and memory performance correlate with different aspects of choline physiology as an essential component of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, the lipid phosphatidylcholine, and the osmoregulator betaine. The results revealed that the two observed phenotypes are reversed by different choline metabolites, implying that they are governed by different underlying mechanisms. This work can contribute to a broader knowledge about the physiologic function of Tau, which may be translated into understanding the mechanisms of Tauopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria-Christina Zerva
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre “Alexander Fleming”, 16672 Vari, Greece (V.P.)
- Athens International Master’s Program in Neurosciences, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, Greece
| | - Christos Triantafylloudis
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre “Alexander Fleming”, 16672 Vari, Greece (V.P.)
- Master’s Program in Molecular Biomedicine, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Vassilis Paspaliaris
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre “Alexander Fleming”, 16672 Vari, Greece (V.P.)
- Laboratory of Experimental Physiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Efthimios M. C. Skoulakis
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre “Alexander Fleming”, 16672 Vari, Greece (V.P.)
| | - Katerina Papanikolopoulou
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre “Alexander Fleming”, 16672 Vari, Greece (V.P.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhang R, Zeng M, Zhang X, Zheng Y, Lv N, Wang L, Gan J, Li Y, Jiang X, Yang L. Therapeutic Candidates for Alzheimer's Disease: Saponins. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10505. [PMID: 37445682 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug development for Alzheimer's disease, the leading cause of dementia, has been a long-standing challenge. Saponins, which are steroid or triterpenoid glycosides with various pharmacological activities, have displayed therapeutic potential in treating Alzheimer's disease. In a comprehensive review of the literature from May 2007 to May 2023, we identified 63 references involving 40 different types of saponins that have been studied for their effects on Alzheimer's disease. These studies suggest that saponins have the potential to ameliorate Alzheimer's disease by reducing amyloid beta peptide deposition, inhibiting tau phosphorylation, modulating oxidative stress, reducing inflammation, and antiapoptosis. Most intriguingly, ginsenoside Rg1 and pseudoginsenoside-F11 possess these important pharmacological properties and show the best promise for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. This review provides a summary and classification of common saponins that have been studied for their therapeutic potential in Alzheimer's disease, showcasing their underlying mechanisms. This highlights the promising potential of saponins for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruifeng Zhang
- School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China
| | - Miao Zeng
- School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China
| | - Xiaolu Zhang
- School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China
| | - Yujia Zheng
- School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China
| | - Nuan Lv
- School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China
| | - Luming Wang
- School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China
| | - Jiali Gan
- School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China
| | - Yawen Li
- School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China
| | - Xijuan Jiang
- School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China
| | - Lin Yang
- School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Vourkou E, Rouiz Ortega ED, Mahajan S, Mudher A, Skoulakis EMC. Human Tau Aggregates Are Permissive to Protein Synthesis-Dependent Memory in Drosophila Tauopathy Models. J Neurosci 2023; 43:2988-3006. [PMID: 36868851 PMCID: PMC10124960 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1374-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies including Alzheimer's disease, are characterized by progressive cognitive decline, neurodegeneration, and intraneuronal aggregates comprised largely of the axonal protein Tau. It has been unclear whether cognitive deficits are a consequence of aggregate accumulation thought to compromise neuronal health and eventually lead to neurodegeneration. We use the Drosophila tauopathy model and mixed-sex populations to reveal an adult onset pan-neuronal Tau accumulation-dependent decline in learning efficacy and a specific defect in protein synthesis-dependent memory (PSD-M), but not in its protein synthesis-independent variant. We demonstrate that these neuroplasticity defects are reversible on suppression of new transgenic human Tau expression and surprisingly correlate with an increase in Tau aggregates. Inhibition of aggregate formation via acute oral administration of methylene blue results in re-emergence of deficient memory in animals with suppressed human Tau (hTau)0N4R expression. Significantly, aggregate inhibition results in PSD-M deficits in hTau0N3R-expressing animals, which present elevated aggregates and normal memory if untreated with methylene blue. Moreover, methylene blue-dependent hTau0N4R aggregate suppression within adult mushroom body neurons also resulted in emergence of memory deficits. Therefore, deficient PSD-M on human Tau expression in the Drosophila CNS is not a consequence of toxicity and neuronal loss because it is reversible. Furthermore, PSD-M deficits do not result from aggregate accumulation, which appears permissive, if not protective of processes underlying this memory variant.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Intraneuronal Tau aggregate accumulation has been proposed to underlie the cognitive decline and eventual neurotoxicity that characterizes the neurodegenerative dementias known as tauopathies. However, we show in three experimental settings that Tau aggregates in the Drosophila CNS do not impair but rather appear to facilitate processes underlying protein synthesis-dependent memory within affected neurons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ergina Vourkou
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre Alexander Fleming, 16672 Vari, Greece
| | - Eva D Rouiz Ortega
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Sumeet Mahajan
- School of Chemistry, Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Amrit Mudher
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Efthimios M C Skoulakis
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre Alexander Fleming, 16672 Vari, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Chu Y, Hirst WD, Kordower JH. Mixed pathology as a rule, not exception: Time to reconsider disease nosology. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2023; 192:57-71. [PMID: 36796948 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-85538-9.00012-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is associated with motor and nonmotor symptoms. Accumulation of misfolded α-synuclein is considered a key pathological feature during disease initiation and progression. While clearly deemed a synucleinopathy, the development of amyloid-β plaques, tau-containing neurofibrillary tangles, and even TDP-43 protein inclusions occur within the nigrostriatal system and in other brain regions. In addition, inflammatory responses, manifested by glial reactivity, T-cell infiltration, and increased expression of inflammatory cytokines, plus other toxic mediators derived from activated glial cells, are currently recognized as prominent drivers of Parkinson's disease pathology. However, copathologies have increasingly been recognized as the rule (>90%) and not the exception, with Parkinson's disease cases on average exhibiting three different copathologies. While microinfarcts, atherosclerosis, arteriolosclerosis, and cerebral amyloid angiopathy may have an impact on disease progression, α-synuclein, amyloid-β, and TDP-43 pathology do not seem to contribute to progression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yaping Chu
- ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Warren D Hirst
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Unit, Biogen, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jeffrey H Kordower
- ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Yuan A, Nixon RA. Posttranscriptional regulation of neurofilament proteins and tau in health and disease. Brain Res Bull 2023; 192:115-127. [PMID: 36441047 PMCID: PMC9907725 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2022.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Neurofilament and tau proteins are neuron-specific cytoskeletal proteins that are enriched in axons, regulated by many of the same protein kinases, interact physically, and are the principal constituents of neurofibrillary lesions in major adult-onset dementias. Both proteins share functions related to the modulation of stability and functions of the microtubule network in axons, axonal transport and scaffolding of organelles, long-term synaptic potentiation, and learning and memory. Expression of these proteins is regulated not only at the transcriptional level but also through posttranscriptional control of pre-mRNA splicing, mRNA stability, transport, localization, local translation and degradation. Current evidence suggests that posttranscriptional determinants of their levels are usually regulated by RNA-binding proteins and microRNAs primarily through 3'-untranslated regions of neurofilament and tau mRNAs. Dysregulations of neurofilament and tau expression caused by mutations or pathologies of RNA-binding proteins such as TDP43, FUS and microRNAs are increasingly recognized in association with varied neurological disorders. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of posttranscriptional control of neurofilament and tau by examining the posttranscriptional regulation of neurofilament and tau by RNA-binding proteins and microRNAs implicated in health and diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aidong Yuan
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| | - Ralph A. Nixon
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA,Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA,Department of Cell Biology, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA,NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA,Correspondence to: Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA, (A. Yuan), (R.A. Nixon)
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Foka K, Georganta EM, Semelidou O, Skoulakis EMC. Loss of the Schizophrenia-Linked Furin Protein from Drosophila Mushroom Body Neurons Results in Antipsychotic-Reversible Habituation Deficits. J Neurosci 2022; 42:7496-7511. [PMID: 36028314 PMCID: PMC9525163 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1055-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Habituation is a conserved adaptive process essential for incoming information assessment, which drives the behavioral response decrement to recurrent inconsequential stimuli and does not involve sensory adaptation or fatigue. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying the process are not well understood, habituation has been reported to be defective in a number of disorders including schizophrenia. We demonstrate that loss of furin1, the Drosophila homolog of a gene whose transcriptional downregulation has been linked to schizophrenia, results in defective habituation to recurrent footshocks in mixed sex populations. The deficit is reversible by transgenic expression of the Drosophila or human Furin in adult α'/β' mushroom body neurons and by acute oral delivery of the typical antipsychotic haloperidol and the atypical clozapine, which are commonly used to treat schizophrenic patients. The results validate the proposed contribution of Furin downregulation in schizophrenia and suggest that defective footshock habituation is a Drosophila protophenotype of the human disorder.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Genome-wide association studies have revealed a number of loci linked to schizophrenia, but most have not been verified experimentally in a relevant behavioral task. Habituation deficits constitute a schizophrenia endophenotype. Drosophila with attenuated expression of the schizophrenia-linked highly conserved Furin gene present delayed habituation reversible with acute exposure to antipsychotics. This strongly suggests that footshock habituation defects constitute a schizophrenia protophenotype in Drosophila Furthermore, determination of the neurons whose regulated activity is required for footshock habituation provides a facile metazoan system to expediently validate putative schizophrenia genes and variants in a well understood simple brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyriaki Foka
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Biomedical Science Research Centre "Alexander Fleming," 16672 Vari, Greece
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Eirini-Maria Georganta
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Biomedical Science Research Centre "Alexander Fleming," 16672 Vari, Greece
| | - Ourania Semelidou
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Biomedical Science Research Centre "Alexander Fleming," 16672 Vari, Greece
| | - Efthimios M C Skoulakis
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Biomedical Science Research Centre "Alexander Fleming," 16672 Vari, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Asadzadeh J, Ruchti E, Jiao W, Limoni G, MacLachlan C, Small SA, Knott G, Santa-Maria I, McCabe BD. Retromer deficiency in Tauopathy models enhances the truncation and toxicity of Tau. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5049. [PMID: 36030267 PMCID: PMC9420134 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32683-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Alteration of the levels, localization or post-translational processing of the microtubule associated protein Tau is associated with many neurodegenerative disorders. Here we develop adult-onset models for human Tau (hTau) toxicity in Drosophila that enable age-dependent quantitative measurement of central nervous system synapse loss and axonal degeneration, in addition to effects upon lifespan, to facilitate evaluation of factors that may contribute to Tau-dependent neurodegeneration. Using these models, we interrogate the interaction of hTau with the retromer complex, an evolutionarily conserved cargo-sorting protein assembly, whose reduced activity has been associated with both Parkinson’s and late onset Alzheimer’s disease. We reveal that reduction of retromer activity induces a potent enhancement of hTau toxicity upon synapse loss, axon retraction and lifespan through a specific increase in the production of a C-terminal truncated isoform of hTau. Our data establish a molecular and subcellular mechanism necessary and sufficient for the depletion of retromer activity to exacerbate Tau-dependent neurodegeneration. Tau and the Retromer complex are both linked to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Using Drosophila neurodegeneration models, this study finds that low retromer activity induces a specific increase of a highly toxic truncated form of human Tau.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jamshid Asadzadeh
- Brain Mind Institute, EPFL - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Evelyne Ruchti
- Brain Mind Institute, EPFL - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Wei Jiao
- Brain Mind Institute, EPFL - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Greta Limoni
- Brain Mind Institute, EPFL - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Catherine MacLachlan
- BioEM Facility, EPFL - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Scott A Small
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, USA.,Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Graham Knott
- Brain Mind Institute, EPFL - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,BioEM Facility, EPFL - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ismael Santa-Maria
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, New York, USA.,Department of Pathology & Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, USA.,Facultad Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Brian D McCabe
- Brain Mind Institute, EPFL - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Koutrouli M, Karatzas E, Papanikolopoulou K, Pavlopoulos GA. NORMA: The Network Makeup Artist - A Web Tool for Network Annotation Visualization. GENOMICS, PROTEOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS 2022; 20:578-586. [PMID: 34171457 PMCID: PMC9801029 DOI: 10.1016/j.gpb.2021.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The Network Makeup Artist (NORMA) is a web tool for interactive network annotation visualization and topological analysis, able to handle multiple networks and annotations simultaneously. Precalculated annotations (e.g., Gene Ontology, Pathway enrichment, community detection, or clustering results) can be uploaded and visualized in a network, either as colored pie-chart nodes or as color-filled areas in a 2D/3D Venn-diagram-like style. In the case where no annotation exists, algorithms for automated community detection are offered. Users can adjust the network views using standard layout algorithms or allow NORMA to slightly modify them for visually better group separation. Once a network view is set, users can interactively select and highlight any group of interest in order to generate publication-ready figures. Briefly, with NORMA, users can encode three types of information simultaneously. These are 1) the network, 2) the communities or annotations of interest, and 3) node categories or expression values. Finally, NORMA offers basic topological analysis and direct topological comparison across any of the selected networks. NORMA service is available at http://norma.pavlopouloslab.info, whereas the code is available at https://github.com/PavlopoulosLab/NORMA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mikaela Koutrouli
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, BSRC “Alexander Fleming”, Vari 16672, Greece
| | - Evangelos Karatzas
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, BSRC “Alexander Fleming”, Vari 16672, Greece,Department of Informatics and Telecommunications, University of Athens, Athens 15703, Greece
| | | | - Georgios A. Pavlopoulos
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, BSRC “Alexander Fleming”, Vari 16672, Greece,Corresponding author.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Karatzas E, Koutrouli M, Baltoumas FA, Papanikolopoulou K, Bouyioukos C, Pavlopoulos GA. The network makeup artist (NORMA-2.0): distinguishing annotated groups in a network using innovative layout strategies. BIOINFORMATICS ADVANCES 2022; 2:vbac036. [PMID: 36699373 PMCID: PMC9710664 DOI: 10.1093/bioadv/vbac036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Motivation Network biology is a dominant player in today's multi-omics era. Therefore, the need for visualization tools which can efficiently cope with intra-network heterogeneity emerges. Results NORMA-2.0 is a web application which uses efficient layouts to group together areas of interest in a network. In this version, NORMA-2.0 utilizes three different strategies to make such groupings as distinct as possible while it preserves all of the properties from its first version where one can handle multiple networks and annotation files simultaneously. Availability and implementation The web resource is available at http://norma.pavlopouloslab.info/. The source code is freely available at https://github.com/PavlopoulosLab/NORMA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Fotis A Baltoumas
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Biomedical Sciences Research Center “Alexander Fleming”, Vari, 16672, Greece
| | | | - Costas Bouyioukos
- Epigenetics and Cell Fate, CNRS UMR7216, Université Paris Cité, F-75013 Paris, France
| | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Buhl E, Kim YA, Parsons T, Zhu B, Santa-Maria I, Lefort R, Hodge JJ. Effects of Eph/ephrin signalling and human Alzheimer's disease-associated EphA1 on behaviour and neurophysiology. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 170:105752. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
|
11
|
Prifti E, Tsakiri EN, Vourkou E, Stamatakis G, Samiotaki M, Skoulakis EMC, Papanikolopoulou K. Mical modulates Tau toxicity via cysteine oxidation in vivo. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022; 10:44. [PMID: 35379354 PMCID: PMC8981811 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01348-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau accumulation is clearly linked to pathogenesis in Alzheimer’s disease and other Tauopathies. However, processes leading to Tau fibrillization and reasons for its pathogenicity remain largely elusive. Mical emerged as a novel interacting protein of human Tau expressed in Drosophila brains. Mical is characterized by the presence of a flavoprotein monooxygenase domain that generates redox potential with which it can oxidize target proteins. In the well-established Drosophila Tauopathy model, we use genetic interactions to show that Mical alters Tau interactions with microtubules and the Actin cytoskeleton and greatly affects Tau aggregation propensity and Tau-associated toxicity and dysfunction. Exploration of the mechanism was pursued using a Mical inhibitor, a mutation in Mical that selectively disrupts its monooxygenase domain, Tau transgenes mutated at cysteine residues targeted by Mical and mass spectrometry analysis to quantify cysteine oxidation. The collective evidence strongly indicates that Mical’s redox activity mediates the effects on Tau via oxidation of Cys322. Importantly, we also validate results from the fly model in human Tauopathy samples by showing that MICAL1 is up-regulated in patient brains and co-localizes with Tau in Pick bodies. Our work provides mechanistic insights into the role of the Tau cysteine residues as redox-switches regulating the process of Tau self-assembly into inclusions in vivo, its function as a cytoskeletal protein and its effect on neuronal toxicity and dysfunction.
Collapse
|
12
|
Shah EJ, Gurdziel K, Ruden DM. Sex-Differences in Traumatic Brain Injury in the Absence of Tau in Drosophila. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:917. [PMID: 34198629 PMCID: PMC8232113 DOI: 10.3390/genes12060917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injuries, a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, are caused by a severe impact to the head that impairs physiological and psychological function. In addition to severity, type and brain area affected, brain injury outcome is also influenced by the biological sex of the patient. Traumatic brain injury triggers accumulation of Tau protein and the subsequent development of Tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease and Chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Recent studies report differences in Tau network connections between healthy males and females, but the possible role of Tau in sex-dependent outcome to brain injury is unclear. Thus, we aimed to determine if Tau ablation would alleviate sex dependent outcomes in injured flies. We first assessed motor function and survival in tau knock-out flies and observed sex-differences in climbing ability, but no change in locomotor activity in either sex post-injury. Sex differences in survival time were also observed in injured tau deficient flies with a dramatically higher percent of female death within 24 h than males. Additionally, 3'mRNA-Seq studies in isolated fly brains found that tau deficient males show more gene transcript changes than females post-injury. Our results suggest that sex differences in TBI outcome and recovery are not dependent on the presence of Tau in Drosophila.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ekta J. Shah
- Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA;
| | - Katherine Gurdziel
- Office of the Vice President of Research, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Douglas M. Ruden
- Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA;
- Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Cowan CM, Sealey MA, Mudher A. Suppression of tau-induced phenotypes by vitamin E demonstrates the dissociation of oxidative stress and phosphorylation in mechanisms of tau toxicity. J Neurochem 2020; 157:684-694. [PMID: 33251603 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Various lines of evidence implicate oxidative stress in the pathogenic mechanism(s) underpinning tauopathies. Consequently, antioxidant therapies have been considered in clinical practice for the treatment of tauopathies such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), but with mixed results. We and others have previously reported increased protein oxidation upon expression of both human 0N3R (hTau0N3R ) and 0N4R (hTau0N4R ) tau in vivo. Building on these studies, we demonstrate here the suppression of hTau0N3R associated phenotypes in Drosophila melanogaster after treatment with vitamin C or vitamin E. Curiously the rescue of phenotype was seen without alteration in total tau level or alteration in phosphorylation at a number of disease-associated sites. Moreover, treatment with paraquat, a pro-oxidant drug, did not exacerbate the hTau0N3R phenotypes. This result following paraquat treatment is reminiscent of our previous findings with hTau0N4R which also causes greater oxidative stress when compared to hTau0N3R but has a milder phenotype. Collectively our data imply that the role of oxidative stress in tau-mediated toxicity is not straight forward and there may be isoform-specific effects as well as contribution of other factors. This may explain the ambiguous effects of anti-oxidant treatments on clinical outcome in dementia patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine M Cowan
- Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Megan A Sealey
- Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Amritpal Mudher
- Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
The Two Cysteines of Tau Protein Are Functionally Distinct and Contribute Differentially to Its Pathogenicity in Vivo. J Neurosci 2020; 41:797-810. [PMID: 33334867 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1920-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Although Tau accumulation is clearly linked to pathogenesis in Alzheimer's disease and other Tauopathies, the mechanism that initiates the aggregation of this highly soluble protein in vivo remains largely unanswered. Interestingly, in vitro Tau can be induced to form fibrillar filaments by oxidation of its two cysteine residues, generating an intermolecular disulfide bond that promotes dimerization and fibrillization. The recently solved structures of Tau filaments revealed that the two cysteine residues are not structurally equivalent since Cys-322 is incorporated into the core of the fibril, whereas Cys-291 projects away from the core to form the fuzzy coat. Here, we examined whether mutation of these cysteines to alanine affects differentially Tau mediated toxicity and dysfunction in the well-established Drosophila Tauopathy model. Experiments were conducted with both sexes, or with either sex. Each cysteine residue contributes differentially to Tau stability, phosphorylation status, aggregation propensity, resistance to stress, learning, and memory. Importantly, our work uncovers a critical role of Cys-322 in determining Tau toxicity and dysfunction.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Cysteine-291 and Cysteine-322, the only two cysteine residues of Tau present in only 4-Repeat or all isoforms, respectively, have competing functions: as the key residues in the catalytic center, they enable Tau auto-acetylation; and as residues within the microtubule-binding repeat region are important not only for Tau function but also instrumental in the initiation of Tau aggregation. In this study, we present the first in vivo evidence that their substitution leads to differential consequences on Tau's physiological and pathophysiological functions. These differences raise the possibility that cysteine residues play a potential role in determining the functional diversity between isoforms.
Collapse
|
15
|
Koren SA, Galvis-Escobar S, Abisambra JF. Tau-mediated dysregulation of RNA: Evidence for a common molecular mechanism of toxicity in frontotemporal dementia and other tauopathies. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 141:104939. [PMID: 32413399 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.104939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementias (FTDs) encompass several disorders commonly characterized by progressive frontotemporal lobar degeneration and dementia. Pathologically, TDP-43, FUS, dipeptide repeats, and tau constitute the protein aggregates in FTD, which in turn coincide with heterogeneity in clinical variants. The underlying molecular etiology explaining the formation of each type of protein aggregate remains unclear; however, dysregulated RNA metabolism rises as a common pathogenic factor. Alongside with TDP-43 and FUS, which bind to and regulate RNA dynamics, emerging data suggest that tau may also regulate RNA metabolism and translation. The complex mechanisms that drive translational selectivity in turn regulate the broad clinical presentation of FTDs. Here, we focus on the enigmatic relationship between tau and RNA and review the mechanisms of tau-mediated dysregulation of RNA in tauopathies such as FTD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shon A Koren
- Department of Neuroscience & Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, BOX 100159, 1275 Center Drive, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States of America
| | - Sara Galvis-Escobar
- Department of Neuroscience & Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, BOX 100159, 1275 Center Drive, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States of America
| | - Jose F Abisambra
- Department of Neuroscience & Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, BOX 100159, 1275 Center Drive, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
The science of puromycin: From studies of ribosome function to applications in biotechnology. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:1074-1083. [PMID: 32435426 PMCID: PMC7229235 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Puromycin is a naturally occurring aminonucleoside antibiotic that inhibits protein synthesis by ribosome-catalyzed incorporation into the C-terminus of elongating nascent chains, blocking further extension and resulting in premature termination of translation. It is most commonly known as a selection marker for cell lines genetically engineered to express a resistance transgene, but its additional uses as a probe for protein synthesis have proven invaluable across a wide variety of model systems, ranging from purified ribosomes and cell-free translation to intact cultured cells and whole animals. Puromycin is comprised of a nucleoside covalently bound to an amino acid, mimicking the 3′ end of aminoacylated tRNAs that participate in delivery of amino acids to elongating ribosomes. Both moieties can tolerate some chemical substitutions and modifications without significant loss of activity, generating a diverse toolbox of puromycin-based reagents with added functionality, such as biotin for affinity purification or fluorophores for fluorescent microscopy detection. These reagents, as well as anti-puromycin antibodies, have played a pivotal role in advancing our understanding of the regulation and dysregulation of protein synthesis in normal and pathological processes, including immune response and neurological function. This manuscript reviews the current state of puromycin-based research, including structure and mechanism of action, relevant derivatives, use in advanced methodologies and some of the major insights generated using such techniques both in the lab and the clinic.
Collapse
|