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Zhiyan C, Min Z, Yida D, Chunying H, Xiaohua H, Yutong L, Huan W, Linjuan S. Bioinformatic analysis of hippocampal histopathology in Alzheimer's disease and the therapeutic effects of active components of traditional Chinese medicine. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1424803. [PMID: 39221152 PMCID: PMC11362046 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1424803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and aim Pathological changes in the central nervous system (CNS) begin before the clinical symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) manifest, with the hippocampus being one of the first affected structures. Current treatments fail to alter AD progression. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has shown potential in improving AD pathology through multi-target mechanisms. This study investigates pathological changes in AD hippocampal tissue and explores TCM active components that may alleviate these changes. Methods GSE5281 and GSE173955 datasets were downloaded from GEO and normalized to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Key functional modules and hub genes were analyzed using Cytoscape and R. Active TCM components were identified from literature and the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. Enrichment analyses were performed on target genes overlapping with DEGs. Result From the datasets, 76 upregulated and 363 downregulated genes were identified. Hub genes included SLAMF, CD34, ELN (upregulated) and ATP5F1B, VDAC1, VDAC2, HSPA8, ATP5F1C, PDHA1, UBB, SNCA, YWHAZ, PGK1 (downregulated). Literature review identified 33 active components from 23 herbal medicines. Target gene enrichment and analysis were performed for six components: dihydroartemisinin, berberine, naringenin, calycosin, echinacoside, and icariside II. Conclusion Mitochondrial to synaptic vesicle dysfunction pathways were enriched in downregulated genes. Despite downregulation, UBB and SNCA proteins accumulate in AD brains. TCM studies suggest curcumin and echinacoside may improve hippocampal pathology and cognitive impairment in AD. Further investigation into their mechanisms is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zhiyan
- Graduate School of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Zhan Min
- Department of Neurology, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Xiyuan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Du Yida
- Graduate School of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - He Chunying
- China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hu Xiaohua
- China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li Yutong
- Graduate School of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Wang Huan
- China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Sun Linjuan
- Department of Neurology, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Xiyuan Hospital, Beijing, China
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2
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Lista S, Santos-Lozano A, Emanuele E, Mercuri NB, Gabelle A, López-Ortiz S, Martín-Hernández J, Maisto N, Imbimbo C, Caraci F, Imbimbo BP, Zetterberg H, Nisticò R. Monitoring synaptic pathology in Alzheimer's disease through fluid and PET imaging biomarkers: a comprehensive review and future perspectives. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:847-857. [PMID: 38228892 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02376-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is currently constrained by limited clinical treatment options. The initial pathophysiological event, which can be traced back to decades before the clinical symptoms become apparent, involves the excessive accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ), a peptide comprised of 40-42 amino acids, in extraneuronal plaques within the brain. Biochemical and histological studies have shown that overaccumulation of Aβ instigates an aberrant escalation in the phosphorylation and secretion of tau, a microtubule-binding axonal protein. The accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau into intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles is in turn correlated with microglial dysfunction and reactive astrocytosis, culminating in synaptic dysfunction and neurodegeneration. As neurodegeneration progresses, it gives rise to mild clinical symptoms of AD, which may eventually evolve into overt dementia. Synaptic loss in AD may develop even before tau alteration and in response to possible elevations in soluble oligomeric forms of Aβ associated with early AD. These findings largely rely on post-mortem autopsy examinations, which typically involve a limited number of patients. Over the past decade, a range of fluid biomarkers such as neurogranin, α-synuclein, visinin-like protein 1 (VILIP-1), neuronal pentraxin 2, and β-synuclein, along with positron emission tomography (PET) markers like synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A, have been developed. These advancements have facilitated the exploration of how synaptic markers in AD patients correlate with cognitive impairment. However, fluid biomarkers indicating synaptic loss have only been validated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), not in plasma, with the exception of VILIP-1. The most promising PET radiotracer, [11C]UCB-J, currently faces significant challenges hindering its widespread clinical use, primarily due to the necessity of a cyclotron. As such, additional research geared toward the exploration of synaptic pathology biomarkers is crucial. This will not only enable their extensive clinical application, but also refine the optimization process of AD pharmacological trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Lista
- i+HeALTH Strategic Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, Miguel de Cervantes European University (UEMC), 47012, Valladolid, Spain.
| | - Alejandro Santos-Lozano
- i+HeALTH Strategic Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, Miguel de Cervantes European University (UEMC), 47012, Valladolid, Spain
- Physical Activity and Health Research Group (PaHerg), Research Institute of the Hospital 12 de Octubre ('imas12'), 28041, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Nicola B Mercuri
- Experimental Neurology Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Audrey Gabelle
- CMRR, Memory Resources and Research Center, Montpellier University of Excellence i-site, 34295, Montpellier, France
| | - Susana López-Ortiz
- i+HeALTH Strategic Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, Miguel de Cervantes European University (UEMC), 47012, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Juan Martín-Hernández
- i+HeALTH Strategic Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, Miguel de Cervantes European University (UEMC), 47012, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Nunzia Maisto
- Laboratory of Pharmacology of Synaptic Plasticity, EBRI Rita Levi-Montalcini Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "V. Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Camillo Imbimbo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Filippo Caraci
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95125, Catania, Italy
- Neuropharmacology and Translational Neurosciences Research Unit, Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, 94018, Troina, Italy
| | - Bruno P Imbimbo
- Department of Research and Development, Chiesi Farmaceutici, 43122, Parma, Italy
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, 431 80, Mölndal, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 431 80, Mölndal, Sweden
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, WC1N, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, WC1E 6BT, London, UK
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, 53726, WI, USA
| | - Robert Nisticò
- Laboratory of Pharmacology of Synaptic Plasticity, EBRI Rita Levi-Montalcini Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy.
- School of Pharmacy, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133, Rome, Italy.
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3
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Lim MJ, Boschen SL, Kurti A, Castanedes Casey M, Phillips VR, Fryer JD, Dickson D, Jansen-West KR, Petrucelli L, Delenclos M, McLean PJ. Investigating the Pathogenic Interplay of Alpha-Synuclein, Tau, and Amyloid Beta in Lewy Body Dementia: Insights from Viral-Mediated Overexpression in Transgenic Mouse Models. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2863. [PMID: 37893236 PMCID: PMC10604054 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11102863] [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: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Lewy body dementia (LBD) is an often misdiagnosed and mistreated neurodegenerative disorder clinically characterized by the emergence of neuropsychiatric symptoms followed by motor impairment. LBD falls within an undefined range between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) due to the potential pathogenic synergistic effects of tau, beta-amyloid (Aβ), and alpha-synuclein (αsyn). A lack of reliable and relevant animal models hinders the elucidation of the molecular characteristics and phenotypic consequences of these interactions. Here, the goal was to evaluate whether the viral-mediated overexpression of αsyn in adult hTau and APP/PS1 mice or the overexpression of tau in Line 61 hThy1-αsyn mice resulted in pathology and behavior resembling LBD. The transgenes were injected intravenously via the tail vein using AAV-PHP.eB in 3-month-old hThy1-αsyn, hTau, or APP/PS1 mice that were then aged to 6-, 9-, and 12-months-old for subsequent phenotypic and histological characterization. Although we achieved the widespread expression of αsyn in hTau and tau in hThy1-αsyn mice, no αsyn pathology in hTau mice and only mild tau pathology in hThy1-αsyn mice was observed. Additionally, cognitive, motor, and limbic behavior phenotypes were not affected by overexpression of the transgenes. Furthermore, our APP/PS1 mice experienced premature deaths starting at 3 months post-injection (MPI), therefore precluding further analyses at later time points. An evaluation of the remaining 3-MPI indicated no αsyn pathology or cognitive and motor behavioral changes. Taken together, we conclude that the overexpression of αsyn in hTau and APP/PS1 mice and tau in hThy1-αsyn mice does not recapitulate the behavioral and neuropathological phenotypes observed in LBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina J. Lim
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA; (M.J.L.); (S.L.B.); (A.K.); (M.C.C.); (V.R.P.); (D.D.); (K.R.J.-W.); (L.P.); (M.D.)
| | - Suelen L. Boschen
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA; (M.J.L.); (S.L.B.); (A.K.); (M.C.C.); (V.R.P.); (D.D.); (K.R.J.-W.); (L.P.); (M.D.)
- Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Aishe Kurti
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA; (M.J.L.); (S.L.B.); (A.K.); (M.C.C.); (V.R.P.); (D.D.); (K.R.J.-W.); (L.P.); (M.D.)
| | - Monica Castanedes Casey
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA; (M.J.L.); (S.L.B.); (A.K.); (M.C.C.); (V.R.P.); (D.D.); (K.R.J.-W.); (L.P.); (M.D.)
| | - Virginia R. Phillips
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA; (M.J.L.); (S.L.B.); (A.K.); (M.C.C.); (V.R.P.); (D.D.); (K.R.J.-W.); (L.P.); (M.D.)
| | - John D. Fryer
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 13400 E. Shea Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85259, USA;
| | - Dennis Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA; (M.J.L.); (S.L.B.); (A.K.); (M.C.C.); (V.R.P.); (D.D.); (K.R.J.-W.); (L.P.); (M.D.)
| | - Karen R. Jansen-West
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA; (M.J.L.); (S.L.B.); (A.K.); (M.C.C.); (V.R.P.); (D.D.); (K.R.J.-W.); (L.P.); (M.D.)
| | - Leonard Petrucelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA; (M.J.L.); (S.L.B.); (A.K.); (M.C.C.); (V.R.P.); (D.D.); (K.R.J.-W.); (L.P.); (M.D.)
| | - Marion Delenclos
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA; (M.J.L.); (S.L.B.); (A.K.); (M.C.C.); (V.R.P.); (D.D.); (K.R.J.-W.); (L.P.); (M.D.)
| | - Pamela J. McLean
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA; (M.J.L.); (S.L.B.); (A.K.); (M.C.C.); (V.R.P.); (D.D.); (K.R.J.-W.); (L.P.); (M.D.)
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4
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Alam JJ, Nixon RA. Drug development targeting degeneration of the basal forebrain cholinergic system: its time has come. Mol Neurodegener 2023; 18:74. [PMID: 37794391 PMCID: PMC10552418 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00663-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- John J Alam
- CervoMed Inc., 20 Park Plaza, Suite 424, Boston, MA, 02116, USA.
| | - Ralph A Nixon
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
- Departments of Cell Biology and Psychiatry, NYU Langone Medical Center, NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York, NY, USA
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5
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Leitão ADG, Ahammad RU, Spencer B, Wu C, Masliah E, Rissman RA. Novel systemic delivery of a peptide-conjugated antisense oligonucleotide to reduce α-synuclein in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 186:106285. [PMID: 37690676 PMCID: PMC10584037 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106285] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders of aging are characterized by the progressive accumulation of proteins such as α-synuclein (α-syn) and amyloid beta (Aβ). Misfolded and aggregated α-syn has been implicated in neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, and Dementia with Lewy Bodies, but less so in Alzheimer's Disease (AD), despite the fact that accumulation of α-syn has been confirmed in over 50% of postmortem brains neuropathologically diagnosed with AD. To date, no therapeutic strategy has effectively or consistently downregulated α-syn in AD. Here we tested the hypothesis that by using a systemically-delivered peptide (ApoB11) bound to a modified antisense oligonucleotide against α-syn (ASO-α-syn), we can downregulate α-syn expression in an AD mouse model and improve behavioral and neuropathologic phenotypes. Our results demonstrate that monthly systemic treatment with of ApoB11:ASO α-syn beginning at 6 months of age reduces expression of α-synuclein in the brains of 9-month-old AD mice. Downregulation of α-syn led to reduction in Aβ plaque burden, prevented neuronal loss and astrogliosis. Furthermore, we found that AD mice treated with ApoB11:ASO α-syn had greatly improved hippocampal and spatial memory function in comparison to their control counterparts. Collectively, our data supports the reduction of α-syn through use of systemically-delivered ApoB11:ASO α-syn as a promising future disease-modifying therapeutic for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- André D G Leitão
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America
| | - Rijwan U Ahammad
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America
| | - Brian Spencer
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America
| | - Chengbiao Wu
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America; Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, San Diego, CA 92121, United States of America
| | - Eliezer Masliah
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute of Aging, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States of America
| | - Robert A Rissman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America; Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, San Diego, CA 92121, United States of America; VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92161, United States of America.
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6
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Dutta AK, Armstrong C, Luo D, Das B, Spencer B, Rissman RA. D-685 Reverses Motor Deficits and Reduces Accumulation of Human α-Synuclein Protein in Two Different Parkinson's Disease Animal Models. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:885-896. [PMID: 36749600 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00655] [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] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Aggregation of misfolded α-synuclein (α-syn) protein in the periphery and central nervous system (CNS) gives rise to a group of disorders, which are labeled collectively as synucleinopathies. These clinically distinct disorders are known as pure autonomic failure, Parkinson's disease (PD), Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and multiple system atrophy (MSA). In the case of PD, it has been demonstrated that toxic aggregates of α-syn protein not only cause apoptosis of dopamine neurons but its accumulation in the neocortex and limbic area principally contributes to dementia. In our multifunctional drug discovery research for PD, we converted one of our catechol-containing lead dopamine agonist molecules D-520 into its prodrug D-685. The prodrug exhibited higher in vivo anti-Parkinsonian efficacy in a reserpinized PD animal model than the parent D-520 and exhibited facile brain penetration. In our study with an α-syn transgenic animal model (D line) for PD and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), we have shown that 1 month of chronic treatment with the compound D-685 was sufficient to reduce the accumulation of α-syn and phospho-α-syn in the cortex, hippocampus, and striatum areas significantly compared to the control tg mice. Furthermore, D-685 did not exhibit any deleterious effect in the CNS as was evident from the neuron and microglia studies. Future studies will further explore in depth the potential of D-685 to modify disease progression while addressing symptomatic deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aloke K Dutta
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202, United States
| | - Christopher Armstrong
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202, United States
| | - Dan Luo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202, United States
| | - Banibrata Das
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202, United States
| | - Brian Spencer
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Robert A Rissman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
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Lin S, Leitão ADG, Fang S, Gu Y, Barber S, Gilliard-Telefoni R, Castro A, Sung K, Shen R, Florio JB, Mante ML, Ding J, Spencer B, Masliah E, Rissman RA, Wu C. Overexpression of alpha synuclein disrupts APP and Endolysosomal axonal trafficking in a mouse model of synucleinopathy. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 178:106010. [PMID: 36702318 PMCID: PMC10754494 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106010] [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: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations or triplication of the alpha synuclein (ASYN) gene contribute to synucleinopathies including Parkinson's disease (PD), Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and multiple system atrophy (MSA). Recent evidence suggests that ASYN also plays an important role in amyloid-induced neurotoxicity, although the mechanism(s) remains unknown. One hypothesis is that accumulation of ASYN alters endolysosomal pathways to impact axonal trafficking and processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). To define an axonal function for ASYN, we used a transgenic mouse model of synucleinopathy that expresses a GFP-human ASYN (GFP-hASYN) transgene and an ASYN knockout (ASYN-/-) mouse model. Our results demonstrate that expression of GFP-hASYN in primary neurons derived from a transgenic mouse impaired axonal trafficking and processing of APP. In addition, axonal transport of BACE1, Rab5, Rab7, lysosomes and mitochondria were also reduced in these neurons. Interestingly, axonal transport of these organelles was also affected in ASYN-/- neurons, suggesting that ASYN plays an important role in maintaining normal axonal transport function. Therefore, selective impairment of trafficking and processing of APP by ASYN may act as a potential mechanism to induce pathological features of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in PD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzhen Lin
- Institute of Neurology, Ruijing Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - André D G Leitão
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Savannah Fang
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yingli Gu
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sophia Barber
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Alfredo Castro
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kijung Sung
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ruinan Shen
- Institute of Neurology, Ruijing Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jazmin B Florio
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Michael L Mante
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jianqing Ding
- Institute of Neurology, Ruijing Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Brian Spencer
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Eliezer Masliah
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Robert A Rissman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; VA San Diego Health System, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Chengbiao Wu
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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8
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Gao V, Briano JA, Komer LE, Burré J. Functional and Pathological Effects of α-Synuclein on Synaptic SNARE Complexes. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:167714. [PMID: 35787839 PMCID: PMC10472340 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
α-Synuclein is an abundant protein at the neuronal synapse that has been implicated in Parkinson's disease for over 25 years and characterizes the hallmark pathology of a group of neurodegenerative diseases now known as the synucleinopathies. Physiologically, α-synuclein exists in an equilibrium between a synaptic vesicle membrane-bound α-helical multimer and a cytosolic largely unstructured monomer. Through its membrane-bound state, α-synuclein functions in neurotransmitter release by modulating several steps in the synaptic vesicle cycle, including synaptic vesicle clustering and docking, SNARE complex assembly, and homeostasis of synaptic vesicle pools. These functions have been ascribed to α-synuclein's interactions with the synaptic vesicle SNARE protein VAMP2/synaptobrevin-2, the synaptic vesicle-attached synapsins, and the synaptic vesicle membrane itself. How α-synuclein affects these processes, and whether disease is due to loss-of-function or gain-of-toxic-function of α-synuclein remains unclear. In this review, we provide an in-depth summary of the existing literature, discuss possible reasons for the discrepancies in the field, and propose a working model that reconciles the findings in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Gao
- Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute & Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Department of Neurology, New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Juan A Briano
- Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute & Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lauren E Komer
- Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute & Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA. https://www.twitter.com/lauren_komer
| | - Jacqueline Burré
- Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute & Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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9
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Han Y, He Z. Concomitant protein pathogenesis in Parkinson's disease and perspective mechanisms. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1189809. [PMID: 37181621 PMCID: PMC10174460 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1189809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Comorbidity is a common phenotype in Parkinson's disease (PD). Patients with PD not only have motor deficit symptoms, but also have heterogeneous non-motor symptoms, including cognitive impairment and emotional changes, which are the featured symptoms observed in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and cerebrovascular disease. Moreover, autopsy studies have also confirmed the concomitant protein pathogenesis, such as the co-existences of α-synuclein, amyloid-β and tau pathologies in PD and AD patients' brains. Here, we briefly summarize the recent reports regarding the comorbidity issues in PD from both clinical observations and neuropathological evidences. Furthermore, we provide some discussion about the perspective potential mechanisms underlying such comorbidity phenomenon, with a focus on PD and related neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuliang Han
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhuohao He
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Zhuohao He,
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Leitão AD, Spencer B, Sarsoza F, Ngolab J, Amalraj J, Masliah E, Wu C, Rissman RA. Hippocampal Reduction of α-Synuclein via RNA Interference Improves Neuropathology in Alzheimer's Disease Mice. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 95:349-361. [PMID: 37522208 PMCID: PMC10578232 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230232] [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] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) cases are often characterized by the pathological accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn) in addition to amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau hallmarks. The role of α-syn has been extensively studied in synucleinopathy disorders, but less so in AD. Recent studies have shown that α-syn may also play a role in AD and its downregulation may be protective against the toxic effects of Aβ accumulation. OBJECTIVE We hypothesized that selectively knocking down α-syn via RNA interference improves the neuropathological and biochemical findings in AD mice. METHODS Here we used amyloid precursor protein transgenic (APP-Tg) mice to model AD and explore pathologic and behavioral phenotypes with knockdown of α-syn using RNA interference. We selectively reduced α-syn levels by stereotaxic bilateral injection of either LV-shRNA α-syn or LV-shRNA-luc (control) into the hippocampus of AD mice. RESULTS We found that downregulation of α-syn results in significant reduction in the number of Aβ plaques. In addition, mice treated with LV-shRNA α-syn had amelioration of abnormal microglial activation (Iba1) and astrocytosis (GFAP) phenotypes in AD mice. CONCLUSION Our data suggests a novel link between Aβ and α-syn pathology as well as a new therapeutic angle for targeting AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- André D.G. Leitão
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Brian Spencer
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Floyd Sarsoza
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer Ngolab
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jessica Amalraj
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Chengbiao Wu
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Robert A. Rissman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute of the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, San Diego, CA, USA
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, USA
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11
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Brown JL, Hart DW, Boyle GE, Brown TG, LaCroix M, Baraibar AM, Pelzel R, Kim M, Sherman MA, Boes S, Sung M, Cole T, Lee MK, Araque A, Lesné SE. SNCA genetic lowering reveals differential cognitive function of alpha-synuclein dependent on sex. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022; 10:180. [PMID: 36517890 PMCID: PMC9749314 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01480-y] [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: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapy for neurological disease has been successful in clinical settings and its potential has generated hope for Alzheimer's disease (AD). We previously described that ablating SNCA encoding for α-synuclein (αSyn) in a mouse model of AD was beneficial. Here, we sought to demonstrate whether transient reduction of αSyn expression using ASOSNCA could be therapeutic in a mouse model of AD. The efficacy of the ASOSNCA was measured via immunocytochemistry, RT-qPCR and western blotting. To assess spatial learning and memory, ASOSNCA or PBS-injected APP and non-transgenic (NTG) mice, and separate groups of SNCA-null mice, were tested on the Barnes circular maze. Hippocampal slice electrophysiology and transcriptomic profiling were used to explore synaptic function and differential gene expression between groups. Reduction of SNCA transcripts alleviated cognitive deficits in male transgenic animals, but surprisingly, not in females. To determine the functional cause of this differential effect, we assessed memory function in SNCA-null mice. Learning and memory were intact in male mice but impaired in female animals, revealing that the role of αSyn on cognitive function is sex-specific. Transcriptional analyses identified a differentially expressed gene network centered around EGR1, a central modulator of learning and memory, in the hippocampi of SNCA-null mice. Thus, these novel results demonstrate that the function of αSyn on memory differs between male and female brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Brown
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Wallin Medical Biosciences Building (Room 4-114), 2101 Sixth Street SE, CDC 2641, Minneapolis, MN 55414 USA
| | - Damyan W. Hart
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Wallin Medical Biosciences Building (Room 4-114), 2101 Sixth Street SE, CDC 2641, Minneapolis, MN 55414 USA
| | - Gabriel E. Boyle
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Wallin Medical Biosciences Building (Room 4-114), 2101 Sixth Street SE, CDC 2641, Minneapolis, MN 55414 USA
- Present Address: Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Taylor G. Brown
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Wallin Medical Biosciences Building (Room 4-114), 2101 Sixth Street SE, CDC 2641, Minneapolis, MN 55414 USA
| | - Michael LaCroix
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Wallin Medical Biosciences Building (Room 4-114), 2101 Sixth Street SE, CDC 2641, Minneapolis, MN 55414 USA
- Present Address: Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, TX 75390 USA
| | - Andrés M. Baraibar
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Present Address: Department of Neurosciences, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
| | - Ross Pelzel
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Wallin Medical Biosciences Building (Room 4-114), 2101 Sixth Street SE, CDC 2641, Minneapolis, MN 55414 USA
| | - Minwoo Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Wallin Medical Biosciences Building (Room 4-114), 2101 Sixth Street SE, CDC 2641, Minneapolis, MN 55414 USA
| | - Mathew A. Sherman
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Wallin Medical Biosciences Building (Room 4-114), 2101 Sixth Street SE, CDC 2641, Minneapolis, MN 55414 USA
| | - Samuel Boes
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Wallin Medical Biosciences Building (Room 4-114), 2101 Sixth Street SE, CDC 2641, Minneapolis, MN 55414 USA
| | - Michelle Sung
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Wallin Medical Biosciences Building (Room 4-114), 2101 Sixth Street SE, CDC 2641, Minneapolis, MN 55414 USA
- Present Address: Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 USA
| | - Tracy Cole
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, CA USA
- Present Address: n-Lorem Foundation, Carlsbad, CA 92010 USA
| | - Michael K. Lee
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Wallin Medical Biosciences Building (Room 4-114), 2101 Sixth Street SE, CDC 2641, Minneapolis, MN 55414 USA
| | - Alfonso Araque
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Sylvain E. Lesné
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Wallin Medical Biosciences Building (Room 4-114), 2101 Sixth Street SE, CDC 2641, Minneapolis, MN 55414 USA
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12
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Sawa M, Overk C, Becker A, Derse D, Albay R, Weldy K, Salehi A, Beach TG, Doran E, Head E, Yu YE, Mobley WC. Impact of increased APP gene dose in Down syndrome and the Dp16 mouse model. Alzheimers Dement 2022; 18:1203-1234. [PMID: 34757693 PMCID: PMC9085977 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION People with Down syndrome (DS) are predisposed to Alzheimer's disease (AD). The amyloid hypothesis informs studies of AD. In AD-DS, but not sporadic AD, increased APP copy number is necessary, defining the APP gene dose hypothesis. Which amyloid precursor protein (APP) products contribute needs to be determined. METHODS Brain levels of full-length protein (fl-hAPP), C-terminal fragments (hCTFs), and amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides were measured in DS, AD-DS, non-demented controls (ND), and sporadic AD cases. The APP gene-dose hypothesis was evaluated in the Dp16 model. RESULTS DS and AD-DS differed from ND and AD for all APP products. In AD-DS, Aβ42 and Aβ40 levels exceeded AD. APP products were increased in the Dp16 model; increased APP gene dose was necessary for loss of vulnerable neurons, tau pathology, and activation of astrocytes and microglia. DISCUSSION Increases in APP products other than Aβ distinguished AD-DS from AD. Deciphering AD-DS pathogenesis necessitates deciphering which APP products contribute and how.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariko Sawa
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0624
| | - Cassia Overk
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0624
| | - Ann Becker
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0624
| | - Dominique Derse
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0624
| | - Ricardo Albay
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0624
| | - Kim Weldy
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0624
| | - Ahmad Salehi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305
| | - Thomas G. Beach
- Brain and Body Donation Program, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ 85351
| | - Eric Doran
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697
| | - Elizabeth Head
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697
| | - Y. Eugene Yu
- The Children’s Guild Foundation Down Syndrome Research Program, Genetics and Genomics Program, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263
| | - William C Mobley
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0624,Correspondence to: William Mobley M.D., Department of Neurosciences, UCSD School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, GPL 355, La Jolla, CA 92093-0624;
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13
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Chau E, Kim JR. α-synuclein-assisted oligomerization of β-amyloid (1-42). Arch Biochem Biophys 2022; 717:109120. [PMID: 35041853 PMCID: PMC8818042 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2022.109120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are the two most common neurodegenerative disorders, characterized by aggregation of amyloid polypeptides, β-amyloid (Aβ) and α-synuclein (αS), respectively. Aβ and αS follow similar aggregation pathways, starting from monomers, to soluble toxic oligomeric assemblies, and to insoluble fibrils. Various studies have suggested overlaps in the pathologies of AD and PD, and have shown Aβ-αS interactions. Unfortunately, whether these protein-protein interactions lead to self- and co-assembly of Aβ and αS into oligomers - a potentially toxic synergistic mechanism - is poorly understood. Among the various Aβ isoforms, interactions of Aβ containing 42 amino acids (Aβ (1-42), referred to as Aβ42) with αS are of most direct relevance due to the high aggregation propensity and the strong toxic effect of this Aβ isoform. In this study, we carefully determined molecular consequences of interactions between Aβ42 and αS in their respective monomeric, oligomeric, and fibrillar forms using a comprehensive set of experimental tools. We show that the three αS conformers, namely, monomers, oligomers and fibrils interfered with fibrillization of Aβ42. Specifically, αS monomers and oligomers promoted oligomerization and stabilization of soluble Aβ42, possibly via direct binding or co-assembly, while αS fibrils hindered soluble Aβ42 species from converting into insoluble aggregates by the formation of large oligomers. We also provide evidence that the interactions with αS were mediated by various parts of Aβ42, depending on Aβ42 and αS conformers. Furthermore, we compared similarities and dissimilarities between Aβ42-αS and Aβ40-αS interactions. Overall, the present study provides a comprehensive depiction of the molecular interplay between Aβ42 and αS, providing insight into its synergistic toxic mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Chau
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University, 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA
| | - Jin Ryoun Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University, 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA.
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14
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Li ZF, Cui L, Jin MM, Hu DY, Hou XG, Liu SS, Zhang X, Zhu JH. A Matrigel-based 3D construct of SH-SY5Y cells models the α-synuclein pathologies of Parkinson's disease. Dis Model Mech 2022; 15:273997. [PMID: 35023548 PMCID: PMC8922027 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with α-synuclein-based Lewy body pathology, which has been difficult to observe in conventional two-dimensional (2D) cell culture and even in animal models. We herein aimed to develop a three-dimensional (3D) cellular model of PD to recapitulate the α-synuclein pathologies. All-trans-retinoic acid-differentiated human SH-SY5Y cells and Matrigel were optimized for 3D construction. The 3D cultured cells displayed higher tyrosine hydroxylase expression than 2D cells and improved dopaminergic-like phenotypes, as suggested by RNA-sequencing analyses. Multiple forms of α-synuclein, including monomer, and low- and high-molecular mass oligomers, were differentially present in the 2D and 3D cells, but mostly remained unchanged upon N-methyl-4-phenyl pyridine or rotenone treatment. Phosphorylated α-synuclein was accumulated, and detergent-insoluble α-synuclein fraction was observed, in the neurotoxin-treated 3D cells. Importantly, Lewy body-like inclusions were captured in the 3D system, including proteinase K-resistant α-synuclein aggregates, ubiquitin aggregation, and β-amyloid and β-sheet protein deposition. The study provides a unique and convenient 3D model of PD that recapitulates critical α-synuclein pathologies and should be useful in multiple PD-associated applications. Summary: This study provides a convenient 3D model of Parkinson's disease (PD), which recapitulates α-synuclein pathologies in human cells and could be used to investigate PD mechanisms and screen drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao-Feng Li
- Institute of Nutrition and Diseases, Department of Preventive Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Department of Neurology and Geriatrics, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lei Cui
- Institute of Nutrition and Diseases, Department of Preventive Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Mi-Mi Jin
- Department of Neurology and Geriatrics, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Dong-Yan Hu
- Institute of Nutrition and Diseases, Department of Preventive Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiao-Gang Hou
- Department of Neurology and Geriatrics, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shu-Shu Liu
- Institute of Nutrition and Diseases, Department of Preventive Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiong Zhang
- Department of Neurology and Geriatrics, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jian-Hong Zhu
- Institute of Nutrition and Diseases, Department of Preventive Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Department of Neurology and Geriatrics, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
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15
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Spencer B, Rissman RA, Overk C, Masliah E. Novel Brain-Penetrating Single Chain Antibodies Directed Against 3RTau for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2383:447-457. [PMID: 34766306 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1752-6_28] [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] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), Pick's disease, fronto-temporal lobar degeneration, cortico-basal degeneration, and primary age related tauopathy are examples of neurodegenerative disorders with tau accumulation and jointly referred as "tauopathies." The mechanisms through which tau leads to neurodegeneration are not fully understood but include conversion into toxic oligomers and protofibrils, cell-to-cell propagation, post-transcriptional modifications and as a mediator of cell death signals among others. Potential therapeutics includes reducing tau synthesis (e.g., anti-sense); targeting selective tau species and aggregates or blocking cell-to-cell transmission (e.g., antibodies) or by promoting clearance of tau (e.g., autophagy activators). Among them, immunotherapy is currently one of the approaches most actively explored including active, passive, and cellular. A potential problem with immunotherapy has been the trafficking of the antibodies into the CNS. In this chapter, we describe a method for the production and testing of viral vector driven, brain-penetrating, single chain antibodies that specifically recognize 3RTau. These single chain antibodies are modified by the addition of a fragment of the apoB protein to facilitate trafficking into the brain, once in the CNS these antibody fragments recognize tau with potential value for the treatment of AD and related dementias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Spencer
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Robert A Rissman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Cassia Overk
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Eliezer Masliah
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Molecular Neuropathology Section, Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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16
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Ding J, Huang J, Xia B, Hu S, Fan H, Dai J, Li Z, Wang J, Le C, Qiu P, Wang Y. Transfer of α-synuclein from neurons to oligodendrocytes triggers myelin sheath destruction in methamphetamine administration mice. Toxicol Lett 2021; 352:34-45. [PMID: 34562559 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2021.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Methamphetamine (METH), a widely abused nervous system stimulant, could induce neurotoxicity through α-synuclein (α-syn). Not much is known about the neuronal derived α-syn transmission that underlies oligodendrocyte pathology in METH mice model. In this study, we tested α-syn level, oligodendroglial pathology and autophagy lysosome pathway (ALP) function in corpus callosum in a chronic METH mice model. METH increased α-syn level in neurons and then accumulated in oligodendrocytes. METH increased phosphor-mTOR level, decreased transcription factor EB (TFEB) level and triggered autophagy lysosomal pathway (ALP) impairment, leading to myelin sheath destruction, oligodendroglial proteins loss, mature dendritic spine loss, neuron loss, and astrocyte activation. Deleting endogenous α-syn increased TFEB level, alleviated ALP deficit, and diminished neuropathology induced by METH. TFEB overexpression in oligodendrocytes exerted beneficial effects in METH mice model. These neuroprotective effects were associated with the rescued ALP machinery after oligodendroglial TFEB overexpression. Our study demonstrated, for the first time, that α-syn-TFEB axis might be involve in the METH induced myelin loss, oligodendroglial pathology, and neuropathology. In summary, targeting at the α-syn-TFEB axis might be a promising therapeutic strategy for treating METH induced oligodendroglial pathology, and to a broader view, neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiuyang Ding
- School of Forensic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Jian Huang
- School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bing Xia
- School of Forensic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Shanshan Hu
- Good Clinical Practice Center, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Haoliang Fan
- School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jialin Dai
- School of Forensic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Zhu Li
- School of Forensic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Jiawen Wang
- School of Forensic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Cuiyun Le
- School of Forensic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Pingming Qiu
- School of Forensic Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Yuanhe Wang
- School of Forensic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China.
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17
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Mehra S, Gadhe L, Bera R, Sawner AS, Maji SK. Structural and Functional Insights into α-Synuclein Fibril Polymorphism. Biomolecules 2021; 11:1419. [PMID: 34680054 PMCID: PMC8533119 DOI: 10.3390/biom11101419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal accumulation of aggregated α-synuclein (α-Syn) is seen in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple system atrophy (MSA), dementia with Lewy body (DLB), Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD), and even subsets of Alzheimer's disease (AD) showing Lewy-body-like pathology. These synucleinopathies exhibit differences in their clinical and pathological representations, reminiscent of prion disorders. Emerging evidence suggests that α-Syn self-assembles and polymerizes into conformationally diverse polymorphs in vitro and in vivo, similar to prions. These α-Syn polymorphs arising from the same precursor protein may exhibit strain-specific biochemical properties and the ability to induce distinct pathological phenotypes upon their inoculation in animal models. In this review, we discuss clinical and pathological variability in synucleinopathies and several aspects of α-Syn fibril polymorphism, including the existence of high-resolution molecular structures and brain-derived strains. The current review sheds light on the recent advances in delineating the structure-pathogenic relationship of α-Syn and how diverse α-Syn molecular polymorphs contribute to the existing clinical heterogeneity in synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surabhi Mehra
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India; (L.G.); (R.B.); (A.S.S.)
| | | | | | | | - Samir K. Maji
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India; (L.G.); (R.B.); (A.S.S.)
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18
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Small GTPases of the Rab and Arf Families: Key Regulators of Intracellular Trafficking in Neurodegeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094425. [PMID: 33922618 PMCID: PMC8122874 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Small guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases) of the Rab and Arf families are key regulators of vesicle formation and membrane trafficking. Membrane transport plays an important role in the central nervous system. In this regard, neurons require a constant flow of membranes for the correct distribution of receptors, for the precise composition of proteins and organelles in dendrites and axons, for the continuous exocytosis/endocytosis of synaptic vesicles and for the elimination of dysfunctional proteins. Thus, it is not surprising that Rab and Arf GTPases have been associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Both pathologies share characteristics such as the presence of protein aggregates and/or the fragmentation of the Golgi apparatus, hallmarks that have been related to both Rab and Arf GTPases functions. Despite their relationship with neurodegenerative disorders, very few studies have focused on the role of these GTPases in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration. In this review, we summarize their importance in the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, as well as their emergence as potential therapeutical targets for neurodegeneration.
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19
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Lee WS, Lavery L, Rousseaux MWC, Rutledge EB, Jang Y, Wan YW, Wu SR, Kim W, Al-Ramahi I, Rath S, Adamski CJ, Bondar VV, Tewari A, Soleimani S, Mota S, Yalamanchili HK, Orr HT, Liu Z, Botas J, Zoghbi HY. Dual targeting of brain region-specific kinases potentiates neurological rescue in Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1. EMBO J 2021; 40:e106106. [PMID: 33709453 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020106106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A critical question in neurodegeneration is why the accumulation of disease-driving proteins causes selective neuronal loss despite their brain-wide expression. In Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), accumulation of polyglutamine-expanded Ataxin-1 (ATXN1) causes selective degeneration of cerebellar and brainstem neurons. Previous studies revealed that inhibiting Msk1 reduces phosphorylation of ATXN1 at S776 as well as its levels leading to improved cerebellar function. However, there are no regulators that modulate ATXN1 in the brainstem-the brain region whose pathology is most closely linked to premature death. To identify new regulators of ATXN1, we performed genetic screens and identified a transcription factor-kinase axis (ZBTB7B-RSK3) that regulates ATXN1 levels. Unlike MSK1, RSK3 is highly expressed in the human and mouse brainstems where it regulates Atxn1 by phosphorylating S776. Reducing Rsk3 rescues brainstem-associated pathologies and deficits, and lowering Rsk3 and Msk1 together improves cerebellar and brainstem function in an SCA1 mouse model. Our results demonstrate that selective vulnerability of brain regions in SCA1 is governed by region-specific regulators of ATXN1, and targeting multiple regulators could rescue multiple degenerating brain areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Won-Seok Lee
- Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Science Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Laura Lavery
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Maxime W C Rousseaux
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Eric B Rutledge
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Pediatrics-Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Youjin Jang
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ying-Wooi Wan
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sih-Rong Wu
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Wonho Kim
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ismael Al-Ramahi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Smruti Rath
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Carolyn J Adamski
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Vitaliy V Bondar
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ambika Tewari
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shirin Soleimani
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Samantha Mota
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hari K Yalamanchili
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Pediatrics-Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Harry T Orr
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Zhandong Liu
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Pediatrics-Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Juan Botas
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Huda Y Zoghbi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Pediatrics-Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Houston, TX, USA
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20
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Iron-responsive-like elements and neurodegenerative ferroptosis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 27:395-413. [PMID: 32817306 PMCID: PMC7433652 DOI: 10.1101/lm.052282.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
A set of common-acting iron-responsive 5′untranslated region (5′UTR) motifs can fold into RNA stem loops that appear significant to the biology of cognitive declines of Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD), Lewy body dementia (LDD), and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Neurodegenerative diseases exhibit perturbations of iron homeostasis in defined brain subregions over characteristic time intervals of progression. While misfolding of Aβ from the amyloid-precursor-protein (APP), alpha-synuclein, prion protein (PrP) each cause neuropathic protein inclusions in the brain subregions, iron-responsive-like element (IRE-like) RNA stem–loops reside in their transcripts. APP and αsyn have a role in iron transport while gene duplications elevate the expression of their products to cause rare familial cases of AD and PDD. Of note, IRE-like sequences are responsive to excesses of brain iron in a potential feedback loop to accelerate neuronal ferroptosis and cognitive declines as well as amyloidosis. This pathogenic feedback is consistent with the translational control of the iron storage protein ferritin. We discuss how the IRE-like RNA motifs in the 5′UTRs of APP, alpha-synuclein and PrP mRNAs represent uniquely folded drug targets for therapies to prevent perturbed iron homeostasis that accelerates AD, PD, PD dementia (PDD) and Lewy body dementia, thus preventing cognitive deficits. Inhibition of alpha-synuclein translation is an option to block manganese toxicity associated with early childhood cognitive problems and manganism while Pb toxicity is epigenetically associated with attention deficit and later-stage AD. Pathologies of heavy metal toxicity centered on an embargo of iron export may be treated with activators of APP and ferritin and inhibitors of alpha-synuclein translation.
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21
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Germann UA, Alam JJ. P38α MAPK Signaling-A Robust Therapeutic Target for Rab5-Mediated Neurodegenerative Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E5485. [PMID: 32751991 PMCID: PMC7432772 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Multifactorial pathologies, involving one or more aggregated protein(s) and neuroinflammation are common in major neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. This complexity of multiple pathogenic drivers is one potential explanation for the lack of success or, at best, the partial therapeutic effects, respectively, with approaches that have targeted one specific driver, e.g., amyloid-beta, in Alzheimer's disease. Since the endosome-associated protein Rab5 appears to be a convergence point for many, if not all the most prominent pathogenic drivers, it has emerged as a major therapeutic target for neurodegenerative disease. Further, since the alpha isoform of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38α) is a major regulator of Rab5 activity and its effectors, a biology that is distinct from the classical nuclear targets of p38 signaling, brain-penetrant selective p38α kinase inhibitors provide the opportunity for significant therapeutic advances in neurogenerative disease through normalizing dysregulated Rab5 activity. In this review, we provide a brief summary of the role of Rab5 in the cell and its association with neurodegenerative disease pathogenesis. We then discuss the connection between Rab5 and p38α and summarize the evidence that through modulating Rab5 activity there are therapeutic opportunities in neurodegenerative diseases for p38α kinase inhibitors.
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22
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Chatham JC, Zhang J, Wende AR. Role of O-Linked N-Acetylglucosamine Protein Modification in Cellular (Patho)Physiology. Physiol Rev 2020; 101:427-493. [PMID: 32730113 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00043.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In the mid-1980s, the identification of serine and threonine residues on nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins modified by a N-acetylglucosamine moiety (O-GlcNAc) via an O-linkage overturned the widely held assumption that glycosylation only occurred in the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and secretory pathways. In contrast to traditional glycosylation, the O-GlcNAc modification does not lead to complex, branched glycan structures and is rapidly cycled on and off proteins by O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and O-GlcNAcase (OGA), respectively. Since its discovery, O-GlcNAcylation has been shown to contribute to numerous cellular functions, including signaling, protein localization and stability, transcription, chromatin remodeling, mitochondrial function, and cell survival. Dysregulation in O-GlcNAc cycling has been implicated in the progression of a wide range of diseases, such as diabetes, diabetic complications, cancer, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases. This review will outline our current understanding of the processes involved in regulating O-GlcNAc turnover, the role of O-GlcNAcylation in regulating cellular physiology, and how dysregulation in O-GlcNAc cycling contributes to pathophysiological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Chatham
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama; and Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama; and Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Adam R Wende
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama; and Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama
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23
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Iba M, Kim C, Sallin M, Kwon S, Verma A, Overk C, Rissman RA, Sen R, Sen JM, Masliah E. Neuroinflammation is associated with infiltration of T cells in Lewy body disease and α-synuclein transgenic models. J Neuroinflammation 2020; 17:214. [PMID: 32680537 PMCID: PMC7368752 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-020-01888-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND α-Synuclein (α-syn) is a pre-synaptic protein which progressively accumulates in neuronal and non-neuronal cells in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and multiple system atrophy. Recent evidence suggests that aberrant immune activation may be involved in neurodegeneration in PD/DLB. While previous studies have often focused on the microglial responses, less is known about the role of the peripheral immune system in these disorders. METHODS To understand the involvement of the peripheral immune system in PD/DLB, we evaluated T cell populations in the brains of α-syn transgenic (tg) mice (e.g., Thy1 promoter line 61) and DLB patients. RESULTS Immunohistochemical analysis showed perivascular and parenchymal infiltration by CD3+/CD4+ helper T cells, but not cytotoxic T cells (CD3+/CD8+) or B cells (CD20+), in the neocortex, hippocampus, and striatum of α-syn tg mice. CD3+ cells were found in close proximity to the processes of activated astroglia, particularly in areas of the brain with significant astrogliosis, microgliosis, and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In addition, a subset of CD3+ cells co-expressed interferon γ. Flow cytometric analysis of immune cells in the brains of α-syn tg mice revealed that CD1d-tet+ T cells were also increased in the brains of α-syn tg mice suggestive of natural killer T cells. In post-mortem DLB brains, we similarly detected increased numbers of infiltrating CD3+/CD4+ T cells in close proximity with blood vessels. CONCLUSION These results suggest that infiltrating adaptive immune cells play an important role in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in synucleinopathies and that modulating peripheral T cells may be a viable therapeutic strategy for PD/DLB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiyo Iba
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Molecular Neuropathology Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Changyoun Kim
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Molecular Neuropathology Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Michelle Sallin
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, Immune Cells and Inflammation Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Somin Kwon
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Molecular Neuropathology Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Anjali Verma
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, Immune Cells and Inflammation Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Cassia Overk
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Robert A Rissman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Ranjan Sen
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Immunology, Gene Regulation Section, Biomedical Research Center, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
- Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Jyoti Misra Sen
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, Immune Cells and Inflammation Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
- Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Eliezer Masliah
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Molecular Neuropathology Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
- Division of Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA.
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24
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Kwon S, Iba M, Kim C, Masliah E. Immunotherapies for Aging-Related Neurodegenerative Diseases-Emerging Perspectives and New Targets. Neurotherapeutics 2020; 17:935-954. [PMID: 32347461 PMCID: PMC7222955 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-020-00853-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Lewy body dementia (LBD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and vascular dementia (VCID) have no disease-modifying treatments to date and now constitute a dementia crisis that affects 5 million in the USA and over 50 million worldwide. The most common pathological hallmark of these age-related neurodegenerative diseases is the accumulation of specific proteins, including amyloid beta (Aβ), tau, α-synuclein (α-syn), TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP43), and repeat-associated non-ATG (RAN) peptides, in the intra- and extracellular spaces of selected brain regions. Whereas it remains controversial whether these accumulations are pathogenic or merely a byproduct of disease, the majority of therapeutic research has focused on clearing protein aggregates. Immunotherapies have garnered particular attention for their ability to target specific protein strains and conformations as well as promote clearance. Immunotherapies can also be neuroprotective: by neutralizing extracellular protein aggregates, they reduce spread, synaptic damage, and neuroinflammation. This review will briefly examine the current state of research in immunotherapies against the 3 most commonly targeted proteins for age-related neurodegenerative disease: Aβ, tau, and α-syn. The discussion will then turn to combinatorial strategies that enhance the effects of immunotherapy against aggregating protein, followed by new potential targets of immunotherapy such as aging-related processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somin Kwon
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Molecular Neuropathology Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Michiyo Iba
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Molecular Neuropathology Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Changyoun Kim
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Molecular Neuropathology Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Eliezer Masliah
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Molecular Neuropathology Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
- Division of Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging/National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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25
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Shen R, Zhao X, He L, Ding Y, Xu W, Lin S, Fang S, Yang W, Sung K, Spencer B, Rissman RA, Lei M, Ding J, Wu C. Upregulation of RIN3 induces endosomal dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease. Transl Neurodegener 2020; 9:26. [PMID: 32552912 PMCID: PMC7301499 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-020-00206-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Alzheimer's Disease (AD), about one-third of the risk genes identified by GWAS encode proteins that function predominantly in the endocytic pathways. Among them, the Ras and Rab Interactor 3(RIN3) is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for the Rab5 small GTPase family and has been implicated to be a risk factor for both late onset AD (LOAD) and sporadic early onset AD (sEOAD). However, how RIN3 is linked to AD pathogenesis is currently undefined. METHODS Quantitative PCR and immunoblotting were used to measure the RIN3 expression level in mouse brain tissues and cultured basal forebrain cholinergic neuron (BFCNs). Immunostaining was used to define subcellular localization of RIN3 and to visualize endosomal changes in cultured primary BFCNs and PC12 cells. Recombinant flag-tagged RIN3 protein was purified from HEK293T cells and was used to define RIN3-interactomes by mass spectrometry. RIN3-interacting partners were validated by co-immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence and yeast two hybrid assays. Live imaging of primary neurons was used to examine axonal transport of amyloid precursor protein (APP) and β-secretase 1 (BACE1). Immunoblotting was used to detect protein expression, processing of APP and phosphorylated forms of Tau. RESULTS We have shown that RIN3 mRNA level was significantly increased in the hippocampus and cortex of APP/PS1 mouse brain. Basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCNs) cultured from E18 APP/PS1 mouse embryos also showed increased RIN3 expression accompanied by early endosome enlargement. In addition, via its proline rich domain, RIN3 recruited BIN1(bridging integrator 1) and CD2AP (CD2 associated protein), two other AD risk factors, to early endosomes. Interestingly, overexpression of RIN3 or CD2AP promoted APP cleavage to increase its carboxyl terminal fragments (CTFs) in PC12 cells. Upregulation of RIN3 or the neuronal isoform of BIN1 increased phosphorylated Tau level. Therefore, upregulation of RIN3 expression promoted accumulation of APP CTFs and increased phosphorylated Tau. These effects by RIN3 was rescued by the expression of a dominant negative Rab5 (Rab5S34N) construct. Our study has thus pointed to that RIN3 acts through Rab5 to impact endosomal trafficking and signaling. CONCLUSION RIN3 is significantly upregulated and correlated with endosomal dysfunction in APP/PS1 mouse. Through interacting with BIN1 and CD2AP, increased RIN3 expression alters axonal trafficking and procession of APP. Together with our previous studies, our current work has thus provided important insights into the role of RIN3 in regulating endosomal signaling and trafficking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruinan Shen
- Institute of Neurology, Ruijing Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin Er Rd., Shanghai, 200025, China.,Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Room 312 MC-0624,9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0624, USA
| | - Xiaobei Zhao
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Room 312 MC-0624,9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0624, USA
| | - Lu He
- Institute of Neurology, Ruijing Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin Er Rd., Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Yongbo Ding
- Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Shanghai, 200125, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Institute of Neurology, Ruijing Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin Er Rd., Shanghai, 200025, China.,Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Room 312 MC-0624,9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0624, USA
| | - Suzhen Lin
- Institute of Neurology, Ruijing Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin Er Rd., Shanghai, 200025, China.,Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Room 312 MC-0624,9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0624, USA
| | - Savannah Fang
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Room 312 MC-0624,9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0624, USA
| | - Wanlin Yang
- Institute of Neurology, Ruijing Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin Er Rd., Shanghai, 200025, China.,Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Room 312 MC-0624,9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0624, USA.,Department of Neurology, Zhuijiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kijung Sung
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Room 312 MC-0624,9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0624, USA
| | - Brian Spencer
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Room 312 MC-0624,9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0624, USA
| | - Robert A Rissman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Room 312 MC-0624,9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0624, USA.,San Diego VA Health System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ming Lei
- Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Shanghai, 200125, China
| | - Jianqing Ding
- Institute of Neurology, Ruijing Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin Er Rd., Shanghai, 200025, China.
| | - Chengbiao Wu
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Room 312 MC-0624,9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0624, USA.
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26
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Iba M, Kim C, Florio J, Mante M, Adame A, Rockenstein E, Kwon S, Rissman R, Masliah E. Role of Alterations in Protein Kinase p38γ in the Pathogenesis of the Synaptic Pathology in Dementia With Lewy Bodies and α-Synuclein Transgenic Models. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:286. [PMID: 32296304 PMCID: PMC7138105 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Progressive accumulation of the pre-synaptic protein α-synuclein (α-syn) has been strongly associated with the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders of the aging population such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and multiple system atrophy. While the precise mechanisms are not fully understood, alterations in kinase pathways including that of mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) p38 have been proposed to play a role. In AD, p38α activation has been linked to neuro-inflammation while alterations in p38γ have been associated with tau phosphorylation. Although p38 has been studied in AD, less is known about its role in DLB/PD and other α-synucleinopathies. For this purpose, we investigated the expression of the p38 family in brains from α-syn overexpressing transgenic mice (α-syn Tg: Line 61) and patients with DLB/PD. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that in healthy human controls and non-Tg mice, p38α associated with neurons and astroglial cells and p38γ localized to pre-synaptic terminals. In DLB and α-syn Tg brains, however, p38α levels were increased in astroglial cells while p38γ immunostaining was redistributed from the synaptic terminals to the neuronal cell bodies. Double immunolabeling further showed that p38γ colocalized with α-syn aggregates in DLB patients, and immunoblot and qPCR analysis confirmed the increased levels of p38α and p38γ. α1-syntrophin, a synaptic target of p38γ, was present in the neuropil and some neuronal cell bodies in human controls and non-Tg mice. In DLB and and Tg mice, however, α1-syntrophin was decreased in the neuropil and instead colocalized with α-syn in intra-neuronal inclusions. In agreement with these findings, in vitro studies showed that α-syn co-immunoprecipitates with p38γ, but not p38α. These results suggest that α-syn might interfere with the p38γ pathway and play a role in the mechanisms of synaptic dysfunction in DLB/PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiyo Iba
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Molecular Neuropathology Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Changyoun Kim
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Molecular Neuropathology Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jazmin Florio
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Michael Mante
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Anthony Adame
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Edward Rockenstein
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Somin Kwon
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Molecular Neuropathology Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Robert Rissman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Eliezer Masliah
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Molecular Neuropathology Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Division of Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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27
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Aβ Puts the Alpha in Synuclein. Neuron 2020; 105:205-206. [PMID: 31972141 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease are characterized pathologically by aberrant protein accumulation, such as Aβ or α-synuclein deposition. In this issue of Neuron, Bassil et al. (2020) observed an exacerbation of α-syn pathology in the presence of Aβ plaques in vivo, with comorbid pathologies associated with greater neurodegeneration.
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28
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Bassil F, Brown HJ, Pattabhiraman S, Iwasyk JE, Maghames CM, Meymand ES, Cox TO, Riddle DM, Zhang B, Trojanowski JQ, Lee VMY. Amyloid-Beta (Aβ) Plaques Promote Seeding and Spreading of Alpha-Synuclein and Tau in a Mouse Model of Lewy Body Disorders with Aβ Pathology. Neuron 2020; 105:260-275.e6. [PMID: 31759806 PMCID: PMC6981053 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Studies have shown an overlap of Aβ plaques, tau tangles, and α-synuclein (α-syn) pathologies in the brains of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) with dementia (PDD) patients, with increased pathological burden correlating with severity of cognitive and motor symptoms. Despite the observed co-pathology and concomitance of motor and cognitive phenotypes, the consequences of the primary amyloidogenic protein on the secondary pathologies remain poorly understood. To better define the relationship between α-syn and Aβ plaques, we injected α-syn preformed fibrils (α-syn mpffs) into mice with abundant Aβ plaques. Aβ deposits dramatically accelerated α-syn pathogenesis and spread throughout the brain. Remarkably, hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) was induced in α-syn mpff-injected 5xFAD mice. Finally, α-syn mpff-injected 5xFAD mice showed neuron loss that correlated with the progressive decline of cognitive and motor performance. Our findings suggest a "feed-forward" mechanism whereby Aβ plaques enhance endogenous α-syn seeding and spreading over time post-injection with mpffs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fares Bassil
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Hannah J Brown
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Shankar Pattabhiraman
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Joe E Iwasyk
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Chantal M Maghames
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Emily S Meymand
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Timothy O Cox
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Dawn M Riddle
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Bin Zhang
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - John Q Trojanowski
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Virginia M-Y Lee
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute on Aging and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Visanji NP, Lang AE, Kovacs GG. Beyond the synucleinopathies: alpha synuclein as a driving force in neurodegenerative comorbidities. Transl Neurodegener 2019; 8:28. [PMID: 31508228 PMCID: PMC6727368 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-019-0172-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The fundamental role that alpha-synuclein (aSyn) plays in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative synucleinopathies, including Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy, is a well-accepted fact. A wealth of experimental evidence has linked this relatively small but ubiquitously expressed protein to a plethora of cytopathologic mechanisms and suggests that aSyn may be capable of seeding the progressive spread of synucleinopathy throughout the brain. Beyond the synucleinopathies, the abnormal deposition of aSyn is frequently seen in a variety of other neurodegenerative proteinopathies including Alzheimer’s disease. In spite of the fact that the frequency of concomitant aSyn pathology in these disorders is such that it can be considered the rule rather than the exception, the potential role that aSyn may have in these disorders has received relatively little attention. In this article we postulate that aSyn may in fact be a key protein in driving the pathogenic processes in neurodegenerative comorbidities. In addition to reviewing the frequency of concomitant deposition of aSyn in the neurodegenerative proteinopathies, we also consider our current understanding of the interaction of aSyn with other neurodegenerative disease-associated proteins, including tau, TDP-43, amyloid-β and prion protein, in the context of neuropathologic studies describing the anatomical sites of potential concomitant pathology. We conclude that a growing body of evidence, encompassing neuropathology studies in human brain, animal models of concomitant proteinopathies and studies employing sophisticated methods of probing protein-protein interaction, cumulatively suggest that aSyn is well positioned to exert a strong influence on the pathogenesis of the neurodegenerative comorbidities. We hope to stimulate research in this emerging field and consider that future studies exploring the contribution of aSyn to the pathogenic processes in neurodegenerative comorbidities may provide critical information pertaining to diagnosis and the development of vital disease modifying treatments for these devastating diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi P Visanji
- 1Edmond J. Safra program in Parkinson's disease and the Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement disorders clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario Canada
| | - Anthony E Lang
- 1Edmond J. Safra program in Parkinson's disease and the Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement disorders clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario Canada
| | - Gabor G Kovacs
- 1Edmond J. Safra program in Parkinson's disease and the Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement disorders clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario Canada.,2Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario Canada.,3Laboratory Medicine Program & Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario Canada
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30
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Mandler M, Rockenstein E, Overk C, Mante M, Florio J, Adame A, Kim C, Santic R, Schneeberger A, Mattner F, Schmidhuber S, Galabova G, Spencer B, Masliah E, Rissman RA. Effects of single and combined immunotherapy approach targeting amyloid β protein and α-synuclein in a dementia with Lewy bodies-like model. Alzheimers Dement 2019; 15:1133-1148. [PMID: 31378574 DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Immunotherapeutic approaches targeting amyloid β (Aβ) protein and tau in Alzheimer's disease and α-synuclein (α-syn) in Parkinson's disease are being developed for treating dementia with Lewy bodies. However, it is unknown if single or combined immunotherapies targeting Aβ and/or α-syn may be effective. METHODS Amyloid precursor protein/α-syn tg mice were immunized with AFFITOPEs® (AFF) peptides specific to Aβ (AD02) or α-syn (PD-AFF1) and the combination. RESULTS AD02 more effectively reduced Aβ and pTau burden; however, the combination exhibited some additive effects. Both AD02 and PD-AFF1 effectively reduced α-syn, ameliorated degeneration of pyramidal neurons, and reduced neuroinflammation. PD-AFF1 more effectively ameliorated cholinergic and dopaminergic fiber loss; the combined immunization displayed additive effects. AD02 more effectively improved buried pellet test behavior, whereas PD-AFF1 more effectively improved horizontal beam test; the combined immunization displayed additive effects. DISCUSSION Specific active immunotherapy targeting Aβ and/or α-syn may be of potential interest for the treatment of dementia with Lewy bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Edward Rockenstein
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Cassia Overk
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Michael Mante
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jazmin Florio
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Anthony Adame
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Changyoun Kim
- Division of Neuroscience and Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Brian Spencer
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Eliezer Masliah
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Division of Neuroscience and Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Robert A Rissman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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31
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Spencer B, Trinh I, Rockenstein E, Mante M, Florio J, Adame A, El-Agnaf OMA, Kim C, Masliah E, Rissman RA. Systemic peptide mediated delivery of an siRNA targeting α-syn in the CNS ameliorates the neurodegenerative process in a transgenic model of Lewy body disease. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 127:163-177. [PMID: 30849508 PMCID: PMC6588505 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders of the aging population are characterized by progressive accumulation of neuronal proteins such as α-synuclein (α-syn) in Parkinson's Disease (PD) and Amyloid ß (Aß) and Tau in Alzheimer's disease (AD) for which no treatments are currently available. The ability to regulate the expression at the gene transcription level would be beneficial for reducing the accumulation of these proteins or regulating expression levels of other genes in the CNS. Short interfering RNA molecules can bind specifically to target RNAs and deliver them for degradation. This approach has shown promise therapeutically in vitro and in vivo in mouse models of PD and AD and other neurological disorders; however, delivery of the siRNA to the CNS in vivo has been achieved primarily through intra-cerebral or intra-thecal injections that may be less amenable for clinical translation; therefore, alternative approaches for delivery of siRNAs to the brain is needed. Recently, we described a small peptide from the envelope protein of the rabies virus (C2-9r) that was utilized to deliver an siRNA targeting α-syn across the blood brain barrier (BBB) following intravenous injection. This approach showed reduced expression of α-syn and neuroprotection in a toxic mouse model of PD. However, since receptor-mediated delivery is potentially saturable, each allowing the delivery of a limited number of molecules, we identified an alternative peptide for the transport of nucleotides across the BBB based on the apolipoprotein B (apoB) protein targeted to the family of low-density lipoprotein receptors (LDL-R). We used an 11-amino acid sequence from the apoB protein (ApoB11) that, when coupled with a 9-amino acid arginine linker, can transport siRNAs across the BBB to neuronal and glial cells. To examine the value of this peptide mediated oligonucleotide delivery system for PD, we delivered an siRNA targeting the α-syn (siα-syn) in a transgenic mouse model of PD. We found that ApoB11 was effective (comparable to C2-9r) at mediating the delivery of siα-syn into the CNS, co-localized to neurons and glial cells and reduced levels of α-syn protein translation and accumulation. Delivery of ApoB11/siα-syn was accompanied by protection from degeneration of selected neuronal populations in the neocortex, limbic system and striato-nigral system and reduced neuro-inflammation. Taken together, these results suggest that systemic delivery of oligonucleotides targeting α-syn using ApoB11 might be an interesting alternative strategy worth considering for the experimental treatment of synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Spencer
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ivy Trinh
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Edward Rockenstein
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Michael Mante
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jazmin Florio
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Anthony Adame
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Omar M A El-Agnaf
- Neurological Disorders Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Changyoun Kim
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Eliezer Masliah
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Laboratory of Neurogenetics National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Division of Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Robert A Rissman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System San Diego, CA, USA.
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32
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Twohig D, Nielsen HM. α-synuclein in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease. Mol Neurodegener 2019; 14:23. [PMID: 31186026 PMCID: PMC6558879 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-019-0320-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Alzheimer’s disease (AD) afflicted brain is neuropathologically defined by extracellular amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyperphosphorylated tau protein. However, accumulating evidence suggests that the presynaptic protein α-synuclein (αSyn), mainly associated with synucleinopathies like Parkinson’s disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and multiple system atrophy (MSA), is involved in the pathophysiology of AD. Lewy-related pathology (LRP), primarily comprised of αSyn, is present in a majority of autopsied AD brains, and higher levels of αSyn in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD have been linked to cognitive decline. Recent studies also suggest that the asymptomatic accumulation of Aβ plaques is associated with higher CSF αSyn levels in subjects at risk of sporadic AD and in individuals carrying autosomal dominant AD mutations. Experimental evidence has further linked αSyn mainly to tau hyperphosphorylation, but also to the pathological actions of Aβ and the APOEε4 allele, the latter being a major genetic risk factor for both AD and DLB. In this review, we provide a summary of the current evidence proposing an involvement of αSyn either as an active or passive player in the pathophysiological ensemble of AD, and furthermore describe in detail the current knowledge of αSyn structure and inferred function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Twohig
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius Väg 16B, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Henrietta M Nielsen
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius Väg 16B, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden.
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33
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Soe K, Beard H, Neumann D, Trim PJ, Duplock S, Snel MF, Hopwood JJ, Hemsley KM. Early disease course is unaltered in mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIA (MPS IIIA) mice lacking α-synuclein. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2019; 45:715-731. [PMID: 30907009 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sanfilippo syndrome (mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIA; MPS IIIA) is an inherited paediatric-onset neurodegenerative disorder caused by the lysosomal deficiency of sulphamidase with subsequent accumulation of heparan sulphate. The pathological mechanisms responsible for clinical disease are unknown; however, intraneuronal accumulation of aggregation-prone proteins such as α-synuclein, phosphorylated tau and amyloid precursor protein suggests inefficient intracellular trafficking and lysosomal degradation. AIM To investigate the contribution the accumulating α-synuclein plays in early symptom emergence that is, impaired cognition, reduced anxiety and motor deficits, first detectable between 3-5 months of age. METHODS We have crossed congenic MPS IIIA mice with α-synuclein-deficient (Sncatm1Rosl /J) mice and evaluated phenotype and brain disease lesions. RESULTS In a battery of behavioural tests performed on mice aged 12-22 weeks, we were unable to differentiate α-synuclein-deficient MPS IIIA mice from those with one or both copies of the α-synuclein gene; all three affected genotypes were significantly impaired in test performance when compared to wild-type littermates. Histological studies revealed that the rate, location and nature of deposition of other proteinaceous lesions, the disruption to endolysosomal protein expression and the inflammatory response seen in the brain of α-synuclein-deficient MPS IIIA mice reflected that seen in MPS IIIA mice homo- or heterozygous for α-synuclein. CONCLUSION Deletion and/or deficiency of α-synuclein does not influence clinical and neuropathological disease progression in murine MPS IIIA, demonstrating that in and of itself, this protein does not initiate the cognitive and motor symptoms that occur in the first 5 months of life in MPS IIIA mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Soe
- Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology (HCN), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - H Beard
- Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology (HCN), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - D Neumann
- Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology (HCN), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - P J Trim
- Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology (HCN), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - S Duplock
- Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology (HCN), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - M F Snel
- Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology (HCN), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - J J Hopwood
- Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology (HCN), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - K M Hemsley
- Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology (HCN), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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34
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Khan SS, LaCroix M, Boyle G, Sherman MA, Brown JL, Amar F, Aldaco J, Lee MK, Bloom GS, Lesné SE. Bidirectional modulation of Alzheimer phenotype by alpha-synuclein in mice and primary neurons. Acta Neuropathol 2018; 136:589-605. [PMID: 29995210 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-018-1886-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Revised: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
α-Synuclein (αSyn) histopathology defines several neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson's disease, Lewy body dementia, and Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the functional link between soluble αSyn and disease etiology remains elusive, especially in AD. We, therefore, genetically targeted αSyn in APP transgenic mice modeling AD and mouse primary neurons. Our results demonstrate bidirectional modulation of behavioral deficits and pathophysiology by αSyn. Overexpression of human wild-type αSyn in APP animals markedly reduced amyloid deposition but, counter-intuitively, exacerbated deficits in spatial memory. It also increased extracellular amyloid-β oligomers (AβOs), αSyn oligomers, exacerbated tau conformational and phosphorylation variants associated with AD, and enhanced neuronal cell cycle re-entry (CCR), a frequent prelude to neuron death in AD. Conversely, ablation of the SNCA gene encoding for αSyn in APP mice improved memory retention in spite of increased plaque burden. Reminiscent of the effect of MAPT ablation in APP mice, SNCA deletion prevented premature mortality. Moreover, the absence of αSyn decreased extracellular AβOs, ameliorated CCR, and rescued postsynaptic marker deficits. In summary, this complementary, bidirectional genetic approach implicates αSyn as an essential mediator of key phenotypes in AD and offers new functional insight into αSyn pathophysiology.
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35
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Spencer B, Brüschweiler S, Sealey-Cardona M, Rockenstein E, Adame A, Florio J, Mante M, Trinh I, Rissman RA, Konrat R, Masliah E. Selective targeting of 3 repeat Tau with brain penetrating single chain antibodies for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. Acta Neuropathol 2018; 136:69-87. [PMID: 29934874 PMCID: PMC6112111 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-018-1869-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in the elderly affecting more than 5 million people in the U.S. AD is characterized by the accumulation of β-amyloid (Aβ) and Tau in the brain, and is manifested by severe impairments in memory and cognition. Therefore, removing tau pathology has become one of the main therapeutic goals for the treatment of AD. Tau (tubulin-associated unit) is a major neuronal cytoskeletal protein found in the CNS encoded by the gene MAPT. Alternative splicing generates two major isoforms of tau containing either 3 or 4 repeat (R) segments. These 3R or 4RTau species are differentially expressed in neurodegenerative diseases. Previous studies have been focused on reducing Tau accumulation with antibodies against total Tau, 4RTau or phosphorylated isoforms. Here, we developed a brain penetrating, single chain antibody that specifically recognizes a pathogenic 3RTau. This single chain antibody was modified by the addition of a fragment of the apoB protein to facilitate trafficking into the brain, once in the CNS these antibody fragments reduced the accumulation of 3RTau and related deficits in a transgenic mouse model of tauopathy. NMR studies showed that the single chain antibody recognized an epitope at aa 40-62 of 3RTau. This single chain antibody reduced 3RTau transmission and facilitated the clearance of Tau via the endosomal-lysosomal pathway. Together, these results suggest that targeting 3RTau with highly specific, brain penetrating, single chain antibodies might be of potential value for the treatment of tauopathies such as Pick's Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Spencer
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Sven Brüschweiler
- Department of Computational and Structural Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marco Sealey-Cardona
- Department of Computational and Structural Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Edward Rockenstein
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Anthony Adame
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jazmin Florio
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Michael Mante
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ivy Trinh
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Robert A Rissman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, USA
| | - Robert Konrat
- Department of Computational and Structural Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eliezer Masliah
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA.
- Department of Pathology, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA.
- Molecular Neuropathology Section, Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, 7201 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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Xu W, Fang F, Ding J, Wu C. Dysregulation of Rab5-mediated endocytic pathways in Alzheimer's disease. Traffic 2018; 19:253-262. [PMID: 29314494 PMCID: PMC5869093 DOI: 10.1111/tra.12547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 12/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Increasing evidence has pointed to that dysregulation of the endo-lysosomal system is an early cellular phenotype of pathogenesis for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Rab5, a small GTPase, plays a critical role in mediating these processes. Abnormal overactivation of Rab5 has been observed in post-mortem brain samples of Alzheimer's patients as well as brain samples of mouse models of AD. Recent genome-wide association studies of AD have identified RIN3 (Ras and Rab interactor 3) as a novel risk factor for the disease. RIN3 that functions as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rab5 may serve as an important activator for Rab5 in AD pathogenesis. In this review, we present recent research highlights on the possible roles of dysregulation of Rab5-mediated endocytic pathways in contributing to early pathogenesis of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Xu
- Institute of Neurology and Department of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Fang Fang
- Institute of Neurology and Department of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Jianqing Ding
- Institute of Neurology and Department of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chengbiao Wu
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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37
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Chen XQ, Sawa M, Mobley WC. Dysregulation of neurotrophin signaling in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease and of Alzheimer disease in Down syndrome. Free Radic Biol Med 2018; 114:52-61. [PMID: 29031834 PMCID: PMC5748266 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2017.10.341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Revised: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Neurotrophic factors, including the members of the neurotrophin family, play important roles in the development and maintenance of the nervous system. Trophic factor signals must be transmitted over long distances from axons and dendrites to the cell bodies of neurons. A mode of signaling well suited to the challenge of robust long distance signaling is the signaling endosome. We review the biology of signaling endosomes and the "signaling endosome hypothesis". Evidence for disruption of signaling endosome function in disorders of the nervous system is also reviewed. Changes in endosome structure in Alzheimer disease (AD) and Down syndrome (DS) are present early in these disorders. Data for the APP products responsible are reviewed and the consequent changes in signaling from endosomes discussed. We conclude by pointing to the need for additional studies to explore the biology of signaling endosomes in normal neurons and to elucidate their role in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu-Qiao Chen
- University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States.
| | - Mariko Sawa
- University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - William C Mobley
- University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States.
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38
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Benussi L, Binetti G, Ghidoni R. Loss of Neuroprotective Factors in Neurodegenerative Dementias: The End or the Starting Point? Front Neurosci 2017; 11:672. [PMID: 29249935 PMCID: PMC5717017 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent clinical, genetic and biochemical experimental evidences highlight the existence of common molecular pathways underlying neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we will explore a key common pathological mechanism, i.e., the loss of neuroprotective factors, across the three major neurodegenerative diseases leading to dementia: Alzheimer's disease (AD), Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Lewy body dementia (LBD). We will report evidences that the Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), the most investigated and characterized brain neurotrophin, progranulin, a multi-functional adipokine with trophic and growth factor properties, and cystatin C, a neuroprotective growth factor, are reduced in AD, FTD, and LBD. Moreover, we will review the molecular mechanism underlying the loss of neuroprotective factors in neurodegenerative diseases leading to dementia, with a special focus on endo-lysosomal pathway and intercellular communication mediated by extracellular vesicles. Exploring the shared commonality of disease mechanisms is of pivotal importance to identify novel potential therapeutic targets and to develop treatments to delay, slow or block disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Benussi
- Molecular Markers Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giuliano Binetti
- Molecular Markers Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.,MAC Memory Center, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Roberta Ghidoni
- Molecular Markers Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
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39
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Valera E, Spencer B, Mott J, Trejo M, Adame A, Mante M, Rockenstein E, Troncoso JC, Beach TG, Masliah E, Desplats P. MicroRNA-101 Modulates Autophagy and Oligodendroglial Alpha-Synuclein Accumulation in Multiple System Atrophy. Front Mol Neurosci 2017; 10:329. [PMID: 29089869 PMCID: PMC5650998 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Synucleinopathies, neurodegenerative disorders with alpha-synuclein (α-syn) accumulation, are the second leading cause of neurodegeneration in the elderly, however no effective disease-modifying alternatives exist for these diseases. Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a fatal synucleinopathy characterized by the accumulation of toxic aggregates of α-syn within oligodendroglial cells, leading to demyelination and neurodegeneration, and the reduction of this accumulation might halt the fast progression of MSA. In this sense, the involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs) in synucleinopathies is yet poorly understood, and the potential of manipulating miRNA levels as a therapeutic tool is underexplored. In this study, we analyzed the levels of miRNAs that regulate the expression of autophagy genes in MSA cases, and investigated the mechanistic correlates of miRNA dysregulation in in vitro models of synucleinopathy. We found that microRNA-101 (miR-101) was significantly increased in the striatum of MSA patients, together with a reduction in the expression of its predicted target gene RAB5A. Overexpression of miR-101 in oligodendroglial cell cultures resulted in a significant increase in α-syn accumulation, along with autophagy deficits. Opposite results were observed upon expression of an antisense construct targeting miR-101. Stereotaxic delivery of a lentiviral construct expressing anti-miR-101 into the striatum of the MBP-α-syn transgenic (tg) mouse model of MSA resulted in reduced oligodendroglial α-syn accumulation and improved autophagy. These results suggest that miRNA dysregulation contributes to MSA pathology, with miR-101 alterations potentially mediating autophagy impairments. Therefore, therapies targeting miR-101 may represent promising approaches for MSA and related neuropathologies with autophagy dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvira Valera
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Brian Spencer
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Jennifer Mott
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Margarita Trejo
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Anthony Adame
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Michael Mante
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Edward Rockenstein
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Juan C Troncoso
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Thomas G Beach
- Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ, United States
| | - Eliezer Masliah
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.,Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Paula Desplats
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.,Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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40
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Pepeu G, Grazia Giovannini M. The fate of the brain cholinergic neurons in neurodegenerative diseases. Brain Res 2017; 1670:173-184. [PMID: 28652219 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2017.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Revised: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The aims of this review are: 1) to describe which cholinergic neurons are affected in brain neurodegenerative diseases leading to dementia; 2) to discuss the possible causes of the degeneration of the cholinergic neurons, 3) to summarize the functional consequences of the cholinergic deficit. The brain cholinergic system is basically constituted by three populations of phenotypically similar neurons forming a series of basal forebrain nuclei, the midpontine nuclei and a large population of striatal interneurons. In Alzheimer's disease there is an extensive loss of forebrain cholinergic neurons accompanied by a reduction of the cholinergic fiber network of the cortical mantel and hippocampus. The midpontine cholinergic nuclei are spared. The same situation occurs in the corticobasal syndrome and dementia following alcohol abuse and traumatic brain injury. Conversely, in Parkinson's disease, the midpontine nuclei degenerate, together with the dopaminergic nuclei, reducing the cholinergic input to thalamus and forebrain whereas the forebrain cholinergic neurons are spared. In Parkinson's disease with dementia, Lewis Body Dementia and Parkinsonian syndromes both groups of forebrain and midpontine cholinergic nuclei degenerate. In Huntington's disease a dysfunction of the striatal cholinergic interneurons without cell loss takes place. The formation and accumulation of misfolded proteins such as β-amyloid oligomers and plaques, tau protein tangles and α-synuclein clumps, and aggregated mutated huntingtin play a crucial role in the neuronal degeneration by direct cellular toxicity of the misfolded proteins and through the toxic compounds resulting from an extensive inflammatory reaction. Evidences indicate that β-amyloid disrupts NGF metabolism causing the degeneration of the cholinergic neurons which depend on NGF for their survival, namely the forebrain cholinergic neurons, sparing the midpontine and striatal neurons which express no specific NGF receptors. It is feasible that the latter cholinergic neurons may be damaged by direct toxicity of tau, α-synuclein and inflammations products through mechanisms not fully understood. Attention and learning and memory impairment are the functional consequences of the forebrain cholinergic neuron dysfunction, whereas the loss of midpontine cholinergic neurons results primarily in motor and sleep disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giancarlo Pepeu
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Viale G. Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy.
| | - Maria Grazia Giovannini
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Viale G. Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy.
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41
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Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated that hyperphosphorylation of tau protein plays a role in neuronal toxicities of α-synuclein (ASYN) in neurodegenerative disease such as familial Alzheimer’s disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson’s disease. Using a transgenic mouse model of Parkinson’s disease (PD) that expresses GFP-ASYN driven by the PDGF-β promoter, we investigated how accumulation of ASYN impacted axonal function. We found that retrograde axonal trafficking of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in DIV7 cultures of E18 cortical neurons was markedly impaired at the embryonic stage, even though hyperphosphorylation of tau was not detectable in these neurons at this stage. Interestingly, we found that overexpressed ASYN interacted with dynein and induced a significant increase in the activated levels of small Rab GTPases such as Rab5 and Rab7, both key regulators of endocytic processes. Furthermore, expression of ASYN resulted in neuronal atrophy in DIV7 cortical cultures of either from E18 transgenic mouse model or from rat E18 embryos that were transiently transfected with ASYN-GFP for 72 hrs. Our studies suggest that excessive ASYN likely alters endocytic pathways leading to axonal dysfunction in embryonic cortical neurons in PD mouse models.
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