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Sala-Jarque J, Gil V, Andrés-Benito P, Martínez-Soria I, Picón-Pagès P, Hernández F, Ávila J, Lanciego JL, Nuvolone M, Aguzzi A, Gavín R, Ferrer I, Del Río JA. The cellular prion protein does not affect tau seeding and spreading of sarkosyl-insoluble fractions from Alzheimer's disease. Sci Rep 2024; 14:21622. [PMID: 39284839 PMCID: PMC11405773 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-72232-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 09/04/2024] [Indexed: 09/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrPC) plays many roles in the developing and adult brain. In addition, PrPC binds to several amyloids in oligomeric and prefibrillar forms and may act as a putative receptor of abnormal misfolded protein species. The role of PrPC in tau seeding and spreading is not known. In the present study, we have inoculated well-characterized sarkosyl-insoluble fractions of sporadic Alzheimer's disease (sAD) into the brain of adult wild-type mice (Prnp+/+), Prnp0/0 (ZH3 strain) mice, and mice over-expressing the secreted form of PrPC lacking their GPI anchor (Tg44 strain). Phospho-tau (ptau) seeding and spreading involving neurons and oligodendrocytes were observed three and six months after inoculation. 3Rtau and 4Rtau deposits from the host tau, as revealed by inoculating Mapt0/0 mice and by using specific anti-mouse and anti-human tau antibodies suggest modulation of exon 10 splicing of the host mouse Mapt gene elicited by exogenous sAD-tau. However, no tau seeding and spreading differences were observed among Prnp genotypes. Our results show that PrPC does not affect tau seeding and spreading in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Sala-Jarque
- Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Parc Científic de Barcelona, Baldiri and Reixac 15-21, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Ciberned (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Vanessa Gil
- Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Parc Científic de Barcelona, Baldiri and Reixac 15-21, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Ciberned (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pol Andrés-Benito
- Ciberned (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Inés Martínez-Soria
- Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Parc Científic de Barcelona, Baldiri and Reixac 15-21, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Ciberned (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pol Picón-Pagès
- Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Parc Científic de Barcelona, Baldiri and Reixac 15-21, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Ciberned (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Félix Hernández
- Ciberned (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Biología Molecular 'Severo Ochoa' (CBMSO) CSIC/UAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Ávila
- Ciberned (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Biología Molecular 'Severo Ochoa' (CBMSO) CSIC/UAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Luis Lanciego
- Ciberned (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Neurosciences, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Mario Nuvolone
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Amyloidosis Research and Treatment Center, Foundation Scientific Institute Policlinico San Matteo, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Rosalina Gavín
- Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Parc Científic de Barcelona, Baldiri and Reixac 15-21, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Ciberned (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Isidro Ferrer
- Ciberned (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Antonio Del Río
- Molecular and Cellular Neurobiotechnology, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Parc Científic de Barcelona, Baldiri and Reixac 15-21, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
- Ciberned (Network Centre of Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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2
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Miller LVC, Papa G, Vaysburd M, Cheng S, Sweeney PW, Smith A, Franco C, Katsinelos T, Huang M, Sanford SAI, Benn J, Farnsworth J, Higginson K, Joyner H, McEwan WA, James LC. Co-opting templated aggregation to degrade pathogenic tau assemblies and improve motor function. Cell 2024:S0092-8674(24)00912-7. [PMID: 39276772 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/17/2024]
Abstract
Protein aggregation causes a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases. Targeting and removing aggregates, but not the functional protein, is a considerable therapeutic challenge. Here, we describe a therapeutic strategy called "RING-Bait," which employs an aggregating protein sequence combined with an E3 ubiquitin ligase. RING-Bait is recruited into aggregates, whereupon clustering dimerizes the RING domain and activates its E3 function, resulting in the degradation of the aggregate complex. We exemplify this concept by demonstrating the specific degradation of tau aggregates while sparing soluble tau. Unlike immunotherapy, RING-Bait is effective against both seeded and cell-autonomous aggregation. RING-Bait removed tau aggregates seeded from Alzheimer's disease (AD) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) brain extracts and was also effective in primary neurons. We used a brain-penetrant adeno-associated virus (AAV) to treat P301S tau transgenic mice, reducing tau pathology and improving motor function. A RING-Bait strategy could be applied to other neurodegenerative proteinopathies by replacing the Bait sequence to match the target aggregate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren V C Miller
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK; MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK.
| | - Guido Papa
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK.
| | - Marina Vaysburd
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Shi Cheng
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK; GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Sciences, The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Laboratory for Cell Fate, Regulation and Diseases, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Paul W Sweeney
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Annabel Smith
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Catarina Franco
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Taxiarchis Katsinelos
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Melissa Huang
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Sophie A I Sanford
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Jonathan Benn
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Jasmine Farnsworth
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Katie Higginson
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Holly Joyner
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - William A McEwan
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK.
| | - Leo C James
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK.
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3
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Benn J, Cheng S, Keeling S, Smith AE, Vaysburd MJ, Böken D, Miller LVC, Katsinelos T, Franco C, Dupré E, Danis C, Landrieu I, Buée L, Klenerman D, James LC, McEwan WA. Aggregate-selective removal of pathological tau by clustering-activated degraders. Science 2024; 385:1009-1016. [PMID: 39208111 DOI: 10.1126/science.adp5186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Selective degradation of pathological protein aggregates while sparing monomeric forms is of major therapeutic interest. The E3 ligase tripartite motif-containing protein 21 (TRIM21) degrades antibody-bound proteins in an assembly state-specific manner due to the requirement of TRIM21 RING domain clustering for activation, yet effective targeting of intracellular assemblies remains challenging. Here, we fused the RING domain of TRIM21 to a target-specific nanobody to create intracellularly expressed constructs capable of selectively degrading assembled proteins. We evaluated this approach against green fluorescent protein-tagged histone 2B (H2B-GFP) and tau, a protein that undergoes pathological aggregation in Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. RING-nanobody degraders prevented or reversed tau aggregation in culture and in vivo, with minimal impact on monomeric tau. This approach may have therapeutic potential for the many disorders driven by intracellular protein aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Benn
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Shi Cheng
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Sophie Keeling
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Annabel E Smith
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | | | - Dorothea Böken
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | | | - Taxiarchis Katsinelos
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | | | - Elian Dupré
- CNRS EMR9002-BSI-Integrative Structural Biology, LabEx DISTALZ, F-59000 Lille, France
- Université Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167-RID-AGE, Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Clément Danis
- CNRS EMR9002-BSI-Integrative Structural Biology, LabEx DISTALZ, F-59000 Lille, France
- Université Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167-RID-AGE, Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, F-59000 Lille, France
- Université Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, LabEx DISTALZ, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Isabelle Landrieu
- CNRS EMR9002-BSI-Integrative Structural Biology, LabEx DISTALZ, F-59000 Lille, France
- Université Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167-RID-AGE, Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Luc Buée
- Université Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, LabEx DISTALZ, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - David Klenerman
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Leo C James
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - William A McEwan
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
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4
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Ayers J, Lopez TP, Steele IT, Oehler A, Roman-Albarran R, Cleveland E, Chong A, Carlson GA, Condello C, Prusiner SB. Severe neurodegeneration in brains of transgenic rats producing human tau prions. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 148:25. [PMID: 39160375 PMCID: PMC11333523 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02771-5] [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: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024]
Abstract
Both wild-type and mutant tau proteins can misfold into prions and self-propagate in the central nervous system of animals and people. To extend the work of others, we investigated the molecular basis of tau prion-mediated neurodegeneration in transgenic (Tg) rats expressing mutant human tau (P301S); this line of Tg rats is denoted Tg12099. We used the rat Prnp promoter to drive the overexpression of mutant tau (P301S) in the human 0N4R isoform. In Tg12099(+/+) rats homozygous for the transgene, ubiquitous expression of mutant human tau resulted in the progressive accumulation of phosphorylated tau inclusions, including silver-positive tangles in the frontal cortices and limbic system. Signs of central nervous system dysfunction were found in terminal Tg12099(+/+) rats exhibiting severe neurodegeneration and profound atrophy of the amygdala and piriform cortex. The greatest increases in tau prion activity were found in the corticolimbic structures. In contrast to the homozygous Tg12099(+/+) rats, we found lower levels of mutant tau in the hemizygous rats, resulting in few neuropathologic changes up to 2 years of age. Notably, these hemizygous rats could be infected by intracerebral inoculation with recombinant tau fibrils or precipitated tau prions from the brain homogenates of sick, aged homozygous Tg12099(+/+) rats. Our studies argue that the regional propagation of tau prions and neurodegeneration in the Tg12099 rats resembles that found in human primary tauopathies. These findings seem likely to advance our understanding of human tauopathies and may lead to effective therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease and other tau prion disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Ayers
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - T Peter Lopez
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Ian T Steele
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Abby Oehler
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Rigo Roman-Albarran
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Elisa Cleveland
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Alex Chong
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - George A Carlson
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Carlo Condello
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
| | - Stanley B Prusiner
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
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5
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Schweighauser M, Shi Y, Murzin AG, Garringer HJ, Vidal R, Murrell JR, Erro ME, Seelaar H, Ferrer I, van Swieten JC, Ghetti B, Scheres SH, Goedert M. Novel tau filament folds in individuals with MAPT mutations P301L and P301T. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.15.608062. [PMID: 39185206 PMCID: PMC11343192 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.15.608062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Mutations in MAPT, the microtubule-associated protein tau gene, give rise to cases of frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17) with abundant filamentous tau inclusions in brain cells. Individuals with pathological MAPT variants exhibit behavioural changes, cognitive impairment and signs of parkinsonism. Missense mutations of residue P301, which are the most common MAPT mutations associated with FTDP-17, give rise to the assembly of mutant four-repeat tau into filamentous inclusions, in the absence of extracellular deposits. Here we report the cryo-EM structures of tau filaments from five individuals belonging to three unrelated families with mutation P301L and from one individual belonging to a family with mutation P301T. A novel three-lobed tau fold resembling the two-layered tau fold of Pick's disease was present in all cases with the P301L tau mutation. Two different tau folds were found in the case with mutation P301T, the less abundant of which was a variant of the three-lobed fold. The major P301T tau fold was V-shaped, with partial similarity to the four-layered tau folds of corticobasal degeneration and argyrophilic grain disease. These findings suggest that FTDP-17 with mutations in P301 should be considered distinct inherited tauopathies and that model systems with these mutations should be used with caution in the study of sporadic tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Schweighauser
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Yang Shi
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Pathology of the First Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Alexey G. Murzin
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Holly J. Garringer
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA
| | - Ruben Vidal
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA
| | - Jill R. Murrell
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children’s Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - M. Elena Erro
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Brain Bank NavarraBiomed, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Harro Seelaar
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Isidro Ferrer
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Bernardino Ghetti
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA
| | - Sjors H.W. Scheres
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- These authors jointly supervised the work
| | - Michel Goedert
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
- These authors jointly supervised the work
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Heuer SE, Bloss EB, Howell GR. Strategies to dissect microglia-synaptic interactions during aging and in Alzheimer's disease. Neuropharmacology 2024; 254:109987. [PMID: 38705570 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Age is the largest risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disorder that causes a progressive and severe dementia. The underlying cause of cognitive deficits seen in AD is thought to be the disconnection of neural circuits that control memory and executive functions. Insight into the mechanisms by which AD diverges from normal aging will require identifying precisely which cellular events are driven by aging and which are impacted by AD-related pathologies. Since microglia, the brain-resident macrophages, are known to have critical roles in the formation and maintenance of neural circuits through synaptic pruning, they are well-positioned to modulate synaptic connectivity in circuits sensitive to aging or AD. In this review, we provide an overview of the current state of the field and on emerging technologies being employed to elucidate microglia-synaptic interactions in aging and AD. We also discuss the importance of leveraging genetic diversity to study how these interactions are shaped across more realistic contexts. We propose that these approaches will be essential to define specific aging- and disease-relevant trajectories for more personalized therapeutics aimed at reducing the effects of age or AD pathologies on the brain. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Microglia".
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Heuer
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, 04609, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02111, USA
| | - Erik B Bloss
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, 04609, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02111, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME, 04469, USA.
| | - Gareth R Howell
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, 04609, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02111, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME, 04469, USA.
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7
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Mohamed AS, ElKaffas M, Metwally K, Abdelfattah M, Elsery EA, Elshazly A, Gomaa HE, Alsayed A, El-Desouky S, El-Gamal R, Elfarrash S. Impairment of Nrf2 signaling in the hippocampus of P301S tauopathy mice model aligns with the cognitive impairment and the associated neuroinflammation. J Inflamm (Lond) 2024; 21:29. [PMID: 39107774 PMCID: PMC11304845 DOI: 10.1186/s12950-024-00396-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Mice transgenic for human P301S tau protein exhibit many characteristics of the human tauopathies, including the formation of abundant hyperphoshorylated tau filaments, the associated neuroinflammation and disease phenotype. However, the exact underpinning mechanisms are still not fully addressed that hinder our understanding of the tauopathy diseases and the development of possible therapeutic targets.Methods: In the current study, hippocampus from three disease time points (2, 4 and 6 months) of P301S mice were further characterized in comparison to the age and sex matched control wild type mice (WT) that do not express the transgene. Different spectrum of hippocampal dependent cognitive tests, biochemical and pathological analysis were conducted to understand the disease progression and the associated changes in each stage. Results: Cognitive impairment was manifested as early as 2 months age, prior to the identification of tau aggregation and phosphorylation by immunostaining. P301S mice manifested an increased pro-inflammatory related changes at mRNA transcription level (IL-1b and IL17A) with the progression of the disease and when compared to the WT mice of the same age. Among the identified genes in the current study, the nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) genes expression that is considered as the master regulator of an endogenous inducible defense system was significantly impaired in P301S mice by 4 and 6 months when compared to healthy WT controls. A data that was also supported by the immunostaining of the serial brain sections including the both brain stem and hippocampus. The current result is suggesting that the downregulation of Nrf2 gene and the impaired Nrf2 dependent anti-inflammatory mechanisms in P301S mice brain is possibly contributing -among other factors- in the neuroinflammation and tauopathy, and that modulation of Nrf2 signaling impairments can be further investigated as a promising potential therapeutic target for tauopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Sabry Mohamed
- Program of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud ElKaffas
- Mansoura Manchester Medical Program, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
| | - Karim Metwally
- Mansoura Manchester Medical Program, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud Abdelfattah
- Mansoura Manchester Medical Program, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
| | - Eslam Ashraf Elsery
- Mansoura Manchester Medical Program, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Elshazly
- Mansoura Manchester Medical Program, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
| | - Hossam Eldin Gomaa
- Mansoura Manchester Medical Program, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
| | - Aziza Alsayed
- Medical Experimental Research Center (MERC), Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
| | - Sara El-Desouky
- Medical Experimental Research Center (MERC), Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
| | - Randa El-Gamal
- Medical Experimental Research Center (MERC), Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
- Department of Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Horus University, New Damietta, Egypt
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, New Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Sara Elfarrash
- Medical Experimental Research Center (MERC), Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt.
- Department of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt.
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8
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Bacioglu M, Schweighauser M, Gray D, Lövestam S, Katsinelos T, Quaegebeur A, van Swieten J, Jaunmuktane Z, Davies SW, Scheres SHW, Goedert M, Ghetti B, Spillantini MG. Cleaved TMEM106B forms amyloid aggregates in central and peripheral nervous systems. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2024; 12:99. [PMID: 38886865 PMCID: PMC11181561 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-024-01813-z] [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: 06/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Filaments made of residues 120-254 of transmembrane protein 106B (TMEM106B) form in an age-dependent manner and can be extracted from the brains of neurologically normal individuals and those of subjects with a variety of neurodegenerative diseases. TMEM106B filament formation requires cleavage at residue 120 of the 274 amino acid protein; at present, it is not known if residues 255-274 form the fuzzy coat of TMEM106B filaments. Here we show that a second cleavage appears likely, based on staining with an antibody raised against residues 263-274 of TMEM106B. We also show that besides the brain TMEM106B inclusions form in dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord, where they were mostly found in non-neuronal cells. We confirm that in the brain, inclusions were most abundant in astrocytes. No inclusions were detected in heart, liver, spleen or hilar lymph nodes. Based on their staining with luminescent conjugated oligothiophenes, we confirm that TMEM106B inclusions are amyloids. By in situ immunoelectron microscopy, TMEM106B assemblies were often found in structures resembling endosomes and lysosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehtap Bacioglu
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Derrick Gray
- IUSM Center for Electron Microscopy (ICEM), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Sofia Lövestam
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Annelies Quaegebeur
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Cambridge Brain Bank, Cambridge, UK
| | - John van Swieten
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Zane Jaunmuktane
- Division of Neuropathology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, UK
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Stephen W Davies
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College, London, UK
| | - Sjors H W Scheres
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Michel Goedert
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Bernardino Ghetti
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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Parra Bravo C, Giani AM, Madero-Perez J, Zhao Z, Wan Y, Samelson AJ, Wong MY, Evangelisti A, Cordes E, Fan L, Ye P, Zhu D, Pozner T, Mercedes M, Patel T, Yarahmady A, Carling GK, Sterky FH, Lee VMY, Lee EB, DeTure M, Dickson DW, Sharma M, Mok SA, Luo W, Zhao M, Kampmann M, Gong S, Gan L. Human iPSC 4R tauopathy model uncovers modifiers of tau propagation. Cell 2024; 187:2446-2464.e22. [PMID: 38582079 PMCID: PMC11365117 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.015] [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: 06/10/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Tauopathies are age-associated neurodegenerative diseases whose mechanistic underpinnings remain elusive, partially due to a lack of appropriate human models. Here, we engineered human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neuronal lines to express 4R Tau and 4R Tau carrying the P301S MAPT mutation when differentiated into neurons. 4R-P301S neurons display progressive Tau inclusions upon seeding with Tau fibrils and recapitulate features of tauopathy phenotypes including shared transcriptomic signatures, autophagic body accumulation, and reduced neuronal activity. A CRISPRi screen of genes associated with Tau pathobiology identified over 500 genetic modifiers of seeding-induced Tau propagation, including retromer VPS29 and genes in the UFMylation cascade. In progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD) brains, the UFMylation cascade is altered in neurofibrillary-tangle-bearing neurons. Inhibiting the UFMylation cascade in vitro and in vivo suppressed seeding-induced Tau propagation. This model provides a robust platform to identify novel therapeutic strategies for 4R tauopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celeste Parra Bravo
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Alice Maria Giani
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Jesus Madero-Perez
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Zeping Zhao
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Yuansong Wan
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Avi J Samelson
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Man Ying Wong
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Alessandro Evangelisti
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Ethan Cordes
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Li Fan
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Pearly Ye
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Daphne Zhu
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Tatyana Pozner
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Maria Mercedes
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Tark Patel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Allan Yarahmady
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Gillian K Carling
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Fredrik H Sterky
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Gothenburg, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Clinical Chemistry, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Virginia M Y Lee
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Edward B Lee
- Institute of Aging, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michael DeTure
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Dennis W Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Manu Sharma
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Sue-Ann Mok
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Wenjie Luo
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Mingrui Zhao
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Martin Kampmann
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Shiaoching Gong
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA.
| | - Li Gan
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA.
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10
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Lee SY, Shoji H, Shimozawa A, Aoyagi H, Sato Y, Tsumagari K, Terumitsu M, Motegi H, Okada K, Sekiguchi K, Kuromitsu J, Nakahara J, Miyakawa T, Ito D. Phenotypic Insights Into Anti-IgLON5 Disease in IgLON5-Deficient Mice. NEUROLOGY(R) NEUROIMMUNOLOGY & NEUROINFLAMMATION 2024; 11:e200234. [PMID: 38657185 PMCID: PMC11087031 DOI: 10.1212/nxi.0000000000200234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Anti-IgLON5 disease is an autoimmune neurodegenerative disorder characterized by various phenotypes, notably sleep and movement disorders and tau pathology. Although the disease is known to be associated with the neuronal cell adhesion protein IgLON5, the physiologic function of IgLON5 remains elusive. There are conflicting views on whether autoantibodies cause loss of function, activation of IgLON5, or inflammation-associated neuronal damage, ultimately leading to the disease. We generated IgLON5 knockout (-/-) mice to investigate the functions of IgLON5 and elucidate the pathomechanism of anti-IgLON5 disease. METHODS IgLON5 knockout (-/-) mice underwent behavioral tests investigating motor function, psychiatric function (notably anxiety and depression), social and exploratory behaviors, spatial learning and memory, and sensory perception. Histologic analysis was conducted to investigate tau aggregation in mice with tauopathy. RESULTS IgLON5-/- mice had poorer performance in the wire hang and rotarod tests (which are tests for motor function) than wild-type mice. Moreover, IgLON5-/- mice exhibited decreased anxiety-like behavior and/or hyperactivity in behavior tests, including light/dark transition test and open field test. IgLON5-/- mice also exhibited poorer remote memory in the contextual fear conditioning test. However, neither sleeping disabilities assessed by EEG nor tau aggregation was detected in the knockout mice. DISCUSSION These results suggest that IgLON5 is associated with activity, anxiety, motor ability, and contextual fear memory. Comparing the various phenotypes of anti-IgLON5 disease, anti-IgLON5 disease might partially be associated with loss of function of IgLON5; however, other phenotypes, such as sleep disorders and tau aggregation, can be caused by gain of function of IgLON5 and/or neuronal damage due to inflammation. Further studies are needed to elucidate the role of IgLON5 in the pathogenesis of anti-IgLON5 diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sin Yi Lee
- From the Department of Neurology (S.Y.L., H.M., K.O., K.S., J.N.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Division of Systems Medical Science (H.S., T.M.), Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake; Eisai-Keio Innovation Laboratory for Dementia (A.S., H.A., Y.S., M.T., J.K.), Human Biology Integration, DHBL, Eisai Co., Ltd., Shinjuku-ku; Proteome Homeostasis Research Unit (K.T.), RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama; Department of Neurology (H.M.), The Jikei University School of Medicine; and Department of Physiology/Memory Center (D.I.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Shoji
- From the Department of Neurology (S.Y.L., H.M., K.O., K.S., J.N.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Division of Systems Medical Science (H.S., T.M.), Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake; Eisai-Keio Innovation Laboratory for Dementia (A.S., H.A., Y.S., M.T., J.K.), Human Biology Integration, DHBL, Eisai Co., Ltd., Shinjuku-ku; Proteome Homeostasis Research Unit (K.T.), RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama; Department of Neurology (H.M.), The Jikei University School of Medicine; and Department of Physiology/Memory Center (D.I.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Aki Shimozawa
- From the Department of Neurology (S.Y.L., H.M., K.O., K.S., J.N.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Division of Systems Medical Science (H.S., T.M.), Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake; Eisai-Keio Innovation Laboratory for Dementia (A.S., H.A., Y.S., M.T., J.K.), Human Biology Integration, DHBL, Eisai Co., Ltd., Shinjuku-ku; Proteome Homeostasis Research Unit (K.T.), RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama; Department of Neurology (H.M.), The Jikei University School of Medicine; and Department of Physiology/Memory Center (D.I.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Aoyagi
- From the Department of Neurology (S.Y.L., H.M., K.O., K.S., J.N.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Division of Systems Medical Science (H.S., T.M.), Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake; Eisai-Keio Innovation Laboratory for Dementia (A.S., H.A., Y.S., M.T., J.K.), Human Biology Integration, DHBL, Eisai Co., Ltd., Shinjuku-ku; Proteome Homeostasis Research Unit (K.T.), RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama; Department of Neurology (H.M.), The Jikei University School of Medicine; and Department of Physiology/Memory Center (D.I.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshiaki Sato
- From the Department of Neurology (S.Y.L., H.M., K.O., K.S., J.N.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Division of Systems Medical Science (H.S., T.M.), Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake; Eisai-Keio Innovation Laboratory for Dementia (A.S., H.A., Y.S., M.T., J.K.), Human Biology Integration, DHBL, Eisai Co., Ltd., Shinjuku-ku; Proteome Homeostasis Research Unit (K.T.), RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama; Department of Neurology (H.M.), The Jikei University School of Medicine; and Department of Physiology/Memory Center (D.I.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuya Tsumagari
- From the Department of Neurology (S.Y.L., H.M., K.O., K.S., J.N.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Division of Systems Medical Science (H.S., T.M.), Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake; Eisai-Keio Innovation Laboratory for Dementia (A.S., H.A., Y.S., M.T., J.K.), Human Biology Integration, DHBL, Eisai Co., Ltd., Shinjuku-ku; Proteome Homeostasis Research Unit (K.T.), RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama; Department of Neurology (H.M.), The Jikei University School of Medicine; and Department of Physiology/Memory Center (D.I.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mika Terumitsu
- From the Department of Neurology (S.Y.L., H.M., K.O., K.S., J.N.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Division of Systems Medical Science (H.S., T.M.), Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake; Eisai-Keio Innovation Laboratory for Dementia (A.S., H.A., Y.S., M.T., J.K.), Human Biology Integration, DHBL, Eisai Co., Ltd., Shinjuku-ku; Proteome Homeostasis Research Unit (K.T.), RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama; Department of Neurology (H.M.), The Jikei University School of Medicine; and Department of Physiology/Memory Center (D.I.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Motegi
- From the Department of Neurology (S.Y.L., H.M., K.O., K.S., J.N.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Division of Systems Medical Science (H.S., T.M.), Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake; Eisai-Keio Innovation Laboratory for Dementia (A.S., H.A., Y.S., M.T., J.K.), Human Biology Integration, DHBL, Eisai Co., Ltd., Shinjuku-ku; Proteome Homeostasis Research Unit (K.T.), RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama; Department of Neurology (H.M.), The Jikei University School of Medicine; and Department of Physiology/Memory Center (D.I.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kensuke Okada
- From the Department of Neurology (S.Y.L., H.M., K.O., K.S., J.N.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Division of Systems Medical Science (H.S., T.M.), Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake; Eisai-Keio Innovation Laboratory for Dementia (A.S., H.A., Y.S., M.T., J.K.), Human Biology Integration, DHBL, Eisai Co., Ltd., Shinjuku-ku; Proteome Homeostasis Research Unit (K.T.), RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama; Department of Neurology (H.M.), The Jikei University School of Medicine; and Department of Physiology/Memory Center (D.I.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koji Sekiguchi
- From the Department of Neurology (S.Y.L., H.M., K.O., K.S., J.N.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Division of Systems Medical Science (H.S., T.M.), Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake; Eisai-Keio Innovation Laboratory for Dementia (A.S., H.A., Y.S., M.T., J.K.), Human Biology Integration, DHBL, Eisai Co., Ltd., Shinjuku-ku; Proteome Homeostasis Research Unit (K.T.), RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama; Department of Neurology (H.M.), The Jikei University School of Medicine; and Department of Physiology/Memory Center (D.I.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Junro Kuromitsu
- From the Department of Neurology (S.Y.L., H.M., K.O., K.S., J.N.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Division of Systems Medical Science (H.S., T.M.), Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake; Eisai-Keio Innovation Laboratory for Dementia (A.S., H.A., Y.S., M.T., J.K.), Human Biology Integration, DHBL, Eisai Co., Ltd., Shinjuku-ku; Proteome Homeostasis Research Unit (K.T.), RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama; Department of Neurology (H.M.), The Jikei University School of Medicine; and Department of Physiology/Memory Center (D.I.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jin Nakahara
- From the Department of Neurology (S.Y.L., H.M., K.O., K.S., J.N.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Division of Systems Medical Science (H.S., T.M.), Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake; Eisai-Keio Innovation Laboratory for Dementia (A.S., H.A., Y.S., M.T., J.K.), Human Biology Integration, DHBL, Eisai Co., Ltd., Shinjuku-ku; Proteome Homeostasis Research Unit (K.T.), RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama; Department of Neurology (H.M.), The Jikei University School of Medicine; and Department of Physiology/Memory Center (D.I.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Miyakawa
- From the Department of Neurology (S.Y.L., H.M., K.O., K.S., J.N.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Division of Systems Medical Science (H.S., T.M.), Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake; Eisai-Keio Innovation Laboratory for Dementia (A.S., H.A., Y.S., M.T., J.K.), Human Biology Integration, DHBL, Eisai Co., Ltd., Shinjuku-ku; Proteome Homeostasis Research Unit (K.T.), RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama; Department of Neurology (H.M.), The Jikei University School of Medicine; and Department of Physiology/Memory Center (D.I.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Ito
- From the Department of Neurology (S.Y.L., H.M., K.O., K.S., J.N.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo; Division of Systems Medical Science (H.S., T.M.), Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake; Eisai-Keio Innovation Laboratory for Dementia (A.S., H.A., Y.S., M.T., J.K.), Human Biology Integration, DHBL, Eisai Co., Ltd., Shinjuku-ku; Proteome Homeostasis Research Unit (K.T.), RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama; Department of Neurology (H.M.), The Jikei University School of Medicine; and Department of Physiology/Memory Center (D.I.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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11
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Song Z, Wang KW, Hagar HTC, Chen HR, Kuan CY, Zhang K, Kuo MH. Hyperphosphorylated Tau Inflicts Intracellular Stress Responses that Are Mitigated by Apomorphine. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:2653-2671. [PMID: 37919601 PMCID: PMC11043184 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03689-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Abnormal phosphorylation of the microtubule-binding protein tau in the brain is a key pathological marker for Alzheimer's disease and additional neurodegenerative tauopathies. However, how hyperphosphorylated tau causes cellular dysfunction or death that underlies neurodegeneration remains an unsolved question critical for the understanding of disease mechanism and the design of efficacious drugs. Using a recombinant hyperphosphorylated tau protein (p-tau) synthesized by the PIMAX approach, we examined how cells responded to the cytotoxic tau and explored means to enhance cellular resistance to tau attack. Upon p-tau uptake, the intracellular calcium levels rose promptly. Gene expression analyses revealed that p-tau potently triggered endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, unfolded protein response (UPR), ER stress-associated apoptosis, and pro-inflammation in cells. Proteomics studies showed that p-tau diminished heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), an ER stress-associated anti-inflammation and anti-oxidative stress regulator, while stimulated the accumulation of MIOS and other proteins. p-Tau-induced ER stress-associated apoptosis and pro-inflammation are ameliorated by apomorphine, a brain-permeable prescription drug widely used to treat Parkinson's disease symptoms, and by overexpression of HO-1. Our results reveal probable cellular functions targeted by hyperphosphorylated tau. Some of these dysfunctions and stress responses have been linked to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease. The observations that the ill effects of p-tau can be mitigated by a small compound and by overexpressing HO-1 that is otherwise diminished in the treated cells inform new directions of Alzheimer's disease drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenfeng Song
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Kuang-Wei Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Hsiao-Tien Chien Hagar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Hong-Ru Chen
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
- Present address: Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, 112304
| | - Chia-Yi Kuan
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
| | - Kezhong Zhang
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.
| | - Min-Hao Kuo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
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12
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Meftah S, Cavallini A, Murray TK, Jankowski L, Bose S, Ashby MC, Brown JT, Witton J. Synaptic alterations associated with disrupted sensory encoding in a mouse model of tauopathy. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae134. [PMID: 38712321 PMCID: PMC11073755 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Synapse loss is currently the best biological correlate of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Synapses seem to be highly vulnerable to tau-mediated disruption in neurodegenerative tauopathies. However, it is unclear how and when this leads to alterations in function related to the progression of tauopathy and neurodegeneration. We used the well-characterized rTg4510 mouse model of tauopathy at 5-6 months and 7-8 months of age, respectively, to study the functional impact of cortical synapse loss. The earlier age was used as a model of prodromal tauopathy, with the later age corresponding to more advanced tau pathology and presumed progression of neurodegeneration. Analysis of synaptic protein expression in the somatosensory cortex showed significant reductions in synaptic proteins and NMDA and AMPA receptor subunit expression in rTg4510 mice. Surprisingly, in vitro whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology from putative pyramidal neurons in layer 2/3 of the somatosensory cortex suggested no functional alterations in layer 4 to layer 2/3 synaptic transmission at 5-6 months. From these same neurons, however, there were alterations in dendritic structure, with increased branching proximal to the soma in rTg4510 neurons. Therefore, in vivo whole-cell patch clamp recordings were utilized to investigate synaptic function and integration in putative pyramidal neurons in layer 2/3 of the somatosensory cortex. These recordings revealed a significant increase in the peak response to synaptically driven sensory stimulation-evoked activity and a loss of temporal fidelity of the evoked signal to the input stimulus in rTg4510 neurons. Together, these data suggest that loss of synapses, changes in receptor expression and dendritic restructuring may lead to alterations in synaptic integration at a network level. Understanding these compensatory processes could identify targets to help delay symptomatic onset of dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soraya Meftah
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Clinical and Biomedical Science, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Annalisa Cavallini
- Erl Wood Manor, Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals, Windlesham, Surrey, GU20 6PH, UK
| | - Tracey K Murray
- Erl Wood Manor, Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals, Windlesham, Surrey, GU20 6PH, UK
| | - Lukasz Jankowski
- Erl Wood Manor, Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals, Windlesham, Surrey, GU20 6PH, UK
| | - Suchira Bose
- Erl Wood Manor, Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals, Windlesham, Surrey, GU20 6PH, UK
| | - Michael C Ashby
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Jonathan T Brown
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Clinical and Biomedical Science, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Jonathan Witton
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Clinical and Biomedical Science, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
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Lopes DM, Wells JA, Ma D, Wallis L, Park D, Llewellyn SK, Ahmed Z, Lythgoe MF, Harrison IF. Glymphatic inhibition exacerbates tau propagation in an Alzheimer's disease model. Alzheimers Res Ther 2024; 16:71. [PMID: 38576025 PMCID: PMC10996277 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-024-01439-2] [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: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aggregation and spread of misfolded amyloid structured proteins, such as tau and α-synuclein, are key pathological features associated with neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. These proteins possess a prion-like property, enabling their transmission from cell to cell leading to propagation throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems. While the mechanisms underlying their intracellular spread are still being elucidated, targeting the extracellular space has emerged as a potential therapeutic approach. The glymphatic system, a brain-wide pathway responsible for clearing extracellular metabolic waste from the central nervous system, has gained attention as a promising target for removing these toxic proteins. METHODS In this study, we investigated the impact of long-term modulation of glymphatic function on tau aggregation and spread by chronically treating a mouse model of tau propagation with a pharmacological inhibitor of AQP4, TGN-020. Thy1-hTau.P301S mice were intracerebrally inoculated with tau into the hippocampus and overlying cortex, and subsequently treated with TGN-020 (3 doses/week, 50 mg/kg TGN-020, i.p.) for 10-weeks. During this time, animal memory was studied using cognitive behavioural tasks, and structural MR images were acquired of the brain in vivo prior to brain extraction for immunohistochemical characterisation. RESULTS Our findings demonstrate increased tau aggregation in the brain and transhemispheric propagation in the hippocampus following the inhibition of glymphatic clearance. Moreover, disruption of the glymphatic system aggravated recognition memory in tau inoculated mice and exacerbated regional changes in brain volume detected in the model. When initiation of drug treatment was delayed for several weeks post-inoculation, the alterations were attenuated. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that by modulating AQP4 function and, consequently, glymphatic clearance, it is possible to modify the propagation and pathological impact of tau in the brain, particularly during the initial stages of the disease. These findings highlight the critical role of the glymphatic system in preserving healthy brain homeostasis and offer valuable insights into the therapeutic implications of targeting this system for managing neurodegenerative diseases characterized by protein aggregation and spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas M Lopes
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Department of Imaging, Division of Medicine, University College London, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Jack A Wells
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Department of Imaging, Division of Medicine, University College London, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Da Ma
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Lauren Wallis
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Department of Imaging, Division of Medicine, University College London, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Daniel Park
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Department of Imaging, Division of Medicine, University College London, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Sophie K Llewellyn
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Department of Imaging, Division of Medicine, University College London, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Zeshan Ahmed
- Neuroscience Next Generation Therapeutics (NGTx), Eli Lilly and Company, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mark F Lythgoe
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Department of Imaging, Division of Medicine, University College London, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Ian F Harrison
- Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Department of Imaging, Division of Medicine, University College London, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6DD, UK.
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14
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Basheer N, Buee L, Brion JP, Smolek T, Muhammadi MK, Hritz J, Hromadka T, Dewachter I, Wegmann S, Landrieu I, Novak P, Mudher A, Zilka N. Shaping the future of preclinical development of successful disease-modifying drugs against Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review of tau propagation models. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2024; 12:52. [PMID: 38576010 PMCID: PMC10993623 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-024-01748-5] [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: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The transcellular propagation of the aberrantly modified protein tau along the functional brain network is a key hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies. Inoculation-based tau propagation models can recapitulate the stereotypical spread of tau and reproduce various types of tau inclusions linked to specific tauopathy, albeit with varying degrees of fidelity. With this systematic review, we underscore the significance of judicious selection and meticulous functional, biochemical, and biophysical characterization of various tau inocula. Furthermore, we highlight the necessity of choosing suitable animal models and inoculation sites, along with the critical need for validation of fibrillary pathology using confirmatory staining, to accurately recapitulate disease-specific inclusions. As a practical guide, we put forth a framework for establishing a benchmark of inoculation-based tau propagation models that holds promise for use in preclinical testing of disease-modifying drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Basheer
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Luc Buee
- Inserm, CHU Lille, CNRS, LilNCog - Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, University of Lille, 59000, Lille, France.
| | - Jean-Pierre Brion
- Faculty of Medicine, Laboratory of Histology, Alzheimer and Other Tauopathies Research Group (CP 620), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808, Route de Lennik, 1070, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Tomas Smolek
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Muhammad Khalid Muhammadi
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jozef Hritz
- CEITEC Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Hromadka
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ilse Dewachter
- Biomedical Research Institute, BIOMED, Hasselt University, 3500, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Susanne Wegmann
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Isabelle Landrieu
- CNRS EMR9002 - BSI - Integrative Structural Biology, 59000, Lille, France
- Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167 - RID-AGE - Risk Factors and Molecular Determinants of Aging-Related Diseases, University of Lille, 59000, Lille, France
| | - Petr Novak
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Amritpal Mudher
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Norbert Zilka
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia.
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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15
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Sidoryk-Węgrzynowicz M, Adamiak K, Strużyńska L. Astrocyte-Neuron Interaction via the Glutamate-Glutamine Cycle and Its Dysfunction in Tau-Dependent Neurodegeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3050. [PMID: 38474295 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25053050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Astroglia constitute the largest group of glial cells and are involved in numerous actions that are critical to neuronal development and functioning, such as maintaining the blood-brain barrier, forming synapses, supporting neurons with nutrients and trophic factors, and protecting them from injury. These properties are deeply affected in the course of many neurodegenerative diseases, including tauopathies, often before the onset of the disease. In this respect, the transfer of essential amino acids such as glutamate and glutamine between neurons and astrocytes in the glutamate-glutamine cycle (GGC) is one example. In this review, we focus on the GGC and the disruption of this cycle in tau-dependent neurodegeneration. A profound understanding of the complex functions of the GGC and, in the broader context, searching for dysfunctions in communication pathways between astrocytes and neurons via GGC in health and disease, is of critical significance for the development of novel mechanism-based therapies for neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Sidoryk-Węgrzynowicz
- Laboratory of Pathoneurochemistry, Department of Neurochemistry, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawińskiego Str., 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Kamil Adamiak
- Laboratory of Pathoneurochemistry, Department of Neurochemistry, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawińskiego Str., 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Lidia Strużyńska
- Laboratory of Pathoneurochemistry, Department of Neurochemistry, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawińskiego Str., 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
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16
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Ruch F, Gnörich J, Wind K, Köhler M, Zatcepin A, Wiedemann T, Gildehaus FJ, Lindner S, Boening G, von Ungern-Sternberg B, Beyer L, Herms J, Bartenstein P, Brendel M, Eckenweber F. Validity and value of metabolic connectivity in mouse models of β-amyloid and tauopathy. Neuroimage 2024; 286:120513. [PMID: 38191101 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Among functional imaging methods, metabolic connectivity (MC) is increasingly used for investigation of regional network changes to examine the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) or movement disorders. Hitherto, MC was mostly used in clinical studies, but only a few studies demonstrated the usefulness of MC in the rodent brain. The goal of the current work was to analyze and validate metabolic regional network alterations in three different mouse models of neurodegenerative diseases (β-amyloid and tau) by use of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) imaging. We compared the results of FDG-µPET MC with conventional VOI-based analysis and behavioral assessment in the Morris water maze (MWM). The impact of awake versus anesthesia conditions on MC read-outs was studied and the robustness of MC data deriving from different scanners was tested. MC proved to be an accurate and robust indicator of functional connectivity loss when sample sizes ≥12 were considered. MC readouts were robust across scanners and in awake/ anesthesia conditions. MC loss was observed throughout all brain regions in tauopathy mice, whereas β-amyloid indicated MC loss mainly in spatial learning areas and subcortical networks. This study established a methodological basis for the utilization of MC in different β-amyloid and tau mouse models. MC has the potential to serve as a read-out of pathological changes within neuronal networks in these models.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Ruch
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Johannes Gnörich
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | - Karin Wind
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | - Mara Köhler
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Artem Zatcepin
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Wiedemann
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Franz-Joseph Gildehaus
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Simon Lindner
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Guido Boening
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Leonie Beyer
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jochen Herms
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany; Center of Neuropathology and Prion Research, University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Peter Bartenstein
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Brendel
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany.
| | - Florian Eckenweber
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
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17
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Goedert M, Crowther RA, Scheres SHW, Spillantini MG. Tau and neurodegeneration. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2024; 81:95-102. [PMID: 38073060 PMCID: PMC7615684 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
First identified in 1975, tau was implicated in Alzheimer's disease 10 years later. Filamentous tangle inclusions were known to be made of hyperphosphorylated tau by 1991, with similar inclusions gaining recognition for being associated with other neurodegenerative diseases. In 1998, mutations in MAPT, the gene that encodes tau, were identified as the cause of a dominantly inherited form of frontotemporal dementia with abundant filamentous tau inclusions. While this result indicated that assembly of tau into aberrant filaments is sufficient to drive neurodegeneration and dementia, most cases of tauopathy are sporadic. More recent work in experimental systems showed that filamentous assemblies of tau may first form in one brain area, and then spread to others in a prion-like fashion. Beginning in 2017, work on human brains using high-resolution techniques has led to a structure-based classification of tauopathies, which has opened the door to a better understanding of the significance of tau filament formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Goedert
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, UK
| | - R. Anthony Crowther
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sjors H. W. Scheres
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, UK
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18
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Singh AK, Selvarasu K, Durairajan SSK. Isolation and Detection of Pathological Tau Species in a Tauopathy Mouse Model. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2761:317-328. [PMID: 38427247 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3662-6_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Tau protein in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and tauopathies becomes insoluble due to hyperphosphorylation, conformational alterations, and aggregation. To analyze insoluble tau and pathological tau species, this study employs a methodology that utilizes wild-type and transgenic tau mice (P310S Tau) tissue extraction using 1% Sarkosyl or N-Lauroylsarcosine sodium salt and the radio immunoprecipitation assay (RIPA) buffer. However, the commonly used methods to study the insoluble tau fraction using detergents like Sarkosyl and RIPA require a large amount of homogenate, which can pose challenges when dealing with small tissue samples. Additionally, the study employs immunohistochemistry to visualize and quantify the pathological tau species in the brain tissue of transgenic mice, aiming to identify and analyze pathological tau species such as hyperphosphorylated tau to further our understanding of tauopathies such as Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhay Kumar Singh
- Molecular Mycology and Neurodegenerative Disease Research Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur, India
| | - Karthikeyan Selvarasu
- Molecular Mycology and Neurodegenerative Disease Research Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur, India
| | - Siva Sundara Kumar Durairajan
- Molecular Mycology and Neurodegenerative Disease Research Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur, India.
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19
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Canet G, Rocaboy E, Diego-Diàz S, Whittington RA, Julien C, Planel E. Methods for Biochemical Isolation of Insoluble Tau in Rodent Models of Tauopathies. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2754:323-341. [PMID: 38512674 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3629-9_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
The intracellular accumulation of microtubule-associated protein tau is a characteristic feature of tauopathies, a group of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease. Formation of insoluble tau aggregates is initiated by the abnormal hyperphosphorylation and oligomerization of tau. Over the past decades, multiple transgenic rodent models mimicking tauopathies have been develop, showcasing this neuropathological hallmark. The biochemical analysis of insoluble tau in these models has served as a valuable tool to understand the progression of tau-related pathology. In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive review of the two primary methods for isolating insoluble tau, namely, sarkosyl and formic acid extraction (and their variants), which are employed for biochemical analysis in transgenic mouse models of tauopathy. We also analyze the strengths and limitations of these methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey Canet
- Faculté de Médecine, Département de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Axe Neurosciences, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Emma Rocaboy
- Faculté de Médecine, Département de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Axe Neurosciences, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Sofia Diego-Diàz
- Faculté de Médecine, Département de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Axe Neurosciences, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Robert A Whittington
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carl Julien
- Centre de Recherche en Sciences Animales de Deschambault, Deschambault, QC, Canada
- Faculté des sciences de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Emmanuel Planel
- Faculté de Médecine, Département de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada.
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Axe Neurosciences, Quebec, QC, Canada.
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20
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Selvarasu K, Singh AK, Dakshinamoorthy A, Sreenivasmurthy SG, Iyaswamy A, Radhakrishnan M, Patnaik S, Huang JD, Williams LL, Senapati S, Durairajan SSK. Interaction of Tau with Kinesin-1: Effect of Kinesin-1 Heavy Chain Elimination on Autophagy-Mediated Mutant Tau Degradation. Biomedicines 2023; 12:5. [PMID: 38275365 PMCID: PMC10813313 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12010005] [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: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Natively unfolded tau has a low propensity to form aggregates, but in tauopathies, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), tau aggregates into paired helical filaments (PHFs) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Multiple intracellular transport pathways utilize kinesin-1, a plus-end-directed microtubule-based motor. Kinesin-1 is crucial in various neurodegenerative diseases as it transports multiple cargoes along the microtubules (MT). Kinesin-1 proteins cannot progress along MTs due to an accumulation of tau on their surfaces. Although kinesin-1-mediated neuronal transport dysfunction is well-documented in other neurodegenerative diseases, its role in AD has received less attention. Very recently, we have shown that knocking down and knocking out of kinesin-1 heavy chain (KIF5B KO) expression significantly reduced the level and stability of tau in cells and tau transgenic mice, respectively. Here, we report that tau interacts with the motor domain of KIF5B in vivo and in vitro, possibly through its microtubule-binding repeat domain. This interaction leads to the inhibition of the ATPase activity of the motor domain. In addition, the KIF5B KO results in autophagy initiation, which subsequently assists in tau degradation. The mechanisms behind KIF5B KO-mediated tau degradation seem to involve its interaction with tau, promoting the trafficking of tau through retrograde transport into autophagosomes for subsequent lysosomal degradation of tau. Our results suggest how KIF5B removal facilitates the movement of autophagosomes toward lysosomes for efficient tau degradation. This mechanism can be enabled through the downregulation of kinesin-1 or the disruption of the association between kinesin-1 and tau, particularly in cases when neurons perceive disturbances in intercellular axonal transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karthikeyan Selvarasu
- Molecular Mycology and Neurodegenerative Disease Research Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Neelakudi, Thiruvarur 610 005, India; (K.S.); (A.K.S.); (S.P.)
| | - Abhay Kumar Singh
- Molecular Mycology and Neurodegenerative Disease Research Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Neelakudi, Thiruvarur 610 005, India; (K.S.); (A.K.S.); (S.P.)
| | - Avinash Dakshinamoorthy
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India; (A.D.); (S.S.)
| | | | - Ashok Iyaswamy
- Mr. & Mrs. Ko Chi-Ming Centre for Parkinson’s Disease Research, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China;
- Department of Biochemistry, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore 641021, India
| | - Moorthi Radhakrishnan
- Molecular Mycology and Neurodegenerative Disease Research Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Neelakudi, Thiruvarur 610 005, India; (K.S.); (A.K.S.); (S.P.)
| | - Supriti Patnaik
- Molecular Mycology and Neurodegenerative Disease Research Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Neelakudi, Thiruvarur 610 005, India; (K.S.); (A.K.S.); (S.P.)
| | - Jian-Dong Huang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Leonard L. Williams
- Center for Excellence in Post Harvest Technologies, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, The North Carolina Research Campus, 500 Laureate Way, Kannapolis, NC 28081, USA
| | - Sanjib Senapati
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India; (A.D.); (S.S.)
| | - Siva Sundara Kumar Durairajan
- Molecular Mycology and Neurodegenerative Disease Research Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Neelakudi, Thiruvarur 610 005, India; (K.S.); (A.K.S.); (S.P.)
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
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21
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Dhapola R, Kumari S, Sharma P, HariKrishnaReddy D. Insight into the emerging and common experimental in-vivo models of Alzheimer's disease. Lab Anim Res 2023; 39:33. [PMID: 38082453 PMCID: PMC10712122 DOI: 10.1186/s42826-023-00184-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial, rapidly progressing neurodegenerative disorder. As the exact cause of the disease is still unclear, the drug development is very challenging. This review encompasses the commonly used AD models involving various chemicals, heavy metals and endogenous substances induced models and the transgenic models. It also provides insight into the reliable emerging models of AD that may overcome the shortcomings associated with available models. Chemicals like streptozotocin, scopolamine, colchicine and okadaic acid render the animal susceptible to neuroinflammation and oxidative stress induced neurodegeneration along with amyloid-β deposition and tau hyperphosphorylation. Similarly, endogenous substances like acrolein and amyloid-β 1-42 are efficient in inducing the major pathologies of AD. Heavy metals like aluminum and fluoride and mixture of these have been reported to induce neurotoxicity therefore are used as animal models for AD. Transgenic models developed as a result of knock-in or knock-out of certain genes associated with AD including PDAPP, APP23, Tg2576, APP/PS1, 3 × Tg and 5 × FAD have also been incorporated in this study. Further, emerging and advanced pathomimetic models of AD are provided particular interest here which will add on to the current knowledge of animal models and may aid in the drug development process and deepen our understanding related to AD pathogenesis. These newly discovered models include oAβ25-35 model, transgenic model expressing 82-kDa ChAT, oDGal mouse and APP knock-in rat. This study may aid in the selection of suitable model for development of novel potent therapeutics and for exploring detailed pathogenic mechanism of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rishika Dhapola
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Health Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda, Punjab, 151401, India
| | - Sneha Kumari
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Health Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda, Punjab, 151401, India
| | - Prajjwal Sharma
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Health Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda, Punjab, 151401, India
| | - Dibbanti HariKrishnaReddy
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Health Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda, Punjab, 151401, India.
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22
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Chen H, Fan L, Guo Q, Wong MY, Yu F, Foxe N, Wang W, Nessim A, Carling G, Liu B, Lopez-Lee C, Huang Y, Amin S, Patel T, Mok SA, Song WM, Zhang B, Ma Q, Fu H, Gan L, Luo W. DAP12 deficiency alters microglia-oligodendrocyte communication and enhances resilience against tau toxicity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.26.563970. [PMID: 37961594 PMCID: PMC10634844 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.26.563970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Pathogenic tau accumulation fuels neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Enhancing aging brain's resilience to tau pathology would lead to novel therapeutic strategies. DAP12 (DNAX-activation protein 12) is critically involved in microglial immune responses. Previous studies have showed that mice lacking DAP12 in tauopathy mice exhibit higher tau pathology but are protected from tau-induced cognitive deficits. However, the exact mechanism remains elusive. Our current study uncovers a novel resilience mechanism via microglial interaction with oligodendrocytes. Despite higher tau inclusions, Dap12 deletion curbs tau-induced brain inflammation and ameliorates myelin and synapse loss. Specifically, removal of Dap12 abolished tau-induced disease-associated clusters in microglia (MG) and intermediate oligodendrocytes (iOli), which are spatially correlated with tau pathology in AD brains. Our study highlights the critical role of interactions between microglia and oligodendrocytes in tau toxicity and DAP12 signaling as a promising target for enhancing resilience in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Chen
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Li Fan
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Qi Guo
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Man Ying Wong
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Fangmin Yu
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nessa Foxe
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Aviram Nessim
- The State University of New York at Stony Brook, Long Island, New York, USA
| | - Gillian Carling
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Program of Neuroscience, Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bangyan Liu
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Program of Neuroscience, Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chloe Lopez-Lee
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Program of Neuroscience, Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yige Huang
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Program of Neuroscience, Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sadaf Amin
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tark Patel
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB Canada
| | - Sue-Ann Mok
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB Canada
| | - Won-min Song
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Qin Ma
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Hongjun Fu
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Li Gan
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Millburn High School, New Jersey, NJ, USA
| | - Wenjie Luo
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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23
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Chen H, Fan L, Guo Q, Wong MY, Yu F, Foxe N, Wang W, Nessim A, Carling G, Liu B, Lopez-Lee C, Huang Y, Amin S, Mok SA, Song WM, Zhang B, Ma Q, Fu H, Gan L, Luo W. DAP12 deficiency alters microglia-oligodendrocyte communication and enhances resilience against tau toxicity. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3454358. [PMID: 37961627 PMCID: PMC10635319 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3454358/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Pathogenic tau accumulation fuels neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Enhancing aging brain's resilience to tau pathology would lead to novel therapeutic strategies. DAP12 (DNAX-activation protein 12) is critically involved in microglial immune responses. Previous studies have showed that mice lacking DAP12 in tauopathy mice exhibit higher tau pathology but are protected from tau-induced cognitive deficits. However, the exact mechanism remains elusive. Our current study uncovers a novel resilience mechanism via microglial interaction with oligodendrocytes. Despite higher tau inclusions, Dap12 deletion curbs tau-induced brain inflammation and ameliorates myelin and synapse loss. Specifically, removal of Dap12 abolished tau-induced disease-associated clusters in microglia (MG) and intermediate oligodendrocytes (iOli), which are spatially correlated with tau pathology in AD brains. Our study highlights the critical role of interactions between microglia and oligodendrocytes in tau toxicity and DAP12 signaling as a promising target for enhancing resilience in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Chen
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Li Fan
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Qi Guo
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Man Ying Wong
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Fangmin Yu
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nessa Foxe
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Aviram Nessim
- The State University of New York at Stony Brook, Long Island, New York, USA
| | - Gillian Carling
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Program of Neuroscience, Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bangyan Liu
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Program of Neuroscience, Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chloe Lopez-Lee
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Program of Neuroscience, Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yige Huang
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Program of Neuroscience, Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sadaf Amin
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sue-Ann Mok
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB Canada
| | - Won-min Song
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Qin Ma
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Hongjun Fu
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Li Gan
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Millburn High School, New Jersey, NJ, USA
| | - Wenjie Luo
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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24
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Van Dam D, Valkenburg F, Van Kolen K, Pintelon I, Timmermans JP, De Deyn PP. Behavioral and Neuropathological Phenotyping of the Tau58/2 and Tau58/4 Transgenic Mouse Models for FTDP-17. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2088. [PMID: 37895469 PMCID: PMC10608666 DOI: 10.3390/life13102088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Tau58/2 and Tau58/4 mouse lines expressing 0N4R tau with a P301S mutation mimic aspects of frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17). In a side-by-side comparison, we report the age-dependent development of cognitive, motor, and behavioral deficits in comparison with the spatial-temporal evolution of cellular tau pathology in both models. METHODS We applied the SHIRPA primary screen and specific neuromotor, behavioral, and cognitive paradigms. The spatiotemporal development of tau pathology was investigated immunohistochemically. Levels of sarkosyl-insoluble paired helical filaments were determined via a MesoScale Discovery biomarker assay. RESULTS Neuromotor impairments developed from age 3 months in both models. On electron microscopy, spinal cord neurofibrillary pathology was visible in mice aged 3 months; however, AT8 immunoreactivity was not yet observed in Tau58/4 mice. Behavioral abnormalities and memory deficits occurred at a later stage (>9 months) when tau pathology was fully disseminated throughout the brain. Spatiotemporally, tau pathology spread from the spinal cord via the midbrain to the frontal cortex, while the hippocampus was relatively spared, thus explaining the late onset of cognitive deficits. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate the face and construct validity of both Tau58 models, which may provide new, valuable insights into the pathologic effects of tau species in vivo and may consequently facilitate the development of new therapeutic targets to delay or halt neurodegenerative processes occurring in tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debby Van Dam
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Behavior, Experimental Neurobiology Unit, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium;
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Femke Valkenburg
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Behavior, Experimental Neurobiology Unit, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium;
| | - Kristof Van Kolen
- Neuroscience Department, Janssen Research and Development, 2340 Beerse, Belgium;
| | - Isabel Pintelon
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium; (I.P.); (J.-P.T.)
| | - Jean-Pierre Timmermans
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium; (I.P.); (J.-P.T.)
| | - Peter Paul De Deyn
- Laboratory of Neurochemistry and Behavior, Experimental Neurobiology Unit, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium;
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
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25
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Emmerson JT, Malcolm JC, Do Carmo S, Nguyen P, Breuillaud L, Martinez-Trujillo JC, Cuello AC. Neuronal loss and inflammation preceding fibrillary tau pathology in a rat model with early human-like tauopathy. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 187:106317. [PMID: 37802153 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In tauopathies such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), the microtubule associated protein tau undergoes conformational and posttranslational modifications in a gradual, staged pathological process. While brain atrophy and cognitive decline are well-established in the advanced stages of tauopathy, it is unclear how the early pathological processes manifest prior to extensive neurodegeneration. For these studies we have applied a transgenic rat model of human-like tauopathy in its heterozygous form, named McGill-R955-hTau. The goal of the present study was to investigate whether lifelong accumulation of mutated human tau could reveal the earliest tau pathological processes in a context of advanced aging, and, at stages before the overt aggregated or fibrillary tau deposition. We characterized the phenotype of heterozygous R955-hTau rats at three endpoints, 10, 18 and 24-26 months of age, focusing on markers of cognitive capabilities, progressive tau pathology, neuronal health, neuroinflammation and brain ultrastructural integrity, using immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. Heterozygous R955-hTau transgenic rats feature a modest, life-long accumulation of mutated human tau that led to tau hyperphosphorylation and produced deficits in learning and memory tasks after 24 months of age. Such impairments coincided with more extensive tau hyperphosphorylation in the brain at residues pThr231 and with evidence of oligomerization. Importantly, aged R955-hTau rats presented evidence of neuroinflammation, detriments to myelin morphology and detectable hippocampal neuronal loss in the absence of overt neurofibrillary lesions and brain atrophy. The slow-progressing tauopathy of R955-hTau rats should allow to better delineate the temporal progression of tau pathological events and therefore to distinguish early indicators of tauopathy as having the capability to induce degenerative events in the aged CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua T Emmerson
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Janice C Malcolm
- Department of Cell Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal H3A 0C7, Canada
| | - Sonia Do Carmo
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Phuoc Nguyen
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Lionel Breuillaud
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Julio C Martinez-Trujillo
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Robarts Research Institute and Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, ON N6A 5B7, Canada; Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - A Claudio Cuello
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal H3G 1Y6, Canada; Department of Cell Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal H3A 0C7, Canada; Visiting Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Oxford University, Oxford, UK, OX1 3QT.
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26
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Schweighauser M, Murzin AG, Macdonald J, Lavenir I, Crowther RA, Scheres SHW, Goedert M. Cryo-EM structures of tau filaments from the brains of mice transgenic for human mutant P301S Tau. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:160. [PMID: 37798679 PMCID: PMC10552433 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01658-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Mice transgenic for human mutant P301S tau are widely used as models for human tauopathies. They develop neurodegeneration and abundant filamentous inclusions made of human mutant four-repeat tau. Here we used electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) to determine the structures of tau filaments from the brains of Tg2541 and PS19 mice. Both lines express human P301S tau (0N4R for Tg2541 and 1N4R for PS19) on mixed genetic backgrounds and downstream of different promoters (murine Thy1 for Tg2541 and murine Prnp for PS19). The structures of tau filaments from Tg2541 and PS19 mice differ from each other and those of wild-type tau filaments from human brains. The structures of tau filaments from the brains of humans with mutations P301L, P301S or P301T in MAPT are not known. Filaments from the brains of Tg2541 and PS19 mice share a substructure at the junction of repeats 2 and 3, which comprises residues I297-V312 of tau and includes the P301S mutation. The filament core from the brainstem of Tg2541 mice consists of residues K274-H329 of tau and two disconnected protein densities. Two non-proteinaceous densities are also in evidence. The filament core from the cerebral cortex of line PS19 extends from residues G271-P364 of tau. One strong non-proteinaceous density is also present. Unlike the tau filaments from human brains, the sequences following repeat 4 are missing from the cores of tau filaments from the brains of Tg2541 and PS19 mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexey G Murzin
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Isabelle Lavenir
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Sjors H W Scheres
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Michel Goedert
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
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27
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Yu F, Iacono D, Perl DP, Lai C, Gill J, Le TQ, Lee P, Sukumar G, Armstrong RC. Neuronal tau pathology worsens late-phase white matter degeneration after traumatic brain injury in transgenic mice. Acta Neuropathol 2023; 146:585-610. [PMID: 37578550 PMCID: PMC10499978 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02622-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes diffuse axonal injury which can produce chronic white matter pathology and subsequent post-traumatic neurodegeneration with poor patient outcomes. Tau modulates axon cytoskeletal functions and undergoes phosphorylation and mis-localization in neurodegenerative disorders. The effects of tau pathology on neurodegeneration after TBI are unclear. We used mice with neuronal expression of human mutant tau to examine effects of pathological tau on white matter pathology after TBI. Adult male and female hTau.P301S (Tg2541) transgenic and wild-type (Wt) mice received either moderate single TBI (s-TBI) or repetitive mild TBI (r-mTBI; once daily × 5), or sham procedures. Acutely, s-TBI produced more extensive axon damage in the corpus callosum (CC) as compared to r-mTBI. After s-TBI, significant CC thinning was present at 6 weeks and 4 months post-injury in Wt and transgenic mice, with homozygous tau expression producing additional pathology of late demyelination. In contrast, r-mTBI did not produce significant CC thinning except at the chronic time point of 4 months in homozygous mice, which exhibited significant CC atrophy (- 29.7%) with increased microgliosis. Serum neurofilament light quantification detected traumatic axonal injury at 1 day post-TBI in Wt and homozygous mice. At 4 months, high tau and neurofilament in homozygous mice implicated tau in chronic axon pathology. These findings did not have sex differences detected. Conclusions: Neuronal tau pathology differentially exacerbated CC pathology based on injury severity and chronicity. Ongoing CC atrophy from s-TBI became accompanied by late demyelination. Pathological tau significantly worsened CC atrophy during the chronic phase after r-mTBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengshan Yu
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Diego Iacono
- Neurology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Pathology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Defense-Uniformed Services University Brain Tissue Repository, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Daniel P Perl
- Pathology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Defense-Uniformed Services University Brain Tissue Repository, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Chen Lai
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Tuan Q Le
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
| | - Patricia Lee
- Pathology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Defense-Uniformed Services University Brain Tissue Repository, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gauthaman Sukumar
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Regina C Armstrong
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA.
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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28
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Davidowitz EJ, Lopez P, Jimenez H, Adrien L, Davies P, Moe JG. Small molecule inhibitor of tau self-association in a mouse model of tauopathy: A preventive study in P301L tau JNPL3 mice. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286523. [PMID: 37556474 PMCID: PMC10411817 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in tau biology and the difficulties of amyloid-directed immunotherapeutics have heightened interest in tau as a target for small molecule drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we evaluated OLX-07010, a small molecule inhibitor of tau self-association, for the prevention of tau aggregation. The primary endpoint of the study was statistically significant reduction of insoluble tau aggregates in treated JNPL3 mice compared with Vehicle-control mice. Secondary endpoints were dose-dependent reduction of insoluble tau aggregates, reduction of phosphorylated tau, and reduction of soluble tau. This study was performed in JNPL3 mice, which are representative of inherited forms of 4-repeat tauopathies with the P301L tau mutation (e.g., progressive supranuclear palsy and frontotemporal dementia). The P301L mutation makes tau prone to aggregation; therefore, JNPL3 mice present a more challenging target than mouse models of human tau without mutations. JNPL3 mice were treated from 3 to 7 months of age with Vehicle, 30 mg/kg compound dose, or 40 mg/kg compound dose. Biochemical methods were used to evaluate self-associated tau, insoluble tau aggregates, total tau, and phosphorylated tau in the hindbrain, cortex, and hippocampus. The Vehicle group had higher levels of insoluble tau in the hindbrain than the Baseline group; treatment with 40 mg/kg compound dose prevented this increase. In the cortex, the levels of insoluble tau were similar in the Baseline and Vehicle groups, indicating that the pathological phenotype of these mice was beginning to emerge at the study endpoint and that there was a delay in the development of the phenotype of the model as originally characterized. No drug-related adverse effects were observed during the 4-month treatment period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliot J. Davidowitz
- Oligomerix, Inc., White Plains, NY, United States of America
- Oligomerix, Inc., Bronx, NY, United States of America
| | | | - Heidy Jimenez
- The Litwin-Zucker Research Center for the Study of Alzheimer’s Disease, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, United States of America
| | - Leslie Adrien
- The Litwin-Zucker Research Center for the Study of Alzheimer’s Disease, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, United States of America
| | - Peter Davies
- The Litwin-Zucker Research Center for the Study of Alzheimer’s Disease, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, United States of America
| | - James G. Moe
- Oligomerix, Inc., White Plains, NY, United States of America
- Oligomerix, Inc., Bronx, NY, United States of America
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29
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Emmerson JT, Do Carmo S, Liu Y, Shalhoub A, Liu A, Bonomo Q, Malcolm JC, Breuillaud L, Cuello AC. Progressive human-like tauopathy with downstream neurodegeneration and neurovascular compromise in a transgenic rat model. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 184:106227. [PMID: 37454780 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106227] [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: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies, including frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), clinically present with progressive cognitive decline and the deposition of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in the brain. Neurovascular compromise is also prevalent in AD and FTD however the relationship between tau and the neurovascular unit is less understood relative to other degenerative phenotypes. Current animal models confer the ability to recapitulate aspects of the CNS tauopathies, however, existing models either display overaggressive phenotypes, or do not develop neuronal loss or genuine neurofibrillary lesions. In this report, we communicate the longitudinal characterization of brain tauopathy in a novel transgenic rat model, coded McGill-R955-hTau. The model expresses the longest isoform of human P301S tau. Homozygous R955-hTau rats displayed a robust, progressive accumulation of mutated human tau leading to the detection of tau hyperphosphorylation and cognitive deficits accelerating from 14 months of age. This model features extensive tau hyperphosphorylation with endogenous tau recruitment, authentic neurofibrillary lesions, and tau-associated neuronal loss, ventricular dilation, decreased brain volume, and gliosis in aged rats. Further, we demonstrate how neurovascular integrity becomes compromised at aged life stages using a combination of electron microscopy, injection of the tracer horseradish peroxidase and immunohistochemical approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua T Emmerson
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal H3G1Y6, Canada
| | - Sonia Do Carmo
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal H3G1Y6, Canada
| | - Yingying Liu
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal H3G1Y6, Canada
| | - Ali Shalhoub
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal H3A 0C7, Canada
| | - Ai Liu
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Quentin Bonomo
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Janice C Malcolm
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal H3A 0C7, Canada
| | - Lionel Breuillaud
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal H3G1Y6, Canada
| | - A Claudio Cuello
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal H3G1Y6, Canada; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal H3A 1A1, Canada; Department of Pharmacology, Oxford University, Oxford OX13QT, UK.
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30
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Vogler L, Ballweg A, Bohr B, Briel N, Wind K, Antons M, Kunze LH, Gnörich J, Lindner S, Gildehaus FJ, Baumann K, Bartenstein P, Boening G, Ziegler SI, Levin J, Zwergal A, Höglinger GU, Herms J, Brendel M. Assessment of synaptic loss in mouse models of β-amyloid and tau pathology using [ 18F]UCB-H PET imaging. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 39:103484. [PMID: 37541098 PMCID: PMC10407951 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In preclinical research, the use of [18F]Fluorodesoxyglucose (FDG) as a biomarker for neurodegeneration may induce bias due to enhanced glucose uptake by immune cells. In this study, we sought to investigate synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) PET with [18F]UCB-H as an alternative preclinical biomarker for neurodegenerative processes in two mouse models representing the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS A total of 29 PS2APP, 20 P301S and 12 wild-type mice aged 4.4 to 19.8 months received a dynamic [18F]UCB-H SV2A-PET scan (14.7 ± 1.5 MBq) 0-60 min post injection. Quantification of tracer uptake in cortical, cerebellar and brainstem target regions was implemented by calculating relative volumes of distribution (VT) from an image-derived-input-function (IDIF). [18F]UCB-H binding was compared across all target regions between transgenic and wild-type mice. Additional static scans were performed in a subset of mice to compare [18F]FDG and [18F]GE180 (18 kDa translocator protein tracer as a surrogate for microglial activation) standardized uptake values (SUV) with [18F]UCB-H binding at different ages. Following the final scan, a subset of mouse brains was immunohistochemically stained with synaptic markers for gold standard validation of the PET results. RESULTS [18F]UCB-H binding in all target regions was significantly reduced in 8-months old P301S transgenic mice when compared to wild-type controls (temporal lobe: p = 0.014; cerebellum: p = 0.0018; brainstem: p = 0.0014). Significantly lower SV2A tracer uptake was also observed in 13-months (temporal lobe: p = 0.0080; cerebellum: p = 0.006) and 19-months old (temporal lobe: p = 0.0042; cerebellum: p = 0.011) PS2APP transgenic versus wild-type mice, whereas the brainstem revealed no significantly altered [18F]UCB-H binding. Immunohistochemical analyses of post-mortem mouse brain tissue confirmed the SV2A PET findings. Correlational analyses of [18F]UCB-H and [18F]FDG using Pearson's correlation coefficient revealed a significant negative association in the PS2APP mouse model (R = -0.26, p = 0.018). Exploratory analyses further stressed microglial activation as a potential reason for this inverse relationship, since [18F]FDG and [18F]GE180 quantification were positively correlated in this cohort (R = 0.36, p = 0.0076). CONCLUSION [18F]UCB-H reliably depicts progressive synaptic loss in PS2APP and P301S transgenic mice, potentially qualifying as a more reliable alternative to [18F]FDG as a biomarker for assessment of neurodegeneration in preclinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letizia Vogler
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Anna Ballweg
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Bernd Bohr
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Nils Briel
- Center for Neuropathology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Karin Wind
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Melissa Antons
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Lea H Kunze
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Johannes Gnörich
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Simon Lindner
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Franz-Josef Gildehaus
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Karlheinz Baumann
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience Discovery, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Peter Bartenstein
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Guido Boening
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Sibylle I Ziegler
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Johannes Levin
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Zwergal
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders (DSGZ), University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Günter U Höglinger
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jochen Herms
- Center for Neuropathology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Brendel
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany.
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Dimou E, Katsinelos T, Meisl G, Tuck BJ, Keeling S, Smith AE, Hidari E, Lam JYL, Burke M, Lövestam S, Ranasinghe RT, McEwan WA, Klenerman D. Super-resolution imaging unveils the self-replication of tau aggregates upon seeding. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112725. [PMID: 37393617 PMCID: PMC7614924 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112725] [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: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau is a soluble protein interacting with tubulin to stabilize microtubules. However, under pathological conditions, it becomes hyperphosphorylated and aggregates, a process that can be induced by treating cells with exogenously added tau fibrils. Here, we employ single-molecule localization microscopy to resolve the aggregate species formed in early stages of seeded tau aggregation. We report that entry of sufficient tau assemblies into the cytosol induces the self-replication of small tau aggregates, with a doubling time of 5 h inside HEK cells and 1 day in murine primary neurons, which then grow into fibrils. Seeding occurs in the vicinity of the microtubule cytoskeleton, is accelerated by the proteasome, and results in release of small assemblies into the media. In the absence of seeding, cells still spontaneously form small aggregates at lower levels. Overall, our work provides a quantitative picture of the early stages of templated seeded tau aggregation in cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Dimou
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK.
| | - Taxiarchis Katsinelos
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK; MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Georg Meisl
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Benjamin J Tuck
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Sophie Keeling
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Annabel E Smith
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Eric Hidari
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Jeff Y L Lam
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Melanie Burke
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Sofia Lövestam
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Rohan T Ranasinghe
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | - William A McEwan
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
| | - David Klenerman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK.
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32
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Kondak C, Leith M, Baddeley TC, Santos RX, Harrington CR, Wischik CM, Riedel G, Klein J. Mitochondrial Effects of Hydromethylthionine, Rivastigmine and Memantine in Tau-Transgenic Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10810. [PMID: 37445987 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310810] [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: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau protein aggregations are important contributors to the etiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Hydromethylthionine (HMT) is a potent inhibitor of tau aggregation in vitro and in vivo and is being developed as a possible anti-dementia medication. HMT was also shown to affect the cholinergic system and to interact with mitochondria. Here, we used tau-transgenic (L1 and L66) and wild-type NMRI mice that were treated with HMT, rivastigmine and memantine and with combinations thereof, for 2-4 weeks. We measured HMT concentrations in both brain homogenates and isolated mitochondria and concentrations of glucose, lactate and pyruvate in brain by microdialysis. In isolated brain mitochondria, we recorded oxygen consumption of mitochondrial complexes by respirometry. While rivastigmine and memantine lowered mitochondrial respiration, HMT did not affect respiration in wild-type animals and increased respiration in tau-transgenic L1 mice. Glucose and lactate levels were not affected by HMT administration. The presence of HMT in isolated mitochondria was established. In summary, traditional anti-dementia drugs impair mitochondrial function while HMT has no adverse effects on mitochondrial respiration in tau-transgenic mice. These results support the further development of HMT as an anti-dementia drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantin Kondak
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK
- Institute of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Michael Leith
- Department of Chemistry, School of Natural and Computing Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, UK
| | - Thomas C Baddeley
- Department of Chemistry, School of Natural and Computing Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, UK
- TauRx Therapeutics Ltd., Aberdeen AB24 5RP, UK
| | - Renato X Santos
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Charles R Harrington
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK
- TauRx Therapeutics Ltd., Aberdeen AB24 5RP, UK
| | - Claude M Wischik
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK
- TauRx Therapeutics Ltd., Aberdeen AB24 5RP, UK
| | - Gernot Riedel
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Jochen Klein
- Institute of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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Bravo CP, Giani AM, Perez JM, Zhao Z, Samelson A, Wong MY, Evangelisti A, Fan L, Pozner T, Mercedes M, Ye P, Patel T, Yarahmady A, Carling G, Lee VMY, Sharma M, Mok SA, Luo W, Zhao M, Kampmann M, Gong S, Gan L. Human iPSC 4R tauopathy model uncovers modifiers of tau propagation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.19.544278. [PMID: 37745431 PMCID: PMC10516028 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.19.544278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Tauopathies are age-associated neurodegenerative diseases whose mechanistic underpinnings remain elusive, partially due to lack of appropriate human models. Current human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neurons express very low levels of 4-repeat (4R)-tau isoforms that are normally expressed in adult brain. Here, we engineered new iPSC lines to express 4R-tau and 4R-tau carrying the P301S MAPT mutation when differentiated into neurons. 4R-P301S neurons display progressive Tau inclusions upon seeding with Tau fibrils and recapitulate features of tauopathy phenotypes, including shared transcriptomic signatures, autophagic body accumulation, and impaired neuronal activity. A CRISPRi screen of genes associated with Tau pathobiology identified over 500 genetic modifiers of Tau-seeding-induced Tau propagation, including retromer VPS29 and the UFMylation cascade as top modifiers. In AD brains, the UFMylation cascade is altered in neurofibrillary-tangle-bearing neurons. Inhibiting the UFMylation cascade suppressed seeding-induced Tau propagation. This model provides a powerful platform to identify novel therapeutic strategies for 4R tauopathy.
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Samudra N, Lane-Donovan C, VandeVrede L, Boxer AL. Tau pathology in neurodegenerative disease: disease mechanisms and therapeutic avenues. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e168553. [PMID: 37317972 PMCID: PMC10266783 DOI: 10.1172/jci168553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are disorders associated with tau protein dysfunction and insoluble tau accumulation in the brain at autopsy. Multiple lines of evidence from human disease, as well as nonclinical translational models, suggest that tau has a central pathologic role in these disorders, historically thought to be primarily related to tau gain of toxic function. However, a number of tau-targeting therapies with various mechanisms of action have shown little promise in clinical trials in different tauopathies. We review what is known about tau biology, genetics, and therapeutic mechanisms that have been tested in clinical trials to date. We discuss possible reasons for failures of these therapies, such as use of imperfect nonclinical models that do not predict human effects for drug development; heterogeneity of human tau pathologies which may lead to variable responses to therapy; and ineffective therapeutic mechanisms, such as targeting of the wrong tau species or protein epitope. Innovative approaches to human clinical trials can help address some of the difficulties that have plagued our field's development of tau-targeting therapies thus far. Despite limited clinical success to date, as we continue to refine our understanding of tau's pathogenic mechanism(s) in different neurodegenerative diseases, we remain optimistic that tau-targeting therapies will eventually play a central role in the treatment of tauopathies.
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35
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Kunze LH, Ruch F, Biechele G, Eckenweber F, Wind-Mark K, Dinkel L, Feyen P, Bartenstein P, Ziegler S, Paeger L, Tahirovic S, Herms J, Brendel M. Long-Term Pioglitazone Treatment Has No Significant Impact on Microglial Activation and Tau Pathology in P301S Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10106. [PMID: 37373253 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241210106] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation is one disease hallmark on the road to neurodegeneration in primary tauopathies. Thus, immunomodulation might be a suitable treatment strategy to delay or even prevent the occurrence of symptoms and thus relieve the burden for patients and caregivers. In recent years, the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) has received increasing attention as it is immediately involved in the regulation of the immune system and can be targeted by the anti-diabetic drug pioglitazone. Previous studies have shown significant immunomodulation in amyloid-β (Aβ) mouse models by pioglitazone. In this study, we performed long-term treatment over six months in P301S mice as a tauopathy model with either pioglitazone or placebo. We performed serial 18 kDa translocator protein positron-emission-tomography (TSPO-PET) imaging and terminal immunohistochemistry to assess microglial activation during treatment. Tau pathology was quantified via immunohistochemistry at the end of the study. Long-term pioglitazone treatment had no significant effect on TSPO-PET, immunohistochemistry read-outs of microglial activation, or tau pathology levels in P301S mice. Thus, we conclude that pioglitazone modifies the time course of Aβ-dependent microglial activation, but does not significantly modulate microglial activation in response to tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Helena Kunze
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of LMU Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - François Ruch
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of LMU Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Gloria Biechele
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital of LMU Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Florian Eckenweber
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of LMU Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Karin Wind-Mark
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of LMU Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Lina Dinkel
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Paul Feyen
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Peter Bartenstein
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of LMU Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Sibylle Ziegler
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of LMU Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Lars Paeger
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Sabina Tahirovic
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Jochen Herms
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, LMU Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 23, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Brendel
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of LMU Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
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Sidoryk-Węgrzynowicz M, Dąbrowska-Bouta B, Sulkowski G, Strużyńska L. Mutant Tau protein-induced abnormalities in the Na +-dependent glutamine translocation and recycling and their impact on astrocyte-neuron integrity in vitro. Neurochem Int 2023; 168:105551. [PMID: 37295680 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2023.105551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Tau-dependent neurodegeneration is accompanied by astrocytosis in a mouse trans-genic model, which replicates the neuropathological characteristic of tauopathy and other human neurodegenerative disorders where astrocyte activation precedes neuronal loss and is associated with disease progression. This indicates an important role of astrocytes in the development of the disease. Astrocytes derived from a transgenic mouse model expressing human Tau, exhibit changes in cellular markers of astrocyte neuroprotective function related to the glutamate-glutamine cycle (GGC), representing a key part of astrocyte-neuron integrity. Here, we focused on investigating the functional properties of key GGC components involved in the astrocyte-neuron network associated with Tau pathology in vitro. Mutant recombinant Tau (rTau) carrying the P301L mutation was added to the neuronal cultures, with or without control astrocyte-conditioned medium (ACM), to study glutamine translocation through the GGC. We demonstrated that mutant Tau in vitro induces neuronal degeneration, while control astrocytes response in neuroprotective way by preventing neurodegeneration. In parallel with this observation, we noticed the Tau-dependent decline of neuronal microtubule associated protein 2 (MAP2), followed by changes in glutamine (Gln) transport. Exposure to rTau decreases sodium-dependent Gln uptake in neurons and that effect was reversed when cells were co-incubated with control ACM after induction of rTau dependent pathology. Further, we found that neuronal Na+-dependent system A is the most specific system that is affected under rTau exposure. In addition, in rTau-treated astrocytes total Na+-dependent uptake of Gln, which is mediated by the N system, increases. Altogether, our study suggest mechanisms operating in Tau pathology may be related to the alterations in glutamine transport and recycling that affect neuronal-astrocytic integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Sidoryk-Węgrzynowicz
- Laboratory of Pathoneurochemistry, Department of Neurochemistry, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawińskiego str, 02-106, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Beata Dąbrowska-Bouta
- Laboratory of Pathoneurochemistry, Department of Neurochemistry, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawińskiego str, 02-106, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Sulkowski
- Laboratory of Pathoneurochemistry, Department of Neurochemistry, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawińskiego str, 02-106, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Lidia Strużyńska
- Laboratory of Pathoneurochemistry, Department of Neurochemistry, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawińskiego str, 02-106, Warsaw, Poland
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Wu M, Chen Z, Jiang M, Bao B, Li D, Yin X, Wang X, Liu D, Zhu LQ. Friend or foe: role of pathological tau in neuronal death. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:2215-2227. [PMID: 36918705 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02024-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Neuronal death is one of the most common pathological hallmarks of diverse neurological diseases, which manifest varying degrees of cognitive or motor dysfunction. Neuronal death can be classified into multiple forms with complicated and unique regulatory signaling pathways. Tau is a key microtubule-associated protein that is predominantly expressed in neurons to stabilize microtubules under physiological conditions. In contrast, pathological tau always detaches from microtubules and is implicated in a series of neurological disorders that are characterized by irreversible neuronal death, such as necrosis, apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, ferroptosis, autophagy-dependent neuronal death and phagocytosis by microglia. However, recent studies have also revealed that pathological tau can facilitate neuron escape from acute apoptosis, delay necroptosis through its action on granulovacuolar degeneration bodies (GVBs), and facilitate iron export from neurons to block ferroptosis. In this review, we briefly describe the current understanding of how pathological tau exerts dual effects on neuronal death by acting as a double-edged sword in different neurological diseases. We propose that elucidating the mechanism by which pathological tau affects neuronal death is critical for exploring novel and precise therapeutic strategies for neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moxin Wu
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Jiujiang University, Jiujiang, 332000, China
- Jiujiang Clinical Precision Medicine Research Center, Jiujiang, 332000, China
| | - Zhiying Chen
- Jiujiang Clinical Precision Medicine Research Center, Jiujiang, 332000, China
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiujiang University, Jiujiang, 332000, China
| | - Min Jiang
- Jiujiang Clinical Precision Medicine Research Center, Jiujiang, 332000, China
| | - Bing Bao
- Jiujiang Clinical Precision Medicine Research Center, Jiujiang, 332000, China
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiujiang University, Jiujiang, 332000, China
| | - Dongling Li
- Jiujiang Clinical Precision Medicine Research Center, Jiujiang, 332000, China
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiujiang University, Jiujiang, 332000, China
| | - Xiaoping Yin
- Jiujiang Clinical Precision Medicine Research Center, Jiujiang, 332000, China.
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiujiang University, Jiujiang, 332000, China.
| | - Xueren Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Taiyuan, 030032, China.
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
| | - Dan Liu
- Department of Medical Genetics, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
| | - Ling-Qiang Zhu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
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Suk HJ, Buie N, Xu G, Banerjee A, Boyden ES, Tsai LH. Vibrotactile stimulation at gamma frequency mitigates pathology related to neurodegeneration and improves motor function. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1129510. [PMID: 37273653 PMCID: PMC10233036 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1129510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The risk for neurodegenerative diseases increases with aging, with various pathological conditions and functional deficits accompanying these diseases. We have previously demonstrated that non-invasive visual stimulation using 40 Hz light flicker ameliorated pathology and modified cognitive function in mouse models of neurodegeneration, but whether 40 Hz stimulation using another sensory modality can impact neurodegeneration and motor function has not been studied. Here, we show that whole-body vibrotactile stimulation at 40 Hz leads to increased neural activity in the primary somatosensory cortex (SSp) and primary motor cortex (MOp). In two different mouse models of neurodegeneration, Tau P301S and CK-p25 mice, daily exposure to 40 Hz vibrotactile stimulation across multiple weeks also led to decreased brain pathology in SSp and MOp. Furthermore, both Tau P301S and CK-p25 mice showed improved motor performance after multiple weeks of daily 40 Hz vibrotactile stimulation. Vibrotactile stimulation at 40 Hz may thus be considered as a promising therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative diseases with motor deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho-Jun Suk
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Nicole Buie
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Guojie Xu
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Arit Banerjee
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Edward S. Boyden
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Media Arts and Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- McGovern Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Koch Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Center for Neurobiological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Li-Huei Tsai
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Broad Institute of Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
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39
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Kemppainen S, Huber N, Willman RM, Zamora A, Mäkinen P, Martiskainen H, Takalo M, Haapasalo A, Sobrino T, González Gómez MA, Piñeiro Y, Rivas J, Himmelreich U, Hiltunen M. Organotypic Hippocampal Slice Cultures from Adult Tauopathy Mice and Theragnostic Evaluation of Nanomaterial Phospho-TAU Antibody-Conjugates. Cells 2023; 12:1422. [PMID: 37408256 DOI: 10.3390/cells12101422] [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: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Organotypic slice culture models surpass conventional in vitro methods in many aspects. They retain all tissue-resident cell types and tissue hierarchy. For studying multifactorial neurodegenerative diseases such as tauopathies, it is crucial to maintain cellular crosstalk in an accessible model system. Organotypic slice cultures from postnatal tissue are an established research tool, but adult tissue-originating systems are missing, yet necessary, as young tissue-originating systems cannot fully model adult or senescent brains. To establish an adult-originating slice culture system for tauopathy studies, we made hippocampal slice cultures from transgenic 5-month-old hTau.P301S mice. In addition to the comprehensive characterization, we set out to test a novel antibody for hyperphosphorylated TAU (pTAU, B6), with and without a nanomaterial conjugate. Adult hippocampal slices retained intact hippocampal layers, astrocytes, and functional microglia during culturing. The P301S-slice neurons expressed pTAU throughout the granular cell layer and secreted pTAU to the culture medium, whereas the wildtype slices did not. Additionally, cytotoxicity and inflammation-related determinants were increased in the P301S slices. Using fluorescence microscopy, we showed target engagement of the B6 antibody to pTAU-expressing neurons and a subtle but consistent decrease in intracellular pTAU with the B6 treatment. Collectively, this tauopathy slice culture model enables measuring the extracellular and intracellular effects of different mechanistic or therapeutic manipulations on TAU pathology in adult tissue without the hindrance of the blood-brain barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Kemppainen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Nadine Huber
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Roosa-Maria Willman
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Ana Zamora
- Molecular Imaging and Photonics, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- Biomedical MRI, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Petra Mäkinen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Henna Martiskainen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Mari Takalo
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Annakaisa Haapasalo
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Tomás Sobrino
- NeuroAging Group (NEURAL), Clinical Neurosciences Research Laboratory (LINC), Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Manuel Antonio González Gómez
- Institute of Materials, Applied Physics Department, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Yolanda Piñeiro
- Institute of Materials, Applied Physics Department, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - José Rivas
- Institute of Materials, Applied Physics Department, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Uwe Himmelreich
- Biomedical MRI, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mikko Hiltunen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
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40
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Song Z, Wang KW, Hagar HTC, Chen HR, Kuan CY, Zhang K, Kuo MH. Hyperphosphorylated tau Inflicts Intracellular Stress Responses That Are Mitigated by Apomorphine. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.13.540661. [PMID: 37292976 PMCID: PMC10245566 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.13.540661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Background Abnormal phosphorylation of the microtubule-binding protein tau in the brain is a key pathological marker for Alzheimer's disease and additional neurodegenerative tauopathies. However, how hyperphosphorylated tau causes cellular dysfunction or death that underlie neurodegeneration remains an unsolved question critical for the understanding of disease mechanism and the design of efficacious drugs. Methods Using a recombinant hyperphosphorylated tau protein (p-tau) synthesized by the PIMAX approach, we examined how cells responded to the cytotoxic tau and explored means to enhance cellular resistance to tau attack. Results Upon p-tau uptake, the intracellular calcium levels rose promptly. Gene expression analyses revealed that p-tau potently triggered endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, Unfolded Protein Response (UPR), ER stress-associated apoptosis, and pro-inflammation in cells. Proteomics studies showed that p-tau diminished heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), an ER stress associated anti-inflammation and anti-oxidative stress regulator, while stimulated the accumulation of MIOS and other proteins. P-tau-induced ER stress-associated apoptosis and pro-inflammation are ameliorated by apomorphine, a brain-permeable prescription drug widely used to treat Parkinson's disease symptoms, and by overexpression of HO-1. Conclusion Our results reveal probable cellular functions targeted by hyperphosphorylated tau. Some of these dysfunctions and stress responses have been linked to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease. The observations that the ill effects of p-tau can be mitigated by a small compound and by overexpressing HO-1 that is otherwise diminished in the treated cells inform new directions of Alzheimer's disease drug discovery.
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41
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Padmanabhan P, Götz J. Clinical relevance of animal models in aging-related dementia research. NATURE AGING 2023; 3:481-493. [PMID: 37202516 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00402-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other, less prevalent dementias are complex age-related disorders that exhibit multiple etiologies. Over the past decades, animal models have provided pathomechanistic insight and evaluated countless therapeutics; however, their value is increasingly being questioned due to the long history of drug failures. In this Perspective, we dispute this criticism. First, the utility of the models is limited by their design, as neither the etiology of AD nor whether interventions should occur at a cellular or network level is fully understood. Second, we highlight unmet challenges shared between animals and humans, including impeded drug transport across the blood-brain barrier, limiting effective treatment development. Third, alternative human-derived models also suffer from the limitations mentioned above and can only act as complementary resources. Finally, age being the strongest AD risk factor should be better incorporated into the experimental design, with computational modeling expected to enhance the value of animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pranesh Padmanabhan
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jürgen Götz
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
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42
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Ponnusamy M, Wang S, Yuksel M, Hansen MT, Blazier DM, McMillan JD, Zhang X, Dammer EB, Collier L, Thinakaran G. Loss of forebrain BIN1 attenuates hippocampal pathology and neuroinflammation in a tauopathy model. Brain 2023; 146:1561-1579. [PMID: 36059072 PMCID: PMC10319775 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bridging integrator 1 (BIN1) is the second most prevalent genetic risk factor identified by genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for late-onset Alzheimer's disease. BIN1 encodes an adaptor protein that regulates membrane dynamics in the context of endocytosis and neurotransmitter vesicle release. In vitro evidence suggests that BIN1 can directly bind to tau in the cytosol. In addition, BIN1's function limits extracellular tau seed uptake by endocytosis and subsequent propagation as well as influences tau release through exosomes. However, the in vivo roles of BIN1 in tau pathogenesis and tauopathy-mediated neurodegeneration remain uncharacterized. We generated conditional knockout mice with a selective loss of Bin1 expression in the forebrain excitatory neurons and oligodendrocytes in P301S human tau transgenic background (line PS19). PS19 mice develop age-dependent tau neuropathology and motor deficits and are commonly used to study Alzheimer's disease tau pathophysiology. The severity of motor deficits and neuropathology was compared between experimental and control mice that differ with respect to forebrain BIN1 expression. BIN1's involvement in tau pathology and neuroinflammation was quantified by biochemical methods and immunostaining. Transcriptome changes were profiled by RNA-sequencing analysis to gain molecular insights. The loss of forebrain BIN1 expression in PS19 mice exacerbated tau pathology in the somatosensory cortex, thalamus, spinal cord and sciatic nerve, accelerated disease progression and caused early death. Intriguingly, the loss of BIN1 also mitigated tau neuropathology in select regions, including the hippocampus, entorhinal/piriform cortex, and amygdala, thus attenuating hippocampal synapse loss, neuronal death, neuroinflammation and brain atrophy. At the molecular level, the loss of forebrain BIN1 elicited complex neuronal and non-neuronal transcriptomic changes, including altered neuroinflammatory gene expression, concomitant with an impaired microglial transition towards the disease-associated microglial phenotype. These results provide crucial new information on in vivo BIN1 function in the context of tau pathogenesis. We conclude that forebrain neuronal BIN1 expression promotes hippocampal tau pathogenesis and neuroinflammation. Our findings highlight an exciting region specificity in neuronal BIN1 regulation of tau pathogenesis and reveal cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous mechanisms involved in BIN1 modulation of tau neuropathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moorthi Ponnusamy
- Byrd Alzheimer’s Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33613, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Shuai Wang
- Byrd Alzheimer’s Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33613, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Melike Yuksel
- Byrd Alzheimer’s Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33613, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Mitchell T Hansen
- Byrd Alzheimer’s Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33613, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Danielle M Blazier
- Byrd Alzheimer’s Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33613, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Joseph D McMillan
- Byrd Alzheimer’s Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33613, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Xiaolin Zhang
- Byrd Alzheimer’s Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33613, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Eric B Dammer
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Lisa Collier
- Byrd Alzheimer’s Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33613, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Gopal Thinakaran
- Byrd Alzheimer’s Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33613, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
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43
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Mukadam AS, Miller LVC, Smith AE, Vaysburd M, Sakya SA, Sanford S, Keeling S, Tuck BJ, Katsinelos T, Green C, Skov L, Kaalund SS, Foss S, Mayes K, O’Connell K, Wing M, Knox C, Banbury J, Avezov E, Rowe JB, Goedert M, Andersen JT, James LC, McEwan WA. Cytosolic antibody receptor TRIM21 is required for effective tau immunotherapy in mouse models. Science 2023; 379:1336-1341. [PMID: 36996217 PMCID: PMC7614512 DOI: 10.1126/science.abn1366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
Aggregates of the protein tau are proposed to drive pathogenesis in neurodegenerative diseases. Tau can be targeted by using passively transferred antibodies (Abs), but the mechanisms of Ab protection are incompletely understood. In this work, we used a variety of cell and animal model systems and showed that the cytosolic Ab receptor and E3 ligase TRIM21 (T21) could play a role in Ab protection against tau pathology. Tau-Ab complexes were internalized to the cytosol of neurons, which enabled T21 engagement and protection against seeded aggregation. Ab-mediated protection against tau pathology was lost in mice that lacked T21. Thus, the cytosolic compartment provides a site of immunotherapeutic protection, which may help in the design of Ab-based therapies in neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aamir S Mukadam
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, CB2 0AH
| | - Lauren VC Miller
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, CB2 0AH
| | - Annabel E Smith
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, CB2 0AH
| | - Marina Vaysburd
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Siri A Sakya
- Department of Immunology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, N-0424 Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine and Department of Pharmacology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, N-0372 Oslo, Norway
| | - Sophie Sanford
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, CB2 0AH
| | - Sophie Keeling
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, CB2 0AH
| | - Benjamin J Tuck
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, CB2 0AH
| | - Taxiarchis Katsinelos
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, CB2 0AH
| | - Chris Green
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, CB2 0AH
| | - Lise Skov
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, CB2 0AH
| | - Sanne S Kaalund
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, CB2 0AH
| | - Stian Foss
- Department of Immunology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, N-0424 Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine and Department of Pharmacology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, N-0372 Oslo, Norway
| | - Keith Mayes
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Kevin O’Connell
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Mark Wing
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Claire Knox
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Jessica Banbury
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Edward Avezov
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, CB2 0AH
| | - James B Rowe
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, CB2 0AH
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ
| | - Michel Goedert
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Jan Terje Andersen
- Department of Immunology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, N-0424 Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine and Department of Pharmacology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, N-0372 Oslo, Norway
| | - Leo C James
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - William A McEwan
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, CB2 0AH
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44
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Bijttebier S, Rodrigues Martins D, Mertens L, Grauwen K, Bruinzeel W, Willems R, Bartolomé-Nebreda JM, Theunis C, Bretteville A, Ebneth A, Dillen L. IP-LC-MSMS Enables Identification of Three Tau O-GlcNAcylation Sites as O-GlcNAcase Inhibition Pharmacodynamic Readout in Transgenic Mice Overexpressing Human Tau. J Proteome Res 2023; 22:1309-1321. [PMID: 36888912 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.2c00822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
O-β-linked N-acetylglucosaminylation (O-GlcNAcylation) modulates tau phosphorylation and aggregation: the pharmacological increase of tau O-GlcNAcylation upon treatment with inhibitors of O-GlcNAc hydrolase (OGA) constitutes a potential strategy to tackle neurodegenerative diseases. Analysis of tau O-GlcNAcylation could potentially be used as a pharmacodynamic biomarker both in preclinical and clinical studies. The goal of the current study was to confirm tau O-GlcNAcylation at S400 as a pharmacodynamic readout of OGA inhibition in P301S transgenic mice overexpressing human tau and treated with the OGA inhibitor Thiamet G and to explore if additional O-GlcNAcylation sites on tau could be identified. As a first step, an immunoprecipitation-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (IP-LC-MS) methodology was developed to monitor changes in O-GlcNAcylation around S400 of tau in mouse brain homogenate (BH) extracts. Second, additional O-GlcNAc sites were identified in in-house produced recombinant O-GlcNAcylated human tau at relatively high concentrations, thereby facilitating collection of informative LC-MS data for identification of low-concentration O-GlcNAc-tryptic tau peptides in human transgenic mouse BH extracts. This strategy enabled, for the first time, identification of three low abundant N-terminal and mid-domain O-GlcNAc sites of tau (at S208, S191, and S184 or S185) in human transgenic mouse BH. Data are openly available at data.mendeley.com (doi: 10.17632/jp57yk9469.1; doi: 10.17632/8n5j45dnd8.1; doi: 10.17632/h5vdrx4n3d.1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastiaan Bijttebier
- Bioanalytical Discovery & Development Sciences, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | | | - Liesbeth Mertens
- R&D Neurosciences, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Karolien Grauwen
- R&D Neurosciences, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Wouter Bruinzeel
- R&D Structural & Protein Sciences, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Roland Willems
- R&D Neurosciences, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | | | - Clara Theunis
- R&D Neurosciences, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | | | - Andreas Ebneth
- R&D Neurosciences, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Lieve Dillen
- Bioanalytical Discovery & Development Sciences, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
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45
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I F. The unique neuropathological vulnerability of the human brain to aging. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 87:101916. [PMID: 36990284 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.101916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), argyrophilic grain disease (AGD), aging-related tau astrogliopathy (ARTAG), limbic predominant TDP-43 proteinopathy (LATE), and amygdala-predominant Lewy body disease (LBD) are proteinopathies that, together with hippocampal sclerosis, progressively appear in the elderly affecting from 50% to 99% of individuals aged 80 years, depending on the disease. These disorders usually converge on the same subject and associate with additive cognitive impairment. Abnormal Tau, TDP-43, and α-synuclein pathologies progress following a pattern consistent with an active cell-to-cell transmission and abnormal protein processing in the host cell. However, cell vulnerability and transmission pathways are specific for each disorder, albeit abnormal proteins may co-localize in particular neurons. All these alterations are unique or highly prevalent in humans. They all affect, at first, the archicortex and paleocortex to extend at later stages to the neocortex and other regions of the telencephalon. These observations show that the phylogenetically oldest areas of the human cerebral cortex and amygdala are not designed to cope with the lifespan of actual humans. New strategies aimed at reducing the functional overload of the human telencephalon, including optimization of dream repair mechanisms and implementation of artificial circuit devices to surrogate specific brain functions, appear promising.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferrer I
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Emeritus Researcher of the Bellvitge Institute of Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain; Biomedical Research Network of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.
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46
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Montgomery K, Carroll EC, Thwin AC, Quddus AY, Hodges P, Southworth DR, Gestwicki JE. Chemical Features of Polyanions Modulate Tau Aggregation and Conformational States. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:3926-3936. [PMID: 36753572 PMCID: PMC9951223 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c08004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
The aggregation of tau into insoluble fibrils is a defining feature of neurodegenerative tauopathies. However, tau has a positive overall charge and is highly soluble; so, polyanions, such as heparin, are typically required to promote its aggregation in vitro. There are dozens of polyanions in living systems, and it is not clear which ones might promote this process. Here, we systematically measure the ability of 37 diverse, anionic biomolecules to initiate tau aggregation using either wild-type (WT) tau or the disease-associated P301S mutant. We find that polyanions from many different structural classes can promote fibril formation and that P301S tau is sensitive to a greater number of polyanions (28/37) than WT tau (21/37). We also find that some polyanions preferentially reduce the lag time of the aggregation reactions, while others enhance the elongation rate, suggesting that they act on partially distinct steps. From the resulting structure-activity relationships, the valency of the polyanion seems to be an important chemical feature such that anions with low valency tend to be weaker aggregation inducers, even at the same overall charge. Finally, the identity of the polyanion influences fibril morphology based on electron microscopy and limited proteolysis. These results provide insights into the crucial role of polyanion-tau interactions in modulating tau conformational dynamics with implications for understanding the tau aggregation landscape in a complex cellular environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly
M. Montgomery
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University
of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- The
Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Emma C. Carroll
- The
Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Aye C. Thwin
- The
Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Athena Y. Quddus
- The
Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Paige Hodges
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University
of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- The
Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Daniel R. Southworth
- The
Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University
of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Jason E. Gestwicki
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University
of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- The
Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
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47
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Saha I, Yuste-Checa P, Da Silva Padilha M, Guo Q, Körner R, Holthusen H, Trinkaus VA, Dudanova I, Fernández-Busnadiego R, Baumeister W, Sanders DW, Gautam S, Diamond MI, Hartl FU, Hipp MS. The AAA+ chaperone VCP disaggregates Tau fibrils and generates aggregate seeds in a cellular system. Nat Commun 2023; 14:560. [PMID: 36732333 PMCID: PMC9894937 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36058-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-like aggregates of the microtubule-associated protein Tau are associated with several neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease. The existence of cellular machinery for the removal of such aggregates has remained unclear, as specialized disaggregase chaperones are thought to be absent in mammalian cells. Here we show in cell culture and in neurons that the hexameric ATPase valosin-containing protein (VCP) is recruited to ubiquitylated Tau fibrils, resulting in their efficient disaggregation. Aggregate clearance depends on the functional cooperation of VCP with heat shock 70 kDa protein (Hsp70) and the ubiquitin-proteasome machinery. While inhibition of VCP activity stabilizes large Tau aggregates, disaggregation by VCP generates seeding-active Tau species as byproduct. These findings identify VCP as a core component of the machinery for the removal of neurodegenerative disease aggregates and suggest that its activity can be associated with enhanced aggregate spreading in tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itika Saha
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.,Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Patricia Yuste-Checa
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.,Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Miguel Da Silva Padilha
- Molecular Neurodegeneration Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.,Department of Molecules - Signaling - Development, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.,Center for Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Qiang Guo
- Department of Structural Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.,State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Roman Körner
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Hauke Holthusen
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Victoria A Trinkaus
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.,Department of Structural Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.,Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
| | - Irina Dudanova
- Molecular Neurodegeneration Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.,Department of Molecules - Signaling - Development, Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.,Center for Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Rubén Fernández-Busnadiego
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.,Department of Structural Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.,Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37099, Göttingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Baumeister
- Department of Structural Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - David W Sanders
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, 75390, TX, USA.,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Saurabh Gautam
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.,Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, 55216, Ingelheim, Germany.,ViraTherapeutics GmbH, 6063, Rum, Austria
| | - Marc I Diamond
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, 75390, TX, USA
| | - F Ulrich Hartl
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany. .,Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, USA. .,Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany.
| | - Mark S Hipp
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany. .,Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany. .,School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany. .,Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan, 1, 9713 AV, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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48
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Wenger K, Viode A, Schlaffner CN, van Zalm P, Cheng L, Dellovade T, Langlois X, Bannon A, Chang R, Connors TR, Oakley D, Renard B, Rappsilber J, Hyman B, Steen H, Steen JA. Common mouse models of tauopathy reflect early but not late human disease. Mol Neurodegener 2023; 18:10. [PMID: 36732784 PMCID: PMC9893608 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00601-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mouse models that overexpress human mutant Tau (P301S and P301L) are commonly used in preclinical studies of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and while several drugs showed therapeutic effects in these mice, they were ineffective in humans. This leads to the question to which extent the murine models reflect human Tau pathology on the molecular level. METHODS We isolated insoluble, aggregated Tau species from two common AD mouse models during different stages of disease and characterized the modification landscape of the aggregated Tau using targeted and untargeted mass spectrometry-based proteomics. The results were compared to human AD and to human patients that suffered from early onset dementia and that carry the P301L Tau mutation. RESULTS Both mouse models accumulate insoluble Tau species during disease. The Tau aggregation is driven by progressive phosphorylation within the proline rich domain and the C-terminus of the protein. This is reflective of early disease stages of human AD and of the pathology of dementia patients carrying the P301L Tau mutation. However, Tau ubiquitination and acetylation, which are important to late-stage human AD are not represented in the mouse models. CONCLUSION AD mouse models that overexpress human Tau using risk mutations are a suitable tool for testing drug candidates that aim to intervene in the early formation of insoluble Tau species promoted by increased phosphorylation of Tau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Wenger
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurobiology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard, Medical School; Center for Life Science, RM 12030, 3 Blackfan Circle, Boston, MA 02115 USA
| | - Arthur Viode
- Departments of Pathology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Christoph N. Schlaffner
- Departments of Pathology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
- Data Analytics and Computational Statistics, Hasso-Plattner-Institute, Faculty of Digital Engineering; University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Patrick van Zalm
- Departments of Pathology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Long Cheng
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurobiology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard, Medical School; Center for Life Science, RM 12030, 3 Blackfan Circle, Boston, MA 02115 USA
| | | | | | | | - Rui Chang
- AbbVie, Cambridge Research Center, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Theresa R. Connors
- Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Derek Oakley
- Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Bernhard Renard
- Data Analytics and Computational Statistics, Hasso-Plattner-Institute, Faculty of Digital Engineering; University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Juri Rappsilber
- Bioanalytics, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bradley Hyman
- Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Hanno Steen
- Departments of Pathology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
- Neurobiology Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA USA
| | - Judith A. Steen
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurobiology, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard, Medical School; Center for Life Science, RM 12030, 3 Blackfan Circle, Boston, MA 02115 USA
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49
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Huynh DT, Boyce M. Chemical Biology Approaches to Understanding Neuronal O-GlcNAcylation. Isr J Chem 2023; 63:e202200071. [PMID: 36874376 PMCID: PMC9983623 DOI: 10.1002/ijch.202200071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is a ubiquitous post-translational modification in mammals, decorating thousands of intracellular proteins. O-GlcNAc cycling is an essential regulator of myriad aspects of cell physiology and is dysregulated in numerous human diseases. Notably, O-GlcNAcylation is abundant in the brain and numerous studies have linked aberrant O-GlcNAc signaling to various neurological conditions. However, the complexity of the nervous system and the dynamic nature of protein O-GlcNAcylation have presented challenges for studying of neuronal O-GlcNAcylation. In this context, chemical approaches have been a particularly valuable complement to conventional cellular, biochemical, and genetic methods to understand O-GlcNAc signaling and to develop future therapeutics. Here we review selected recent examples of how chemical tools have empowered efforts to understand and rationally manipulate O-GlcNAcylation in mammalian neurobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duc Tan Huynh
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Michael Boyce
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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50
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Dysfunction of the glutamatergic photoreceptor synapse in the P301S mouse model of tauopathy. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:5. [PMID: 36631898 PMCID: PMC9832799 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01489-3] [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: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease, are characterized by retinal ganglion cell loss associated with amyloid and phosphorylated tau deposits. We investigated the functional impact of these histopathological alterations in the murine P301S model of tauopathy. Visual impairments were demonstrated by a decrease in visual acuity already detectable at 6 months, the onset of disease. Visual signals to the cortex and retina were delayed at 6 and 9 months, respectively. Surprisingly, the retinal output signal was delayed at the light onset and advanced at the light offset. This antagonistic effect, due to a dysfunction of the cone photoreceptor synapse, was associated with changes in the expression of the vesicular glutamate transporter and a microglial reaction. This dysfunction of retinal glutamatergic synapses suggests a novel interpretation for visual deficits in tauopathies and it highlights the potential value of the retina for the diagnostic assessment and the evaluation of therapies in Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies.
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