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Zampar S, Di Gregorio SE, Grimmer G, Watts JC, Ingelsson M. "Prion-like" seeding and propagation of oligomeric protein assemblies in neurodegenerative disorders. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1436262. [PMID: 39161653 PMCID: PMC11330897 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1436262] [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: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Intra- or extracellular aggregates of proteins are central pathogenic features in most neurodegenerative disorders. The accumulation of such proteins in diseased brains is believed to be the end-stage of a stepwise aggregation of misfolded monomers to insoluble cross-β fibrils via a series of differently sized soluble oligomers/protofibrils. Several studies have shown how α-synuclein, amyloid-β, tau and other amyloidogenic proteins can act as nucleating particles and thereby share properties with misfolded forms, or strains, of the prion protein. Although the roles of different protein assemblies in the respective aggregation cascades remain unclear, oligomers/protofibrils are considered key pathogenic species. Numerous observations have demonstrated their neurotoxic effects and a growing number of studies have indicated that they also possess seeding properties, enabling their propagation within cellular networks in the nervous system. The seeding behavior of oligomers differs between the proteins and is also affected by various factors, such as size, shape and epitope presentation. Here, we are providing an overview of the current state of knowledge with respect to the "prion-like" behavior of soluble oligomers for several of the amyloidogenic proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases. In addition to providing new insight into pathogenic mechanisms, research in this field is leading to novel diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Zampar
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sonja E. Di Gregorio
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Gustavo Grimmer
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joel C. Watts
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Martin Ingelsson
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Public Health/Geriatrics, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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2
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Eskandari-Sedighi G, Crichton M, Zia S, Gomez-Cardona E, Cortez LM, Patel ZH, Takahashi-Yamashiro K, St Laurent CD, Sidhu G, Sarkar S, Aghanya V, Sim VL, Tan Q, Julien O, Plemel JR, Macauley MS. Alzheimer's disease associated isoforms of human CD33 distinctively modulate microglial cell responses in 5XFAD mice. Mol Neurodegener 2024; 19:42. [PMID: 38802940 PMCID: PMC11129479 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-024-00734-8] [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: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Microglia play diverse pathophysiological roles in Alzheimer's disease (AD), with genetic susceptibility factors skewing microglial cell function to influence AD risk. CD33 is an immunomodulatory receptor associated with AD susceptibility through a single nucleotide polymorphism that modulates mRNA splicing, skewing protein expression from a long protein isoform (CD33M) to a short isoform (CD33m). Understanding how human CD33 isoforms differentially impact microglial cell function in vivo has been challenging due to functional divergence of CD33 between mice and humans. We address this challenge by studying transgenic mice expressing either of the human CD33 isoforms crossed with the 5XFAD mouse model of amyloidosis and find that human CD33 isoforms have opposing effects on the response of microglia to amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition. Mice expressing CD33M have increased Aβ levels, more diffuse plaques, fewer disease-associated microglia, and more dystrophic neurites compared to 5XFAD control mice. Conversely, CD33m promotes plaque compaction and microglia-plaque contacts, and minimizes neuritic plaque pathology, highlighting an AD protective role for this isoform. Protective phenotypes driven by CD33m are detected at an earlier timepoint compared to the more aggressive pathology in CD33M mice that appears at a later timepoint, suggesting that CD33m has a more prominent impact on microglia cell function at earlier stages of disease progression. In addition to divergent roles in modulating phagocytosis, scRNAseq and proteomics analyses demonstrate that CD33m+ microglia upregulate nestin, an intermediate filament involved in cell migration, at plaque contact sites. Overall, our work provides new functional insights into how CD33, as a top genetic susceptibility factor for AD, modulates microglial cell function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sameera Zia
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | | | - Leonardo M Cortez
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Zain H Patel
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | | | | | - Gaurav Sidhu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Susmita Sarkar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Vivian Aghanya
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Valerie L Sim
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Qiumin Tan
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Olivier Julien
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Jason R Plemel
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Matthew S Macauley
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
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3
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Kozin SA, Kechko OI, Adzhubei AA, Makarov AA, Mitkevich VA. Switching On/Off Amyloid Plaque Formation in Transgenic Animal Models of Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:72. [PMID: 38203242 PMCID: PMC10778642 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010072] [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: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
A hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are the proteinaceous aggregates formed by the amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ) that is deposited inside the brain as amyloid plaques. The accumulation of aggregated Aβ may initiate or enhance pathologic processes in AD. According to the amyloid hypothesis, any agent that has the capability to inhibit Aβ aggregation and/or destroy amyloid plaques represents a potential disease-modifying drug. In 2023, a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody (lecanemab) against the Aβ-soluble protofibrils was approved by the US FDA for AD therapy, thus providing compelling support to the amyloid hypothesis. To acquire a deeper insight on the in vivo Aβ aggregation, various animal models, including aged herbivores and carnivores, non-human primates, transgenic rodents, fish and worms were widely exploited. This review is based on the recent data obtained using transgenic animal AD models and presents experimental verification of the critical role in Aβ aggregation seeding of the interactions between zinc ions, Aβ with the isomerized Asp7 (isoD7-Aβ) and the α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey A. Kozin
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (O.I.K.); (A.A.A.); (A.A.M.)
| | | | | | | | - Vladimir A. Mitkevich
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (O.I.K.); (A.A.A.); (A.A.M.)
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4
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Stern AM, Yang Y, Jin S, Yamashita K, Meunier AL, Liu W, Cai Y, Ericsson M, Liu L, Goedert M, Scheres SHW, Selkoe DJ. Abundant Aβ fibrils in ultracentrifugal supernatants of aqueous extracts from Alzheimer's disease brains. Neuron 2023; 111:2012-2020.e4. [PMID: 37167969 PMCID: PMC10330525 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Soluble oligomers of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) have been defined as aggregates in supernatants following ultracentrifugation of aqueous extracts from Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains and are believed to be upstream initiators of synaptic dysfunction, but little is known about their structures. We now report the unexpected presence of Aβ fibrils in synaptotoxic high-speed supernatants from AD brains extracted by soaking in an aqueous buffer. The fibrils did not appear to form during preparation, and their counts by EM correlated with Aβ ELISA quantification. Cryo-EM structures of aqueous Aβ fibrils were identical to those from sarkosyl-insoluble homogenates. The fibrils in aqueous extracts were labeled by lecanemab, an Aβ aggregate-directed antibody reported to improve AD cognitive outcomes. Lecanemab provided protection against aqueous fibril synaptotoxicity. We conclude that fibrils are abundant in aqueous extracts from AD brains and have the same structures as those from plaques. These findings have implications for AD pathogenesis and drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Stern
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yang Yang
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Shanxue Jin
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Keitaro Yamashita
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Angela L Meunier
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Wen Liu
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yuqi Cai
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Maria Ericsson
- Harvard Medical School Electron Microscopy Facility, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Lei Liu
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Michel Goedert
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Sjors H W Scheres
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Dennis J Selkoe
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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5
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Hebisch M, Klostermeier S, Wolf K, Boccaccini AR, Wolf SE, Tanzi RE, Kim DY. The Impact of the Cellular Environment and Aging on Modeling Alzheimer's Disease in 3D Cell Culture Models. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2205037. [PMID: 36642841 PMCID: PMC10015857 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202205037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Creating a cellular model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) that accurately recapitulates disease pathology has been a longstanding challenge. Recent studies showed that human AD neural cells, integrated into three-dimensional (3D) hydrogel matrix, display key features of AD neuropathology. Like in the human brain, the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a critical role in determining the rate of neuropathogenesis in hydrogel-based 3D cellular models. Aging, the greatest risk factor for AD, significantly alters brain ECM properties. Therefore, it is important to understand how age-associated changes in ECM affect accumulation of pathogenic molecules, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration in AD patients and in vitro models. In this review, mechanistic hypotheses is presented to address the impact of the ECM properties and their changes with aging on AD and AD-related dementias. Altered ECM characteristics in aged brains, including matrix stiffness, pore size, and composition, will contribute to disease pathogenesis by modulating the accumulation, propagation, and spreading of pathogenic molecules of AD. Emerging hydrogel-based disease models with differing ECM properties provide an exciting opportunity to study the impact of brain ECM aging on AD pathogenesis, providing novel mechanistic insights. Understanding the role of ECM aging in AD pathogenesis should also improve modeling AD in 3D hydrogel systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Hebisch
- Genetics and Aging Research UnitMcCance Center for Brain health, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative DiseaseMassachusetts General HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolCharlestownMA02129USA
| | - Stefanie Klostermeier
- Institute of Medical PhysicsFriedrich‐Alexander Universität Erlangen‐Nürnberg91052ErlangenGermany
- Max‐Planck‐Zentrum für Physik und Medizin91054ErlangenGermany
| | - Katharina Wolf
- Department of Medicine 1Friedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐Nürnberg91054ErlangenGermany
| | - Aldo R. Boccaccini
- Institute of BiomaterialsDepartment of Materials Science and EngineeringFriedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐Nürnberg91058ErlangenGermany
| | - Stephan E. Wolf
- Institute of Glass and CeramicsDepartment of Materials Science and EngineeringFriedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐Nürnberg91058ErlangenGermany
| | - Rudolph E. Tanzi
- Genetics and Aging Research UnitMcCance Center for Brain health, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative DiseaseMassachusetts General HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolCharlestownMA02129USA
| | - Doo Yeon Kim
- Genetics and Aging Research UnitMcCance Center for Brain health, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative DiseaseMassachusetts General HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolCharlestownMA02129USA
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6
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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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7
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Li X, Ospitalieri S, Robberechts T, Hofmann L, Schmid C, Rijal Upadhaya A, Koper MJ, von Arnim CAF, Kumar S, Willem M, Gnoth K, Ramakers M, Schymkowitz J, Rousseau F, Walter J, Ronisz A, Balakrishnan K, Thal DR. Seeding, maturation and propagation of amyloid β-peptide aggregates in Alzheimer’s disease. Brain 2022; 145:3558-3570. [PMID: 36270003 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease is neuropathologically characterized by the deposition of the amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) as amyloid plaques. Aβ plaque pathology starts in the neocortex before it propagates into further brain regions. Moreover, Aβ aggregates undergo maturation indicated by the occurrence of post-translational modifications. Here, we show that propagation of Aβ plaques is led by presumably non-modified Aβ followed by Aβ aggregate maturation. This sequence was seen neuropathologically in human brains and in amyloid precursor protein transgenic mice receiving intracerebral injections of human brain homogenates from cases varying in Aβ phase, Aβ load and Aβ maturation stage. The speed of propagation after seeding in mice was best related to the Aβ phase of the donor, the progression speed of maturation to the stage of Aβ aggregate maturation. Thus, different forms of Aβ can trigger propagation/maturation of Aβ aggregates, which may explain the lack of success when therapeutically targeting only specific forms of Aβ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohang Li
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Laboratory of Neuropathology, Leuven Brain Institute, KU-Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Simona Ospitalieri
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Laboratory of Neuropathology, Leuven Brain Institute, KU-Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Tessa Robberechts
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Laboratory of Neuropathology, Leuven Brain Institute, KU-Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Linda Hofmann
- Institute of Pathology, Laboratory of Neuropathology, Ulm University , Ulm , Germany
| | - Christina Schmid
- Institute of Pathology, Laboratory of Neuropathology, Ulm University , Ulm , Germany
| | - Ajeet Rijal Upadhaya
- Institute of Pathology, Laboratory of Neuropathology, Ulm University , Ulm , Germany
| | - Marta J Koper
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Laboratory of Neuropathology, Leuven Brain Institute, KU-Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurosciences, KU-Leuven (University of Leuven), Leuven Brain Institute , Leuven , Belgium
- Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Christine A F von Arnim
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University , Ulm , Germany
- Division of Geriatrics, University Medical Center Göttingen , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Sathish Kumar
- Department of Neurology, University of Bonn , Bonn , Germany
| | - Michael Willem
- Chair of Metabolic Biochemistry, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich , Munich , Germany
| | - Kathrin Gnoth
- Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology , Halle , Germany
| | - Meine Ramakers
- Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB , Leuven , Belgium
- Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU-Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Joost Schymkowitz
- Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB , Leuven , Belgium
- Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU-Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Frederic Rousseau
- Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB , Leuven , Belgium
- Switch Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU-Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Jochen Walter
- Department of Neurology, University of Bonn , Bonn , Germany
| | - Alicja Ronisz
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Laboratory of Neuropathology, Leuven Brain Institute, KU-Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Karthikeyan Balakrishnan
- Institute of Pathology, Laboratory of Neuropathology, Ulm University , Ulm , Germany
- Department of Gene Therapy, Ulm University , Ulm , Germany
| | - Dietmar Rudolf Thal
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Laboratory of Neuropathology, Leuven Brain Institute, KU-Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
- Institute of Pathology, Laboratory of Neuropathology, Ulm University , Ulm , Germany
- Department of Pathology, UZ-Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
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8
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Baerends E, Soud K, Folke J, Pedersen AK, Henmar S, Konrad L, Lycas MD, Mori Y, Pakkenberg B, Woldbye DPD, Dmytriyeva O, Pankratova S. Modeling the early stages of Alzheimer's disease by administering intracerebroventricular injections of human native Aβ oligomers to rats. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022; 10:113. [PMID: 35974377 PMCID: PMC9380371 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01417-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive and irreversible neurodegenerative disease characterized by the accumulation of aggregated amyloid beta (Aβ) and hyperphosphorylated tau along with a slow decline in cognitive functions. Unlike advanced AD, the initial steps of AD pathophysiology have been poorly investigated, partially due to limited availability of animal models focused on the early, plaque-free stages of the disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the early behavioral, anatomical and molecular alterations in wild-type rats following intracerebroventricular injections of human Aβ oligomers (AβOs). Bioactive human AD and nondemented control brain tissue extracts were characterized using ELISA and proteomics approaches. Following a bilateral infusion, rats underwent behavioral testing, including the elevated plus maze, social recognition test, Morris water maze and Y-maze within 6 weeks postinjection. An analysis of brain structure was performed with manganese-enhanced MRI. Collected brain tissues were analyzed using stereology, immunohistochemistry, ELISA and qPCR. No sensorimotor deficits affecting motor performance on different maze tasks were observed, nor was spatial memory disturbed in AD rats. In contrast, a significant impairment of social memory became evident at 21 days postinjection. This deficit was associated with a significantly decreased volume of the lateral entorhinal cortex and a tendency toward a decrease in the total brain volume. Significant increase of cleaved caspase-3-positive cells, microglial activation and proinflammatory responses accompanied by altered expression of synaptic markers were observed in the hippocampus of AD rats with immunohistochemical and qPCR approaches at 6 weeks postinjection. Our data suggest that the social memory impairment observed in AβO-injected rats might be determined by neuroinflammatory responses and synaptopathy. An infusion of native oligomeric Aβ in the rat brain represents a feasible tool to model early plaque-free events associated with AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Baerends
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Katia Soud
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jonas Folke
- Centre for Neuroscience and Stereology, Department of Neurology,, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Copenhagen Center for Translational Research, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anna-Kathrine Pedersen
- Proteomics Program, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Simon Henmar
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lisa Konrad
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Matthew D Lycas
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Yuki Mori
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Bente Pakkenberg
- Centre for Neuroscience and Stereology, Department of Neurology,, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - David P D Woldbye
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Oksana Dmytriyeva
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Stanislava Pankratova
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark. .,Comparative Pediatrics and Nutrition, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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9
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Antonino M, Marmo P, Freites CL, Quassollo GE, Sánchez MF, Lorenzo A, Bignante EA. Aβ Assemblies Promote Amyloidogenic Processing of APP and Intracellular Accumulation of Aβ42 Through Go/Gβγ Signaling. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:852738. [PMID: 35445022 PMCID: PMC9013780 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.852738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by the deposition of aggregated species of amyloid beta (Aβ) in the brain, which leads to progressive cognitive deficits and dementia. Aβ is generated by the successive cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), first by β-site APP cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) and subsequently by the γ-secretase complex. Those conditions which enhace or reduce its clearance predispose to Aβ aggregation and the development of AD. In vitro studies have demonstrated that Aβ assemblies spark a feed-forward loop heightening Aβ production. However, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Here, we show that oligomers and fibrils of Aβ enhance colocalization and physical interaction of APP and BACE1 in recycling endosomes of human neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells and other cell types, which leads to exacerbated amyloidogenic processing of APP and intracellular accumulation of Aβ42. In cells that are overexpressing the mutant forms of APP which are unable to bind Aβ or to activate Go protein, we have found that treatment with aggregated Aβ fails to increase colocalization of APP with BACE1 indicating that Aβ-APP/Go signaling is involved in this process. Moreover, inhibition of Gβγ subunit signaling with βARKct or gallein prevents Aβ-dependent interaction of APP and BACE1 in endosomes, β-processing of APP, and intracellular accumulation of Aβ42. Collectively, our findings uncover a signaling mechanism leading to a feed-forward loop of amyloidogenesis that might contribute to Aβ pathology in the early stages of AD and suggest that gallein could have therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Antonino
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Paula Marmo
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Carlos Leandro Freites
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | | | | | - Alfredo Lorenzo
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- *Correspondence: Elena Anahi Bignante, ; Alfredo Lorenzo,
| | - Elena Anahi Bignante
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Biomédicas de Córdoba (IUCBC), Córdoba, Argentina
- *Correspondence: Elena Anahi Bignante, ; Alfredo Lorenzo,
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10
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Hamaguchi T, Ono K, Yamada M. Transmission of Cerebral β-Amyloidosis Among Individuals. Neurochem Res 2022; 47:2469-2477. [PMID: 35277809 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-022-03566-4] [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: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Deposition of amyloid β protein (Aβ) in the brain (cerebral β-amyloidosis) is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). So far, there have been increasing number of experimental studies using AD mouse model that cerebral β-amyloidosis could be transmitted among individuals as prion-like mechanism. Furthermore, several pathological studies using autopsied patients with iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) showed that cerebral β-amyloidosis in addition to the CJD pathology could be transmitted among humans via medical procedures, such as human growth hormone derived from cadaver injection and cadaveric dura mater graft. In addition, although cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), which is Aβ deposition in the cerebral vessels, related cerebral hemorrhage rarely develops in young people, several patients with CAA-related cerebral hemorrhage under the age of 55 with histories of neurosurgeries with and without dura mater graft in early childhood have been reported. These patients might show that Aβ pathology is often recognized as Aβ-CAA rather than parenchymal Aβ deposition in the transmission of cerebral β-amyloidosis in humans, and we proposed an emerging concept, "acquired CAA". Considering that there have been several patients with acquired CAA with an incubation period from neurosurgery and the onset of CAA related cerebral hemorrhage of longer than 40 years, the number of cases is likely to increase in the future, and detailed epidemiological investigation is required. It is necessary to continue to elucidate the pathomechanisms of acquired CAA and urgently establish a method for preventing the transmission of cerebral β-amyloidosis among individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsuyoshi Hamaguchi
- Department of Neurology and Neurobiology of Aging, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 13-1 Takara-machi, Kanazawa, 920-8640, Japan.
| | - Kenjiro Ono
- Department of Neurology and Neurobiology of Aging, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 13-1 Takara-machi, Kanazawa, 920-8640, Japan.
| | - Masahito Yamada
- Department of Neurology and Neurobiology of Aging, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 13-1 Takara-machi, Kanazawa, 920-8640, Japan.
- Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kudanzaka Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
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11
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Moreno-Gonzalez I, Edwards G, Morales R, Duran-Aniotz C, Escobedo G, Marquez M, Pumarola M, Soto C. Aged Cattle Brain Displays Alzheimer's Disease-Like Pathology and Promotes Brain Amyloidosis in a Transgenic Animal Model. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 13:815361. [PMID: 35173603 PMCID: PMC8841674 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.815361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the leading causes of dementia in late life. Although the cause of AD neurodegenerative changes is not fully understood, extensive evidence suggests that the misfolding, aggregation and cerebral accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau proteins are hallmark events. Recent reports have shown that protein misfolding and aggregation can be induced by administration of small quantities of preformed aggregates, following a similar principle by which prion diseases can be transmitted by infection. In the past few years, many of the typical properties that characterize prions as infectious agents were also shown in Aβ aggregates. Interestingly, prion diseases affect not only humans, but also various species of mammals, and it has been demonstrated that infectious prions present in animal tissues, particularly cattle affected by bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), can infect humans. It has been reported that protein deposits resembling Aβ amyloid plaques are present in the brain of several aged non-human mammals, including monkeys, bears, dogs, and cheetahs. In this study, we investigated the presence of Aβ aggregates in the brain of aged cattle, their similarities with the protein deposits observed in AD patients, and their capability to promote AD pathological features when intracerebrally inoculated into transgenic animal models of AD. Our data show that aged cattle can develop AD-like neuropathological abnormalities, including amyloid plaques, as studied histologically. Importantly, cow-derived aggregates accelerate Aβ amyloid deposition in the brain of AD transgenic animals. Surprisingly, the rate of induction produced by administration of the cattle material was substantially higher than induction produced by injection of similar amounts of human AD material. Our findings demonstrate that cows develop seeding-competent Aβ aggregates, similarly as observed in AD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Moreno-Gonzalez
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- Departamento Biología Celular, Genética y Fisiología, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Universidad de Malaga, Malaga, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - George Edwards
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Rodrigo Morales
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - Claudia Duran-Aniotz
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
- Latin American Institute for Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gabriel Escobedo
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Mercedes Marquez
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Veterinary Faculty, Animal Tissue Bank of Catalunya (BTAC), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Valles), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marti Pumarola
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Veterinary Faculty, Animal Tissue Bank of Catalunya (BTAC), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Valles), Barcelona, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Valles), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Claudio Soto
- Department of Neurology, Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
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12
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Moore BD, Levites Y, Xu G, Hampton H, Adamo MF, Croft CL, Futch HS, Moran C, Fromholt S, Janus C, Prokop S, Dickson D, Lewis J, Giasson BI, Golde TE, Borchelt DR. Soluble brain homogenates from diverse human and mouse sources preferentially seed diffuse Aβ plaque pathology when injected into newborn mouse hosts. FREE NEUROPATHOLOGY 2022; 3. [PMID: 35494163 DOI: 10.17879/freeneuropathology-2022-3766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Background Seeding of pathology related to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Lewy body disease (LBD) by tissue homogenates or purified protein aggregates in various model systems has revealed prion-like properties of these disorders. Typically, these homogenates are injected into adult mice stereotaxically. Injection of brain lysates into newborn mice represents an alternative approach of delivering seeds that could direct the evolution of amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology co-mixed with either tau or α-synuclein (αSyn) pathology in susceptible mouse models. Methods Homogenates of human pre-frontal cortex were injected into the lateral ventricles of newborn (P0) mice expressing a mutant humanized amyloid precursor protein (APP), human P301L tau, human wild type αSyn, or combinations thereof. The homogenates were prepared from AD and AD/LBD cases displaying variable degrees of Aβ pathology and co-existing tau and αSyn deposits. Behavioral assessments of APP transgenic mice injected with AD brain lysates were conducted. For comparison, homogenates of aged APP transgenic mice that preferentially exhibit diffuse or cored deposits were similarly injected into the brains of newborn APP mice. Results We observed that lysates from the brains with AD (Aβ+, tau+), AD/LBD (Aβ+, tau+, αSyn+), or Pathological Aging (Aβ+, tau-, αSyn-) efficiently seeded diffuse Aβ deposits. Moderate seeding of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) was also observed. No animal of any genotype developed discernable tau or αSyn pathology. Performance in fear-conditioning cognitive tasks was not significantly altered in APP transgenic animals injected with AD brain lysates compared to nontransgenic controls. Homogenates prepared from aged APP transgenic mice with diffuse Aβ deposits induced similar deposits in APP host mice; whereas homogenates from APP mice with cored deposits induced similar cored deposits, albeit at a lower level. Conclusions These findings are consistent with the idea that diffuse Aβ pathology, which is a common feature of human AD, AD/LBD, and PA brains, may arise from a distinct strain of misfolded Aβ that is highly transmissible to newborn transgenic APP mice. Seeding of tau or αSyn comorbidities was inefficient in the models we used, indicating that additional methodological refinement will be needed to efficiently seed AD or AD/LBD mixed pathologies by injecting newborn mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda D Moore
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Yona Levites
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Guilian Xu
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Hailey Hampton
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Munir F Adamo
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Cara L Croft
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Hunter S Futch
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Corey Moran
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Susan Fromholt
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Christopher Janus
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Stefan Prokop
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610 USA.,Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Dennis Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Jada Lewis
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Benoit I Giasson
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Todd E Golde
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32610, USA
| | - David R Borchelt
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.,McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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13
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Nakano H, Hamaguchi T, Ikeda T, Watanabe‐Nakayama T, Ono K, Yamada M. Inactivation of seeding activity of amyloid β‐protein aggregates in vitro. J Neurochem 2021; 160:499-516. [DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroto Nakano
- Department of Neurology and Neurobiology of Aging Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences Kanazawa Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Hamaguchi
- Department of Neurology and Neurobiology of Aging Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences Kanazawa Japan
| | - Tokuhei Ikeda
- Department of Neurology and Neurobiology of Aging Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences Kanazawa Japan
- Department of Neurology Ishikawa Prefectural Central Hospital Kanazawa Japan
| | - Takahiro Watanabe‐Nakayama
- World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI)‐Nano Life Science Institute Kanazawa University Kanazawa Japan
| | - Kenjiro Ono
- Division of Neurology Department of Internal Medicine Showa University Tokyo Japan
| | - Masahito Yamada
- Department of Neurology and Neurobiology of Aging Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences Kanazawa Japan
- Department of Internal Medicine Department of Neurology Kudanzaka Hospital Tokyo Japan
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14
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Shobo A, James N, Dai D, Röntgen A, Black C, Kwizera JR, Hancock MA, Huy Bui K, Multhaup G. The Amyloid-β 1-42-oligomer interacting peptide D-AIP possesses favorable biostability, pharmacokinetics, and brain region distribution. J Biol Chem 2021; 298:101483. [PMID: 34896396 PMCID: PMC8752909 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
We have previously developed a unique 8-amino acid Aβ42 oligomer-Interacting Peptide (AIP) as a novel anti-amyloid strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Our lead candidate has successfully progressed from test tubes (i.e., in vitro characterization of protease-resistant D-AIP) to transgenic flies (i.e., in vivo rescue of human Aβ42-mediated toxicity via D-AIP-supplemented food). In the present study, we examined D-AIP in terms of its stability in multiple biological matrices (i.e., ex-vivo mouse plasma, whole blood, and liver S9 fractions) using MALDI mass spectrometry, pharmacokinetics using a rapid and sensitive LC-MS method, and blood brain barrier (BBB) penetrance in WT C57LB/6 mice. D-AIP was found to be relatively stable over 3 h at 37 °C in all matrices tested. Finally, label-free MALDI imaging showed that orally administered D-AIP can readily penetrate the intact BBB in both male and female WT mice. Based upon the favorable stability, pharmacokinetics, and BBB penetration outcomes for orally administered D-AIP in WT mice, we then examined the effect of D-AIP on amyloid “seeding” in vitro (i.e., freshly monomerized versus preaggregated Aβ42). Complementary biophysical assays (ThT, TEM, and MALDI-TOF MS) showed that D-AIP can directly interact with synthetic Aβ42 aggregates to disrupt primary and/or secondary seeding events. Taken together, the unique mechanistic and desired therapeutic potential of our lead D-AIP candidate warrants further investigation, that is, testing of D-AIP efficacy on the altered amyloid/tau pathology in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adeola Shobo
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Nicholas James
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Daniel Dai
- Strathcona Anatomy Dentistry Building, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Alexander Röntgen
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Institute of Biochemistry, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Corbin Black
- Strathcona Anatomy Dentistry Building, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jean-Robert Kwizera
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mark A Hancock
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Khanh Huy Bui
- Strathcona Anatomy Dentistry Building, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Gerhard Multhaup
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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15
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Stepanchuk AA, Barber PA, Lashley T, Joseph JT, Stys PK. Quantitative detection of grey and white matter amyloid pathology using a combination of K114 and CRANAD-3 fluorescence. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 161:105540. [PMID: 34751140 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that exacts a huge toll on the patient, the healthcare system and society in general. Abundance and morphology of protein aggregates such as amyloid β plaques and tau tangles, along with cortical atrophy and gliosis are used as measures to assess the changes in the brain induced by the disease. Not all of these parameters have a direct correlation with cognitive decline. Studies have shown that only particular protein conformers can be the main drivers of disease progression, and conventional approaches are unable to distinguish different conformations of disease-relevant proteins. METHODS AND RESULTS Using the fluorescent amyloid probes K114 and CRANAD-3 and spectral confocal microscopy, we examined formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded brain samples from different control and AD cases. Based on the emission spectra of the probes used in this study, we found that certain spectral signatures can be correlated with different aggregates formed by different proteins. The combination of spectral imaging and advanced image analysis tools allowed us to detect variability of protein deposits across the samples. CONCLUSION Our proposed method offers a quicker and easier neuropathological assessment of tissue samples, as well as introducing an additional parameter by which protein aggregates can be discriminated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiia A Stepanchuk
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Philip A Barber
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Tammaryn Lashley
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK; Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders, Department of Clinical and Movement Neuroscience, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Jeffrey T Joseph
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Peter K Stys
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, AB, Canada.
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16
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Matuszyk MM, Garwood CJ, Ferraiuolo L, Simpson JE, Staniforth RA, Wharton SB. Biological and methodological complexities of beta-amyloid peptide: Implications for Alzheimer's disease research. J Neurochem 2021; 160:434-453. [PMID: 34767256 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Although controversial, the amyloid cascade hypothesis remains central to the Alzheimer's disease (AD) field and posits amyloid-beta (Aβ) as the central factor initiating disease onset. In recent years, there has been an increase in emphasis on studying the role of low molecular weight aggregates, such as oligomers, which are suggested to be more neurotoxic than fibrillary Aβ. Other Aβ isoforms, such as truncated Aβ, have also been implicated in disease. However, developing a clear understanding of AD pathogenesis has been hampered by the complexity of Aβ biochemistry in vitro and in vivo. This review explores factors contributing to the lack of consistency in experimental approaches taken to model Aβ aggregation and toxicity and provides an overview of the different techniques available to analyse Aβ, such as electron and atomic force microscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, dye-based assays, size exclusion chromatography, mass spectrometry and SDS-PAGE. The review also explores how different types of Aβ can influence Aβ aggregation and toxicity, leading to variation in experimental outcomes, further highlighting the need for standardisation in Aβ preparations and methods used in current research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martyna M Matuszyk
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Claire J Garwood
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Laura Ferraiuolo
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Julie E Simpson
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Stephen B Wharton
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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17
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Tang Y, Zhang D, Zhang Y, Liu Y, Cai L, Plaster E, Zheng J. Fundamentals and exploration of aggregation-induced emission molecules for amyloid protein aggregation. J Mater Chem B 2021; 10:2280-2295. [PMID: 34724699 DOI: 10.1039/d1tb01942b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The past decade has witnessed the growing interest and advances in aggregation-induced emission (AIE) molecules as driven by their unique fluorescence/optical properties in particular sensing applications including biomolecule sensing/detection, environmental/health monitoring, cell imaging/tracking, and disease analysis/diagnosis. In sharp contrast to conventional aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) fluorophores, AIE molecules possess intrinsic advantages for the study of disease-related protein aggregates, but such studies are still at an infant stage with much less scientific exploration. This outlook mainly aims to provide the first systematic summary of AIE-based molecules for amyloid protein aggregates associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Despite a limited number of studies on AIE-amyloid systems, we will survey recent and important developments of AIE molecules for different amyloid protein aggregates of Aβ (associated with Alzheimer's disease), insulin (associated with type 2 diabetes), (α-syn, associated with Parkinson's disease), and HEWL (associated with familial lysozyme systemic amyloidosis) with a particular focus on the working principle and structural design of four types of AIE-based molecules. Finally, we will provide our views on current challenges and future directions in this emerging area. Our goal is to inspire more researchers and investment in this emerging but less explored subject, so as to advance our fundamental understanding and practical design/usages of AIE molecules for disease-related protein aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijing Tang
- Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, The University of Akron, Ohio, USA.
| | - Dong Zhang
- Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, The University of Akron, Ohio, USA.
| | - Yanxian Zhang
- Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, The University of Akron, Ohio, USA.
| | - Yonglan Liu
- Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, The University of Akron, Ohio, USA.
| | - Lirong Cai
- Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, The University of Akron, Ohio, USA.
| | - Eleanor Plaster
- Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, The University of Akron, Ohio, USA.
| | - Jie Zheng
- Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, The University of Akron, Ohio, USA.
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18
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Lam S, Petit F, Hérard AS, Boluda S, Eddarkaoui S, Guillermier M, Letournel F, Martin-Négrier ML, Faisant M, Godfraind C, Boutonnat J, Maurage CA, Deramecourt V, Duchesne M, Meyronet D, Fenouil T, de Paula AM, Rigau V, Vandenbos-Burel F, Seilhean D, Duyckaerts C, Boluda S, Plu I, Chiforeanu DC, Laquerrière A, Marguet F, Lannes B, Lhermitte B, Buée L, Duyckaerts C, Haïk S, Picq JL, Dhenain M. Transmission of amyloid-beta and tau pathologies is associated with cognitive impairments in a primate. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:165. [PMID: 34641980 PMCID: PMC8507137 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01266-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology transmission has been described in patients following iatrogenic exposure to compounds contaminated with Aβ proteins. It can induce cerebral Aβ angiopathy resulting in brain hemorrhages and devastating clinical impacts. Iatrogenic transmission of tau pathology is also suspected but not experimentally proven. In both scenarios, lesions were detected several decades after the putatively triggering medico-surgical act. There is however little information regarding the cognitive repercussions in individuals who do not develop cerebral hemorrhages. In the current study, we inoculated the posterior cingulate cortex and underlying corpus callosum of young adult primates (Microcebus murinus) with either Alzheimer's disease or control brain extracts. This led to widespread Aβ and tau pathologies in all of the Alzheimer-inoculated animals following a 21-month-long incubation period (n = 12) whereas none of the control brain extract-inoculated animals developed such lesions (n = 6). Aβ deposition affected almost all cortical regions. Tau pathology was also detected in Aβ-deposit-free regions distant from the inoculation sites (e.g. in the entorhinal cortex), while some regions adjacent, but not connected, to the inoculation sites were spared (e.g. the occipital cortex). Alzheimer-inoculated animals developed cognitive deficits and cerebral atrophy compared to controls. These pathologies were induced using two different batches of Alzheimer brain extracts. This is the first experimental demonstration that tau can be transmitted by human brain extracts inoculations in a primate. We also showed for the first time that the transmission of widespread Aβ and tau pathologies can be associated with cognitive decline. Our results thus reinforce the need to organize a systematic monitoring of individuals who underwent procedures associated with a risk of Aβ and tau iatrogenic transmission. They also provide support for Alzheimer brain-inoculated primates as relevant models of Alzheimer pathology.
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19
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Roos TT, Garcia MG, Martinsson I, Mabrouk R, Israelsson B, Deierborg T, Kobro-Flatmoen A, Tanila H, Gouras GK. Neuronal spreading and plaque induction of intracellular Aβ and its disruption of Aβ homeostasis. Acta Neuropathol 2021; 142:669-687. [PMID: 34272583 PMCID: PMC8423700 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-021-02345-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ) is thought to have prion-like properties promoting its spread throughout the brain in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the cellular mechanism(s) of this spread remains unclear. Here, we show an important role of intracellular Aβ in its prion-like spread. We demonstrate that an intracellular source of Aβ can induce amyloid plaques in vivo via hippocampal injection. We show that hippocampal injection of mouse AD brain homogenate not only induces plaques, but also damages interneurons and affects intracellular Aβ levels in synaptically connected brain areas, paralleling cellular changes seen in AD. Furthermore, in a primary neuron AD model, exposure of picomolar amounts of brain-derived Aβ leads to an apparent redistribution of Aβ from soma to processes and dystrophic neurites. We also observe that such neuritic dystrophies associate with plaque formation in AD-transgenic mice. Finally, using cellular models, we propose a mechanism for how intracellular accumulation of Aβ disturbs homeostatic control of Aβ levels and can contribute to the up to 10,000-fold increase of Aβ in the AD brain. Our data indicate an essential role for intracellular prion-like Aβ and its synaptic spread in the pathogenesis of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas T Roos
- Experimental Dementia Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Megg G Garcia
- Experimental Dementia Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Experimental Neuroinflammation Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Isak Martinsson
- Experimental Dementia Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Rana Mabrouk
- A. I. Virtanen Institute, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Bodil Israelsson
- Experimental Dementia Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Tomas Deierborg
- Experimental Neuroinflammation Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Heikki Tanila
- A. I. Virtanen Institute, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Gunnar K Gouras
- Experimental Dementia Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
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20
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Hamaguchi T, Kim JH, Hasegawa A, Goto R, Sakai K, Ono K, Itoh Y, Yamada M. Exogenous Aβ seeds induce Aβ depositions in the blood vessels rather than the brain parenchyma, independently of Aβ strain-specific information. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:151. [PMID: 34507620 PMCID: PMC8431898 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01252-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Little is known about the effects of parenchymal or vascular amyloid β peptide (Aβ) deposition in the brain. We hypothesized that Aβ strain-specific information defines whether Aβ deposits on the brain parenchyma or blood vessels. We investigated 12 autopsied patients with different severities of Aβ plaques and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), and performed a seeding study using an Alzheimer’s disease (AD) mouse model in which brain homogenates derived from the autopsied patients were injected intracerebrally. Based on the predominant pathological features, we classified the autopsied patients into four groups: AD, CAA, AD + CAA, and less Aβ. One year after the injection, the pathological and biochemical features of Aβ in the autopsied human brains were not preserved in the human brain extract-injected mice. The CAA counts in the mice injected with all four types of human brain extracts were significantly higher than those in mice injected with PBS. Interestingly, parenchymal and vascular Aβ depositions were observed in the mice that were injected with the human brain homogenate from the less Aβ group. The Aβ and CAA seeding activities, which had significant positive correlations with the Aβ oligomer ratio in the human brain extracts, were significantly higher in the human brain homogenate from the less Aβ group than in the other three groups. These results indicate that exogenous Aβ seeds from different Aβ pathologies induced Aβ deposition in the blood vessels rather than the brain parenchyma without being influenced by Aβ strain-specific information, which might be why CAA is a predominant feature of Aβ pathology in iatrogenic transmission cases. Furthermore, our results suggest that iatrogenic transmission of Aβ pathology might occur due to contamination of brain tissues from patients with little Aβ pathology, and the development of inactivation methods for Aβ seeding activity to prevent iatrogenic transmission is urgently required.
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21
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Wu J, Blum TB, Farrell DP, DiMaio F, Abrahams JP, Luo J. Cryo-electron Microscopy Imaging of Alzheimer's Amyloid-beta 42 Oligomer Displayed on a Functionally and Structurally Relevant Scaffold. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:18680-18687. [PMID: 34042235 PMCID: PMC8457241 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202104497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) oligomers are pathogenic species of amyloid aggregates in Alzheimer's disease. Like certain protein toxins, Aβ oligomers permeabilize cellular membranes, presumably through a pore formation mechanism. Owing to their structural and stoichiometric heterogeneity, the structure of these pores remains to be characterized. We studied a functional Aβ42-pore equivalent, created by fusing Aβ42 to the oligomerizing, soluble domain of the α-hemolysin (αHL) toxin. Our data reveal Aβ42-αHL oligomers to share major structural, functional, and biological properties with wild-type Aβ42-pores. Single-particle cryo-EM analysis of Aβ42-αHL oligomers (with an overall 3.3 Å resolution) reveals the Aβ42-pore region to be intrinsically flexible. The Aβ42-αHL oligomers will allow many of the features of the wild-type amyloid oligomers to be studied that cannot be otherwise, and may be a highly specific antigen for the development of immuno-base diagnostics and therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinming Wu
- Department of Biology and ChemistryPaul Scherrer Institute5232VilligenSwitzerland
| | - Thorsten B. Blum
- Department of Biology and ChemistryPaul Scherrer Institute5232VilligenSwitzerland
| | - Daniel P Farrell
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWA98195USA
- Institute for Protein DesignUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWA98195USA
| | - Frank DiMaio
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWA98195USA
- Institute for Protein DesignUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWA98195USA
| | - Jan Pieter Abrahams
- Department of Biology and ChemistryPaul Scherrer Institute5232VilligenSwitzerland
- BiozentrumUniversity of Basel4058BaselSwitzerland
| | - Jinghui Luo
- Department of Biology and ChemistryPaul Scherrer Institute5232VilligenSwitzerland
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22
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Cryo‐electron Microscopy Imaging of Alzheimer's Amyloid‐beta 42 Oligomer Displayed on a Functionally and Structurally Relevant Scaffold. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202104497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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23
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Contiliani DF, Ribeiro YDA, de Moraes VN, Pereira TC. MicroRNAs in Prion Diseases-From Molecular Mechanisms to Insights in Translational Medicine. Cells 2021; 10:1620. [PMID: 34209482 PMCID: PMC8307047 DOI: 10.3390/cells10071620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules able to post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression via base-pairing with partially complementary sequences of target transcripts. Prion diseases comprise a singular group of neurodegenerative conditions caused by endogenous, misfolded pathogenic (prion) proteins, associated with molecular aggregates. In humans, classical prion diseases include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, fatal familial insomnia, Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome, and kuru. The aim of this review is to present the connections between miRNAs and prions, exploring how the interaction of both molecular actors may help understand the susceptibility, onset, progression, and pathological findings typical of such disorders, as well as the interface with some prion-like disorders, such as Alzheimer's. Additionally, due to the inter-regulation of prions and miRNAs in health and disease, potential biomarkers for non-invasive miRNA-based diagnostics, as well as possible miRNA-based therapies to restore the levels of deregulated miRNAs on prion diseases, are also discussed. Since a cure or effective treatment for prion disorders still pose challenges, miRNA-based therapies emerge as an interesting alternative strategy to tackle such defying medical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danyel Fernandes Contiliani
- Graduate Program of Genetics, Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, Ribeirao Preto 3900, Brazil; (D.F.C.); (Y.d.A.R.); (V.N.d.M.)
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, Ribeirao Preto 3900, Brazil
| | - Yasmin de Araújo Ribeiro
- Graduate Program of Genetics, Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, Ribeirao Preto 3900, Brazil; (D.F.C.); (Y.d.A.R.); (V.N.d.M.)
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, Ribeirao Preto 3900, Brazil
| | - Vitor Nolasco de Moraes
- Graduate Program of Genetics, Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, Ribeirao Preto 3900, Brazil; (D.F.C.); (Y.d.A.R.); (V.N.d.M.)
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, Ribeirao Preto 3900, Brazil
| | - Tiago Campos Pereira
- Graduate Program of Genetics, Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, Ribeirao Preto 3900, Brazil; (D.F.C.); (Y.d.A.R.); (V.N.d.M.)
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, Ribeirao Preto 3900, Brazil
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24
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Keskin I, Ekhtiari Bidhendi E, Marklund M, Andersen PM, Brännström T, Marklund SL, Nordström U. Peripheral administration of SOD1 aggregates does not transmit pathogenic aggregation to the CNS of SOD1 transgenic mice. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:111. [PMID: 34158126 PMCID: PMC8220797 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01211-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The deposition of aggregated proteins is a common neuropathological denominator for neurodegenerative disorders. Experimental evidence suggests that disease propagation involves prion-like mechanisms that cause the spreading of template-directed aggregation of specific disease-associated proteins. In transgenic (Tg) mouse models of superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1)-linked amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), inoculation of minute amounts of human SOD1 (hSOD1) aggregates into the spinal cord or peripheral nerves induces premature ALS-like disease and template-directed hSOD1 aggregation that spreads along the neuroaxis. This infectious nature of spreading pathogenic aggregates might have implications for the safety of laboratory and medical staff, recipients of donated blood or tissue, or possibly close relatives and caregivers. Here we investigate whether transmission of ALS-like disease is unique to the spinal cord and peripheral nerve inoculations or if hSOD1 aggregation might spread from the periphery into the central nervous system (CNS). We inoculated hSOD1 aggregate seeds into the peritoneal cavity, hindlimb skeletal muscle or spinal cord of adult Tg mice expressing mutant hSOD1. Although we used up to 8000 times higher dose—compared to the lowest dose transmitting disease in spinal cord inoculations—the peripheral inoculations did not transmit seeded aggregation to the CNS or premature ALS-like disease in hSOD1 Tg mice. Nor was any hSOD1 aggregation detected in the liver, kidney, skeletal muscle or sciatic nerve. To explore potential reasons for the lack of disease transmission, we examined the stability of hSOD1 aggregates and found them to be highly vulnerable to both proteases and detergent. Our findings suggest that exposed individuals and personnel handling samples from ALS patients are at low risk of any potential transmission of seeded hSOD1 aggregation.
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25
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Creekmore BC, Chang YW, Lee EB. The Cryo-EM Effect: Structural Biology of Neurodegenerative Disease Aggregates. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2021; 80:514-529. [PMID: 33970243 PMCID: PMC8177849 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlab039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurogenerative diseases are characterized by diverse protein aggregates with a variety of microscopic morphologic features. Although ultrastructural studies of human neurodegenerative disease tissues have been conducted since the 1960s, only recently have near-atomic resolution structures of neurodegenerative disease aggregates been described. Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography have provided near-atomic resolution information about in vitro aggregates but pose logistical challenges to resolving the structure of aggregates derived from human tissues. Recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) have provided the means for near-atomic resolution structures of tau, amyloid-β (Aβ), α-synuclein (α-syn), and transactive response element DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) aggregates from a variety of diseases. Importantly, in vitro aggregate structures do not recapitulate ex vivo aggregate structures. Ex vivo tau aggregate structures indicate individual tauopathies have a consistent aggregate structure unique from other tauopathies. α-syn structures show that even within a disease, aggregate heterogeneity may correlate to disease course. Ex vivo structures have also provided insight into how posttranslational modifications may relate to aggregate structure. Though there is less cryo-EM data for human tissue-derived TDP-43 and Aβ, initial structural studies provide a basis for future endeavors. This review highlights structural variations across neurodegenerative diseases and reveals fundamental differences between experimental systems and human tissue derived protein inclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Creekmore
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Graduate Program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Yi-Wei Chang
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Edward B Lee
- Send correspondence to: Edward B. Lee, MD, PhD, Translational Neuropathology Research Laboratory, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 613A Stellar Chance Laboratories, 422 Curie Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; E-mail:
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26
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Understanding amphisomes. Biochem J 2021; 478:1959-1976. [PMID: 34047789 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20200917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Amphisomes are intermediate/hybrid organelles produced through the fusion of endosomes with autophagosomes within cells. Amphisome formation is an essential step during a sequential maturation process of autophagosomes before their ultimate fusion with lysosomes for cargo degradation. This process is highly regulated with multiple protein machineries, such as SNAREs, Rab GTPases, tethering complexes, and ESCRTs, are involved to facilitate autophagic flux to proceed. In neurons, autophagosomes are robustly generated in axonal terminals and then rapidly fuse with late endosomes to form amphisomes. This fusion event allows newly generated autophagosomes to gain retrograde transport motility and move toward the soma, where proteolytically active lysosomes are predominantly located. Amphisomes are not only the products of autophagosome maturation but also the intersection of the autophagy and endo-lysosomal pathways. Importantly, amphisomes can also participate in non-canonical functions, such as retrograde neurotrophic signaling or autophagy-based unconventional secretion by fusion with the plasma membrane. In this review, we provide an updated overview of the recent discoveries and advancements on the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying amphisome biogenesis and the emerging roles of amphisomes. We discuss recent developments towards the understanding of amphisome regulation as well as the implications in the context of major neurodegenerative diseases, with a comparative focus on Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
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27
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Ruiz-Riquelme A, Mao A, Barghash MM, Lau HHC, Stuart E, Kovacs GG, Nilsson KPR, Fraser PE, Schmitt-Ulms G, Watts JC. Aβ43 aggregates exhibit enhanced prion-like seeding activity in mice. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:83. [PMID: 33971978 PMCID: PMC8112054 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01187-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
When injected into genetically modified mice, aggregates of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide from the brains of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients or transgenic AD mouse models seed cerebral Aβ deposition in a prion-like fashion. Within the brain, Aβ exists as a pool of distinct C-terminal variants with lengths ranging from 37 to 43 amino acids, yet the relative contribution of individual C-terminal Aβ variants to the seeding behavior of Aβ aggregates remains unknown. Here, we have investigated the relative seeding activities of Aβ aggregates composed exclusively of recombinant Aβ38, Aβ40, Aβ42, or Aβ43. Cerebral Aβ42 levels were not increased in AppNL−F knock-in mice injected with Aβ38 or Aβ40 aggregates and were only increased in a subset of mice injected with Aβ42 aggregates. In contrast, significant accumulation of Aβ42 was observed in the brains of all mice inoculated with Aβ43 aggregates, and the extent of Aβ42 induction was comparable to that in mice injected with brain-derived Aβ seeds. Mice inoculated with Aβ43 aggregates exhibited a distinct pattern of cerebral Aβ pathology compared to mice injected with brain-derived Aβ aggregates, suggesting that recombinant Aβ43 may polymerize into a unique strain. Our results indicate that aggregates containing longer Aβ C-terminal variants are more potent inducers of cerebral Aβ deposition and highlight the potential role of Aβ43 seeds as a crucial factor in the initial stages of Aβ pathology in AD.
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28
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Duran-Aniotz C, Moreno-Gonzalez I, Gamez N, Perez-Urrutia N, Vegas-Gomez L, Soto C, Morales R. Amyloid pathology arrangements in Alzheimer's disease brains modulate in vivo seeding capability. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:56. [PMID: 33785065 PMCID: PMC8008576 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01155-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) misfolding is one of the hallmark pathological features of Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD can manifest with diverse symptomatology including variable rates of cognitive decline, duration of clinical disease, and other detrimental changes. Several reports suggest that conformational diversity in misfolded Aβ is a leading factor for clinical variability in AD, analogous to what it has been described for prion strains in prion diseases. Notably, prion strains generate diverse patterns of misfolded protein deposition in the brains of affected individuals. Here, we tested the in vivo prion-like transmission features of four AD brains displaying particular patterns of amyloidosis. AD brains induced different phenotypes in recipient mice, as evaluated by their specific seeding activity, as well as the total amount of Aβ deposited surrounding vascular structures and the reactivity of amyloid pathology to thioflavin S. Our results support the notion that AD-subtypes are encoded in disease-associated Aβ. Further research exploring whether AD include a spectrum of different clinical conditions or syndromes may pave the way to personalized diagnosis and treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Duran-Aniotz
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin, St. Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago, Chile
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago, Chile
- Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Medicina, Av. San Carlos de Apoquindo, 2200, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ines Moreno-Gonzalez
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin, St. Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Malaga-IBIMA, 29010, Malaga, Spain
- Networking Research Center On Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia Y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - Nazaret Gamez
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin, St. Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Malaga-IBIMA, 29010, Malaga, Spain
| | - Nelson Perez-Urrutia
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin, St. Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Laura Vegas-Gomez
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Malaga-IBIMA, 29010, Malaga, Spain
| | - Claudio Soto
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin, St. Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Medicina, Av. San Carlos de Apoquindo, 2200, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rodrigo Morales
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin, St. Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia Y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile.
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29
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Ulm BS, Borchelt DR, Moore BD. Remodeling Alzheimer-amyloidosis models by seeding. Mol Neurodegener 2021; 16:8. [PMID: 33588898 PMCID: PMC7885558 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-021-00429-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is among the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases, with brain pathology defined by extracellular amyloid beta deposits and intracellular tau aggregates. To aid in research efforts to improve understanding of this disease, transgenic murine models have been developed that replicate aspects of AD pathology. Familial AD is associated with mutations in the amyloid precursor protein and in the presenilins (associated with amyloidosis); transgenic amyloid models feature one or more of these mutant genes. Recent advances in seeding methods provide a means to alter the morphology of resultant amyloid deposits and the age that pathology develops. In this review, we discuss the variety of factors that influence the seeding of amyloid beta pathology, including the source of seed, the time interval after seeding, the nature of the transgenic host, and the preparation of the seeding inoculum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany S Ulm
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - David R Borchelt
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Brenda D Moore
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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30
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Scherpelz KP, Wang S, Pytel P, Madhurapantula RS, Srivastava AK, Sachleben JR, Orgel J, Ishii Y, Meredith SC. Atomic-level differences between brain parenchymal- and cerebrovascular-seeded Aβ fibrils. Sci Rep 2021; 11:247. [PMID: 33420184 PMCID: PMC7794565 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80042-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is characterized by neuritic plaques, the main protein components of which are β-amyloid (Aβ) peptides deposited as β-sheet-rich amyloid fibrils. Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA) consists of cerebrovascular deposits of Aβ peptides; it usually accompanies Alzheimer's disease, though it sometimes occurs in the absence of neuritic plaques, as AD also occurs without accompanying CAA. Although neuritic plaques and vascular deposits have similar protein compositions, one of the characteristic features of amyloids is polymorphism, i.e., the ability of a single pure peptide to adopt multiple conformations in fibrils, depending on fibrillization conditions. For this reason, we asked whether the Aβ fibrils in neuritic plaques differed structurally from those in cerebral blood vessels. To address this question, we used seeding techniques, starting with amyloid-enriched material from either brain parenchyma or cerebral blood vessels (using meninges as the source). These amyloid-enriched preparations were then added to fresh, disaggregated solutions of Aβ to make replicate fibrils, as described elsewhere. Such fibrils were then studied by solid-state NMR, fiber X-ray diffraction, and other biophysical techniques. We observed chemical shift differences between parenchymal vs. vascular-seeded replicate fibrils in select sites (in particular, Ala2, Phe4, Val12, and Gln15 side chains) in two-dimensional 13C-13C correlation solid-state NMR spectra, strongly indicating structural differences at these sites. X-ray diffraction studies also indicated that vascular-seeded fibrils displayed greater order than parenchyma-seeded fibrils in the "side-chain dimension" (~ 10 Å reflection), though the "hydrogen-bond dimensions" (~ 5 Å reflection) were alike. These results indicate that the different nucleation conditions at two sites in the brain, parenchyma and blood vessels, affect the fibril products that get formed at each site, possibly leading to distinct pathophysiological outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Songlin Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois At Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
| | - Peter Pytel
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Rama S Madhurapantula
- Department of Biology and Biomedical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Atul K Srivastava
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Joseph R Sachleben
- Biomolecular NMR Facility, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Joseph Orgel
- Department of Biology and Biomedical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yoshitaka Ishii
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 226-8503, Japan
| | - Stephen C Meredith
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
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31
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Hérard AS, Petit F, Gary C, Guillermier M, Boluda S, Garin CM, Lam S, Dhenain M. Induction of amyloid-β deposits from serially transmitted, histologically silent, Aβ seeds issued from human brains. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2020; 8:205. [PMID: 33250056 PMCID: PMC7702698 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-020-01081-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, iatrogenic transmission of cerebral amyloid-β (Aβ)-amyloidosis is suspected following inoculation of pituitary-derived hormones or dural grafts presumably contaminated with Aβ proteins as well as after cerebral surgeries. Experimentally, intracerebral inoculation of brain homogenate extracts containing misfolded Aβ can seed Aβ deposition in transgenic mouse models of amyloidosis or in non-human primates. The transmission of cerebral Aβ is governed by the host and by the inoculated samples. It is critical to better characterize the propensities of different hosts to develop Aβ deposition after contamination by an Aβ-positive sample as well as to better assess which biological samples can transmit this lesion. Aβ precursor protein (huAPPwt) mice express humanized non-mutated forms of Aβ precursor protein and do not spontaneously develop Aβ or amyloid deposits. We found that inoculation of Aβ-positive brain extracts from Alzheimer patients in these mice leads to a sparse Aβ deposition close to the alveus 18 months post-inoculation. However, it does not induce cortical or hippocampal Aβ deposition. Secondary inoculation of apparently amyloid deposit-free hippocampal extracts from these huAPPwt mice to APPswe/PS1dE9 mouse models of amyloidosis enhanced Aβ deposition in the alveus 9 months post-inoculation. This suggests that Aβ seeds issued from human brain samples can persist in furtive forms in brain tissues while maintaining their ability to foster Aβ deposition in receptive hosts that overexpress endogenous Aβ. This work emphasizes the need for high-level preventive measures, especially in the context of neurosurgery, to prevent the risk of iatrogenic transmission of Aβ lesions from samples with sparse amyloid markers.
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Acute targeting of pre-amyloid seeds in transgenic mice reduces Alzheimer-like pathology later in life. Nat Neurosci 2020; 23:1580-1588. [PMID: 33199898 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-00737-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) deposits are a relatively late consequence of Aβ aggregation in Alzheimer's disease. When pathogenic Aβ seeds begin to form, propagate and spread is not known, nor are they biochemically defined. We tested various antibodies for their ability to neutralize Aβ seeds before Aβ deposition becomes detectable in Aβ precursor protein-transgenic mice. We also characterized the different antibody recognition profiles using immunoprecipitation of size-fractionated, native, mouse and human brain-derived Aβ assemblies. At least one antibody, aducanumab, after acute administration at the pre-amyloid stage, led to a significant reduction of Aβ deposition and downstream pathologies 6 months later. This demonstrates that therapeutically targetable pathogenic Aβ seeds already exist during the lag phase of protein aggregation in the brain. Thus, the preclinical phase of Alzheimer's disease-currently defined as Aβ deposition without clinical symptoms-may be a relatively late manifestation of a much earlier pathogenic seed formation and propagation that currently escapes detection in vivo.
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Catania M, Di Fede G. One or more β-amyloid(s)? New insights into the prion-like nature of Alzheimer's disease. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 175:213-237. [PMID: 32958234 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Misfolding and aggregation of proteins play a central role in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's and Lewy Body diseases, Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration and prion diseases. Increasing evidence supports the view that Aβ and tau, which are the two main molecular players in AD, share with the prion protein several "prion-like" features that can be relevant for disease pathogenesis. These features essentially include structural/conformational/biochemical variations, resistance to degradation by endogenous proteases, seeding ability, attitude to form neurotoxic assemblies, spreading and propagation of toxic aggregates, transmissibility of tau- and Aβ-related pathology to animal models. Following this view, part of the recent scientific literature has generated a new reading frame for AD pathophysiology, based on the application of the prion paradigm to the amyloid cascade hypothesis in an attempt to definitely explain the key events causing the disease and inducing its occurrence under different clinical phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcella Catania
- Neurology 5 / Neuropathology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Di Fede
- Neurology 5 / Neuropathology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy.
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Ke PC, Zhou R, Serpell LC, Riek R, Knowles TPJ, Lashuel HA, Gazit E, Hamley IW, Davis TP, Fändrich M, Otzen DE, Chapman MR, Dobson CM, Eisenberg DS, Mezzenga R. Half a century of amyloids: past, present and future. Chem Soc Rev 2020; 49:5473-5509. [PMID: 32632432 PMCID: PMC7445747 DOI: 10.1039/c9cs00199a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 304] [Impact Index Per Article: 76.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Amyloid diseases are global epidemics with profound health, social and economic implications and yet remain without a cure. This dire situation calls for research into the origin and pathological manifestations of amyloidosis to stimulate continued development of new therapeutics. In basic science and engineering, the cross-β architecture has been a constant thread underlying the structural characteristics of pathological and functional amyloids, and realizing that amyloid structures can be both pathological and functional in nature has fuelled innovations in artificial amyloids, whose use today ranges from water purification to 3D printing. At the conclusion of a half century since Eanes and Glenner's seminal study of amyloids in humans, this review commemorates the occasion by documenting the major milestones in amyloid research to date, from the perspectives of structural biology, biophysics, medicine, microbiology, engineering and nanotechnology. We also discuss new challenges and opportunities to drive this interdisciplinary field moving forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pu Chun Ke
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 111 Yixueyuan Rd, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruhong Zhou
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York, 10027, USA
| | - Louise C. Serpell
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Roland Riek
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Str. 10, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tuomas P. J. Knowles
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, J J Thomson Avenue, CB3 0HE, Cambridge, UK
| | - Hilal A. Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology and Neuroproteomics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ehud Gazit
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ian W. Hamley
- School of Chemistry, Food Biosciences and Pharmacy, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AD, UK
| | - Thomas P. Davis
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane Qld 4072, Australia
| | - Marcus Fändrich
- Institute of Protein Biochemistry, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Daniel Erik Otzen
- Department of Molecular Biology, Center for Insoluble Protein Structures (inSPIN), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Matthew R. Chapman
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Centre for Microbial Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048, USA
| | - Christopher M. Dobson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - David S. Eisenberg
- Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry, UCLA-DOE Institute and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Raffaele Mezzenga
- Department of Health Science & Technology, ETH Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 9, LFO, E23, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, Wolfgang Pauli Strasse 10, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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Abstract
Amyloid fibrils represent one of the defining features of Alzheimer's disease (AD). They are made up of protofilaments composed of amyloid β (Aβ) peptides that are held together with extraordinary stability by a network of tight steric zippers and axial hydrogen bonds. This review explores the hypothesis that the peptide conformation within a protofilament represents the physical embodiment of a "strain" of AD. Evidence suggests that within a single strain the fold of individual peptides is invariant. However, the fibrils are capable of structural polymorphism that includes variation in the arrangement of protofilaments into fibrils, the pitch of the resultant fibrils, and the higher-order organization of the plaques into which they aggregate. These intrastrain polymorphisms are separated by low energy barriers, allowing multiple configurations to coexist within a single preparation or tissue. Clinical presentation of different strains may be determined by variation in the way different protofilament structures generate the relevant toxic species, be they monomers, oligomers, or higher-order structures. Evidence reviewed here is consistent with a model in which disease progression is concomitant with a gradual, progressive annealing of amyloid fibrils from benign, loosely packed structures into dense neurotoxic aggregates. This model challenges the commonly held hypothesis that oligomers of Aβ peptides are the only active proximate species in neurodegeneration. However, the data do not implicate fibrils themselves. Rather, they cast suspicion on larger-scale supramolecular aggregates as toxic agents. Electron tomography of amyloid plaques in situ strongly suggests that the formation of amyloid aggregates results in perturbation of the cellular membrane integrity, warranting further investigation of this as a potential mode of neurotoxicity. If dense supramolecular amyloid aggregates prove to be important agents of neurodegeneration in AD, this model may also have relevance to other forms of amyloidoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee Makowski
- Departments of Bioengineering and Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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Cao X, Jin X, Liu B. The involvement of stress granules in aging and aging-associated diseases. Aging Cell 2020; 19:e13136. [PMID: 32170904 PMCID: PMC7189987 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress granules (SGs) are nonmembrane assemblies formed in cells in response to stress conditions. SGs mainly contain untranslated mRNA and a variety of proteins. RNAs and scaffold proteins with intrinsically disordered regions or RNA-binding domains are essential for the assembly of SGs, and multivalent macromolecular interactions among these components are thought to be the driving forces for SG assembly. The SG assembly process includes regulation through post-translational modification and involvement of the cytoskeletal system. During aging, many intracellular bioprocesses become disrupted by factors such as cellular environmental changes, mitochondrial dysfunction, and decline in the protein quality control system. Such changes could lead to the formation of aberrant SGs, as well as alterations in their maintenance, disassembly, and clearance. These aberrant SGs might in turn promote aging and aging-associated diseases. In this paper, we first review the latest progress on the molecular mechanisms underlying SG assembly and SG functioning under stress conditions. Then, we provide a detailed discussion of the relevance of SGs to aging and aging-associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuling Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture School of Forestry and Biotechnology Zhejiang A&F University Hangzhou China
| | - Xuejiao Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture School of Forestry and Biotechnology Zhejiang A&F University Hangzhou China
| | - Beidong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture School of Forestry and Biotechnology Zhejiang A&F University Hangzhou China
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology University of Gothenburg Goteborg Sweden
- Center for Large‐scale Cell‐based Screening Faculty of Science University of Gothenburg Goteborg Sweden
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Abstract
Most neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the intracellular or extracellular aggregation of misfolded proteins such as amyloid-β and tau in Alzheimer disease, α-synuclein in Parkinson disease, and TAR DNA-binding protein 43 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Accumulating evidence from both human studies and disease models indicates that intercellular transmission and the subsequent templated amplification of these misfolded proteins are involved in the onset and progression of various neurodegenerative diseases. The misfolded proteins that are transferred between cells are referred to as 'pathological seeds'. Recent studies have made exciting progress in identifying the characteristics of different pathological seeds, particularly those isolated from diseased brains. Advances have also been made in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate the transmission process, and the influence of the host cell on the conformation and properties of pathological seeds. The aim of this Review is to summarize our current knowledge of the cell-to-cell transmission of pathological proteins and to identify key questions for future investigation.
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McAllister BB, Lacoursiere SG, Sutherland RJ, Mohajerani MH. Intracerebral seeding of amyloid-β and tau pathology in mice: Factors underlying prion-like spreading and comparisons with α-synuclein. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 112:1-27. [PMID: 31996301 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized neuropathologically by progressive neurodegeneration and by the presence of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. These plaques and tangles are composed, respectively, of amyloid-beta (Aβ) and tau proteins. While long recognized as hallmarks of AD, it remains unclear what causes the formation of these insoluble deposits. One theory holds that prion-like templated misfolding of Aβ and tau induces these proteins to form pathological aggregates, and propagation of this misfolding causes the stereotyped progression of pathology commonly seen in AD. Supporting this theory, numerous studies have been conducted in which aggregated Aβ, tau, or α-synuclein is injected intracerebrally into pathology-free host animals, resulting in robust formation of pathology. Here, we review this literature, focusing on in vivo intracerebral seeding of Aβ and tau in mice. We compare the results of these experiments to what is known about the seeding and spread of α-synuclein pathology, and we discuss how this research informs our understanding of the factors underlying the onset, progression, and outcomes of proteinaceous pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan B McAllister
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Sean G Lacoursiere
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Robert J Sutherland
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada.
| | - Majid H Mohajerani
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada.
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Holec SA, Block AJ, Bartz JC. The role of prion strain diversity in the development of successful therapeutic treatments. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 175:77-119. [PMID: 32958242 PMCID: PMC8939712 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Prions are a self-propagating misfolded conformation of a cellular protein. Prions are found in several eukaryotic organisms with mammalian prion diseases encompassing a wide range of disorders. The first recognized prion disease, the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), affect several species including humans. Alzheimer's disease, synucleinopathies, and tauopathies share a similar mechanism of self-propagation of the prion form of the disease-specific protein reminiscent of the infection process of TSEs. Strain diversity in prion disease is characterized by differences in the phenotype of disease that is hypothesized to be encoded by strain-specific conformations of the prion form of the disease-specific protein. Prion therapeutics that target the prion form of the disease-specific protein can lead to the emergence of drug-resistant strains of prions, consistent with the hypothesis that prion strains exist as a dynamic mixture of a dominant strain in combination with minor substrains. To overcome this obstacle, therapies that reduce or eliminate the template of conversion are efficacious, may reverse neuropathology, and do not result in the emergence of drug resistance. Recent advancements in preclinical diagnosis of prion infection may allow for a combinational approach that treats the prion form and the precursor protein to effectively treat prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara A.M. Holec
- Institute for Applied Life Sciences and Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States,Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Alyssa J. Block
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Jason C. Bartz
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, United States,Corresponding author:
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41
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Friesen M, Meyer-Luehmann M. Aβ Seeding as a Tool to Study Cerebral Amyloidosis and Associated Pathology. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:233. [PMID: 31632238 PMCID: PMC6783493 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Misfolded proteins can form aggregates and induce a self-perpetuating process leading to the amplification and spreading of pathological protein assemblies. These misfolded protein assemblies act as seeds of aggregation. In an in vivo exogenous seeding model, both the features of seeds and the position at which seeding originates are precisely defined. Ample evidence from studies on intracerebal injection of amyloid-beta (Aβ)-rich brain extracts suggests that Aβ aggregation can be initiated by prion-like seeding. In this mini-review article, we will summarize the past and current literature on Aβ seeding in mouse models of AD and discuss its implementation as a tool to study cerebral amyloidosis and associated pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Friesen
- Department of Neurology/Neurodegeneration, Medical Center—University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Melanie Meyer-Luehmann
- Department of Neurology/Neurodegeneration, Medical Center—University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Center for Basics in NeuroModulation (NeuroModulBasics), Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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42
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Tarutani A, Hasegawa M. Prion-like propagation of α-synuclein in neurodegenerative diseases. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2019; 168:323-348. [PMID: 31699325 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2019.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Prions are defined as proteinaceous infectious particles that do not contain nucleic acids. Neuropathological investigations of post-mortem brains and recent studies of experimental transmission have suggested that amyloid-like abnormal protein aggregates, which are the defining feature of many neurodegenerative diseases, behave like prions and propagate throughout the brain. This prion-like propagation may be the underlying mechanism of onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases, although the precise molecular mechanisms involved remain unclear. However, in vitro and in vivo experimental models of prion-like propagation using pathogenic protein seeds are well established and are extremely valuable for the exploration and evaluation of novel drugs and therapies for neurodegenerative diseases for which there is no effective treatment. In this chapter, we introduce the experimental models of prion-like propagation of α-synuclein, which is accumulated in Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy, and we describe their applications for the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. We also introduce the concept of "α-syn strains," which may underlie the pathological and clinical diversity of α-synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Airi Tarutani
- Department of Dementia and Higher Brain Function, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan; Laboratory of Neuropathology and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masato Hasegawa
- Department of Dementia and Higher Brain Function, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan.
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Trumbore CN. Shear-Induced Amyloid Formation in the Brain: III. The Roles of Shear Energy and Seeding in a Proposed Shear Model. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 65:47-70. [PMID: 30040710 PMCID: PMC6087447 DOI: 10.3233/jad-171003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
If cerebrospinal and interstitial fluids move through very narrow brain flow channels, these restrictive surroundings generate varying levels of fluid shear and different shear rates, and dissolved amyloid monomers absorb different shear energies. It is proposed that dissolved amyloid-β protein (Aβ) and other amyloid monomers undergo shear-induced conformational changes that ultimately lead to amyloid monomer aggregation even at very low brain flow and shear rates. Soluble Aβ oligomers taken from diseased brains initiate in vivo amyloid formation in non-diseased brains. The brain environment is apparently responsible for this result. A mechanism involving extensional shear is proposed for the formation of a seed Aβ monomer molecule that ultimately promotes templated conformational change of other Aβ molecules. Under non-quiescent, non-equilibrium conditions, gentle extensional shear within the brain parenchyma, and perhaps even during laboratory preparation of Aβ samples, may be sufficient to cause subtle conformational changes in these monomers. These result from brain processes that significantly lower the high activation energy predicted for the quiescent Aβ dimerization process. It is further suggested that changes in brain location and changes brought about by aging expose Aβ molecules to different shear rates, total shear, and types of shear, resulting in different conformational changes in these molecules. The consequences of such changes caused by variable shear energy are proposed to underlie formation of amyloid strains causing different amyloid diseases. Amyloid researchers are urged to undertake studies with amyloids, anti-amyloid drugs, and antibodies while all of these are under shear conditions similar to those in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conrad N Trumbore
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
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The amyloid cascade and Alzheimer's disease therapeutics: theory versus observation. J Transl Med 2019; 99:958-970. [PMID: 30760863 DOI: 10.1038/s41374-019-0231-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification of amyloid-β precursor protein (APP) pathogenic mutations in familial early onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), along with knowledge that amyloid-β (Aβ) was the principle protein component of senile plaques, led to the establishment of the amyloid cascade hypothesis. Down syndrome substantiated the hypothesis, given an extra copy of the APP gene and invariable AD pathology hallmarks that occur by middle age. An abundance of support for the amyloid cascade hypothesis followed. Prion-like protein misfolding and non-Mendelian transmission of neurotoxicity are among recent areas of investigation. Aβ-targeted clinical trials have been disappointing, with negative results attributed to inadequacies in patient selection, challenges in pharmacology, and incomplete knowledge of the most appropriate target. There is evidence, however, that proof of concept has been achieved, i.e., clearance of Aβ during life, but with no significant changes in cognitive trajectory in AD. Whether the time, effort, and expense of Aβ-targeted therapy will prove valuable will be determined over time, as Aβ-centered clinical trials continue to dominate therapeutic strategies. It seems reasonable to hypothesize that the amyloid cascade is intimately involved in AD, in parallel with disease pathogenesis, but that removal of toxic Aβ is insufficient for an effective disease modification.
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Chen XQ, Mobley WC. Alzheimer Disease Pathogenesis: Insights From Molecular and Cellular Biology Studies of Oligomeric Aβ and Tau Species. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:659. [PMID: 31293377 PMCID: PMC6598402 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer disease (AD) represents an oncoming epidemic that without an effective treatment promises to exact extraordinary human and financial burdens. Studies of pathogenesis are essential for defining targets for discovering disease-modifying treatments. Past studies of AD neuropathology provided valuable, albeit limited, insights. Nevertheless, building on these findings, recent studies have provided an increasingly rich harvest of genetic, molecular and cellular data that are creating unprecedented opportunities to both understand and treat AD. Among the most significant are those documenting the presence within the AD brain of toxic oligomeric species of Aβ and tau. Existing data support the view that such species can propagate and spread within neural circuits. To place these findings in context we first review the genetics and neuropathology of AD, including AD in Down syndrome (AD-DS). We detail studies that support the existence of toxic oligomeric species while noting the significant unanswered questions concerning their precise structures, the means by which they spread and undergo amplification and how they induce neuronal dysfunction and degeneration. We conclude by offering a speculative synthesis for how oligomers of Aβ and tau initiate and drive pathogenesis. While 100 years after Alzheimer's first report there is much still to learn about pathogenesis and the discovery of disease-modifying treatments, the application of new concepts and sophisticated new tools are poised to deliver important advances for combatting AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu-Qiao Chen
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - William C. Mobley
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
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Marino C, Krishnan B, Cappello F, Taglialatela G. Hsp60 Protects against Amyloid β Oligomer Synaptic Toxicity via Modification of Toxic Oligomer Conformation. ACS Chem Neurosci 2019; 10:2858-2867. [PMID: 31091411 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.9b00086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia worldwide. While the etiology of AD remains uncertain, neurotoxic effects of amyloid beta oligomers (Aβo) on synaptic function, a well-established early event in AD, is an attractive area for the development of novel strategies to modify or cease the disease's progression. In this work, we tested the protective action of the mitochondrial chaperone Hsp60 against Aβo neurotoxicity, by determining the direct effect of Hsp60 in changing Aβo toxic conformations and thus reducing their dysfunctional synaptic binding and consequent suppression of long-term potentiation. Our data suggest that Hsp60 has a direct impact on Aβo, resulting in a reduction of cytotoxicity and rescue of Aβo-driven synaptic damage, thus proposing Hsp60 as an attractive therapeutic target candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Marino
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555-1045 United States
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Balaji Krishnan
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555-1045 United States
| | - Francesco Cappello
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Giulio Taglialatela
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555-1045 United States
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Prpar Mihevc S, Majdič G. Canine Cognitive Dysfunction and Alzheimer's Disease - Two Facets of the Same Disease? Front Neurosci 2019; 13:604. [PMID: 31249505 PMCID: PMC6582309 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases present a major and increasing burden in the societies worldwide. With aging populations, the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases is increasing, yet there are no effective cures and very few treatment options are available. Alzheimer's disease is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative conditions and although the pathology is well studied, the pathogenesis of this debilitating illness is still poorly understood. This is, among other reasons, also due to the lack of good animal models as laboratory rodents do not develop spontaneous neurodegenerative diseases and human Alzheimer's disease is only partially mimicked by transgenic rodent models. On the other hand, older dogs commonly develop canine cognitive dysfunction, a disease that is similar to Alzheimer's disease in many aspects. Dogs show cognitive deficits that could be paralleled to human symptoms such as disorientation, memory loss, changes in behavior, and in their brains, beta amyloid plaques are commonly detected both in extracellular space as senile plaques and around the blood vessels. Dogs could be therefore potentially a very good model for studying pathological process and novel treatment options for Alzheimer's disease. In the present article, we will review the current knowledge about the pathogenesis of canine cognitive dysfunction, its similarities and dissimilarities with Alzheimer's disease, and developments of novel treatments for these two diseases with a focus on canine cognitive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Prpar Mihevc
- Veterinary Faculty, Institute for Preclinical Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Gregor Majdič
- Veterinary Faculty, Institute for Preclinical Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Medical Faculty, Institute for Physiology, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
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49
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Katzmarski N, Ziegler-Waldkirch S, Scheffler N, Witt C, Abou-Ajram C, Nuscher B, Prinz M, Haass C, Meyer-Luehmann M. Aβ oligomers trigger and accelerate Aβ seeding. Brain Pathol 2019; 30:36-45. [PMID: 31099449 PMCID: PMC6916291 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggregation of amyloid‐β (Aβ) that leads to the formation of plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD) occurs through the stepwise formation of oligomers and fibrils. An earlier onset of aggregation is obtained upon intracerebral injection of Aβ‐containing brain homogenate into human APP transgenic mice that follows a prion‐like seeding mechanism. Immunoprecipitation of these brain extracts with anti‐Aβ oligomer antibodies or passive immunization of the recipient animals abrogated the observed seeding activity, although induced Aβ deposition was still evident. Here, we establish that, together with Aβ monomers, Aβ oligomers trigger the initial phase of Aβ seeding and that the depletion of oligomeric Aβ delays the aggregation process, leading to a transient reduction of seed‐induced Aβ deposits. This work extends the current knowledge about the role of Aβ oligomers beyond its cytotoxic nature by pointing to a role in the initiation of Aβ aggregation in vivo. We conclude that Aβ oligomers are important for the early initiation phase of the seeding process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Katzmarski
- Department of Neurology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Stephanie Ziegler-Waldkirch
- Department of Neurology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Nina Scheffler
- Department of Neurology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Christian Witt
- Department of Neurology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Claudia Abou-Ajram
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Brigitte Nuscher
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Marco Prinz
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Insitute of Neuropathology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Christian Haass
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.,Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
| | - Melanie Meyer-Luehmann
- Department of Neurology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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50
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Leri M, Natalello A, Bruzzone E, Stefani M, Bucciantini M. Oleuropein aglycone and hydroxytyrosol interfere differently with toxic Aβ 1-42 aggregation. Food Chem Toxicol 2019; 129:1-12. [PMID: 30995514 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2019.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Oleuropein aglycone (OleA), the most abundant polyphenol in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), and Hydroxythyrosol (HT), the OleA main metabolite, have attracted our interest due to their multitarget effects, including the interference with amyloid aggregation path. However, the mechanistic details of their anti-amyloid effect are not known yet. We report here a broad biophysical approach and cell biology techniques that enabled us to characterize the different molecular mechanisms by which OleA and HT modulate the Aβ1-42 fibrillation, a main histopathological feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In particular, OleA prevents the growth of toxic Aβ1-42 oligomers and blocks their successive growth into mature fibrils following its interaction with the peptide N-terminus, while HT speeds up harmless fibril formation. Our data demonstrate that, by stabilizing oligomers and fibrils, both polyphenols reduce their seeding activity and aggregate/membrane interaction on human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. These findings highlight the great potential of EVOO polyphenols and offer the possibility to validate and to optimize their use for possible AD prevention and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Leri
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences 'Mario Serio', University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 50 - 50134, Florence, Italy; Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Area of Medicine and Health of the Child of the University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini, 6 - 50139 Florence, Italy.
| | - Antonino Natalello
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, 20126, Milano, Italy.
| | - Elena Bruzzone
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences 'Mario Serio', University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 50 - 50134, Florence, Italy.
| | - Massimo Stefani
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences 'Mario Serio', University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 50 - 50134, Florence, Italy; Interuniversity Center for the Study of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIMN), Florence, Italy.
| | - Monica Bucciantini
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences 'Mario Serio', University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 50 - 50134, Florence, Italy; Interuniversity Center for the Study of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIMN), Florence, Italy.
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