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Yadikar H, Ansari MA, Abu-Farha M, Joseph S, Thomas BT, Al-Mulla F. Deciphering Early and Progressive Molecular Signatures in Alzheimer's Disease through Integrated Longitudinal Proteomic and Pathway Analysis in a Rodent Model. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6469. [PMID: 38928172 PMCID: PMC11203991 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), the leading cause of dementia worldwide, remains a challenge due to its complex origin and degenerative character. The need for accurate biomarkers and treatment targets hinders early identification and intervention. To fill this gap, we used a novel longitudinal proteome methodology to examine the temporal development of molecular alterations in the cortex of an intracerebroventricular streptozotocin (ICV-STZ)-induced AD mouse model for disease initiation and progression at one, three-, and six-weeks post-treatment. Week 1 revealed metabolic protein downregulation, such as Aldoa and Pgk1. Week 3 showed increased Synapsin-1, and week 6 showed cytoskeletal protein alterations like Vimentin. The biological pathways, upstream regulators, and functional effects of proteome alterations were dissected using advanced bioinformatics methods, including Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) and machine learning algorithms. We identified Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Synaptic Vesicle Pathway, and Neuroinflammation Signaling as disease-causing pathways. Huntington's Disease Signaling and Synaptogenesis Signaling were stimulated while Glutamate Receptor and Calcium Signaling were repressed. IPA also found molecular connections between PPARGC1B and AGT, which are involved in myelination and possible neoplastic processes, and MTOR and AR, which imply mechanistic involvements beyond neurodegeneration. These results help us comprehend AD's molecular foundation and demonstrate the promise of focused proteomic techniques to uncover new biomarkers and therapeutic targets for AD, enabling personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamad Yadikar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Kuwait University, Sabah AlSalem University City, Kuwait City 13060, Kuwait
- OMICS Research Unit, Research Core Facility, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait City 13110, Kuwait;
| | - Mubeen A. Ansari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait City 13110, Kuwait;
| | - Mohamed Abu-Farha
- Department of Translational Research, Dasman Diabetes Institute, Kuwait City 15462, Kuwait; (M.A.-F.); (F.A.-M.)
| | - Shibu Joseph
- Department of Special Service Facility, Dasman Diabetes Institute, Kuwait City 15462, Kuwait;
| | - Betty T. Thomas
- OMICS Research Unit, Research Core Facility, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait City 13110, Kuwait;
| | - Fahd Al-Mulla
- Department of Translational Research, Dasman Diabetes Institute, Kuwait City 15462, Kuwait; (M.A.-F.); (F.A.-M.)
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2
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Feng B, Zheng J, Cai Y, Han Y, Han Y, Wu J, Feng J, Zheng K. An Epigenetic Manifestation of Alzheimer's Disease: DNA Methylation. ACTAS ESPANOLAS DE PSIQUIATRIA 2024; 52:365-374. [PMID: 38863055 PMCID: PMC11190457 DOI: 10.62641/aep.v52i3.1595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, has a complex pathogenesis. The number of AD patients has increased in recent years due to population aging, while a trend toward a younger age of onset has arisen, imposing a substantial burden on society and families, and garnering extensive attention. DNA methylation has recently been revealed to play an important role in AD onset and progression. DNA methylation is a critical mechanism regulating gene expression, and alterations in this mechanism dysregulate gene expression and disrupt important pathways, including oxidative stress responses, inflammatory reactions, and protein degradation processes, eventually resulting in disease. Studies have revealed widespread changes in AD patients' DNA methylation in the peripheral blood and brain tissues, affecting multiple signaling pathways and severely impacting neuronal cell and synaptic functions. This review summarizes the role of DNA methylation in the pathogenesis of AD, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for its early prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boyi Feng
- Department of Chronic Disease, Longhua District Center for Chronic Disease Control/Mental Health, 510080 Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Shenzhen Guangming District People's Hospital, 518107 Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Junli Zheng
- Department of Chronic Disease, Longhua District Center for Chronic Disease Control/Mental Health, 510080 Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Ying Cai
- Public Health Service Center, Bao'an District, 518100 Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yaguang Han
- First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150000 Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Yanhua Han
- First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150000 Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Jiaqi Wu
- Department of Chronic Disease, Longhua District Center for Chronic Disease Control/Mental Health, 510080 Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Jun Feng
- Department of Chronic Disease, Longhua District Center for Chronic Disease Control/Mental Health, 510080 Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Kai Zheng
- Department of Chronic Disease, Longhua District Center for Chronic Disease Control/Mental Health, 510080 Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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3
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Dogaru BG, Munteanu C. The Role of Hydrogen Sulfide (H 2S) in Epigenetic Regulation of Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Systematic Review. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12555. [PMID: 37628735 PMCID: PMC10454626 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
This review explores the emerging role of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in modulating epigenetic mechanisms involved in neurodegenerative diseases. Accumulating evidence has begun to elucidate the multifaceted ways in which H2S influences the epigenetic landscape and, subsequently, the progression of various neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's disease. H2S can modulate key components of the epigenetic machinery, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs, impacting gene expression and cellular functions relevant to neuronal survival, inflammation, and synaptic plasticity. We synthesize recent research that positions H2S as an essential player within this intricate network, with the potential to open new therapeutic avenues for these currently incurable conditions. Despite significant progress, there remains a considerable gap in our understanding of the precise molecular mechanisms and the potential therapeutic implications of modulating H2S levels or its downstream targets. We conclude by identifying future directions for research aimed at exploiting the therapeutic potential of H2S in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bombonica Gabriela Dogaru
- Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
- Clinical Rehabilitation Hospital, 400437 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Constantin Munteanu
- Teaching Emergency Hospital “Bagdasar-Arseni” (TEHBA), 041915 Bucharest, Romania
- Faculty of Medical Bioengineering, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Grigore T. Popa” Iași, 700454 Iași, Romania
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4
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Athaide Rocha KM, Machado FR, Poetini M, Giacomeli R, Boeira SP, Jesse CR, Gomes de Gomes M. Assessment of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid on a Alzheimer's disease model induced by β-amyloid (1-42) in aged female mice: Neuromodulatory and epigenetic effect. Chem Biol Interact 2023; 375:110429. [PMID: 36870467 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2023.110429] [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: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects several elderly people per years. AD is a pathology of multifactorial etiology, resulting from multiple environmental and genetic determinants. However, there is no effective pharmacological alternative for the treatment of this illness. In this sense, the purpose of current study was to characterize the mechanisms by which Aβ1-42 injection via intracerebroventricular induces neurobehavioral changes in a time-course curve. In addition, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) inhibitor of histone deacetylase (HDAC) was used to investigate the involvement of epigenetic modifications Aβ1-42-caused in aged female mice. In general manner, Aβ1-42 injection induced a major neurochemical disturbance in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of animals and a serious impairment of memory. Overall, SAHA treatment attenuated neurobehavioral changes caused by Aβ1-42 injection in aged female mice. The subchronic effects presented of SAHA were through modulation of HDAC activity, regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and expression of BDNF mRNA, accompanied by unlocking cAMP/PKA/pCREB pathway in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kellen Mariane Athaide Rocha
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluations Applied to Bioactive Molecules, Federal University of Pampa, Itaqui, CEP 97650-000, RS, Brazil
| | - Franciele Romero Machado
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluations Applied to Bioactive Molecules, Federal University of Pampa, Itaqui, CEP 97650-000, RS, Brazil
| | - Márcia Poetini
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluations Applied to Bioactive Molecules, Federal University of Pampa, Itaqui, CEP 97650-000, RS, Brazil
| | - Renata Giacomeli
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluations Applied to Bioactive Molecules, Federal University of Pampa, Itaqui, CEP 97650-000, RS, Brazil
| | - Silvana Peterini Boeira
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluations Applied to Bioactive Molecules, Federal University of Pampa, Itaqui, CEP 97650-000, RS, Brazil
| | - Cristiano Ricardo Jesse
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluations Applied to Bioactive Molecules, Federal University of Pampa, Itaqui, CEP 97650-000, RS, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Gomes de Gomes
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluations Applied to Bioactive Molecules, Federal University of Pampa, Itaqui, CEP 97650-000, RS, Brazil.
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Chadwick W, Maudsley S, Hull W, Havolli E, Boshoff E, Hill MDW, Goetghebeur PJD, Harrison DC, Nizami S, Bedford DC, Coope G, Real K, Thiemermann C, Maycox P, Carlton M, Cole SL. The oDGal Mouse: A Novel, Physiologically Relevant Rodent Model of Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24086953. [PMID: 37108119 PMCID: PMC10138655 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24086953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Sporadic Alzheimer's disease (sAD) represents a serious and growing worldwide economic and healthcare burden. Almost 95% of current AD patients are associated with sAD as opposed to patients presenting with well-characterized genetic mutations that lead to AD predisposition, i.e., familial AD (fAD). Presently, the use of transgenic (Tg) animals overexpressing human versions of these causative fAD genes represents the dominant research model for AD therapeutic development. As significant differences in etiology exist between sAD and fAD, it is perhaps more appropriate to develop novel, more sAD-reminiscent experimental models that would expedite the discovery of effective therapies for the majority of AD patients. Here we present the oDGal mouse model, a novel model of sAD that displays a range of AD-like pathologies as well as multiple cognitive deficits reminiscent of AD symptomology. Hippocampal cognitive impairment and pathology were delayed with N-acetyl-cysteine (NaC) treatment, which strongly suggests that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are the drivers of downstream pathologies such as elevated amyloid beta and hyperphosphorylated tau. These features demonstrate a desired pathophenotype that distinguishes our model from current transgenic rodent AD models. A preclinical model that presents a phenotype of non-genetic AD-like pathologies and cognitive deficits would benefit the sAD field, particularly when translating therapeutics from the preclinical to the clinical phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wayne Chadwick
- Takeda Cambridge, 418 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge CB4 0PZ, UK
| | - Stuart Maudsley
- Receptor Biology Lab, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - William Hull
- William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Centre for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Enes Havolli
- Takeda Cambridge, 418 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge CB4 0PZ, UK
| | - Eugene Boshoff
- Takeda Cambridge, 418 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge CB4 0PZ, UK
| | - Mark D W Hill
- Takeda Cambridge, 418 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge CB4 0PZ, UK
| | | | - David C Harrison
- Takeda Cambridge, 418 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge CB4 0PZ, UK
| | - Sohaib Nizami
- Takeda Cambridge, 418 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge CB4 0PZ, UK
| | - David C Bedford
- Takeda Cambridge, 418 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge CB4 0PZ, UK
| | - Gareth Coope
- Takeda Cambridge, 418 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge CB4 0PZ, UK
| | - Katia Real
- Takeda Cambridge, 418 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge CB4 0PZ, UK
| | - Christoph Thiemermann
- William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Centre for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Peter Maycox
- Takeda Cambridge, 418 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge CB4 0PZ, UK
| | - Mark Carlton
- Takeda Cambridge, 418 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge CB4 0PZ, UK
| | - Sarah L Cole
- Takeda Cambridge, 418 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge CB4 0PZ, UK
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6
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Perry G. Alzheimer's Disease: Not Just for the Aged? J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 91:923-924. [PMID: 36710685 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- George Perry
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
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7
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Hajjo R, Sabbah DA, Abusara OH, Al Bawab AQ. A Review of the Recent Advances in Alzheimer's Disease Research and the Utilization of Network Biology Approaches for Prioritizing Diagnostics and Therapeutics. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:diagnostics12122975. [PMID: 36552984 PMCID: PMC9777434 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12122975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a polygenic multifactorial neurodegenerative disease that, after decades of research and development, is still without a cure. There are some symptomatic treatments to manage the psychological symptoms but none of these drugs can halt disease progression. Additionally, over the last few years, many anti-AD drugs failed in late stages of clinical trials and many hypotheses surfaced to explain these failures, including the lack of clear understanding of disease pathways and processes. Recently, different epigenetic factors have been implicated in AD pathogenesis; thus, they could serve as promising AD diagnostic biomarkers. Additionally, network biology approaches have been suggested as effective tools to study AD on the systems level and discover multi-target-directed ligands as novel treatments for AD. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review on Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology to provide a better understanding of disease pathogenesis hypotheses and decipher the role of genetic and epigenetic factors in disease development and progression. We also provide an overview of disease biomarkers and drug targets and suggest network biology approaches as new tools for identifying novel biomarkers and drugs. We also posit that the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence to mining Alzheimer's disease multi-omics data will facilitate drug and biomarker discovery efforts and lead to effective individualized anti-Alzheimer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rima Hajjo
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, P.O. Box 130, Amman 11733, Jordan
- Laboratory for Molecular Modeling, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carlina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- National Center for Epidemics and Communicable Disease Control, Amman 11118, Jordan
- Correspondence:
| | - Dima A. Sabbah
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, P.O. Box 130, Amman 11733, Jordan
| | - Osama H. Abusara
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, P.O. Box 130, Amman 11733, Jordan
| | - Abdel Qader Al Bawab
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, P.O. Box 130, Amman 11733, Jordan
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8
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Profile of TREM2-Derived circRNA and mRNA Variants in the Entorhinal Cortex of Alzheimer’s Disease Patients. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147682. [PMID: 35887031 PMCID: PMC9320643 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic variants in TREM2, a microglia-related gene, are well-known risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Here, we report that TREM2 originates from circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel class of non-coding RNAs characterized by a covalent and stable closed-loop structure. First, divergent primers were designed to amplify circRNAs by RT-PCR, which were further assessed by Sanger sequencing. Then, additional primer sets were used to confirm back-splicing junctions. In addition, HMC3 cells were used to assess the microglial expression of circTREM2s. Three candidate circTREM2s were identified in control and AD human entorhinal samples. One of the circRNAs, circTREM2_1, was consistently amplified by all divergent primer sets in control and AD entorhinal cortex samples as well as in HMC3 cells. In AD cases, a moderate negative correlation (r = −0.434) was found between the global average area of Aβ deposits in the entorhinal cortex and circTREM2_1 expression level. In addition, by bioinformatics tools, a total of 16 miRNAs were predicted to join with circTREM2s. Finally, TREM2 mRNA corresponding to four isoforms was profiled by RT-qPCR. TREM2 mRNA levels were found elevated in entorhinal samples of AD patients with low or intermediate ABC scores compared to controls. To sum up, a novel circRNA derived from the TREM2 gene, circTREM2_1, has been identified in the human entorhinal cortex and TREM2 mRNA expression has been detected to increase in AD compared to controls. Unraveling the molecular genetics of the TREM2 gene may help to better know the innate immune response in AD.
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Downregulation of glob1 mitigates human tau mediated neurotoxicity by restricting heterochromatin loss and elevating the autophagic response in drosophila. Mol Biol Rep 2022; 49:6581-6590. [PMID: 35633418 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07498-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human neuronal tauopathies are typically characterized by the accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau in the forms of paired helical filaments and/or neurofibrillary tangles in the brain neurons. Tau-mediated heterochromatin loss and subsequent global transcriptional upsurge have been demonstrated as one of the key factors that promotes tau toxicity. We have reported earlier that expression of human tau-transgene in Drosophila induces the expression of glob1, and its restored level restricts tau etiology by regulating tau hyperphosphorylation and ROS generation via GSK-3β/p-Akt and Nrf2-keap1-ARE pathways, respectively. In view of this noted capability of glob1 in regulation of oxidative stress, and involvement of ROS in chromatin remodeling; we investigate if downregulation of glob1 restores tau-mediated heterochromatin loss in order to alleviate neurotoxicity. METHODS AND RESULTS The tauV337M transgene was expressed in Drosophila eye by utilizing GAL4/UAS system. Expression of glob1 was depleted in tauV337M expressing tissues by co-expressing an UAS-glob1RNAi transgene by GMR-Gal4 driver. Immunostaining and wstern blot analysis suggested that tissue-specific downregulation of glob1 restores the cellular level of CBP and minimizes tau-mediated heterochromatin loss. It also assists in mounting an improved protective autophagic response to alleviate the human tau-induced neurotoxicity in Drosophila tauopathy models. CONCLUSIONS Our study unfolds a novel aspect of the multitasking globin protein in restricting the pathogenesis of neuronal tauopathies. Interestingly, due to notable similarities between Drosophila glob1 and human globin gene(s), our findings may be helpful in developing novel therapeutic approaches against tauopathies.
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Kaya-Tilki E, Dikmen M. Neuroprotective effects of some epigenetic modifying drugs' on Chlamydia pneumoniae-induced neuroinflammation: A novel model. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260633. [PMID: 34847172 PMCID: PMC8631675 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn) is a gram-negative intracellular pathogen that causes a variety of pulmonary diseases, and there is growing evidence that it may play a role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. Cpn can interact functionally with host histones, altering the host's epigenetic regulatory system by introducing bacterial products into the host tissue and inducing a persistent inflammatory response. Because Cpn is difficult to propagate, isolate, and detect, a modified LPS-like neuroinflammation model was established using lyophilized cell free supernatant (CFS) obtained from infected cell cultures, and the effects of CFS were compared to LPS. The neuroprotective effects of Trichostatin A (TSA), givinostat, and RG108, which are effective on epigenetic mechanisms, and the antibiotic rifampin, were studied in this newly introduced model and in the presence of amyloid beta (Aβ) 1-42. The neuroprotective effects of the drugs, as well as the effects of CFS and LPS, were evaluated in Aβ-induced neurotoxicity using a real-time cell analysis system, total ROS, and apoptotic impact. TSA, RG108, givinostat, and rifampin all demonstrated neuroprotective effects in both this novel model and Aβ-induced neurotoxicity. The findings are expected to provide early evidence on neuroprotective actions against Cpn-induced neuroinflammation and Aβ-induced neurotoxicity, which could represent a new treatment option for AD, for which there are currently few treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elif Kaya-Tilki
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Anadolu University, Eskisehir, Turkey
| | - Miriş Dikmen
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Anadolu University, Eskisehir, Turkey
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11
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Gender-Dependent Deregulation of Linear and Circular RNA Variants of HOMER1 in the Entorhinal Cortex of Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22179205. [PMID: 34502114 PMCID: PMC8430762 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The HOMER1 gene is involved in synaptic plasticity, learning and memory. Recent studies show that circular RNA derived from HOMER1 (circHOMER1) expression is altered in some Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain regions. In addition, HOMER1 messenger (mRNA) levels have been associated with β-Amyloid (Aβ) deposits in brain cortical regions. Our aim was to measure the expression levels of HOMER1 circRNAs and their linear forms in the human AD entorhinal cortex. First, we showed downregulation of HOMER1B/C and HOMER1A mRNA and hsa_circ_0006916 and hsa_circ_0073127 levels in AD female cases compared to controls by RT-qPCR. A positive correlation was observed between HOMER1B/C, HOMER1A mRNA, and hsa_circ_0073128 with HOMER1B/C protein only in females. Global average area of Aβ deposits in entorhinal cortex samples was negatively correlated with HOMER1B/C, HOMER1A mRNA, and hsa_circ_0073127 in both genders. Furthermore, no differences in DNA methylation were found in two regions of HOMER1 promoter between AD cases and controls. To sum up, we demonstrate that linear and circular RNA variants of HOMER1 are downregulated in the entorhinal cortex of female patients with AD. These results add to the notion that HOMER1 and its circular forms could be playing a female-specific role in the pathogenesis of AD.
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12
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Sharma VK, Singh TG, Singh S, Garg N, Dhiman S. Apoptotic Pathways and Alzheimer's Disease: Probing Therapeutic Potential. Neurochem Res 2021; 46:3103-3122. [PMID: 34386919 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-021-03418-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Apoptosis is an intrinsic biochemical, cellular process that regulates cell death and is crucial for cell survival, cellular homeostasis, and maintaining the optimum functional status. Apoptosis in a predetermined and programmed manner regulates several molecular events, including cell turnover, embryonic development, and immune system functions but may be the exclusive contributor to several disorders, including neurodegenerative manifestations, when it functions in an aberrant and disorganized manner. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a fatal, chronic neurodegenerative disorder where apoptosis has a compelling and divergent role. The well-characterized pathological features of AD, including extracellular plaques of amyloid-beta, intracellular hyperphosphorylated tangles of tau protein (NFTs), inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and excitotoxic cell death, also instigate an abnormal apoptotic cascade in susceptible brain regions (cerebral cortex, hippocampus). The apoptotic players in these regions affect cellular organelles (mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum), interact with trophic factors, and several pathways, including PI3K/AKT, JNK, MAPK, mTOR signalling. This dysregulated apoptotic cascade end with an abnormal neuronal loss which is a primary event that may precede the other events of AD progression and correlates well with the degree of dementia. The present review provides insight into the diverse and versatile apoptotic mechanisms that are indispensable for neuronal survival and constitute an integral part of the pathological progression of AD. Identification of potential targets (restoring apoptotic and antiapoptotic balance, caspases, TRADD, RIPK1, FADD, TNFα, etc.) may be valuable and advantageous to decide the fate of neurons and to develop potential therapeutics for treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivek Kumar Sharma
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, 140401, India.,Government College of Pharmacy, Rohru, District Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, 171207, India
| | | | - Shareen Singh
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, 140401, India
| | - Nikhil Garg
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, 140401, India
| | - Sonia Dhiman
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, 140401, India
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13
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Nagu P, Parashar A, Behl T, Mehta V. Gut Microbiota Composition and Epigenetic Molecular Changes Connected to the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease. J Mol Neurosci 2021; 71:1436-1455. [PMID: 33829390 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-021-01829-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder, and its pathogenesis is not fully known. Although there are several hypotheses, such as neuroinflammation, tau hyperphosphorylation, amyloid-β plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and oxidative stress, none of them completely explain the origin and progression of AD. Emerging evidence suggests that gut microbiota and epigenetics can directly influence the pathogenesis of AD via their effects on multiple pathways, including neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and amyloid protein. Various gut microbes such as Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, E. coli, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Tenericutes, and Verrucomicrobia are known to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of AD. These microbes and their metabolites modulate various physiological processes that contribute to AD pathogenesis, such as neuroinflammation and other inflammatory processes, amyloid deposition, cytokine storm syndrome, altered BDNF and NMDA signaling, impairing neurodevelopmental processes. Likewise, epigenetic markers associated with AD mainly include histone modifications and DNA methylation, which are under the direct control of a variety of enzymes, such as acetylases and methylases. The activity of these enzymes is dependent upon the metabolites generated by the host's gut microbiome, suggesting the significance of epigenetics in AD pathogenesis. It is interesting to know that both gut microbiota and epigenetics are dynamic processes and show a high degree of variation according to diet, stressors, and environmental factors. The bidirectional relation between the gut microbiota and epigenetics suggests that they might work in synchrony to modulate AD representation, its pathogenesis, and progression. They both also provide numerous targets for early diagnostic biomarkers and for the development of AD therapeutics. This review discusses the gut microbiota and epigenetics connection in the pathogenesis of AD and aims to highlight vast opportunities for diagnosis and therapeutics of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Nagu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Govt. College of Pharmacy, Rohru, Himachal Pradesh, India.,Department of Pharmacy, Shri Jagdishprasad Jhabarmal Tibrewala University, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, India
| | - Arun Parashar
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Tapan Behl
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Vineet Mehta
- Department of Pharmacology, Govt. College of Pharmacy, Rohru, Himachal Pradesh, India.
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14
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Guo Z, Tang J, Wang J, Zheng F, Zhang C, Wang YL, Cai P, Shao W, Yu G, Wu S, Li H. The negative role of histone acetylation in cobalt chloride-induced neurodegenerative damages in SHSY5Y cells. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 209:111832. [PMID: 33383341 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Cobalt has been known for its neurotoxicity in numerous studies. However, the molecular mechanism underlying cobalt-induced neurotoxicity remains largely unknown. In this study, two neuroblastoma (SHSY5Y and N2a) cell lines and a phaeochromocytoma (PC12) line were used as in vitro models. Cells were treated for 24 h with 50, 100, 200, 300, 400 µM cobalt chloride (CoCl2) or cultured with 300 μM CoCl2 for 4, 8, 12 and 24 h to investigate the effects of histone acetylation on CoCl2-induced neurodegenerative damages. Our findings demonstrate that CoCl2 suppresses the acetylation of histone H3 and H4 in a time-dependent and dosage-dependent manner. Furthermore, CoCl2 selectively decreases the expression and activity of histone acetyltransferase (HAT) but has no effects on histone deacetylase (HDAC) in SHSY5Y cells. More importantly, we show that 100 ng/mL HDAC inhibitor trichostatin (TSA) pre-treatment partly attenuates 300 μM CoCl2-induced neurodegenerative damages in SHSY5Y cells. Mechanistic analyses show that CoCl2-induced neurodegenerative damages are associated with the dysfunction of APP, BACE1, PSEN1, NEP and HIF-1α genes, whose expression are partly mediated by histone modification. In summary, we demonstrate that histone acetylation is involved in CoCl2-induced neurodegenerative damages. Our study indicates an important connection between histone modification and the pathological process of neurodegenerative damages and provides a mechanism for cobalt-mediated epigenetic regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenkun Guo
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Jianping Tang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Junxiang Wang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Fuli Zheng
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Chunchun Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Longyan People Hospital, Longyan 364000, China
| | - Yuan-Liang Wang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Ping Cai
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Department of Health Inspection and Quarantine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Wenya Shao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Guangxia Yu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Siying Wu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China.
| | - Huangyuan Li
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China; The Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China.
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15
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Chacko S, Ladiges W. Therapeutic Targeting of Histone Deacetylation to Prevent Alzheimer's Disease. EMEDICAL RESEARCH 2021; 3:100020. [PMID: 35984647 PMCID: PMC9385167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Efforts to find disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been largely unsuccessful. The relative lack of progress and the age-related incidence of AD suggest that modulation of aging per se may be a useful alternative treatment approach. Therapeutics aimed at preventing or reversing aging should be effective in preventing or reversing dementia and the pathology associated with progressive AD. Epigenetic dysregulation of neuronal gene expression occurs with age, propagating deficits in cellular homeostasis. Regulators of epigenetic processes, such as histone deacetylases (HDACs), are well documented and may represent promising therapeutic targets. HDAC activity becomes dysregulated with age and in AD. An intriguing concept is that HDAC inhibition effectively forestalls AD pathology measured more broadly, addressing the notion that rectifying homeostatic gene expression may be the critical step in ameliorating AD pathogenesis at the earliest stage of disease initiation. HDAC inhibitors target several pathways associated with aging and AD neuropathology including loss of synaptic function, mitochondrial dysfunction, increased oxidative stress, and decreased autophagy activity. Since transcriptional levels of numerous genes are shown to decrease with increasing age, a recovery of their transcriptional activity through HDAC inhibition could prevent or delay age-associated declines in neurological function and provide pathways for treating AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Chacko
- Department of Comparative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, USA
| | - Warren Ladiges
- Department of Comparative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, USA,Corresponding author: Warren Ladiges, Department of Comparative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA,
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Lin L, Liu A, Li H, Feng J, Yan Z. Inhibition of Histone Methyltransferases EHMT1/2 Reverses Amyloid-β-Induced Loss of AMPAR Currents in Human Stem Cell-Derived Cortical Neurons. J Alzheimers Dis 2020; 70:1175-1185. [PMID: 31322566 DOI: 10.3233/jad-190190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests that epigenetic dysregulation of gene expression is one of the key molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, little is known about the role of epigenetic dysregulation on synaptic dysfunction in humans, because of the difficulties of obtaining live human neurons. Here we generated mature human cortical neurons differentiated from human embryonic stem cells, and exposed them to amyloid-β (Aβ). We found that the histone methyltransferase, EHMT1, which catalyzes histone lysine 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2, a mark for gene repression), was significantly elevated in Aβ-treated human stem cell-derived neurons. Aβ treatment led to a significant reduction of AMPAR-mediated whole-cell current and excitatory postsynaptic current. Application of BIX01294, a selective inhibitor of EHMT1/2, restored AMPAR currents and glutamatergic synaptic transmission in Aβ-treated human cortical neurons. These results suggest that inhibition of the aberrant histone methylation is a novel approach to reverse Aβ-induced synaptic deficits in human neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Lin
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Aiyi Liu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Hanqin Li
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY, USA.,Veterans Affairs Western New York Healthcare System, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jian Feng
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY, USA.,Veterans Affairs Western New York Healthcare System, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Zhen Yan
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY, USA.,Veterans Affairs Western New York Healthcare System, Buffalo, NY, USA
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A Comparative Study on 5hmC Targeting Regulation of Neurons in AD Mice by Several Natural Compounds. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 2020:5016706. [PMID: 32802849 PMCID: PMC7426765 DOI: 10.1155/2020/5016706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
A series of studies have confirmed that DNA methylation disorder (5mC/5hmC) is closely related to the occurrence and development of some diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study aims at discovering natural compounds that could adjust and control 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) levels and improve Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuronal status. Cordycepin and cordycepic acid were selected as research materials, with resveratrol as positive control. The results of Dot Blot indicated that cordycepin, cordycepic acid, and resveratrol significantly increased the expression level of 5hmC. Combined with qPCR results, it was revealed that cordycepin increased the expression of ten-eleven translocation (TETs) mRNA compared with the abovementioned cordycepic acid and resveratrol. Besides, cordycepin dramatically reduced the transcription level of Apolipoprotein E (ApoE), suggesting that cordycepin might hinder the formation of NFTs (neurofibrillary tangles) and the accumulation of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) in the brain by reducing the expression of ApoE, resulting in affecting the progression of AD. Meanwhile, the immunofluorescence (IF) staining results demonstrated that the percentage of differentiation of SHSY-5Y cells reasonably increased after the treatment of cordycepin and cordycepic acid. Simultaneously, the length of axons and the number of dendritic branches in mouse primary neurons were substantially increased by cordycepin. The screening results illustrated that cordycepin had a positive influence on the level of 5hmC and the morphology of neurons, and most of the effects were better compared to the positive control (resveratrol). It indicated that cordycepin delayed the progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as AD. However, the specific mechanism of action still needs to be further investigated. Our research provided a foundation for further discussion about the influence of cordycepin on AD and a new idea for the pathological study of related diseases.
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Ahmadi S, Zobeiri M, Bradburn S. Molecular mechanisms underlying actions of certain long noncoding RNAs in Alzheimer's disease. Metab Brain Dis 2020; 35:681-693. [PMID: 32185592 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-020-00564-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a group of non-protein coding RNAs that have more than 200 nucleotides. LncRNAs play an important role in the regulation of protein-coding genes at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. They are found in most organs, with a high prevalence in the central nervous system. Accumulating data suggests that lncRNAs are involved in various neurodegenerative disorders, including the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent insights suggest lncRNAs, such as BACE1-AS, 51A, 17A, NDM29 and AS-UCHL1, are dysregulated in AD tissues. Furthermore, there are ongoing efforts to explore the clinical usability of lncRNAs as biomarkers in the disease. In this review, we explore the mechanisms by which aberrant expressions of the most studied lncRNAs contribute to the neuropathologies associated with AD, including amyloid β plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of lncRNAs in patients with AD will reveal novel diagnosis strategies and more effective therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shamseddin Ahmadi
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, University of Kurdistan, P.O. Box 416, Sanandaj, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Zobeiri
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, University of Kurdistan, P.O. Box 416, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Steven Bradburn
- Bioscience Research Centre, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
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19
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Schiele MA, Gottschalk MG, Domschke K. The applied implications of epigenetics in anxiety, affective and stress-related disorders - A review and synthesis on psychosocial stress, psychotherapy and prevention. Clin Psychol Rev 2020; 77:101830. [PMID: 32163803 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2020.101830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Mental disorders are highly complex and multifactorial in origin, comprising an elaborate interplay of genetic and environmental factors. Epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA modifications (e.g. CpG methylation), histone modifications (e.g. acetylation) and microRNAs function as a translator between genes and the environment. Indeed, environmental influences such as exposure to stress shape epigenetic patterns, and lifetime experiences continue to alter the function of the genome throughout the lifespan. Here, we summarize the recently burgeoning body of research regarding the involvement of aberrant epigenetic signatures in mediating an increased vulnerability to a wide range of mental disorders. We review the current knowledge of epigenetic changes to constitute useful markers predicting the clinical response to psychotherapeutic interventions, and of psychotherapy to alter - and potentially reverse - epigenetic risk patterns. Given first evidence pointing to a transgenerational transmission of epigenetic information, epigenetic alterations arising from successful psychotherapy might be transferred to future generations and thus contribute to the prevention of mental disorders. Findings are integrated into a multi-level framework highlighting challenges pertaining to the mechanisms of action and clinical implications of epigenetic research. Promising future directions regarding the prediction, prevention, and personalized treatment of mental disorders in line with a 'precision medicine' approach are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam A Schiele
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 5, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Michael G Gottschalk
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 5, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Domschke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 5, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany; Center for Basics in NeuroModulation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Breisacher Straße 64, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany.
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20
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Bertogliat MJ, Morris-Blanco KC, Vemuganti R. Epigenetic mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases and acute brain injury. Neurochem Int 2020; 133:104642. [PMID: 31838024 PMCID: PMC8074401 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2019.104642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications are emerging as major players in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders and susceptibility to acute brain injury. DNA and histone modifications act together with non-coding RNAs to form a complex gene expression machinery that adapts the brain to environmental stressors and injury response. These modifications influence cell-level operations like neurogenesis and DNA repair to large, intricate processes such as brain patterning, memory formation, motor function and cognition. Thus, epigenetic imbalance has been shown to influence the progression of many neurological disorders independent of aberrations in the genetic code. This review aims to highlight ways in which epigenetics applies to several commonly researched neurodegenerative diseases and forms of acute brain injury as well as shed light on the benefits of epigenetics-based treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario J Bertogliat
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Kahlilia C Morris-Blanco
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; William S. Middleton VA Hospital, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Raghu Vemuganti
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; William S. Middleton VA Hospital, Madison, WI, USA.
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21
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Park SY, Seo J, Chun YS. Targeted Downregulation of kdm4a Ameliorates Tau-engendered Defects in Drosophila melanogaster. J Korean Med Sci 2019; 34:e225. [PMID: 31436053 PMCID: PMC6706347 DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2019.34.e225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tauopathies, a class of neurodegenerative diseases that includes Alzheimer's disease (AD), are characterized by the deposition of neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyperphosphorylated tau protein in the human brain. As abnormal alterations in histone acetylation and methylation show a cause and effect relationship with AD, we investigated the role of several Jumonji domain-containing histone demethylase (JHDM) genes, which have yet to be studied in AD pathology. METHODS To examine alterations of several JHDM genes in AD pathology, we performed bioinformatics analyses of JHDM gene expression profiles in brain tissue samples from deceased AD patients. Furthermore, to investigate the possible relationship between alterations in JHDM gene expression profiles and AD pathology in vivo, we examined whether tissue-specific downregulation of JHDM Drosophila homologs (kdm) can affect tauR406W-induced neurotoxicity using transgenic flies containing the UAS-Gal4 binary system. RESULTS The expression levels of JHDM1A, JHDM2A/2B, and JHDM3A/3B were significantly higher in postmortem brain tissue from patients with AD than from non-demented controls, whereas JHDM1B mRNA levels were downregulated in the brains of patients with AD. Using transgenic flies, we revealed that knockdown of kdm2 (homolog to human JHDM1), kdm3 (homolog to human JHDM2), kdm4a (homolog to human JHDM3A), or kdm4b (homolog to human JHDM3B) genes in the eye ameliorated the tauR406W-engendered defects, resulting in less severe phenotypes. However, kdm4a knockdown in the central nervous system uniquely ameliorated tauR406W-induced locomotion defects by restoring heterochromatin. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that downregulation of kdm4a expression may be a potential therapeutic target in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung Yeon Park
- Ischemic/Hypoxic Disease Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jieun Seo
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yang Sook Chun
- Ischemic/Hypoxic Disease Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
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22
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Fu L, Jiang G, Weng H, Dick GM, Chang Y, Kassab GS. Cerebrovascular miRNAs correlate with the clearance of Aβ through perivascular route in younger 3xTg-AD mice. Brain Pathol 2019; 30:92-105. [PMID: 31206909 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The "two-hit vascular hypothesis for Alzheimer's disease (AD)" and amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomer hypothesis suggest that impaired soluble Aβ oligomers clearance through the cerebral vasculature may be an initial step of the AD process. Soluble Aβ oligomers are driven into perivascular spaces from the brain parenchyma and toward peripheral blood flow. The underlying vascular-based mechanism, however, has not been defined. Given that microRNAs (miRNAs), emerging as novel modulators, are involved in numerous physiological and pathological processes, we hypothesized that cerebrovascular miRNAs may regulate the activities of brain blood vessels, which further affects the concentration of Aβ in the AD brain. In this study, perivascular Aβ deposits, higher vascular activation, increased pericyte coverage and up-regulated capillaries miRNAs at 6 months old (6 mo) were found to correlate with the lower Aβ levels of middle AD stage (9 mo) in 3xTg-AD (3xTg) mice. It is implicated that at the early stage of AD when intracellular Aβ appeared, higher expression of vessel-specific miRNAs, elevated pericyte coverage, and activated endothelium facilitate Aβ oligomer clearance through the perivascular route, resulting in a transient reduction of Aβ oligomers at 9 mo. Additionally, ghrelin-induced upregulation of capillary miRNAs and increased pericyte coverage attenuated Aβ burden at 9 mo, in further support of the relationship between vascular miRNAs and Aβ clearance. This work suggests a cerebral microvessel miRNA may boost endothelial highly activated phenotypes to promote elimination of Aβ oligomers through the perivascular drainage pathway and contribute to AD progression. The targeting of brain vessel-specific miRNAs may provide a new rationale for the development of innovative therapeutic strategies for AD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijuan Fu
- California Medical Innovations Institute, San Diego, USA
| | - Ge Jiang
- California Medical Innovations Institute, San Diego, USA
| | - Hope Weng
- California Medical Innovations Institute, San Diego, USA
| | - Gregory M Dick
- California Medical Innovations Institute, San Diego, USA
| | - Yanzhong Chang
- Laboratory of Molecular Iron Metabolism, College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
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Chen W, Ji H, Li L, Xu C, Zou T, Cui W, Xu S, Zhou X, Duan S, Wang Q. Significant association between GPR50 hypomethylation and AD in males. Mol Med Rep 2019; 20:1085-1092. [PMID: 31173244 PMCID: PMC6625449 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2019.10366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease. G protein coupled receptor 50 (GPR50) is a candidate gene for AD. The present study was designed to determine the association between GPR50 methylation and AD. The methylation levels of the GPR50 promoter in 51 patients with AD and 61 healthy controls were determined by bisulfite pyrophosphate sequencing. All participants were Han Chinese, living in Ningbo. It was identified that the GPR50 promoter methylation level was significantly decreased in the male AD group compared with the male control group (9.15 vs. 16.67%, P=0.002). In addition, it was observed that the GPR50 methylation levels of the females was significantly increased compared with that of males in both the patients with AD and the healthy control group (AD patient group: 33.00 vs. 9.15%, P<0.0001; healthy control group: 29.41 vs. 16.67%, P<0.0001). This may be explained by the fact that GPR50 is located on the X chromosome. In addition, GPR50 methylation was positively correlated with plasma cholinesterase levels in female patients with AD (r=0.489, P=0.039). The present study demonstrated that hypomethylation of the GPR50 promoter in peripheral blood may be a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of AD in Chinese Han males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihua Chen
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, P.R. China
| | - Huihui Ji
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, P.R. China
| | - Liping Li
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, P.R. China
| | - Chunshuang Xu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, P.R. China
| | - Ting Zou
- Department of Internal Medicine for Cadres, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Ürümqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region 830000, P.R. China
| | - Wei Cui
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, P.R. China
| | - Shujun Xu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, P.R. China
| | - Xiaohui Zhou
- Department of Internal Medicine for Cadres, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Ürümqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region 830000, P.R. China
| | - Shiwei Duan
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, P.R. China
| | - Qinwen Wang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, P.R. China
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Zheng Y, Liu A, Wang ZJ, Cao Q, Wang W, Lin L, Ma K, Zhang F, Wei J, Matas E, Cheng J, Chen GJ, Wang X, Yan Z. Inhibition of EHMT1/2 rescues synaptic and cognitive functions for Alzheimer's disease. Brain 2019; 142:787-807. [PMID: 30668640 PMCID: PMC6391616 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awy354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic dysregulation, which leads to the alteration of gene expression in the brain, is suggested as one of the key pathophysiological bases of ageing and neurodegeneration. Here we found that, in the late-stage familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) mouse model, repressive histone H3 dimethylation at lysine 9 (H3K9me2) and euchromatic histone methyltransferases EHMT1 and EHMT2 were significantly elevated in the prefrontal cortex, a key cognitive region affected in Alzheimer's disease. Elevated levels of H3K9me2 were also detected in the prefrontal cortex region of post-mortem tissues from human patients with Alzheimer's disease. Concomitantly, H3K9me2 at glutamate receptors was increased in prefrontal cortex of aged FAD mice, which was linked to the diminished transcription, expression and function of AMPA and NMDA receptors. Treatment of FAD mice with specific EHMT1/2 inhibitors reversed histone hyper-methylation and led to the recovery of glutamate receptor expression and excitatory synaptic function in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-seq) data indicated that FAD mice exhibited genome-wide increase of H3K9me2 enrichment at genes involved in neuronal signalling (including glutamate receptors), which was reversed by EHMT1/2 inhibition. Moreover, the impaired recognition memory, working memory, and spatial memory in aged FAD mice were rescued by the treatment with EHMT1/2 inhibitors. These results suggest that disrupted epigenetic regulation of glutamate receptor transcription underlies the synaptic and cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease, and targeting histone methylation enzymes may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for this prevalent neurodegenerative disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zheng
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Physiology, Key Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Disorders of the Ministry of Education, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing, P.R.China
| | - Aiyi Liu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, Chongqing, P.R.China
| | - Zi-Jun Wang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- VA Western New York Healthcare System, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Qing Cao
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Lin Lin
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Kaijie Ma
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- VA Western New York Healthcare System, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Freddy Zhang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jing Wei
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- VA Western New York Healthcare System, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Emmanuel Matas
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jia Cheng
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Guo-Jun Chen
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, Chongqing, P.R.China
| | - Xiaomin Wang
- Department of Physiology, Key Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Disorders of the Ministry of Education, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing, P.R.China
| | - Zhen Yan
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- VA Western New York Healthcare System, Buffalo, NY, USA
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25
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microRNA diagnostic panel for Alzheimer's disease and epigenetic trade-off between neurodegeneration and cancer. Ageing Res Rev 2019; 49:125-143. [PMID: 30391753 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2018.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
microRNAs (miRNAs) have been extensively studied as potential biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Their profiles have been analyzed in blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and brain tissue. However, due to the high variability between the reported data, stemming from the lack of methodological standardization and the heterogeneity of AD, the most promising miRNA biomarker candidates have not been selected. Our literature review shows that out of 137 miRNAs found to be altered in AD blood, 36 have been replicated in at least one independent study, and out of 166 miRNAs reported as differential in AD CSF, 13 have been repeatedly found. Only 3 miRNAs have been consistently reported as altered in three analyzed specimens: blood, CSF and the brain (hsa-miR-146a, hsa-miR-125b, hsa-miR-135a). Nonetheless, all 36 repeatedly differential miRNAs in AD blood are promising as components of the diagnostic panel. Given their predicted functions, such miRNA panel may report multiple pathways contributing to AD pathology, enabling the design of personalized therapies. In addition, the analysis revealed that the miRNAs dysregulated in AD overlap highly with miRNAs implicated in cancer. However, the directions of the miRNA changes are usually opposite in cancer and AD, indicative of an epigenetic trade-off between the two diseases.
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Cosín-Tomás M, Álvarez-López MJ, Companys-Alemany J, Kaliman P, González-Castillo C, Ortuño-Sahagún D, Pallàs M, Griñán-Ferré C. Temporal Integrative Analysis of mRNA and microRNAs Expression Profiles and Epigenetic Alterations in Female SAMP8, a Model of Age-Related Cognitive Decline. Front Genet 2018; 9:596. [PMID: 30619445 PMCID: PMC6297390 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A growing body of research shows that epigenetic mechanisms are critically involved in normal and pathological aging. The Senescence-Accelerated Mouse Prone 8 (SAMP8) can be considered a useful tool to better understand the dynamics of the global epigenetic landscape during the aging process since its phenotype is not fully explained by genetic factors. Here we investigated dysfunctional age-related transcriptional profiles and epigenetic programming enzymes in the hippocampus of 2- and 9-month-old SAMP8 female mice using the Senescent-Accelerated Resistant 1 (SAMR1) mouse strain as control. SAMP8 mice presented 1,062 genes dysregulated at 2 months of age, and 1,033 genes at 9 months, with 92 genes concurrently dysregulated at both ages compared to age-matched SAMR1. SAMP8 mice showed a significant decrease in global DNA methylation (5-mC) at 2 months while hydroxymethylation (5-hmC) levels were increased in SAMP8 mice at 2 and 9 months of age compared to SAMR1. These changes were accompanied by changes in the expression of several enzymes that regulate 5-mC and methylcytosine oxidation. Acetylated H3 and H4 histone levels were significantly diminished in SAMP8 mice at 2-month-old compared to SAMR1 and altered Histone DeACetylase (HDACs) profiles were detected in both young and old SAMP8 mice. We analyzed 84 different mouse miRNAs known to be altered in neurological diseases or involved in neuronal development. Compared with SAMR1, SAMP8 mice showed 28 and 17 miRNAs differentially expressed at 2 and 9 months of age, respectively; 6 of these miRNAs overlapped at both ages. We used several bioinformatic approaches to integrate our data in mRNA:miRNA regulatory networks and functional predictions for young and aged animals. In sum, our study reveals interplay between epigenetic mechanisms and gene networks that seems to be relevant for the progression toward a pathological aging and provides several potential markers and therapeutic candidates for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and age-related cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Cosín-Tomás
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Chemistry, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Departments of Human Genetics and Pediatrics, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - María Jesús Álvarez-López
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Chemistry, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Júlia Companys-Alemany
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Chemistry, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Perla Kaliman
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Chemistry, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Daniel Ortuño-Sahagún
- Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Mercè Pallàs
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Chemistry, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Christian Griñán-Ferré
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Chemistry, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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27
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Ziegler C, Schiele MA, Domschke K. Patho- und Therapieepigenetik psychischer Erkrankungen. DER NERVENARZT 2018; 89:1303-1314. [DOI: 10.1007/s00115-018-0625-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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28
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Chung J, Zhang X, Allen M, Wang X, Ma Y, Beecham G, Montine TJ, Younkin SG, Dickson DW, Golde TE, Price ND, Ertekin-Taner N, Lunetta KL, Mez J, Mayeux R, Haines JL, Pericak-Vance MA, Schellenberg G, Jun GR, Farrer LA. Genome-wide pleiotropy analysis of neuropathological traits related to Alzheimer's disease. ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY 2018; 10:22. [PMID: 29458411 PMCID: PMC5819208 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-018-0349-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Simultaneous consideration of two neuropathological traits related to Alzheimer's disease (AD) has not been attempted in a genome-wide association study. METHODS We conducted genome-wide pleiotropy analyses using association summary statistics from the Beecham et al. study (PLoS Genet 10:e1004606, 2014) for AD-related neuropathological traits, including neuritic plaque (NP), neurofibrillary tangle (NFT), and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). Significant findings were further examined by expression quantitative trait locus and differentially expressed gene analyses in AD vs. control brains using gene expression data. RESULTS Genome-wide significant pleiotropic associations were observed for the joint model of NP and NFT (NP + NFT) with the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs34487851 upstream of C2orf40 (alias ECRG4, P = 2.4 × 10-8) and for the joint model of NFT and CAA (NFT + CAA) with the HDAC9 SNP rs79524815 (P = 1.1 × 10-8). Gene-based testing revealed study-wide significant associations (P ≤ 2.0 × 10-6) for the NFT + CAA outcome with adjacent genes TRAPPC12, TRAPPC12-AS1, and ADI1. Risk alleles of proxy SNPs for rs79524815 were associated with significantly lower expression of HDAC9 in the brain (P = 3.0 × 10-3), and HDAC9 was significantly downregulated in subjects with AD compared with control subjects in the prefrontal (P = 7.9 × 10-3) and visual (P = 5.6 × 10-4) cortices. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that pleiotropy analysis is a useful approach to identifying novel genetic associations with complex diseases and their endophenotypes. Functional studies are needed to determine whether ECRG4 or HDAC9 is plausible as a therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaeyoon Chung
- Bioinformatics Graduate Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xiaoling Zhang
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mariet Allen
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Xue Wang
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Yiyi Ma
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gary Beecham
- Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Thomas J Montine
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | - Todd E Golde
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Nathan D Price
- Institute for Systems Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nilüfer Ertekin-Taner
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.,Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Kathryn L Lunetta
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jesse Mez
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Richard Mayeux
- Department of Neurology and Sergievsky Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan L Haines
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Margaret A Pericak-Vance
- Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Gerard Schellenberg
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Gyungah R Jun
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.,Neurogenetics and Integrated Genomics, Andover Innovative Medicines Institute, Eisai Inc., Andover, MA, USA
| | - Lindsay A Farrer
- Bioinformatics Graduate Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Ophthalmology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA. .,Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
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29
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Role of Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) and Its Derivatives in the Biology and Cell Fate Specification of Neural Stem Cells. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 55:7107-7117. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-0914-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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30
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Gao Z, Fu HJ, Zhao LB, Sun ZY, Yang YF, Zhu HY. Aberrant DNA methylation associated with Alzheimer's disease in the superior temporal gyrus. Exp Ther Med 2017; 15:103-108. [PMID: 29375678 PMCID: PMC5763665 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2017.5394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal DNA methylation patterns have been demonstrated to be associated with the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The present study aimed to identify differential methylation in the superior temporal gyrus (STG) of patients with late-onset AD based on epigenome-wide DNA methylation data by bioinformatics analysis. The genome-wide DNA methylation data in the STG region of 34 patients with late-onset AD and 34 controls without dementia were recruited from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Through systemic quality control, differentially methylated CpG sites were determined by the Student's t-test and mean methylation value differences between the two conditions. Hierarchical clustering analysis was applied to assess the classification performance of differentially methylated CpGs. Functional analysis was performed to investigate the biological functions of the genes associated with differentially methylated CpGs. A total of 17,895 differentially methylated CpG sites were initially identified, including 11,822 hypermethylated CpGs and 6,073 hypomethylated CpGs. Further analysis examined 2,211 differentially methylated CpGs (covering 1,991 genes). AD subjects demonstrated distinctive DNA methylation patterns when compared with the controls, with a classification accuracy value of 1. Hypermethylation was mainly detected for genes regulating the cell cycle progression, whereas hypomethylation was observed in genes involved in transcription factor binding. The present study demonstrated widespread and distinctive DNA methylation alterations in late-onset AD. Identification of AD-associated epigenetic biomarkers may allow for the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhan Gao
- Department of Senile Neurology, Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150036, P.R. China
| | - Hong-Juan Fu
- Department of Senile Neurology, Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150036, P.R. China
| | - Li-Bo Zhao
- Department of Senile Neurology, Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150036, P.R. China
| | - Zhuo-Yan Sun
- Department of Senile Neurology, Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150036, P.R. China
| | - Yu-Fei Yang
- Department of Senile Neurology, Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150036, P.R. China
| | - Hong-Yan Zhu
- Department of Senile Neurology, Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150036, P.R. China
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31
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Šimić G, Babić Leko M, Wray S, Harrington CR, Delalle I, Jovanov-Milošević N, Bažadona D, Buée L, de Silva R, Di Giovanni G, Wischik CM, Hof PR. Monoaminergic neuropathology in Alzheimer's disease. Prog Neurobiol 2017; 151:101-138. [PMID: 27084356 PMCID: PMC5061605 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2016.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Revised: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
None of the proposed mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) fully explains the distribution patterns of the neuropathological changes at the cellular and regional levels, and their clinical correlates. One aspect of this problem lies in the complex genetic, epigenetic, and environmental landscape of AD: early-onset AD is often familial with autosomal dominant inheritance, while the vast majority of AD cases are late-onset, with the ε4 variant of the gene encoding apolipoprotein E (APOE) known to confer a 5-20 fold increased risk with partial penetrance. Mechanisms by which genetic variants and environmental factors influence the development of AD pathological changes, especially neurofibrillary degeneration, are not yet known. Here we review current knowledge of the involvement of the monoaminergic systems in AD. The changes in the serotonergic, noradrenergic, dopaminergic, histaminergic, and melatonergic systems in AD are briefly described. We also summarize the possibilities for monoamine-based treatment in AD. Besides neuropathologic AD criteria that include the noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC), special emphasis is given to the serotonergic dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). Both of these brainstem nuclei are among the first to be affected by tau protein abnormalities in the course of sporadic AD, causing behavioral and cognitive symptoms of variable severity. The possibility that most of the tangle-bearing neurons of the LC and DRN may release amyloid β as well as soluble monomeric or oligomeric tau protein trans-synaptically by their diffuse projections to the cerebral cortex emphasizes their selective vulnerability and warrants further investigations of the monoaminergic systems in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goran Šimić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Mirjana Babić Leko
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Selina Wray
- Reta Lila Weston Institute and Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | | | - Ivana Delalle
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nataša Jovanov-Milošević
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Danira Bažadona
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Luc Buée
- University of Lille, Inserm, CHU-Lille, UMR-S 1172, Alzheimer & Tauopathies, Lille, France
| | - Rohan de Silva
- Reta Lila Weston Institute and Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Giuseppe Di Giovanni
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
| | - Claude M Wischik
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Patrick R Hof
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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32
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Millan MJ. Linking deregulation of non-coding RNA to the core pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease: An integrative review. Prog Neurobiol 2017; 156:1-68. [PMID: 28322921 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2017.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Revised: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The human genome encodes a vast repertoire of protein non-coding RNAs (ncRNA), some specific to the brain. MicroRNAs, which interfere with the translation of target mRNAs, are of particular interest since their deregulation has been implicated in neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, it remains challenging to link the complex body of observations on miRNAs and AD into a coherent framework. Using extensive graphical support, this article discusses how a diverse panoply of miRNAs convergently and divergently impact (and are impacted by) core pathophysiological processes underlying AD: neuroinflammation and oxidative stress; aberrant generation of β-amyloid-42 (Aβ42); anomalies in the production, cleavage and post-translational marking of Tau; impaired clearance of Aβ42 and Tau; perturbation of axonal organisation; disruption of synaptic plasticity; endoplasmic reticulum stress and the unfolded protein response; mitochondrial dysfunction; aberrant induction of cell cycle re-entry; and apoptotic loss of neurons. Intriguingly, some classes of miRNA provoke these cellular anomalies, whereas others act in a counter-regulatory, protective mode. Moreover, changes in levels of certain species of miRNA are a consequence of the above-mentioned anomalies. In addition to miRNAs, circular RNAs, piRNAs, long non-coding RNAs and other types of ncRNA are being increasingly implicated in AD. Overall, a complex mesh of deregulated and multi-tasking ncRNAs reciprocally interacts with core pathophysiological mechanisms underlying AD. Alterations in ncRNAs can be detected in CSF and the circulation as well as the brain and are showing promise as biomarkers, with the ultimate goal clinical exploitation as targets for novel modes of symptomatic and course-altering therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J Millan
- Centre for Therapeutic Innovation in Neuropsychiatry, institut de recherche Servier, 125 chemin de ronde, 78290 Croissy sur Seine, France.
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33
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Snow WM, Albensi BC. Neuronal Gene Targets of NF-κB and Their Dysregulation in Alzheimer's Disease. Front Mol Neurosci 2016; 9:118. [PMID: 27881951 PMCID: PMC5101203 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2016.00118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Although, better known for its role in inflammation, the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) has more recently been implicated in synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory. This has been, in part, to the discovery of its localization not just in glia, cells that are integral to mediating the inflammatory process in the brain, but also neurons. Several effectors of neuronal NF-κB have been identified, including calcium, inflammatory cytokines (i.e., tumor necrosis factor alpha), and the induction of experimental paradigms thought to reflect learning and memory at the cellular level (i.e., long-term potentiation). NF-κB is also activated after learning and memory formation in vivo. In turn, activation of NF-κB can elicit either suppression or activation of other genes. Studies are only beginning to elucidate the multitude of neuronal gene targets of NF-κB in the normal brain, but research to date has confirmed targets involved in a wide array of cellular processes, including cell signaling and growth, neurotransmission, redox signaling, and gene regulation. Further, several lines of research confirm dysregulation of NF-κB in Alzheimer's disease (AD), a disorder characterized clinically by a profound deficit in the ability to form new memories. AD-related neuropathology includes the characteristic amyloid beta plaque formation and neurofibrillary tangles. Although, such neuropathological findings have been hypothesized to contribute to memory deficits in AD, research has identified perturbations at the cellular and synaptic level that occur even prior to more gross pathologies, including transcriptional dysregulation. Indeed, synaptic disturbances appear to be a significant correlate of cognitive deficits in AD. Given the more recently identified role for NF-κB in memory and synaptic transmission in the normal brain, the expansive network of gene targets of NF-κB, and its dysregulation in AD, a thorough understanding of NF-κB-related signaling in AD is warranted and may have important implications for uncovering treatments for the disease. This review aims to provide a comprehensive view of our current understanding of the gene targets of this transcription factor in neurons in the intact brain and provide an overview of studies investigating NF-κB signaling, including its downstream targets, in the AD brain as a means of uncovering the basic physiological mechanisms by which memory becomes fragile in the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanda M Snow
- Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders, St. Boniface Hospital ResearchWinnipeg, MB, Canada; Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of ManitobaWinnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Benedict C Albensi
- Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders, St. Boniface Hospital ResearchWinnipeg, MB, Canada; Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of ManitobaWinnipeg, MB, Canada
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34
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Millan MJ, Rivet JM, Gobert A. The frontal cortex as a network hub controlling mood and cognition: Probing its neurochemical substrates for improved therapy of psychiatric and neurological disorders. J Psychopharmacol 2016; 30:1099-1128. [PMID: 27756833 DOI: 10.1177/0269881116672342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The highly-interconnected and neurochemically-rich frontal cortex plays a crucial role in the regulation of mood and cognition, domains disrupted in depression and other central nervous system disorders, and it is an important site of action for their therapeutic control. For improving our understanding of the function and dysfunction of the frontal cortex, and for identifying improved treatments, quantification of extracellular pools of neuromodulators by microdialysis in freely-moving rodents has proven indispensable. This approach has revealed a complex mesh of autoreceptor and heteroceptor interactions amongst monoaminergic pathways, and led from selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitors to novel classes of multi-target drugs for treating depression like the mixed α2-adrenoceptor/5-HT reuptake inhibitor, S35966, and the clinically-launched vortioxetine and vilazodone. Moreover, integration of non-monoaminergic actions resulted in the discovery and development of the innovative melatonin receptor agonist/5-HT2C receptor antagonist, Agomelatine. Melatonin levels, like those of corticosterone and the "social hormone", oxytocin, can now be quantified by microdialysis over the full 24 h daily cycle. Further, the introduction of procedures for measuring extracellular histamine and acetylcholine has provided insights into strategies for improving cognition by, for example, blockade of 5-HT6 and/or dopamine D3 receptors. The challenge of concurrently determining extracellular levels of GABA, glutamate, d-serine, glycine, kynurenate and other amino acids, and of clarifying their interactions with monoamines, has also been resolved. This has proven important for characterizing the actions of glycine reuptake inhibitors that indirectly augment transmission at N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors, and of "glutamatergic antidepressants" like ketamine, mGluR5 antagonists and positive modulators of AMPA receptors (including S47445). Most recently, quantification of the neurotoxic proteins Aβ42 and Tau has extended microdialysis studies to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, and another frontier currently being broached is microRNAs. The present article discusses the above themes, focusses on recent advances, highlights opportunities for clinical "translation", and suggests avenues for further progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J Millan
- Pole for Therapeutic Innovation in CNS disorders, IDR Servier, Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Jean-Michel Rivet
- Pole for Therapeutic Innovation in CNS disorders, IDR Servier, Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Alain Gobert
- Pole for Therapeutic Innovation in CNS disorders, IDR Servier, Croissy-sur-Seine, France
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Griñan-Ferré C, Puigoriol-Illamola D, Palomera-Ávalos V, Pérez-Cáceres D, Companys-Alemany J, Camins A, Ortuño-Sahagún D, Rodrigo MT, Pallàs M. Environmental Enrichment Modified Epigenetic Mechanisms in SAMP8 Mouse Hippocampus by Reducing Oxidative Stress and Inflammaging and Achieving Neuroprotection. Front Aging Neurosci 2016; 8:241. [PMID: 27803663 PMCID: PMC5067530 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
With the increase in life expectancy, aging and age-related cognitive impairments are becoming one of the most important issues for human health. At the same time, it has been shown that epigenetic mechanisms are emerging as universally important factors in life expectancy. The Senescence Accelerated Mouse P8 (SAMP8) strain exhibits age-related deterioration evidenced in learning and memory abilities and is a useful model of neurodegenerative disease. In SAMP8, Environmental Enrichment (EE) increased DNA-methylation levels (5-mC) and reduced hydroxymethylation levels (5-hmC), as well as increased histone H3 and H4 acetylation levels. Likewise, we found changes in the hippocampal gene expression of some chromatin-modifying enzyme genes, such as Dnmt3b. Hdac1. Hdac2. Sirt2, and Sirt6. Subsequently, we assessed the effects of EE on neuroprotection-related transcription factors, such as the Nuclear regulatory factor 2 (Nrf2)-Antioxidant Response Element pathway and Nuclear Factor kappa Beta (NF-κB), which play critical roles in inflammation. We found that EE produces an increased expression of antioxidant genes, such as Hmox1. Aox1, and Cox2, and reduced the expression of inflammatory genes such as IL-6 and Cxcl10, all of this within the epigenetic context modified by EE. In conclusion, EE prevents epigenetic changes that promote or drive oxidative stress and inflammaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Griñan-Ferré
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Chemistry (Pharmacology Section) and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
| | - Dolors Puigoriol-Illamola
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Chemistry (Pharmacology Section) and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
| | - Verónica Palomera-Ávalos
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Chemistry (Pharmacology Section) and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
| | - David Pérez-Cáceres
- Animal Experimentation Unit, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
| | - Júlia Companys-Alemany
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Chemistry (Pharmacology Section) and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Camins
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Chemistry (Pharmacology Section) and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel Ortuño-Sahagún
- Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Biomédicas, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - M Teresa Rodrigo
- Animal Experimentation Unit, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mercè Pallàs
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Chemistry (Pharmacology Section) and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona Barcelona, Spain
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Affiliation(s)
- A. David Smith
- OPTIMA, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QT, United Kingdom;
| | - Helga Refsum
- OPTIMA, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QT, United Kingdom;
- Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway;
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Grossi E, Stoccoro A, Tannorella P, Migliore L, Coppedè F. Artificial Neural Networks Link One-Carbon Metabolism to Gene-Promoter Methylation in Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2016; 53:1517-22. [PMID: 27392858 DOI: 10.3233/jad-160210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is increasing interest in DNA methylation studies in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but little is still known concerning the relationship between gene-promoter methylation and circulating biomarkers of one-carbon metabolism in patients. OBJECTIVE To detect the connections among circulating folate, homocysteine (hcy) and vitamin B12 levels and promoter methylation levels of PSEN1, BACE1, DNMT1, DNMT3A, DNMT3B, and MTHFR genes in blood DNA. METHODS We applied a data mining system called Auto Contractive Map to an existing database of 100 AD and 100 control individuals. RESULTS Low vitamin B12 was linked to the AD condition, to low folates, and to high hcy. Low PSEN1 methylation was linked to low folate levels as well as to low promoter methylation of BACE1 and DNMTs genes. Low hcy was linked to controls, to high folates and vitamin B12, as well as to high methylation levels of most of the studied genes. CONCLUSIONS The present pilot study suggests that promoter methylation levels of the studied genes are linked to circulating levels of folates, hcy, and vitamin B12.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enzo Grossi
- Villa Santa Maria Institute, Tavernerio, Italy
- Semeion Research Center of Sciences of Communication, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Stoccoro
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, Section of Medical Genetics, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Doctoral School in Genetics, Oncology, and Clinical Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Pierpaola Tannorella
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, Section of Medical Genetics, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Lucia Migliore
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, Section of Medical Genetics, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Interdepartmental Research Center Nutrafood "Nutraceuticals and Food for Health", University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabio Coppedè
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, Section of Medical Genetics, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Interdepartmental Research Center Nutrafood "Nutraceuticals and Food for Health", University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Pistollato F, Ohayon EL, Lam A, Langley GR, Novak TJ, Pamies D, Perry G, Trushina E, Williams RS, Roher AE, Hartung T, Harnad S, Barnard N, Morris MC, Lai MC, Merkley R, Chandrasekera PC. Alzheimer disease research in the 21st century: past and current failures, new perspectives and funding priorities. Oncotarget 2016; 7:38999-39016. [PMID: 27229915 PMCID: PMC5129909 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.9175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2015] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Much of Alzheimer disease (AD) research has been traditionally based on the use of animals, which have been extensively applied in an effort to both improve our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of the disease and to test novel therapeutic approaches. However, decades of such research have not effectively translated into substantial therapeutic success for human patients. Here we critically discuss these issues in order to determine how existing human-based methods can be applied to study AD pathology and develop novel therapeutics. These methods, which include patient-derived cells, computational analysis and models, together with large-scale epidemiological studies represent novel and exciting tools to enhance and forward AD research. In particular, these methods are helping advance AD research by contributing multifactorial and multidimensional perspectives, especially considering the crucial role played by lifestyle risk factors in the determination of AD risk. In addition to research techniques, we also consider related pitfalls and flaws in the current research funding system. Conversely, we identify encouraging new trends in research and government policy. In light of these new research directions, we provide recommendations regarding prioritization of research funding. The goal of this document is to stimulate scientific and public discussion on the need to explore new avenues in AD research, considering outcome and ethics as core principles to reliably judge traditional research efforts and eventually undertake new research strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elan L. Ohayon
- Green Neuroscience Laboratory, Neurolinx Research Institute, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ann Lam
- Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
- Green Neuroscience Laboratory, Neurolinx Research Institute, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Gillian R. Langley
- Research and Toxicology Department, Humane Society International, London, UK
| | | | - David Pamies
- CAAT, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - George Perry
- College of Sciences, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | | | - Robin S.B. Williams
- Centre for Biomedical Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Alex E. Roher
- Division of Clinical Education, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
- Division of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Thomas Hartung
- CAAT, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Stevan Harnad
- Department of Psychology, University of Quebec/Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Neal Barnard
- Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Martha Clare Morris
- Section of Nutrition and Nutritional Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mei-Chun Lai
- Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Ryan Merkley
- Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
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Griñán-Ferré C, Sarroca S, Ivanova A, Puigoriol-Illamola D, Aguado F, Camins A, Sanfeliu C, Pallàs M. Epigenetic mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease hallmarks in 5XFAD mice. Aging (Albany NY) 2016; 8:664-84. [PMID: 27013617 PMCID: PMC4925821 DOI: 10.18632/aging.100906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 01/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
5XFAD is an early-onset mouse transgenic model of Alzheimer disease (AD). Up to now there are no studies that focus on the epigenetic changes produced as a result of Aβ-42 accumulation and the possible involvement in the different expression of related AD-genes. Under several behavioral and cognition test, we found impairment in memory and psychoemotional changes in female 5XFAD mice in reference to wild type that worsens with age. Cognitive changes correlated with alterations on protein level analysis and gene expression of markers related with tau aberrant phosphorylation, amyloidogenic pathway (APP, BACE1), Oxidative Stress (iNOS, Aldh2) and inflammation (astrogliosis, TNF-α and IL-6); no changes were found in non-amyloidogenic pathway indicators such as ADAM10. Epigenetics changes as higher CpG methylation and transcriptional changes in DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) family were found. Dnmt1 increases in younger 5XFAD and Dnmt3a and b high levels in the oldest transgenic mice. Similar pattern was found with histone methyltransferases such as Jarid1a andG9a. Histone deacetylase 2 (Hdac2) or Sirt6, both related with cognition and memory, presented a similar pattern. Taken together, these hallmarks presented by the 5XFAD model prompted its use in assessing different potential therapeutic interventions based on epigenetic targets after earlier amyloid deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Griñán-Ferré
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Chemistry (Pharmacology Section) and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sara Sarroca
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques de Barcelona (IIBB), CSIC, and IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aleksandra Ivanova
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Chemistry (Pharmacology Section) and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Dolors Puigoriol-Illamola
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Chemistry (Pharmacology Section) and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Fernando Aguado
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antoni Camins
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Chemistry (Pharmacology Section) and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Coral Sanfeliu
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques de Barcelona (IIBB), CSIC, and IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mercè Pallàs
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic Chemistry (Pharmacology Section) and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
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PET Imaging of Epigenetic Influences on Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Alzheimers Dis 2015; 2015:575078. [PMID: 26600964 PMCID: PMC4633540 DOI: 10.1155/2015/575078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2015] [Revised: 09/20/2015] [Accepted: 10/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The precise role of environment-gene interactions (epigenetics) in the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is unclear. This review focuses on the premise that radiotracer-specific PET imaging allows clinicians to visualize epigenetically influenced events and that such imaging may provide new, valuable insights for preventing, diagnosing, and treating AD. Current understanding of the role of epigenetics in AD and the principles underlying the use of PET radiotracers for in vivo diagnosis are reviewed. The relative efficacies of various PET radiotracers for visualizing the epigenetic influences on AD and their use for diagnosis are discussed. For example, [18F]FAHA demonstrates sites of differential HDAC activity, [18F]FDG indirectly illuminates sites of neuronal hypomethylation, and the carbon-11 isotope-containing Pittsburgh compound B ([11C]PiB) images amyloid-beta plaque deposits. A definitive AD diagnosis is currently achievable only by postmortem histological observation of amyloid-beta plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles. Therefore, reliable in vivo neuroimaging techniques could provide opportunities for early diagnosis and treatment of AD.
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Pistollato F, Cavanaugh SE, Chandrasekera PC. A Human-Based Integrated Framework forAlzheimer’s Disease Research. J Alzheimers Dis 2015; 47:857-68. [DOI: 10.3233/jad-150281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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42
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Hernández-Zimbrón LF, Rivas-Arancibia S. Oxidative stress caused by ozone exposure induces β-amyloid 1-42 overproduction and mitochondrial accumulation by activating the amyloidogenic pathway. Neuroscience 2015. [PMID: 26197225 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Oxidative stress is a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) that has been suggested to be the trigger of AD pathology. However, whether oxidative damage precedes and contributes directly to the intracellular accumulation of beta amyloid 1-42 (βA42) peptide remains a matter of debate. Chronic exposure to low doses of ozone similar to the levels during a day of high pollution in México City causes a state of oxidative stress that elicits progressive neurodegeneration in the hippocampi of rats. Several reports have demonstrated that the mitochondria are among the first organelles to be affected by oxidative stress and βA42 toxicity and act as sites of the accumulation of βA42, which affects energy metabolism. However, the mechanisms related to the neurodegeneration process and organelle damage that occur in conditions of chronic exposure to low doses of ozone have not been demonstrated. To analyze the effect of chronic ozone chronic exposure on changes in the production and accumulation of the βA42 and βA40 peptides in the mitochondria of hippocampal neurons of rats exposed to ozone, we examined the mitochondrial expression levels of Presenilins 1 and 2 and ADAM10 to detect changes related to the oxidative stress caused by low doses of ozone (0.25ppm). The results revealed significant accumulations of βA42 peptide in the mitochondrial fractions on days 60 and 90 of ozone exposure along with reductions in beta amyloid 1-40 accumulation, significant overexpressions of Pres2 and significant reductions in ADAM10 expression. Beta amyloid immunodetection revealed that there were some intracellular deposits of βA42 and that βA42 and the mitochondrial markers OPA1 and COX1 colocalized. These results indicate that the time of exposure to ozone and the accumulation of βA42 in the mitochondria of the hippocampal cells of rats were correlated. Our results suggest that the accumulation of the βA42 peptide may promote mitochondrial dysfunction due to its accumulation and overproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- L F Hernández-Zimbrón
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., Mexico
| | - S Rivas-Arancibia
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., Mexico.
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Quantification of histone deacetylase isoforms in human frontal cortex, human retina, and mouse brain. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0126592. [PMID: 25962138 PMCID: PMC4427357 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition has promise as a therapy for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases. Currently, therapeutic HDAC inhibitors target many HDAC isoforms, a particularly detrimental approach when HDAC isoforms are known to have different and specialized functions. We have developed a multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mass spectrometry assay using stable isotope-labeled QconCATs as internal standards to quantify HDAC isoforms. We further determined a quantitative pattern of specific HDACs expressed in various human and mouse neural tissues. In human AD frontal cortex, HDAC1,2 decreased 32%, HDAC5 increased 47%, and HDAC6 increased 31% in comparison to age-matched controls. Human neural retina concentrations of HDAC1, 2, HDAC5, HDAC6, and HDAC7 decreased in age-related macular degeneration (AMD)-affected donors and exhibited a greater decrease in AD-affected donors in comparison to age-matched control neural retinas. Additionally, HDAC concentrations were measured in whole hemisphere of brain of 5XFAD mice, a model of β-amyloid deposition, to assess similarity to AD in human frontal cortex. HDAC profiles of human frontal cortex and mouse hemisphere had noticeable differences and relatively high concentrations of HDAC3 and HDAC4 in mice, which were undetectable in humans. Our method for quantification of HDAC isoforms is a practical and efficient technique to quantify isoforms in various tissues and diseases. Changes in HDAC concentrations reported herein contribute to the understanding of the pathology of neurodegeneration.
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44
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Millan MJ, Goodwin GM, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Ögren SO, Ögren SO. 60 years of advances in neuropsychopharmacology for improving brain health, renewed hope for progress. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2015; 25:591-8. [PMID: 25799919 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2015.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/28/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Pharmacotherapy is effective in helping many patients suffering from psychiatric and neurological disorders, and both psychotherapeutic and stimulation-based techniques likewise have important roles to play in their treatment. However, therapeutic progress has recently been slow. Future success for improving the control and prevention of brain disorders will depend upon deeper insights into their causes and pathophysiological substrates. It will also necessitate new and more rigorous methods for identifying, validating, developing and clinically deploying new treatments. A field of Research and Development (R and D) that remains critical to this endeavour is Neuropsychopharmacology which transformed the lives of patients by introducing pharmacological treatments for psychiatric disorder some 60 years ago. For about half of this time, the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) has fostered efforts to enhance our understanding of the brain, and to improve the management of psychiatric disorders. Further, together with partners in academia and industry, and in discussions with regulators and patients, the ECNP is implicated in new initiatives to achieve this goal. This is then an opportune moment to survey the field, to analyse what we have learned from the achievements and failures of the past, and to identify major challenges for the future. It is also important to highlight strategies that are being put in place in the quest for more effective treatment of brain disorders: from experimental research and drug discovery to clinical development and collaborative ventures for reinforcing "R and D". The present article sets the scene, then introduces and interlinks the eight articles that comprise this Special Volume of European Neuropsychopharmacology. A broad-based suite of themes is covered embracing: the past, present and future of "R and D" for psychiatric disorders; complementary contributions of genetics and epigenetics; efforts to improve the treatment of depression, neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders; and advances in the analysis and neuroimaging of cellular and cerebral circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J Millan
- Pole for Innovation in Neurosciences, IDR Servier, 125 chemin de ronde, 78290 Croissy sur Seine, France.
| | - Guy M Goodwin
- University Department of Psychiatry, Oxford University, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, England
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg/Medical Faculty Mannheim, J5, D-68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sven Ove Ögren
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Retzius väg 8, S-17177 Stockholm, Sweden
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Millan MJ, Goodwin GM, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Ove Ögren S. Learning from the past and looking to the future: Emerging perspectives for improving the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2015; 25:599-656. [PMID: 25836356 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2015.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/28/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Modern neuropsychopharmacology commenced in the 1950s with the serendipitous discovery of first-generation antipsychotics and antidepressants which were therapeutically effective yet had marked adverse effects. Today, a broader palette of safer and better-tolerated agents is available for helping people that suffer from schizophrenia, depression and other psychiatric disorders, while complementary approaches like psychotherapy also have important roles to play in their treatment, both alone and in association with medication. Nonetheless, despite considerable efforts, current management is still only partially effective, and highly-prevalent psychiatric disorders of the brain continue to represent a huge personal and socio-economic burden. The lack of success in discovering more effective pharmacotherapy has contributed, together with many other factors, to a relative disengagement by pharmaceutical firms from neuropsychiatry. Nonetheless, interest remains high, and partnerships are proliferating with academic centres which are increasingly integrating drug discovery and translational research into their traditional activities. This is, then, a time of transition and an opportune moment to thoroughly survey the field. Accordingly, the present paper, first, chronicles the discovery and development of psychotropic agents, focusing in particular on their mechanisms of action and therapeutic utility, and how problems faced were eventually overcome. Second, it discusses the lessons learned from past successes and failures, and how they are being applied to promote future progress. Third, it comprehensively surveys emerging strategies that are (1), improving our understanding of the diagnosis and classification of psychiatric disorders; (2), deepening knowledge of their underlying risk factors and pathophysiological substrates; (3), refining cellular and animal models for discovery and validation of novel therapeutic agents; (4), improving the design and outcome of clinical trials; (5), moving towards reliable biomarkers of patient subpopulations and medication efficacy and (6), promoting collaborative approaches to innovation by uniting key partners from the regulators, industry and academia to patients. Notwithstanding the challenges ahead, the many changes and ideas articulated herein provide new hope and something of a framework for progress towards the improved prevention and relief of psychiatric and other CNS disorders, an urgent mission for our Century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J Millan
- Pole for Innovation in Neurosciences, IDR Servier, 125 chemin de ronde, 78290 Croissy sur Seine, France.
| | - Guy M Goodwin
- University Department of Psychiatry, Oxford University, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, England, UK
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg/Medical Faculty Mannheim, J5, D-68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sven Ove Ögren
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Retzius väg 8, S-17177 Stockholm, Sweden
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