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Asada-Utsugi M, Urushitani M. Tau beyond Tangles: DNA Damage Response and Cytoskeletal Protein Crosstalk on Neurodegeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7906. [PMID: 39063148 PMCID: PMC11277103 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25147906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2024] [Revised: 07/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurons in the brain are continuously exposed to various sources of DNA damage. Although the mechanisms of DNA damage repair in mitotic cells have been extensively characterized, the repair pathways in post-mitotic neurons are still largely elusive. Moreover, inaccurate repair can result in deleterious mutations, including deletions, insertions, and chromosomal translocations, ultimately compromising genomic stability. Since neurons are terminally differentiated cells, they cannot employ homologous recombination (HR) for double-strand break (DSB) repair, suggesting the existence of neuron-specific repair mechanisms. Our research has centered on the microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT), a crucial pathological protein implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, and its interplay with neurons' DNA damage response (DDR). This review aims to provide an updated synthesis of the current understanding of the complex interplay between DDR and cytoskeletal proteins in neurons, with a particular focus on the role of tau in neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Makoto Urushitani
- Department of Neurology, Molecular Neuroscience Research Center, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu 520-2192, Shiga, Japan;
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2
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Abasi LS, Elathram N, Movva M, Deep A, Corbett KD, Debelouchina GT. Phosphorylation regulates tau's phase separation behavior and interactions with chromatin. Commun Biol 2024; 7:251. [PMID: 38429335 PMCID: PMC10907630 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05920-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-associated protein often found in neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Beyond this context, mounting evidence suggests that tau localizes into the nucleus, where it may play a role in DNA protection and heterochromatin regulation. The molecular mechanisms behind these observations are currently unclear. Using in vitro biophysical experiments, here we demonstrate that tau can undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) with DNA, mononucleosomes, and reconstituted nucleosome arrays under low salt conditions. Low concentrations of tau promote chromatin compaction and protect DNA from digestion. While the material state of samples at physiological salt is dominated by chromatin oligomerization, tau can still associate strongly and reversibly with nucleosome arrays. These properties are driven by tau's strong interactions with linker and nucleosomal DNA. In addition, tau co-localizes into droplets formed by nucleosome arrays and phosphorylated HP1α, a key heterochromatin constituent thought to function through an LLPS mechanism. Importantly, LLPS and chromatin interactions are disrupted by aberrant tau hyperphosphorylation. These biophysical properties suggest that tau may directly impact DNA and chromatin accessibility and that loss of these interactions could contribute to the aberrant nuclear effects seen in tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lannah S Abasi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Nesreen Elathram
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Manasi Movva
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Amar Deep
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Kevin D Corbett
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Galia T Debelouchina
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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Alonso ADC, El Idrissi A, Candia R, Morozova V, Kleiman FE. Tau: More than a microtubule-binding protein in neurons. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2024; 81:71-77. [PMID: 37819542 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Tau protein was discovered as a microtubule-associated protein nearly 50 years ago, and our understanding of tau has revolved around that role. Even with tau's rise to stardom as a central player in neurodegenerative disease, therapeutic efforts have largely been targeted toward cytoskeletal changes. While some studies hinted toward non-cytoskeletal roles for tau, it is only fairly recently that these ideas have begun to receive considerable attention. Many new binding partners for tau have been identified, including DNA, RNA, RNA-binding proteins, some receptors, and other tau molecules. The diversity of tau binding partners coupled with the discovery of tau other than axonal compartments such as nucleus, dendrites, and synapses have led to the proposal of novel functions for tau in roles such as nuclear stability, cell signaling, transcriptional processing, and protein synthesis. Tau self-assembly in particular has made an impact, leading to the hypothesis that a prion-like function of hyperphosphorylated tau is central to tauopathies. With tau emerging as a multifaceted protein that operates in many parts of the cell and with many molecular partners, the field of tau biology is primed for discoveries that can provide new perspectives on both the unique biochemistry of tau and the nature of devastating neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Del Carmen Alonso
- Biology Department and Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island, Staten Island, New York, USA
- Biology Program, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Abdeslem El Idrissi
- Biology Department and Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island, Staten Island, New York, USA
- Biology Program, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Robert Candia
- Biology Department and Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island, Staten Island, New York, USA
- Biology Program, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Viktoriya Morozova
- Biology Department and Center for Developmental Neuroscience, College of Staten Island, Staten Island, New York, USA
- Biology Program, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
- Helene Fuld College of Nursing, New York, New York, USA
| | - Frida Esther Kleiman
- Biology Program, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
- Chemistry Department, Hunter College, The City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
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Abasi LS, Elathram N, Movva M, Deep A, Corbett KD, Debelouchina GT. Phosphorylation regulates tau's phase separation behavior and interactions with chromatin. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.21.572911. [PMID: 38187700 PMCID: PMC10769318 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.21.572911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-associated protein often found in neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Beyond this context, mounting evidence suggests that tau localizes into the nucleus, where it may play a role in DNA protection and heterochromatin regulation. Models of tau depletion or pathology show loss of genetically silent heterochromatin, aberrant expression of heterochromatic genes, and transposable element activation. The molecular mechanisms behind these observations are currently unclear. Using in vitro biophysical experiments, here we demonstrate that tau can undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) with DNA, mononucleosomes, and reconstituted nucleosome arrays under low salt conditions. Low concentrations of tau promote chromatin compaction and protect DNA from digestion. While the material state of samples at physiological salt is dominated by chromatin oligomerization, tau can still associate strongly and reversibly with nucleosome arrays. These properties are driven by tau's strong interactions with linker and nucleosomal DNA, while magic angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR experiments show that tau binding does not drastically alter nucleosome structure and dynamics. In addition, tau co-localizes into droplets formed by nucleosome arrays and phosphorylated HP1α, a key heterochromatin constituent thought to function through an LLPS mechanism. Importantly, LLPS and chromatin interactions are disrupted by aberrant tau hyperphosphorylation. These biophysical properties suggest that tau may directly impact DNA and chromatin accessibility and that loss of these interactions could contribute to the aberrant nuclear effects seen in tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lannah S. Abasi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Nesreen Elathram
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Manasi Movva
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Amar Deep
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kevin D. Corbett
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Galia T. Debelouchina
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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Magrin C, Bellafante M, Sola M, Piovesana E, Bolis M, Cascione L, Napoli S, Rinaldi A, Papin S, Paganetti P. Tau protein modulates an epigenetic mechanism of cellular senescence in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1232963. [PMID: 37842084 PMCID: PMC10569482 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1232963] [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: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Progressive Tau deposition in neurofibrillary tangles and neuropil threads is the hallmark of tauopathies, a disorder group that includes Alzheimer's disease. Since Tau is a microtubule-associated protein, a prevalent concept to explain the pathogenesis of tauopathies is that abnormal Tau modification contributes to dissociation from microtubules, assembly into multimeric β-sheets, proteotoxicity, neuronal dysfunction and cell loss. Tau also localizes in the cell nucleus and evidence supports an emerging function of Tau in DNA stability and epigenetic modulation. Methods: To better characterize the possible role of Tau in regulation of chromatin compaction and subsequent gene expression, we performed a bioinformatics analysis of transcriptome data obtained from Tau-depleted human neuroblastoma cells. Results: Among the transcripts deregulated in a Tau-dependent manner, we found an enrichment of target genes for the polycomb repressive complex 2. We further describe decreased cellular amounts of the core components of the polycomb repressive complex 2 and lower histone 3 trimethylation in Tau deficient cells. Among the de-repressed polycomb repressive complex 2 target gene products, IGFBP3 protein was found to be linked to increased senescence induction in Tau-deficient cells. Discussion: Our findings propose a mechanism for Tau-dependent epigenetic modulation of cell senescence, a key event in pathologic aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Magrin
- Laboratory for Aging Disorders, Laboratories for Translational Research, Ente Cantonale Ospedaliero, Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, PhD Program in Neurosciences, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Martina Bellafante
- Laboratory for Aging Disorders, Laboratories for Translational Research, Ente Cantonale Ospedaliero, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Martina Sola
- Laboratory for Aging Disorders, Laboratories for Translational Research, Ente Cantonale Ospedaliero, Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, PhD Program in Neurosciences, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Ester Piovesana
- Laboratory for Aging Disorders, Laboratories for Translational Research, Ente Cantonale Ospedaliero, Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, PhD Program in Neurosciences, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Marco Bolis
- Functional Cancer Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Oncology Research, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milano, Italy
- Lymphoma and Genomics Research Program, Institute of Oncology Research, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Luciano Cascione
- Lymphoma and Genomics Research Program, Institute of Oncology Research, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sara Napoli
- Lymphoma and Genomics Research Program, Institute of Oncology Research, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Rinaldi
- Lymphoma and Genomics Research Program, Institute of Oncology Research, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Stéphanie Papin
- Laboratory for Aging Disorders, Laboratories for Translational Research, Ente Cantonale Ospedaliero, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Paolo Paganetti
- Laboratory for Aging Disorders, Laboratories for Translational Research, Ente Cantonale Ospedaliero, Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, PhD Program in Neurosciences, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
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Callari M, Sola M, Magrin C, Rinaldi A, Bolis M, Paganetti P, Colnaghi L, Papin S. Cancer-specific association between Tau (MAPT) and cellular pathways, clinical outcome, and drug response. Sci Data 2023; 10:637. [PMID: 37730697 PMCID: PMC10511431 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02543-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau (MAPT) is a microtubule-associated protein causing common neurodegenerative diseases or rare inherited frontotemporal lobar degenerations. Emerging evidence for non-canonical functions of Tau in DNA repair and P53 regulation suggests its involvement in cancer. To bring new evidence for a relevant role of Tau in cancer, we carried out an in-silico pan-cancer analysis of MAPT transcriptomic profile in over 10000 clinical samples from 32 cancer types and over 1300 pre-clinical samples from 28 cancer types provided by the TCGA and the DEPMAP datasets respectively. MAPT expression associated with key cancer hallmarks including inflammation, proliferation, and epithelial to mesenchymal transition, showing cancer-specific patterns. In some cancer types, MAPT functional networks were affected by P53 mutational status. We identified new associations of MAPT with clinical outcomes and drug response in a context-specific manner. Overall, our findings indicate that the MAPT gene is a potential major player in multiple types of cancer. Importantly, the impact of Tau on cancer seems to be heavily influenced by the specific cellular environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martina Sola
- Laboratory for Aging Disorders, Laboratories for Translational Research, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Magrin
- Laboratory for Aging Disorders, Laboratories for Translational Research, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Rinaldi
- Institute of Oncology Research, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Marco Bolis
- Institute of Oncology Research, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Computational Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology, IRCCS Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche 'Mario Negri', Milano, Italy
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Bioinformatics Core Unit, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Paolo Paganetti
- Laboratory for Aging Disorders, Laboratories for Translational Research, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Bellinzona, Switzerland.
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland.
| | - Luca Colnaghi
- Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
- School of Medicine, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
| | - Stéphanie Papin
- Laboratory for Aging Disorders, Laboratories for Translational Research, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Bellinzona, Switzerland
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Siano G, Madaro G, Caiazza MC, Allouch A, Varisco M, Mignanelli M, Cattaneo A, Di Primio C. Tau-dependent HDAC1 nuclear reduction is associated with altered VGluT1 expression. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1151223. [PMID: 37266450 PMCID: PMC10229822 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1151223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
During AD pathology, Tau protein levels progressively increase from early pathological stages. Tau altered expression causes an unbalance of Tau subcellular localization in the cytosol and in the nuclear compartment leading to synaptic dysfunction, neuronal cell death and neurodegeneration as a consequence. Due to the relevant role of epigenetic remodellers in synaptic activity in physiology and in neurodegeneration, in particular of TRIM28 and HDAC1, we investigated the relationship between Tau and these epigenetic factors. By molecular, imaging and biochemical approaches, here we demonstrate that Tau altered expression in the neuronal cell line SH-SY5y does not alter TRIM28 and HDAC1 expression but it induces a subcellular reduction of HDAC1 in the nuclear compartment. Remarkably, HDAC1 reduced activity modulates the expression of synaptic genes in a way comparable to that observed by Tau increased levels. These results support a competitive relationship between Tau levels and HDAC1 subcellular localization and nuclear activity, indicating a possible mechanism mediating the alternative role of Tau in the pathological alteration of synaptic genes expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Siano
- Laboratorio di Biologia Bio@SNS, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Madaro
- Laboratorio di Biologia Bio@SNS, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Claudia Caiazza
- Laboratorio di Biologia Bio@SNS, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Oxford Parkinson’s Disease Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Awatef Allouch
- Cell Death, Immunity and Therapeutic Innovation Team, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France
| | - Martina Varisco
- Laboratorio di Biologia Bio@SNS, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Marianna Mignanelli
- Laboratorio di Biologia Bio@SNS, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Antonino Cattaneo
- Laboratorio di Biologia Bio@SNS, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Rita Levi-Montalcini European Brain Research Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Di Primio
- Institute of Neuroscience, Italian National Research Council (CNR), Pisa, Italy
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De Bastiani MA, Bellaver B, Brum WS, Souza DG, Ferreira PCL, Rocha AS, Povala G, Ferrari-Souza JP, Benedet AL, Ashton NJ, Karikari TK, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Rosa-Neto P, Pascoal TA, Zimmer ER. Hippocampal GFAP-positive astrocyte responses to amyloid and tau pathologies. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 110:175-184. [PMID: 36878332 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In Alzheimer's disease clinical research, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) released/leaked into the cerebrospinal fluid and blood is widely measured and perceived as a biomarker of reactive astrogliosis. However, it was demonstrated that GFAP levels differ in individuals presenting with amyloid-β (Aβ) or tau pathologies. The molecular underpinnings behind this specificity are little explored. Here we investigated biomarker and transcriptomic associations of hippocampal GFAP-positive astrocytes with Aβ and tau pathologies in humans and mouse models. METHODS We studied 90 individuals with plasma GFAP, Aβ- and Tau-PET to investigate the association between biomarkers. Then, transcriptomic analysis in hippocampal GFAP-positive astrocytes isolated from mouse models presenting Aβ (PS2APP) or tau (P301S) pathologies was conducted to explore differentially expressed genes (DEGs), Gene Ontology terms, and protein-protein interaction networks associated with each phenotype. RESULTS In humans, we found that plasma GFAP associates with Aβ but not tau pathology. Unveiling the unique nature of hippocampal GFAP-positive astrocytic responses to Aβ or tau pathologies, mouse transcriptomics showed scarce overlap of DEGs between the Aβ. and tau mouse models. While Aβ GFAP-positive astrocytes were overrepresented with DEGs associated with proteostasis and exocytosis-related processes, tau hippocampal GFAP-positive astrocytes presented greater abnormalities in functions related to DNA/RNA processing and cytoskeleton dynamics. CONCLUSION Our results offer insights into Aβ- and tau-driven specific signatures in hippocampal GFAP-positive astrocytes. Characterizing how different underlying pathologies distinctly influence astrocyte responses is critical for the biological interpretation of astrocyte biomarkers and suggests the need to develop context-specific astrocyte targets to study AD. FUNDING This study was supported by Instituto Serrapilheira, Alzheimer's Association, CAPES, CNPq and FAPERGS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Antônio De Bastiani
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Bruna Bellaver
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Wagner S Brum
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Debora G Souza
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Andreia S Rocha
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Povala
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - João Pedro Ferrari-Souza
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Andrea L Benedet
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Nicholas J Ashton
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Thomas K Karikari
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London, UK; Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Pedro Rosa-Neto
- Translational Neuroimaging Laboratory (TNL), McGill Center for Studies in Aging (MCSA), Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Psychiatry, and Pharmacology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Tharick A Pascoal
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Eduardo R Zimmer
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
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9
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Cancer Cells Upregulate Tau to Gain Resistance to DNA Damaging Agents. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 15:cancers15010116. [PMID: 36612113 PMCID: PMC9817522 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15010116] [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: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent reports suggested a role for microtubules in double-strand-DNA break repair. We herein investigated the role of the microtubule-associated protein Tau in radio- and chemotherapy. Noticeably, a lowered expression of Tau in breast cancer cell lines resulted in a significant decrease in mouse-xenograft breast tumor volume after doxorubicin or X-ray treatments. Furthermore, the knockdown of Tau impaired the classical nonhomologous end-joining pathway and led to an improved cellular response to both bleomycin and X-rays. Investigating the mechanism of Tau's protective effect, we found that one of the main mediators of response to double-stranded breaks in DNA, the tumor suppressor p53-binding protein 1 (53BP1), is sequestered in the cytoplasm as a consequence of Tau downregulation. We demonstrated that Tau allows 53BP1 to translocate to the nucleus in response to DNA damage by chaperoning microtubule protein trafficking. Moreover, Tau knockdown chemo-sensitized cancer cells to drugs forming DNA adducts, such as cisplatin and oxaliplatin, and further suggested a general role of Tau in regulating the nuclear trafficking of DNA repair proteins. Altogether, these results suggest that Tau expression in cancer cells may be of interest as a molecular marker for response to DNA-damaging anti-cancer agents. Clinically targeting Tau could sensitize tumors to DNA-damaging treatments.
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Pathological Nuclear Hallmarks in Dentate Granule Cells of Alzheimer’s Patients: A Biphasic Regulation of Neurogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232112873. [PMID: 36361662 PMCID: PMC9654738 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232112873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The dentate gyrus (DG) of the human hippocampus is a complex and dynamic structure harboring mature and immature granular neurons in diverse proliferative states. While most mammals show persistent neurogenesis through adulthood, human neurogenesis is still under debate. We found nuclear alterations in granular cells in autopsied human brains, detected by immunohistochemistry. These alterations differ from those reported in pyramidal neurons of the hippocampal circuit. Aging and early AD chromatin were clearly differentiated by the increased epigenetic markers H3K9me3 (heterochromatin suppressive mark) and H3K4me3 (transcriptional euchromatin mark). At early AD stages, lamin B2 was redistributed to the nucleoplasm, indicating cell-cycle reactivation, probably induced by hippocampal nuclear pathology. At intermediate and late AD stages, higher lamin B2 immunopositivity in the perinucleus suggests fewer immature neurons, less neurogenesis, and fewer adaptation resources to environmental factors. In addition, senile samples showed increased nuclear Tau interacting with aged chromatin, likely favoring DNA repair and maintaining genomic stability. However, at late AD stages, the progressive disappearance of phosphorylated Tau forms in the nucleus, increased chromatin disorganization, and increased nuclear autophagy support a model of biphasic neurogenesis in AD. Therefore, designing therapies to alleviate the neuronal nuclear pathology might be the only pathway to a true rejuvenation of brain circuits.
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