1
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Ellis MJ, Lekka C, Holden KL, Tulmin H, Seedat F, O'Brien DP, Dhayal S, Zeissler ML, Knudsen JG, Kessler BM, Morgan NG, Todd JA, Richardson SJ, Stefana MI. Identification of high-performing antibodies for the reliable detection of Tau proteoforms by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:87. [PMID: 38761203 PMCID: PMC11102361 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02729-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Antibodies are essential research tools whose performance directly impacts research conclusions and reproducibility. Owing to its central role in Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, hundreds of distinct antibody clones have been developed against the microtubule-associated protein Tau and its multiple proteoforms. Despite this breadth of offer, limited understanding of their performance and poor antibody selectivity have hindered research progress. Here, we validate a large panel of Tau antibodies by Western blot (79 reagents) and immunohistochemistry (35 reagents). We address the reagents' ability to detect the target proteoform, selectivity, the impact of protein phosphorylation on antibody binding and performance in human brain samples. While most antibodies detected Tau at high levels, many failed to detect it at lower, endogenous levels. By WB, non-selective binding to other proteins affected over half of the antibodies tested, with several cross-reacting with the related MAP2 protein, whereas the "oligomeric Tau" T22 antibody reacted with monomeric Tau by WB, thus calling into question its specificity to Tau oligomers. Despite the presumption that "total" Tau antibodies are agnostic to post-translational modifications, we found that phosphorylation partially inhibits binding for many such antibodies, including the popular Tau-5 clone. We further combine high-sensitivity reagents, mass-spectrometry proteomics and cDNA sequencing to demonstrate that presumptive Tau "knockout" human cells continue to express residual protein arising through exon skipping, providing evidence of previously unappreciated gene plasticity. Finally, probing of human brain samples with a large panel of antibodies revealed the presence of C-term-truncated versions of all main Tau brain isoforms in both control and tauopathy donors. Ultimately, we identify a validated panel of Tau antibodies that can be employed in Western blotting and/or immunohistochemistry to reliably detect even low levels of Tau expression with high selectivity. This work represents an extensive resource that will enable the re-interpretation of published data, improve reproducibility in Tau research, and overall accelerate scientific progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Ellis
- JDRF/Wellcome Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
| | - Christiana Lekka
- Islet Biology Group, Department of Clinical & Biomedical Sciences, Exeter Centre of Excellence in Diabetes (EXCEED), University of Exeter, RILD Building, Exeter, UK
| | - Katie L Holden
- JDRF/Wellcome Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
| | - Hanna Tulmin
- JDRF/Wellcome Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
| | - Faheem Seedat
- JDRF/Wellcome Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, Women's Centre, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Level 3, Oxford, UK
| | - Darragh P O'Brien
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
| | - Shalinee Dhayal
- Islet Biology Group, Department of Clinical & Biomedical Sciences, Exeter Centre of Excellence in Diabetes (EXCEED), University of Exeter, RILD Building, Exeter, UK
| | - Marie-Louise Zeissler
- Islet Biology Group, Department of Clinical & Biomedical Sciences, Exeter Centre of Excellence in Diabetes (EXCEED), University of Exeter, RILD Building, Exeter, UK
| | - Jakob G Knudsen
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Radcliffe, UK
- Section for Cell Biology and Physiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Benedikt M Kessler
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
| | - Noel G Morgan
- Islet Biology Group, Department of Clinical & Biomedical Sciences, Exeter Centre of Excellence in Diabetes (EXCEED), University of Exeter, RILD Building, Exeter, UK
| | - John A Todd
- JDRF/Wellcome Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
| | - Sarah J Richardson
- Islet Biology Group, Department of Clinical & Biomedical Sciences, Exeter Centre of Excellence in Diabetes (EXCEED), University of Exeter, RILD Building, Exeter, UK
| | - M Irina Stefana
- JDRF/Wellcome Diabetes and Inflammation Laboratory, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK.
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2
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Bertsch M, Franchi B, Tesi MC, Tora V. The role of A[Formula: see text] and Tau proteins in Alzheimer's disease: a mathematical model on graphs. J Math Biol 2023; 87:49. [PMID: 37646953 PMCID: PMC10468937 DOI: 10.1007/s00285-023-01985-7] [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: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
In this Note we study a mathematical model for the progression of Alzheimer's Disease in the human brain. The novelty of our approach consists in the representation of the brain as two superposed graphs where toxic proteins diffuse, the connectivity graph which represents the neural network, and the proximity graph which takes into account the extracellular space. Toxic proteins such as [Formula: see text] amyloid and Tau play in fact a crucial role in the development of Alzheimer's disease and, separately, have been targets of medical treatments. Recent biomedical literature stresses the potential impact of the synergetic action of these proteins. We numerically test various modelling hypotheses which confirm the relevance of this synergy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel Bertsch
- Department of Mathematics, University of Roma “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
- Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo “M. Picone”, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy
| | - Bruno Franchi
- Department of Mathematics, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Maria Carla Tesi
- Department of Mathematics, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Veronica Tora
- Department of Mathematics, University of Roma “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
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3
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Puzio M, Moreton N, Sullivan M, Scaife C, Glennon JC, O'Connor JJ. An Electrophysiological and Proteomic Analysis of the Effects of the Superoxide Dismutase Mimetic, MnTMPyP, on Synaptic Signalling Post-Ischemia in Isolated Rat Hippocampal Slices. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:antiox12040792. [PMID: 37107167 PMCID: PMC10135248 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12040792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic stress and the increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are two main contributors to neuronal damage and synaptic plasticity in acute ischemic stroke. The superoxide scavenger MnTMPyP has been previously reported to have a neuroprotective effect in organotypic hippocampal slices and to modulate synaptic transmission after in vitro hypoxia and oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). However, the mechanisms involved in the effect of this scavenger remain elusive. In this study, two concentrations of MnTMPyP were evaluated on synaptic transmission during ischemia and post-ischemic synaptic potentiation. The complex molecular changes supporting cellular adaptation to metabolic stress, and how these are modulated by MnTMPyP, were also investigated. Electrophysiological data showed that MnTMPyP causes a decrease in baseline synaptic transmission and impairment of synaptic potentiation. Proteomic analysis performed on MnTMPyP and hypoxia-treated tissue indicated an impairment in vesicular trafficking mechanisms, including reduced expression of Hsp90 and actin signalling. Alterations of vesicular trafficking may lead to reduced probability of neurotransmitter release and AMPA receptor activity, resulting in the observed modulatory effect of MnTMPyP. In OGD, protein enrichment analysis highlighted impairments in cell proliferation and differentiation, such as TGFβ1 and CDKN1B signalling, in addition to downregulation of mitochondrial dysfunction and an increased expression of CAMKII. Taken together, our results may indicate modulation of neuronal sensitivity to the ischemic insult, and a complex role for MnTMPyP in synaptic transmission and plasticity, potentially providing molecular insights into the mechanisms mediating the effects of MnTMPyP during ischemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Puzio
- UCD School of Biomolecular & Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
- Mass Spectrometry Core Facility, UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular & Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Niamh Moreton
- UCD School of Biomolecular & Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
- Mass Spectrometry Core Facility, UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular & Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Mairéad Sullivan
- Mass Spectrometry Core Facility, UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular & Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
- UCD School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Caitriona Scaife
- Mass Spectrometry Core Facility, UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular & Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Jeffrey C Glennon
- Mass Spectrometry Core Facility, UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular & Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
- UCD School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - John J O'Connor
- UCD School of Biomolecular & Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
- Mass Spectrometry Core Facility, UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular & Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
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4
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Shipton OA, Tang CS, Paulsen O, Vargas-Caballero M. Differential vulnerability of hippocampal CA3-CA1 synapses to Aβ. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022; 10:45. [PMID: 35379353 PMCID: PMC8981624 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01350-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-beta (Aβ) and tau protein are both involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Aβ produces synaptic deficits in wild-type mice that are not seen in Mapt−/− mice, suggesting that tau protein is required for these effects of Aβ. However, whether some synapses are more selectively affected and what factors may determine synaptic vulnerability to Aβ are poorly understood. Here we first observed that burst timing-dependent long-term potentiation (b-LTP) in hippocampal CA3-CA1 synapses, which requires GluN2B subunit-containing NMDA receptors (NMDARs), was inhibited by human Aβ1–42 (hAβ) in wild-type (WT) mice, but not in tau-knockout (Mapt−/−) mice. We then tested whether NMDAR currents were affected by hAβ; we found that hAβ reduced the postsynaptic NMDAR current in WT mice but not in Mapt−/− mice, while the NMDAR current was reduced to a similar extent by the GluN2B-selective NMDAR antagonist Ro 25–6981. To further investigate a possible difference in GluN2B-containing NMDARs in Mapt−/− mice, we used optogenetics to compare NMDAR/AMPAR ratio of EPSCs in CA1 synapses with input from left vs right CA3. It was previously reported in WT mice that hippocampal synapses in CA1 that receive input from the left CA3 display a higher NMDAR charge transfer and a higher Ro-sensitivity than synapses in CA1 that receive input from the right CA3. Here we observed the same pattern in Mapt−/− mice, thus differential NMDAR subunit expression does not explain the difference in hAβ effect on LTP. Finally, we asked whether synapses with left vs right CA3 input are differentially affected by hAβ in WT mice. We found that NMDAR current in synapses with input from the left CA3 were reduced while synapses with input from the right CA3 were unaffected by acute hAβ exposure. These results suggest that hippocampal CA3-CA1 synapses with presynaptic axon originating in the left CA3 are selectively vulnerable to Aβ and that a genetic knock out of tau protein protects them from Aβ synaptotoxicity.
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Robbins M, Clayton E, Kaminski Schierle GS. Synaptic tau: A pathological or physiological phenomenon? Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:149. [PMID: 34503576 PMCID: PMC8428049 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01246-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In this review, we discuss the synaptic aspects of Tau pathology occurring during Alzheimer's disease (AD) and how this may relate to memory impairment, a major hallmark of AD. Whilst the clinical diagnosis of AD patients is a loss of working memory and long-term declarative memory, the histological diagnosis is the presence of neurofibrillary tangles of hyperphosphorylated Tau and Amyloid-beta plaques. Tau pathology spreads through synaptically connected neurons to impair synaptic function preceding the formation of neurofibrillary tangles, synaptic loss, axonal retraction and cell death. Alongside synaptic pathology, recent data suggest that Tau has physiological roles in the pre- or post- synaptic compartments. Thus, we have seen a shift in the research focus from Tau as a microtubule-stabilising protein in axons, to Tau as a synaptic protein with roles in accelerating spine formation, dendritic elongation, and in synaptic plasticity coordinating memory pathways. We collate here the myriad of emerging interactions and physiological roles of synaptic Tau, and discuss the current evidence that synaptic Tau contributes to pathology in AD.
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6
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Raber J, Perez R, Torres ERS, Krenik D, Boutros S, Patel E, Chlebowski AC, Torres ER, Perveen Z, Penn A, Paulsen DB, Bartlett MG, Jia E, Holden S, Hall R, Morré J, Wong C, Ho E, Choi J, Stevens JF, Noël A, Bobe G, Kisby G. Effects of Chronic Secondhand Smoke (SHS) Exposure on Cognitive Performance and Metabolic Pathways in the Hippocampus of Wild-Type and Human Tau Mice. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2021; 129:57009. [PMID: 34009016 PMCID: PMC8132614 DOI: 10.1289/ehp8428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) is a risk factor for developing sporadic forms of sporadic dementia. A human tau (htau) mouse model is available that exhibits age-dependent tau dysregulation, neurofibrillary tangles, neuronal loss, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress starting at an early age (3-4 months) and in which tau dysregulation and neuronal loss correlate with synaptic dysfunction and cognitive decline. OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to assess the effects of chronic SHS exposure (10 months' exposure to ∼30 mg/m3) on behavioral and cognitive function, metabolism, and neuropathology in mice. METHODS Wild-type (WT) and htau female and male mice were exposed to SHS (90% side stream, 10% main stream) using the SCIREQ® inExpose™ system or air control for 168 min per day, for 312 d, 7 d per week. The exposures continued during the days of behavioral and cognitive testing. In addition to behavioral and cognitive performance and neuropathology, the lungs of mice were examined for pathology and alterations in gene expression. RESULTS Mice exposed to chronic SHS exposure showed the following genotype-dependent responses: a) lower body weights in WT, but not htau, mice; b) less spontaneous alternation in WT, but not htau, mice in the Y maze; c) faster swim speeds of WT, but not htau, mice in the water maze; d) lower activity levels of WT and htau mice in the open field; e) lower expression of brain PHF1, TTCM1, IGF1β, and HSP90 protein levels in WT male, but not female, mice; and f) more profound effects on hippocampal metabolic pathways in WT male than female mice and more profound effects in WT than htau mice. DISCUSSION The brain of WT mice, in particular WT male mice, might be especially susceptible to the effects of chronic SHS exposure. In WT males, independent pathways involving ascorbate, flavin adenine dinucleotide, or palmitoleic acid might contribute to the hippocampal injury following chronic SHS exposure. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP8428.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Raber
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
- Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Radiation Medicine, Division of Neuroscience ONPRC, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
- College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Ruby Perez
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Eileen Ruth S. Torres
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Destine Krenik
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Sydney Boutros
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Esha Patel
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Anna C. Chlebowski
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Northwest, Lebanon, Oregon, USA
| | - Estefania Ramos Torres
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Northwest, Lebanon, Oregon, USA
| | - Zakia Perveen
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Arthur Penn
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Daniel B. Paulsen
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | | | - Enze Jia
- University of Georgia, College of Pharmacy, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Sarah Holden
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Reed Hall
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Jeffrey Morré
- Mass Spectrometry Core, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Carmen Wong
- Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
- Department of Animal Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Emily Ho
- Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
- College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Jaewoo Choi
- Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Jan Frederik Stevens
- College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
- Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Alexandra Noël
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Gerd Bobe
- Mass Spectrometry Core, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
- Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Glen Kisby
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Northwest, Lebanon, Oregon, USA
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7
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Puzzo D, Argyrousi EK, Staniszewski A, Zhang H, Calcagno E, Zuccarello E, Acquarone E, Fa' M, Li Puma DD, Grassi C, D'Adamio L, Kanaan NM, Fraser PE, Arancio O. Tau is not necessary for amyloid-β-induced synaptic and memory impairments. J Clin Invest 2021; 130:4831-4844. [PMID: 32544084 DOI: 10.1172/jci137040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The amyloid hypothesis posits that the amyloid-beta (Aβ) protein precedes and requires microtubule-associated protein tau in a sort of trigger-bullet mechanism leading to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. This sequence of events has become dogmatic in the AD field and is used to explain clinical trial failures due to a late start of the intervention when Aβ already activated tau. Here, using a multidisciplinary approach combining molecular biological, biochemical, histopathological, electrophysiological, and behavioral methods, we demonstrated that tau suppression did not protect against Aβ-induced damage of long-term synaptic plasticity and memory, or from amyloid deposition. Tau suppression could even unravel a defect in basal synaptic transmission in a mouse model of amyloid deposition. Similarly, tau suppression did not protect against exogenous oligomeric tau-induced impairment of long-term synaptic plasticity and memory. The protective effect of tau suppression was, in turn, confined to short-term plasticity and memory. Taken together, our data suggest that therapies downstream of Aβ and tau together are more suitable to combat AD than therapies against one or the other alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Puzzo
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.,Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, Troina, Italy
| | - Elentina K Argyrousi
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, and.,Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Agnieszka Staniszewski
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, and.,Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Hong Zhang
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, and.,Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Elisa Calcagno
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, and.,Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Elisa Zuccarello
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, and.,Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Erica Acquarone
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, and.,Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Mauro Fa'
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, and.,Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Domenica D Li Puma
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.,Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli-IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Grassi
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.,Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli-IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Luciano D'Adamio
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Nicholas M Kanaan
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
| | - Paul E Fraser
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, and.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Ottavio Arancio
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, and.,Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
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8
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Bengoa-Vergniory N, Velentza-Almpani E, Silva AM, Scott C, Vargas-Caballero M, Sastre M, Wade-Martins R, Alegre-Abarrategui J. Tau-proximity ligation assay reveals extensive previously undetected pathology prior to neurofibrillary tangles in preclinical Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:18. [PMID: 33509301 PMCID: PMC7844979 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-020-01117-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multimerization is a key process in prion-like disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), since it is a requirement for self-templating tau and beta-amyloid amyloidogenesis. AT8-immunohistochemistry for hyperphosphorylated tau is currently used for the diagnosis and staging of tau pathology. Given that tau-tau interactions can occur in the absence of hyperphosphorylation or other post-translational modifications (PTMs), the direct visualization of tau multimerization could uncover early pathological tau multimers. METHODS Here, we used bimolecular fluorescent complementation, rapamycin-dependent FKBP/FRB-tau interaction and transmission electron microscopy to prove the in vitro specificity of tau-proximity ligation assay (tau-PLA). We then analyzed MAPT KO and P301S transgenic mice, and human hippocampus and temporal isocortex of all Braak stages with tau-PLA and compared it with immunohistochemistry for the diagnostic antibody AT8, the early phosphorylation-dependent AT180, and the conformational-dependent antibody MC1. Finally, we performed proteinase-K treatment to infer the content of amyloidogenic beta-sheet fold. RESULTS Our novel tau-proximity ligation assay (tau-PLA) directly visualized tau-tau interactions in situ, and exclusively recognized tau multimers but not monomers. It elicited no signal in MAPT KO mouse brains, but extensively labelled P301S transgenic mice and AD brain. Two groups of structures were detected, a previously unreported widespread small-sized diffuse pathology and large, neurofibrillary-like lesions. Tau-PLA-labelled diffuse pathology appeared from the earliest Braak stages, mostly unaccompanied by tangle-like tau-immunohistochemistry, being significantly more sensitive than any small-sized dot-/thread-like pathology labelled by AT180-, AT8- and MC1-immunohistochemistry in most regions quantified at stages 0-II. Tau-PLA-labelled diffuse pathology was extremely sensitive to Proteinase-K, in contrast to large lesions. CONCLUSIONS Tau-PLA is the first method to directly visualize tau multimers both in vitro and in situ with high specificity. We find that tau multimerization appears extensively from the earliest presymptomatic Braak stages as a previously unreported type of diffuse pathology. Importantly, in our study multimerization is the earliest detectable molecular event of AD tau pathology. Our findings open a new window to the study of early tau pathology, with potential implications in early diagnosis and the design of therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Bengoa-Vergniory
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QX UK
- Oxford Parkinson’s Disease Centre, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QX UK
| | | | - Ana Maria Silva
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QX UK
- Medical Research Council Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, Armstrong Road, London, SW7 2AZ UK
| | - Connor Scott
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Level 1, West Wing, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, OX3 9DU UK
| | | | - Magdalena Sastre
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, W12 0NN UK
| | - Richard Wade-Martins
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QX UK
- Oxford Parkinson’s Disease Centre, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QX UK
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9
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Pickett EK, Herrmann AG, McQueen J, Abt K, Dando O, Tulloch J, Jain P, Dunnett S, Sohrabi S, Fjeldstad MP, Calkin W, Murison L, Jackson RJ, Tzioras M, Stevenson A, d'Orange M, Hooley M, Davies C, Colom-Cadena M, Anton-Fernandez A, King D, Oren I, Rose J, McKenzie CA, Allison E, Smith C, Hardt O, Henstridge CM, Hardingham GE, Spires-Jones TL. Amyloid Beta and Tau Cooperate to Cause Reversible Behavioral and Transcriptional Deficits in a Model of Alzheimer's Disease. Cell Rep 2019; 29:3592-3604.e5. [PMID: 31825838 PMCID: PMC6915767 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.11.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A key knowledge gap blocking development of effective therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the lack of understanding of how amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide and pathological forms of the tau protein cooperate in causing disease phenotypes. Within a mouse tau-deficient background, we probed the molecular, cellular, and behavioral disruption triggered by the influence of wild-type human tau on human Aβ-induced pathology. We find that Aβ and tau work cooperatively to cause a hyperactivity behavioral phenotype and to cause downregulation of transcription of genes involved in synaptic function. In both our mouse model and human postmortem tissue, we observe accumulation of pathological tau in synapses, supporting the potential importance of synaptic tau. Importantly, tau reduction in the mice initiated after behavioral deficits emerge corrects behavioral deficits, reduces synaptic tau levels, and substantially reverses transcriptional perturbations, suggesting that lowering synaptic tau levels may be beneficial in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor K Pickett
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Abigail G Herrmann
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Jamie McQueen
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Kimberly Abt
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Owen Dando
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Jane Tulloch
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Pooja Jain
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Sophie Dunnett
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Sadaf Sohrabi
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Maria P Fjeldstad
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Will Calkin
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Leo Murison
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Rosemary J Jackson
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Makis Tzioras
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Anna Stevenson
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Marie d'Orange
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Monique Hooley
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Caitlin Davies
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Marti Colom-Cadena
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Alejandro Anton-Fernandez
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Declan King
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Iris Oren
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Jamie Rose
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Chris-Anne McKenzie
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences and Sudden Death Brain Bank, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Elizabeth Allison
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Colin Smith
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences and Sudden Death Brain Bank, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Oliver Hardt
- McGill University Department of Psychology, Montreal QC H3A 1B1, Canada; The University of Edinburgh Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Christopher M Henstridge
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Giles E Hardingham
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- The University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, 1 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK.
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10
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Guo L, Lv H, Huang F, Shi H. Research on Neural Information Coding of Spiking Neural Network Based on Synaptic Plasticity Under AC Electric Field Stimulation. INT J PATTERN RECOGN 2019. [DOI: 10.1142/s0218001419590213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Neural information coding is helpful in understanding the working mechanism of the nervous system. Currently, most of the studies are based on the neural network which is based on excitatory synaptic plasticity. However, the inhibitory synaptic plasticity also plays an important role in the regulation of neural network. For presenting better biological authenticity, a spiking neural network was constructed based on the synaptic plasticity regulation mechanism in this study. The synaptic plasticity regulation mechanism contains excitatory and inhibitory synapses. The characteristics of neural information coding under AC electric field stimulation were studied from the perspective of time coding (inter-spike interval coding) and rate coding (average rate coding). The experimental results indicate that inter-spike intervals decrease and the firing rate of neurons increases under AC electric field stimulation. With the increase of the stimulation intensity, inter-spike intervals are decreased and the firing rate of neurons is increased. The neurons whose average firing rate increases can be raised as a neuron cluster to express the information. The results of this paper help us to understand the mechanism of information processing of the brain, and bring new ideas to the engineering applications such as neural computation and artificial intelligence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Reliability and Intelligence of Electrical Equipment, School of Electrical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300130, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Electromagnetic Field and Electrical, Apparatus Reliability of Hebei Province, School of Electrical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300130, P. R. China
| | - Huan Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Reliability and Intelligence of Electrical Equipment, School of Electrical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300130, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Electromagnetic Field and Electrical, Apparatus Reliability of Hebei Province, School of Electrical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300130, P. R. China
| | - Fengrong Huang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300130, P. R. China
| | - Hongyi Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Reliability and Intelligence of Electrical Equipment, School of Electrical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300130, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Electromagnetic Field and Electrical, Apparatus Reliability of Hebei Province, School of Electrical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300130, P. R. China
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11
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Sri S, Pegasiou CM, Cave CA, Hough K, Wood N, Gomez-Nicola D, Deinhardt K, Bannerman D, Perry VH, Vargas-Caballero M. Emergence of synaptic and cognitive impairment in a mature-onset APP mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2019; 7:25. [PMID: 30795807 PMCID: PMC6387506 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-019-0670-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The synaptic changes underlying the onset of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are poorly understood. In contrast to the well documented inhibition of long-term potentiation (LTP) in CA3-CA1 synapses by acute Aβ application in adult neurons from rodents, young amyloid precursor protein (APP) transgenic mouse models often, surprisingly, show normal LTP. This suggests that there may be important differences between mature-onset and developmental-onset APP expression/ Aβ accumulation and the ensuing synaptic and behavioural phenotype. Here, in agreement with previous studies, we observed that developmental expression of APPSw,Ind (3–4 month old mice from line 102, PLoS Med 2:e355, 2005), resulted in reduced basal synaptic transmission in CA3-CA1 synapses, normal LTP, impaired spatial working memory, but normal spatial reference memory. To analyse early Aβ-mediated synaptic dysfunction and cognitive impairment in a more mature brain, we used controllable mature-onset APPSw,Ind expression in line 102 mice. Within 3 weeks of mature-onset APPSw,Ind expression and Aβ accumulation, we detected the first synaptic dysfunction: an impairment of LTP in hippocampal CA3-CA1 synapses. Cognitively, at this time point, we observed a deficit in short-term memory. A reduction in basal synaptic strength and deficit in long-term associative spatial memory were only evident following 12 weeks of APPSw,Ind expression. Importantly, the plasticity impairment observed after 3 weeks of mature-onset APP expression is reversible. Together, these findings demonstrate important differences between developmental and mature-onset APP expression. Further research targeted at this early stage of synaptic dysfunction could help identify mechanisms to treat cognitive impairment in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early AD.
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12
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Cellular Prion Protein Mediates the Disruption of Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity by Soluble Tau In Vivo. J Neurosci 2018; 38:10595-10606. [PMID: 30355631 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1700-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) composed of tau protein are a neuropathological hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases, the most common of which is Alzheimer's disease (AD). For some time NFTs were considered the primary cause of synaptic dysfunction and neuronal death, however, more recent evidence suggests that soluble aggregates of tau are key drivers of disease. Here we investigated the effect of different tau species on synaptic plasticity in the male rat hippocampus in vivo Intracerebroventricular injection of soluble aggregates formed from either wild-type or P301S human recombinant tau potently inhibited hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) at CA3-to-CA1 synapses. In contrast, tau monomers and fibrils appeared inactive. Neither baseline synaptic transmission, paired-pulse facilitation nor burst response during high-frequency conditioning stimulation was affected by the soluble tau aggregates. Similarly, certain AD brain soluble extracts inhibited LTP in a tau-dependent manner that was abrogated by either immunodepletion with, or coinjection of, a mid-region anti-tau monoclonal antibody (mAb), Tau5. Importantly, this tau-mediated block of LTP was prevented by administration of mAbs selective for the prion protein (PrP). Specifically, mAbs to both the mid-region (6D11) and N-terminus (MI-0131) of PrP prevented inhibition of LTP by both recombinant and brain-derived tau. These findings indicate that PrP is a mediator of tau-induced synaptic dysfunction.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Here we report that certain soluble forms of tau selectively disrupt synaptic plasticity in the live rat hippocampus. Further, we show that monoclonal antibodies to cellular prion protein abrogate the impairment of long-term potentiation caused both by recombinant and Alzheimer's disease brain-derived soluble tau. These findings support a critical role for cellular prion protein in the deleterious synaptic actions of extracellular soluble tau in tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease. Thus, approaches targeting cellular prion protein, or downstream pathways, might provide an effective strategy for developing therapeutics.
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