1
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Viola G, Trivellato D, Meulli L, Tira R, Lauriola A, Munari F, Montagnana M, Buffelli M, Assfalg M, D'Onofrio M. Stable ubiquitin conjugation for biological interrogation of ubiquitinated tau repeat domain. Bioorg Chem 2024; 150:107549. [PMID: 38896934 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107549] [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: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Protein semisynthesis approaches are key for gaining insights into the effects of post-translational modifications (PTMs) on the structure and function of modified proteins. Among PTMs, ubiquitination involves the conjugation of a small protein modifier to a substrate amino acid residue and is unique in controlling a variety of cellular processes. Interest has grown in understanding the role of ubiquitination in neurodegenerative conditions, including tauopathies. The latter are characterized by the accumulation of the intrinsically disordered protein tau in the form of neurofibrillary tangles in the brains of patients. The presence of ubiquitinated tau in the pathological aggregates suggests that ubiquitination might play a role in the formation of abnormal protein deposits. In this study, we developed a new strategy, based on dehydroalanine chemistry, to install wild type ubiquitin on a tau repeat domain construct with site-specificity. We optimized a three-step reaction which yielded a good amount of highly pure tau repeat domain ubiquitinated in position 353. The structural features of the conjugate were examined by circular dichroism and NMR spectroscopy. The ubiquitinated tau was challenged in a number of assays: fibrils formation under aggregating conditions in vitro, chemical stability upon exposure to a variety of biological media including cell extracts, and internalization into astrocytes. The results demonstrated the wide applicability of the new semisynthetic strategy for the investigation of ubiquitinated substrates in vitro or in cell, and in particular for studying if ubiquitination has a role in the molecular mechanisms that underlie the aberrant transition of tau into pathological aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Viola
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | | | - Lorenzo Meulli
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Roberto Tira
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Angela Lauriola
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Francesca Munari
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Martina Montagnana
- Department of Engineering for Innovation Medicine, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Mario Buffelli
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Michael Assfalg
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
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2
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Botella Lucena P, Heneka MT. Inflammatory aspects of Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 148:31. [PMID: 39196440 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02790-2] [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: 04/26/2024] [Revised: 08/14/2024] [Accepted: 08/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer´s disease (AD) stands out as the most common chronic neurodegenerative disorder. AD is characterized by progressive cognitive decline and memory loss, with neurodegeneration as its primary pathological feature. The role of neuroinflammation in the disease course has become a focus of intense research. While microglia, the brain's resident macrophages, have been pivotal to study central immune inflammation, recent evidence underscores the contributions of other cellular entities to the neuroinflammatory process. In this article, we review the inflammatory role of microglia and astrocytes, focusing on their interactions with AD's core pathologies, amyloid beta deposition, and tau tangle formation. Additionally, we also discuss how different modes of regulated cell death in AD may impact the chronic neuroinflammatory environment. This review aims to highlight the evolving landscape of neuroinflammatory research in AD and underscores the importance of considering multiple cellular contributors when developing new therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Botella Lucena
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, 6, Avenue du Swing, Belvaux, L-4367, Esch-Belval, Luxembourg
| | - Michael T Heneka
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, 6, Avenue du Swing, Belvaux, L-4367, Esch-Belval, Luxembourg.
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
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3
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Liu X, Li Y, Huang L, Kuang Y, Wu X, Ma X, Zhao B, Lan J. Unlocking the therapeutic potential of P2X7 receptor: a comprehensive review of its role in neurodegenerative disorders. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1450704. [PMID: 39139642 PMCID: PMC11319138 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1450704] [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: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
The P2X7 receptor (P2X7R), an ATP-gated ion channel, has emerged as a crucial player in neuroinflammation and a promising therapeutic target for neurodegenerative disorders. This review explores the current understanding of P2X7R's structure, activation, and physiological roles, focusing on its expression and function in microglial cells. The article examines the receptor's involvement in calcium signaling, microglial activation, and polarization, as well as its role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The review highlights the complex nature of P2X7R signaling, discussing its potential neuroprotective and neurotoxic effects depending on the disease stage and context. It also addresses the development of P2X7R antagonists and their progress in clinical trials, identifying key research gaps and future perspectives for P2X7R-targeted therapy development. By providing a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge and future directions, this review serves as a valuable resource for researchers and clinicians interested in exploring the therapeutic potential of targeting P2X7R for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Liu
- Shenzhen Baoan District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yiwen Li
- Shenzhen Baoan District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Liting Huang
- Shenzhen Baoan District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yingyan Kuang
- Shenzhen Baoan District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaoxiong Wu
- Shenzhen Baoan District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiangqiong Ma
- Henan Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Beibei Zhao
- Shenzhen Baoan District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jiao Lan
- Shenzhen Baoan District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
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4
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Parra Bravo C, Naguib SA, Gan L. Cellular and pathological functions of tau. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024:10.1038/s41580-024-00753-9. [PMID: 39014245 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-024-00753-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
Tau protein is involved in various cellular processes, including having a canonical role in binding and stabilization of microtubules in neurons. Tauopathies are neurodegenerative diseases marked by the abnormal accumulation of tau protein aggregates in neurons, as seen, for example, in conditions such as frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer disease. Mutations in tau coding regions or that disrupt tau mRNA splicing, tau post-translational modifications and cellular stress factors (such as oxidative stress and inflammation) increase the tendency of tau to aggregate and interfere with its clearance. Pathological tau is strongly implicated in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, and the propagation of tau aggregates is associated with disease severity. Recent technological advancements, including cryo-electron microscopy and disease models derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells, have increased our understanding of tau-related pathology in neurodegenerative conditions. Substantial progress has been made in deciphering tau aggregate structures and the molecular mechanisms that underlie protein aggregation and toxicity. In this Review, we discuss recent insights into the diverse cellular functions of tau and the pathology of tau inclusions and explore the potential for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celeste Parra Bravo
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sarah A Naguib
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Li Gan
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, USA.
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5
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Nguyen NL, Hoang TX, Kim JY. All-Trans Retinoic Acid-Induced Cell Surface Heat Shock Protein 90 Mediates Tau Protein Internalization and Degradation in Human Microglia. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04295-1. [PMID: 38900367 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04295-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
This study investigates the role of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) in modulating the expression of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) and its influence on the uptake and degradation of tau proteins in immortalized human microglia cells. We demonstrate that ATRA significantly upregulates Hsp90 expression in a concentration-dependent manner, enhancing both extracellular and intracellular Hsp90 levels. Our results show that ATRA-treated cells exhibit increased tau protein uptake via caveolae/raft-dependent endocytosis pathways. This uptake is mediated by surface Hsp90, as evidenced by the inhibition of tau internalization using an extracellular Hsp90-selective inhibitor. Further, we establish that the exogenously added full-sized monomeric tau proteins bind to Hsp90. The study also reveals that ATRA-enhanced tau uptake is followed by effective degradation through both lysosomal and proteasomal pathways. We observed a significant reduction in intracellular tau levels in ATRA-treated cells, which was reversed by lysosome or proteasome inhibitors, suggesting the involvement of both degradation pathways. Our findings highlight the potential therapeutic role of ATRA in Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies. By enhancing Hsp90 expression and facilitating tau degradation, ATRA could contribute to the clearance of pathological tau proteins, offering a promising strategy for mitigating neurodegeneration. This research underscores the need for further exploration into the molecular mechanisms of tau protein internalization and degradation, which could provide valuable insights into the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ngoc Lan Nguyen
- Department of Life Science, Gachon University, Kyeonggi-Do 13120, Seongnam, Korea
| | - Thi Xoan Hoang
- Department of Life Science, Gachon University, Kyeonggi-Do 13120, Seongnam, Korea
| | - Jae Young Kim
- Department of Life Science, Gachon University, Kyeonggi-Do 13120, Seongnam, Korea.
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6
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Rose K, Jepson T, Shukla S, Maya-Romero A, Kampmann M, Xu K, Hurley JH. Tau fibrils induce nanoscale membrane damage and nucleate cytosolic tau at lysosomes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2315690121. [PMID: 38781206 PMCID: PMC11145263 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2315690121] [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: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The prion-like spread of protein aggregates is a leading hypothesis for the propagation of neurofibrillary lesions in the brain, including the spread of tau inclusions associated with Alzheimer's disease. The mechanisms of cellular uptake of tau seeds and subsequent nucleated polymerization of cytosolic tau are major questions in the field, and the potential for coupling between the entry and nucleation mechanisms has been little explored. We found that in primary astrocytes and neurons, endocytosis of tau seeds leads to their accumulation in lysosomes. This in turn leads to lysosomal swelling, deacidification, and recruitment of ESCRT proteins, but not Galectin-3, to the lysosomal membrane. These observations are consistent with nanoscale damage of the lysosomal membrane. Live cell imaging and STORM superresolution microscopy further show that the nucleation of cytosolic tau occurs primarily at the lysosome membrane under these conditions. These data suggest that tau seeds escape from lysosomes via nanoscale damage rather than wholesale rupture and that nucleation of cytosolic tau commences as soon as tau fibril ends emerge from the lysosomal membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Rose
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
| | - Tyler Jepson
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
- Graduate Group in Biophysics, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
| | - Sankalp Shukla
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
| | - Alex Maya-Romero
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
| | - Martin Kampmann
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, CA94158
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA94158
| | - Ke Xu
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
- Graduate Group in Biophysics, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
| | - James H. Hurley
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
- Graduate Group in Biophysics, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
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7
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Giusti V, Kaur G, Giusto E, Civiero L. Brain clearance of protein aggregates: a close-up on astrocytes. Mol Neurodegener 2024; 19:5. [PMID: 38229094 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-024-00703-1] [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: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein misfolding and accumulation defines a prevailing feature of many neurodegenerative disorders, finally resulting in the formation of toxic intra- and extracellular aggregates. Intracellular aggregates can enter the extracellular space and be subsequently transferred among different cell types, thus spreading between connected brain districts.Although microglia perform a predominant role in the removal of extracellular aggregated proteins, mounting evidence suggests that astrocytes actively contribute to the clearing process. However, the molecular mechanisms used by astrocytes to remove misfolded proteins are still largely unknown.Here we first provide a brief overview of the progressive transition from soluble monomers to insoluble fibrils that characterizes amyloid proteins, referring to α-Synuclein and Tau as archetypical examples. We then highlight the mechanisms at the basis of astrocyte-mediated clearance with a focus on their potential ability to recognize, collect, internalize and digest extracellular protein aggregates. Finally, we explore the potential of targeting astrocyte-mediated clearance as a future therapeutic approach for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by protein misfolding and accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gurkirat Kaur
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Laura Civiero
- IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, Venice, Italy.
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy.
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8
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Chidambaram H, Desale SE, Qureshi T, Chinnathambi S. Microglial Uptake of Extracellular Tau by Actin-Mediated Phagocytosis. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2761:231-243. [PMID: 38427240 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3662-6_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Microglia are scavengers of the brain environment that clear dead cells, debris, and microbes. In Alzheimer's disease, microglia get activated to phagocytose damaged neurons, extracellular Amyoid-β, and Tau deposits. Several Tau internalization mechanisms of microglia have been studied which include phagocytosis, pinocytosis, and receptor-mediated endocytosis. In this chapter, we have visualized microglial phagocytic structures that are actin-rich cup-like extensions, which surrounds extracellular Tau species by wide-field fluorescence and confocal microscopy. We have shown the association of filamentous actin in Tau phagocytosis along the assembly of LC-3 molecules to phagosomes. The 3-dimensional, orthogonal and gallery wise representation of these phagocytic structures provides an overview of the phagocytic mechanism of extracellular Tau by microglia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hariharakrishnan Chidambaram
- Neurobiology Group, Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
- Department of Neurochemistry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Institute of National Importance, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Smita Eknath Desale
- Neurobiology Group, Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
- Department of Neurochemistry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Institute of National Importance, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Tazeen Qureshi
- Neurobiology Group, Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
- Department of Neurochemistry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Institute of National Importance, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Subashchandrabose Chinnathambi
- Neurobiology Group, Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India.
- Department of Neurochemistry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Institute of National Importance, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
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9
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Eisenbaum M, Pearson A, Ortiz C, Mullan M, Crawford F, Ojo J, Bachmeier C. ApoE4 expression disrupts tau uptake, trafficking, and clearance in astrocytes. Glia 2024; 72:184-205. [PMID: 37668005 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24469] [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: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Tauopathies are a collection of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the accumulation of pathogenic aggregates of the microtubule-associated protein tau. Despite the prevalence and diversity of tau astrogliopathy in tauopathies, the interactions between astrocytes and tau in the brain, and the influence of neurodegenerative genetic risk factors like the apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4) isoform, are largely unknown. Here, we leveraged primary and immortalized astrocytes expressing humanized apoE isoforms to characterize the mechanisms by which astrocytes interact with and eliminate extracellular tau, and the influence of apoE genotype on these processes. Our work indicates that astrocytes rapidly internalize, process, and release tau via an exosomal secretory mechanism under physiological conditions. However, we found that apoE4 disrupted these processes in comparison to apoE3, resulting in an astrocytic phenotype prone to intracellular tau accumulation. Furthermore, exposure to repetitive mild traumatic brain injuries exacerbated the apoE4-induced impairments in tau processing and elimination by astrocytes in apoE4 targeted-replacement mice. The diminished ability of apoE4 astrocytes to eliminate extracellular tau can lead to an accumulation of pathogenic tau, which induces mitochondrial dysfunction, as demonstrated by our studies. In total, our findings suggest that the apoE4 isoform lowers the threshold of astrocytic resilience to pathogenic tau, rendering them susceptible to bioenergetic deficits in the early stages of neurodegenerative diseases such as traumatic brain injury, potentially contributing to neurological decline.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Fiona Crawford
- The Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, Florida, USA
- James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Joseph Ojo
- The Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, Florida, USA
| | - Corbin Bachmeier
- The Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, Florida, USA
- Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, Bay Pines, Florida, USA
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10
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Fiock KL, Hook JN, Hefti MM. Determinants of astrocytic pathology in stem cell models of primary tauopathies. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:161. [PMID: 37803326 PMCID: PMC10557325 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01655-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Astrocytic tau aggregates are seen in several primary and secondary tauopathies, including progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD), and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). In all of these diseases, astrocytic tau consists mostly of the longer (4R) tau isoform, even when adjacent neuronal aggregates consist of a mixture of 3- and 4R tau, as in CTE. Even the rare astrocytic tau aggregates seen in Pick's disease appear to contain both 3R and 4R tau. The reasons for this, and the mechanisms by which astrocytic tau aggregates form, remain unclear. We used a combination of RNA in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence in post-mortem human brain tissue, as well as tau uptake studies in human stem cell-derived astrocytes, to determine the origins of astrocytic tau in 4R tauopathies. We found no differences in tau mRNA expression between diseases or between tau positive and negative astrocytes within PSP. We then found that stem cell-derived astrocytes preferentially take up long isoform (4R) recombinant tau and that this uptake is impaired by induction of reactivity with inflammatory stimuli or nutritional stress. Astrocytes exposed to either 3R or 4R tau also showed downregulation of genes related to astrocyte differentiation. Our findings suggest that astrocytes preferentially take up neuronal 4R tau from the extracellular space, potentially explaining why 4R tau is the predominant isoform in astrocytic tau aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly L Fiock
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa, 25 S Grand Ave MRC-108-A, Iowa City, IA, 52240, USA
- Experimental Pathology Graduate Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Jordan N Hook
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa, 25 S Grand Ave MRC-108-A, Iowa City, IA, 52240, USA
- Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Marco M Hefti
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa, 25 S Grand Ave MRC-108-A, Iowa City, IA, 52240, USA.
- Experimental Pathology Graduate Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
- Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
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11
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Rose K, Jepson T, Shukla S, Maya-Romero A, Kampmann M, Xu K, Hurley JH. Tau fibrils induce nanoscale membrane damage and nucleate cytosolic tau at lysosomes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.28.555157. [PMID: 37693477 PMCID: PMC10491128 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.28.555157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
The prion-like spread of protein aggregates is a leading hypothesis for the propagation of neurofibrillary lesions in the brain, including the spread of tau inclusions associated with Alzheimer's disease. The mechanisms of cellular uptake of tau seeds and subsequent nucleated polymerization of cytosolic tau are major questions in the field, and the potential for coupling between the entry and nucleation mechanisms has been little explored. We found that in primary astrocytes, endocytosis of tau seeds leads to their accumulation in lysosomes. This in turn leads to lysosomal swelling, deacidification and recruitment of ESCRT proteins, but not Galectin-3, to the lysosomal membrane. These observations are consistent with nanoscale damage of the lysosomal membrane. Using live cell and STORM, imaging, nucleation of cytosolic tau occurs primarily at the lysosome membrane under these conditions. These data suggest that tau seeds escape from lysosomes via nanoscale damage rather than wholesale rupture, and that nucleation of cytosolic tau commences as soon as tau fibril ends emerge from the lysosomal membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Rose
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Tyler Jepson
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Graduate Group in Biophysics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Sankalp Shukla
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Alex Maya-Romero
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Martin Kampmann
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Ke Xu
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Graduate Group in Biophysics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - James H. Hurley
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Graduate Group in Biophysics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
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12
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Fiock KL, Hook J, Hefti MM. Determinants of Astrocytic Pathology in Stem Cell Models of Primary Tauopathies. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.18.549558. [PMID: 37546981 PMCID: PMC10401936 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.18.549558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytic tau aggregates are seen in several primary and secondary tauopathies, including progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD), and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). In all cases, astrocytic tau consists exclusively of the longer (4R) tau isoform, even when adjacent neuronal aggregates consist of a mixture of 3- and 4R tau, as in CTE. The reasons for this and the mechanisms by which astrocytic tau aggregates form remain unclear. We used a combination of RNA in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence in post-mortem human brain tissue, as well as tau uptake studies in human stem cell-derived astrocytes, to determine the origins of astrocytic tau in 4R tauopathies. We found that astrocytes across tauopathies do not upregulate tau mRNA expression between diseases or between tau-positive and -negative astrocytes within PSP. We then found that stem cell-derived astrocytes preferentially take up long isoform (4R) labeled recombinant tau and that this uptake is impaired by induction of reactivity with inflammatory stimuli or nutritional stress. Astrocytes exposed to either 3R or 4R tau also showed downregulation of genes related to astrocyte differentiation. Our findings suggest that astrocytes preferentially take up neuronal 4R tau from the extracellular space, which potentially explains why astrocytic tau aggregates contain only 4R tau, and that tau uptake is impaired by decreased nutrient availability or neuroinflammation, both of which are common in the aging brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly L. Fiock
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
- Experimental Pathology Graduate Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
| | - Jordan Hook
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
- Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
| | - Marco M. Hefti
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
- Experimental Pathology Graduate Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
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13
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Chen Y, Yu Y. Tau and neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease: interplay mechanisms and clinical translation. J Neuroinflammation 2023; 20:165. [PMID: 37452321 PMCID: PMC10349496 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-023-02853-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) contributes to most cases of dementia. Its prominent neuropathological features are the extracellular neuritic plaques and intercellular neurofibrillary tangles composed of aggregated β-amyloid (Aβ) and hyperphosphorylated tau protein, respectively. In the past few decades, disease-modifying therapy targeting Aβ has been the focus of AD drug development. Even though it is encouraging that two of these drugs have recently received accelerated US Food and Drug Administration approval for AD treatment, their efficacy or long-term safety is controversial. Tau has received increasing attention as a potential therapeutic target, since evidence indicates that tau pathology is more associated with cognitive dysfunction. Moreover, inflammation, especially neuroinflammation, accompanies AD pathological processes and is also linked to cognitive deficits. Accumulating evidence indicates that inflammation has a complex and tight interplay with tau pathology. Here, we review recent evidence on the interaction between tau pathology, focusing on tau post-translational modification and dissemination, and neuroinflammatory responses, including glial cell activation and inflammatory signaling pathways. Then, we summarize the latest clinical trials targeting tau and neuroinflammation. Sustained and increased inflammatory responses in glial cells and neurons are pivotal cellular drivers and regulators of the exacerbation of tau pathology, which further contributes to its worsening by aggravating inflammatory responses. Unraveling the precise mechanisms underlying the relationship between tau pathology and neuroinflammation will provide new insights into the discovery and clinical translation of therapeutic targets for AD and other tau-related diseases (tauopathies). Targeting multiple pathologies and precision therapy strategies will be the crucial direction for developing drugs for AD and other tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijun Chen
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Drug Target Identification and Delivery, Engineering Research Center of Cell and Therapeutic Antibody, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Yang Yu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Drug Target Identification and Delivery, Engineering Research Center of Cell and Therapeutic Antibody, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
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14
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Arnold FJ, Nguyen AD, Bedlack RS, Bennett CL, La Spada AR. Intercellular transmission of pathogenic proteins in ALS: Exploring the pathogenic wave. Neurobiol Dis 2023:106218. [PMID: 37394036 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106218] [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: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), disease symptoms and pathology typically spread in a predictable spatiotemporal pattern beginning at a focal site of onset and progressing along defined neuroanatomical tracts. Like other neurodegenerative diseases, ALS is characterized by the presence of protein aggregates in postmortem patient tissue. Cytoplasmic, ubiquitin-positive aggregates of TDP-43 are observed in approximately 97% of sporadic and familial ALS patients, while SOD1 inclusions are likely specific to cases of SOD1-ALS. Additionally, the most common subtype of familial ALS, caused by a hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the first intron of the C9orf72 gene (C9-ALS), is further characterized by the presence of aggregated dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs). As we will describe, cell-to-cell propagation of these pathological proteins tightly correlates with the contiguous spread of disease. While TDP-43 and SOD1 are capable of seeding protein misfolding and aggregation in a prion-like manner, C9orf72 DPRs appear to induce (and transmit) a 'disease state' more generally. Multiple mechanisms of intercellular transport have been described for all of these proteins, including anterograde and retrograde axonal transport, extracellular vesicle secretion, and macropinocytosis. In addition to neuron-to-neuron transmission, transmission of pathological proteins occurs between neurons and glia. Given that the spread of ALS disease pathology corresponds with the spread of symptoms in patients, the various mechanisms by which ALS-associated protein aggregates propagate through the central nervous system should be closely examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- F J Arnold
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - A D Nguyen
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - R S Bedlack
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - C L Bennett
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
| | - A R La Spada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Departments of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; UCI Center for Neurotherapeutics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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15
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Mah D, Zhu Y, Su G, Zhao J, Canning A, Gibson J, Song X, Stancanelli E, Xu Y, Zhang F, Linhardt RJ, Liu J, Wang L, Wang C. Apolipoprotein E Recognizes Alzheimer's Disease Associated 3-O Sulfation of Heparan Sulfate. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202212636. [PMID: 37014788 PMCID: PMC10430763 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202212636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
Apolipoprotein E (ApoE)'s ϵ4 alle is the most important genetic risk factor for late onset Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Cell-surface heparan sulfate (HS) is a cofactor for ApoE/LRP1 interaction and the prion-like spread of tau pathology between cells. 3-O-sulfo (3-O-S) modification of HS has been linked to AD through its interaction with tau, and enhanced levels of 3-O-sulfated HS and 3-O-sulfotransferases in the AD brain. In this study, we characterized ApoE/HS interactions in wildtype ApoE3, AD-linked ApoE4, and AD-protective ApoE2 and ApoE3-Christchurch. Glycan microarray and SPR assays revealed that all ApoE isoforms recognized 3-O-S. NMR titration localized ApoE/3-O-S binding to the vicinity of the canonical HS binding motif. In cells, the knockout of HS3ST1-a major 3-O sulfotransferase-reduced cell surface binding and uptake of ApoE. 3-O-S is thus recognized by both tau and ApoE, suggesting that the interplay between 3-O-sulfated HS, tau and ApoE isoforms may modulate AD risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan Mah
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Yanan Zhu
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, University of South Florida, Morsani School of Medicine, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Guowei Su
- Glycan Therapeutics, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
| | - Jing Zhao
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
- China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Ashely Canning
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - James Gibson
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Xuehong Song
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, University of South Florida, Morsani School of Medicine, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Eduardo Stancanelli
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Yongmei Xu
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Fuming Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Robert J Linhardt
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Jian Liu
- Glycan Therapeutics, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Lianchun Wang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, University of South Florida, Morsani School of Medicine, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Chunyu Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
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16
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Abbate C. The Adult Neurogenesis Theory of Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2023:JAD221279. [PMID: 37182879 DOI: 10.3233/jad-221279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease starts in neural stem cells (NSCs) in the niches of adult neurogenesis. All primary factors responsible for pathological tau hyperphosphorylation are inherent to adult neurogenesis and migration. However, when amyloid pathology is present, it strongly amplifies tau pathogenesis. Indeed, the progressive accumulation of extracellular amyloid-β deposits in the brain triggers a state of chronic inflammation by microglia. Microglial activation has a significant pro-neurogenic effect that fosters the process of adult neurogenesis and supports neuronal migration. Unfortunately, this "reactive" pro-neurogenic activity ultimately perturbs homeostatic equilibrium in the niches of adult neurogenesis by amplifying tau pathogenesis in AD. This scenario involves NSCs in the subgranular zone of the hippocampal dentate gyrus in late-onset AD (LOAD) and NSCs in the ventricular-subventricular zone along the lateral ventricles in early-onset AD (EOAD), including familial AD (FAD). Neuroblasts carrying the initial seed of tau pathology travel throughout the brain via neuronal migration driven by complex signals and convey the disease from the niches of adult neurogenesis to near (LOAD) or distant (EOAD) brain regions. In these locations, or in close proximity, a focus of degeneration begins to develop. Then, tau pathology spreads from the initial foci to large neuronal networks along neural connections through neuron-to-neuron transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Abbate
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, Milan, Italy
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17
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Perbet R, Zufferey V, Leroux E, Parietti E, Espourteille J, Culebras L, Perriot S, Du Pasquier R, Bégard S, Deramecourt V, Déglon N, Toni N, Buée L, Colin M, Richetin K. Tau Transfer via Extracellular Vesicles Disturbs the Astrocytic Mitochondrial System. Cells 2023; 12:cells12070985. [PMID: 37048058 PMCID: PMC10093208 DOI: 10.3390/cells12070985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are neurodegenerative disorders involving the accumulation of tau isoforms in cell subpopulations such as astrocytes. The origins of the 3R and 4R isoforms of tau that accumulate in astrocytes remain unclear. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) were isolated from primary neurons overexpressing 1N3R or 1N4R tau or from human brain extracts (progressive supranuclear palsy or Pick disease patients or controls) and characterized (electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), proteomics). After the isolated EVs were added to primary astrocytes or human iPSC-derived astrocytes, tau transfer and mitochondrial system function were evaluated (ELISA, immunofluorescence, MitoTracker staining). We demonstrated that neurons in which 3R or 4R tau accumulated had the capacity to transfer tau to astrocytes and that EVs were essential for the propagation of both isoforms of tau. Treatment with tau-containing EVs disrupted the astrocytic mitochondrial system, altering mitochondrial morphology, dynamics, and redox state. Although similar levels of 3R and 4R tau were transferred, 3R tau-containing EVs were significantly more damaging to astrocytes than 4R tau-containing EVs. Moreover, EVs isolated from the brain fluid of patients with different tauopathies affected mitochondrial function in astrocytes derived from human iPSCs. Our data indicate that tau pathology spreads to surrounding astrocytes via EVs-mediated transfer and modifies their function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Perbet
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, LilNCog-Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, 59000 Lille, France
| | - Valentin Zufferey
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatric Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Elodie Leroux
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, LilNCog-Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, 59000 Lille, France
| | - Enea Parietti
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatric Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jeanne Espourteille
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatric Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lucas Culebras
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatric Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sylvain Perriot
- Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, Neuroscience Research Centre, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, CHUV, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Renaud Du Pasquier
- Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, Neuroscience Research Centre, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, CHUV, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Séverine Bégard
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, LilNCog-Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, 59000 Lille, France
| | - Vincent Deramecourt
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, LilNCog-Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, 59000 Lille, France
| | - Nicole Déglon
- Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Neuroscience Research Center (CRN), Laboratory of Neurotherapies and Neuromodulation, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Toni
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatric Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Luc Buée
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, LilNCog-Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, 59000 Lille, France
| | - Morvane Colin
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, LilNCog-Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, 59000 Lille, France
| | - Kevin Richetin
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatric Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
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18
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Beltran-Lobo P, Reid MJ, Jimenez-Sanchez M, Verkhratsky A, Perez-Nievas BG, Noble W. Astrocyte adaptation in Alzheimer's disease: a focus on astrocytic P2X7R. Essays Biochem 2023; 67:119-130. [PMID: 36449279 PMCID: PMC10011405 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes are key homeostatic and defensive cells of the central nervous system (CNS). They undertake numerous functions during development and in adulthood to support and protect the brain through finely regulated communication with other cellular elements of the nervous tissue. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), astrocytes undergo heterogeneous morphological, molecular and functional alterations represented by reactive remodelling, asthenia and loss of function. Reactive astrocytes closely associate with amyloid β (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in advanced AD. The specific contribution of astrocytes to AD could potentially evolve along the disease process and includes alterations in their signalling, interactions with pathological protein aggregates, metabolic and synaptic impairments. In this review, we focus on the purinergic receptor, P2X7R, and discuss the evidence that P2X7R activation contributes to altered astrocyte functions in AD. Expression of P2X7R is increased in AD brain relative to non-demented controls, and animal studies have shown that P2X7R antagonism improves cognitive and synaptic impairments in models of amyloidosis and tauopathy. While P2X7R activation can induce inflammatory signalling pathways, particularly in microglia, we focus here specifically on the contributions of astrocytic P2X7R to synaptic changes and protein aggregate clearance in AD, highlighting cell-specific roles of this purinoceptor activation that could be targeted to slow disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Beltran-Lobo
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX, U.K
| | - Matthew J Reid
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX, U.K
| | - Maria Jimenez-Sanchez
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX, U.K
| | - Alexei Verkhratsky
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, U.K
- Achucarro Center for Neuroscience, IKERBASQUE, 48011 Bilbao, Spain
- Department of Forensic Analytical Toxicology, School of Forensic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, LT-01102, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Beatriz G Perez-Nievas
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX, U.K
| | - Wendy Noble
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX, U.K
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19
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Fu MH, Huang CC, Wu KLH, Chen YF, Kung YC, Lee CC, Liu JS, Lan MY, Chang YY. Higher prevalence of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus-like MRI features in progressive supranuclear palsy: An imaging reminder of atypical parkinsonism. Brain Behav 2023; 13:e2884. [PMID: 36635882 PMCID: PMC9927835 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The classic triad of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) encompass gait disturbance, cognitive impairment, and urinary incontinence. These symptoms overlap with parkinsonism but with distinct treatment. Lacking applicable differentiation also hampers the prediction to therapeutic response. Here, we try to clarify this issue among different Parkinsonian syndromes and propose some innovative thinking while approaching a patient with parkinsonism and hydrocephalus concomitantly. METHODS Twenty-four patients with clinical probable multiple system atrophy (MSA), 34 with probable progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and 58 with sex- and age-matched Parkinson's disease (PD) were enrolled. Evans' index (EI), callosal angle (CA), antero-posterior (AP) diameter of the midbrain, length of the midbrain tegmentum diameter (MBTegm ), and disproportionately enlarged subarachnoid space hydrocephalus (DESH) were evaluated using the conventional MRI. Logistic regression was applied to identify the independent variables in hydrocephalus. RESULTS Patients with PSP had higher mean EI than those with MSA and PD. Around 38.2% of patients with PSP had accompanied hydrocephalus (EI > 0.3). Parkinsonism subtypes (PD, MSA, or PSP), AP diameter of the midbrain, and MBTegm were significantly different among patients with and without hydrocephalus. After regression analysis, parkinsonism subtype stood out to be the most key risk factor of hydrocephalus. The comparison between patients with PSP with and without hydrocephalus did not disclose specific clinical characteristics or risk factors. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that the presence of NPH-like MRI features is much higher in PSP patients, and this tendency is decided upon the determination of parkinsonism subtype. Sharing pathophysiological characteristics in these two diseases is implied. More diagnostic tools are needed to better differentiate the two diseases and decide the treatment. To closely observe hydrocephalic parkinsonism patients and well inform the possible limited shunting benefits if PSP core features appear, will be more pivotal and practical at present clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mu-Hui Fu
- Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Center for Parkinson's Disease, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,School of Medicine, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Cheng Huang
- Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Kay L H Wu
- Institute for Translational Research in Biomedicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Senior Citizen Services, National Tainan Institute of Nursing, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Fa Chen
- Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Center for Parkinson's Disease, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chih Kung
- Department of Nursing, Meiho University, Pingtung County, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Chang Lee
- Department of Radiology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Jia-Shou Liu
- Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Min-Yu Lan
- Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Center for Parkinson's Disease, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Yee Chang
- Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Center for Parkinson's Disease, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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20
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Kumar A, Fontana IC, Nordberg A. Reactive astrogliosis: A friend or foe in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. J Neurochem 2023; 164:309-324. [PMID: 34931315 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes are highly efficient homeostatic glial cells playing a crucial role in optimal brain functioning and homeostasis. Astrocytes respond to changes in brain homoeostasis following central nervous system (CNS) injury/diseased state by a specific defence mechanism called reactive astrogliosis. Recent studies have implicated and placed reactive astrogliosis in the centre of pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative disorders. The AD biomarker field is evolving rapidly with new findings providing strong evidence which supports the notion that a reactive astrogliosis is an early event in the time course of AD progression which may precede other pathological hallmarks of AD. Clinical/translational in vivo PET and in vitro postmortem brain imaging studies demonstrated 'a first and second wave' of reactive astrogliosis in AD with distinct close-loop relationships with other pathological biomarkers at different stages of the disease. At the end stages, reactive astrocytes are found to be associated, or in proximity, with amyloid plaque and tau pathological deposits in postmortem AD brains. Several new PET-tracers, which are being in pipeline and validated at a very fast pace for mapping and visualising reactive astrogliosis in the brain, will provide further invaluable mechanistic insights into AD and other non-AD dementia pathologies. The complementary roles of microglia and astrocyte activation in AD progression, along with the clinical value of new fluid astrocytes biomarkers in the context of existing biomarkers, are the latest avenue that needs further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Kumar
- Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Igor C Fontana
- Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Agneta Nordberg
- Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Theme Aging, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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21
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Brandebura AN, Paumier A, Onur TS, Allen NJ. Astrocyte contribution to dysfunction, risk and progression in neurodegenerative disorders. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:23-39. [PMID: 36316501 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-022-00641-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 105.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing appreciation that non-neuronal cells contribute to the initiation, progression and pathology of diverse neurodegenerative disorders. This Review focuses on the role of astrocytes in disorders including Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, Huntington disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The important roles astrocytes have in supporting neuronal function in the healthy brain are considered, along with studies that have demonstrated how the physiological properties of astrocytes are altered in neurodegenerative disorders and may explain their contribution to neurodegeneration. Further, the question of whether in neurodegenerative disorders with specific genetic mutations these mutations directly impact on astrocyte function, and may suggest a driving role for astrocytes in disease initiation, is discussed. A summary of how astrocyte transcriptomic and proteomic signatures are altered during the progression of neurodegenerative disorders and may relate to functional changes is provided. Given the central role of astrocytes in neurodegenerative disorders, potential strategies to target these cells for future therapeutic avenues are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N Brandebura
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Adrien Paumier
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Tarik S Onur
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Nicola J Allen
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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22
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Zhu Y, Gandy L, Zhang F, Liu J, Wang C, Blair LJ, Linhardt RJ, Wang L. Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans in Tauopathy. Biomolecules 2022; 12:1792. [PMID: 36551220 PMCID: PMC9776397 DOI: 10.3390/biom12121792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are a class of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, and are characterized by intraneuronal tau inclusion in the brain and the patient's cognitive decline with obscure pathogenesis. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans, a major type of extracellular matrix, have been believed to involve in tauopathies. The heparan sulfate proteoglycans co-deposit with tau in Alzheimer's patient brain, directly bind to tau and modulate tau secretion, internalization, and aggregation. This review summarizes the current understanding of the functions and the modulated molecular pathways of heparan sulfate proteoglycans in tauopathies, as well as the implication of dysregulated heparan sulfate proteoglycan expression in tau pathology and the potential of targeting heparan sulfate proteoglycan-tau interaction as a novel therapeutic option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Zhu
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology, Byrd Alzheimer’s Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Lauren Gandy
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Fuming Zhang
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Jian Liu
- Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Chunyu Wang
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Laura J. Blair
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Byrd Alzheimer’s Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33613, USA
| | - Robert J. Linhardt
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Lianchun Wang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology, Byrd Alzheimer’s Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
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23
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Lee D, Lee VMY, Hur SK. Manipulation of the diet-microbiota-brain axis in Alzheimer's disease. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1042865. [PMID: 36408394 PMCID: PMC9672822 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1042865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies investigating the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease have identified various interdependent constituents contributing to the exacerbation of the disease, including Aβ plaque formation, tau protein hyperphosphorylation, neurofibrillary tangle accumulation, glial inflammation, and the eventual loss of proper neural plasticity. Recently, using various models and human patients, another key factor has been established as an influential determinant in brain homeostasis: the gut-brain axis. The implications of a rapidly aging population and the absence of a definitive cure for Alzheimer's disease have prompted a search for non-pharmaceutical tools, of which gut-modulatory therapies targeting the gut-brain axis have shown promise. Yet multiple recent studies examining changes in human gut flora in response to various probiotics and environmental factors are limited and difficult to generalize; whether the state of the gut microbiota in Alzheimer's disease is a cause of the disease, a result of the disease, or both through numerous feedback loops in the gut-brain axis, remains unclear. However, preliminary findings of longitudinal studies conducted over the past decades have highlighted dietary interventions, especially Mediterranean diets, as preventative measures for Alzheimer's disease by reversing neuroinflammation, modifying the intestinal and blood-brain barrier (BBB), and addressing gut dysbiosis. Conversely, the consumption of Western diets intensifies the progression of Alzheimer's disease through genetic alterations, impaired barrier function, and chronic inflammation. This review aims to support the growing body of experimental and clinical data highlighting specific probiotic strains and particular dietary components in preventing Alzheimer's disease via the gut-brain axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Lee
- Middleton High School, Middleton, WI, United States
| | - Virginia M-Y. Lee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Seong Kwon Hur
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, United States
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24
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Seitkazina A, Kim KH, Fagan E, Sung Y, Kim YK, Lim S. The Fate of Tau Aggregates Between Clearance and Transmission. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:932541. [PMID: 35923541 PMCID: PMC9339952 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.932541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal accumulation of mis-folded tau is the pathological hallmark of multiple neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease. Distinct from amyloid plaques, which appear simultaneously throughout the brain, tau pathology develops first in a specific brain region and then propagates to neuroanatomically connected brain regions, exacerbating the disease. Due to the implication in disease progression, prevention of tau transmission is recognized as an important therapeutic strategy that can halt disease progression in the brain. Recently, accumulating studies have demonstrated diverse cellular mechanisms associated with cell-to-cell transmission of tau. Once transmitted, mis-folded tau species act as a prion-like seed for native tau aggregation in the recipient neuron. In this review, we summarize the diverse cellular mechanisms associated with the secretion and uptake of tau, and highlight tau-trafficking receptors, which mediate tau clearance or cell-to-cell tau transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assel Seitkazina
- Convergence Research Center for Brain Science, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, South Korea
- Division of Bio-Medical Science and Technology, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kyu Hyeon Kim
- Convergence Research Center for Brain Science, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, South Korea
- Division of Bio-Medical Science and Technology, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul, South Korea
| | - Erin Fagan
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Yoonsik Sung
- Convergence Research Center for Brain Science, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, South Korea
- Division of Bio-Medical Science and Technology, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yun Kyung Kim
- Convergence Research Center for Brain Science, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, South Korea
- Division of Bio-Medical Science and Technology, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Yun Kyung Kim,
| | - Sungsu Lim
- Convergence Research Center for Brain Science, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, South Korea
- Sungsu Lim,
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25
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Sanchez-Varo R, Mejias-Ortega M, Fernandez-Valenzuela JJ, Nuñez-Diaz C, Caceres-Palomo L, Vegas-Gomez L, Sanchez-Mejias E, Trujillo-Estrada L, Garcia-Leon JA, Moreno-Gonzalez I, Vizuete M, Vitorica J, Baglietto-Vargas D, Gutierrez A. Transgenic Mouse Models of Alzheimer's Disease: An Integrative Analysis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:5404. [PMID: 35628216 PMCID: PMC9142061 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) constitutes the most prominent form of dementia among elderly individuals worldwide. Disease modeling using murine transgenic mice was first initiated thanks to the discovery of heritable mutations in amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilins (PS) genes. However, due to the repeated failure of translational applications from animal models to human patients, along with the recent advances in genetic susceptibility and our current understanding on disease biology, these models have evolved over time in an attempt to better reproduce the complexity of this devastating disease and improve their applicability. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview about the major pathological elements of human AD (plaques, tauopathy, synaptic damage, neuronal death, neuroinflammation and glial dysfunction), discussing the knowledge that available mouse models have provided about the mechanisms underlying human disease. Moreover, we highlight the pros and cons of current models, and the revolution offered by the concomitant use of transgenic mice and omics technologies that may lead to a more rapid improvement of the present modeling battery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Sanchez-Varo
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
- Departamento Fisiologia Humana, Histologia Humana, Anatomia Patologica y Educacion Fisica y Deportiva, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain
| | - Marina Mejias-Ortega
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
| | - Juan Jose Fernandez-Valenzuela
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
| | - Cristina Nuñez-Diaz
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
| | - Laura Caceres-Palomo
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
| | - Laura Vegas-Gomez
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
| | - Elisabeth Sanchez-Mejias
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
| | - Laura Trujillo-Estrada
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
| | - Juan Antonio Garcia-Leon
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
| | - Ines Moreno-Gonzalez
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Marisa Vizuete
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
- Departamento Bioquimica y Biologia Molecular, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBIS)-Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - Javier Vitorica
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
- Departamento Bioquimica y Biologia Molecular, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBIS)-Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio/CSIC, 41012 Seville, Spain
| | - David Baglietto-Vargas
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
| | - Antonia Gutierrez
- Departamento Biologia Celular, Genetica y Fisiologia, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Malaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain; (R.S.-V.); (M.M.-O.); (J.J.F.-V.); (C.N.-D.); (L.C.-P.); (L.V.-G.); (E.S.-M.); (L.T.-E.); (J.A.G.-L.); (I.M.-G.)
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain; (M.V.); (J.V.)
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26
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Song L, Oseid DE, Wells EA, Coaston T, Robinson AS. Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans (HSPGs) Serve as the Mediator Between Monomeric Tau and Its Subsequent Intracellular ERK1/2 Pathway Activation. J Mol Neurosci 2022; 72:772-791. [PMID: 35040015 PMCID: PMC8763444 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-021-01943-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The conversion of soluble tau protein to insoluble, hyperphosphorylated neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) is a major hallmark leading to neuronal death observed in neurodegenerative tauopathies. Unlike NFTs, the involvement of monomeric tau in the progression of tau pathology has been less investigated. Using live-cell confocal microscopy and flow cytometry, we demonstrate that soluble 0N4R monomers were rapidly endocytosed by SH-SY5Y and C6 glioma cells via actin-dependent macropinocytosis. Further, cellular endocytosis of monomeric tau has been demonstrated to be HSPG-dependent, as shown in C6 glial cells with genetic knockouts of xylosyltransferase-1-a key enzyme in HSPG synthesis-with a reduced level of tau uptake. Tau internalization subsequently triggers ERK1/2 activation and therefore, the upregulation of IL-6 and IL-1β. The role of ERK1/2 in regulating the levels of pro-inflammatory gene transcripts was confirmed by inhibiting the MEK-ERK1/2 signaling pathway, which led to the attenuated IL-6 and IL-1β expressions but not that of TNF-α. Moreover, as a key regulator of tau internalization, LRP1 (low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1) levels were downregulated in response to monomeric tau added to C6 cells, while it was upregulated in HSPG-deficient cells, suggesting that the involvement of LRP1 in tau uptake depends on the presence of HSPGs on the cell surface. The subsequent LRP1 knockdown experiment we performed shows that LRP1 deficiency leads to an attenuated propensity for tau uptake and further elevated IL-6 gene expression. Collectively, our data suggest that tau has multiple extracellular binding partners that mediate its internalization through distinct mechanisms. Additionally, this study demonstrates the important role of both HSPGs and LRP1 in regulating cellular immune responses to tau protein monomers, providing a novel target for alleviating the neuroinflammatory environment before the formation of neurofibrillary tangles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqing Song
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Daniel E Oseid
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA
| | - Evan A Wells
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Troy Coaston
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA
| | - Anne S Robinson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA.
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27
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Perea JR, García E, Vallés-Saiz L, Cuadros R, Hernández F, Bolós M, Avila J. p38 activation occurs mainly in microglia in the P301S Tauopathy mouse model. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2130. [PMID: 35136118 PMCID: PMC8826411 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05980-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are a group of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau protein in the brain. Many of these pathologies also present an inflammatory component determined by the activation of microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain. p38 MAPK is one of the molecular pathways involved in neuroinflammation. Although this kinase is expressed mainly in glia, its activation in certain neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease has been associated with its ability to phosphorylate tau in neurons. Using the P301S Tauopathy mouse model, here we show that p38 activation increases during aging and that this occurs mainly in microglia of the hippocampus rather than in neurons. Furthermore, we have observed that these mice present an activated microglial variant called rod microglia. Interestingly, p38 activation in this subpopulation of microglia is decreased. On the basis of our findings, we propose that rod microglia might have a neuroprotective phenotype in the context of tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan R Perea
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM-CSIC) (Campus de Cantoblanco), 1 Nicolás Cabrera st, 28049, Madrid, Spain.,Center for Networked Biomedical Research On Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), 28031, Madrid, Spain
| | - Esther García
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM-CSIC) (Campus de Cantoblanco), 1 Nicolás Cabrera st, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Vallés-Saiz
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM-CSIC) (Campus de Cantoblanco), 1 Nicolás Cabrera st, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raquel Cuadros
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM-CSIC) (Campus de Cantoblanco), 1 Nicolás Cabrera st, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Félix Hernández
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM-CSIC) (Campus de Cantoblanco), 1 Nicolás Cabrera st, 28049, Madrid, Spain.,Center for Networked Biomedical Research On Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), 28031, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Bolós
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM-CSIC) (Campus de Cantoblanco), 1 Nicolás Cabrera st, 28049, Madrid, Spain.,Center for Networked Biomedical Research On Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), 28031, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Avila
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM-CSIC) (Campus de Cantoblanco), 1 Nicolás Cabrera st, 28049, Madrid, Spain. .,Center for Networked Biomedical Research On Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), 28031, Madrid, Spain.
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28
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Ezerskiy LA, Schoch KM, Sato C, Beltcheva M, Horie K, Rigo F, Martynowicz R, Karch CM, Bateman RJ, Miller TM. Astrocytic 4R tau expression drives astrocyte reactivity and dysfunction. JCI Insight 2022; 7:152012. [PMID: 34874917 PMCID: PMC8765054 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.152012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The protein tau and its isoforms are associated with several neurodegenerative diseases, many of which are characterized by greater deposition of the 4-repeat (4R) tau isoform; however, the role of 4R tau in disease pathogenesis remains unclear. We created antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) that alter the ratio of 3R to 4R tau to investigate the role of specific tau isoforms in disease. Preferential expression of 4R tau in human tau-expressing (hTau-expressing) mice was previously shown to increase seizure severity and phosphorylated tau deposition without neuronal or synaptic loss. In this study, we observed strong colocalization of 4R tau within reactive astrocytes and increased expression of pan-reactive and neurotoxic genes following 3R to 4R tau splicing ASO treatment in hTau mice. Increasing 4R tau levels in primary astrocytes provoked a similar response, including a neurotoxic genetic profile and diminished homeostatic function, which was replicated in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived (iPSC-derived) astrocytes harboring a mutation that exhibits greater 4R tau. Healthy neurons cultured with 4R tau-expressing human iPSC-derived astrocytes exhibited a higher firing frequency and hypersynchrony, which could be prevented by lowering tau expression. These findings support a potentially novel pathway by which astrocytic 4R tau mediates reactivity and dysfunction and suggest that astrocyte-targeted therapeutics against 4R tau may mitigate neurodegenerative disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Mariana Beltcheva
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | | | - Frank Rigo
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, California, USA
| | | | - Celeste M. Karch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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29
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p38 Inhibition Decreases Tau Toxicity in Microglia and Improves Their Phagocytic Function. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:1632-1648. [PMID: 35006531 PMCID: PMC8882095 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-021-02715-0] [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: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other tauopathies are histopathologically characterized by tau aggregation, along with a chronic inflammatory response driven by microglia. Over the past few years, the role of microglia in AD has been studied mainly in relation to amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology. Consequently, there is a substantial knowledge gap concerning the molecular mechanisms involved in tau-mediated toxicity and neuroinflammation, thus hindering the development of therapeutic strategies. We previously demonstrated that extracellular soluble tau triggers p38 MAPK activation in microglia. Given the activation of this signaling pathway in AD and its involvement in neuroinflammation processes, here we evaluated the effect of p38 inhibition on primary microglia cultures subjected to tau treatment. Our data showed that the toxic effect driven by tau in microglia was diminished through p38 inhibition. Furthermore, p38 blockade enhanced microglia-mediated tau phagocytosis, as reflected by an increase in the number of lysosomes. In conclusion, these results contribute to our understanding of the functions of p38 in the central nervous system (CNS) beyond tau phosphorylation in neurons and provide further insights into the potential of p38 inhibition as a therapeutic strategy to halt neuroinflammation in tauopathies.
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30
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Estes RE, Lin B, Khera A, Davis MY. Lipid Metabolism Influence on Neurodegenerative Disease Progression: Is the Vehicle as Important as the Cargo? Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 14:788695. [PMID: 34987360 PMCID: PMC8721228 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.788695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by abnormal protein aggregates, including the two most common neurodegenerative diseases Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). In the global search to prevent and treat diseases, most research has been focused on the early stages of the diseases, including how these pathogenic protein aggregates are initially formed. We argue, however, that an equally important aspect of disease etiology is the characteristic spread of protein aggregates throughout the nervous system, a key process in disease progression. Growing evidence suggests that both alterations in lipid metabolism and dysregulation of extracellular vesicles (EVs) accelerate the spread of protein aggregation and progression of neurodegeneration, both in neurons and potentially in surrounding glia. We will review how these two pathways are intertwined and accelerate the progression of AD and PD. Understanding how lipid metabolism, EV biogenesis, and EV uptake regulate the spread of pathogenic protein aggregation could reveal novel therapeutic targets to slow or halt neurodegenerative disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bernice Lin
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, United States.,Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States
| | - Arnav Khera
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Marie Ynez Davis
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, United States.,Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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31
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Chidambaram H, Das R, Chinnathambi S. G-Protein coupled Purinergic P2Y12 receptor interacts and internalizes TauRD-mediated by membrane-associated actin cytoskeleton remodelling in microglia. Eur J Cell Biol 2022; 101:151201. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2022.151201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
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32
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Gonzalez-Rodriguez M, Villar-Conde S, Astillero-Lopez V, Villanueva-Anguita P, Ubeda-Banon I, Flores-Cuadrado A, Martinez-Marcos A, Saiz-Sanchez D. Neurodegeneration and Astrogliosis in the Human CA1 Hippocampal Subfield Are Related to hsp90ab1 and bag3 in Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 23:165. [PMID: 35008592 PMCID: PMC8745315 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23010165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [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: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, is characterized by executive dysfunction and memory impairment mediated by the accumulation of extracellular amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) and intracellular hyperphosphorylated tau protein. The hippocampus (HIPP) is essential for memory formation and is involved in early stages of disease. In fact, hippocampal atrophy is used as an early biomarker of neuronal injury and to evaluate disease progression. It is not yet well-understood whether changes in hippocampal volume are due to neuronal or glial loss. The aim of the study was to assess hippocampal atrophy and/or gliosis using unbiased stereological quantification and to obtain hippocampal proteomic profiles related to neurodegeneration and gliosis. Hippocampal volume measurement, stereological quantification of NeuN-, Iba-1- and GFAP-positive cells, and sequential window acquisition of all theoretical mass spectrometry (SWATH-MS) analysis were performed in AD and non-AD cases. Reduced hippocampal volume was identified using the Cavalieri probe, particularly in the CA1 region, where it correlated with neuronal loss and astrogliosis. A total of 102 downregulated and 47 upregulated proteins were identified in the SWATH-MS analysis after restrictive filtering based on an FC > 1.5 and p value < 0.01. The Hsp90 family of chaperones, particularly BAG3 and HSP90AB1, are closely related to astrocytes, indicating a possible role in degrading Aβ and tau through chaperone-mediated autophagy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Alino Martinez-Marcos
- CRIB, Neuroplasticity and Neurodegeneration Laboratory, Ciudad Real Medical School, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain; (M.G.-R.); (S.V.-C.); (V.A.-L.); (P.V.-A.); (I.U.-B.); (A.F.-C.)
| | - Daniel Saiz-Sanchez
- CRIB, Neuroplasticity and Neurodegeneration Laboratory, Ciudad Real Medical School, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain; (M.G.-R.); (S.V.-C.); (V.A.-L.); (P.V.-A.); (I.U.-B.); (A.F.-C.)
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33
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Amro Z, Yool AJ, Collins-Praino LE. The potential role of glial cells in driving the prion-like transcellular propagation of tau in tauopathies. Brain Behav Immun Health 2021; 14:100242. [PMID: 34589757 PMCID: PMC8474563 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Dementia is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with tauopathies, a class of diseases defined by pathology associated with the microtubule-enriched protein, tau, as the major contributor. Although tauopathies, such as Alzheimer's disease and Frontotemporal dementia, are common amongst the ageing population, current effective treatment options are scarce, primarily due to the incomplete understanding of disease pathogenesis. The mechanisms via which aggregated forms of tau are able to propagate from one anatomical area to another to cause disease spread and progression is yet unknown. The prion-like hypothesis of tau propagation proposes that tau can propagate along neighbouring anatomical areas in a similar manner to prion proteins in prion diseases, such as Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease. This hypothesis has been supported by a plethora of studies that note the ability of tau to be actively secreted by neurons, propagated and internalised by neighbouring neuronal cells, causing disease spread. Surfacing research suggests a role of reactive astrocytes and microglia in early pre-clinical stages of tauopathy through their inflammatory actions. Furthermore, both glial types are able to internalise and secrete tau from the extracellular space, suggesting a potential role in tau propagation; although understanding the physiological mechanisms by which this can occur remains poorly understood. This review will discuss the current literature around the prion-like propagation of tau, with particular emphasis on glial-mediated neuroinflammation and the contribution it may play in this propagation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zein Amro
- Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - Andrea J Yool
- Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
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34
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Wang P, Ye Y. Astrocytes in Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Perspective from Tauopathy and α-Synucleinopathy. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11090938. [PMID: 34575087 PMCID: PMC8471224 DOI: 10.3390/life11090938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are aging-associated chronic pathological conditions affecting primarily neurons in humans. Inclusion bodies containing misfolded proteins have emerged as a common pathologic feature for these diseases. In many cases, misfolded proteins produced by a neuron can be transmitted to another neuron or a non-neuronal cell, leading to the propagation of disease-associated pathology. While undergoing intercellular transmission, misfolded proteins released from donor cells can often change the physiological state of recipient cells. Accumulating evidence suggests that astrocytes are highly sensitive to neuron-originated proteotoxic insults, which convert them into an active inflammatory state. Conversely, activated astrocytes can release a plethora of factors to impact neuronal functions. This review summarizes our current understanding of the complex molecular interplays between astrocyte and neuron, emphasizing on Tau and α-synuclein (α-syn), the disease-driving proteins for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yihong Ye
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-301-594-0845; Fax: +1-301-496-0201
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35
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Sinsky J, Pichlerova K, Hanes J. Tau Protein Interaction Partners and Their Roles in Alzheimer's Disease and Other Tauopathies. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:9207. [PMID: 34502116 PMCID: PMC8431036 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau protein plays a critical role in the assembly, stabilization, and modulation of microtubules, which are important for the normal function of neurons and the brain. In diseased conditions, several pathological modifications of tau protein manifest. These changes lead to tau protein aggregation and the formation of paired helical filaments (PHF) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), which are common hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. The accumulation of PHFs and NFTs results in impairment of physiological functions, apoptosis, and neuronal loss, which is reflected as cognitive impairment, and in the late stages of the disease, leads to death. The causes of this pathological transformation of tau protein haven't been fully understood yet. In both physiological and pathological conditions, tau interacts with several proteins which maintain their proper function or can participate in their pathological modifications. Interaction partners of tau protein and associated molecular pathways can either initiate and drive the tau pathology or can act neuroprotective, by reducing pathological tau proteins or inflammation. In this review, we focus on the tau as a multifunctional protein and its known interacting partners active in regulations of different processes and the roles of these proteins in Alzheimer's disease and tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jozef Hanes
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 10 Bratislava, Slovakia; (J.S.); (K.P.)
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36
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Chung DEC, Roemer S, Petrucelli L, Dickson DW. Cellular and pathological heterogeneity of primary tauopathies. Mol Neurodegener 2021; 16:57. [PMID: 34425874 PMCID: PMC8381569 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-021-00476-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubule-associated protein tau is abnormally aggregated in neuronal and glial cells in a range of neurodegenerative diseases that are collectively referred to as tauopathies. Multiple studies have suggested that pathological tau species may act as a seed that promotes aggregation of endogenous tau in naïve cells and contributes to propagation of tau pathology. While they share pathological tau aggregation as a common feature, tauopathies are distinct from one another with respect to predominant tau isoforms that accumulate and the selective vulnerability of brain regions and cell types that have tau inclusions. For instance, primary tauopathies present with glial tau pathology, while it is mostly neuronal in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Also, morphologies of tau inclusions can greatly vary even within the same cell type, suggesting distinct mechanisms or distinct tau conformers in each tauopathy. Neuropathological heterogeneity across tauopathies challenges our understanding of pathophysiology behind tau seeding and aggregation, as well as our efforts to develop effective therapeutic strategies for AD and other tauopathies. In this review, we describe diverse neuropathological features of tau inclusions in neurodegenerative tauopathies and discuss what has been learned from experimental studies with mouse models, advanced transcriptomics, and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) on the biology underlying cell type-specific tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dah-eun Chloe Chung
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 32224 Jacksonville, FL USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, 77030 Houston, TX USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, 77030 Houston, TX USA
| | - Shanu Roemer
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 32224 Jacksonville, FL USA
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37
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Hartnell IJ, Blum D, Nicoll JAR, Dorothee G, Boche D. Glial cells and adaptive immunity in frontotemporal dementia with tau pathology. Brain 2021; 144:724-745. [PMID: 33527991 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awaa457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation is involved in the aetiology of many neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and motor neuron disease. Whether neuroinflammation also plays an important role in the pathophysiology of frontotemporal dementia is less well known. Frontotemporal dementia is a heterogeneous classification that covers many subtypes, with the main pathology known as frontotemporal lobar degeneration. The disease can be categorized with respect to the identity of the protein that causes the frontotemporal lobar degeneration in the brain. The most common subgroup describes diseases caused by frontotemporal lobar degeneration associated with tau aggregation, also known as primary tauopathies. Evidence suggests that neuroinflammation may play a role in primary tauopathies with genome-wide association studies finding enrichment of genetic variants associated with specific inflammation-related gene loci. These loci are related to both the innate immune system, including brain resident microglia, and the adaptive immune system through possible peripheral T-cell involvement. This review discusses the genetic evidence and relates it to findings in animal models expressing pathogenic tau as well as to post-mortem and PET studies in human disease. Across experimental paradigms, there seems to be a consensus regarding the involvement of innate immunity in primary tauopathies, with increased microglia and astrocyte density and/or activation, as well as increases in pro-inflammatory markers. Whilst it is less clear as to whether inflammation precedes tau aggregation or vice versa; there is strong evidence to support a microglial contribution to the propagation of hyperphosphorylated in tau frontotemporal lobar degeneration associated with tau aggregation. Experimental evidence-albeit limited-also corroborates genetic data pointing to the involvement of cellular adaptive immunity in primary tauopathies. However, it is still unclear whether brain recruitment of peripheral immune cells is an aberrant result of pathological changes or a physiological aspect of the neuroinflammatory response to the tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain J Hartnell
- Clinical Neurosciences, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - David Blum
- University of Lille, Inserm, CHU-Lille, UMR-S 1172-Lille Neuroscience and Cognition, Lille, France.,Alzheimer & Tauopathies, LabEx DISTALZ, France
| | - James A R Nicoll
- Clinical Neurosciences, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.,Department of Cellular Pathology, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Guillaume Dorothee
- Inserm, Sorbonne University, UMRS 938 Saint-Antoine Research Center, Immune System and Neuroinflammation Laboratory, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France
| | - Delphine Boche
- Clinical Neurosciences, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
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38
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Sidoryk-Węgrzynowicz M, Strużyńska L. Astroglial and Microglial Purinergic P2X7 Receptor as a Major Contributor to Neuroinflammation during the Course of Multiple Sclerosis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:8404. [PMID: 34445109 PMCID: PMC8395107 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease of the central nervous system that leads to the progressive disability of patients. A characteristic feature of the disease is the presence of focal demyelinating lesions accompanied by an inflammatory reaction. Interactions between autoreactive immune cells and glia cells are considered as a central mechanism underlying the pathology of MS. A glia-mediated inflammatory reaction followed by overproduction of free radicals and generation of glutamate-induced excitotoxicity promotes oligodendrocyte injury, contributing to demyelination and subsequent neurodegeneration. Activation of purinergic signaling, in particular P2X7 receptor-mediated signaling, in astrocytes and microglia is an important causative factor in these pathological processes. This review discusses the role of astroglial and microglial cells, and in particular glial P2X7 receptors, in inducing MS-related neuroinflammatory events, highlighting the importance of P2X7R-mediated molecular pathways in MS pathology and identifying these receptors as a potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Sidoryk-Węgrzynowicz
- Laboratory of Pathoneurochemistry, Department of Neurochemistry, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Lidia Strużyńska
- Laboratory of Pathoneurochemistry, Department of Neurochemistry, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
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39
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Zhang H, Cao Y, Ma L, Wei Y, Li H. Possible Mechanisms of Tau Spread and Toxicity in Alzheimer's Disease. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:707268. [PMID: 34395435 PMCID: PMC8355602 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.707268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau is a protein that associates with microtubules (MTs) and promotes their assembly and stability. The protein loses its ability to bind MTs in tauopathies, and detached tau can misfold and induce the pathological changes that characterize Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A growing body of evidence indicates that tauopathies can spread between cells or connected regions. Pathological tau transmission in the brain of patients with AD and other tauopathies is due to the spread of various tau species along neuroanatomically connected regions in a “prion-like” manner. This complex process involves multiple steps of secretion, cellular uptake, transcellular transfer, and/or seeding, but the precise mechanisms of tau pathology propagation remain unclear. This review summarizes the current evidence on the nature of propagative tau species and the possible steps involved in the process of tau pathology spread, including detachment from MTs, degradations, and secretion, and discusses the different mechanisms underlying the spread of tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiqin Zhang
- Institute of Geriatrics, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Cao
- Institute of Geriatrics, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lina Ma
- Institute of Geriatrics, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yun Wei
- Institute of Geriatrics, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Li
- Institute of Geriatrics, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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40
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Tournier B, Ceyzériat K, Bouteldja FN, Millet P. Amyloid and Tau Induce Cell Death Independently of TSPO Polymerization and Density Changes. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:18719-18727. [PMID: 34337211 PMCID: PMC8319921 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c01678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Apoptosis-dependent cell death of astrocytes has been described in Alzheimer's disease and is linked to the presence of two markers of the pathology: the β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) and the hyperphosphorylated Tau protein. Astrocytes also show reactive states characterized by the overexpression of the 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO). However, TSPO is also known, in other areas of research, to participate in cell proliferation and death. Regulation of its function by autopolymerization has been described, but its involvement in apoptosis remains unknown. The aim was to determine the effects of Aβ, Tau, and TSPO antagonists on proliferation/cell death and TSPO polymerization in the C6 astrocytic cell line. The dose-effect on cell death in response to Aβ and Tau was observed but without alterations of TSPO density and polymerization. In contrast, nanomolar doses of antagonists stimulated cell proliferation, although micromolar doses induced cell death with a reduction in TSPO density and an increase in the ratio between the 36 and the 72 kDa TSPO polymers. Therefore, an alteration in the density and polymerization of TSPO appears to be related to cell death induced by TSPO antagonisms. In contrast, Aβ- and Tau-induced death seems to be independent of TSPO alterations. In conclusion, even if its role in cell death and proliferation is demonstrated, TSPO seems to, in the context of Alzheimer's disease, rather represent a marker of the activity of astrocytes than of cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin
B. Tournier
- Department
of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, 1205 Genève, Switzerland
- Department
of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, 1211 Genève, Switzerland
| | - Kelly Ceyzériat
- Department
of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, 1205 Genève, Switzerland
- Department
of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, 1211 Genève, Switzerland
- Division
of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Diagnostic Department, University Hospitals of Geneva, 1205 Genève, Switzerland
- Division
of Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University Hospitals of Geneva, 1205 Genève, Switzerland
| | - Farha N. Bouteldja
- Department
of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, 1205 Genève, Switzerland
- Department
of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, 1211 Genève, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Millet
- Department
of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, 1205 Genève, Switzerland
- Department
of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, 1211 Genève, Switzerland
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41
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Ariyannur PS, Xing G, Barry ES, Benford B, Grunberg NE, Sharma P. Effects of Pyruvate Administration on Mitochondrial Enzymes, Neurological Behaviors, and Neurodegeneration after Traumatic Brain Injury. Aging Dis 2021; 12:983-999. [PMID: 34221543 PMCID: PMC8219499 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2020.1015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is known to increase the susceptibility to various age-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Although the role of damaged mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) in the progression of AD and PD has been identified, its relationship with altered expression of neurodegenerative proteins has not been examined before. This study aimed to investigate 1) how TBI could affect mitochondrial ETC and neurodegeneration in rat brain regions related to behavioral alteration, and 2) if administration of the key mitochondrial substrate pyruvate can improve the outcome of mild TBI (mTBI). In a rat lateral fluid percussion injury model of mTBI, sodium pyruvate in sterile distilled water (1 g/kg body weight) was administered orally daily for 7 days. The protein expression of mitochondrial ETC enzymes, and neurodegeneration proteins in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex and was assessed on Day 7. The hippocampal and cortical expressions of ETC complex I, III, IV, V were significantly and variably impaired following mTBI. Pyruvate treatment altered ETC complex expression, reduced the nitrosyl stress and the MBP expression in the injured brain area, but increased the expression of the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and Tau proteins. Pyruvate after mTBI augmented the Rotarod performance but decreased the horizontal and vertical open field locomotion activities and worsened neurobehavioural severity score, indicating a debilitating therapeutic effect on the acute phase of mTBI. These results suggest bidirectional neuroprotective and neurodegenerative modulating effects of pyruvate on TBI-induced alteration in mitochondrial activity and motor behavior. Pyruvate could potentially stimulate the proliferation of astrogliosis, and lactate acidosis, and caution should be exercised when used as a therapy in the acute phase of mTBI. More effective interventions targeted at multiple mechanisms are needed for the prevention and treatment of TBI-induced long-term neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasanth S Ariyannur
- 1Department of Anesthesiology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.,3Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi 682041, India
| | - Guoqiang Xing
- 1Department of Anesthesiology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.,2Imaging Institute of Rehabilitation and Development of Brain Function, the Affiliated Hospital and the Second Clinical Medical College of North Sichuan Medical University, Nanchong Central Hospital, Nanchong 637000, China
| | - Erin S Barry
- 4Military & Emergency Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Brandi Benford
- 1Department of Anesthesiology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Neil E Grunberg
- 4Military & Emergency Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Pushpa Sharma
- 1Department of Anesthesiology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
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42
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Berrocal M, Saez L, Mata AM. Sorcin Activates the Brain PMCA and Blocks the Inhibitory Effects of Molecular Markers of Alzheimer's Disease on the Pump Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22116055. [PMID: 34205207 PMCID: PMC8200006 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22116055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Since dysregulation of intracellular calcium (Ca2+) levels is a common occurrence in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the study of proteins that can correct neuronal Ca2+ dysregulation is of great interest. In previous work, we have shown that plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase (PMCA), a high-affinity Ca2+ pump, is functionally impaired in AD and is inhibited by amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) and tau, two key components of pathological AD hallmarks. On the other hand, sorcin is a Ca2+-binding protein highly expressed in the brain, although its mechanism of action is far from being clear. Sorcin has been shown to interact with the intracellular sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA), and other modulators of intracellular Ca2+ signaling, such as the ryanodine receptor or presenilin 2, which is closely associated with AD. The present work focuses on sorcin in search of new regulators of PMCA and antagonists of Aβ and tau toxicity. Results show sorcin as an activator of PMCA, which also prevents the inhibitory effects of Aβ and tau on the pump, and counteracts the neurotoxicity of Aβ and tau by interacting with them.
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43
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Mah D, Zhao J, Liu X, Zhang F, Liu J, Wang L, Linhardt R, Wang C. The Sulfation Code of Tauopathies: Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans in the Prion Like Spread of Tau Pathology. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:671458. [PMID: 34095227 PMCID: PMC8173255 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.671458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are a heterogenous family of progressive neurodegenerative diseases defined by the appearance of proteinaceous lesions within the brain composed of abnormally folded species of Microtubule Associated Protein Tau (tau). Alzheimer's Disease (AD), the most common tauopathy, is the leading cause of cognitive decline among the elderly and is responsible for more than half of all cases of senile dementia worldwide. The characteristic pathology of many tauopathies-AD included-presents as Neurofibrillary Tangles (NFTs), insoluble inclusions found within the neurons of the central nervous system composed primarily of tau protein arranged into Paired Helical Fibrils (PHFs). The spatial extent of this pathology evolves in a remarkably consistent pattern over the course of disease progression. Among the leading hypotheses which seek to explain the stereotypical progression of tauopathies is the prion model, which proposes that the spread of tau pathology is mediated by the transmission of self-propagating tau conformers between cells in a fashion analogous to the mechanism of communicable prion diseases. Protein-glycan interactions between tau and Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans (HSPGs) have been implicated as a key facilitator in each stage of the prion-like propagation of tau pathology, from the initial secretion of intracellular tau protein into the extracellular matrix, to the uptake of pathogenic tau seeds by cells, and the self-assembly of tau into higher order aggregates. In this review we outline the biochemical basis of the tau-HS interaction and discuss our current understanding of the mechanisms by which these interactions contribute to the propagation of tau pathology in tauopathies, with a particular focus on AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan Mah
- Department of Biological Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
| | - Jing Zhao
- Department of Biological Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyue Liu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
- Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Fuming Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
| | - Jian Liu
- Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Lianchun Wang
- Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Robert Linhardt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
| | - Chunyu Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States
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44
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Annadurai N, De Sanctis JB, Hajdúch M, Das V. Tau secretion and propagation: Perspectives for potential preventive interventions in Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Exp Neurol 2021; 343:113756. [PMID: 33989658 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterised by the accumulation of intracytoplasmic aggregates of tau protein, which are suggested to spread in a prion-like manner between interconnected brain regions. This spreading is mediated by the secretion and uptake of tau from the extracellular space or direct cell-to-cell transmission through cellular protrusions. The prion-like tau then converts the endogenous, normal tau into pathological forms, resulting in neurodegeneration. The endoplasmic reticulum/Golgi-independent tau secretion through unconventional secretory pathways involves delivering misfolded and aggregated tau to the plasma membrane and its release into the extracellular space by non-vesicular and vesicular mechanisms. Although cytoplasmic tau was thought to be released only from degenerating cells, studies now show that cells constitutively secrete tau at low levels under physiological conditions. The mechanisms of secretion of tau under physiological and pathological conditions remain unclear. Therefore, a better understanding of these pathways is essential for developing therapeutic approaches that can target prion-like tau forms to prevent neurodegeneration progression in AD. This review focuses on unconventional secretion pathways involved in the spread of tau pathology in AD and presents these pathways as prospective areas for future AD drug discovery and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narendran Annadurai
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University, Hněvotínská 5, 77900 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Juan B De Sanctis
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University, Hněvotínská 5, 77900 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Marián Hajdúch
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University, Hněvotínská 5, 77900 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Viswanath Das
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University, Hněvotínská 5, 77900 Olomouc, Czech Republic.
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45
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Tau internalization: A complex step in tau propagation. Ageing Res Rev 2021; 67:101272. [PMID: 33571704 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2021.101272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Aggregation of microtubule-associated protein Tau (MAPT) may underlie abnormalities of the intracellular matrix and neuronal death in tauopathies. Tau proteins can be secreted to the extracellular space and internalized into adjacent cells. The internalization of Tau is a complex but critical step in Tau propagation. This review summarizes the internalization pathways of Tau, including macropinocytosis, Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME), lipid raft dependent endocytosis, Tunneling nanotubes dependent endocytosis (TNTs) and phagocytosis. The conformation of Tau fibrils and the types of recipient cell determine the internalization pathway. However, the HSPGs-dependent endocytosis seems to be the predominant pathway of Tau internalization. After internalization, Tau fibrils undergo clearance and seeding. Imbalance among Tau secretion, internalization and clearance may result in the propagation of misfolded Tau in the brain, thereby inducing Tauopathies. A better understanding of the internalization of Tau proteins may facilitate the discovery of novel therapeutic strategies to block the propagation of Tau pathology.
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46
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Bok E, Leem E, Lee BR, Lee JM, Yoo CJ, Lee EM, Kim J. Role of the Lipid Membrane and Membrane Proteins in Tau Pathology. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:653815. [PMID: 33996814 PMCID: PMC8119898 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.653815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal accumulation of misfolded tau aggregates is a pathological hallmark of various tauopathies including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Although tau is a cytosolic microtubule-associated protein enriched in neurons, it is also found in extracellular milieu, such as interstitial fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, and blood. Accumulating evidence showed that pathological tau spreads along anatomically connected areas in the brain through intercellular transmission and templated misfolding, thereby inducing neurodegeneration and cognitive dysfunction. In line with this, the spatiotemporal spreading of tau pathology is closely correlated with cognitive decline in AD patients. Although the secretion and uptake of tau involve multiple different pathways depending on tau species and cell types, a growing body of evidence suggested that tau is largely secreted in a vesicle-free forms. In this regard, the interaction of vesicle-free tau with membrane is gaining growing attention due to its importance for both of tau secretion and uptake as well as aggregation. Here, we review the recent literature on the mechanisms of the tau-membrane interaction and highlights the roles of lipids and proteins at the membrane in the tau-membrane interaction as well as tau aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Bok
- Dementia Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Eunju Leem
- Dementia Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Bo-Ram Lee
- Dementia Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Ji Min Lee
- Dementia Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, South Korea.,School of Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Chang Jae Yoo
- Dementia Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, South Korea.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Eun Mi Lee
- Dementia Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, South Korea.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Jaekwang Kim
- Dementia Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, South Korea
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47
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Continuous Monitoring of Tau-Induced Neurotoxicity in Patient-Derived iPSC-Neurons. J Neurosci 2021; 41:4335-4348. [PMID: 33893219 PMCID: PMC8143197 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2590-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau aggregation within neurons is a critical feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related tauopathies. It is believed that soluble pathologic tau species seed the formation of tau aggregates in a prion-like manner and propagate through connected neurons during the progression of disease. Both soluble and aggregated forms of tau are thought to have neurotoxic properties. In addition, different strains of misfolded tau may cause differential neurotoxicity. In this work, we present an accelerated human neuronal model of tau-induced neurotoxicity that incorporates both soluble tau species and tau aggregation. Using patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) neurons expressing a tau aggregation biosensor, we develop a cell culture system that allows continuous assessment of both induced tau aggregation and neuronal viability at single-cell resolution for periods of >1 week. We show that exogenous tau “seed” uptake, as measured by tau repeat domain (TauRD) reporter aggregation, increases the risk for subsequent neuronal death in vitro. These results are the first to directly visualize neuronal TauRD aggregation and subsequent cell death in single human iPSC neurons. Specific morphologic strains or patterns of TauRD aggregation are then identified and associated with differing neurotoxicity. Furthermore, we demonstrate that familial AD iPSC neurons expressing the PSEN1 L435F mutation exhibit accelerated TauRD aggregation kinetics and a tau strain propagation bias when compared with control iPSC neurons. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neuronal intracellular aggregation of the microtubule binding protein tau occurs in Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative tauopathies. Tau aggregates are believed to spread from neuron to neuron via prion-like misfolded tau seeds. Our work develops a human neuronal live-imaging system to visualize seeded tau aggregation and tau-induced neurotoxicity within single neurons. Using an aggregation-sensing tau reporter, we find that neuronal uptake and propagation of tau seeds reduces subsequent survival. In addition, human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) neurons carrying an Alzheimer's disease-causing mutation in presenilin-1 undergo tau seeding more rapidly than control iPSC neurons. However, they do not show subsequent differences in neuronal survival. Finally, specific morphologies of tau aggregates are associated with increased neurotoxicity.
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48
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Shin MK, Vázquez-Rosa E, Koh Y, Dhar M, Chaubey K, Cintrón-Pérez CJ, Barker S, Miller E, Franke K, Noterman MF, Seth D, Allen RS, Motz CT, Rao SR, Skelton LA, Pardue MT, Fliesler SJ, Wang C, Tracy TE, Gan L, Liebl DJ, Savarraj JPJ, Torres GL, Ahnstedt H, McCullough LD, Kitagawa RS, Choi HA, Zhang P, Hou Y, Chiang CW, Li L, Ortiz F, Kilgore JA, Williams NS, Whitehair VC, Gefen T, Flanagan ME, Stamler JS, Jain MK, Kraus A, Cheng F, Reynolds JD, Pieper AA. Reducing acetylated tau is neuroprotective in brain injury. Cell 2021; 184:2715-2732.e23. [PMID: 33852912 PMCID: PMC8491234 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.03.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the largest non-genetic, non-aging related risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). We report here that TBI induces tau acetylation (ac-tau) at sites acetylated also in human AD brain. This is mediated by S-nitrosylated-GAPDH, which simultaneously inactivates Sirtuin1 deacetylase and activates p300/CBP acetyltransferase, increasing neuronal ac-tau. Subsequent tau mislocalization causes neurodegeneration and neurobehavioral impairment, and ac-tau accumulates in the blood. Blocking GAPDH S-nitrosylation, inhibiting p300/CBP, or stimulating Sirtuin1 all protect mice from neurodegeneration, neurobehavioral impairment, and blood and brain accumulation of ac-tau after TBI. Ac-tau is thus a therapeutic target and potential blood biomarker of TBI that may represent pathologic convergence between TBI and AD. Increased ac-tau in human AD brain is further augmented in AD patients with history of TBI, and patients receiving the p300/CBP inhibitors salsalate or diflunisal exhibit decreased incidence of AD and clinically diagnosed TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Kyoo Shin
- Harrington Discovery Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Geriatric Psychiatry, GRECC, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center; Cleveland, OH, USA; Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Edwin Vázquez-Rosa
- Harrington Discovery Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Geriatric Psychiatry, GRECC, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center; Cleveland, OH, USA; Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Yeojung Koh
- Harrington Discovery Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Geriatric Psychiatry, GRECC, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center; Cleveland, OH, USA; Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Matasha Dhar
- Harrington Discovery Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Geriatric Psychiatry, GRECC, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center; Cleveland, OH, USA; Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Kalyani Chaubey
- Harrington Discovery Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Geriatric Psychiatry, GRECC, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center; Cleveland, OH, USA; Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Coral J Cintrón-Pérez
- Harrington Discovery Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Geriatric Psychiatry, GRECC, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center; Cleveland, OH, USA; Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Sarah Barker
- Harrington Discovery Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Geriatric Psychiatry, GRECC, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center; Cleveland, OH, USA; Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Emiko Miller
- Harrington Discovery Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Geriatric Psychiatry, GRECC, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center; Cleveland, OH, USA; Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Kathryn Franke
- Harrington Discovery Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Geriatric Psychiatry, GRECC, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center; Cleveland, OH, USA; Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Maria F Noterman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Divya Seth
- Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Rachael S Allen
- Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Healthcare System, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, US
| | - Cara T Motz
- Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Healthcare System, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, US
| | - Sriganesh Ramachandra Rao
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Biochemistry, and the Neuroscience Graduate Program, SUNY-University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA; Research Service, VA Western NY Healthcare System, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Lara A Skelton
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Biochemistry, and the Neuroscience Graduate Program, SUNY-University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA; Research Service, VA Western NY Healthcare System, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Machelle T Pardue
- Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Healthcare System, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, US
| | - Steven J Fliesler
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Biochemistry, and the Neuroscience Graduate Program, SUNY-University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA; Research Service, VA Western NY Healthcare System, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Chao Wang
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Li Gan
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniel J Liebl
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Jude P J Savarraj
- Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Glenda L Torres
- Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hilda Ahnstedt
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Louise D McCullough
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ryan S Kitagawa
- Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - H Alex Choi
- Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Pengyue Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Yuan Hou
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Chien-Wei Chiang
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Lang Li
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Francisco Ortiz
- Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Jessica A Kilgore
- Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Noelle S Williams
- Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Victoria C Whitehair
- MetroHealth Rehabilitation Institute, The MetroHealth System, Cleveland, OH; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH USA
| | - Tamar Gefen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Margaret E Flanagan
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Pathology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jonathan S Stamler
- Harrington Discovery Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA; Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Mukesh K Jain
- Harrington Discovery Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Allison Kraus
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Feixiong Cheng
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - James D Reynolds
- Harrington Discovery Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA; Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Departments of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Andrew A Pieper
- Harrington Discovery Institute, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Geriatric Psychiatry, GRECC, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center; Cleveland, OH, USA; Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Weill Cornell Autism Research Program, Weill Cornell Medicine of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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49
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Maté de Gérando A, d'Orange M, Augustin E, Joséphine C, Aurégan G, Gaudin-Guérif M, Guillermier M, Hérard AS, Stimmer L, Petit F, Gipchtein P, Jan C, Escartin C, Selingue E, Carvalho K, Blum D, Brouillet E, Hantraye P, Gaillard MC, Bonvento G, Bemelmans AP, Cambon K. Neuronal tau species transfer to astrocytes and induce their loss according to tau aggregation state. Brain 2021; 144:1167-1182. [PMID: 33842937 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Deposits of different abnormal forms of tau in neurons and astrocytes represent key anatomo-pathological features of tauopathies. Although tau protein is highly enriched in neurons and poorly expressed by astrocytes, the origin of astrocytic tau is still elusive. Here, we used innovative gene transfer tools to model tauopathies in adult mouse brains and to investigate the origin of astrocytic tau. We showed in our adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based models and in Thy-Tau22 transgenic mice that astrocytic tau pathology can emerge secondarily to neuronal pathology. By designing an in vivo reporter system, we further demonstrated bidirectional exchanges of tau species between neurons and astrocytes. We then determined the consequences of tau accumulation in astrocytes on their survival in models displaying various status of tau aggregation. Using stereological counting of astrocytes, we report that, as for neurons, soluble tau species are highly toxic to some subpopulations of astrocytes in the hippocampus, whereas the accumulation of tau aggregates does not affect their survival. Thus, astrocytes are not mere bystanders of neuronal pathology. Our results strongly suggest that tau pathology in astrocytes may significantly contribute to clinical symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasie Maté de Gérando
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Marie d'Orange
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Emma Augustin
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Charlène Joséphine
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Gwénaelle Aurégan
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Mylène Gaudin-Guérif
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Martine Guillermier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Anne-Sophie Hérard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Lev Stimmer
- MIRCen, INSERM-CEA, Platform for experimental pathology, U1169 and US27, F-92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Fanny Petit
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Pauline Gipchtein
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Caroline Jan
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Carole Escartin
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Erwan Selingue
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Neurospin, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Kévin Carvalho
- Université Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1172-LilNCog-Lille Neuroscience and Cognition, F-59000 Lille, France.,Alzheimer and Tauopathies, LabEx DISTALZ, Lille, France
| | - David Blum
- Université Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1172-LilNCog-Lille Neuroscience and Cognition, F-59000 Lille, France.,Alzheimer and Tauopathies, LabEx DISTALZ, Lille, France
| | - Emmanuel Brouillet
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Philippe Hantraye
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Marie-Claude Gaillard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Gilles Bonvento
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Alexis-Pierre Bemelmans
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Karine Cambon
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, 92265, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
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50
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Ungerleider K, Beck J, Lissa D, Turnquist C, Horikawa I, Harris BT, Harris CC. Astrocyte senescence and SASP in neurodegeneration: tau joins the loop. Cell Cycle 2021; 20:752-764. [PMID: 33818291 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2021.1909260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau accumulation is a core component of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative tauopathies. While tau's impact on neurons is a major area of research, the effect of extracellular tau on astrocytes is largely unknown. This article summarizes our recent studies showing that astrocyte senescence plays a critical role in neurodegenerative diseases and integrates extracellular tau into the regulatory loop of senescent astrocyte-mediated neurotoxicity. Human astrocytes in vitro undergoing senescence were shown to acquire the inflammatory senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) and toxicity to neurons, which may recapitulate aging- and disease-associated neurodegeneration. Here, we show that human astrocytes exposed to extracellular tau in vitro also undergo cellular senescence and acquire a neurotoxic SASP (e.g. IL-6 secretion), with oxidative stress response (indicated by upregulated NRF2 target genes) and a possible activation of inflammasome (indicated by upregulated ASC and IL-1β). These findings suggest that senescent astrocytes induced by various conditions and insults, including tau exposure, may represent a therapeutic target to inhibit or delay the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. We also discuss the pathological activity of extracellular tau in microglia and astrocytes, the disease relevance and diversity of tau forms, therapeutics targeting senescence in neurodegeneration, and the roles of p53 and its isoforms in astrocyte-mediated neurotoxicity and neuroprotection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyra Ungerleider
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jessica Beck
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Layfette, Indiana, USA
| | - Delphine Lissa
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Casmir Turnquist
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,University of Oxford Medical School, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Izumi Horikawa
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Brent T Harris
- Department of Neurology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Curtis C Harris
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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