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Dan L, Zhang Z. Alzheimer's disease: an axonal injury disease? Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1264448. [PMID: 37927337 PMCID: PMC10620718 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1264448] [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: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the primary cause of dementia and is anticipated to impose a substantial economic burden in the future. Over a significant period, the widely accepted amyloid cascade hypothesis has guided research efforts, and the recent FDA approval of an anti- amyloid-beta (Aβ) protofibrils antibody, believed to decelerate AD progression, has further solidified its significance. However, the excessive emphasis placed on the amyloid cascade hypothesis has overshadowed the physiological nature of Aβ and tau proteins within axons. Axons, specialized neuronal structures, sustain damage during the early stages of AD, exerting a pivotal influence on disease progression. In this review, we present a comprehensive summary of the relationship between axonal damage and AD pathology, amalgamating the physiological roles of Aβ and tau proteins, along with the impact of AD risk genes such as APOE and TREM2. Furthermore, we underscore the exceptional significance of axonal damage in the context of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zhaohui Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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2
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Vignon A, Salvador-Prince L, Lehmann S, Perrier V, Torrent J. Deconstructing Alzheimer's Disease: How to Bridge the Gap between Experimental Models and the Human Pathology? Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:8769. [PMID: 34445475 PMCID: PMC8395727 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Discovered more than a century ago, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is not only still present in our societies but has also become the most common dementia, with 50 million people worldwide affected by the disease. This number is expected to double in the next generation, and no cure is currently available to slow down or stop the disease progression. Recently, some advances were made due to the approval of the aducanumab treatment by the American Food and Drug Administration. The etiology of this human-specific disease remains poorly understood, and the mechanisms of its development have not been completely clarified. Several hypotheses concerning the molecular mechanisms of AD have been proposed, but the existing studies focus primarily on the two main markers of the disease: the amyloid β peptides, whose aggregation in the brain generates amyloid plaques, and the abnormally phosphorylated tau proteins, which are responsible for neurofibrillary tangles. These protein aggregates induce neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, which, in turn, lead to cognitive and behavioral deficits. The challenge is, therefore, to create models that best reproduce this pathology. This review aims at gathering the different existing AD models developed in vitro, in cellulo, and in vivo. Many models have already been set up, but it is necessary to identify the most relevant ones for our investigations. The purpose of the review is to help researchers to identify the most pertinent disease models, from the most often used to the most recently generated and from simple to complex, explaining their specificities and giving concrete examples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaïs Vignon
- INM, University of Montpellier, INSERM, 34095 Montpellier, France; (A.V.); (L.S.-P.)
| | - Lucie Salvador-Prince
- INM, University of Montpellier, INSERM, 34095 Montpellier, France; (A.V.); (L.S.-P.)
| | - Sylvain Lehmann
- INM, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CHU Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier, France;
| | - Véronique Perrier
- INM, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Joan Torrent
- INM, University of Montpellier, INSERM, 34095 Montpellier, France; (A.V.); (L.S.-P.)
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Weng FL, He L. Disrupted ubiquitin proteasome system underlying tau accumulation in Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Aging 2020; 99:79-85. [PMID: 33422896 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Accumulation of phosphorylated tau (p-tau) has long been an underappreciated hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Tau is one of the major components of microtubule networks in neurons, and its abnormal phosphorylation and aggregation are closely related to the impairment of axonal transport. Abnormalities in axonal transport can impede autophagy in neurons, interrupting the autophagic clearance of amyloid beta. The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) maintains intracellular proteostasis by degrading abnormal or redundant proteins. Ever-mounting evidence suggests that UPS deficits contribute to p-tau accumulation. And targeting UPS attenuates tau pathology. This review endeavors to exam the potential role of UPS in p-tau aggregation, and how pathogenic tau may inflict other abnormalities such as amyloid beta accumulation in Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang-Lin Weng
- Department of Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ling He
- Department of Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
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Boumil EF, Vohnoutka RB, Lee S, Shea TB. Tau interferes with axonal neurite stabilization and cytoskeletal composition independently of its ability to associate with microtubules. Biol Open 2020; 9:9/9/bio052530. [PMID: 32978225 PMCID: PMC7522022 DOI: 10.1242/bio.052530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau impacts overall axonal transport particularly when overexpressed by interfering with translocation of kinesin along microtubules (MTs) and/or as a cargo of kinesin by outcompeting other kinesin cargo. To discern between which of these mechanisms was more robust during axonal outgrowth, we overexpressed phosphomimetic (E18; which is incapable of MT binding), phospho-null (A18) or wild-type (WT) full-length human tau conjugated to EGFP, the latter two of which bind MTs. Expression of WT and A18 displayed increased acetylated MTs and resistance to colchicine, while expression of E18 did not, indicating that E18 did not contribute to MT stabilization. Expression of all tau constructs reduced overall levels of neurofilaments (NFs) within axonal neurites, and distribution of NFs along neurite lengths. Since NFs are another prominent cargo of kinesin during axonal neurite outgrowth, this finding is consistent with WT, A18 and E18 inhibiting NF transport to the same extent by competing as cargo of kinesin. These findings indicate that tau can impair axonal transport independently of association with MTs in growing axonal neurites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward F Boumil
- Laboratory for Neuroscience, Department of Biological Sciences, UMass Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
| | - Rishel B Vohnoutka
- Laboratory for Neuroscience, Department of Biological Sciences, UMass Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
| | - Sangmook Lee
- Laboratory for Neuroscience, Department of Biological Sciences, UMass Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
| | - Thomas B Shea
- Laboratory for Neuroscience, Department of Biological Sciences, UMass Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
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Yin Z, Hua L, Chen L, Hu D, Li J, An Z, Tian T, Ning H, Ge Y. Bisphenol-A exposure induced neurotoxicity and associated with synapse and cytoskeleton in Neuro-2a cells. Toxicol In Vitro 2020; 67:104911. [PMID: 32512148 DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2020.104911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) is an environmental chemical that induces neurotoxic effects for human. Synaptophysin (SYP) and drebrin (Dbn) proteins are involved in regulating synaptic morphology. The stability of the cytoskeleton in nerve cells in the brain is regulated by Tau and MAP2. This study aimed to determine the toxicity of BPA to Neuro-2a cells by investigating the synaptic and cytoskeletal damage induced in these cells by 24 h of exposure to 0 (MEM), 50, 100, 150, or 200 μM BPA or DMSO. MTT and LDH assays showed that the death rates of Neuro-2a cells increased, as the BPA concentration increased. Ultrastructural assays revealed that cells underwent nucleolar swelling as well as nuclear membrane and partial mitochondrial dissolution or condensation, following BPA exposure. Morphological analysis further revealed that compared with the cells in the control group, the cells in the BPA-treated groups shrank, became rounded, and exhibited a reduced number of synapses. BPA also significantly decreased the relative protein and mRNA expression levels of Dbn, MAP2 and Tau (P < .01), but increased the relative protein and mRNA expression levels of SYP (P < .01). These results indicated that BPA suppressed the development and proliferation of Neuro-2a cells by disrupting cellular and synaptic integrity and inflicting cytoskeleton injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihong Yin
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan 453003, PR China
| | - Liushuai Hua
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan 453003, PR China
| | - Lingli Chen
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan 453003, PR China
| | - Dongfang Hu
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan 453003, PR China
| | - Jinglong Li
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan 453003, PR China
| | - Zhixing An
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan 453003, PR China
| | - Tian Tian
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan 453003, PR China
| | - Hongmei Ning
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan 453003, PR China
| | - Yaming Ge
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan 453003, PR China.
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Matiytsiv NP, Chernyk YI. Drosophila melanogaster as a Model System for the Study of Human Neuropathy and the Testing of Neuroprotectors. CYTOL GENET+ 2020. [DOI: 10.3103/s0095452720030081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Surana S, Villarroel‐Campos D, Lazo OM, Moretto E, Tosolini AP, Rhymes ER, Richter S, Sleigh JN, Schiavo G. The evolution of the axonal transport toolkit. Traffic 2019; 21:13-33. [DOI: 10.1111/tra.12710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sunaina Surana
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College London London UK
| | - David Villarroel‐Campos
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College London London UK
| | - Oscar M. Lazo
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College London London UK
- UK Dementia Research InstituteUniversity College London London UK
| | - Edoardo Moretto
- UK Dementia Research InstituteUniversity College London London UK
| | - Andrew P. Tosolini
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College London London UK
| | - Elena R. Rhymes
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College London London UK
| | - Sandy Richter
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College London London UK
| | - James N. Sleigh
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College London London UK
- UK Dementia Research InstituteUniversity College London London UK
| | - Giampietro Schiavo
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College London London UK
- UK Dementia Research InstituteUniversity College London London UK
- Discoveries Centre for Regenerative and Precision MedicineUniversity College London London UK
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Papanikolopoulou K, Mudher A, Skoulakis E. An assessment of the translational relevance of Drosophila in drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2019; 14:303-313. [PMID: 30664368 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2019.1569624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Drosophila melanogaster offers a powerful expedient and economical system with facile genetics. Because of the high sequence and functional conservation with human disease-associated genes, it has been cardinal in deciphering disease mechanisms at the genetic and molecular level. Drosophila are amenable to and respond well to pharmaceutical treatment which coupled to their genetic tractability has led to discovery, repositioning, and validation of a number of compounds. Areas covered: This review summarizes the generation of fly models of human diseases, their advantages and use in elucidation of human disease mechanisms. Representative studies provide examples of the utility of this system in modeling diseases and the discovery, repositioning and testing on pharmaceuticals to ameliorate them. Expert opinion: Drosophila offers a facile and economical whole animal system with many homologous organs to humans, high functional conservation and established methods of generating and validating human disease models. Nevertheless, it remains relatively underused as a drug discovery tool probably because its relevance to mammalian systems remains under question. However, recent exciting success stories using Drosophila disease models for drug screening, repositioning and validation strongly suggest that fly models should figure prominently in the drug discovery pipeline from bench to bedside.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Papanikolopoulou
- a Division of Neuroscience , Biomedical Sciences Research Centre "Alexander Fleming" , Vari , Greece
| | - Amrit Mudher
- b Centre for Biological Sciences , University of Southampton , Southampton , UK
| | - Efthimios Skoulakis
- a Division of Neuroscience , Biomedical Sciences Research Centre "Alexander Fleming" , Vari , Greece
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Combs B, Mueller RL, Morfini G, Brady ST, Kanaan NM. Tau and Axonal Transport Misregulation in Tauopathies. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1184:81-95. [PMID: 32096030 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-32-9358-8_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-associated protein that is involved in both normal and pathological processes in neurons. Since the discovery and characterization of tau over 40 years ago, our understanding of tau's normal functions and toxic roles in neurodegenerative tauopathies has continued to expand. Fast axonal transport is a critical process for maintaining axons and functioning synapses, critical subcellular compartments underlying neuronal connectivity. Signs of fast axonal transport disruption are pervasive in Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies and various mechanisms have been proposed for regulation of fast axonal transport by tau. Post-translational modifications of tau including phosphorylation at specific sites, FTDP-17 point mutations, and oligomerization, confer upon tau a toxic effect on fast axonal transport. Consistent with the well-established dependence of axons on fast axonal transport, these disease-related modifications are closely associated temporally and spatially with axonal degeneration in the early disease stages. These factors position tau as a potentially critical factor mediating the disruption of fast axonal transport that precedes synaptic dysfunction and axonal degeneration at later disease stages. In this chapter, we review the evidence that tau affects fast axonal transport and examine several potential mechanisms proposed to underlie this toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Combs
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Rebecca L Mueller
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.,Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Gerardo Morfini
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Scott T Brady
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Nicholas M Kanaan
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, USA. .,Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA. .,Hauenstein Neuroscience Center, Mercy Health Saint Mary's, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.
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Li H, Liu CC, Zheng H, Huang TY. Amyloid, tau, pathogen infection and antimicrobial protection in Alzheimer's disease -conformist, nonconformist, and realistic prospects for AD pathogenesis. Transl Neurodegener 2018; 7:34. [PMID: 30603085 PMCID: PMC6306008 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-018-0139-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a fatal disease that threatens the quality of life of an aging population at a global scale. Various hypotheses on the etiology of AD have been developed over the years to guide efforts in search of therapeutic strategies. MAIN BODY In this review, we focus on four AD hypotheses currently relevant to AD onset: the prevailing amyloid cascade hypothesis, the well-recognized tau hypothesis, the increasingly popular pathogen (viral infection) hypothesis, and the infection-related antimicrobial protection hypothesis. In briefly reviewing the main evidence supporting each hypothesis and discussing the questions that need to be addressed, we hope to gain a better understanding of the complicated multi-layered interactions in potential causal and/or risk factors in AD pathogenesis. As a defining feature of AD, the existence of amyloid deposits is likely fundamental to AD onset but is insufficient to wholly reproduce many complexities of the disorder. A similar belief is currently also applied to hyperphosphorylated tau aggregates within neurons, where tau has been postulated to drive neurodegeneration in the presence of pre-existing Aβ plaques in the brain. Although infection of the central nerve system by pathogens such as viruses may increase AD risk, it is yet to be determined whether this phenomenon is applicable to all cases of sporadic AD and whether it is a primary trigger for AD onset. Lastly, the antimicrobial protection hypothesis provides insight into a potential physiological role for Aβ peptides, but how Aβ/microbial interactions affect AD pathogenesis during aging awaits further validation. Nevertheless, this hypothesis cautions potential adverse effects in Aβ-targeting therapies by hindering potential roles for Aβ in anti-viral protection. CONCLUSION AD is a multi-factor complex disorder, which likely requires a combinatorial therapeutic approach to successfully slow or reduce symptomatic memory decline. A better understanding of how various causal and/or risk factors affecting disease onset and progression will enhance the likelihood of conceiving effective treatment paradigms, which may involve personalized treatment strategies for individual patients at varying stages of disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongmei Li
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL USA
| | - Chia-Chen Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL USA
| | - Hui Zheng
- Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Timothy Y. Huang
- Neuroscience Initiative, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, San Diego, CA USA
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Drosophila Models of Sporadic Parkinson's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19113343. [PMID: 30373150 PMCID: PMC6275057 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19113343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the most common cause of movement disorders and is characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. It is increasingly recognized as a complex group of disorders presenting widely heterogeneous symptoms and pathology. With the exception of the rare monogenic forms, the majority of PD cases result from an interaction between multiple genetic and environmental risk factors. The search for these risk factors and the development of preclinical animal models are in progress, aiming to provide mechanistic insights into the pathogenesis of PD. This review summarizes the studies that capitalize on modeling sporadic (i.e., nonfamilial) PD using Drosophilamelanogaster and discusses their methodologies, new findings, and future perspectives.
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