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Perez SE, Miguel JC, He B, Malek-Ahmadi M, Abrahamson EE, Ikonomovic MD, Lott I, Doran E, Alldred MJ, Ginsberg SD, Mufson EJ. Frontal cortex and striatal cellular and molecular pathobiology in individuals with Down syndrome with and without dementia. Acta Neuropathol 2019; 137:413-436. [PMID: 30734106 PMCID: PMC6541490 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-019-01965-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Although, by age 40, individuals with Down syndrome (DS) develop amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and tau-containing neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) linked to cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD), not all people with DS develop dementia. Whether Aβ plaques and NFTs are associated with individuals with DS with (DSD +) and without dementia (DSD -) is under-investigated. Here, we applied quantitative immunocytochemistry and fluorescent procedures to characterize NFT pathology using antibodies specific for tau phosphorylation (pS422, AT8), truncation (TauC3, MN423), and conformational (Alz50, MC1) epitopes, as well as Aβ and its precursor protein (APP) to frontal cortex (FC) and striatal tissue from DSD + to DSD - cases. Expression profiling of single pS422 labeled FC layer V and VI neurons was also determined using laser capture microdissection and custom-designed microarray analysis. Analysis revealed that cortical and striatal Aβ plaque burdens were similar in DSD + and DSD - cases. In both groups, most FC plaques were neuritic, while striatal plaques were diffuse. By contrast, FC AT8-positive NFTs and neuropil thread densities were significantly greater in DSD + compared to DSD -, while striatal NFT densities were similar between groups. FC pS422-positive and TauC3 NFT densities were significantly greater than Alz50-labeled NFTs in DSD + , but not DSD - cases. Putaminal, but not caudate pS422-positive NFT density, was significantly greater than TauC3-positive NFTs. In the FC, AT8 + pS422 + Alz50, TauC3 + pS422 + Alz50, pS422 + Alz50, and TauC3 + pS422 positive NFTs were more frequent in DSD + compared to DSD- cases. Single gene-array profiling of FC pS422 positive neurons revealed downregulation of 63 of a total of 864 transcripts related to Aβ/tau biology, glutamatergic, cholinergic, and monoaminergic metabolism, intracellular signaling, cell homeostasis, and cell death in DSD + compared DSD - cases. These observations suggest that abnormal tau aggregation plays a critical role in the development of dementia in DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia E Perez
- Department of Neurobiology and Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, 350 W. Thomas St, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA
- School of Life Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Jennifer C Miguel
- Department of Neurobiology and Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, 350 W. Thomas St, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA
| | - Bin He
- Department of Neurobiology and Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, 350 W. Thomas St, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA
| | | | - Eric E Abrahamson
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Milos D Ikonomovic
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Ira Lott
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Eric Doran
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Melissa J Alldred
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry, NYU Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Stephen D Ginsberg
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry, NYU Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, 10021, USA
- Departments of Neuroscience and Physiology, The NYU Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Elliott J Mufson
- Department of Neurobiology and Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, 350 W. Thomas St, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA.
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