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Khedmatgozar CR, Holec SAM, Woerman AL. The role of α-synuclein prion strains in Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1011920. [PMID: 38271292 PMCID: PMC10810466 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chase R. Khedmatgozar
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Prion Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Sara A. M. Holec
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Prion Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Amanda L. Woerman
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Prion Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
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Zeng Z, Vijayan V, Tsay K, Frost MP, Quddus A, Albert A, Vigers M, Woerman AL, Han S. CBD and PSP cell-passaged Tau Seeds Generate Heterogeneous Fibrils with A sub-population Adopting Disease Folds. bioRxiv 2023:2023.07.19.549721. [PMID: 37502998 PMCID: PMC10370138 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.19.549721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
The recent discovery by cryo-electron microscopy that the neuropatho-logical hallmarks of different tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease, corticobasal degeneration (CBD), and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), are caused by unique misfolded conformations of the protein tau is among the most profound developments in neurodegenerative disease research. To capitalize on these discoveries for therapeutic development, one must achieve in vitro replication of tau fibrils that adopt the rep-resentative tauopathy disease folds - a grand challenge. To understand whether the commonly used, but imperfect, fragment of the tau pro-tein, K18, is capable of inducing specific protein folds, fibril seeds derived from CBD- and PSP-infected biosensor cells expressing K18, were used to achieve cell-free assembly of naïve, recombinant 4R tau into fibrils without the addition of any cofactors. Using Double Electron Electron Resonance (DEER) spectroscopy, we discovered that cell-passaged patho-logical seeds generate heterogeneous fibrils that are distinct between the CBD and PSP lysate-seeded fibrils, and are also unique from heparin-induced tau fibril populations. Moreover, the lysate-seeded fibrils contain a characteristic sub-population that resembles either the CBD or PSP disease fold, corresponding with the respective starting patient sam-ple. These findings indicate that CBD and PSP patient-derived fibrils retain strain properties after passaging through K18 reporter cells.
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Holec SAM, Lee J, Oehler A, Batia L, Wiggins-Gamble A, Lau J, Ooi FK, Merz GE, Wang M, Mordes DA, Olson SH, Woerman AL. The E46K mutation modulates α-synuclein prion replication in transgenic mice. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010956. [PMID: 36454879 PMCID: PMC9714912 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In multiple system atrophy (MSA), the α-synuclein protein misfolds into a self-templating prion conformation that spreads throughout the brain, leading to progressive neurodegeneration. While the E46K mutation in α-synuclein causes familial Parkinson's disease (PD), we previously discovered that this mutation blocks in vitro propagation of MSA prions. Recent studies by others indicate that α-synuclein adopts a misfolded conformation in MSA in which a Greek key motif is stabilized by an intramolecular salt bridge between residues E46 and K80. Hypothesizing that the E46K mutation impedes salt bridge formation and, therefore, exerts a selective pressure that can modulate α-synuclein strain propagation, we asked whether three distinct α-synuclein prion strains could propagate in TgM47+/- mice, which express human α-synuclein with the E46K mutation. Following intracranial injection of these strains, TgM47+/- mice were resistant to MSA prion transmission, whereas recombinant E46K preformed fibrils (PFFs) transmitted neurological disease to mice and induced the formation of phosphorylated α-synuclein neuropathology. In contrast, heterotypic seeding following wild-type (WT) PFF-inoculation resulted in preclinical α-synuclein prion propagation. Moreover, when we inoculated TgM20+/- mice, which express WT human α-synuclein, with E46K PFFs, we observed delayed transmission kinetics with an incomplete attack rate. These findings suggest that the E46K mutation constrains the number of α-synuclein prion conformations that can propagate in TgM47+/- mice, expanding our understanding of the selective pressures that impact α-synuclein prion replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara A. M. Holec
- Department of Biology and Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst; Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jisoo Lee
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Abby Oehler
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Lyn Batia
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Aryanna Wiggins-Gamble
- Department of Biology and Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst; Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey Lau
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Felicia K. Ooi
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Gregory E. Merz
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Man Wang
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Daniel A. Mordes
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Steven H. Olson
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Amanda L. Woerman
- Department of Biology and Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst; Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco, California, United States of America
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Holec SAM, Lee J, Oehler A, Ooi FK, Mordes DA, Olson SH, Prusiner SB, Woerman AL. Multiple system atrophy prions transmit neurological disease to mice expressing wild-type human α-synuclein. Acta Neuropathol 2022; 144:677-690. [PMID: 36018376 PMCID: PMC9636591 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-022-02476-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
In multiple system atrophy (MSA), the protein α-synuclein misfolds into a prion conformation that self-templates and causes progressive neurodegeneration. While many point mutations in the α-synuclein gene, SNCA, have been identified as the cause of heritable Parkinson's disease (PD), none have been identified as causing MSA. To examine whether MSA prions can transmit disease to mice expressing wild-type (WT) human α-synuclein, we inoculated transgenic (Tg) mice denoted TgM20+/- with brain homogenates prepared from six different deceased MSA patients. All six samples transmitted CNS disease to the mice, with an average incubation period of ~ 280 days. Interestingly, TgM20+/- female mice developed disease > 60 days earlier than their male counterparts. Brains from terminal mice contained phosphorylated α-synuclein throughout the hindbrain, consistent with the distribution of α-synuclein inclusions in MSA patients. In addition, using our α-syn-YFP cell lines, we detected α-synuclein prions in brain homogenates prepared from terminal mice that retained MSA strain properties. To our knowledge, the studies described here are the first to show that MSA prions transmit neurological disease to mice expressing WT SNCA and that the rate of transmission is sex dependent. By comparison, TgM20+/- mice inoculated with WT preformed fibrils (PFFs) developed severe neurological disease in ~ 210 days and exhibited robust α-synuclein neuropathology in both limbic regions and the hindbrain. Brain homogenates from these animals exhibited biological activities that are distinct from those found in MSA-inoculated mice when tested in the α-syn-YFP cell lines. Differences between brains from MSA-inoculated and WT PFF-inoculated mice potentially argue that α-synuclein prions from MSA patients are distinct from the PFF inocula and that PFFs do not replicate MSA strain biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara A M Holec
- Department of Biology and Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 240 Thatcher Road, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Jisoo Lee
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94153, USA
| | - Abby Oehler
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94153, USA
| | - Felicia K Ooi
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94153, USA
| | - Daniel A Mordes
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94153, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Steven H Olson
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94153, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Stanley B Prusiner
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94153, USA.
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Amanda L Woerman
- Department of Biology and Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 240 Thatcher Road, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94153, USA.
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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5
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Holec SAM, Liu SL, Woerman AL. Consequences of variability in α-synuclein fibril structure on strain biology. Acta Neuropathol 2022; 143:311-330. [PMID: 35122113 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-022-02403-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Synucleinopathies are a group of clinically and neuropathologically distinct protein misfolding diseases caused by unique α-synuclein conformations, or strains. While multiple atomic resolution cryo-electron microscopy structures of α-synuclein fibrils are now deposited in Protein Data Bank, significant gaps in the biological consequences arising from each conformation have yet to be unraveled. Mutations in the α-synuclein gene (SNCA), cofactors, and the solvation environment contribute to the formation and maintenance of each disease-causing strain. This review highlights the impact of each of these factors on α-synuclein misfolding and discusses the implications of the resulting structural variability on therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara A M Holec
- Department of Biology, Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Samantha L Liu
- Department of Biology, Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Amanda L Woerman
- Department of Biology, Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA.
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Woerman AL, Tamgüney G. Body-first Parkinson's disease and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease - similar or different? Neurobiol Dis 2022; 164:105625. [PMID: 35026401 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In several neurodegenerative disorders, proteins that typically exhibit an α-helical structure misfold into an amyloid conformation rich in β-sheet content. Through a self-templating mechanism, these amyloids are able to induce additional protein misfolding, facilitating their propagation throughout the central nervous system. This disease mechanism was originally identified for the prion protein (PrP), which misfolds into PrPSc in a number of disorders, including variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). More recently, the prion mechanism of disease was expanded to include other proteins that rely on this self-templating mechanism to cause progressive degeneration, including α-synuclein misfolding in Parkinson's disease (PD). Several studies now suggest that PD patients can be subcategorized based on where in the body misfolded α-synuclein originates, either the brain or the gut, similar to patients developing sporadic CJD or vCJD. In this review, we discuss the human and animal model data indicating that α-synuclein and PrPSc misfolding originates in the gut in body-first PD and vCJD, and summarize the data identifying the role of the autonomic nervous system in the gut-brain axis of both diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Woerman
- Institute for Applied Life Sciences and Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA.
| | - Gültekin Tamgüney
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
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Woerman AL. Strain diversity in neurodegenerative disease: an argument for a personalized medicine approach to diagnosis and treatment. Acta Neuropathol 2021; 142:1-3. [PMID: 33891174 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-021-02311-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Woerman
- Institute for Applied Life Sciences and Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA.
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Kahriman A, Bouley J, Smith TW, Bosco DA, Woerman AL, Henninger N. Mouse closed head traumatic brain injury replicates the histological tau pathology pattern of human disease: characterization of a novel model and systematic review of the literature. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:118. [PMID: 34187585 PMCID: PMC8243463 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01220-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) constitutes one of the strongest environmental risk factors for several progressive neurodegenerative disorders of cognitive impairment and dementia that are characterized by the pathological accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau (p-Tau). It has been questioned whether mouse closed-head TBI models can replicate human TBI-associated tauopathy. We conducted longitudinal histopathological characterization of a mouse closed head TBI model, with a focus on pathological features reported in human TBI-associated tauopathy. Male C57BL/6 J mice were subjected to once daily TBI for 5 consecutive days using a weight drop paradigm. Histological analyses (AT8, TDP-43, pTDP-43, NeuN, GFAP, Iba-1, MBP, SMI-312, Prussian blue, IgG, βAPP, alpha-synuclein) were conducted at 1 week, 4 weeks, and 24 weeks after rTBI and compared to sham operated controls. We conducted a systematic review of the literature for mouse models of closed-head injury focusing on studies referencing tau protein assessment. At 1-week post rTBI, p-Tau accumulation was restricted to the corpus callosum and perivascular spaces adjacent to the superior longitudinal fissure. Progressive p-Tau accumulation was observed in the superficial layers of the cerebral cortex, as well as in mammillary bodies and cortical perivascular, subpial, and periventricular locations at 4 to 24 weeks after rTBI. Associated cortical histopathologies included microvascular injury, neuroaxonal rarefaction, astroglial and microglial activation, and cytoplasmatic localization of TDP-43 and pTDP-43. In our systematic review, less than 1% of mouse studies (25/3756) reported p-Tau using immunostaining, of which only 3 (0.08%) reported perivascular p-Tau, which is considered a defining feature of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Commonly reported associated pathologies included neuronal loss (23%), axonal loss (43%), microglial activation and astrogliosis (50%, each), and beta amyloid deposition (29%). Our novel model, supported by systematic review of the literature, indicates progressive tau pathology after closed head murine TBI, highlighting the suitability of mouse models to replicate pertinent human histopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aydan Kahriman
- Department of Neurology, Medical School, University of Massachusetts, 55 Lake Ave, Worcester, USA
| | - James Bouley
- Department of Neurology, Medical School, University of Massachusetts, 55 Lake Ave, Worcester, USA
| | - Thomas W Smith
- Department of Pathology, Medical School, University of Massachusetts, 55 Lake Ave, Worcester, USA
| | - Daryl A Bosco
- Department of Neurology, Medical School, University of Massachusetts, 55 Lake Ave, Worcester, USA
| | - Amanda L Woerman
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Nils Henninger
- Department of Neurology, Medical School, University of Massachusetts, 55 Lake Ave, Worcester, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, University of Massachusetts, 55 Lake Ave, Worcester, USA.
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Lester E, Ooi FK, Bakkar N, Ayers J, Woerman AL, Wheeler J, Bowser R, Carlson GA, Prusiner SB, Parker R. Tau aggregates are RNA-protein assemblies that mislocalize multiple nuclear speckle components. Neuron 2021; 109:1675-1691.e9. [PMID: 33848474 PMCID: PMC8141031 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.03.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Tau aggregates contribute to neurodegenerative diseases, including frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although RNA promotes tau aggregation in vitro, whether tau aggregates in cells contain RNA is unknown. We demonstrate, in cell culture and mouse brains, that cytosolic and nuclear tau aggregates contain RNA with enrichment for small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) and small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs). Nuclear tau aggregates colocalize with and alter the composition, dynamics, and organization of nuclear speckles, membraneless organelles involved in pre-mRNA splicing. Moreover, several nuclear speckle components, including SRRM2, mislocalize to cytosolic tau aggregates in cells, mouse brains, and brains of individuals with AD, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and corticobasal degeneration (CBD). Consistent with these alterations, we observe that the presence of tau aggregates is sufficient to alter pre-mRNA splicing. This work identifies tau alteration of nuclear speckles as a feature of tau aggregation that may contribute to the pathology of tau aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Lester
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Felicia K Ooi
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nadine Bakkar
- Department of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Jacob Ayers
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Amanda L Woerman
- Department of Biology and Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Joshua Wheeler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA; Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Robert Bowser
- Department of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - George A Carlson
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Stanley B Prusiner
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Roy Parker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
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Aoyagi A, Condello C, Stöhr J, Yue W, Rivera BM, Lee JC, Woerman AL, Halliday G, van Duinen S, Ingelsson M, Lannfelt L, Graff C, Bird TD, Keene CD, Seeley WW, DeGrado WF, Prusiner SB. Aβ and tau prion-like activities decline with longevity in the Alzheimer's disease human brain. Sci Transl Med 2020; 11:11/490/eaat8462. [PMID: 31043574 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aat8462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are the accumulation of Aβ plaques and neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyperphosphorylated tau. We developed sensitive cellular assays using human embryonic kidney-293T cells to quantify intracellular self-propagating conformers of Aβ in brain samples from patients with AD or other neurodegenerative diseases. Postmortem brain tissue from patients with AD had measurable amounts of pathological Aβ conformers. Individuals over 80 years of age had the lowest amounts of prion-like Aβ and phosphorylated tau. Unexpectedly, the longevity-dependent decrease in self-propagating tau conformers occurred in spite of increasing amounts of total insoluble tau. When corrected for the abundance of insoluble tau, the ability of postmortem AD brain homogenates to induce misfolded tau in the cellular assays showed an exponential decrease with longevity, with a half-life of about one decade over the age range of 37 to 99 years. Thus, our findings demonstrate an inverse correlation between longevity in patients with AD and the abundance of pathological tau conformers. Our cellular assays can be applied to patient selection for clinical studies and the development of new drugs and diagnostics for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Aoyagi
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd., Tokyo 140-8710, Japan
| | - Carlo Condello
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA. .,Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Jan Stöhr
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,AC Immune SA, EPFL Innovation Park, Building B, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Weizhou Yue
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Brianna M Rivera
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Joanne C Lee
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Amanda L Woerman
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Glenda Halliday
- NeuRA and School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, and Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | | | - Martin Ingelsson
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences/Geriatrics, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lars Lannfelt
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences/Geriatrics, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Caroline Graff
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden.,Unit for Hereditary Dementias, Theme Aging, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Sweden
| | - Thomas D Bird
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Genetics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - C Dirk Keene
- Department of Neuropathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - William W Seeley
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - William F DeGrado
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Stanley B Prusiner
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA. .,Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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11
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Woerman AL, Patel S, Kazmi SA, Oehler A, Lee J, Mordes DA, Olson SH, Prusiner SB. Kinetics of α-synuclein prions preceding neuropathological inclusions in multiple system atrophy. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008222. [PMID: 32017806 PMCID: PMC6999861 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy (MSA), a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by autonomic dysfunction and motor impairment, is caused by the self-templated misfolding of the protein α-synuclein. With no treatment currently available, we sought to characterize the spread of α-synuclein in a transgenic mouse model of MSA prion propagation to support drug discovery programs for synucleinopathies. Brain homogenates from MSA patient samples or mouse-passaged MSA were inoculated either by standard freehand injection or stereotactically into TgM83+/- mice, which express human α-synuclein with the A53T mutation. Following disease onset, brains from the mice were tested for biologically active α-synuclein prions using a cell-based assay and examined for α-synuclein neuropathology. Inoculation studies using homogenates prepared from brain regions lacking detectable α-synuclein neuropathology transmitted neurological disease to mice. Terminal animals contained similar concentrations of α-synuclein prions; however, a time-course study where mice were terminated every five days through disease progression revealed that the kinetics of α-synuclein prion replication in the mice were variable. Stereotactic inoculation into the thalamus reduced variability in disease onset in the mice, although incubation times were consistent with standard inoculations. Using human samples with and without neuropathological lesions, we observed that α-synuclein prion formation precedes neuropathology in the brain, suggesting that disease in patients is not limited to brain regions containing neuropathological lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L. Woerman
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Smita Patel
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Sabeen A. Kazmi
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Abby Oehler
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Jisoo Lee
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Daniel A. Mordes
- C.S. Kubik Laboratory for Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Steven H. Olson
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Stanley B. Prusiner
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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12
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Wang X, Williams D, Müller I, Lemieux M, Dukart R, Maia IBL, Wang H, Woerman AL, Schmitt-Ulms G. Tau interactome analyses in CRISPR-Cas9 engineered neuronal cells reveal ATPase-dependent binding of wild-type but not P301L Tau to non-muscle myosins. Sci Rep 2019; 9:16238. [PMID: 31700063 PMCID: PMC6838314 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52543-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein interactions of Tau are of interest in efforts to decipher pathogenesis in Alzheimer's disease, a subset of frontotemporal dementias, and other tauopathies. We CRISPR-Cas9 edited two human cell lines to generate broadly adaptable models for neurodegeneration research. We applied the system to inducibly express balanced levels of 3-repeat and 4-repeat wild-type or P301L mutant Tau. Following 12-h induction, quantitative mass spectrometry revealed the Parkinson's disease-causing protein DJ-1 and non-muscle myosins as Tau interactors whose binding to Tau was profoundly influenced by the presence or absence of the P301L mutation. The presence of wild-type Tau stabilized non-muscle myosins at higher steady-state levels. Strikingly, in human differentiated co-cultures of neuronal and glial cells, the preferential interaction of non-muscle myosins to wild-type Tau depended on myosin ATPase activity. Consistently, transgenic P301L Tau mice exhibited reduced phosphorylation of regulatory myosin light chains known to activate this ATPase. The direct link of Tau to non-muscle myosins corroborates independently proposed roles of Tau in maintaining dendritic spines and mitochondrial fission biology, two subcellular niches affected early in tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinzhu Wang
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Ontario, M5T 2S8, Canada.,Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Declan Williams
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Ontario, M5T 2S8, Canada.,Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Iris Müller
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Ontario, M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Mackenzie Lemieux
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Ontario, M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Ramona Dukart
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Isabella B L Maia
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Ontario, M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Hansen Wang
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Ontario, M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Amanda L Woerman
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, California, 94158, USA
| | - Gerold Schmitt-Ulms
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Ontario, M5T 2S8, Canada. .,Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada.
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13
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Woerman AL, Oehler A, Kazmi SA, Lee J, Halliday GM, Middleton LT, Gentleman SM, Mordes DA, Spina S, Grinberg LT, Olson SH, Prusiner SB. Multiple system atrophy prions retain strain specificity after serial propagation in two different Tg(SNCA*A53T) mouse lines. Acta Neuropathol 2019; 137:437-454. [PMID: 30690664 PMCID: PMC6454887 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-019-01959-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Previously, we reported that intracranial inoculation of brain homogenate from multiple system atrophy (MSA) patient samples produces neurological disease in the transgenic (Tg) mouse model TgM83+/-, which uses the prion protein promoter to express human α-synuclein harboring the A53T mutation found in familial Parkinson's disease (PD). In our studies, we inoculated MSA and control patient samples into Tg mice constructed using a P1 artificial chromosome to express wild-type (WT), A30P, and A53T human α-synuclein on a mouse α-synuclein knockout background [Tg(SNCA+/+)Nbm, Tg(SNCA*A30P+/+)Nbm, and Tg(SNCA*A53T+/+)Nbm]. In contrast to studies using TgM83+/- mice, motor deficits were not observed by 330-400 days in any of the Tg(SNCA)Nbm mice after inoculation with MSA brain homogenates. However, using a cell-based bioassay to measure α-synuclein prions, we found brain homogenates from Tg(SNCA*A53T+/+)Nbm mice inoculated with MSA patient samples contained α-synuclein prions, whereas control mice did not. Moreover, these α-synuclein aggregates retained the biological and biochemical characteristics of the α-synuclein prions in MSA patient samples. Intriguingly, Tg(SNCA*A53T+/+)Nbm mice developed α-synuclein pathology in neurons and astrocytes throughout the limbic system. This finding is in contrast to MSA-inoculated TgM83+/- mice, which develop exclusively neuronal α-synuclein aggregates in the hindbrain that cause motor deficits with advanced disease. In a crossover experiment, we inoculated TgM83+/- mice with brain homogenate from two MSA patient samples or one control sample first inoculated, or passaged, in Tg(SNCA*A53T+/+)Nbm animals. Additionally, we performed the reverse experiment by inoculating Tg(SNCA*A53T+/+)Nbm mice with brain homogenate from the same two MSA samples and one control sample first passaged in TgM83+/- animals. The TgM83+/- mice inoculated with mouse-passaged MSA developed motor dysfunction and α-synuclein prions, whereas the mouse-passaged control sample had no effect. Similarly, the mouse-passaged MSA samples induced α-synuclein prion formation in Tg(SNCA*A53T+/+)Nbm mice, but the mouse-passaged control sample did not. The confirmed transmission of α-synuclein prions to a second synucleinopathy model and the ability to propagate prions between two distinct mouse lines while retaining strain-specific properties provides compelling evidence that MSA is a prion disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Woerman
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Abby Oehler
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sabeen A Kazmi
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jisoo Lee
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Glenda M Halliday
- Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- School of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, Australia
| | - Lefkos T Middleton
- Ageing Epidemiology Research, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Steve M Gentleman
- Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Daniel A Mordes
- C.S. Kubik Laboratory for Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Salvatore Spina
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lea T Grinberg
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Steven H Olson
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Stanley B Prusiner
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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14
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Woerman AL, Watts JC, Aoyagi A, Giles K, Middleton LT, Prusiner SB. α-Synuclein: Multiple System Atrophy Prions. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2018; 8:cshperspect.a024588. [PMID: 28213437 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a024588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease arising from the misfolding and accumulation of the protein α-synuclein in oligodendrocytes, where it forms glial cytoplasmic inclusions (GCIs). Several years of studying synthetic α-synuclein fibrils has provided critical insight into the ability of α-synuclein to template endogenous protein misfolding, giving rise to fibrillar structures capable of propagating from cell to cell. However, more recent studies with MSA-derived α-synuclein aggregates have shown that they have a similar ability to undergo template-directed propagation, like PrP prions. Almost 20 years after α-synuclein was discovered as the primary component of GCIs, α-synuclein aggregates isolated from MSA patient samples were shown to infect cultured mammalian cells and also to transmit neurological disease to transgenic mice. These findings argue that α-synuclein becomes a prion in MSA patients. In this review, we discuss the in vitro and in vivo data supporting the recent classification of MSA as a prion disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Woerman
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158.,Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Joel C Watts
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Atsushi Aoyagi
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158.,Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited, Tokyo, 140-8710, Japan
| | - Kurt Giles
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158.,Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Lefkos T Middleton
- Neuroepidemiology and Ageing Research Unit, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London W6 8RP, United Kingdom
| | - Stanley B Prusiner
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158.,Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158.,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
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15
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Condello C, Aoyagi A, Stöhr J, Lee JC, Rivera BM, Woerman AL, Halliday GM, Duinen S, Ingelsson M, Lannfelt L, Graff C, Bird TD, Dirk Keene C, Seeley WW, DeGrado WF, Prusiner SB. P4‐233: AGED ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE BRAINS EXHIBIT NUMEROUS Aβ BUT ONLY FEW TAU PRIONS. Alzheimers Dement 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2018.07.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Condello
- University of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoCAUSA
| | - Atsushi Aoyagi
- University of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoCAUSA
- Daiichi Sankyo Co. LtdTokyoJapan
| | - Jan Stöhr
- University of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoCAUSA
- AC Immune SALausanneSwitzerland
| | - Joanne C. Lee
- University of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoCAUSA
| | | | | | - Glenda M. Halliday
- Neuroscience Research Australia and University of New South WalesSydneyAustralia
| | | | | | | | - Caroline Graff
- Center for Alzheimer Research, Division of NeurogeriatricsKarolinska InstitutetHuddingeSweden
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16
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Woerman AL, Kazmi SA, Patel S, Freyman Y, Oehler A, Aoyagi A, Mordes DA, Halliday GM, Middleton LT, Gentleman SM, Olson SH, Prusiner SB. MSA prions exhibit remarkable stability and resistance to inactivation. Acta Neuropathol 2018; 135:49-63. [PMID: 28849371 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-017-1762-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
In multiple system atrophy (MSA), progressive neurodegeneration results from the protein α-synuclein misfolding into a self-templating prion conformation that spreads throughout the brain. MSA prions are transmissible to transgenic (Tg) mice expressing mutated human α-synuclein (TgM83+/-), inducing neurological disease following intracranial inoculation with brain homogenate from deceased patient samples. Noting the similarities between α-synuclein prions and PrP scrapie (PrPSc) prions responsible for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), we investigated MSA transmission under conditions known to result in PrPSc transmission. When peripherally exposed to MSA via the peritoneal cavity, hind leg muscle, and tongue, TgM83+/- mice developed neurological signs accompanied by α-synuclein prions in the brain. Iatrogenic CJD, resulting from PrPSc prion adherence to surgical steel instruments, has been investigated by incubating steel sutures in contaminated brain homogenate before implantation into mouse brain. Mice studied using this model for MSA developed disease, whereas wire incubated in control homogenate had no effect on the animals. Notably, formalin fixation did not inactivate α-synuclein prions. Formalin-fixed MSA patient samples also transmitted disease to TgM83+/- mice, even after incubating in fixative for 244 months. Finally, at least 10% sarkosyl was found to be the concentration necessary to partially inactivate MSA prions. These results demonstrate the robustness of α-synuclein prions to denaturation. Moreover, they establish the parallel characteristics between PrPSc and α-synuclein prions, arguing that clinicians should exercise caution when working with materials that might contain α-synuclein prions to prevent disease.
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17
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Woerman AL, Patel S, Kazmi SA, Oehler A, Freyman Y, Espiritu L, Cotter R, Castaneda JA, Olson SH, Prusiner SB. Kinetics of Human Mutant Tau Prion Formation in the Brains of 2 Transgenic Mouse Lines. JAMA Neurol 2017; 74:1464-1472. [PMID: 29059326 DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2017.2822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Importance Accumulation of the protein tau is a defining characteristic of several neurodegenerative diseases. Thorough assessment of transgenic (Tg) mouse lines that replicate this process is critical for establishing the models used for testing anti-tau therapeutics in vivo. Objective To define a consistent mouse model of disease for use in future compound efficacy studies. Design, Setting, and Participants In this time course study, cohorts of Tg and control mice were euthanized at defined intervals. Collected brains were bisected down the midline. One half was frozen and used to measure the tau prion content, while the other half was fixed for immunostaining with anti-tau antibodies. All mice were maintained at the Hunters Point Animal Facility at the University of California, San Francisco, and all experiments were performed at the Mission Bay Campus of the University of California, San Francisco. Study animals were PS19, homozygous and hemizygous Tg(MAPT*P301S), and B6/J mice. The study dates were August 9, 2010, to October 3, 2016. Main Outcomes and Measures Tau prions were measured using a cell-based assay. Neuropathology was measured by determining the percentage area positive for immunostaining in defined brain regions. A separate cohort of mice was aged until each mouse developed neurological signs as determined by trained animal technicians to assess mortality. Results A total of 1035 mice were used in this time course study. These included PS19 mice (51.2% [126 of 246] male and 48.8% [120 of 246] female), Tg(MAPT*P301S+/+) mice (52.3% [216 of 413] male, 43.8% [181 of 413] female, and 3.9% [16 of 413] undetermined), Tg(MAPT*P301S+/-) mice (51.8% [101 of 195] male and 48.2% [94 of 195] female), and B6/J mice (49.7% [90 of 181] male and 50.3% [91 of 181] female). While considerable interanimal variability in neuropathology, disease onset, and tau prion formation in the PS19 mice was observed, all 3 measures of disease were more uniform in the Tg(MAPT*P301S+/+) mice. Comparing tau prion formation in Tg(MAPT*P301S+/+) mice with B6/J controls, the 95% CIs for the 2 mouse lines diverged before age 5 weeks, and significant (P < .05) neuropathology in the hindbrain of 24-week-old mice was quantifiable. Conclusions and Relevance The assessment of disease progression using 3 criteria showed that disease onset in PS19 mice is too variable to obtain reliable measurements for drug discovery research. However, the reproducibility of tau prion formation in young Tg(MAPT*P301S+/+) mice establishes a rapid assay for compound efficacy in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Woerman
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco.,Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Smita Patel
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Sabeen A Kazmi
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Abby Oehler
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Yevgeniy Freyman
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Lloyd Espiritu
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Robert Cotter
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Julian A Castaneda
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Steven H Olson
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco.,Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Stanley B Prusiner
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco.,Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco.,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco
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Abstract
The experimental study of prions requires a model for their propagation. However, because prions lack nucleic acids, the simple techniques used to replicate bacteria and viruses are not applicable. For much of the history of prion research, time-consuming bioassays in animals were the only option for measuring infectivity. Although cell models and other in vitro tools for the propagation of prions have been developed, they all suffer limitations, and animal bioassays remain the gold standard for measuring infectivity. A wealth of recent data argues that both β-amyloid (Aβ) and tau proteins form prions that cause Alzheimer's disease, and α-synuclein forms prions that cause multiple system atrophy and Parkinson's disease. Cell and animal models that recapitulate some of the key features of cell-to-cell spreading and distinct strains of prions can now be measured.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt Giles
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158.,Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Amanda L Woerman
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158.,Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - David B Berry
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Stanley B Prusiner
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158.,Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158.,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
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Woerman AL, Mendelowitz D. Perinatal sulfur dioxide exposure alters brainstem parasympathetic control of heart rate. Cardiovasc Res 2013; 99:16-23. [PMID: 23504550 PMCID: PMC3687747 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvt057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2012] [Revised: 02/25/2013] [Accepted: 03/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) is an air pollutant that impedes neonatal development and induces adverse cardiorespiratory health effects, including tachycardia. Here, an animal model was developed that enabled characterization of (i) in vivo alterations in heart rate and (ii) altered activity in brainstem neurons that control heart rate after perinatal SO₂ exposure. METHODS AND RESULTS Pregnant Sprague-Dawley dams and their pups were exposed to 5 parts per million SO₂ for 1 h daily throughout gestation and 6 days postnatal. Electrocardiograms were recorded from pups at 5 days postnatal to examine changes in basal and diving reflex-evoked changes in heart rate following perinatal SO₂ exposure. In vitro studies employed whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology to examine changes in neurotransmission to cardiac vagal neurons within the nucleus ambiguus upon SO₂ exposure using a preparation that maintains fictive inspiratory activity recorded from the hypoglossal rootlet. Perinatal SO₂ exposure increased heart rate and blunted the parasympathetic-mediated diving reflex-evoked changes in heart rate. Neither spontaneous nor inspiratory-related inhibitory GABAergic or glycinergic neurotransmission to cardiac vagal neurons was altered by SO₂ exposure. However, excitatory glutamatergic neurotransmission was decreased by 51.2% upon SO₂ exposure. This diminished excitatory neurotransmission was tetrodotoxin-sensitive, indicating SO₂ exposure impaired the activity of preceding glutamatergic neurons that synapse upon cardiac vagal neurons. CONCLUSIONS Diminished glutamatergic, but unaltered inhibitory neurotransmission to cardiac vagal neurons provides a mechanism for the observed SO₂-induced elevated heart rate via an impairment of brainstem cardioinhibitory parasympathetic activity to the heart.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David Mendelowitz
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, The George Washington University, 2300 Eye Street Northwest, Ross Hall 640, Washington, DC 20037, USA
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20
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Abstract
Perinatal sulfur dioxide exposure disrupts parasympathetic regulation of cardiovascular activity. Here, we examine the relative risks of prenatal versus postnatal exposure to the air pollutant and the reversibility of the cardiovascular effects. Two groups of animals were used for this study. For prenatal exposure, pregnant Sprague-Dawley dams were exposed to 5 parts per million sulfur dioxide for 1 hour daily throughout gestation and with their pups after birth to medical-grade air through 6 days postnatal. For postnatal exposure, dams were exposed to air, and after delivery along with their pups to 5 parts per million sulfur dioxide through postnatal day 6. ECGs were recorded from pups on postnatal day 5 to examine changes in heart rate. Whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology was used to examine changes in neurotransmission to cardiac vagal neurons in the nucleus ambiguus on sulfur dioxide exposure. Postnatal sulfur dioxide exposure diminished glutamatergic neurotransmission to cardiac vagal neurons by 40.9% and increased heart rate, whereas prenatal exposure altered neither of these properties. When postnatal exposure concluded on postnatal day 5, excitatory neurotransmission remained decreased through day 6 and returned to basal levels by day 7. ECGs showed that heart rate remained elevated through day 6 and recovered by day 7. On activation of the parasympathetic diving reflex, the response was significantly blunted by postnatal sulfur dioxide exposure through day 7 but recovered by day 8. Postnatal, but not prenatal, exposure to sulfur dioxide can disrupt parasympathetic regulation of cardiovascular activity. Neonates can recover from these effects within 2 to 3 days of discontinued exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Woerman
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, The George Washington University, 2300 Eye St NW, Ross Hall 640, Washington, DC, USA
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21
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Gorini C, Jameson H, Woerman AL, Perry DC, Mendelowitz D. Prenatal nicotine exposure enhances the trigeminocardiac reflex via serotonin receptor facilitation in brainstem pathways. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2013; 115:415-21. [PMID: 23766497 DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00552.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study we used a rat model for prenatal nicotine exposure to test whether clinically relevant concentrations of brain nicotine and cotinine are passed from dams exposed to nicotine to her pups, whether this changes the trigeminocardiac reflex (TCR), and whether serotonergic function in the TCR brainstem circuitry is altered. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley dams were exposed to 6 mg·kg(-1)·day(-1) of nicotine via osmotic minipumps for the duration of pregnancy. Following birth dams and pups were killed, blood was collected, and brain nicotine and cotinine levels were measured. A separate group of prenatal nicotine-exposed pups was used for electrophysiological recordings. A horizontal brainstem slice was obtained by carefully preserving the trigeminal nerve with fluorescent identification of cardiac vagal neurons (CVNs) in the nucleus ambiguus. Stimulation of the trigeminal nerve evoked excitatory postsynaptic current in CVNs. Our data demonstrate that prenatal nicotine exposure significantly exaggerates both the TCR-evoked changes in heart rate in conscious unrestrained pups, and the excitatory neurotransmission to CVNs upon trigeminal afferent nerve stimulation within this brainstem reflex circuit. Application of the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY 100635 (100 μM) and 5-HT2A/C receptor antagonist ketanserin (10 μM)significantly decreased neurotransmission, indicating an increased facilitation of 5-HT function in prenatal nicotine-exposed animals. Prenatal nicotine exposure enhances activation of 5-HT receptors and exaggerates the trigeminocardiac reflex.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Gorini
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, USA.
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Woerman AL, Mendelowitz D. Perinatal Sulfur Dioxide Exposure Alters Brainstem Parasympathetic Control of Heart Rate. FASEB J 2013. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.1135.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Woerman
- Pharmacology & PhysiologyGeorge Washington UniversityWashingtonDC
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Boychuk CR, Woerman AL, Mendelowitz D. Modulation of bulbospinal rostral ventral lateral medulla neurons by hypoxia/hypercapnia but not medullary respiratory activity. Hypertension 2012; 60:1491-7. [PMID: 23108653 DOI: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.112.197954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Although sympathetic vasomotor discharge has respiratory modulation, the site(s) responsible for this cardiorespiratory interaction is unknown. One likely source for this coupling is the rostral ventral lateral medulla (RVLM), where presympathetic neurons originate in close apposition to respiratory neurons. The current study tested the hypothesis that RVLM bulbospinal neurons are modulated by medullary respiratory network activity using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiological recordings of RVLM neurons while simultaneously recording fictive respiratory bursting activity from the hypoglossal rootlet. Additionally, we examined whether challenges to cardiorespiratory function, mainly hypoxia/hypercapnia, alter the activity of bulbospinal neurons and, secondarily, whether changes in synaptic input mediate these responses. Surprisingly, our results indicate that inspiratory-related activity did not modulate glutamatergic, γ-aminobutyric acid-ergic, or glycinergic synaptic events or spontaneous action potential firing in these RVLM neurons. However, hypoxia/hypercapnia reversibly decreased the frequency of γ-aminobutyric acid and glycine inhibitory postsynaptic currents. Glycinergic inhibitory postsynaptic current frequency was depressed from the fifth through the 10th minute, whereas the depression of γ-aminobutyric acid-ergic events became significant only at the 10th minute of hypoxia/hypercapnia. On the basis of spontaneous firing activity, there were 2 populations of RVLM bulbospinal neurons. The firing frequency of low-discharging RVLM neurons was facilitated by hypoxia/hypercapnia, and this increase depended on reduced inhibitory neurotransmission. The firing frequency in RVLM neurons with high-discharge rates was inhibited, independent of synaptic input, by hypoxia/hypercapnia. This article demonstrates that sympathetic-respiratory coupling is not active in the neonatal brain stem slice, and reductions in inhibitory neurotransmission to low spontaneously active bulbospinal RVLM neurons are responsible for hypoxia/hypercapnia-elicited increases in activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carie R Boychuk
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, USA
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Sherman RA, Woerman AL, Karstetter KW. Comparative effectiveness of videothermography, contact thermography, and infrared beam thermography for scanning relative skin temperature. J Rehabil Res Dev 1996; 33:377-86. [PMID: 8895132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Videothermography (Video TRM), infrared beam thermography (IRTHRM), and contact thermography (Contact TRM) are utilized to detect asymmetries in temperatures between paired limbs. This information is controversially used in many diagnostic procedures in rehabilitation medicine. In this study, the effectiveness of the above techniques for scanning skin heat patterns and detecting asymmetries is compared. The skin over both lower limbs was imaged with each technique sequentially on 139 male and 15 female patients reporting lower limb pain. Images were also made of an electronic heat producer in order to determine relative accuracy. Contact TRM was unable to accurately image many areas with curved surfaces and was unable to produce accurate recordings when several sensors with differing temperature ranges had to be used on the same subject. It was also relatively inaccurate when imaging the heat producer. Video TRM was easy to use and produced excellent recordings but was difficult to transport. IRTHRM used in conjunction with a grid map of the body was the simplest and least expensive system to use for scanning and was as accurate as Video TRM.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A Sherman
- US Army, Department of Clinical Investigation, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA 98431-5001, USA
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Abstract
The utility of shock-absorbing boot and sneaker inserts for reducing the occurrence of lower limb pain among male US Army basic trainees was evaluated. Every other training unit was given inserts. The inserts were issued prior to the start of training when combat boots and sneakers were fitted. According to post-training questionnaires and the participants' medical records, the inserts did not have any preventive effect on occurrence of lower limb problems during training. Five hundred seventeen trainees were issued inserts, 397 were followed but not issued inserts, and 218 were not issued but purchased them on their own. Thirty-eight percent of those issued inserts had lower limb pain problems compared with 29% of those not issued inserts and 38% of those who bought their own. There was no statistical difference between these rates of occurrence. Prior to training, there were minor differences between the groups' scores on physical fitness test scores and run times. These differences disappeared during training so that there were no differences among the groups on either training or clinical variables during or after basic training.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A Sherman
- Orthopedic Surgery Service, Madigan Army Medical Center, Fort Lewis, WA 98431, USA
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