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Yang F, Beltran-Lobo P, Sung K, Goldrick C, Croft CL, Nishimura A, Hedges E, Mahiddine F, Troakes C, Golde TE, Perez-Nievas BG, Hanger DP, Noble W, Jimenez-Sanchez M. Reactive astrocytes secrete the chaperone HSPB1 to mediate neuroprotection. Sci Adv 2024; 10:eadk9884. [PMID: 38507480 PMCID: PMC10954207 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk9884] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Molecular chaperones are protective in neurodegenerative diseases by preventing protein misfolding and aggregation, such as extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular tau neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In addition, AD is characterized by an increase in astrocyte reactivity. The chaperone HSPB1 has been proposed as a marker for reactive astrocytes; however, its astrocytic functions in neurodegeneration remain to be elucidated. Here, we identify that HSPB1 is secreted from astrocytes to exert non-cell-autonomous protective functions. We show that in human AD brain, HSPB1 levels increase in astrocytes that cluster around amyloid plaques, as well as in the adjacent extracellular space. Moreover, in conditions that mimic an inflammatory reactive response, astrocytes increase HSPB1 secretion. Concomitantly, astrocytes and neurons can uptake astrocyte-secreted HSPB1, which is accompanied by an attenuation of the inflammatory response in reactive astrocytes and reduced pathological tau inclusions. Our findings highlight a protective mechanism in disease conditions that encompasses the secretion of a chaperone typically regarded as intracellular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangjia Yang
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Paula Beltran-Lobo
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Katherine Sung
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Caoimhe Goldrick
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Cara L. Croft
- UK Dementia Research Institute, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Centre for Neuroscience, Surgery and Trauma, Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Agnes Nishimura
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Erin Hedges
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Farah Mahiddine
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Claire Troakes
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX, UK
- London Neurodegenerative Diseases Brain Bank, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Todd E. Golde
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Department of Neurology, Emory Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Beatriz G. Perez-Nievas
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Diane P. Hanger
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Wendy Noble
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX, UK
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Maria Jimenez-Sanchez
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX, UK
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Utton MA, Noble WJ, Hill JE, Anderton BH, Hanger DP. Expression of Concern: Molecular motors implicated in the axonal transport of tau and α-synuclein. J Cell Sci 2024; 137:jcs261985. [PMID: 38345345 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.261985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
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3
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Marzi SJ, Schilder BM, Nott A, Frigerio CS, Willaime-Morawek S, Bucholc M, Hanger DP, James C, Lewis PA, Lourida I, Noble W, Rodriguez-Algarra F, Sharif JA, Tsalenchuk M, Winchester LM, Yaman Ü, Yao Z, Ranson JM, Llewellyn DJ. Artificial intelligence for neurodegenerative experimental models. Alzheimers Dement 2023; 19:5970-5987. [PMID: 37768001 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13479] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Experimental models are essential tools in neurodegenerative disease research. However, the translation of insights and drugs discovered in model systems has proven immensely challenging, marred by high failure rates in human clinical trials. METHODS Here we review the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in experimental medicine for dementia research. RESULTS Considering the specific challenges of reproducibility and translation between other species or model systems and human biology in preclinical dementia research, we highlight best practices and resources that can be leveraged to quantify and evaluate translatability. We then evaluate how AI and ML approaches could be applied to enhance both cross-model reproducibility and translation to human biology, while sustaining biological interpretability. DISCUSSION AI and ML approaches in experimental medicine remain in their infancy. However, they have great potential to strengthen preclinical research and translation if based upon adequate, robust, and reproducible experimental data. HIGHLIGHTS There are increasing applications of AI in experimental medicine. We identified issues in reproducibility, cross-species translation, and data curation in the field. Our review highlights data resources and AI approaches as solutions. Multi-omics analysis with AI offers exciting future possibilities in drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Marzi
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Brian M Schilder
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Alexi Nott
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | | | - Magda Bucholc
- School of Computing, Engineering & Intelligent Systems, Ulster University, Derry, UK
| | - Diane P Hanger
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | - Patrick A Lewis
- Royal Veterinary College, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | | | - Wendy Noble
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | | | - Jalil-Ahmad Sharif
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Maria Tsalenchuk
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Ümran Yaman
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London, UK
| | | | | | - David J Llewellyn
- University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
- Alan Turing Institute, London, UK
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4
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Beltran-Lobo P, Hughes MM, Troakes C, Croft CL, Rupawala H, Jutzi D, Ruepp MD, Jimenez-Sanchez M, Perkinton MS, Kassiou M, Golde TE, Hanger DP, Verkhratsky A, Perez-Nievas BG, Noble W. P2X 7R influences tau aggregate burden in human tauopathies and shows distinct signalling in microglia and astrocytes. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 114:414-429. [PMID: 37716378 PMCID: PMC10896738 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.09.011] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The purinoceptor P2X7R is a promising therapeutic target for tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Pharmacological inhibition or genetic knockdown of P2X7R ameliorates cognitive deficits and reduces pathological tau burden in mice that model aspects of tauopathy, including mice expressing mutant human frontotemporal dementia (FTD)-causing forms of tau. However, disagreements remain over which glial cell types express P2X7R and therefore the mechanism of action is unresolved. Here, we show that P2X7R protein levels increase in human AD post-mortem brain, in agreement with an upregulation of P2RX7 mRNA observed in transcriptome profiles from the AMP-AD consortium. P2X7R protein increases mirror advancing Braak stage and coincide with synapse loss. Using RNAScope we detect P2RX7 mRNA in microglia and astrocytes in human AD brain, including in the vicinity of senile plaques. In cultured microglia, P2X7R activation modulates the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway by promoting the formation of active complexes and release of IL-1β. In astrocytes, P2X7R activates NFκB signalling and increases production of the cytokines CCL2, CXCL1 and IL-6 together with the acute phase protein Lcn2. To further explore the role of P2X7R in a disease-relevant context, we expressed wild-type or FTD-causing mutant forms of tau in mouse organotypic brain slice cultures. Inhibition of P2X7R reduces insoluble tau levels without altering soluble tau phosphorylation or synaptic localisation, suggesting a non-cell autonomous role of glial P2X7R on pathological tau aggregation. These findings support further investigations into the cell-type specific effects of P2X7R-targeting therapies in tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Beltran-Lobo
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Martina M Hughes
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Claire Troakes
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX, UK; London Neurodegenerative Diseases Brain Bank, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Cara L Croft
- UK Dementia Research Institute, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK; The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Huzefa Rupawala
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Daniel Jutzi
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Marc-David Ruepp
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Maria Jimenez-Sanchez
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX, UK
| | | | - Michael Kassiou
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Todd E Golde
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Department of Neurology, Emory Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Diane P Hanger
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Alexei Verkhratsky
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Achucarro Center for Neuroscience, IKERBASQUE, 48011 Bilbao, Spain; Department of Forensic Analytical Toxicology, School of Forensic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang, China; Department of Stem Cell Biology, State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, LT-01102 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Beatriz G Perez-Nievas
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX, UK.
| | - Wendy Noble
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RX, UK; University of Exeter, Department of Clinical and Biomedical Science, Hatherly Laboratories, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter EX4 4PS, UK.
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5
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Lyu C, Da Vela S, Al-Hilaly Y, Marshall KE, Thorogate R, Svergun D, Serpell LC, Pastore A, Hanger DP. Corrigendum: The disease associated Tau35 fragment has an increased propensity to aggregate compared to full-length tau. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1276677. [PMID: 37790876 PMCID: PMC10542890 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1276677] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.779240.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Lyu
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stefano Da Vela
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg Site, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Youssra Al-Hilaly
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Karen E. Marshall
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Thorogate
- London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dmitri Svergun
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg Site, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Louise C. Serpell
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Annalisa Pastore
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Diane P. Hanger
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
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Noble W, Hanger DP. Trimming away tau in neurodegeneration. Science 2023; 381:377-378. [PMID: 37499007 DOI: 10.1126/science.adj0256] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Tau quality control by tripartite motif 11 (TRIM11) protects neurons in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diane P Hanger
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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Pollack SJ, Dakkak D, Guo T, Gómez‐Suaga P, Noble W, Hanger DP. The presence of disease‐associated tau leads to adverse effects on the autophagy and endolysosomal pathway in a cell model of tauopathy. Alzheimers Dement 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/alz.063630] [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: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Saskia J Pollack
- King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience London United Kingdom
| | - Dina Dakkak
- King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience London United Kingdom
| | - Tong Guo
- King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience London United Kingdom
| | - Patricia Gómez‐Suaga
- King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience London United Kingdom
| | - Wendy Noble
- King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience London United Kingdom
| | - Diane P Hanger
- King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience London United Kingdom
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Groves EE, Sung K, Flores‐Dominguez D, Pollack SJ, Croft CL, Golde TE, Hanger DP, McAdam R, Giese KP, Noble W. Investigating the functional significance of presynaptic tau in ageing and disease. Alzheimers Dement 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/alz.065852] [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: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emily E Groves
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience; King’s College London London United Kingdom
| | - Katherine Sung
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience; King’s College London London United Kingdom
| | - Diana Flores‐Dominguez
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience; King’s College London London United Kingdom
| | - Saskia J Pollack
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience; King’s College London London United Kingdom
| | - Cara L Croft
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London London United Kingdom
| | - Todd E Golde
- University of Florida College of Medicine Gainesville FL USA
| | - Diane P Hanger
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience; King’s College London London United Kingdom
| | - Robyn McAdam
- AstraZeneca, R&D Biopharmaceuticals Cambridge United Kingdom
| | - Karl Peter Giese
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience; King’s College London London United Kingdom
| | - Wendy Noble
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience; King’s College London London United Kingdom
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Goniotaki D, Tamagnini F, Biasetti L, Rumpf SL, Troakes C, Pollack SJ, Ukwesa S, Sun H, Serpell L, Noble W, Staras K, Hanger DP. HCN channelopathy couples disease-associated tau to synaptic dysfunction. Alzheimers Dement 2022. [PMID: 34971152 DOI: 10.1002/alz.058346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deficits in synaptic function and neurite connectivity are early correlates of tauopathies. Altered tau processing and mis-localization coincide with reductions in synapse density and synaptic function, suggesting a causal role for tau in disease pathogenesis. In parallel, altered activity of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels, involved in synaptic integration, is implicated in disease progression in animal models of tauopathy. However, the mechanisms underlying these pathological events are not fully understood. METHODS We performed histological and biochemical analyses of hippocampal tissues from Alzheimer's disease (AD), age-matched controls and Tau35 mice, in which a human tauopathy-associated tau fragment is minimally expressed. Image analysis and quantification were performed on antibody-labelled human and mouse hippocampal sections (Visiopharm). Brain tissue from Tau35 and wild-type (WT) mice was also examined on western blots, by Golgi-Cox staining and transmission electron microscopy. Primary hippocampal neurons from Tau35 and WT mice were transfected with a plasmid expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) and imaged up to 14 days in vitro. Three-dimensional digital reconstruction of dendrites and spines enabled morphological analysis of eGFP-expressing neurons. In parallel, patch-clamp recordings were performed to assess functional changes and HCN channel activity in Tau35 neurons. RESULTS Here we show that HCN channels are functionally linked to tau abnormalities. Alterations in HCN channel expression are detected in both Tau35 mouse and human post-mortem AD brain. Tau35 neurons exhibit altered synaptic cytoarchitecture, including progressive reductions in dendritic branching, pre-synaptic vesicles, spine density and synaptic markers, along with the development of tau pathology. These changes are accompanied by functional abnormalities in network activity, including increased HCN-dependent sag voltage, reduced frequency and slower kinetics of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents. CONCLUSIONS Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that disease-associated tau species impact on HCN channels to drive network-wide structural and functional synaptic deficits, with significant therapeutic relevance for tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Despoina Goniotaki
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Svenja-Lotta Rumpf
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | - Claire Troakes
- King's College London, MRC London Neurodegenerative Diseases Brain Bank, London, United Kingdom
| | - Saskia J Pollack
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | - Shalom Ukwesa
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | - Haoyue Sun
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | - Louise Serpell
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Wendy Noble
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Diane P Hanger
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
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10
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Pollack SJ, Dakkak D, Guo T, Gómez-Suaga P, Noble W, Hanger DP. Autophagy and lysosomal defects in cells expressing disease-associated tau. Alzheimers Dement 2022. [PMID: 34971173 DOI: 10.1002/alz.058299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intracellular accumulation of insoluble tau is an important hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related tauopathies. We have previously identified in human tauopathy brain a truncated tau species (Tau35), comprising the C-terminal half with four microtubule-binding repeats. Minimal Tau35 expression in transgenic mice results in a progressive tauopathy phenotype including tau phosphorylation and aggregation, cognitive and behavioural abnormalities and impaired protein clearance. The autophagy-lysosomal pathway (ALP) plays a crucial role in the clearance of protein aggregates and defects in ALP are associated with the pathogenesis of AD. We sought to explore the effect of Tau35 expression on the ALP and whether autophagy is disrupted due to lysosomal dysfunction. METHOD Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells stably expressing Tau35 (CHO-Tau35) or full-length human 2N4R tau (CHO-FL) were generated. Primary cortical neurons from Tau35 transgenic and wild-type mice were cultured for 14 days in vitro(DIV) and brain homogenates were prepared from mice aged 4 and 12 months. The effect of Tau35 on the ALP was examined using immunofluorescence and western blots. RESULT Nuclear translocation of transcription factor EB (TFEB), a key mediator of lysosomal biogenesis, was significantly reduced in both CHO-FL and CHO-Tau35 cells. However, only CHO-Tau35 cells exhibited disrupted mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activity and autophagic flux. Expression of ALP markers, including LC3-I/II, LAMP1, LAMP2 and cathepsin D, were also reduced in CHO-Tau35 cells. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that N-terminally cleaved tau damages both lysosomal clearance of cellular proteins and lysosomal biogenesis. The Tau35-expressing cultured neurons will provide a useful tool to explore molecular mechanisms underlying tau-induced lysosomal dysfunction, which may lead to the identification of novel therapeutic targets for dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskia J Pollack
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dina Dakkak
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tong Guo
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | - Patricia Gómez-Suaga
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | - Wendy Noble
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | - Diane P Hanger
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
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11
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Pollack SJ, Dakkak D, Guo T, Gómez‐Suaga P, Noble W, Hanger DP. Defects in the autophagy lysosomal pathway in a cell model of disease‐associated tau. Alzheimers Dement 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/alz.051303] [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: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Saskia J Pollack
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience London United Kingdom
| | - Dina Dakkak
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience London United Kingdom
| | - Tong Guo
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience London United Kingdom
| | - Patricia Gómez‐Suaga
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience London United Kingdom
| | - Wendy Noble
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience London United Kingdom
| | - Diane P Hanger
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience London United Kingdom
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12
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Lyu C, Da Vela S, Al-Hilaly Y, Marshall KE, Thorogate R, Svergun D, Serpell LC, Pastore A, Hanger DP. The Disease Associated Tau35 Fragment has an Increased Propensity to Aggregate Compared to Full-Length Tau. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:779240. [PMID: 34778381 PMCID: PMC8581542 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.779240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau35 is a truncated form of tau found in human brain in a subset of tauopathies. Tau35 expression in mice recapitulates key features of human disease, including progressive increase in tau phosphorylation, along with cognitive and motor dysfunction. The appearance of aggregated tau suggests that Tau35 may have structural properties distinct from those of other tau species that could account for its pathological role in disease. To address this hypothesis, we performed a structural characterization of monomeric and aggregated Tau35 and compared the results to those of two longer isoforms, 2N3R and 2N4R tau. We used small angle X-ray scattering to show that Tau35, 2N3R and 2N4R tau all behave as disordered monomeric species but Tau35 exhibits higher rigidity. In the presence of the poly-anion heparin, Tau35 increases thioflavin T fluorescence significantly faster and to a greater extent than full-length tau, demonstrating a higher propensity to aggregate. By using atomic force microscopy, circular dichroism, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray fiber diffraction, we provide evidence that Tau35 aggregation is mechanistically and morphologically similar to previously reported tau fibrils but they are more densely packed. These data increase our understanding of the aggregation inducing properties of clinically relevant tau fragments and their potentially damaging role in the pathogenesis of human tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Lyu
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stefano Da Vela
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg Site, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Youssra Al-Hilaly
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Karen E. Marshall
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Thorogate
- London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dmitri Svergun
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg Site, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Louise C. Serpell
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Annalisa Pastore
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Diane P. Hanger
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
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13
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Motoi Y, Hanger DP, Hasegawa M. Editorial: Tau Propagation Mechanisms: Cell Models, Animal Models, and Beyond. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:456. [PMID: 32508569 PMCID: PMC7248213 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yumiko Motoi
- Department of Diagnosis, Prevention and Treatment of Dementia, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Diane P Hanger
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Masato Hasegawa
- Department of Dementia and Higher Brain Function, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
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14
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Glennon EB, Lau DHW, Gabriele RMC, Taylor MF, Troakes C, Opie-Martin S, Elliott C, Killick R, Hanger DP, Perez-Nievas BG, Noble W. Bridging Integrator-1 protein loss in Alzheimer's disease promotes synaptic tau accumulation and disrupts tau release. Brain Commun 2020; 2. [PMID: 32500121 PMCID: PMC7272218 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaa011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Polymorphisms associated with BIN1 (bridging integrator 1) confer the second greatest risk for developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The biological consequences of this genetic variation are not fully understood; however, BIN1 is a binding partner for tau. Tau is normally a highly soluble cytoplasmic protein, but in Alzheimer’s disease, tau is abnormally phosphorylated and accumulates at synapses to exert synaptotoxicity. The purpose of this study was to determine whether alterations in BIN1 and tau in Alzheimer’s disease promote the damaging redistribution of tau to synapses, as a mechanism by which BIN1 polymorphisms may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. We show that BIN1 is lost from the cytoplasmic fraction of Alzheimer’s disease cortex, and this is accompanied by the progressive mislocalization of phosphorylated tau to synapses. We confirmed proline 216 in tau as critical for tau interaction with the BIN1-SH3 domain and showed that the phosphorylation of tau disrupts this binding, suggesting that tau phosphorylation in Alzheimer’s disease disrupts tau–BIN1 associations. Moreover, we show that BIN1 knockdown in rat primary neurons to mimic BIN1 loss in Alzheimer’s disease brain causes the damaging accumulation of phosphorylated tau at synapses and alterations in dendritic spine morphology. We also observed reduced release of tau from neurons upon BIN1 silencing, suggesting that BIN1 loss disrupts the function of extracellular tau. Together, these data indicate that polymorphisms associated with BIN1 that reduce BIN1 protein levels in the brain likely act synergistically with increased tau phosphorylation to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by disrupting cytoplasmic tau–BIN1 interactions, promoting the damaging mis-sorting of phosphorylated tau to synapses to alter synapse structure and reducing the release of physiological forms of tau to disrupt tau function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth B Glennon
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX. UK
| | - Dawn H-W Lau
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX. UK
| | - Rebecca M C Gabriele
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX. UK
| | - Matthew F Taylor
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX. UK
| | - Claire Troakes
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX. UK.,King's College London, MRC London Neurodegenerative Diseases Brain Bank, London, UK
| | - Sarah Opie-Martin
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX. UK
| | - Christina Elliott
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Old Age Psychiatry, 5 Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX. UK
| | - Richard Killick
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Old Age Psychiatry, 5 Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX. UK
| | - Diane P Hanger
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX. UK
| | - Beatriz G Perez-Nievas
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX. UK
| | - Wendy Noble
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 5 Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX. UK
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15
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy Noble
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Maria Jimenez-Sanchez
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | - Diane P Hanger
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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16
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Guo T, Dakkak D, Rodriguez-Martin T, Noble W, Hanger DP. A pathogenic tau fragment compromises microtubules, disrupts insulin signaling and induces the unfolded protein response. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2019; 7:2. [PMID: 30606258 PMCID: PMC6318896 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-018-0651-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Human tauopathies including Alzheimer’s disease, progressive supranuclear palsy and related disorders, are characterized by deposition of pathological forms of tau, synaptic dysfunction and neuronal loss. We have previously identified a pathogenic C-terminal tau fragment (Tau35) that is associated with human tauopathy. However, it is not known how tau fragmentation affects critical molecular processes in cells and contributes to impaired physiological function. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and new CHO cell lines stably expressing Tau35 or full-length human tau were used to compare the effects of disease-associated tau cleavage on tau function and signaling pathways. Western blots, microtubule-binding assays and immunofluorescence labeling were used to examine the effects of Tau35 on tau function and on signaling pathways in CHO cells. We show that Tau35 undergoes aberrant phosphorylation when expressed in cells. Although Tau35 contain the entire microtubule-binding region, the lack of the amino terminal half of tau results in a marked reduction in microtubule binding and defective microtubule organization in cells. Notably, Tau35 attenuates insulin-mediated activation of Akt and a selective inhibitory phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3. Moreover, Tau35 activates ribosomal protein S6 kinase beta-1 signaling and the unfolded protein response, leading to insulin resistance in cells. Tau35 has deleterious effects on signaling pathways that mediate pathological changes and insulin resistance, suggesting a mechanism through which N-terminal cleavage of tau leads to the development and progression of tau pathology in human tauopathy. Our findings highlight the importance of the N-terminal region of tau for its normal physiological function. Furthermore, we show that pathogenic tau cleavage induces tau phosphorylation, resulting in impaired microtubule binding, disruption of insulin signaling and activation of the unfolded protein response. Since insulin resistance is a feature of several tauopathies, this work suggests new potential targets for therapeutic intervention.
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17
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Lionnet A, Wade MA, Corbillé AG, Prigent A, Paillusson S, Tasselli M, Gonzales J, Durieu E, Rolli-Derkinderen M, Coron E, Duchalais E, Neunlist M, Perkinton MS, Hanger DP, Noble W, Derkinderen P. Characterisation of tau in the human and rodent enteric nervous system under physiological conditions and in tauopathy. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2018; 6:65. [PMID: 30037345 PMCID: PMC6055332 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-018-0568-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau is normally a highly soluble phosphoprotein found predominantly in neurons. Six different isoforms of tau are expressed in the adult human CNS. Under pathological conditions, phosphorylated tau aggregates are a defining feature of neurodegenerative disorders called tauopathies. Recent findings have suggested a potential role of the gut-brain axis in CNS homeostasis, and therefore we set out to examine the isoform profile and phosphorylation state of tau in the enteric nervous system (ENS) under physiological conditions and in tauopathies. Surgical specimens of human colon from controls, Parkinson's disease (PD) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) patients were analyzed by Western Blot and immunohistochemistry using a panel of anti-tau antibodies. We found that adult human ENS primarily expresses two tau isoforms, localized in the cell bodies and neuronal processes. We did not observe any difference in the enteric tau isoform profile and phosphorylation state between PSP, PD and control subjects. The htau mouse model of tauopathy also expressed two main isoforms of human tau in the ENS, and there were no apparent differences in ENS tau localization or phosphorylation between wild-type and htau mice. Tau in both human and mouse ENS was found to be phosphorylated but poorly susceptible to dephosphorylation with lambda phosphatase. To investigate ENS tau phosphorylation further, primary cultures from rat enteric neurons, which express four isoforms of tau, were pharmacologically manipulated to show that ENS tau phosphorylation state can be regulated, at least in vitro. Our study is the first to characterize tau in the rodent and human ENS. As a whole, our findings provide a basis to unravel the functions of tau in the ENS and to further investigate the possibility of pathological changes in enteric neuropathies and tauopathies.
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18
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Giacomini C, Koo CY, Yankova N, Tavares IA, Wray S, Noble W, Hanger DP, Morris JDH. A new TAO kinase inhibitor reduces tau phosphorylation at sites associated with neurodegeneration in human tauopathies. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2018; 6:37. [PMID: 29730992 PMCID: PMC5937037 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-018-0539-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related tauopathies, the microtubule-associated protein tau is highly phosphorylated and aggregates to form neurofibrillary tangles that are characteristic of these neurodegenerative diseases. Our previous work has demonstrated that the thousand-and-one amino acid kinases (TAOKs) 1 and 2 phosphorylate tau on more than 40 residues in vitro. Here we show that TAOKs are phosphorylated and active in AD brain sections displaying mild (Braak stage II), intermediate (Braak stage IV) and advanced (Braak stage VI) tau pathology and that active TAOKs co-localise with both pre-tangle and tangle structures. TAOK activity is also enriched in pathological tau containing sarkosyl-insoluble extracts prepared from AD brain. Two new phosphorylated tau residues (T123 and T427) were identified in AD brain, which appear to be targeted specifically by TAOKs. A new small molecule TAOK inhibitor (Compound 43) reduced tau phosphorylation on T123 and T427 and also on additional pathological sites (S262/S356 and S202/T205/S208) in vitro and in cell models. The TAOK inhibitor also decreased tau phosphorylation in differentiated primary cortical neurons without affecting markers of synapse and neuron health. Notably, TAOK activity also co-localised with tangles in post-mortem frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) brain tissue. Furthermore, the TAOK inhibitor decreased tau phosphorylation in induced pluripotent stem cell derived neurons from FTLD patients, as well as cortical neurons from a transgenic mouse model of tauopathy (Tau35 mice). Our results demonstrate that abnormal TAOK activity is present at pre-tangles and tangles in tauopathies and that TAOK inhibition effectively decreases tau phosphorylation on pathological sites. Thus, TAOKs may represent a novel target to reduce or prevent tau-associated neurodegeneration in tauopathies.
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19
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Sanz-Blasco S, Bordone MP, Damianich A, Gomez G, Bernardi MA, Isaja L, Taravini IR, Hanger DP, Avale ME, Gershanik OS, Ferrario JE. The Kinase Fyn As a Novel Intermediate in L-DOPA-Induced Dyskinesia in Parkinson's Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2017; 55:5125-5136. [PMID: 28840468 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-017-0748-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [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: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Dopamine replacement therapy with L-DOPA is the treatment of choice for Parkinson's disease; however, its long-term use is frequently associated with L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID). Many molecules have been implicated in the development of LID, and several of these have been proposed as potential therapeutic targets. However, to date, none of these molecules have demonstrated full clinical efficacy, either because they lie downstream of dopaminergic signaling, or due to adverse side effects. Therefore, discovering new strategies to reduce LID in Parkinson's disease remains a major challenge. Here, we have explored the tyrosine kinase Fyn, as a novel intermediate molecule in the development of LID. Fyn, a member of the Src kinase family, is located in the postsynaptic density, where it regulates phosphorylation of the NR2B subunit of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor in response to dopamine D1 receptor stimulation. We have used Fyn knockout and wild-type mice, lesioned with 6-hydroxydopamine and chronically treated with L-DOPA, to investigate the role of Fyn in the induction of LID. We found that mice lacking Fyn displayed reduced LID, ΔFosB accumulation and NR2B phosphorylation compared to wild-type control mice. Pre-administration of saracatinib (AZD0530), an inhibitor of Fyn activity, also significantly reduced LID in dyskinetic wild-type mice. These results support that Fyn has a critical role in the molecular pathways affected during the development of LID and identify Fyn as a novel potential therapeutic target for the management of dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Sanz-Blasco
- Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956, Buenos Aires, C1113AAD, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA), CONICET - Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1113AAD, Argentina
| | - Melina P Bordone
- Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956, Buenos Aires, C1113AAD, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA), CONICET - Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1113AAD, Argentina
| | - Ana Damianich
- Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956, Buenos Aires, C1113AAD, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA), CONICET - Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1113AAD, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI), "Dr. Héctor N. Torres", CONICET, Buenos Aires, C1428ADN, Argentina
| | - Gimena Gomez
- Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956, Buenos Aires, C1113AAD, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA), CONICET - Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1113AAD, Argentina
| | - M Alejandra Bernardi
- Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956, Buenos Aires, C1113AAD, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA), CONICET - Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1113AAD, Argentina
| | - Luciana Isaja
- Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956, Buenos Aires, C1113AAD, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA), CONICET - Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1113AAD, Argentina
| | - Irene R Taravini
- Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956, Buenos Aires, C1113AAD, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA), CONICET - Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1113AAD, Argentina.,Facultad de Bromatología, Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos, Gualeguaychu, 2820, Entre Ríos, Argentina
| | - Diane P Hanger
- Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London , London, SE5 9NU, UK
| | - M Elena Avale
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI), "Dr. Héctor N. Torres", CONICET, Buenos Aires, C1428ADN, Argentina
| | - Oscar S Gershanik
- Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956, Buenos Aires, C1113AAD, Argentina. .,Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA), CONICET - Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1113AAD, Argentina.
| | - Juan E Ferrario
- Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956, Buenos Aires, C1113AAD, Argentina. .,Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA), CONICET - Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1113AAD, Argentina.
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20
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Tamagnini F, Walsh DA, Brown JT, Bondulich MK, Hanger DP, Randall AD. Hippocampal neurophysiology is modified by a disease-associated C-terminal fragment of tau protein. Neurobiol Aging 2017; 60:44-56. [PMID: 28917666 PMCID: PMC5654728 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Revised: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The accumulation of cleaved tau fragments in the brain is associated with several tauopathies. For this reason, we recently developed a transgenic mouse that selectively accumulates a C-Terminal 35 kDa human tau fragment (Tau35). These animals develop progressive motor and spatial memory impairment, paralleled by increased hippocampal glycogen synthase kinase 3β activity. In this neurophysiological study, we focused on the CA1 subfield of the hippocampus, a brain area involved in memory encoding. The accumulation of Tau35 results in a significant increase of short-term facilitation of the synaptic response in the theta frequency range (10 Hz), without affecting basal synaptic transmission and long-term synaptic plasticity. Tau35 expression also alters the intrinsic excitability of CA1 pyramidal neurons. Thus, Tau35 presence is associated with increased and decreased excitability at hyperpolarized and depolarized potentials, respectively. These observations are paralleled by a hyperpolarization of the voltage-sensitivity of noninactivating K+ currents. Further investigation is needed to assess the causal link between such functional alterations and the cognitive and motor impairments previously observed in this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Tamagnini
- Institute of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
| | - Darren A Walsh
- Institute of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Jon T Brown
- Institute of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Marie K Bondulich
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, UK
| | - Diane P Hanger
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, UK
| | - Andrew D Randall
- Institute of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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21
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Giacomini C, Noble W, Hanger DP, Morris JDH. [P1–223]: FUNCTIONAL ROLES FOR TAOK KINASES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF TAU PATHOLOGY IN ALZHEIMER's DISEASE. Alzheimers Dement 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2017.06.043] [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: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Diane P. Hanger
- King's College LondonInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology & NeuroscienceLondonUnited Kingdom
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22
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Paillusson S, Gomez-Suaga P, Stoica R, Little D, Gissen P, Devine MJ, Noble W, Hanger DP, Miller CCJ. α-Synuclein binds to the ER-mitochondria tethering protein VAPB to disrupt Ca 2+ homeostasis and mitochondrial ATP production. Acta Neuropathol 2017; 134:129-149. [PMID: 28337542 PMCID: PMC5486644 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-017-1704-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 241] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.4] [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: 08/11/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
α-Synuclein is strongly linked to Parkinson’s disease but the molecular targets for its toxicity are not fully clear. However, many neuronal functions damaged in Parkinson’s disease are regulated by signalling between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria. This signalling involves close physical associations between the two organelles that are mediated by binding of the integral ER protein vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated protein B (VAPB) to the outer mitochondrial membrane protein, protein tyrosine phosphatase-interacting protein 51 (PTPIP51). VAPB and PTPIP51 thus act as a scaffold to tether the two organelles. Here we show that α-synuclein binds to VAPB and that overexpression of wild-type and familial Parkinson’s disease mutant α-synuclein disrupt the VAPB-PTPIP51 tethers to loosen ER–mitochondria associations. This disruption to the VAPB-PTPIP51 tethers is also seen in neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells from familial Parkinson’s disease patients harbouring pathogenic triplication of the α-synuclein gene. We also show that the α-synuclein induced loosening of ER–mitochondria contacts is accompanied by disruption to Ca2+ exchange between the two organelles and mitochondrial ATP production. Such disruptions are likely to be particularly damaging to neurons that are heavily dependent on correct Ca2+ signaling and ATP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Paillusson
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5 Cutcombe road, London, SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Patricia Gomez-Suaga
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5 Cutcombe road, London, SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Radu Stoica
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5 Cutcombe road, London, SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Daniel Little
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Paul Gissen
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Michael J Devine
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Wendy Noble
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5 Cutcombe road, London, SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Diane P Hanger
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5 Cutcombe road, London, SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Christopher C J Miller
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5 Cutcombe road, London, SE5 9RX, UK.
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23
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Abstract
Tau is well established as a microtubule-associated protein in neurons. However, under pathological conditions, aberrant assembly of tau into insoluble aggregates is accompanied by synaptic dysfunction and neural cell death in a range of neurodegenerative disorders, collectively referred to as tauopathies. Recent advances in our understanding of the multiple functions and different locations of tau inside and outside neurons have revealed novel insights into its importance in a diverse range of molecular pathways including cell signalling, synaptic plasticity, and regulation of genomic stability. The present review describes the physiological and pathophysiological properties of tau and how these relate to its distribution and functions in neurons. We highlight the post-translational modifications of tau, which are pivotal in defining and modulating tau localisation and its roles in health and disease. We include discussion of other pathologically relevant changes in tau, including mutation and aggregation, and how these aspects impinge on the propensity of tau to propagate, and potentially drive neuronal loss, in diseased brain. Finally, we describe the cascade of pathological events that may be driven by tau dysfunction, including impaired axonal transport, alterations in synapse and mitochondrial function, activation of the unfolded protein response and defective protein degradation. It is important to fully understand the range of neuronal functions attributed to tau, since this will provide vital information on its involvement in the development and pathogenesis of disease. Such knowledge will enable determination of which critical molecular pathways should be targeted by potential therapeutic agents developed for the treatment of tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Guo
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Wendy Noble
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Diane P Hanger
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK.
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24
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Gomez-Suaga P, Paillusson S, Stoica R, Noble W, Hanger DP, Miller CCJ. The ER-Mitochondria Tethering Complex VAPB-PTPIP51 Regulates Autophagy. Curr Biol 2017; 27:371-385. [PMID: 28132811 PMCID: PMC5300905 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.12.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 262] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Revised: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 12/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondria form close physical associations with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that regulate a number of physiological functions. One mechanism by which regions of ER are recruited to mitochondria involves binding of the ER protein VAPB to the mitochondrial protein PTPIP51, which act as scaffolds to tether the two organelles. Here, we show that the VAPB-PTPIP51 tethers regulate autophagy. We demonstrate that overexpression of VAPB or PTPIP51 to tighten ER-mitochondria contacts impairs, whereas small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated loss of VAPB or PTPIP51 to loosen contacts stimulates, autophagosome formation. Moreover, we show that expression of a synthetic linker protein that artificially tethers ER and mitochondria also reduces autophagosome formation, and that this artificial tether rescues the effects of siRNA loss of VAPB or PTPIP51 on autophagy. Thus, these effects of VAPB and PTPIP51 manipulation on autophagy are a consequence of their ER-mitochondria tethering function. Interestingly, we discovered that tightening of ER-mitochondria contacts by overexpression of VAPB or PTPIP51 impairs rapamycin- and torin 1-induced, but not starvation-induced, autophagy. This suggests that the regulation of autophagy by ER-mitochondria signaling is at least partly dependent upon the nature of the autophagic stimulus. Finally, we demonstrate that the mechanism by which the VAPB-PTPIP51 tethers regulate autophagy involves their role in mediating delivery of Ca2+ to mitochondria from ER stores. Thus, our findings reveal a new molecular mechanism for regulating autophagy. Loosening ER-mitochondria contacts by loss of VAPB-PTPIP51 stimulates autophagy Tightening ER-mitochondria contacts by increased VAPB-PTPIP51 inhibits autophagy Artificial ER-mitochondria tethers rescue VAPB-PTPIP51 loss effects on autophagy The effects of VAPB-PTPIP51 involve their role in ER-mitochondria Ca2+ delivery
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Gomez-Suaga
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Sebastien Paillusson
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Radu Stoica
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Wendy Noble
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Diane P Hanger
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Christopher C J Miller
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9RX, UK.
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25
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Stoica R, Paillusson S, Gomez-Suaga P, Mitchell JC, Lau DH, Gray EH, Sancho RM, Vizcay-Barrena G, De Vos KJ, Shaw CE, Hanger DP, Noble W, Miller CC. ALS/FTD-associated FUS activates GSK-3β to disrupt the VAPB-PTPIP51 interaction and ER-mitochondria associations. EMBO Rep 2016; 17:1326-42. [PMID: 27418313 PMCID: PMC5007559 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201541726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 187] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Defective FUS metabolism is strongly associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia (ALS/FTD), but the mechanisms linking FUS to disease are not properly understood. However, many of the functions disrupted in ALS/FTD are regulated by signalling between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria. This signalling is facilitated by close physical associations between the two organelles that are mediated by binding of the integral ER protein VAPB to the outer mitochondrial membrane protein PTPIP51, which act as molecular scaffolds to tether the two organelles. Here, we show that FUS disrupts the VAPB–PTPIP51 interaction and ER–mitochondria associations. These disruptions are accompanied by perturbation of Ca2+ uptake by mitochondria following its release from ER stores, which is a physiological read‐out of ER–mitochondria contacts. We also demonstrate that mitochondrial ATP production is impaired in FUS‐expressing cells; mitochondrial ATP production is linked to Ca2+ levels. Finally, we demonstrate that the FUS‐induced reductions to ER–mitochondria associations and are linked to activation of glycogen synthase kinase‐3β (GSK‐3β), a kinase already strongly associated with ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radu Stoica
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Sébastien Paillusson
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Patricia Gomez-Suaga
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Jacqueline C Mitchell
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Dawn Hw Lau
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Emma H Gray
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Rosa M Sancho
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
| | | | - Kurt J De Vos
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Christopher E Shaw
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Diane P Hanger
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Wendy Noble
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Christopher Cj Miller
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
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Hughes MM, Perez-Nievas BG, Troakes C, Perkinton M, Hanger DP, Noble W. P1‐155: Post‐Mortem Brain Tissue Characterisation of Inflammatory and Pathological Hallmarks of Alzheimer’s Disease During Disease Progression. Alzheimers Dement 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2016.06.903] [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: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martina M. Hughes
- Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King's College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Claire Troakes
- Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King's College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
- King's College London MRC London Neurodegenerative Diseases Brain BankLondonUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Diane P. Hanger
- Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King's College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Wendy Noble
- Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King's College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
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27
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Bondulich MK, Guo T, Meehan C, Manion J, Rodriguez Martin T, Mitchell JC, Hortobagyi T, Yankova N, Stygelbout V, Brion JP, Noble W, Hanger DP. Tauopathy induced by low level expression of a human brain-derived tau fragment in mice is rescued by phenylbutyrate. Brain 2016; 139:2290-306. [PMID: 27297240 PMCID: PMC4958900 DOI: 10.1093/brain/aww137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2015] [Accepted: 05/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Human neurodegenerative tauopathies exhibit pathological tau aggregates in the brain along with diverse clinical features including cognitive and motor dysfunction. Post-translational modifications including phosphorylation, ubiquitination and truncation, are characteristic features of tau present in the brain in human tauopathy. We have previously reported an N-terminally truncated form of tau in human brain that is associated with the development of tauopathy and is highly phosphorylated. We have generated a new mouse model of tauopathy in which this human brain-derived, 35 kDa tau fragment (Tau35) is expressed in the absence of any mutation and under the control of the human tau promoter. Most existing mouse models of tauopathy overexpress mutant tau at levels that do not occur in human neurodegenerative disease, whereas Tau35 transgene expression is equivalent to less than 10% of that of endogenous mouse tau. Tau35 mice recapitulate key features of human tauopathies, including aggregated and abnormally phosphorylated tau, progressive cognitive and motor deficits, autophagic/lysosomal dysfunction, loss of synaptic protein, and reduced life-span. Importantly, we found that sodium 4-phenylbutyrate (Buphenyl®), a drug used to treat urea cycle disorders and currently in clinical trials for a range of neurodegenerative diseases, reverses the observed abnormalities in tau and autophagy, behavioural deficits, and loss of synapsin 1 in Tau35 mice. Our results show for the first time that, unlike other tau transgenic mouse models, minimal expression of a human disease-associated tau fragment in Tau35 mice causes a profound and progressive tauopathy and cognitive changes, which are rescued by pharmacological intervention using a clinically approved drug. These novel Tau35 mice therefore represent a highly disease-relevant animal model in which to investigate molecular mechanisms and to develop novel treatments for human tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie K Bondulich
- 1 King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 125 Coldharbour Lane, London SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Tong Guo
- 1 King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 125 Coldharbour Lane, London SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Christopher Meehan
- 1 King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 125 Coldharbour Lane, London SE5 9NU, UK
| | - John Manion
- 1 King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 125 Coldharbour Lane, London SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Teresa Rodriguez Martin
- 1 King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 125 Coldharbour Lane, London SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Jacqueline C Mitchell
- 1 King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 125 Coldharbour Lane, London SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Tibor Hortobagyi
- 1 King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 125 Coldharbour Lane, London SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Natalia Yankova
- 1 King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 125 Coldharbour Lane, London SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Virginie Stygelbout
- 2 Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology (CP 620), ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculty of Medicine 808, route de Lennik, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jean-Pierre Brion
- 2 Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology (CP 620), ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculty of Medicine 808, route de Lennik, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Wendy Noble
- 1 King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 125 Coldharbour Lane, London SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Diane P Hanger
- 1 King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 125 Coldharbour Lane, London SE5 9NU, UK
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28
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Kurbatskaya K, Phillips EC, Croft CL, Dentoni G, Hughes MM, Wade MA, Al-Sarraj S, Troakes C, O’Neill MJ, Perez-Nievas BG, Hanger DP, Noble W. Upregulation of calpain activity precedes tau phosphorylation and loss of synaptic proteins in Alzheimer's disease brain. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2016; 4:34. [PMID: 27036949 PMCID: PMC4818436 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-016-0299-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Alterations in calcium homeostasis are widely reported to contribute to synaptic degeneration and neuronal loss in Alzheimer’s disease. Elevated cytosolic calcium concentrations lead to activation of the calcium-sensitive cysteine protease, calpain, which has a number of substrates known to be abnormally regulated in disease. Analysis of human brain has shown that calpain activity is elevated in AD compared to controls, and that calpain-mediated proteolysis regulates the activity of important disease-associated proteins including the tau kinases cyclin-dependent kinase 5 and glycogen kinase synthase-3. Here, we sought to investigate the likely temporal association between these changes during the development of sporadic AD using Braak staged post-mortem brain. Quantification of protein amounts in these tissues showed increased activity of calpain-1 from Braak stage III onwards in comparison to controls, extending previous findings that calpain-1 is upregulated at end-stage disease, and suggesting that activation of calcium-sensitive signalling pathways are sustained from early stages of disease development. Increases in calpain-1 activity were associated with elevated activity of the endogenous calpain inhibitor, calpastatin, itself a known calpain substrate. Activation of the tau kinases, glycogen-kinase synthase-3 and cyclin-dependent kinase 5 were also found to occur in Braak stage II-III brain, and these preceded global elevations in tau phosphorylation and the loss of post-synaptic markers. In addition, we identified transient increases in total amyloid precursor protein and pre-synaptic markers in Braak stage II-III brain, that were lost by end stage Alzheimer's disease, that may be indicative of endogenous compensatory responses to the initial stages of neurodegeneration. These findings provide insight into the molecular events that underpin the progression of Alzheimer's disease, and further highlight the rationale for investigating novel treatment strategies that are based on preventing abnormal calcium homeostasis or blocking increases in the activity of calpain or important calpain substrates.
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Gilley J, Ando K, Seereeram A, Rodríguez-Martín T, Pooler AM, Sturdee L, Anderton BH, Brion JP, Hanger DP, Coleman MP. Mislocalization of neuronal tau in the absence of tangle pathology in phosphomutant tau knockin mice. Neurobiol Aging 2015; 39:1-18. [PMID: 26923397 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 06/24/2015] [Revised: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 11/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Hyperphosphorylation and fibrillar aggregation of the microtubule-associated protein tau are key features of Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. To investigate the involvement of tau phosphorylation in the pathological process, we generated a pair of complementary phosphomutant tau knockin mouse lines. One exclusively expresses phosphomimetic tau with 18 glutamate substitutions at serine and/or threonine residues in the proline-rich and first microtubule-binding domains to model hyperphosphorylation, whereas its phosphodefective counterpart has matched alanine substitutions. Consistent with expected effects of genuine phosphorylation, association of the phosphomimetic tau with microtubules and neuronal membranes is severely disrupted in vivo, whereas the phosphodefective mutations have more limited or no effect. Surprisingly, however, age-related mislocalization of tau is evident in both lines, although redistribution appears more widespread and more pronounced in the phosphomimetic tau knockin. Despite these changes, we found no biochemical or immunohistological evidence of pathological tau aggregation in mice of either line up to at least 2 years of age. These findings raise important questions about the role of tau phosphorylation in driving pathology in human tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Gilley
- Signalling Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Kunie Ando
- Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology, Faculty of Medicine, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussells, Belgium
| | - Anjan Seereeram
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience (PO37), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Teresa Rodríguez-Martín
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience (PO37), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Amy M Pooler
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience (PO37), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Laura Sturdee
- Signalling Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Brian H Anderton
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience (PO37), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jean-Pierre Brion
- Laboratory of Histology, Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology, Faculty of Medicine, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussells, Belgium
| | - Diane P Hanger
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience (PO37), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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30
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Rodríguez-Martín T, Pooler AM, Lau DHW, Mórotz GM, De Vos KJ, Gilley J, Coleman MP, Hanger DP. Reduced number of axonal mitochondria and tau hypophosphorylation in mouse P301L tau knockin neurons. Neurobiol Dis 2015; 85:1-10. [PMID: 26459111 PMCID: PMC4684147 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2015.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Revised: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Expression of the frontotemporal dementia-related tau mutation, P301L, at physiological levels in adult mouse brain (KI-P301L mice) results in overt hypophosphorylation of tau and age-dependent alterations in axonal mitochondrial transport in peripheral nerves. To determine the effects of P301L tau expression in the central nervous system, we examined the kinetics of mitochondrial axonal transport and tau phosphorylation in primary cortical neurons from P301L knock-in (KI-P301L) mice. We observed a significant 50% reduction in the number of mitochondria in the axons of cortical neurons cultured from KI-P301L mice compared to wild-type neurons. Expression of murine P301L tau did not change the speed, direction of travel or likelihood of movement of mitochondria. Notably, the angle that defines the orientation of the mitochondria in the axon, and the volume of individual moving mitochondria, were significantly increased in neurons expressing P301L tau. We found that murine tau phosphorylation in KI-P301L mouse neurons was diminished and the ability of P301L tau to bind to microtubules was also reduced compared to tau in wild-type neurons. The P301L mutation did not influence the ability of murine tau to associate with membranes in cortical neurons or in adult mouse brain. We conclude that P301L tau is associated with mitochondrial changes and causes an early reduction in murine tau phosphorylation in neurons coupled with impaired microtubule binding of tau. These results support the association of mutant tau with detrimental effects on mitochondria and will be of significance for the pathogenesis of tauopathies. Expression of P301L tau reduces the number of axonal mitochondria in mice. Motile mitochondria exhibit increased volume in axons of neurons with P301L tau. P301L tau expressed in knockin mice is hypophosphorylated. The P301L tau mutation impairs microtubule binding but does not affect tau membrane localization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Rodríguez-Martín
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, London, SE5 9NU, UK.
| | - Amy M Pooler
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, London, SE5 9NU, UK.
| | - Dawn H W Lau
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, London, SE5 9NU, UK.
| | - Gábor M Mórotz
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, London, SE5 9NU, UK.
| | - Kurt J De Vos
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, London, SE5 9NU, UK.
| | - Jonathan Gilley
- Signalling Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK.
| | - Michael P Coleman
- Signalling Programme, The Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK.
| | - Diane P Hanger
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, London, SE5 9NU, UK.
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Phillips EC, Garwood CJ, Hanger DP, Noble W. P1‐116: ASTROCYTE ACTIVATION INFLUENCES THE DEVELOPMENT OF TAUOPATHY. Alzheimers Dement 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2014.05.353] [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: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emma C. Phillips
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Diane P. Hanger
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Wendy Noble
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
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32
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Lau DH, Pooler AM, Noble W, Hanger DP. P1‐115: IDENTIFICATION OF THE BINDING SITE BETWEEN TAU AND FYN: CONSEQUENCES FOR TAU RELEASE? Alzheimers Dement 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2014.05.352] [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: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dawn H.W. Lau
- King's College London, Institute of PsychiatryLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Amy M. Pooler
- King's College London, Institute of PsychiatryLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Wendy Noble
- King's College London, Institute of PsychiatryLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Diane P. Hanger
- King's College London, Institute of PsychiatryLondonUnited Kingdom
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Hanger DP, Lau DH, Phillips EC, Bondulich MK, Guo T, Woodward BW, Pooler AM, Noble W. Intracellular and Extracellular Roles for Tau in Neurodegenerative Disease. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 40 Suppl 1:S37-45. [DOI: 10.3233/jad-132054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Diane P. Hanger
- Department of Neuroscience, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
| | - Dawn H.W. Lau
- Department of Neuroscience, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
| | - Emma C. Phillips
- Department of Neuroscience, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
| | - Marie K. Bondulich
- Department of Neuroscience, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
| | - Tong Guo
- Department of Neuroscience, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
| | - Benjamin W. Woodward
- Department of Neuroscience, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
| | - Amy M. Pooler
- Department of Neuroscience, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
| | - Wendy Noble
- Department of Neuroscience, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
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Atherton J, Kurbatskaya K, Bondulich M, Croft CL, Garwood CJ, Chhabra R, Wray S, Jeromin A, Hanger DP, Noble W. Calpain cleavage and inactivation of the sodium calcium exchanger-3 occur downstream of Aβ in Alzheimer's disease. Aging Cell 2014; 13:49-59. [PMID: 23919677 PMCID: PMC4326873 DOI: 10.1111/acel.12148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/28/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by pathological deposits of β-amyloid (Aβ) in senile plaques, intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) comprising hyperphosphorylated aggregated tau, synaptic dysfunction and neuronal death. Substantial evidence indicates that disrupted neuronal calcium homeostasis is an early event in AD that could mediate synaptic dysfunction and neuronal toxicity. Sodium calcium exchangers (NCXs) play important roles in regulating intracellular calcium, and accumulating data suggests that reduced NCX function, following aberrant proteolytic cleavage of these exchangers, may contribute to neurodegeneration. Here, we show that elevated calpain, but not caspase-3, activity is a prominent feature of AD brain. In addition, we observe increased calpain-mediated cleavage of NCX3, but not a related family member NCX1, in AD brain relative to unaffected tissue and that from other neurodegenerative conditions. Moreover, the extent of NCX3 proteolysis correlated significantly with amounts of Aβ1-42. We also show that exposure of primary cortical neurons to oligomeric Aβ1-42 results in calpain-dependent cleavage of NCX3, and we demonstrate that loss of NCX3 function is associated with Aβ toxicity. Our findings suggest that Aβ mediates calpain cleavage of NCX3 in AD brain and therefore that reduced NCX3 activity could contribute to the sustained increases in intraneuronal calcium concentrations that are associated with synaptic and neuronal dysfunction in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joe Atherton
- Institute of Psychiatry; Department of Neuroscience; King's College London; London SE5 8AF UK
| | - Ksenia Kurbatskaya
- Institute of Psychiatry; Department of Neuroscience; King's College London; London SE5 8AF UK
| | - Marie Bondulich
- Institute of Psychiatry; Department of Neuroscience; King's College London; London SE5 8AF UK
| | - Cara L. Croft
- Institute of Psychiatry; Department of Neuroscience; King's College London; London SE5 8AF UK
| | - Claire J. Garwood
- Institute of Psychiatry; Department of Neuroscience; King's College London; London SE5 8AF UK
| | - Resham Chhabra
- Institute of Psychiatry; Department of Neuroscience; King's College London; London SE5 8AF UK
| | - Selina Wray
- Institute of Psychiatry; Department of Neuroscience; King's College London; London SE5 8AF UK
| | - Andreas Jeromin
- NextGenSciences Dx; 155 Federal Street Suite 700 Boston MA 02110 USA
| | - Diane P. Hanger
- Institute of Psychiatry; Department of Neuroscience; King's College London; London SE5 8AF UK
| | - Wendy Noble
- Institute of Psychiatry; Department of Neuroscience; King's College London; London SE5 8AF UK
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35
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Povellato G, Tuxworth RI, Hanger DP, Tear G. Modification of the Drosophila model of in vivo Tau toxicity reveals protective phosphorylation by GSK3β. Biol Open 2014; 3:1-11. [PMID: 24429107 PMCID: PMC3892155 DOI: 10.1242/bio.20136692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2013] [Accepted: 10/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Hyperphosphorylation of the microtubule associated protein, Tau, is the hallmark of a group of neurodegenerative disorders known as the tauopathies which includes Alzheimer's disease. Precisely how and why Tau phosphorylation is increased in disease is not fully understood, nor how individual sites modify Tau function. Several groups have used the Drosophila visual system as an in vivo model to examine how the toxicity of Tau varies with phosphorylation status. This system relies on overexpression of Tau from transgenes but is susceptible to position effects altering expression and activity of the transgenes. We have refined the system by eliminating position effects through the use of site-specific integration. By standardising Tau expression levels we have been able to compare directly the toxicity of different isoforms of Tau and Tau point mutants that abolish important phosphorylation events. We have also examined the importance of human kinases in modulating Tau toxicity in vivo. We were able to confirm that human GSK3β phosphorylates Tau and increases toxicity but, unexpectedly, we identified that preventing phosphorylation of Ser404 is a protective event. When phosphorylation at this site is prevented, Tau toxicity in the Drosophila visual system is increased in the presence of GSK3β. Our data suggest that not all phosphorylation events on Tau are associated with toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Povellato
- MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, New Hunt's House, Guy's Hospital Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Richard I. Tuxworth
- MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, New Hunt's House, Guy's Hospital Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
- School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Birmingham, The Medical School, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Diane P. Hanger
- Department of Neuroscience, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Guy Tear
- MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, New Hunt's House, Guy's Hospital Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK
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Pooler AM, Noble W, Hanger DP. A role for tau at the synapse in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. Neuropharmacology 2014; 76 Pt A:1-8. [PMID: 24076336 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [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: 05/14/2013] [Revised: 09/06/2013] [Accepted: 09/07/2013] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by brain deposition of amyloid plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles along with steady cognitive decline. Although the mechanism by which AD pathogenesis occurs is unclear, accumulating evidence suggests that dysfunction and loss of synaptic connections may be an early event underlying disease progression. Profound synapse degeneration is observed in AD, and the density of these connections strongly correlates with cognitive ability. Initial investigations into AD-related synaptic changes focused on the toxic effects of amyloid. However, recent research suggests an emerging role for tau at the synapse. Even in the absence of tangles, mice overexpressing human tau display significant synaptic degeneration, suggesting that soluble, oligomeric tau is the synaptotoxic species. However, the localization of tau within synapses in both healthy and AD brains indicates that tau might play a role in normal synaptic function, which may be disrupted in disease. Tau is able to impact synaptic activity in several ways: studies show tau interacting directly with post-synaptic signaling complexes, regulating glutamatergic receptor content in dendritic spines, and influencing targeting and function of synaptic mitochondria. Early trials of tau-targeted immunotherapy reduce tau pathology and synapse loss, indicating that the toxic effects of tau may be reversible within a certain time frame. Understanding the role of tau in both normal and degenerating synapses is crucial for the development of therapeutic strategies designed to ameliorate synapse loss and prevent AD pathogenesis. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'The Synaptic Basis of Neurodegenerative Disorders'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Pooler
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience (PO37), De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
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Abstract
Fibrillar deposits of highly phosphorylated tau are a key pathological feature of several neurodegenerative tauopathies including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and some frontotemporal dementias. Increasing evidence suggests that the presence of these end-stage neurofibrillary lesions do not cause neuronal loss, but rather that alterations to soluble tau proteins induce neurodegeneration. In particular, aberrant tau phosphorylation is acknowledged to be a key disease process, influencing tau structure, distribution, and function in neurons. Although typically described as a cytosolic protein that associates with microtubules and regulates axonal transport, several additional functions of tau have recently been demonstrated, including roles in DNA stabilization, and synaptic function. Most recently, studies examining the trans-synaptic spread of tau pathology in disease models have suggested a potential role for extracellular tau in cell signaling pathways intrinsic to neurodegeneration. Here we review the evidence showing that tau phosphorylation plays a key role in neurodegenerative tauopathies. We also comment on the tractability of altering phosphorylation-dependent tau functions for therapeutic intervention in AD and related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy Noble
- Department of Neuroscience, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry , London , UK
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Rodríguez-Martín T, Cuchillo-Ibáñez I, Noble W, Nyenya F, Anderton BH, Hanger DP. Tau phosphorylation affects its axonal transport and degradation. Neurobiol Aging 2013; 34:2146-57. [PMID: 23601672 PMCID: PMC3684773 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2013.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [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: 09/11/2012] [Revised: 02/15/2013] [Accepted: 03/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Phosphorylated forms of microtubule-associated protein tau accumulate in neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease. To investigate the effects of specific phosphorylated tau residues on its function, wild type or phosphomutant tau was expressed in cells. Elevated tau phosphorylation decreased its microtubule binding and bundling, and increased the number of motile tau particles, without affecting axonal transport kinetics. In contrast, reducing tau phosphorylation enhanced the amount of tau bound to microtubules and inhibited axonal transport of tau. To determine whether differential tau clearance is responsible for the increase in phosphomimic tau, we inhibited autophagy in neurons which resulted in a 3-fold accumulation of phosphomimic tau compared with wild type tau, and endogenous tau was unaffected. In autophagy-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts, but not in neurons, proteasomal degradation of phosphomutant tau was also reduced compared with wild type tau. Therefore, autophagic and proteasomal pathways are involved in tau degradation, with autophagy appearing to be the primary route for clearing phosphorylated tau in neurons. Defective autophagy might contribute to the accumulaton of tau in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Tavares IA, Touma D, Lynham S, Troakes C, Schober M, Causevic M, Garg R, Noble W, Killick R, Bodi I, Hanger DP, Morris JDH. Prostate-derived sterile 20-like kinases (PSKs/TAOKs) phosphorylate tau protein and are activated in tangle-bearing neurons in Alzheimer disease. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:15418-29. [PMID: 23585562 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.448183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [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: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
In Alzheimer disease (AD), the microtubule-associated protein tau is highly phosphorylated and aggregates into characteristic neurofibrillary tangles. Prostate-derived sterile 20-like kinases (PSKs/TAOKs) 1 and 2, members of the sterile 20 family of kinases, have been shown to regulate microtubule stability and organization. Here we show that tau is a good substrate for PSK1 and PSK2 phosphorylation with mass spectrometric analysis of phosphorylated tau revealing more than 40 tau residues as targets of these kinases. Notably, phosphorylated residues include motifs located within the microtubule-binding repeat domain on tau (Ser-262, Ser-324, and Ser-356), sites that are known to regulate tau-microtubule interactions. PSK catalytic activity is enhanced in the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus, areas of the brain that are most susceptible to Alzheimer pathology, in comparison with the cerebellum, which is relatively spared. Activated PSK is associated with neurofibrillary tangles, dystrophic neurites surrounding neuritic plaques, neuropil threads, and granulovacuolar degeneration bodies in AD brain. By contrast, activated PSKs and phosphorylated tau are rarely detectible in immunostained control human brain. Our results demonstrate that tau is a substrate for PSK and suggest that this family of kinases could contribute to the development of AD pathology and dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignatius A Tavares
- Division of Cancer Studies, King's College London, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 1UL, London
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Pooler AM, Phillips EC, Lau DHW, Noble W, Hanger DP. Physiological release of endogenous tau is stimulated by neuronal activity. EMBO Rep 2013; 14:389-94. [PMID: 23412472 PMCID: PMC3615658 DOI: 10.1038/embor.2013.15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 439] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.9] [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: 01/23/2013] [Accepted: 01/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
This report provides evidence that stimulation of neuronal activity, or AMPA receptor activation, induces tau release from cortical neurons via a calcium-dependent mechanism. Dysregulation of this process could lead to the spread of tau pathology in disease. Propagation of tau pathology is linked with progressive neurodegeneration, but the mechanism underlying trans-synaptic spread of tau is unknown. We show that stimulation of neuronal activity, or AMPA receptor activation, induces tau release from healthy, mature cortical neurons. Notably, phosphorylation of extracellular tau appears reduced in comparison with intracellular tau. We also find that AMPA-induced release of tau is calcium-dependent. Blocking pre-synaptic vesicle release by tetanus toxin and inhibiting neuronal activity with tetrodotoxin both significantly impair AMPA-mediated tau release. Tau secretion is therefore a regulatable process, dysregulation of which could lead to the spread of tau pathology in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Pooler
- Department of Neuroscience (PO37), King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London SE5 8AF, UK
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Richet E, Pooler AM, Rodriguez T, Novoselov SS, Schmidtke G, Groettrup M, Hanger DP, Cheetham ME, van der Spuy J. NUB1 modulation of GSK3β reduces tau aggregation. Hum Mol Genet 2012; 21:5254-67. [DOI: 10.1093/hmg/dds376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
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Hanger DP, Noble W. Functional implications of glycogen synthase kinase-3-mediated tau phosphorylation. Int J Alzheimers Dis 2011; 2011:352805. [PMID: 21776376 PMCID: PMC3139124 DOI: 10.4061/2011/352805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [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: 04/15/2011] [Accepted: 05/06/2011] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau is primarily a neuronal microtubule-associated protein that has functions related to the stabilisation of microtubules. Phosphorylation of tau is an important dynamic and regulatory element involved in the binding of tau to tubulin. Thus, highly phosphorylated tau is more likely to be present in the cytosolic compartment of neurons, whereas reduced phosphate burden allows tau to bind to and stabilise the microtubule cytoskeleton. Highly phosphorylated forms of tau are deposited in the brain in a range of neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and frontotemporal lobar degeneration associated with Pick bodies. A key candidate kinase for both physiological and pathological tau phosphorylation is glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3). Multiple phosphorylation sites have been identified on tau exposed to GSK-3 in vitro and in cells. In this review, we highlight recent data suggesting a role for GSK-3 activity on physiological tau function and on tau dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane P Hanger
- Department of Neuroscience (P037), MRC Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
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Usardi A, Pooler AM, Seereeram A, Reynolds CH, Derkinderen P, Anderton B, Hanger DP, Noble W, Williamson R. Tyrosine phosphorylation of tau regulates its interactions with Fyn SH2 domains, but not SH3 domains, altering the cellular localization of tau. FEBS J 2011; 278:2927-37. [PMID: 21692989 DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2011.08218.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Recent reports have demonstrated that interactions between the microtubule-associated protein tau and the nonreceptor tyrosine kinase Fyn play a critical role in mediating synaptic toxicity and neuronal loss in response to β-amyloid (Aβ) in models of Alzheimer's disease. Disruption of interactions between Fyn and tau may thus have the potential to protect neurons from Aβ-induced neurotoxicity. Here, we investigated tau and Fyn interactions and the potential implications for positioning of these proteins in membrane microdomains. Tau is known to bind to Fyn via its Src-homology (SH)3 domain, an association regulated by phosphorylation of PXXP motifs in tau. Here, we show that Pro216 within the PXXP(213-216) motif in tau plays an important role in mediating the interaction of tau with Fyn-SH3. We also show that tau interacts with the SH2 domain of Fyn, and that this association, unlike that of Fyn-SH3, is influenced by Fyn-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of tau. In particular, phosphorylation of tau at Tyr18, a reported target of Fyn, is important for mediating Fyn-SH2-tau interactions. Finally, we show that tyrosine phosphorylation influences the localization of tau to detergent-resistant membrane microdomains in primary cortical neurons, and that this trafficking is Fyn-dependent. These findings may have implications for the development of novel therapeutic strategies aimed at disrupting the tau/Fyn-mediated synaptic dysfunction that occurs in response to elevated Aβ levels in neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Usardi
- Department of Neuroscience, MRC Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK
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Garwood CJ, Pooler AM, Atherton J, Hanger DP, Noble W. Astrocytes are important mediators of Aβ-induced neurotoxicity and tau phosphorylation in primary culture. Cell Death Dis 2011; 2:e167. [PMID: 21633390 PMCID: PMC3168992 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2011.50] [Citation(s) in RCA: 256] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [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: 12/20/2010] [Revised: 04/11/2011] [Accepted: 05/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is pathologically characterised by the age-dependent deposition of β-amyloid (Aβ) in senile plaques, intraneuronal accumulation of tau as neurofibrillary tangles, synaptic dysfunction and neuronal death. Neuroinflammation, typified by the accumulation of activated microglia and reactive astrocytes, is believed to modulate the development and/or progression of AD. We have used primary rat neuronal, astrocytic and mixed cortical cultures to investigate the contribution of astrocyte-mediated inflammatory responses during Aβ-induced neuronal loss. We report that the presence of small numbers of astrocytes exacerbate Aβ-induced neuronal death, caspase-3 activation and the production of caspase-3-cleaved tau. Furthermore, we show that astrocytes are essential for the Aβ-induced tau phosphorylation observed in primary neurons. The release of soluble inflammatory factor(s) from astrocytes accompanies these events, and inhibition of astrocyte activation with the anti-inflammatory agent, minocycline, reduces astrocytic inflammatory responses and the associated neuronal loss. Aβ-induced increases in caspase-3 activation and the production of caspase-3-truncated tau species in neurons were reduced when the astrocytic response was attenuated with minocycline. Taken together, these results show that astrocytes are important mediators of the neurotoxic events downstream of elevated Aβ in models of AD, and suggest that mechanisms underlying pro-inflammatory cytokine release might be an important target for therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- C J Garwood
- Department of Neuroscience, King's College London, MRC Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
| | - A M Pooler
- Department of Neuroscience, King's College London, MRC Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
| | - J Atherton
- Department of Neuroscience, King's College London, MRC Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
| | - D P Hanger
- Department of Neuroscience, King's College London, MRC Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
| | - W Noble
- Department of Neuroscience, King's College London, MRC Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and some frontotemporal dementias, are neurodegenerative diseases characterised by pathological lesions comprised of tau protein. There is currently a significant and urgent unmet need for disease-modifying therapies for these conditions and recently attention has turned to tau as a potential target for intervention. AREAS COVERED: Increasing evidence has highlighted pathways associated with tau-mediated neurodegeneration as important targets for drug development. Here, the authors review recently published papers in this area and summarise the genetic and pharmacological approaches that have shown efficacy in reducing tau-associated neurodegeneration. These include the use of agents to prevent abnormal tau processing and increase tau clearance, therapies targeting the immune system, and the manipulation of tau pre-mRNA to modify tau isoform expression. EXPERT OPINION: Several small molecule tau-based treatments are currently being assessed in clinical trials, the outcomes of which are eagerly awaited. Current evidence suggests that therapies targeting tau are likely, at least in part, to form the basis of an effective and safe treatment for Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative disorders in which tau deposition is evident.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy Noble
- MRC Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, Department of Neuroscience (P037), King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK. Tel: +44 20 7848 0578.
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Pooler AM, Usardi A, Evans CJ, Philpott KL, Noble W, Hanger DP. Dynamic association of tau with neuronal membranes is regulated by phosphorylation. Neurobiol Aging 2011; 33:431.e27-38. [PMID: 21388709 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2011.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2010] [Revised: 12/10/2010] [Accepted: 01/15/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Tau is an abundant cytosolic protein which regulates cytoskeletal stability by associating with microtubules in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. We have found a significant proportion of tau is located in the membrane fraction of rat cortical neurons and is dephosphorylated, at least at Tau-1 (Ser199/Ser202), AT8 (Ser199/Ser202/Thr205) and PHF-1 (Ser396/Ser404) epitopes. Inhibition of tau kinases casein kinase 1 (CK1) or glycogen synthase kinase-3 decreased tau phosphorylation and significantly increased amounts of tau in the membrane fraction. Mutation of serine/threonine residues to glutamate to mimic phosphorylation in the N-terminal, but not C-terminal, region of tau prevented its membrane localization in transfected cells, demonstrating that the phosphorylation state of tau directly impacts its localization. Inhibiting CK1 in neurons lacking the tyrosine kinase fyn also induced tau dephosphorylation but did not affect its membrane association. Furthermore, inhibition of CK1 increased binding of neuronal tau to the fyn-SH3 domain. We conclude that trafficking of tau between the cytosol and the neuronal membrane is dynamically regulated by tau phosphorylation through a mechanism dependent on fyn expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Pooler
- King's College London, MRC Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, Department of Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK.
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Noble W, Hanger DP, Gallo JM. Transgenic mouse models of tauopathy in drug discovery. CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets 2010; 9:403-28. [PMID: 20522014 DOI: 10.2174/187152710791556131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2009] [Accepted: 03/25/2010] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease, are neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the deposition of hyperphosphorylated tau protein in the central nervous system, and are the major cause of dementia in later life. Considerable advances have been made in developing mouse models that recapitulate, to varying extents, the development of human tau pathology, and the learning and memory deficits characteristic of some tauopathies. Furthermore, such models have been used to show promising disease-modifying effects in pre-clinical testing of new therapeutics. Various strategies have been utilised to generate mouse models of tauopathies. Some of the most enlightening models developed to date either constitutively or inducibly express pathogenic tau mutations. These animals have been instrumental in defining critical disease-related mechanisms, including the observation that tangles are not the toxic form of tau in disease. Here, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of well characterised transgenic models that emulate human tauopathy, and include a comprehensive listing of the main phenotypic characteristics of all reported tau transgenic rodents. We summarise the use of tau mice for the development and evaluation of new therapeutic approaches, and their utility in identifying novel drug targets. In addition, we review the parameters to be considered in the development of the next generation of mouse models of tauopathy, aimed at further increasing our understanding of disease aetiology and in evaluating novel treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Noble
- Departments of Neuroscience, MRC Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, UK.
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Williamson R, Thompson AJ, Abu M, Hye A, Usardi A, Lynham S, Anderton BH, Hanger DP. Isolation of detergent resistant microdomains from cultured neurons: detergent dependent alterations in protein composition. BMC Neurosci 2010; 11:120. [PMID: 20858284 PMCID: PMC2955047 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2202-11-120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 03/16/2010] [Accepted: 09/22/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Membrane rafts are small highly dynamic sterol- and sphingolipid-enriched membrane domains that have received considerable attention due to their role in diverse cellular functions. More recently the involvement of membrane rafts in neuronal processes has been highlighted since these specialized membrane domains have been shown to be involved in synapse formation, neuronal polarity and neurodegeneration. Detergent resistance followed by gradient centrifugation is often used as first step in screening putative membrane raft components. Traditional methods of raft isolation employed the nonionic detergent Triton X100. However successful separation of raft from non-raft domains in cells is dependent on matching the detergent used for raft isolation to the specific tissue under investigation. Results We report here the isolation of membrane rafts from primary neuronal culture using a panel of different detergents that gave rise to membrane fractions that differed in respect to cholesterol and protein content. In addition, proteomic profiling of neuronal membrane rafts isolated with different detergents, Triton X100 and CHAPSO, revealed heterogeneity in their protein content. Conclusions These data demonstrate that appropriate selection of detergent for raft isolation is an important consideration for investigating raft protein composition of cultured neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritchie Williamson
- MRC Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK.
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Garwood CJ, Hanger DP, Noble W. P1‐315: Minocycline‐mediated protection from Aβ is mediated primarily by suppression of astrocytic inflammatory responses. Alzheimers Dement 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2010.05.868] [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: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Claire J. Garwood
- MRC Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, Institute of Psychiatry Kings College LondonLondon United Kingdom
| | - Diane P. Hanger
- MRC Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, Institute of Psychiatry Kings College LondonLondon United Kingdom
| | - Wendy Noble
- MRC Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, Institute of Psychiatry Kings College LondonLondon United Kingdom
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50
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Pooler AM, Usardi A, Hanger DP. P1‐362: Dynamic association of tau with neuronal membranes is regulated by phosphorylation and the tyrosine kinase fyn. Alzheimers Dement 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2010.05.916] [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: 10/19/2022]
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