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Zhang L, Gai Y, Liu Y, Meng D, Zeng Y, Luo Y, Zhang H, Wang Z, Yang M, Li Y, Liu Y, Lai Y, Yang J, Wu G, Chen Y, Zhu J, Liu S, Yu T, Zeng J, Wang J, Zhu D, Wang X, Lan X, Liu R. Tau induces inflammasome activation and microgliosis through acetylating NLRP3. Clin Transl Med 2024; 14:e1623. [PMID: 38488468 PMCID: PMC10941548 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1623] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related Tauopathies are characterised by the pathologically hyperphosphorylated and aggregated microtubule-associated protein Tau, which is accompanied by neuroinflammation mediated by activated microglia. However, the role of Tau pathology in microglia activation or their causal relationship remains largely elusive. METHODS The levels of nucleotide-binding oligomerisation domain (NOD)-like receptor pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) acetylation and inflammasome activation in multiple cell models with Tau proteins treatment, transgenic mice with Tauopathy, and AD patients were measured by Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In addition, the acetyltransferase activity of Tau and NLRP3 acetylation sites were confirmed using the test-tube acetylation assay, co-immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence (IF) staining, mass spectrometry and molecular docking. The Tau-overexpressing mouse model was established by overexpression of human Tau proteins in mouse hippocampal CA1 neurons through the adeno-associated virus injection. The cognitive functions of Tau-overexpressing mice were assessed in various behavioural tests, and microglia activation was analysed by Iba-1 IF staining and [18F]-DPA-714 positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging. A peptide that blocks the interaction between Tau and NLRP3 was synthesised to determine the in vitro and in vivo effects of Tau-NLRP3 interaction blockade on NLRP3 acetylation, inflammasome activation, microglia activation and cognitive function. RESULTS Excessively elevated NLRP3 acetylation and inflammasome activation were observed in 3xTg-AD mice, microtubule-associated protein Tau P301S (PS19) mice and AD patients. It was further confirmed that mimics of 'early' phosphorylated-Tau proteins which increase at the initial stage of diseases with Tauopathy, including TauT181E, TauS199E, TauT217E and TauS262E, significantly promoted Tau-K18 domain acetyltransferase activity-dependent NLRP3 acetylation and inflammasome activation in HEK293T and BV-2 microglial cells. In addition, Tau protein could directly acetylate NLRP3 at the K21, K22 and K24 sites at its PYD domain and thereby induce inflammasome activation in vitro. Overexpression of human Tau proteins in mouse hippocampal CA1 neurons resulted in impaired cognitive function, Tau transmission to microglia and microgliosis with NLRP3 acetylation and inflammasome activation. As a targeted intervention, competitive binding of a designed Tau-NLRP3-binding blocking (TNB) peptide to block the interaction of Tau protein with NLRP3 inhibited the NLRP3 acetylation and downstream inflammasome activation in microglia, thereby alleviating microglia activation and cognitive impairment in mice. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, our findings provide evidence for a novel role of Tau in the regulation of microglia activation through acetylating NLRP3, which has potential implications for early intervention and personalised treatment of AD and related Tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lun Zhang
- Department of PathophysiologySchool of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
- Department of Clinical LaboratoryWuhan Fourth HospitalWuhanChina
| | - Yongkang Gai
- Department of Nuclear MedicineHubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Yushuang Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologySchool of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Dongli Meng
- Department of PathophysiologySchool of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Yi Zeng
- Department of Clinical LaboratoryThe Central Hospital of WuhanWuhanChina
| | - Yong Luo
- Department of PathophysiologySchool of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Huiliang Zhang
- Department of PathophysiologySchool of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Zhuoqun Wang
- Department of PathophysiologySchool of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Mengzhe Yang
- Department of PathophysiologySchool of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Yunfan Li
- Department of PathophysiologySchool of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of PathophysiologySchool of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Yiwen Lai
- Department of PathophysiologySchool of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Jiayu Yang
- Department of PathophysiologySchool of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Gang Wu
- Department of PathophysiologySchool of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of PediatricsTongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Jingtan Zhu
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics‐MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Advanced Biomedical Imaging Facility, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Shaojun Liu
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics‐MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Advanced Biomedical Imaging Facility, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Tingting Yu
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics‐MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Advanced Biomedical Imaging Facility, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Ji Zeng
- Department of Clinical LaboratoryWuhan Fourth HospitalWuhanChina
| | - Jianzhi Wang
- Department of PathophysiologySchool of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Dan Zhu
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics‐MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Advanced Biomedical Imaging Facility, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Xiaochuan Wang
- Department of PathophysiologySchool of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
- Shenzhen Huazhong University of Science and Technology Research InstituteShenzhenChina
| | - Xiaoli Lan
- Department of Nuclear MedicineHubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Rong Liu
- Department of PathophysiologySchool of Basic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Education Ministry of China/Hubei Province for Neurological Disorders, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
- Department of PediatricsTongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
- Shenzhen Huazhong University of Science and Technology Research InstituteShenzhenChina
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