Autophagy Is Required for Memory Formation and Reverses Age-Related Memory Decline

Age-related declines in cognitive fitness are associated with a reduction in autophagy, an intracellular lysosomal catabolic process that regulates protein homeostasis and organelle turnover. However, the functional significance of autophagy in regulating cognitive function and its decline during aging remains largely elusive. Here, we show that stimulating memory upregulates autophagy in the hippocampus. Using hippocampal injections of genetic and pharmacological modulators of autophagy, we find that inducing autophagy in hippocampal neurons is required to form novel memory by promoting activity-dependent structural and functional synaptic plasticity, including dendritic spine formation, neuronal facilitation, and long-term potentiation. We show that hippocampal autophagy activity is reduced during aging and that restoring its levels is sufficient to reverse age-related memory deficits. Moreover, we demonstrate that systemic administration of young plasma into aged mice rejuvenates memory in an autophagy-dependent manner, suggesting a prominent role for autophagy to favor the communication between systemic factors and neurons in fostering cognition. Among these youthful factors, we identify osteocalcin, a bone-derived molecule, as a direct hormonal inducer of hippocampal autophagy. Our results reveal that inducing autophagy in hippocampal neurons is a necessary mechanism to enhance the integration of novel stimulations of memory and to promote the influence of systemic factors on cognitive fitness. We also demonstrate the potential therapeutic benefits of modulating autophagy in the aged brain to counteract age-related cognitive impairments.

LRRK2 Facilitates tau Phosphorylation through Strong Interaction with tau and cdk5

Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) and tau have been identified as risk factors of Parkinson's disease (PD). As LRRK2 is a kinase and tau is hyperphosphorylated in some LRRK2 mutation carriers of PD patients, the obvious hypothesis is that tau could be a substrate of LRRK2. Previous reports that LRRK2 phosphorylates free tau or tubulin-associated tau provide direct support for this proposition. By comparing LRRK2 with cdk5, we show that wild-type LRRK2 and the G2019S mutant phosphorylate free recombinant full-length tau protein with specific activity 480- and 250-fold lower than cdk5, respectively. More strikingly tau binds to wt LRRK2 or the G2019S mutant 140- or 200-fold more strongly than cdk5. The extremely low activity of LRRK2 but strong binding affinity with tau suggests that LRRK2 may facilitate tau phosphorylation as a scaffold protein rather than as a major tau kinase. This hypothesis is further supported by the observation that (i) cdk5 or tau coimmunoprecipitates with endogenous LRRK2 in SH-SY5Y cells, in mouse brain tissue, and in human PBMCs; (ii) knocking down endogenous LRRK2 by its siRNA in SH-SY5Y cells reduces tau phosphorylation at Ser396 and Ser404; (iii) inhibiting LRRK2 kinase activity by its inhibitors has no effect on tau phosphorylation at these two sites; and (iv) overexpressing wt LRRK2, the G2019S mutant, or the D1994A kinase-dead mutant in SH-SY5Y cells has no effect on tau phosphorylation. Our results suggest that LRRK2 facilitates tau phosphorylation indirectly by recruiting tau or cdk5 rather than by directly phosphorylating tau.