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Mitophagy ameliorates Aβ and p-Tau pathologies, and cognitive deficits, in experimental models of Alzheimer’s disease

ABSTRACT: Accumulation of damaged mitochondria is a hallmark of human aging and age-related neurodegenerative pathologies, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the molecular mechanisms of the impaired mitochondrial homeostasis and their relationship to AD are still elusive. Here we provide evidence that mitophagy, a cellular process mediating selective clearance of dysfunctional mitochondria, is impaired in AD patient hippocampus, in iPSC-derived human neurons and in animal AD models. In C. elegans models of AD, pharmacological stimulation of mitophagy reverses memory impairment through a PINK-1, PDR-1 and DCT-1 dependent pathway. Mitophagy induction diminishes the levels of insoluble amyloid-β (Aβ)1-42 and Aβ1-40 peptide isoforms and prevents cognitive impairment in AD mice by a mechanism involving microglial phagocytosis of extracellular Aβ plaques and suppression of neuroinflammation. Furthermore, mitophagy abolishes AD-related Tau hyperphosphorylation in human neuronal cells and reverses memory impairment in transgenic Tau nematodes. Our findings suggest that impaired removal of defective mitochondria is a pivotal event in AD pathogenesis. Interventions that stimulate mitophagy therefore have therapeutic potential in the prevention and treatment of AD.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE111737 | GEO | 2018/11/26

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:INTRODUCTION Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an advanced neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive impairment in both memory loss and cognitive capacities, which resulting in severe dementia [1]. The pathogenesis of AD is complicated and poorly understood. According to the World Alzheimer Report 2018, it is estimated that AD affects at least 50 million persons throughout the world, and the number of people with AD will double nearly every 20 years [2]. Over the past decade, various theories have been developed for the neuropathological level of AD, but the most popular distinct pathological hallmarks is extracellular accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques, as well as the neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) composed of the hyperphosphorylated tau in the form of in the select brain regions [3]. The other factors including mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, brain inflammation and neurotransmitter disturbances pathology have been recognized as a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of AD [4]. To date, only symptomatic therapies are available for AD patients. Cholinesterase inhibitors (CIs) are approved for mild to moderate AD patients, and memantine is the only one N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist has been approved for moderate to severe AD [5]. NMDAR is a glutamate ionotropic receptor, they display high Ca2+ permeability and voltage-dependent block by Mg2+[6]. In AD patients, NMDARs could be overactivated due to increasing glutamate release from presynaptic neurons. Overactived NMDARs lead first to Ca2+ overload in postsynaptic neurons, followed by desensitization and internalization, resulting in synaptic dysfunction and ultimately cell death [7, 8]. The numerous factors than can influence the levels of endogenous glutamate release in the pathogenesis of AD, deposition of Aβplaques, soluble Aβoligomers, NFTs, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress have been associated with the higher concentration of glutamate release[9, 10]. Memantine is an uncompetitive, moderate affinity NMDA receptor (NMDAR) antagonist which is used for a further therapeutic option of moderate to severe AD [5]. Its effects have been investigated in a large number of in vitro and in vivo studies, which indicated that memantine can against Aβ-induced glutamate-mediated toxicity, attenuate phosphorylation of tau and reduces level of total precursor protein (APP) in human neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells [11], and lower Aβ1-42 secretion and plaques in primary cortical neuronal culture cells [9, 12]. Some studies showed that memantine also completely protected against Aβ-induced ROS injure in the primary hippocampal neurons [13]. Studies with transgenic animal models showed that memantine reduced the levels of soluble Aβ1-42, Aβ plaque deposition and lowered the loss of synaptic density in APP/PS1mice [4, 14, 15], and decreased the levels of total tau and hyperphosphorylated tau in 3×Tg-AD mice [3]. Furthermore, memantine altered genes expression in adult rat brain [16], and modulated protein profiles in Down syndrome mice brain [17]. However, no comprehensive study of proteomic characteristics description of 3×Tg-AD transgenic mice under the memantine treatment has been conducted to date as far as we searched. In order to better understand the multiple actions of memantine, we conducted detailed analysis of proteomics and bioinformatics to dissect the molecular mechanisms of memantine for the treatment of AD.

Project description:The pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is multifactorial with characteristic extracellular accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) and intraneuronal aggregation of hyperphosphorylated tau in the brain. Development of disease-modifying treatment for AD has been challenging. Recent studies suggest that deleterious alterations in neurovascular cells happens in parallel with Aβ accumulation, inducing tau pathology and necroptosis. Therefore, therapies targeting cellular Aβ and tau pathologies may provide a more effective strategy of disease intervention. Tetramethylpyrazine nitrone (TBN) is a nitrone derivative of tetramethylpyrazine, an active ingredient from Ligusticum wallichii Franchat (Chuanxiong). We previously showed that TBN is a potent scavenger of free radicals with multi-targeted neuroprotective effects in rat and monkey models of ischemic stroke. The present study aimed to investigate the anti-AD properties of TBN. We employed AD-related cellular model (N2a/APPswe) and transgenic mouse model (3×Tg-AD mouse) for mechanistic and behavioral studies. Our results showed that TBN markedly improved cognitive functions and reduced Aβ and hyperphosphorylated tau levels in mouse model. Further investigation of the underlying mechanisms revealed that TBN promoted non amyloidogenic processing pathway of amyloid precursor protein (APP) in N2a/APPswe in vitro. Moreover, TBN preserved synapses from dendritic spine loss and upregulated synaptic protein expressions in 3×Tg-AD mice. Proteomic analysis of 3×Tg-AD mouse hippocampal and cortical tissues showed that TBN induced neuroprotective effects through modulating mitophagy, MAPK and mTOR pathways. In particular, TBN significantly upregulated PINK1, a key protein for mitochondrial homeostasis, implicating PINK1 as a potential therapeutic target for AD. In summary, TBN improved cognitive functions in AD-related mouse model, inhibited Aβ production and tau hyperphosphorylation, and rescued synaptic loss and neuronal damage. Multiple mechanisms underlie the anti-AD effects of TBN including the modulation of APP processing, mTOR signaling and PINK1-related mitophagy.

Project description:Background:Episodic memory loss is a prominent clinical manifestation of Alzheimer's disease(AD), which is closely related to tau pathology and hippocampal impairment. Given the heterogeneity of brain neurons, the precise role of different brain neurons in terms of their sensitivity to tau accumulation and contribution to AD-like social memory loss remains unclear and requires further investigation. Methods: We investigated the effects of AD-like tau pathology by Tandem mass tag proteomic and phosphoproteomic experiments, social behavioral test, hippocampal electrophysiology, immunofluorescent staining and in vivo optical fiber recording of GCaMP6f and iGABASnFR. Additionally, we utilized optogenetics and administered ursolic acid (UA) via oral gavage to examine their effects on social memory in mice. Results: By proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses, we identified the characteristics of ventral hippocampal CA1 (vCA1) under both physiological conditions and AD-like tau pathology. As tau progressively accumulated, not dorsal CA1 (dCA1), but vCA1, especially its excitatory and PV neurons, were fully filled with mislocated and phosphorylated tau. Overexpression of human Tau (hTau) in excitatory and PV neurons respectively mimicked AD-like tau accumulation, significantly inhibited the neuronal excitability and suppressed distinct discrimination-associated firings of these neurons within vCA1. Photoactivating excitatory and PV neurons in vCA1 at specific rhythm and time-window efficiently ameliorated tau-impaired social memory. Significantly, one-month administration of UA efficiently decreased tau accumulation via autophagy in a TFEB (transcription factor EB)-dependent manner and recovered vCA1 microcircuit to ameliorate tau-impaired social memory.Conclusion: This study elucidated distinct protein and phosphoprotein networks between dCA1 and vCA1, and highlighted the susceptibility of the vCA1 microcircuit to AD-like tau accumulation. Notably, our novel findings regarding the efficacy of UA in reducing tau load and targeting the vCA1 microcircuit may provide a promising strategy for AD treatment in the future.