Project description:The realization in the last decade that dysregulated microglia are intimately involved in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis has been a major advance. The precise mechanisms controlling pathogenic programs of microglia gene expression, however, remain poorly understood. The transcription factor (TF) c/EBPß is highly expressed in microglia and is known to regulate expression of pro-inflammatory genes. Notably, c/EBPß is upregulated in AD. Despite mounting evidence that the levels of this pivotal pro-inflammatory TF are tightly regulated, how this is achieved is unclear as alterations in its levels are not reflected in transcript levels. Remarkably, we find that this TF is primarily regulated post-translationally. Here we show that the ubiquitin ligase Cop1 functions as a “brake” on microglial activation by targeting C/EBPß for ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal mediated degradation. In the absence of Cop1, C/EBPß protein rapidly and dramatically accumulates leading to engagement of a potent pro-inflammatory and ApoE gene-expression program, evidenced by increased neurotoxicity in microglia-neuronal co-cultures. Antibody blocking studies revealed that the neurotoxicity was almost entirely attributable to complement. Unexpectedly, loss of a single allele of C/EBPß, rescued the pro-inflammatory phenotype underscoring a significant gene dosage effect. We also found that Cop1 deletion accelerated a mouse model of tau-mediated neurodegeneration where elevated ApoE plays a deleterious role. Taken together these results point to C/EBPß as a potential therapeutic target for inflammation-driven neurodegeneration as the heterozygote animal is otherwise normal.
Project description:Dysregulated microglia are intimately involved in neurodegeneration including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis, but the mechanisms controlling pathogenic microglial gene expression remain poorly understood. The transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta (c/EBPß) regulates pro-inflammatory genes in microglia and is upregulated in AD. We show expression of c/EBPß in microglia is regulated post-translationally by the ubiquitin ligase COP1 (also called RFWD2). Ubiquitination of c/EBPß by COP1 targets it for proteasomal degradation. In the absence of COP1, c/EBPß accumulates rapidly and drives a potent pro-inflammatory and ApoE gene-expression program, evidenced by increased neurotoxicity in microglia-neuronal co-cultures. Antibody blocking studies reveal that neurotoxicity is almost entirely attributable to complement. Remarkably, loss of a single allele of Cebpb prevented the pro-inflammatory phenotype. COP1-deficient microglia markedly accelerated tau-mediated neurodegeneration in a mouse model where elevated ApoE plays a deleterious role. Collectively, these results identify c/EBPß as a potential therapeutic target for inflammation-driven neurodegeneration.
Project description:Bone marrow was extracted from mice that are COP1-wt Rosa26-CreERT2 or COP1-floxed Rosa26-CreERT2 BMDMs were obtained by culturing bone marrow precursors in media containing 20% of supernatant from L929 cells. At day 4 of differentiation 4-OHT was added at 1uM to induce deletion of COP1 in BMDMs derived from COP1-floxed mice. At day 7 of differentiation, BMDMs were treated with 100 ng/ml of LPS or not. BMDMs were directly harvested in lysis buffer (from Qiagen RNeasy mini kit) at different time points (0h, 2.5h, 2.5h, 4h, 6h, 9h and 13h) following LPS stimulation. Three BMDMs preparations per group: G1: BMDMs from COP1-wt mice (expressing the wt allele of COP1) CRE positive. G2: BMDMs from COP1-floxed mice (expressing the floxed allele of COP1) CRE positive
Project description:The realization in the last decade that dysregulated microglia are intimately involved in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis has been a major advance. The precise mechanisms controlling pathogenic programs of microglia gene expression, however, remain poorly understood. The transcription factor (TF) c/EBPß is highly expressed in microglia and is known to regulate expression of pro-inflammatory genes. Notably, c/EBPß is upregulated in AD. Despite mounting evidence that the levels of this pivotal pro-inflammatory TF are tightly regulated, how this is achieved is unclear as alterations in its levels are not reflected in transcript levels. Remarkably, we find that this TF is primarily regulated post-translationally. Here we show that the ubiquitin ligase Cop1 functions as a “brake” on microglial activation by targeting C/EBPß for ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal mediated degradation. In the absence of Cop1, C/EBPß protein rapidly and dramatically accumulates leading to engagement of a potent pro-inflammatory and ApoE gene-expression program, evidenced by increased neurotoxicity in microglia-neuronal co-cultures. Antibody blocking studies revealed that the neurotoxicity was almost entirely attributable to complement. Unexpectedly, loss of a single allele of C/EBPß, rescued the pro-inflammatory phenotype underscoring a significant gene dosage effect. We also found that Cop1 deletion accelerated a mouse model of tau-mediated neurodegeneration where elevated ApoE plays a deleterious role. Taken together these results point to C/EBPß as a potential therapeutic target for inflammation-driven neurodegeneration as the heterozygote animal is otherwise normal.
Project description:The realization in the last decade that dysregulated microglia are intimately involved in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis has been a major advance. The precise mechanisms controlling pathogenic programs of microglia gene expression, however, remain poorly understood. The transcription factor (TF) c/EBPß is highly expressed in microglia and is known to regulate expression of pro-inflammatory genes. Notably, c/EBPß is upregulated in AD. Despite mounting evidence that the levels of this pivotal pro-inflammatory TF are tightly regulated, how this is achieved is unclear as alterations in its levels are not reflected in transcript levels. Remarkably, we find that this TF is primarily regulated post-translationally. Here we show that the ubiquitin ligase Cop1 functions as a “brake” on microglial activation by targeting C/EBPß for ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal mediated degradation. In the absence of Cop1, C/EBPß protein rapidly and dramatically accumulates leading to engagement of a potent pro-inflammatory and ApoE gene-expression program, evidenced by increased neurotoxicity in microglia-neuronal co-cultures. Antibody blocking studies revealed that the neurotoxicity was almost entirely attributable to complement. Unexpectedly, loss of a single allele of C/EBPß, rescued the pro-inflammatory phenotype underscoring a significant gene dosage effect. We also found that Cop1 deletion accelerated a mouse model of tau-mediated neurodegeneration where elevated ApoE plays a deleterious role. Taken together these results point to C/EBPß as a potential therapeutic target for inflammation-driven neurodegeneration as the heterozygote animal is otherwise normal.
Project description:The realization in the last decade that dysregulated microglia are intimately involved in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis has been a major advance. The precise mechanisms controlling pathogenic programs of microglia gene expression, however, remain poorly understood. The transcription factor (TF) c/EBPß is highly expressed in microglia and is known to regulate expression of pro-inflammatory genes. Notably, c/EBPß is upregulated in AD. Despite mounting evidence that the levels of this pivotal pro-inflammatory TF are tightly regulated, how this is achieved is unclear as alterations in its amounts are not reflected in transcript levels. Remarkably, we find that this TF is primarily regulated post-translationally. Here we show that the ubiquitin ligase Cop1 functions as a “brake” on microglial activation by targeting c/EBPß for ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal mediated degradation. In the absence of Cop1, c/EBPß protein rapidly and dramatically accumulates leading to engagement of a potent pro-inflammatory and ApoE gene-expression program, evidenced by increased neurotoxicity in microglia-neuronal co-cultures. Antibody blocking studies revealed that the neurotoxicity was almost entirely attributable to complement. Unexpectedly, loss of a single allele of c/EBPß, rescued the pro-inflammatory phenotype underscoring a significant gene dosage effect. We also found that Cop1 deletion accelerated disease progression in a mouse model of tau-mediated neurodegeneration where elevated ApoE plays a deleterious role. Taken together these results point to c/EBPß as a potential therapeutic target for inflammation-driven neurodegeneration as the heterozygote animal is otherwise normal.
Project description:Analysis of LRRK2-regulation of microglia responce to the LPS at gene expression level. The hypothesis tested in the present study was whether LRRK2 influence the microglial phagocytosis- and neuroinflammation- related gene expression at mRNA level. Total RNA obtained from microglia cells isolated from Ntg or LRRK2KO mouse brain subjected to 6 or 24 hours of LPS treatment in vitro