Marmosets as model systems for the study of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias: substantiation of physiological Tau 3R and 4R isoform expression and phosphorylation.

INTRODUCTION: Marmosets have been shown to spontaneously develop pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) during advanced age, including amyloid-beta plaques, positioning them as a model system to overcome the rodent-to-human translational gap for AD. However, Tau expression in the marmoset brain has been understudied. METHODS: To comprehensively investigate Tau isoform expression in marmosets, brain tissue from eight unrelated marmosets across various ages was evaluated and compared to human postmortem AD tissue. Microtubule-associated protein tau ( MAPT ) mRNA expression and splicing were confirmed by RT-PCR. Tau isoforms in the marmoset brain were examined by western blot, mass spectrometry, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemical staining. Synaptic Tau expression was analyzed from crude synaptosome extractions. RESULTS: 3R and 4R Tau isoforms are expressed in marmoset brains at both transcript and protein levels across ages. Results from western blot analysis were confirmed by mass spectrometry, which revealed that Tau peptides in marmoset corresponded to the 3R and 4R peptides in the human AD brain. 3R Tau was primarily enriched in neonate brains, and 4R enhanced in adult and aged brains. Tau was widely distributed in neurons with localization in the soma and synaptic regions. Phosphorylation residues were observed on Thr-181, Thr-217, and Thr-231, Ser202/Thr205, Ser396/Ser404. Paired helical filament (PHF)-like aggregates were also detected in aged marmosets. DISCUSSION: Our results confirm the expression of both 3R and 4R Tau isoforms and important phosphorylation residues in the marmoset brain. These data emphasize the significance of marmosets with natural expression of AD-related hallmarks as important translational models for the study of AD.

Early molecular events of autosomal-dominant Alzheimer's disease in marmosets with PSEN1 mutations.

INTRODUCTION: Fundamental questions remain about the key mechanisms that initiate Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the factors that promote its progression. Here we report the successful generation of the first genetically engineered marmosets that carry knock-in (KI) point mutations in the presenilin 1 (PSEN1) gene that can be studied from birth throughout lifespan. METHODS: CRISPR/Cas9 was used to generate marmosets with C410Y or A426P point mutations in PSEN1. Founders and their germline offspring are comprehensively studied longitudinally using non-invasive measures including behavior, biomarkers, neuroimaging, and multiomics signatures. RESULTS: Prior to adulthood, increases in plasma amyloid beta were observed in PSEN1 mutation carriers relative to non-carriers. Analysis of brain revealed alterations in several enzyme-substrate interactions within the gamma secretase complex prior to adulthood. DISCUSSION: Marmosets carrying KI point mutations in PSEN1 provide the opportunity to study the earliest primate-specific mechanisms that contribute to the molecular and cellular root causes of AD onset and progression. HIGHLIGHTS: We report the successful generation of genetically engineered marmosets harboring knock-in point mutations in the PSEN1 gene. PSEN1 marmosets and their germline offspring recapitulate the early emergence of AD-related biomarkers. Studies as early in life as possible in PSEN1 marmosets will enable the identification of primate-specific mechanisms that drive disease progression.

Cochlear zinc signaling dysregulation is associated with noise-induced hearing loss, and zinc chelation enhances cochlear recovery.

Exposure to loud noise triggers sensory organ damage and degeneration that, in turn, leads to hearing loss. Despite the troublesome impact of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in individuals and societies, treatment strategies that protect and restore hearing are few and insufficient. As such, identification and mechanistic understanding of the signaling pathways involved in NIHL are required. Biological zinc is mostly bound to proteins, where it plays major structural or catalytic roles; however, there is also a pool of unbound, mobile (labile) zinc. Labile zinc is mostly found in vesicles in secretory tissues, where it is released and plays a critical signaling role. In the brain, labile zinc fine-tunes neurotransmission and sensory processing. However, injury-induced dysregulation of labile zinc signaling contributes to neurodegeneration. Here, we tested whether zinc dysregulation occurs and contributes to NIHL in mice. We found that ZnT3, the vesicular zinc transporter responsible for loading zinc into vesicles, is expressed in cochlear hair cells and the spiral limbus, with labile zinc also present in the same areas. Soon after noise trauma, ZnT3 and zinc levels are significantly increased, and their subcellular localization is vastly altered. Disruption of zinc signaling, either via ZnT3 deletion or pharmacological zinc chelation, mitigated NIHL, as evidenced by enhanced auditory brainstem responses, distortion product otoacoustic emissions, and number of hair cell synapses. These data reveal that noise-induced zinc dysregulation is associated with cochlear dysfunction and recovery after NIHL, and point to zinc chelation as a potential treatment for mitigating NIHL.

Deletion of SERF2 in mice delays embryonic development and alters amyloid deposit structure in the brain.

In age-related neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, disease-specific proteins become aggregation-prone and form amyloid-like deposits. Depletion of SERF proteins ameliorates this toxic process in worm and human cell models for diseases. Whether SERF modifies amyloid pathology in mammalian brain, however, has remained unknown. Here, we generated conditional Serf2 knockout mice and found that full-body deletion of Serf2 delayed embryonic development, causing premature birth and perinatal lethality. Brain-specific Serf2 knockout mice, on the other hand, were viable, and showed no major behavioral or cognitive abnormalities. In a mouse model for amyloid-ß aggregation, brain depletion of Serf2 altered the binding of structure-specific amyloid dyes, previously used to distinguish amyloid polymorphisms in the human brain. These results suggest that Serf2 depletion changed the structure of amyloid deposits, which was further supported by scanning transmission electron microscopy, but further study will be required to confirm this observation. Altogether, our data reveal the pleiotropic functions of SERF2 in embryonic development and in the brain and support the existence of modifying factors of amyloid deposition in mammalian brain, which offer possibilities for polymorphism-based interventions.

G protein-biased GPR3 signaling ameliorates amyloid pathology in a preclinical Alzheimer's disease mouse model.

Biased G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) ligands, which preferentially activate G protein or ß-arrestin signaling pathways, are leading to the development of drugs with superior efficacy and reduced side effects in heart disease, pain management, and neuropsychiatric disorders. Although GPCRs are implicated in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), biased GPCR signaling is a largely unexplored area of investigation in AD. Our previous work demonstrated that GPR3-mediated ß-arrestin signaling modulates amyloid-ß (Aß) generation in vitro and that Gpr3 deficiency ameliorates Aß pathology in vivo. However, Gpr3-deficient mice display several adverse phenotypes, including elevated anxiety-like behavior, reduced fertility, and memory impairment, which are potentially associated with impaired G protein signaling. Here, we generated a G protein-biased GPR3 mouse model to investigate the physiological and pathophysiological consequences of selective elimination of GPR3-mediated ß-arrestin signaling in vivo. In contrast to Gpr3-deficient mice, G protein-biased GPR3 mice do not display elevated anxiety levels, reduced fertility, or cognitive impairment. We further determined that G protein-biased signaling reduces soluble Aß levels and leads to a decrease in the area and compaction of amyloid plaques in the preclinical AppNL-G-F AD mouse model. The changes in amyloid pathology are accompanied by robust microglial and astrocytic hypertrophy, which suggest a protective glial response that may limit amyloid plaque development in G protein-biased GPR3 AD mice. Collectively, these studies indicate that GPR3-mediated G protein and ß-arrestin signaling produce discrete and separable effects and provide proof of concept for the development of safer GPCR-targeting therapeutics with more directed pharmacological action for AD.

GPCR kinases generate an APH1A phosphorylation barcode to regulate amyloid-ß generation.

Emerging evidence suggests that G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) kinases (GRKs) are associated with the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, GRKs have not been directly implicated in regulation of the amyloid-ß (Aß) pathogenic cascade in AD. Here, we determine that GRKs phosphorylate a non-canonical substrate, anterior pharynx-defective 1A (APH1A), an integral component of the γ-secretase complex. Significantly, we show that GRKs generate distinct phosphorylation barcodes in intracellular loop 2 (ICL2) and the C terminus of APH1A, which differentially regulate recruitment of the scaffolding protein ß-arrestin 2 (ßarr2) to APH1A and γ-secretase-mediated Aß generation. Further molecular dynamics simulation studies reveal an interaction between the ßarr2 finger loop domain and ICL2 and ICL3 of APH1A, similar to a GPCR-ß-arrestin complex, which regulates γ-secretase activity. Collectively, these studies provide insight into the molecular and structural determinants of the APH1A-ßarr2 interaction that critically regulate Aß generation.

DNA Damage Increases Secreted Aß40 and Aß42 in Neuronal Progenitor Cells: Relevance to Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest a strong association between neuronal DNA damage, elevated levels of amyloid-ß (Aß), and regions of the brain that degenerate in Alzheimer's disease (AD). OBJECTIVE: To investigate the nature of this association, we tested the hypothesis that extensive DNA damage leads to an increase in Aß40 and Aß42 generation. METHODS: We utilized an immortalized human neuronal progenitor cell line (NPCs), ReN VM GA2. NPCs or 20 day differentiated neurons were treated with hydrogen peroxide or etoposide and allowed to recover for designated times. Sandwich ELISA was used to assess secreted Aß40 and Aß42. Western blotting, immunostaining, and neutral comet assay were used to evaluate the DNA damage response and processes indicative of AD pathology. RESULTS: We determined that global hydrogen peroxide damage results in increased cellular Aß40 and Aß42 secretion 24 h after treatment in ReN GA2 NPCs. Similarly, DNA double strand break (DSB)-specific etoposide damage leads to increased Aß40 and Aß42 secretion 2 h and 4 h after treatment in ReN GA2 NPCs. In contrast, etoposide damage does not increase Aß40 and Aß42 secretion in post-mitotic ReN GA2 neurons. CONCLUSION: These findings provide evidence that in our model, DNA damage is associated with an increase in Aß secretion in neuronal progenitors, which may contribute to the early stages of neuronal pathology in AD.

G protein-coupled receptor kinases are associated with Alzheimer's disease pathology.

AIM: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterised by extracellular deposition of amyloid-ß (Aß) in amyloid plaques and intracellular aggregation and accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau in neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Although several kinases have been identified to contribute to the pathological phosphorylation of tau, kinase-targeted therapies for AD have not been successful in clinical trials. Critically, the kinases responsible for numerous identified tau phosphorylation sites remain unknown. G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) kinases (GRKs) have recently been implicated in phosphorylation of non-GPCR substrates, for example, tubulin and α-synuclein, and in neurological disorders, including schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease. Accordingly, we investigated the involvement of GRKs in the pathophysiology of AD. METHODS: We performed a comprehensive immunohistochemical and biochemical analysis of the ubiquitously expressed GRKs, namely, GRK2, 3, 5 and 6, in postmortem human brain tissue of control subjects and AD patients. RESULTS: GRKs display unique cell-type-specific expression patterns in neurons, astrocytes and microglia. Levels of GRKs 2, 5 and 6 are specifically decreased in the CA1 region of the AD hippocampus. Biochemical evidence indicates that the GRKs differentially associate with total, soluble and insoluble pools of tau in the AD brain. Complementary immunohistochemical studies indicate that the GRKs differentially colocalise with total tau, phosphorylated tau and NFTs. Notably, GRKs 3 and 5 also colocalise with amyloid plaques. CONCLUSION: These studies establish a link between GRKs and the pathological phosphorylation and accumulation of tau and amyloid pathology in AD brains and suggest a novel role for these kinases in regulation of the pathological hallmarks of AD.

RNA Binding Antagonizes Neurotoxic Phase Transitions of TDP-43.

TDP-43 proteinopathy is a pathological hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia where cytoplasmic TDP-43 inclusions are observed within degenerating regions of patient postmortem tissue. The mechanism by which TDP-43 aggregates has remained elusive due to technological limitations, which prevent the analysis of specific TDP-43 interactions in live cells. We present an optogenetic approach to reliably induce TDP-43 proteinopathy under spatiotemporal control. We show that the formation of pathologically relevant inclusions is driven by aberrant interactions between low-complexity domains of TDP-43 that are antagonized by RNA binding. Although stress granules are hypothesized to be a conduit for seeding TDP-43 proteinopathy, we demonstrate pathological inclusions outside these RNA-rich structures. Furthermore, we show that aberrant phase transitions of cytoplasmic TDP-43 are neurotoxic and that treatment with oligonucleotides composed of TDP-43 target sequences prevent inclusions and rescue neurotoxicity. Collectively, these studies provide insight into the mechanisms that underlie TDP-43 proteinopathy and present a potential avenue for therapeutic intervention.

RAD52 is required for RNA-templated recombination repair in post-mitotic neurons.

It has been long assumed that post-mitotic neurons only utilize the error-prone non-homologous end-joining pathway to repair double-strand breaks (DSBs) associated with oxidative damage to DNA, given the inability of non-replicating neuronal DNA to utilize a sister chromatid template in the less error-prone homologous recombination (HR) repair pathway. However, we and others have found recently that active transcription triggers a replication-independent recombinational repair mechanism in G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. Here we observed that the HR repair protein RAD52 is recruited to sites of DNA DSBs in terminally differentiated, post-mitotic neurons. This recruitment is dependent on the presence of a nascent mRNA generated during active transcription, providing evidence that an RNA-templated HR repair mechanism exists in non-dividing, terminally differentiated neurons. This recruitment of RAD52 in neurons is decreased by transcription inhibition. Importantly, we found that high concentrations of amyloid ß, a toxic protein associated with Alzheimer's disease, inhibits the expression and DNA damage response of RAD52, potentially leading to a defect in the error-free, RNA-templated HR repair mechanism. This study shows a novel RNA-dependent repair mechanism of DSBs in post-mitotic neurons and demonstrates that defects in this pathway may contribute to neuronal genomic instability and consequent neurodegenerative phenotypes such as those seen in Alzheimer's disease.

The role of GPCRs in neurodegenerative diseases: avenues for therapeutic intervention.

Neurodegenerative diseases represent a large group of neurological disorders with heterogeneous clinical and pathological profiles. The majority of current therapeutic strategies provide temporary symptomatic relief but do not target the underlying disease pathobiology and thus do not affect disease progression. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are among the most successful targets for therapeutic development of central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Many current clinical therapeutic agents act by targeting this class of receptors and downstream signaling pathways. Here, we review evidence that perturbation of GPCR function contributes to the pathophysiology of various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Frontotemporal dementia, Vascular dementia, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease.

Tetraspanin 6: a pivotal protein of the multiple vesicular body determining exosome release and lysosomal degradation of amyloid precursor protein fragments.

BACKGROUND: The mechanisms behind Aß-peptide accumulation in non-familial Alzheimer's disease (AD) remain elusive. Proteins of the tetraspanin family modulate Aß production by interacting to γ-secretase. METHODS: We searched for tetraspanins with altered expression in AD brains. The function of the selected tetraspanin was studied in vitro and the physiological relevance of our findings was confirmed in vivo. RESULTS: Tetraspanin-6 (TSPAN6) is increased in AD brains and overexpression in cells exerts paradoxical effects on Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) metabolism, increasing APP-C-terminal fragments (APP-CTF) and Aß levels at the same time. TSPAN6 affects autophagosome-lysosomal fusion slowing down the degradation of APP-CTF. TSPAN6 recruits also the cytosolic, exosome-forming adaptor syntenin which increases secretion of exosomes that contain APP-CTF. CONCLUSIONS: TSPAN6 is a key player in the bifurcation between lysosomal-dependent degradation and exosome mediated secretion of APP-CTF. This corroborates the central role of the autophagosomal/lysosomal pathway in APP metabolism and shows that TSPAN6 is a crucial player in APP-CTF turnover.

Loss of GPR3 reduces the amyloid plaque burden and improves memory in Alzheimer's disease mouse models.

The orphan G protein (heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding protein)-coupled receptor (GPCR) GPR3 regulates activity of the γ-secretase complex in the absence of an effect on Notch proteolysis, providing a potential therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, given the vast resources required to develop and evaluate any new therapy for AD and the multiple failures involved in translational research, demonstration of the pathophysiological relevance of research findings in multiple disease-relevant models is necessary before initiating costly drug development programs. We evaluated the physiological consequences of loss of Gpr3 in four AD transgenic mouse models, including two that contain the humanized murine Aß sequence and express similar amyloid precursor protein (APP) levels as wild-type mice, thereby reducing potential artificial phenotypes. Our findings reveal that genetic deletion of Gpr3 reduced amyloid pathology in all of the AD mouse models and alleviated cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 mice. Additional three-dimensional visualization and analysis of the amyloid plaque burden provided accurate information on the amyloid load, distribution, and volume in the structurally intact adult mouse brain. Analysis of 10 different regions in healthy human postmortem brain tissue indicated that GPR3 expression was stable during aging. However, two cohorts of human AD postmortem brain tissue samples showed a correlation between elevated GPR3 and AD progression. Collectively, these studies provide evidence that GPR3 mediates the amyloidogenic proteolysis of APP in four AD transgenic mouse models as well as the physiological processing of APP in wild-type mice, suggesting that GPR3 may be a potential therapeutic target for AD drug development.

Regulation of neuronal communication by G protein-coupled receptors.

Neuronal communication plays an essential role in the propagation of information in the brain and requires a precisely orchestrated connectivity between neurons. Synaptic transmission is the mechanism through which neurons communicate with each other. It is a strictly regulated process which involves membrane depolarization, the cellular exocytosis machinery, neurotransmitter release from synaptic vesicles into the synaptic cleft, and the interaction between ion channels, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), and downstream effector molecules. The focus of this review is to explore the role of GPCRs and G protein-signaling in neurotransmission, to highlight the function of GPCRs, which are localized in both presynaptic and postsynaptic membrane terminals, in regulation of intrasynaptic and intersynaptic communication, and to discuss the involvement of astrocytic GPCRs in the regulation of neuronal communication.

Regulation of amyloid precursor protein processing by serotonin signaling.

Proteolytic processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by the ß- and γ-secretases releases the amyloid-ß peptide (Aß), which deposits in senile plaques and contributes to the etiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The α-secretase cleaves APP in the Aß peptide sequence to generate soluble APPα (sAPPα). Upregulation of α-secretase activity through the 5-hydroxytryptamine 4 (5-HT4) receptor has been shown to reduce Aß production, amyloid plaque load and to improve cognitive impairment in transgenic mouse models of AD. Consequently, activation of 5-HT4 receptors following agonist stimulation is considered to be a therapeutic strategy for AD treatment; however, the signaling cascade involved in 5-HT4 receptor-stimulated proteolysis of APP remains to be determined. Here we used chemical and siRNA inhibition to identify the proteins which mediate 5-HT4d receptor-stimulated α-secretase activity in the SH-SY5Y human neuronal cell line. We show that G protein and Src dependent activation of phospholipase C are required for α-secretase activity, while, unexpectedly, adenylyl cyclase and cAMP are not involved. Further elucidation of the signaling pathway indicates that inositol triphosphate phosphorylation and casein kinase 2 activation is also a prerequisite for α-secretase activity. Our findings provide a novel route to explore the treatment of AD through 5-HT4 receptor-induced α-secretase activation.

Alteration of the microRNA network during the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

An overview of miRNAs altered in Alzheimer's disease (AD) was established by profiling the hippocampus of a cohort of 41 late-onset AD (LOAD) patients and 23 controls, showing deregulation of 35 miRNAs. Profiling of miRNAs in the prefrontal cortex of a second independent cohort of 49 patients grouped by Braak stages revealed 41 deregulated miRNAs. We focused on miR-132-3p which is strongly altered in both brain areas. Downregulation of this miRNA occurs already at Braak stages III and IV, before loss of neuron-specific miRNAs. Next-generation sequencing confirmed a strong decrease of miR-132-3p and of three family-related miRNAs encoded by the same miRNA cluster on chromosome 17. Deregulation of miR-132-3p in AD brain appears to occur mainly in neurons displaying Tau hyper-phosphorylation. We provide evidence that miR-132-3p may contribute to disease progression through aberrant regulation of mRNA targets in the Tau network. The transcription factor (TF) FOXO1a appears to be a key target of miR-132-3p in this pathway.

ß-arrestin 2 regulates Aß generation and γ-secretase activity in Alzheimer's disease.

ß-arrestins are associated with numerous aspects of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling and regulation and accordingly influence diverse physiological and pathophysiological processes. Here we report that ß-arrestin 2 expression is elevated in two independent cohorts of individuals with Alzheimer's disease. Overexpression of ß-arrestin 2 leads to an increase in amyloid-ß (Aß) peptide generation, whereas genetic silencing of Arrb2 (encoding ß-arrestin 2) reduces generation of Aß in cell cultures and in Arrb2(-/-) mice. Moreover, in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, genetic deletion of Arrb2 leads to a reduction in the production of Aß(40) and Aß(42). Two GPCRs implicated previously in Alzheimer's disease (GPR3 and the ß(2)-adrenergic receptor) mediate their effects on Aß generation through interaction with ß-arrestin 2. ß-arrestin 2 physically associates with the Aph-1a subunit of the γ-secretase complex and redistributes the complex toward detergent-resistant membranes, increasing the catalytic activity of the complex. Collectively, these studies identify ß-arrestin 2 as a new therapeutic target for reducing amyloid pathology and GPCR dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease.

The role of G protein-coupled receptors in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are involved in numerous key neurotransmitter systems in the brain that are disrupted in Alzheimer's disease (AD). GPCRs also directly influence the amyloid cascade through modulation of the α-, ß- and γ-secretases, proteolysis of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), and regulation of amyloid-ß degradation. Additionally, amyloid-ß has been shown to perturb GPCR function. Emerging insights into the mechanistic link between GPCRs and AD highlight the potential of this class of receptors as a therapeutic target for AD.

The disintegrin/metalloproteinase ADAM10 is essential for the establishment of the brain cortex.

The metalloproteinase and major amyloid precursor protein (APP) alpha-secretase candidate ADAM10 is responsible for the shedding of proteins important for brain development, such as cadherins, ephrins, and Notch receptors. Adam10(-/-) mice die at embryonic day 9.5, due to major defects in development of somites and vasculogenesis. To investigate the function of ADAM10 in brain, we generated Adam10 conditional knock-out (cKO) mice using a Nestin-Cre promotor, limiting ADAM10 inactivation to neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and NPC-derived neurons and glial cells. The cKO mice die perinatally with a disrupted neocortex and a severely reduced ganglionic eminence, due to precocious neuronal differentiation resulting in an early depletion of progenitor cells. Premature neuronal differentiation is associated with aberrant neuronal migration and a disorganized laminar architecture in the neocortex. Neurospheres derived from Adam10 cKO mice have a disrupted sphere organization and segregated more neurons at the expense of astrocytes. We found that Notch-1 processing was affected, leading to downregulation of several Notch-regulated genes in Adam10 cKO brains, in accordance with the central role of ADAM10 in this signaling pathway and explaining the neurogenic phenotype. Finally, we found that alpha-secretase-mediated processing of APP was largely reduced in these neurons, demonstrating that ADAM10 represents the most important APP alpha-secretase in brain. Our study reveals that ADAM10 plays a central role in the developing brain by controlling mainly Notch-dependent pathways but likely also by reducing surface shedding of other neuronal membrane proteins including APP.