α-Syn suppression reverses synaptic and memory defects in a mouse model of dementia with Lewy bodies.

Abnormally accumulated α-synuclein (α-syn) is a pathological hallmark of Lewy body-related disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy body disease (DLB). However, it is not well understood whether and how abnormal accumulation of α-syn leads to cognitive impairment or dementia in PD and DLB. Furthermore, it is not known whether targeted removal of α-syn pathology can reverse cognitive decline. Here, we found that the distribution of α-syn pathology in an inducible α-syn transgenic mouse model recapitulates that in human DLB. Abnormal accumulation of α-syn in the limbic system, particularly in the hippocampus, correlated with memory impairment and led to structural synaptic deficits. Furthermore, when α-syn expression was suppressed, we observed partial clearing of pre-existing α-syn pathology and reversal of structural synaptic defects, resulting in an improvement in memory function.

A chaperome subnetwork safeguards proteostasis in aging and neurodegenerative disease.

Chaperones are central to the proteostasis network (PN) and safeguard the proteome from misfolding, aggregation, and proteotoxicity. We categorized the human chaperome of 332 genes into network communities using function, localization, interactome, and expression data sets. During human brain aging, expression of 32% of the chaperome, corresponding to ATP-dependent chaperone machines, is repressed, whereas 19.5%, corresponding to ATP-independent chaperones and co-chaperones, are induced. These repression and induction clusters are enhanced in the brains of those with Alzheimer's, Huntington's, or Parkinson's disease. Functional properties of the chaperome were assessed by perturbation in C. elegans and human cell models expressing Aß, polyglutamine, and Huntingtin. Of 219 C. elegans orthologs, knockdown of 16 enhanced both Aß and polyQ-associated toxicity. These correspond to 28 human orthologs, of which 52% and 41% are repressed, respectively, in brain aging and disease and 37.5% affected Huntingtin aggregation in human cells. These results identify a critical chaperome subnetwork that functions in aging and disease.

Brain-penetrant tetrahydronaphthalene thromboxane A2-prostanoid (TP) receptor antagonists as prototype therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease.

A hallmark pathological feature of the Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain is the presence of senile plaques, which comprise amyloid ß (Aß) peptides that are derived from the amyloid precursor protein (APP). The plaque-containing AD brain is thought to be under oxidative stress, as evidenced by increased lipid oxidation products that include isoprostane-F2αIII (iPF2αIII). IPF2αIII can bind to and activate the thromboxane A2-prostanoid (TP) receptor, and TP receptor activation causes increased Aß production through enhancement of APP mRNA stability. Moreover, TP receptor antagonists have been shown to block iPF2αIII-induced increases of Aß secretion. Thus, the TP receptor may be a potential drug target for AD therapy. However, here we show that existing TP receptor antagonists have poor blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, likely due to the presence of a carboxylic acid moiety that is believed to be important for receptor interaction, but which may hamper passive diffusion across the BBB. We now report selected analogues of a known tetrahydronaphthalene TP receptor antagonist, wherein the carboxylic acid moiety has been replaced by heterocyclic bioisosteres. These heterocyclic analogues retained relatively high affinity for the mouse and human TP receptors, and, unlike the parent carboxylic acid compound, several examples freely diffused across the BBB into the brain upon administration to mice. These results reveal that brain-penetrant tetrahydronaphthalene TP receptor antagonists can be developed by substituting the carboxylic acid moiety with a suitable nonacidic bioisostere. Compounds of this type hold promise as potential lead structures to develop drug candidates for the treatment of AD.

Aggregation of α-synuclein in S. cerevisiae is associated with defects in endosomal trafficking and phospholipid biosynthesis.

Parkinson's disease is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder. α-Synuclein is a small synaptic protein that has been linked to familial Parkinson's disease (PD) and is also the primary component of Lewy bodies, the hallmark neuropathology found in the brain of sporadic and familial PD patients. The function of α-synuclein is currently unknown, although it has been implicated in the regulation of synaptic vesicle localization or fusion. Recently, overexpression of α-synuclein was shown to cause cytoplasmic vesicle accumulation in a yeast model of α-synuclein toxicity, but the exact role α-synuclein played in mediating this vesicle aggregation is unclear. Here, we show that α-synuclein induces aggregation of many yeast Rab GTPase proteins, that α-synuclein aggregation is enhanced in yeast mutants that produce high levels of acidic phospholipids, and that α-synuclein colocalizes with yeast membranes that are enriched for phosphatidic acid. Significantly, we demonstrate that α-synuclein expression induces vulnerability to perturbations of Ypt6 and other proteins involved in retrograde endosome-Golgi transport, linking a specific trafficking defect to α-synuclein phospholipid binding. These data suggest new pathogenic mechanisms for α-synuclein neurotoxicity.

Cyclopentane-1,3-dione: a novel isostere for the carboxylic acid functional group. Application to the design of potent thromboxane (A2) receptor antagonists.

Cyclopentane-1,3-diones are known to exhibit pK(a) values typically in the range of carboxylic acids. To explore the potential of the cyclopentane-1,3-dione unit as a carboxylic acid isostere, the physical-chemical properties of representative congeners were examined and compared with similar derivatives bearing carboxylic acid or tetrazole residues. These studies suggest that cyclopentane-1,3-diones may effectively substitute for the carboxylic acid functional group. To demonstrate the use of the cyclopentane-1,3-dione isostere in drug design, derivatives of a known thromboxane A(2) prostanoid (TP) receptor antagonist, 3-(3-(2-(4-chlorophenylsulfonamido)ethyl)phenyl)propanoic acid (12), were synthesized and evaluated in both functional and radioligand-binding assays. A series of mono- and disubstituted cyclopentane-1,3-dione derivatives (41-45) were identified that exhibit nanomolar IC(50) and K(d) values similar to 12. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that the cyclopentane-1,3-dione moiety comprises a novel isostere of the carboxylic acid functional group. Given the combination of the relatively strong acidity, tunable lipophilicity, and versatility of the structure, the cyclopentane-1,3-dione moiety may constitute a valuable addition to the palette of carboxylic acid isosteres.

Alpha-synuclein-induced aggregation of cytoplasmic vesicles in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Aggregated alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) fibrils form Lewy bodies (LBs), the signature lesions of Parkinson's disease (PD) and related synucleinopathies, but the pathogenesis and neurodegenerative effects of LBs remain enigmatic. Recent studies have shown that when overexpressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, alpha-syn localizes to plasma membranes and forms cytoplasmic accumulations similar to human alpha-syn inclusions. However, the exact nature, composition, temporal evolution, and underlying mechanisms of yeast alpha-syn accumulations and their relevance to human synucleinopathies are unknown. Here we provide ultrastructural evidence that alpha-syn accumulations are not comprised of LB-like fibrils, but are associated with clusters of vesicles. Live-cell imaging showed alpha-syn initially localized to the plasma membrane and subsequently formed accumulations in association with vesicles. Imaging of truncated and mutant forms of alpha-syn revealed the molecular determinants and vesicular trafficking pathways underlying this pathological process. Because vesicular clustering is also found in LB-containing neurons of PD brains, alpha-syn-mediated vesicular accumulation in yeast represents a model system to study specific aspects of neurodegeneration in PD and related synucleinopathies.