Altered secondary structure of Dynorphin A associates with loss of opioid signalling and NMDA-mediated excitotoxicity in SCA23.

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 23 (SCA23) is caused by missense mutations in prodynorphin, encoding the precursor protein for the opioid neuropeptides α-neoendorphin, Dynorphin (Dyn) A and Dyn B, leading to neurotoxic elevated mutant Dyn A levels. Dyn A acts on opioid receptors to reduce pain in the spinal cord, but its cerebellar function remains largely unknown. Increased concentration of or prolonged exposure to Dyn A is neurotoxic and these deleterious effects are very likely caused by an N-methyl-d-aspartate-mediated non-opioid mechanism as Dyn A peptides were shown to bind NMDA receptors and potentiate their glutamate-evoked currents. In the present study, we investigated the cellular mechanisms underlying SCA23-mutant Dyn A neurotoxicity. We show that SCA23 mutations in the Dyn A-coding region disrupted peptide secondary structure leading to a loss of the N-terminal α-helix associated with decreased κ-opioid receptor affinity. Additionally, the altered secondary structure led to increased peptide stability of R6W and R9C Dyn A, as these peptides showed marked degradation resistance, which coincided with decreased peptide solubility. Notably, L5S Dyn A displayed increased degradation and no aggregation. R6W and wt Dyn A peptides were most toxic to primary cerebellar neurons. For R6W Dyn A, this is likely because of a switch from opioid to NMDA- receptor signalling, while for wt Dyn A, this switch was not observed. We propose that the pathology of SCA23 results from converging mechanisms of loss of opioid-mediated neuroprotection and NMDA-mediated excitotoxicity.

Tripeptidyl Peptidase II Mediates Levels of Nuclear Phosphorylated ERK1 and ERK2.

Tripeptidyl peptidase II (TPP2) is a serine peptidase involved in various biological processes, including antigen processing, cell growth, DNA repair, and neuropeptide mediated signaling. The underlying mechanisms of how a peptidase can influence this multitude of processes still remain unknown. We identified rapid proteomic changes in neuroblastoma cells following selective TPP2 inhibition using the known reversible inhibitor butabindide, as well as a new, more potent, and irreversible peptide phosphonate inhibitor. Our data show that TPP2 inhibition indirectly but rapidly decreases the levels of active, di-phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (ERK1) and ERK2 in the nucleus, thereby down-regulating signal transduction downstream of growth factors and mitogenic stimuli. We conclude that TPP2 mediates many important cellular functions by controlling ERK1 and ERK2 phosphorylation. For instance, we show that TPP2 inhibition of neurons in the hippocampus leads to an excessive strengthening of synapses, indicating that TPP2 activity is crucial for normal brain function.

Storm before the quiet: neuronal hyperactivity and Aß in the presymptomatic stages of Alzheimer's disease.

Neuronal activity directly promotes the production and secretion of amyloid ß (Aß). Interestingly, neuronal hyperactivity can be observed in presymptomatic stages of both sporadic and familial Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in several AD mouse models. In this review, we will highlight the recent evidence for neuronal hyperactivity before or during the onset of cognitive defects in mild cognitive impairment. Furthermore, we review specific molecular mechanisms through which neuronal hyperactivity affects Aß production and degradation. With these data, we will provide more insight into the 2-faced nature of neuronal hyperactivity: does enhanced neuronal activity during the presymptomatic stages of AD provide protection against the earliest disease processes or is it a pathogenic contributor to AD?

Kinetic studies of cytoplasmic antigen processing and production of MHC class I ligands.

MHC class I molecules present peptides that are derived from intracellular proteins degraded by proteasomes. These peptides often require additional trimming by peptidases to fit into the peptide-binding grove of MHC class I. However, most peptides are rapidly recycled by the large heterogeneous pool of peptidases. Here, we describe a technique to quantify peptide degradation both in living cells and in cell lysates, using quenched peptides that contain a quencher and fluorophore. As degradation results in separation of the quencher and fluorophore, fluorescence will increase. This technique enables the examination of changes in peptide length and amino acid sequence on its half-life, and hence its chances to become presented by MHC class I.

Cortical beta amyloid protein triggers an immune response, but no synaptic changes in the APPswe/PS1dE9 Alzheimer's disease mouse model.

Using microarray technology we studied the genome-wide gene expression profiles in the frontal cortex of APPswe/PS1dE9 mice and age and sex-matched littermates at the age of 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15-18 months to investigate transcriptional changes that are associated with beta amyloid protein (Aß) plaque formation and buildup. We observed the occurrence of an immune response with glial activation, but no changes in genes involved in synaptic transmission or plasticity. Comparison of the mouse gene expression data set with a human data set representing the course of Alzheimer's disease revealed a strikingly limited overlap between gene expression in the APPswe/PS1dE9 and human Alzheimer's disease prefrontal cortex. Only plexin domain containing 2, complement component 4b, and solute carrier family 14 (urea transporter) member 1 were significantly upregulated in the mouse and human brain which might suggest a function in Aß pathology for these 3 genes. In both data sets we detected clusters of upregulated genes involved in immune-related processes. We conclude that the APPswe/PS1dE9 mouse can be a good model to study the immune response associated with cortical Aß plaques.

Reduced amyloid-ß degradation in early Alzheimer's disease but not in the APPswePS1dE9 and 3xTg-AD mouse models.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is hallmarked by amyloid-ß (Aß) peptides accumulation and aggregation in extracellular plaques, preceded by intracellular accumulation. We examined whether intracellular Aß can be cleared by cytosolic peptidases and whether this capacity is affected during progression of sporadic AD (sAD) in humans and in the commonly used APPswePS1dE9 and 3xTg-AD mouse models. A quenched Aß peptide that becomes fluorescent upon degradation was used to screen for Aß-degrading cytoplasmic peptidases cleaving the aggregation-prone KLVFF region of the peptide. In addition, this quenched peptide was used to analyze Aß-degrading capacity in the hippocampus of sAD patients with different Braak stages as well as APPswePS1dE9 and 3xTg-AD mice. Insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) was found to be the main peptidase that degrades cytoplasmic, monomeric Aß. Oligomerization of Aß prevents its clearance by IDE. Intriguingly, the Aß-degrading capacity decreases already during the earliest Braak stages of sAD, and this decline correlates with IDE protein levels, but not with mRNA levels. This suggests that decreased IDE levels could contribute to early sAD. In contrast to the human data, the commonly used APPswePS1dE9 and 3xTg-AD mouse models do not show altered Aß degradation and IDE levels with AD progression, raising doubts whether mouse models that overproduce Aß peptides are representative for human sAD.