The molecular tweezer CLR01 improves behavioral deficits and reduces tau pathology in P301S-tau transgenic mice.

BACKGROUND: Molecular tweezers (MTs) are broad-spectrum inhibitors of abnormal protein aggregation. A lead MT, called CLR01, has been demonstrated to inhibit the aggregation and toxicity of multiple amyloidogenic proteins in vitro and in vivo. Previously, we evaluated the effect of CLR01 in the 3 × Tg mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, which overexpresses mutant human presenilin 1, amyloid ß-protein precursor, and tau and found that subcutaneous administration of the compound for 1 month led to a robust reduction of amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and microgliosis. CLR01 also has been demonstrated to inhibit tau aggregation in vitro and tau seeding in cell culture, yet because in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in the 3 × Tg model, tau hyperphosphorylation and aggregation are thought to be downstream of Aß insults, the study in this model left open the question whether CLR01 affected tau in vivo directly or indirectly. METHODS: To determine if CLR01 could ameliorate tau pathology directly in vivo, we tested the compound similarly using the P301S-tau (line PS19) mouse model. Mice were administered 0.3 or 1.0 mg/kg per day CLR01 and tested for muscle strength and behavioral deficits, including anxiety- and disinhibition-like behavior. Their brains then were analyzed by immunohistochemical and biochemical assays for pathological forms of tau, neurodegeneration, and glial pathology. RESULTS: CLR01 treatment ameliorated muscle-strength deterioration, anxiety-, and disinhibition-like behavior. Improved phenotype was associated with decreased levels of pathologic tau forms, suggesting that CLR01 exerts a direct effect on tau in vivo. Limitations of the study included a relatively short treatment period of the mice at an age in which full pathology is not yet developed. In addition, high variability in this model lowered the statistical significance of the findings of some outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that CLR01 is a particularly attractive candidate for the treatment of AD because it targets simultaneously the two major pathogenic proteins instigating and propagating the disease, amyloid ß-protein (Aß), and tau, respectively. In addition, our study suggests that CLR01 can be used for the treatment of other tauopathies in the absence of amyloid pathology.

The Relationship Between Reported Pain and Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents.

Pain and depressive symptoms are common reasons for adolescents to contact the school nurse. The aim was to describe the prevalence of pain (headache, abdominal pain, and back pain) and depressive symptoms among adolescents and to examine whether there is an association between pain and depressive symptoms. This cross-sectional survey included students (N = 639) in Sweden (median age: 16 years). Over half of the female participants (56%) and one third of male participants (33%) had weekly headaches, abdominal pain, or back pain. Almost every second girl (48%) and one in four boys (25%) had depressive symptoms (as measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, scores ≥ 16). There was a significant association between having pain (headache, abdominal pain, or back pain) and having depressive symptoms. It is of great importance for school nurses to adequately identify and treat the cause of pain and other factors contributing to depression.

Phenotypic Modulation of Smooth Muscle Cells in Atherosclerosis Is Associated With Downregulation of LMOD1, SYNPO2, PDLIM7, PLN, and SYNM.

OBJECTIVE: Key augmented processes in atherosclerosis have been identified, whereas less is known about downregulated pathways. Here, we applied a systems biology approach to examine suppressed molecular signatures, with the hypothesis that they may provide insight into mechanisms contributing to plaque stability. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Muscle contraction, muscle development, and actin cytoskeleton were the most downregulated pathways (false discovery rate=6.99e-21, 1.66e-6, 2.54e-10, respectively) in microarrays from human carotid plaques (n=177) versus healthy arteries (n=15). In addition to typical smooth muscle cell (SMC) markers, these pathways also encompassed cytoskeleton-related genes previously not associated with atherosclerosis. SYNPO2, SYNM, LMOD1, PDLIM7, and PLN expression positively correlated to typical SMC markers in plaques (Pearson r>0.6, P<0.0001) and in rat intimal hyperplasia (r>0.8, P<0.0001). By immunohistochemistry, the proteins were expressed in SMCs in normal vessels, but largely absent in human plaques and intimal hyperplasia. Subcellularly, most proteins localized to the cytoskeleton in cultured SMCs and were regulated by active enhancer histone modification H3K27ac by chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing. Functionally, the genes were downregulated by PDGFB (platelet-derived growth factor beta) and IFNg (interferron gamma), exposure to shear flow stress, and oxLDL (oxidized low-density lipoprotein) loading. Genetic variants in PDLIM7, PLN, and SYNPO2 loci associated with progression of carotid intima-media thickness in high-risk subjects without symptoms of cardiovascular disease (n=3378). By eQTL (expression quantitative trait locus), rs11746443 also associated with PDLIM7 expression in plaques. Mechanistically, silencing of PDLIM7 in vitro led to downregulation of SMC markers and disruption of the actin cytoskeleton, decreased cell spreading, and increased proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: We identified a panel of genes that reflect the altered phenotype of SMCs in vascular disease and could be early sensitive markers of SMC dedifferentiation.

Modulation of cell metabolic pathways and oxidative stress signaling contribute to acquired melphalan resistance in multiple myeloma cells.

Alkylating agents are widely used chemotherapeutics in the treatment of many cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, sarcoma, lung, breast and ovarian cancer. Melphalan is the most commonly used chemotherapeutic agent against multiple myeloma. However, despite a 70-80% initial response rate, virtually all patients eventually relapse due to the emergence of drug-resistant tumour cells. By using global proteomic and transcriptomic profiling on melphalan sensitive and resistant RPMI8226 cell lines followed by functional assays, we discovered changes in cellular processes and pathways not previously associated with melphalan resistance in multiple myeloma cells, including a metabolic switch conforming to the Warburg effect (aerobic glycolysis), and an elevated oxidative stress response mediated by VEGF/IL8-signaling. In addition, up-regulated aldo-keto reductase levels of the AKR1C family involved in prostaglandin synthesis contribute to the resistant phenotype. Finally, selected metabolic and oxidative stress response enzymes were targeted by inhibitors, several of which displayed a selective cytotoxicity against the melphalan-resistant cells and should be further explored to elucidate their potential to overcome melphalan resistance.

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is localized to subnuclear domains enriched in splicing factors.

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is the mutator enzyme in adaptive immunity. AID initiates the antibody diversification processes in activated B cells by deaminating cytosine to uracil in immunoglobulin genes. To some extent other genes are also targeted, which may lead to genome instability and B cell malignancy. Thus, it is crucial to understand its targeting and regulation mechanisms. AID is regulated at several levels including subcellular compartmentalization. However, the complex nuclear distribution and trafficking of AID has not been studied in detail previously. In this work, we examined the subnuclear localization of AID and its interaction partner CTNNBL1 and found that they associate with spliceosome-associated structures including Cajal bodies and nuclear speckles. Moreover, protein kinase A (PKA), which activates AID by phosphorylation at Ser38, is present together with AID in nuclear speckles. Importantly, we demonstrate that AID physically associates with the major spliceosome subunits (small nuclear ribonucleoproteins, snRNPs), as well as other essential splicing components, in addition to the transcription machinery. Based on our findings and the literature, we suggest a transcription-coupled splicing-associated model for AID targeting and activation.

A combined nuclear and nucleolar localization motif in activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) controls immunoglobulin class switching.

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is a DNA mutator enzyme essential for adaptive immunity. AID initiates somatic hypermutation and class switch recombination (CSR) by deaminating cytosine to uracil in specific immunoglobulin (Ig) gene regions. However, other loci, including cancer-related genes, are also targeted. Thus, tight regulation of AID is crucial to balance immunity versus disease such as cancer. AID is regulated by several mechanisms including nucleocytoplasmic shuttling. Here we have studied nuclear import kinetics and subnuclear trafficking of AID in live cells and characterized in detail its nuclear localization signal. Importantly, we find that the nuclear localization signal motif also directs AID to nucleoli where it colocalizes with its interaction partner, catenin-ß-like 1 (CTNNBL1), and physically associates with nucleolin and nucleophosmin. Moreover, we demonstrate that release of AID from nucleoli is dependent on its C-terminal motif. Finally, we find that CSR efficiency correlates strongly with the arithmetic product of AID nuclear import rate and DNA deamination activity. Our findings suggest that directional nucleolar transit is important for the physiological function of AID and demonstrate that nuclear/nucleolar import and DNA cytosine deamination together define the biological activity of AID. This is the first study on subnuclear trafficking of AID and demonstrates a new level in its complex regulation. In addition, our results resolve the problem related to dissociation of deamination activity and CSR activity of AID mutants.

Uracil-DNA glycosylase in base excision repair and adaptive immunity: species differences between man and mouse.

Genomic uracil is a DNA lesion but also an essential key intermediate in adaptive immunity. In B cells, activation-induced cytidine deaminase deaminates cytosine to uracil (U:G mispairs) in Ig genes to initiate antibody maturation. Uracil-DNA glycosylases (UDGs) such as uracil N-glycosylase (UNG), single strand-selective monofunctional uracil-DNA glycosylase 1 (SMUG1), and thymine-DNA glycosylase remove uracil from DNA. Gene-targeted mouse models are extensively used to investigate the role of these enzymes in DNA repair and Ig diversification. However, possible species differences in uracil processing in humans and mice are yet not established. To address this, we analyzed UDG activities and quantities in human and mouse cell lines and in splenic B cells from Ung(+/+) and Ung(-/-) backcrossed mice. Interestingly, human cells displayed ∼15-fold higher total uracil excision capacity due to higher levels of UNG. In contrast, SMUG1 activity was ∼8-fold higher in mouse cells, constituting ∼50% of the total U:G excision activity compared with less than 1% in human cells. In activated B cells, both UNG and SMUG1 activities were at levels comparable with those measured for mouse cell lines. Moreover, SMUG1 activity per cell was not down-regulated after activation. We therefore suggest that SMUG1 may work as a weak backup activity for UNG2 during class switch recombination in Ung(-/-) mice. Our results reveal significant species differences in genomic uracil processing. These findings should be taken into account when mouse models are used in studies of uracil DNA repair and adaptive immunity.

Suppression of EAE by oral tolerance is independent of endogenous IFN-beta whereas treatment with recombinant IFN-beta ameliorates EAE.

IFN-beta is anticipated to have an important function in mucosal tolerance, as it is one of the major cytokines produced by plasmacytoid dendritic cells, and has recently been suggested as central to the maintenance of mucosal homeostasis. Here, we have investigated whether oral tolerance is dependent on endogenous IFN-beta by feeding low-dose self-antigen myelin basic protein to IFN-beta(-/-) mice with subsequent induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Our study shows that oral tolerance was readily induced in IFN-beta(-/-) mice compared with their wild-type littermates (IFN-beta(+/+)). The non-self-antigen ovalbumin induced oral tolerance in both groups. These data indicate that endogenous IFN-beta is not required for induction of oral tolerance, whereas delivery of recombinant IFN-beta results in significant reduction in clinical score of EAE. Oral tolerance induction was associated with lower production of antigen-specific IFN-gamma, no shift toward antigen-specific Th2, Th17 or TGF-beta response was observed. Oral tolerance in IFN-beta(-/-) mice was also associated with the induction of regulatory and memory T cells in the mucosal-associated immune organs, however this was not a prerequisite for establishment of oral tolerance.

GABA, a natural immunomodulator of T lymphocytes.

gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the main neuroinhibitory transmitter in the brain. Here we show that GABA in the extracellular space may affect the fate of pathogenic T lymphocytes entering the brain. We examined in encephalitogenic T cells if they expressed functional GABA channels that could be activated by the low (nM-1 microM), physiological concentrations of GABA present around neurons in the brain. The cells expressed the alpha1, alpha4, beta2, beta3, gamma1 and delta GABAA channel subunits and formed functional, extrasynaptic-like GABA channels that were activated by 1 microM GABA. 100 nM and higher GABA concentrations decreased T cell proliferation. The results are consistent with GABA being immunomodulatory.