X-ray fluorescence imaging reveals subcellular biometal disturbances in a childhood neurodegenerative disorder.

Biometals such as zinc, iron, copper and calcium play key roles in diverse physiological processes in the brain, but can be toxic in excess. A hallmark of neurodegeneration is a failure of homeostatic mechanisms controlling the concentration and distribution of these elements, resulting in overload, deficiency or mislocalization. A major roadblock to understanding the impact of altered biometal homeostasis in neurodegenerative disease is the lack of rapid, specific and sensitive techniques capable of providing quantitative subcellular information on biometal homeostasis in situ. Recent advances in X-ray fluorescence detectors have provided an opportunity to rapidly measure biometal content at subcellular resolution in cell populations using X-ray Fluorescence Microscopy (XFM). We applied this approach to investigate subcellular biometal homeostasis in a cerebellar cell line isolated from a natural mouse model of a childhood neurodegenerative disorder, the CLN6 form of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, commonly known as Batten disease. Despite no global changes to whole cell concentrations of zinc or calcium, XFM revealed significant subcellular mislocalization of these important biological second messengers in cerebellar Cln6nclf (CbCln6nclf ) cells. XFM revealed that nuclear-to-cytoplasmic trafficking of zinc was severely perturbed in diseased cells and the subcellular distribution of calcium was drastically altered in CbCln6nclf cells. Subtle differences in the zinc K-edge X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) spectra of control and CbCln6nclf cells suggested that impaired zinc homeostasis may be associated with an altered ligand set in CbCln6nclf cells. Importantly, a zinc-complex, ZnII(atsm), restored the nuclear-to-cytoplasmic zinc ratios in CbCln6nclf cells via nuclear zinc delivery, and restored the relationship between subcellular zinc and calcium levels to that observed in healthy control cells. ZnII(atsm) treatment also resulted in a reduction in the number of calcium-rich puncta observed in CbCln6nclf cells. This study highlights the complementarities of bulk and single cell analysis of metal content for understanding disease states. We demonstrate the utility and broad applicability of XFM for subcellular analysis of perturbed biometal metabolism and mechanism of action studies for novel therapeutics to target neurodegeneration.

Agrin binds to beta-amyloid (Abeta), accelerates abeta fibril formation, and is localized to Abeta deposits in Alzheimer's disease brain.

Agrin is an extracellular matrix heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) well known for its role in modulation of the neuromuscular junction during development. Although agrin is one of the major HSPGs of the brain, its function there remains elusive. Here we provide evidence suggesting a possible function for agrin in Alzheimer's disease brain. Agrin protein binds the amyloidogenic peptide Abeta (1-40) in its fibrillar state via a mechanism that involves the heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan chains of agrin. Furthermore, agrin is able to accelerate Abeta fibril formation and protect Abeta (1-40) from proteolysis, in vitro. Supporting a biological significance for these in vitro data, immunocytochemical studies demonstrate agrin's presence within senile plaques and cerebrovascular amyloid deposits, and agrin immunostained capillaries exhibit pathological alterations in AD brain. These data therefore suggest that agrin may be an important factor in the progression of Abeta peptide aggregation and/or its persistence in Alzheimer's disease brain.

Identification of extracellular matrix ligands for the heparan sulfate proteoglycan agrin.

Agrin is a major brain heparan sulfate proteoglycan which is expressed in nearly all basal laminae and in early axonal pathways of the developing central nervous system. To further understand agrin's function during nervous system development, we have examined agrin's ability to interact with several heparin-binding extracellular matrix proteins. Our data show that agrin binds FGF-2 and thrombospondin by a heparan sulfate-dependent mechanism, merosin and laminin by both heparan sulfate-dependent and -independent mechanisms, and tenascin solely via agrin's protein core. Furthermore, agrin's heparan sulfate side chains encode a specificity in interactions with heparin-binding molecules since fibronectin and the cell adhesion molecule L1 do not bind agrin. Surface plasmon resonance studies (BIAcore) reveal a high affinity for agrin's interaction with FGF-2 and merosin (2.5 and 1.8 nM, respectively). Demonstrating a biological significance for these interactions, FGF-2, laminin, and tenascin copurify with immunopurified agrin and immunohistochemistry reveals a partial codistribution of agrin and its ECM ligands in the chick developing visual system. These studies and our previous studies, showing that merosin and NCAM also colocalize with agrin, provide evidence that agrin plays a crucial role in the function of the extracellular matrix and suggest a role for agrin in axon pathway development.

Modulation of a novel RNA in brain neurons by glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors.

A novel cDNA clone, CR16, was isolated from a rat hippocampal cDNA library and characterized for responses to corticosteroids and regional expression. The 4-kb RNA was increased 3-fold by treatment of adrenalectomized (ADX) rats with corticosterone (CORT). Overlapping cDNA totaling 4,374 nt were used to define an open reading frame of 1,356 nt beginning 191 nt from the 5'-end and encoding a 45-kD protein containing 32% proline. CR16 has no obvious homologies to GenBank or protein databases. CR16 RNA was detected by in situ hybridization in neuron-rich layers of the hippocampal formation, layers II, III and VI of the cerebral cortex, thalamus, ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, lateral septal nucleus, nucleus accumbens, olfactory bulb, inferior colliculus, pons and inferior olive. The CR16 RNA has low prevalence in the hippocampus and cortex (< 10 pg/micrograms total RNA) and is elevated 3-fold in both structures in a dose-dependent manner by CORT in ADX rats. Treatment of ADX rats with aldosterone (ALDO), CORT, or RU28362 increased CR16 RNA to similar levels in the hippocampus while ALDO had minimal effects on the level of CR16 RNA relative to CORT or RU28362 in the cortex. Neither shaking stress (2 h) nor 2 h CORT significantly elevated CR16 RNA in the hippocampus, suggesting that its response to elevated CORT is not rapid. ADX lowered CR16 RNA levels by 50% relative to intact rats while low-level CORT replacement (> or = 4 ng/ml serum CORT) significantly elevated CR16 RNA 2-fold in ADX rats. These results are consistent with both the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) regulating the CR16 gene. This gene will be useful in dissecting the role of MR and GR in CNS neurons.