1. |
- Brinkmalm-Westman, Ann, 1966, et al.
(författare)
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SNAP-25 is a promising novel cerebrospinal fluid biomarker for synapse degeneration in Alzheimer's disease
- 2014
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Synaptic degeneration is an early pathogenic event in Alzheimer's disease, associated with cognitive impairment and disease progression. Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers reflecting synaptic integrity would be highly valuable tools to monitor synaptic degeneration directly in patients. We previously showed that synaptic proteins such as synaptotagmin and synaptosomal-associated protein 25 (SNAP-25) could be detected in pooled samples of cerebrospinal fluid, however these assays were not sensitive enough for individual samples. Results: We report a new strategy to study synaptic pathology by using affinity purification and mass spectrometry to measure the levels of the presynaptic protein SNAP-25 in cerebrospinal fluid. By applying this novel affinity mass spectrometry strategy on three separate cohorts of patients, the value of SNAP-25 as a cerebrospinal fluid biomarker for synaptic integrity in Alzheimer's disease was assessed for the first time. We found significantly higher levels of cerebrospinal fluid SNAP-25 fragments in Alzheimer's disease, even in the very early stages, in three separate cohorts. Cerebrospinal fluid SNAP-25 differentiated Alzheimer's disease from controls with area under the curve of 0.901 (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: We developed a sensitive method to analyze SNAP-25 levels in individual CSF samples that to our knowledge was not possible previously. Our results support the notion that synaptic biomarkers may be important tools for early diagnosis, assessment of disease progression, and to monitor drug effects in treatment trials.
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2. |
- Portelius, Erik, 1977, et al.
(författare)
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Distinct cerebrospinal fluid amyloid beta peptide signatures in sporadic and PSEN1 A431E-associated familial Alzheimer's disease.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Molecular neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 5:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with deposition of amyloid beta (Abeta) in the brain, which is reflected by low concentration of the Abeta1-42 peptide in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). There are at least 15 additional Abeta peptides in human CSF and their relative abundance pattern is thought to reflect the production and degradation of Abeta. Here, we test the hypothesis that AD is characterized by a specific CSF Abeta isoform pattern that is distinct when comparing sporadic AD (SAD) and familial AD (FAD) due to different mechanisms underlying brain amyloid pathology in the two disease groups. RESULTS: We measured Abeta isoform concentrations in CSF from 18 patients with SAD, 7 carriers of the FAD-associated presenilin 1 (PSEN1) A431E mutation, 17 healthy controls and 6 patients with depression using immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry. Low CSF levels of Abeta1-42 and high levels of Abeta1-16 distinguished SAD patients and FAD mutation carriers from healthy controls and depressed patients. SAD and FAD were characterized by similar changes in Abeta1-42 and Abeta1-16, but FAD mutation carriers exhibited very low levels of Abeta1-37, Abeta1-38 and Abeta1-39. CONCLUSION: SAD patients and PSEN1 A431E mutation carriers are characterized by aberrant CSF Abeta isoform patterns that hold clinically relevant diagnostic information. PSEN1 A431E mutation carriers exhibit low levels of Abeta1-37, Abeta1-38 and Abeta1-39; fragments that are normally produced by gamma-secretase, suggesting that the PSEN1 A431E mutation modulates gamma-secretase cleavage site preference in a disease-promoting manner.
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3. |
- Rosén, Christoffer, 1986, et al.
(författare)
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Fluid biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease - current concepts
- 2013
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 8:20
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The diagnostic guidelines of Alzheimer's disease (AD) have recently been updated to include brain imaging and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers, with the aim of increasing the certainty of whether a patient has an ongoing AD neuropathologic process or not. The CSF biomarkers total tau (T-tau), hyperphosphorylated tau (P-tau) and the 42 amino acid isoform of amyloid beta (A beta 42) reflect the core pathologic features of AD, which are neuronal loss, intracellular neurofibrillary tangles and extracellular senile plaques. Since the pathologic processes of AD start decades before the first symptoms, these biomarkers may provide means of early disease detection. The updated guidelines identify three different stages of AD: preclinical AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD and AD with dementia. In this review, we aim to summarize the CSF biomarker data available for each of these stages. We also review results from blood biomarker studies. In summary, the core AD CSF biomarkers have high diagnostic accuracy both for AD with dementia and to predict incipient AD (MCI due to AD). Longitudinal studies on healthy elderly and recent cross-sectional studies on patients with dominantly inherited AD mutations have also found biomarker changes in cognitively normal at-risk individuals. This will be important if disease-modifying treatment becomes available, given that treatment will probably be most effective early in the disease. An important prerequisite for this is trustworthy analyses. Since measurements vary between studies and laboratories, standardization of analytical as well as pre-analytical procedures will be essential. This process is already initiated. Apart from filling diagnostic roles, biomarkers may also be utilized for prognosis, disease progression, development of new treatments, monitoring treatment effects and for increasing the knowledge about pathologic processes coupled to the disease. Hence, the search for new biomarkers continues. Several candidate biomarkers have been found in CSF, and although biomarkers in blood have been harder to find, some recent studies have presented encouraging results. But before drawing any major conclusions, these results need to be verified in independent studies.
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4. |
- Sjölander, Annica, 1969, et al.
(författare)
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BACE1 gene variants do not influence BACE1 activity, levels of APP or Abeta isoforms in CSF in Alzheimer's disease.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Molecular neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 5:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ABSTRACT: The BACE1 gene encodes the beta-site APP-cleaving enzyme 1 and has been associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). BACE1 is the most important beta-secretase responsible for the generation of Alzheimer-associated amyloid beta-proteins (Abeta) and may play a role in the amyloidogenic process in AD. We hypothesized that BACE1 gene variants might influence BACE1 activity or other markers for APP metabolism in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and thereby contribute to the development of AD. We genotyped a Swedish sample of 269 AD patients for the rs638405 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the BACE1 gene and correlated genotype data to a broad range of amyloid-related biomarkers in CSF, including BACE1 activity, levels of Abeta40, Abeta42, alpha- and beta-cleaved soluble APP (alpha-sAPP and beta-sAPP), as well as markers for Alzheimer-type axonal degeneration, i.e., total-tau and phospho-tau181. Gene variants of BACE1 were neither associated with amyloid-related biomarkers, nor with markers for axonal degeneration in AD.
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5. |
- Zetterberg, Madeleine, 1969, et al.
(författare)
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Ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) S18Y polymorphism in Alzheimer's disease.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Molecular neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ABSTRACT: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by protein aggregates, i.e. senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. The ubiquitin-proteasome system has been proposed a role in proteolytic removal of these protein aggregates. Ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) is a de-ubiquitinating enzyme with important functions in recycling of ubiquitin. The S18Y polymorphism of the UCHL1 gene confers protection against Parkinson's disease. In this study, the genotype and allele frequencies of the UCHL1 S18Y polymorphism were investigated in 452 AD patients and 234 control subjects, recruited from four memory clinics in Sweden. Using a binary logistic regression model including UCHL1 allele A and APOE epsilon4 allele positivity, age and sex as covariates with AD diagnosis as dependent variable, an adjusted OR of 0.82 ([95% CI 0.55-1.24], P = 0.35) was obtained for a positive UCHL1 allele A carrier status. The present study thus do not support a protective effect of the UCHL1 S18Y polymorphism against AD.
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6. |
- Casadesus, Gemma, et al.
(författare)
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Increased isoprostane and prostaglandin are prominent in neurons in Alzheimer disease
- 2007
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 2:1, s. 2-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundInflammation and oxidative stress are both involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease and have been shown to be reciprocally linked. One group of molecules that have been directly associated with inflammation and the production of free radicals are the prostaglandin 13,14-dihydro 15-keto PGF2α and the isoprostane 8-iso-PGF2α.ResultsTo further delineate the role of inflammatory and oxidative parameters in Alzheimer disease, in this study we evaluated the amount and localization of 13,14-dihydro 15-keto PGF2α and 8-iso-PGF2α in hippocampal post mortem tissue samples from age-matched Alzheimer disease and control patients. Our results demonstrate increased levels of 13,14-dihydro 15-keto PGF2α and 8-iso-PGF2α in the hippocampal pyramidal neurons of Alzheimer disease patients when compared to control patients.ConclusionThese data not only support the shared mechanistic involvement of free radical damage and inflammation in Alzheimer disease, but also indicate that multiple pathogenic "hits" are likely necessary for both the development and propagation of Alzheimer disease.
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7. |
- Cuchillo-Ibañez, Inmaculada, et al.
(författare)
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Heteromers of amyloid precursor protein in cerebrospinal fluid.
- 2015
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Ingår i: Molecular neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Soluble fragments of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) generated by α- and β-secretases, sAPPα and sAPPβ, have been postulated as promising new cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers for the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the capacity of these soluble proteins to assemble has not been explored and could be relevant. Our aim is to characterize possible sAPP oligomers that could contribute to the quantification of sAPPα and sAPPβ in CSF by ELISA, as well as to characterize the possible presence of soluble full-length APP (sAPPf).
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8. |
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9. |
- Figueroa, Ricardo A., et al.
(författare)
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Anchored FRET sensors detect local caspase activation prior to neuronal degeneration
- 2011
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 6, s. 35-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Recent studies indicate local caspase activation in dendrites or axons during development and in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Emerging evidences point to soluble oligomeric amyloid-beta peptide as a causative agent in AD.RESULTS: Here we describe the design of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based caspase sensors, fused to the microtubule associated protein tau. Specific caspase sensors preferentially cleaved by caspase-3, -6 or -9 were expressed in differentiated human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. The anchoring of the sensors resulted in high FRET signals both in extended neurites and soma and made analysis of spatiotemporal signal propagation possible. Caspase activation was detected as loss of FRET after exposure to different stimuli. Interestingly, after staurosporine treatment caspase-6 activation was significantly delayed in neurites compared to cell bodies. In addition, we show that exposure to oligomer-enriched amyloid-beta peptide resulted in loss of FRET in cells expressing sensors for caspase-3 and -6, but not -9, in both soma and neurites before neurite degeneration was observed.CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, the results show that by using anchored FRET sensors it is possible to detect stimuli-dependent differential activation of caspases and to distinguish local from global caspase activation in live neuronal cells. Furthermore, in these cells oligomer-enriched amyloid-beta peptide induces a global, rather than local activation of caspase-3 and -6, which subsequently leads to neuronal cell death.
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10. |
- Guzman, Erika Avendano, et al.
(författare)
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Abundance of A beta(5-x) x like immunoreactivity in transgenic 5XFAD, APP/PS1KI and 3xTG mice, sporadic and familial Alzheimer's disease
- 2014
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 9, s. 13-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: According to the modified amyloid hypothesis the main event in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the deposition of neurotoxic amyloid beta-peptide (A beta) within neurons. Additionally to full-length peptides, a great diversity of N-truncated A beta variants is derived from the larger amyloid precursor protein (APP). Vast evidence suggests that A beta(x-42) isoforms play an important role triggering neurodegeneration due to its high abundance, amyloidogenic propensity and toxicity. Although N-truncated and A beta(x-42) species have been pointed as crucial players in AD etiology, the A beta(5-x) isoforms have not received much attention. Results: The present study is the first to show immunohistochemical evidence of A beta(5-x) in familial cases of AD (FAD) and its distribution in APP/PS1KI, 5XFAD and 3xTG transgenic mouse models. In order to probe A beta(5-x) peptides we generated the AB5-3 antibody. Positive plaques and congophilic amyloid angiopathy (CAA) were observed among all the FAD cases tested carrying either APP or presenilin 1 (PS1) mutations and most of the sporadic cases of AD (SAD). Different patterns of A beta(5-x) distribution were found in the mouse models carrying different combinations of autosomal mutations in the APP, PS1 and Tau genes. All of them showed extracellular A beta deposits but none CAA. Additionally, they were all affected by a severe amyloid pathology in the hippocampus among other areas. Interestingly, neither 5XFAD nor APP/PS1KI showed any evidence for intraneuronal A beta(5-x). Conclusions: Different degrees of A beta(5-x) accumulations can be found in the transgenic AD mouse models and human cases expressing the sporadic or the familial form of the disease. Due to the lack of intracellular A beta(5-x), these isoforms might not be contributing to early mechanisms in the cascade of events triggering AD pathology. Brain sections obtained from SAD cases showed higher A beta(5-x)-immunoreactivity in vascular deposits than in extracellular plaques, while both are equally important in the FAD cases. The difference may rely on alternative mechanisms involving A beta(5-x) peptides and operating in a divergent way in the late and early onset forms of the disease.
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11. |
- Jiang, Hong, et al.
(författare)
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Elevated CSF levels of TACE activity and soluble TNF receptors in subjects with mild cognitive impairment and patients with Alzheimer's disease.
- 2011
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Ingår i: Molecular neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ABSTRACT: We recently reported that expression levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptors, TNFR1 and TNFR2, are significantly changed in the brains and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Moreover, we also found that, in an Alzheimer's mouse model, genetic deletion of TNF receptor (TNFR1) reduces amyloid plaques and amyloid beta peptides (Aβ) production through β-secretase (BACE1) regulation. TNF-α converting enzyme (TACE/ADAM-17) does not only cleave pro- TNF-α but also TNF receptors, however, whether the TACE activity was changed in the CSF was not clear. In this study, we examined TACE in the CSF in 32 AD patients and 27 age-matched healthy controls (HCs). Interestingly, we found that TACE activity was significantly elevated in the CSF from AD patients compared with HCs. Furthermore, we also assayed the CSF levels of TACE cleaved soluble forms of TNFR1 and TNFR2 in the same patients. We found that AD patients had higher levels of both TACE cleaved soluble TNFR1 (sTNFR1) and TNFR2 (sTNFR2) in the CSF compared to age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Levels of sTNFR1 correlated strongly with the levels of sTNFR2 (rs = 0.567-0.663, p < 0.01). The levels of both sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 significantly correlated with the TACE activity (rs = 0.491-0.557, p < 0.05). To examine if changes in TACE activity and in levels of cleaved soluble TNFRs are an early event in the course of AD, we measured these molecules in the CSF from 47 subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which is considered as a preclinical stage of AD. Unexpectedly, we found significantly higher levels of TACE activity and soluble TNFRs in the MCI group than that in AD patients. These results suggest that TACE activity and soluble TNF receptors may be potential diagnostic candidate biomarkers in AD and MCI.
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12. |
- Kempf, Stefan J., et al.
(författare)
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The cognitive defects of neonatally irradiated miceare accompanied by changed synaptic plasticity,adult neurogenesis and neuroinflammation
- 2014
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 9, s. 57-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background/purpose of the study: Epidemiological evidence suggests that low doses of ionising radiation(≤1.0 Gy) produce persistent alterations in cognition if the exposure occurs at a young age. The mechanismsunderlying such alterations are unknown. We investigated the long-term effects of low doses of total body gammaradiation on neonatally exposed NMRI mice on the molecular and cellular level to elucidate neurodegeneration.Results: Significant alterations in spontaneous behaviour were observed at 2 and 4 months following a single 0.5or 1.0 Gy exposure. Alterations in the brain proteome, transcriptome, and several miRNAs were analysed 6–7months post-irradiation in the hippocampus, dentate gyrus (DG) and cortex. Signalling pathways related to synapticactin remodelling such as the Rac1-Cofilin pathway were altered in the cortex and hippocampus. Further, synapticproteins MAP-2 and PSD-95 were increased in the DG and hippocampus (1.0 Gy). The expression of synapticplasticity genes Arc, c-Fos and CREB was persistently reduced at 1.0 Gy in the hippocampus and cortex. Thesechanges were coupled to epigenetic modulation via increased levels of microRNAs (miR-132/miR-212, miR-134).Astrogliosis, activation of insulin-growth factor/insulin signalling and increased level of microglial cytokine TNFαindicated radiation-induced neuroinflammation. In addition, adult neurogenesis within the DG was persistentlynegatively affected after irradiation, particularly at 1.0 Gy.Conclusion: These data suggest that neurocognitive disorders may be induced in adults when exposed at a youngage to low and moderate cranial doses of radiation. This raises concerns about radiation safety standards andregulatory practices.
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13. |
- Rogers, Kathryn, et al.
(författare)
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Modulation of γ-secretase by EVP-0015962 reduces amyloid deposition and behavioral deficits in Tg2576 mice.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Molecular neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: A hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease is the presence of senile plaques in human brain primarily containing the amyloid peptides Aβ42 and Aβ40. Many drug discovery efforts have focused on decreasing the production of Aβ42 through γ-secretase inhibition. However, identification of γ-secretase inhibitors has also uncovered mechanism-based side effects. One approach to circumvent these side effects has been modulation of γ-secretase to shift Aβ production to favor shorter, less amyloidogenic peptides than Aβ42, without affecting the overall cleavage efficiency of the enzyme. This approach, frequently called γ-secretase modulation, appears more promising and has lead to the development of new therapeutic candidates for disease modification in Alzheimer’s disease. Results: Here we describe EVP-0015962, a novel small molecule γ-secretase modulator. EVP-0015962 decreased Aβ42 in H4 cells (IC50 = 67 nM) and increased the shorter Aβ38 by 1.7 fold at the IC50 for lowering of Aβ42. AβTotal, as well as other carboxyl-terminal fragments of amyloid precursor protein, were not changed. EVP-0015962 did not cause the accumulation of other γ-secretase substrates, such as the Notch and ephrin A4 receptors, whereas a γ-secretase inhibitor reduced processing of both. A single oral dose of EVP-0015962 (30 mg/kg) decreased Aβ42 and did not alter AβTotal peptide levels in a dose-dependent manner in Tg2576 mouse brain at an age when overt Aβ deposition was not present. In Tg2576 mice, chronic treatment with EVP-0015962 (20 or 60 mg/kg/day in a food formulation) reduced Aβ aggregates, amyloid plaques, inflammatory markers, and cognitive deficits. Conclusions: EVP-0015962 is orally bioavailable, detected in brain, and a potent, selective γ-secretase modulator in vitro and in vivo. Chronic treatment with EVP-0015962 was well tolerated in mice and lowered the production of Aβ42, attenuated memory deficits, and reduced Aβ plaque formation and inflammation in Tg2576 transgenic animals. In summary, these data suggest that γ-secretase modulation with EVP-0015962 represents a viable therapeutic alternative for disease modification in Alzheimer’s disease.
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14. |
- Sun, Yanyan, et al.
(författare)
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Apoptosis-inducing factor downregulation increased neuronal progenitor, but not stem cell, survival in the neonatal hippocampus after cerebral hypoxiaischemia.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Molecular neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 7:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: A considerable proportion of all newly generated cells in the hippocampus will die before becoming fully differentiated, both under normal and pathological circumstances. The caspase-independent apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) has not been investigated previously in this context. RESULTS: Postnatal day 8 (P8) harlequin (Hq) mutant mice, expressing lower levels of AIF, and wild type littermates were injected with BrdU once daily for two days to label newborn cells. On P10 mice were subjected to hypoxia-ischemia (HI) and their brains were analyzed 4 h, 24 h or 4 weeks later. Overall tissue loss was 63.5% lower in Hq mice 4 weeks after HI. Shortterm survival (4 h and 24 h) of labeled cells in the subgranular zone was neither affected by AIF downregulation, nor by HI. Long-term (4 weeks) survival of undifferentiated, BLBPpositive stem cells was reduced by half after HI, but this was not changed by AIF downregulation. Neurogenesis, however, as judged by BrdU/NeuN double labeling, was reduced by half after HI in wild type mice but preserved in Hq mice, indicating that primarily neural progenitors and neurons were protected. A wave of cell death started early after HI in the innermost layers of the granule cell layer (GCL) and moved outward, such that 24 h after HI dying cells could be detected in the entire GCL. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that AIF downregulation provides not only long-term overall neuroprotection after HI, but also protects neural progenitor cells, thereby rescuing hippocampal neurogenesis.
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15. |
- Barbariga, Marco, et al.
(författare)
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Ceruloplasmin functional changes in Parkinson's disease-cerebrospinal fluid.
- 2015
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 10:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ceruloplasmin, a ferroxidase present in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), plays a role in iron homeostasis protecting tissues from oxidative damage. Its reduced enzymatic activity was reported in Parkinson's disease (PD) contributing to the pathological iron accumulation. We previously showed that ceruloplasmin is modified by oxidation in vivo, and, in addition, in vitro by deamidation of specific NGR-motifs that foster the gain of integrin-binding function. Here we investigated whether the loss of ceruloplasmin ferroxidase activity in the CSF of PD patients was accompanied by NGR-motifs deamidation and gain of function.
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16. |
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17. |
- Benitez, D. P., et al.
(författare)
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Knock-in models related to Alzheimer's disease: synaptic transmission, plaques and the role of microglia
- 2021
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 16:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Microglia are active modulators of Alzheimer's disease but their role in relation to amyloid plaques and synaptic changes due to rising amyloid beta is unclear. We add novel findings concerning these relationships and investigate which of our previously reported results from transgenic mice can be validated in knock-in mice, in which overexpression and other artefacts of transgenic technology are avoided. Methods App(NL-F) and App(NL-G-F) knock-in mice expressing humanised amyloid beta with mutations in App that cause familial Alzheimer's disease were compared to wild type mice throughout life. In vitro approaches were used to understand microglial alterations at the genetic and protein levels and synaptic function and plasticity in CA1 hippocampal neurones, each in relationship to both age and stage of amyloid beta pathology. The contribution of microglia to neuronal function was further investigated by ablating microglia with CSF1R inhibitor PLX5622. Results Both App knock-in lines showed increased glutamate release probability prior to detection of plaques. Consistent with results in transgenic mice, this persisted throughout life in App(NL-F) mice but was not evident in App(NL-G-F) with sparse plaques. Unlike transgenic mice, loss of spontaneous excitatory activity only occurred at the latest stages, while no change could be detected in spontaneous inhibitory synaptic transmission or magnitude of long-term potentiation. Also, in contrast to transgenic mice, the microglial response in both App knock-in lines was delayed until a moderate plaque load developed. Surviving PLX5266-depleted microglia tended to be CD68-positive. Partial microglial ablation led to aged but not young wild type animals mimicking the increased glutamate release probability in App knock-ins and exacerbated the App knock-in phenotype. Complete ablation was less effective in altering synaptic function, while neither treatment altered plaque load. Conclusions Increased glutamate release probability is similar across knock-in and transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, likely reflecting acute physiological effects of soluble amyloid beta. Microglia respond later to increased amyloid beta levels by proliferating and upregulating Cd68 and Trem2. Partial depletion of microglia suggests that, in wild type mice, alteration of surviving phagocytic microglia, rather than microglial loss, drives age-dependent effects on glutamate release that become exacerbated in Alzheimer's disease.
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18. |
- Bergström, Sofia, et al.
(författare)
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A panel of CSF proteins separates genetic frontotemporal dementia from presymptomatic mutation carriers : a GENFI study
- 2021
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : Springer Nature. - 1750-1326. ; 16:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background A detailed understanding of the pathological processes involved in genetic frontotemporal dementia is critical in order to provide the patients with an optimal future treatment. Protein levels in CSF have the potential to reflect different pathophysiological processes in the brain. We aimed to identify and evaluate panels of CSF proteins with potential to separate symptomatic individuals from individuals without clinical symptoms (unaffected), as well as presymptomatic individuals from mutation non-carriers. Methods A multiplexed antibody-based suspension bead array was used to analyse levels of 111 proteins in CSF samples from 221 individuals from families with genetic frontotemporal dementia. The data was explored using LASSO and Random forest. Results When comparing affected individuals with unaffected individuals, 14 proteins were identified as potentially important for the separation. Among these, four were identified as most important, namely neurofilament medium polypeptide (NEFM), neuronal pentraxin 2 (NPTX2), neurosecretory protein VGF (VGF) and aquaporin 4 (AQP4). The combined profile of these four proteins successfully separated the two groups, with higher levels of NEFM and AQP4 and lower levels of NPTX2 in affected compared to unaffected individuals. VGF contributed to the models, but the levels were not significantly lower in affected individuals. Next, when comparing presymptomatic GRN and C9orf72 mutation carriers in proximity to symptom onset with mutation non-carriers, six proteins were identified with a potential to contribute to a separation, including progranulin (GRN). Conclusion In conclusion, we have identified several proteins with the combined potential to separate affected individuals from unaffected individuals, as well as proteins with potential to contribute to the separation between presymptomatic individuals and mutation non-carriers. Further studies are needed to continue the investigation of these proteins and their potential association to the pathophysiological mechanisms in genetic FTD.
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19. |
- Calvo-Rodriguez, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Real-time imaging of mitochondrial redox reveals increased mitochondrial oxidative stress associated with amyloid ß aggregates in vivo in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease
- 2024
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : BMC. - 1750-1326. ; 19:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundReactive oxidative stress is a critical player in the amyloid beta (A beta) toxicity that contributes to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Damaged mitochondria are one of the main sources of reactive oxygen species and accumulate in A beta plaque-associated dystrophic neurites in the AD brain. Although A beta causes neuronal mitochondria reactive oxidative stress in vitro, this has never been directly observed in vivo in the living mouse brain. Here, we tested for the first time whether A beta plaques and soluble A beta oligomers induce mitochondrial oxidative stress in surrounding neurons in vivo, and whether this neurotoxic effect can be abrogated using mitochondrial-targeted antioxidants.MethodsWe expressed a genetically encoded fluorescent ratiometric mitochondria-targeted reporter of oxidative stress in mouse models of the disease and performed intravital multiphoton microscopy of neuronal mitochondria and A beta plaques.ResultsFor the first time, we demonstrated by direct observation in the living mouse brain exacerbated mitochondrial oxidative stress in neurons after both A beta plaque deposition and direct application of soluble oligomeric A beta onto the brain, and determined the most likely pathological sequence of events leading to oxidative stress in vivo. Oxidative stress could be inhibited by both blocking calcium influx into mitochondria and treating with the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant SS31. Remarkably, the latter ameliorated plaque-associated dystrophic neurites without impacting A beta plaque burden.ConclusionsConsidering these results, combination of mitochondria-targeted compounds with other anti-amyloid beta or anti-tau therapies hold promise as neuroprotective drugs for the prevention and/or treatment of AD.
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20. |
- Chiotis, K., et al.
(författare)
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Tracking reactive astrogliosis in autosomal dominant and sporadic Alzheimer's disease with multi-modal PET and plasma GFAP
- 2023
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - 1750-1326. ; 18:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundPlasma assays for the detection of Alzheimer's disease neuropathological changes are receiving ever increasing interest. The concentration of plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) has been suggested as a potential marker of astrocytes or recently, amyloid-& beta; burden, although this hypothesis remains unproven. We compared plasma GFAP levels with the astrocyte tracer 11C-Deuterium-L-Deprenyl (11C-DED) in a multi-modal PET design in participants with sporadic and Autosomal Dominant Alzheimer's disease.MethodsTwenty-four individuals from families with known Autosomal Dominant Alzheimer's Disease mutations (mutation carriers = 10; non-carriers = 14) and fifteen patients with sporadic Alzheimer's disease were included. The individuals underwent PET imaging with 11C-DED, 11C-PIB and 18F-FDG, as markers of reactive astrogliosis, amyloid-& beta; deposition, and glucose metabolism, respectively, and plasma sampling for measuring GFAP concentrations. Twenty-one participants from the Autosomal Dominant Alzheimer's Disease group underwent follow-up plasma sampling and ten of these participants underwent follow-up PET imaging.ResultsIn mutation carriers, plasma GFAP levels and 11C-PIB binding increased, while 11C-DED binding and 18F-FDG uptake significantly decreased across the estimated years to symptom onset. Cross-sectionally, plasma GFAP demonstrated a negative correlation with 11C-DED binding in both mutation carriers and patients with sporadic disease. Plasma GFAP indicated cross-sectionally a significant positive correlation with 11C-PIB binding and a significant negative correlation with 18F-FDG in the whole sample. The longitudinal levels of 11C-DED binding showed a significant negative correlation with longitudinal plasma GFAP concentrations over the follow-up interval.ConclusionsPlasma GFAP concentration and astrocyte 11C-DED brain binding levels followed divergent trajectories and may reflect different underlying processes. The strong negative association between plasma GFAP and 11C-DED binding in Autosomal Dominant and sporadic Alzheimer's disease brains may indicate that if both are markers of reactive astrogliosis, they may detect different states or subtypes of astrogliosis. Increased 11C-DED brain binding seems to be an earlier phenomenon in Alzheimer's disease progression than increased plasma GFAP concentration.
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21. |
- Cicognola, Claudia, et al.
(författare)
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No diurnal variation of classical and candidate biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease in CSF
- 2016
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers have gained increasing importance in the diagnostic work-up of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The core CSF biomarkers related to AD pathology (A beta 42, t-tau and p-tau) are currently used in CSF diagnostics, while candidate markers of amyloid metabolism (A beta 38, A beta 40, sAPP alpha, sAPP beta), synaptic loss (neurogranin), neuroinflammation (YKL-40), neuronal damage (VILIP-1) and genetic risk (apolipoprotein E) are undergoing evaluation. Diurnal fluctuation in the concentration of CSF biomarkers has been reported and may represent a preanalytical confounding factor in the laboratory diagnosis of AD. The aim of the present study was to investigate the diurnal variability of classical and candidate CSF biomarkers in a cohort of neurosurgical patients carrying a CSF drainage. Method: Samples were collected from a cohort of 13 neurosurgical patients from either ventricular (n = 6) or lumbar (n = 7) CSF drainage at six time points during the day, 1-7 days following the neurosurgical intervention. Concentrations of the core biomarkers were determined by immunoassays. Results: Although absolute values largely varied among subjects, none of the biomarkers showed significant diurnal variation. Site of drainage (lumbar vs. ventricular) did not influence this result. The different immunoassays used for tau and A beta markers provided similar results. Conclusion: Time of day at CSF collection does not ultimately affect the concentration levels of classical and candidate AD biomarkers. Similar trends were found when using different immunoassays, thus corroborating the consistency of the data.
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22. |
- Fernández-Calle, Rosalía, et al.
(författare)
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APOE in the bullseye of neurodegenerative diseases : impact of the APOE genotype in Alzheimer’s disease pathology and brain diseases
- 2022
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 17:1
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- ApoE is the major lipid and cholesterol carrier in the CNS. There are three major human polymorphisms, apoE2, apoE3, and apoE4, and the genetic expression of APOE4 is one of the most influential risk factors for the development of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). Neuroinflammation has become the third hallmark of AD, together with Amyloid-β plaques and neurofibrillary tangles of hyperphosphorylated aggregated tau protein. This review aims to broadly and extensively describe the differential aspects concerning apoE. Starting from the evolution of apoE to how APOE's single-nucleotide polymorphisms affect its structure, function, and involvement during health and disease. This review reflects on how APOE's polymorphisms impact critical aspects of AD pathology, such as the neuroinflammatory response, particularly the effect of APOE on astrocytic and microglial function and microglial dynamics, synaptic function, amyloid-β load, tau pathology, autophagy, and cell-cell communication. We discuss influential factors affecting AD pathology combined with the APOE genotype, such as sex, age, diet, physical exercise, current therapies and clinical trials in the AD field. The impact of the APOE genotype in other neurodegenerative diseases characterized by overt inflammation, e.g., alpha- synucleinopathies and Parkinson's disease, traumatic brain injury, stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and multiple sclerosis, is also addressed. Therefore, this review gathers the most relevant findings related to the APOE genotype up to date and its implications on AD and CNS pathologies to provide a deeper understanding of the knowledge in the APOE field.
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23. |
- Gobom, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Antibody-free measurement of cerebrospinal fluid tau phosphorylation across the Alzheimer's disease continuum.
- 2022
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Ingår i: Molecular neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 17:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Alzheimer's disease is characterized by an abnormal increase of phosphorylated tau (pTau) species in the CSF. It has been suggested that emergence of different pTau forms may parallel disease progression. Therefore, targeting multiple specific pTau forms may allow for a deeper understanding of disease evolution and underlying pathophysiology. Current immunoassays measure pTau epitopes separately and may capture phosphorylated tau fragments of different length depending on the non-pTau antibody used in the assay sandwich pair, which bias the measurement.We developed the first antibody-free mass spectrometric method to simultaneously measure multiple phosphorylated epitopes in CSF tau: pT181, pS199, pS202, pT205, pT217, pT231, and pS396. The method was first evaluated in biochemically defined Alzheimer's disease and control CSF samples (n=38). All seven pTau epitopes clearly separated Alzheimer's disease from non-AD (p<0.001, AUC=0.84-0.98). We proceeded with clinical validation of the method in the TRIAD (n=165) and BioFINDER-2 cohorts (n=563), consisting of patients across the full Alzheimer's disease continuum, including also young controls (<40years), as well as patients with frontotemporal dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders.Increased levels of all phosphorylated epitopes were found in Alzheimer's disease dementia and Aβ positron emission tomography-positive patients with mild cognitive impairment compared with Aβ-negative controls. For Alzheimer's disease dementia compared with Aβ-negative controls, the best biomarker performance was observed for pT231 (TRIAD: AUC=98.73%, fold change=7.64; BioFINDER-2: AUC=91.89%, fold change=10.65), pT217 (TRIAD: AUC=99.71%, fold change=6.33; BioFINDER-2: AUC=98.12%, fold change=8.83) and pT205 (TRIAD: AUC=99.07%, fold change=5.34; BioFINDER-2: AUC=93.51%, fold change=3.92). These phospho-epitopes also discriminated between Aβ-positive and Aβ-negative cognitively unimpaired individuals: pT217 (TRIAD: AUC=83.26, fold change=2.39; BioFINDER-2: AUC=91.05%, fold change=3.29), pT231 (TRIAD: AUC=86.25, fold change=3.80; BioFINDER-2: AUC=78.69%, fold change=3.65) and pT205 (TRIAD: AUC=71.58, fold change=1.51; BioFINDER-2: AUC=71.11%, fold change=1.70).While an increase was found for all pTau species examined, the highest fold change in Alzheimer's disease was found for pT231, pT217 and pT205. Simultaneous antibody-free measurement of pTau epitopes by mass spectrometry avoids possible bias caused by differences in antibody affinity for modified or processed forms of tau, provides insights into tau pathophysiology and may facilitate clinical trials on tau-based drug candidates.
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24. |
- Gonzalez-Ortiz, Fernando, et al.
(författare)
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Plasma phospho-tau in Alzheimer's disease: towards diagnostic and therapeutic trial applications
- 2023
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 18:1
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- As the leading cause of dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a major burden on affected individuals, their families and caregivers, and healthcare systems. Although AD can be identified and diagnosed by cerebrospinal fluid or neuroimaging biomarkers that concord with neuropathological evidence and clinical symptoms, challenges regarding practicality and accessibility hinder their widespread availability and implementation. Consequently, many people with suspected cognitive impairment due to AD do not receive a biomarker-supported diagnosis. Blood biomarkers have the capacity to help expand access to AD diagnostics worldwide. One such promising biomarker is plasma phosphorylated tau (p-tau), which has demonstrated specificity to AD versus non-AD neurodegenerative diseases, and will be extremely important to inform on clinical diagnosis and eligibility for therapies that have recently been approved. This review provides an update on the diagnostic and prognostic performances of plasma p-tau181, p-tau217 and p-tau231, and their associations with in vivo and autopsy-verified diagnosis and pathological hallmarks. Additionally, we discuss potential applications and unanswered questions of plasma p-tau for therapeutic trials, given their recent addition to the biomarker toolbox for participant screening, recruitment and during-trial monitoring. Outstanding questions include assay standardization, threshold generation and biomarker verification in diverse cohorts reflective of the wider community attending memory clinics and included in clinical trials.
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25. |
- Haider, A, et al.
(författare)
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Translational molecular imaging and drug development in Parkinson's disease
- 2023
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Ingår i: Molecular neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 18:1, s. 11-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects elderly people and constitutes a major source of disability worldwide. Notably, the neuropathological hallmarks of PD include nigrostriatal loss and the formation of intracellular inclusion bodies containing misfolded α-synuclein protein aggregates. Cardinal motor symptoms, which include tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia, can effectively be managed with dopaminergic therapy for years following symptom onset. Nonetheless, patients ultimately develop symptoms that no longer fully respond to dopaminergic treatment. Attempts to discover disease-modifying agents have increasingly been supported by translational molecular imaging concepts, targeting the most prominent pathological hallmark of PD, α-synuclein accumulation, as well as other molecular pathways that contribute to the pathophysiology of PD. Indeed, molecular imaging modalities such as positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) can be leveraged to study parkinsonism not only in animal models but also in living patients. For instance, mitochondrial dysfunction can be assessed with probes that target the mitochondrial complex I (MC-I), while nigrostriatal degeneration is typically evaluated with probes designed to non-invasively quantify dopaminergic nerve loss. In addition to dopaminergic imaging, serotonin transporter and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor probes are increasingly used as research tools to better understand the complexity of neurotransmitter dysregulation in PD. Non-invasive quantification of neuroinflammatory processes is mainly conducted by targeting the translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) on activated microglia using established imaging agents. Despite the overwhelming involvement of the brain and brainstem, the pathophysiology of PD is not restricted to the central nervous system (CNS). In fact, PD also affects various peripheral organs such as the heart and gastrointestinal tract – primarily via autonomic dysfunction. As such, research into peripheral biomarkers has taken advantage of cardiac autonomic denervation in PD, allowing the differential diagnosis between PD and multiple system atrophy with probes that visualize sympathetic nerve terminals in the myocardium. Further, α-synuclein has recently gained attention as a potential peripheral biomarker in PD. This review discusses breakthrough discoveries that have led to the contemporary molecular concepts of PD pathophysiology and how they can be harnessed to develop effective imaging probes and therapeutic agents. Further, we will shed light on potential future trends, thereby focusing on potential novel diagnostic tracers and disease-modifying therapeutic interventions.
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26. |
- Heslegrave, Amanda, et al.
(författare)
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Increased cerebrospinal fluid soluble TREM2 concentration in Alzheimer's disease.
- 2016
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Ingår i: Molecular neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The discovery that heterozygous missense mutations in the gene encoding triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) are risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD), with only the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 gene allele conferring a higher risk, has led to increased interest in immune biology in the brain. TREM2 is expressed on microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain and has been linked to phagocytotic clearance of amyloid β (Aβ) plaques. Soluble TREM2 (sTREM2) has previously been measured in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by ELISA but in our hands commercial kits have proved unreliable, suggesting that other methods may be required. We developed a mass spectrometry method using selected reaction monitoring for the presence of a TREM2 peptide, which can be used to quantify levels of sTREM2 in CSF.
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27. |
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28. |
- Heywood, W. E., et al.
(författare)
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Identification of novel CSF biomarkers for neurodegeneration and their validation by a high-throughput multiplexed targeted proteomic assay
- 2015
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Currently there are no effective treatments for many neurodegenerative diseases. Reliable biomarkers for identifying and stratifying these diseases will be important in the development of future novel therapies. Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) is considered an under diagnosed form of dementia for which markers are needed to discriminate LBD from other forms of dementia such as Alzheimer's Disease (AD). This work describes a Label-Free proteomic profiling analysis of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) from non-neurodegenerative controls and patients with LBD. Using this technology we identified several potential novel markers for LBD. These were then combined with other biomarkers from previously published studies, to create a 10 min multiplexed targeted and translational MRM-LC-MS/MS assay. This test was used to validate our new assay in a larger cohort of samples including controls and the other neurodegenerative conditions of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease (PD). Results: Thirty eight proteins showed significantly (p < 0.05) altered expression in LBD CSF by proteomic profiling. The targeted MRM-LC-MS/MS assay revealed 4 proteins that were specific for the identification of AD from LBD: ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 2 (p < 0.0001), lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 (p < 0.0001), pro-orexin (p < 0.0017) and transthyretin (p < 0.0001). Nineteen proteins were elevated significantly in both AD and LBD versus the control group of which 4 proteins are novel (malate dehydrogenase 1, serum amyloid A4, GM2-activator protein, and prosaposin). Protein-DJ1 was only elevated significantly in the PD group and not in either LBD or AD samples. Correlations with Alzheimer-associated amyloid beta-42 levels, determined by ELISA, were observed for transthyretin, GM2 activator protein and IGF2 in the AD disease group (r(2) >= 0.39, p <= 0.012). Cystatin C, ubiquitin and osteopontin showed a strong significant linear relationship (r(2) >= 0.4, p <= 0.03) with phosphorylated-tau levels in all groups, whilst malate dehydrogenase and apolipoprotein E demonstrated a linear relationship with phosphorylated-tau and total-tau levels in only AD and LBD disease groups. Conclusions: Using proteomics we have identified several potential and novel markers of neurodegeneration and subsequently validated them using a rapid, multiplexed mass spectral test. This targeted proteomic platform can measure common markers of neurodegeneration that correlate with existing diagnostic makers as well as some that have potential to show changes between AD from LBD.
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29. |
- Kam, K., et al.
(författare)
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Sleep oscillation-specific associations with Alzheimer's disease CSF biomarkers: novel roles for sleep spindles and tau
- 2019
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundBased on associations between sleep spindles, cognition, and sleep-dependent memory processing, here we evaluated potential relationships between levels of CSF A(42), P-tau, and T-tau with sleep spindle density and other biophysical properties of sleep spindles in a sample of cognitively normal elderly individuals.MethodsOne-night in-lab nocturnal polysomnography (NPSG) and morning to early afternoon CSF collection were performed to measure CSF A(42), P-tau and T-tau. Seven days of actigraphy were collected to assess habitual total sleep time.ResultsSpindle density during NREM stage 2 (N2) sleep was negatively correlated with CSF A(42), P-tau and T-tau. From the three, CSF T-tau was the most significantly associated with spindle density, after adjusting for age, sex and ApoE4. Spindle duration, count and fast spindle density were also negatively correlated with T-tau levels. Sleep duration and other measures of sleep quality were not correlated with spindle characteristics and did not modify the associations between sleep spindle characteristics and the CSF biomarkers of AD.ConclusionsReduced spindles during N2 sleep may represent an early dysfunction related to tau, possibly reflecting axonal damage or altered neuronal tau secretion, rendering it a potentially novel biomarker for early neuronal dysfunction. Given their putative role in memory consolidation and neuroplasticity, sleep spindles may represent a mechanism by which tau impairs memory consolidation, as well as a possible target for therapeutic interventions in cognitive decline.
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30. |
- Landeck, Natalie, et al.
(författare)
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A novel multiplex assay for simultaneous quantification of total and S129 phosphorylated human alpha-synuclein
- 2016
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 11:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Alpha-synuclein (asyn) has been shown to play an important role in the neuropathology of Parkinson's disease (PD). In the diseased brain, classic intraneuronal inclusions called Lewy bodies contain abnormal formations of asyn protein which is mostly phosphorylated at serine 129 (pS129 asyn). This suggests that post-translational modifications may play a role in the pathogenic process. To date, several uniplex assays have been developed in order to quantify asyn not only in the brain but also in cerebrospinal fluid and blood samples in order to correlate asyn levels to disease severity and progression. Notably, only four assays have been established to measure pS129 asyn specifically and none provide simultaneous readout of the total and pS129 species. Therefore, we developed a sensitive high-throughput duplex assay quantifying total and pS129 human asyn (h-asyn) in the same well hence improving accuracy as well as saving time, consumables and samples. Results: Using our newly established duplex assay we measured total and pS129 h-asyn in vitro showing that polo-like kinase 2 (PLK2) can phosphorylate asyn up to 41 % in HEK293 cells and in vivo the same kinase phosphorylated h-asyn up to 17 % in rat ventral midbrain neurons. Interestingly, no increase in phosphorylation was observed when PLK2 and h-asyn were co-expressed in rat striatal neurons. Furthermore, using this assay we investigated h-asyn levels in brain tissue samples from patients with PD as well as PD dementia and found significant differences in pS129 h-asyn levels not only between disease tissue and healthy control samples but also between the two distinct disease states especially in hippocampal tissue samples. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that our duplex assay for simultaneous quantification is a useful tool to study h-asyn phosphorylation events in biospecimens and will be helpful in studies investigating the precise causative link between post-translational modification of h-asyn and PD pathology.
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31. |
- Landeck, Natalie, et al.
(författare)
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Two C-terminal sequence variations determine differential neurotoxicity between human and mouse α-synuclein
- 2020
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 15:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: α-Synuclein (aSyn) aggregation is thought to play a central role in neurodegenerative disorders termed synucleinopathies, including Parkinson's disease (PD). Mouse aSyn contains a threonine residue at position 53 that mimics the human familial PD substitution A53T, yet in contrast to A53T patients, mice show no evidence of aSyn neuropathology even after aging. Here, we studied the neurotoxicity of human A53T, mouse aSyn, and various human-mouse chimeras in cellular and in vivo models, as well as their biochemical properties relevant to aSyn pathobiology. Methods: Primary midbrain cultures transduced with aSyn-encoding adenoviruses were analyzed immunocytochemically to determine relative dopaminergic neuron viability. Brain sections prepared from rats injected intranigrally with aSyn-encoding adeno-associated viruses were analyzed immunohistochemically to determine nigral dopaminergic neuron viability and striatal dopaminergic terminal density. Recombinant aSyn variants were characterized in terms of fibrillization rates by measuring thioflavin T fluorescence, fibril morphologies via electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, and protein-lipid interactions by monitoring membrane-induced aSyn aggregation and aSyn-mediated vesicle disruption. Statistical tests consisted of ANOVA followed by Tukey's multiple comparisons post hoc test and the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by a Dunn's multiple comparisons test or a two-tailed Mann-Whitney test. Results: Mouse aSyn was less neurotoxic than human aSyn A53T in cell culture and in rat midbrain, and data obtained for the chimeric variants indicated that the human-to-mouse substitutions D121G and N122S were at least partially responsible for this decrease in neurotoxicity. Human aSyn A53T and a chimeric variant with the human residues D and N at positions 121 and 122 (respectively) showed a greater propensity to undergo membrane-induced aggregation and to elicit vesicle disruption. Differences in neurotoxicity among the human, mouse, and chimeric aSyn variants correlated weakly with differences in fibrillization rate or fibril morphology. Conclusions: Mouse aSyn is less neurotoxic than the human A53T variant as a result of inhibitory effects of two C-terminal amino acid substitutions on membrane-induced aSyn aggregation and aSyn-mediated vesicle permeabilization. Our findings highlight the importance of membrane-induced self-assembly in aSyn neurotoxicity and suggest that inhibiting this process by targeting the C-terminal domain could slow neurodegeneration in PD and other synucleinopathy disorders.
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32. |
- Lantero Rodriguez, Juan, et al.
(författare)
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Plasma N-terminal containing tau fragments (NTA-tau): a biomarker of tau deposition in Alzheimer's Disease
- 2024
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Ingår i: MOLECULAR NEURODEGENERATION. - 1750-1326. ; 19:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Novel phosphorylated-tau (p-tau) blood biomarkers (e.g., p-tau181, p-tau217 or p-tau231), are highly specific for Alzheimer's disease (AD), and can track amyloid-beta (A beta) and tau pathology. However, because these biomarkers are strongly associated with the emergence of A beta pathology, it is difficult to determine the contribution of insoluble tau aggregates to the plasma p-tau signal in blood. Therefore, there remains a need for a biomarker capable of specifically tracking insoluble tau accumulation in brain. Methods NTA is a novel ultrasensitive assay targeting N-terminal containing tau fragments (NTA-tau) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma, which is elevated in AD. Using two well-characterized research cohorts (BioFINDER-2, n = 1,294, and BioFINDER-1, n = 932), we investigated the association between plasma NTA-tau levels and disease progression in AD, including tau accumulation, brain atrophy and cognitive decline. Results We demonstrate that plasma NTA-tau increases across the AD continuum, especially during late stages, and displays a moderate-to-strong association with tau-PET (beta = 0.54, p < 0.001) in A beta-positive participants, while weak with A beta-PET (beta = 0.28, p < 0.001). Unlike plasma p-tau181, GFAP, NfL and t-tau, tau pathology determined with tau-PET is the most prominent contributor to NTA-tau variance (52.5% of total R-2), while having very low contribution from A beta pathology measured with CSF A beta 42/40 (4.3%). High baseline NTA-tau levels are predictive of tau-PET accumulation (R-2 = 0.27), steeper atrophy (R-2 >= 0.18) and steeper cognitive decline (R-2 >= 0.27) in participants within the AD continuum. Plasma NTA-tau levels significantly increase over time in A beta positive cognitively unimpaired (beta(std) = 0.16) and impaired (beta(std) = 0.18) at baseline compared to their A beta negative counterparts. Finally, longitudinal increases in plasma NTA-tau levels were associated with steeper longitudinal decreases in cortical thickness (R-2 = 0.21) and cognition (R-2 = 0.20). Conclusion Our results indicate that plasma NTA-tau levels increase across the AD continuum, especially during mid-to-late AD stages, and it is closely associated with in vivo tau tangle deposition in AD and its downstream effects. Moreover, this novel biomarker has potential as a cost-effective and easily accessible tool for monitoring disease progression and cognitive decline in clinical settings, and as an outcome measure in clinical trials which also need to assess the downstream effects of successful A beta removal.
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33. |
- Lantero Rodriguez, Juan, et al.
(författare)
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Tau protein profiling in tauopathies: a human brain study
- 2024
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Ingår i: MOLECULAR NEURODEGENERATION. - 1750-1326. ; 19:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Abnormal accumulation of misfolded and hyperphosphorylated tau protein in brain is the defining feature of several neurodegenerative diseases called tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). In AD, this pathological change is reflected by highly specific cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tau biomarkers, including both phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated variants. Interestingly, despite tau pathology being at the core of all tauopathies, CSF tau biomarkers remain unchanged in certain tauopathies, e.g., progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), Pick's disease (PiD), and corticobasal neurodegeneration (CBD). To better understand commonalities and differences between tauopathies, we report a multiplex assay combining immunoprecipitation and high-resolution mass spectrometry capable of detecting and quantifying peptides from different tau protein isoforms as well as non-phosphorylated and phosphorylated peptides, including those carrying multiple phosphorylations. We investigated the tau proteoforms in soluble and insoluble fractions of brain tissue from subjects with autopsy-confirmed tauopathies, including sporadic AD (n = 10), PSP (n = 11), PiD (n = 10), and CBD (n = 10), and controls (n = 10). Our results demonstrate that non-phosphorylated tau profiles differ across tauopathies, generally showing high abundance of microtubule-binding region (MTBR)-containing peptides in insoluble protein fractions compared with controls; the AD group showed 12-72 times higher levels of MTBR-containing aggregates. Quantification of tau isoforms showed the 3R being more abundant in PiD and the 4R isoform being more abundant in CBD and PSP in the insoluble fraction. Twenty-three different phosphorylated peptides were quantified. Most phosphorylated peptides were measurable in all investigated tauopathies. All phosphorylated peptides were significantly increased in AD insoluble fraction. However, doubly and triply phosphorylated peptides were significantly increased in AD even in the soluble fraction. Results were replicated using a validation cohort comprising AD (n = 10), CBD (n = 10), and controls (n = 10). Our study demonstrates that abnormal levels of phosphorylation and aggregation do indeed occur in non-AD tauopathies, however, both appear pronouncedly increased in AD, becoming a distinctive characteristic of AD pathology.
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34. |
- Linsenmeier, Luise, et al.
(författare)
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Structural and mechanistic aspects influencing the ADAM10-mediated shedding of the prion protein
- 2018
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : Springer. - 1750-1326. ; 13:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Proteolytic processing of the prion protein (PrPC) by endogenous proteases generates bioactive membrane-bound and soluble fragments which may help to explain the pleiotropic roles of this protein in the nervous system and in brain diseases. Shedding of almost full-length PrPC into the extracellular space by the metalloprotease ADAM10 is of peculiar relevance since soluble PrP stimulates axonal outgrowth and is protective in neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and prion disease. However, molecular determinates and mechanisms regulating the shedding of PrP are entirely unknown.Methods: We produced an antibody recognizing the neo-epitope of shed PrP generated by ADAM10 in biological samples and used it to study structural and mechanistic aspects affecting the shedding. For this, we investigated genetically modified cellular and murine models by biochemical and morphological approaches.Results: We show that the novel antibody specifically detects shed PrP in cell culture supernatants and murine brain. We demonstrate that ADAM10 is the exclusive sheddase of PrPC in the nervous system and reveal that the glycosylation state and type of membrane-anchorage of PrPC severely affect its shedding. Furthermore, we provide evidence that PrP shedding can be modulated by pharmacological inhibition and stimulation and present data suggesting that shedding is a relevant part of a compensatory network ensuring PrPC homeostasis of the cell.Conclusions: With the new antibody, our study introduces a new tool to reliably investigate PrP-shedding. In addition, this study provides novel and important insight into the regulation of this cleavage event, which is likely to be relevant for diagnostic and therapeutic approaches even beyond neurodegeneration.
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35. |
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36. |
- Majbour, Nour K, et al.
(författare)
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Oligomeric and phosphorylated alpha-synuclein as potential CSF biomarkers for Parkinson's disease.
- 2016
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 11:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite decades of intensive research, to date, there is no accepted diagnosis for Parkinson's disease (PD) based on biochemical analysis of blood or CSF. However, neurodegeneration in the brains of PD patients begins several years before the manifestation of the clinical symptoms, pointing to serious flaw/limitations in this approach.
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37. |
- Mravinacová, Sára, et al.
(författare)
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CSF protein ratios with enhanced potential to reflect Alzheimer’s disease pathology and neurodegeneration
- 2024
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : Springer Nature. - 1750-1326. ; 19:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Amyloid and tau aggregates are considered to cause neurodegeneration and consequently cognitive decline in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Here, we explore the potential of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteins to reflect AD pathology and cognitive decline, aiming to identify potential biomarkers for monitoring outcomes of disease-modifying therapies targeting these aggregates. Method: We used a multiplex antibody-based suspension bead array to measure the levels of 49 proteins in CSF from the Swedish GEDOC memory clinic cohort at the Karolinska University Hospital. The cohort comprised 148 amyloid- and tau-negative individuals (A-T-) and 65 amyloid- and tau-positive individuals (A+T+). An independent sample set of 26 A-T- and 26 A+T+ individuals from the Amsterdam Dementia Cohort was used for validation. The measured proteins were clustered based on their correlation to CSF amyloid beta peptides, tau and NfL levels. Further, we used support vector machine modelling to identify protein pairs, matched based on their cluster origin, that reflect AD pathology and cognitive decline with improved performance compared to single proteins. Results: The protein-clustering revealed 11 proteins strongly correlated to t-tau and p-tau (tau-associated group), including mainly synaptic proteins previously found elevated in AD such as NRGN, GAP43 and SNCB. Another 16 proteins showed predominant correlation with Aβ42 (amyloid-associated group), including PTPRN2, NCAN and CHL1. Support vector machine modelling revealed that proteins from the two groups combined in pairs discriminated A-T- from A+T+ individuals with higher accuracy compared to single proteins, as well as compared to protein pairs composed of proteins originating from the same group. Moreover, combining the proteins from different groups in ratios (tau-associated protein/amyloid-associated protein) significantly increased their correlation to cognitive decline measured with cognitive scores. The results were validated in an independent cohort. Conclusions: Combining brain-derived proteins in pairs largely enhanced their capacity to discriminate between AD pathology-affected and unaffected individuals and increased their correlation to cognitive decline, potentially due to adjustment of inter-individual variability. With these results, we highlight the potential of protein pairs to monitor neurodegeneration and thereby possibly the efficacy of AD disease-modifying therapies.
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38. |
- Pesämaa, Ida, et al.
(författare)
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A microglial activity state biomarker panel differentiates FTD-granulin and Alzheimer's disease patients from controls
- 2023
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - 1750-1326. ; 18:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundWith the emergence of microglia-modulating therapies there is an urgent need for reliable biomarkers to evaluate microglial activation states.MethodsUsing mouse models and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived microglia (hiMGL), genetically modified to yield the most opposite homeostatic (TREM2-knockout) and disease-associated (GRN-knockout) states, we identified microglia activity-dependent markers. Non-targeted mass spectrometry was used to identify proteomic changes in microglia and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of Grn- and Trem2-knockout mice. Additionally, we analyzed the proteome of GRN- and TREM2-knockout hiMGL and their conditioned media. Candidate marker proteins were tested in two independent patient cohorts, the ALLFTD cohort (GRN mutation carriers versus non-carriers), as well as the proteomic data set available from the EMIF-AD MBD study.ResultsWe identified proteomic changes between the opposite activation states in mouse microglia and CSF, as well as in hiMGL cell lysates and conditioned media. For further verification, we analyzed the CSF proteome of heterozygous GRN mutation carriers suffering from frontotemporal dementia (FTD). We identified a panel of six proteins (FABP3, MDH1, GDI1, CAPG, CD44, GPNMB) as potential indicators for microglial activation. Moreover, we confirmed three of these proteins (FABP3, GDI1, MDH1) to be significantly elevated in the CSF of Alzheimer's (AD) patients. Remarkably, each of these markers differentiated amyloid-positive cases with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from amyloid-negative individuals.ConclusionsThe identified candidate proteins reflect microglia activity and may be relevant for monitoring the microglial response in clinical practice and clinical trials modulating microglial activity and amyloid deposition. Moreover, the finding that three of these markers differentiate amyloid-positive from amyloid-negative MCI cases in the AD cohort suggests that these proteins associate with a very early immune response to seeded amyloid. This is consistent with our previous findings in the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer's Disease Network (DIAN) cohort, where soluble TREM2 increases as early as 21 years before symptom onset. Moreover, in mouse models for amyloidogenesis, seeding of amyloid is limited by physiologically active microglia further supporting their early protective role. The biological functions of some of our main candidates (FABP3, CD44, GPNMB) also further emphasize that lipid dysmetabolism may be a common feature of neurodegenerative disorders.
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39. |
- Portelius, Erik, 1977, et al.
(författare)
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Ex vivo 18O-labeling mass spectrometry identifies a peripheral amyloid β clearance pathway
- 2017
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 12:1, s. 1-11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Proteolytic degradation of amyloid β (Aβ) peptides has been intensely studied due to the central role of Aβ in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis. While several enzymes have been shown to degrade Aβ peptides, the main pathway of Aβ degradation in vivo is unknown. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ42 is reduced in AD, reflecting aggregation and deposition in the brain, but low CSF Aβ42 is, for unknown reasons, also found in some inflammatory brain disorders such as bacterial meningitis. Method: Using 18O-labeling mass spectrometry and immune-affinity purification, we examined endogenous proteolytic processing of Aβ in human CSF. Results: The Aβ peptide profile was stable in CSF samples from healthy controls but in CSF samples from patients with bacterial meningitis, showing increased leukocyte cell count, 18O-labeling mass spectrometry identified proteolytic activities degrading Aβ into several short fragments, including abundant Aβ1-19 and 1-20. After antibiotic treatment, no degradation of Aβ was detected. In vitro experiments located the source of the proteolytic activity to blood components, including leukocytes and erythrocytes, with insulin-degrading enzyme as the likely protease. A recombinant version of the mid-domain anti-Aβ antibody solanezumab was found to inhibit insulin-degrading enzyme-mediated Aβ degradation. Conclusion: 18O labeling-mass spectrometry can be used to detect endogenous proteolytic activity in human CSF. Using this technique, we found an enzymatic activity that was identified as insulin-degrading enzyme that cleaves Aβ in the mid-domain of the peptide, and could be inhibited by a recombinant version of the mid-domain anti-Aβ antibody solanezumab.
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40. |
- Rahman, M. Mahafuzur, et al.
(författare)
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Extracellular protein components of amyloid plaques and their roles in Alzheimer's disease pathology
- 2021
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : Springer Nature. - 1750-1326. ; 16:1
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) is pathologically defined by the presence of fibrillar amyloid beta (A beta) peptide in extracellular senile plaques and tau filaments in intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. Extensive research has focused on understanding the assembly mechanisms and neurotoxic effects of A beta during the last decades but still we only have a brief understanding of the disease associated biological processes. This review highlights the many other constituents that, beside A beta, are accumulated in the plaques, with the focus on extracellular proteins. All living organisms rely on a delicate network of protein functionality. Deposition of significant amounts of certain proteins in insoluble inclusions will unquestionably lead to disturbances in the network, which may contribute to AD and copathology. This paper provide a comprehensive overview of extracellular proteins that have been shown to interact with A beta and a discussion of their potential roles in AD pathology. Methods that can expand the knowledge about how the proteins are incorporated in plaques are described. Top-down methods to analyze post-mortem tissue and bottom-up approaches with the potential to provide molecular insights on the organization of plaque-like particles are compared. Finally, a network analysis of A beta-interacting partners with enriched functional and structural key words is presented.
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41. |
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42. |
- Saint-Aubert, L, et al.
(författare)
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Tau PET imaging: present and future directions
- 2017
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Ingår i: Molecular neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 12:1, s. 19-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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43. |
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44. |
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45. |
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46. |
- Söllvander, Sofia, et al.
(författare)
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Accumulation of amyloid-beta by astrocytes result in enlarged endosomes and microvesicle-induced apoptosis of neurons
- 2016
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Despite the clear physical association between activated astrocytes and amyloid-beta (A beta) plaques, the importance of astrocytes and their therapeutic potential in Alzheimer's disease remain elusive. Soluble A beta aggregates, such as protofibrils, have been suggested to be responsible for the widespread neuronal cell death in Alzheimer's disease, but the mechanisms behind this remain unclear. Moreover, ineffective degradation is of great interest when it comes to the development and progression of neurodegeneration. Based on our previous results that astrocytes are extremely slow in degrading phagocytosed material, we hypothesized that astrocytes may be an important player in these processes. Hence, the aim of this study was to clarify the role of astrocytes in clearance, spreading and neuronal toxicity of A beta. Results: To examine the role of astrocytes in A beta pathology, we added A beta protofibrils to a co-culture system of primary neurons and glia. Our data demonstrates that astrocytes rapidly engulf large amounts of A beta protofibrils, but then store, rather than degrade the ingested material. The incomplete digestion results in a high intracellular load of toxic, partly N-terminally truncated A beta and severe lysosomal dysfunction. Moreover, secretion of microvesicles containing N-terminally truncated A beta, induce apoptosis of cortical neurons. Conclusions: Taken together, our results suggest that astrocytes play a central role in the progression of Alzheimer's disease, by accumulating and spreading toxic A beta species.
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47. |
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48. |
- Therriault, Joseph, et al.
(författare)
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Comparison of immunoassay- with mass spectrometry-derived p-tau quantification for the detection of Alzheimer’s disease pathology
- 2024
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - 1750-1326. ; 19:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Antibody-based immunoassays have enabled quantification of very low concentrations of phosphorylated tau (p-tau) protein forms in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), aiding in the diagnosis of AD. Mass spectrometry enables absolute quantification of multiple p-tau variants within a single run. The goal of this study was to compare the performance of mass spectrometry assessments of p-tau181, p-tau217 and p-tau231 with established immunoassay techniques. Methods: We measured p-tau181, p-tau217 and p-tau231 concentrations in CSF from 173 participants from the TRIAD cohort and 394 participants from the BioFINDER-2 cohort using both mass spectrometry and immunoassay methods. All subjects were clinically evaluated by dementia specialists and had amyloid-PET and tau-PET assessments. Bland–Altman analyses evaluated the agreement between immunoassay and mass spectrometry p-tau181, p-tau217 and p-tau231. P-tau associations with amyloid-PET and tau-PET uptake were also compared. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analyses compared the performance of mass spectrometry and immunoassays p-tau concentrations to identify amyloid-PET positivity. Results: Mass spectrometry and immunoassays of p-tau217 were highly comparable in terms of diagnostic performance, between-group effect sizes and associations with PET biomarkers. In contrast, p-tau181 and p-tau231 concentrations measured using antibody-free mass spectrometry had lower performance compared with immunoassays. Conclusions: Our results suggest that while similar overall, immunoassay-based p-tau biomarkers are slightly superior to antibody-free mass spectrometry-based p-tau biomarkers. Future work is needed to determine whether the potential to evaluate multiple biomarkers within a single run offsets the slightly lower performance of antibody-free mass spectrometry-based p-tau quantification.
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49. |
- Twohig, Daniel, et al.
(författare)
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alpha-synuclein in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease
- 2019
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Ingår i: Molecular Neurodegeneration. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1750-1326. ; 14
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Alzheimer's disease (AD) afflicted brain is neuropathologically defined by extracellular amyloid- (A) plaques and intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyperphosphorylated tau protein. However, accumulating evidence suggests that the presynaptic protein -synuclein (Syn), mainly associated with synucleinopathies like Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and multiple system atrophy (MSA), is involved in the pathophysiology of AD. Lewy-related pathology (LRP), primarily comprised of Syn, is present in a majority of autopsied AD brains, and higher levels of Syn in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD have been linked to cognitive decline. Recent studies also suggest that the asymptomatic accumulation of A plaques is associated with higher CSF Syn levels in subjects at risk of sporadic AD and in individuals carrying autosomal dominant AD mutations. Experimental evidence has further linked Syn mainly to tau hyperphosphorylation, but also to the pathological actions of A and the APOE epsilon 4 allele, the latter being a major genetic risk factor for both AD and DLB. In this review, we provide a summary of the current evidence proposing an involvement of Syn either as an active or passive player in the pathophysiological ensemble of AD, and furthermore describe in detail the current knowledge of Syn structure and inferred function.
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