| 1. |
- Adori, Csaba, et al.
(author)
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Critical role of somatostatin receptor 2 in the vulnerability of the central noradrenergic system : new aspects on Alzheimer's disease
- 2015
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In: Acta Neuropathologica. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0001-6322 .- 1432-0533. ; 129:4, s. 541-563
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Alzheimer's disease and other age-related neurodegenerative disorders are associated with deterioration of the noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC), a probable trigger for mood and memory dysfunction. LC noradrenergic neurons exhibit particularly high levels of somatostatin binding sites. This is noteworthy since cortical and hypothalamic somatostatin content is reduced in neurodegenerative pathologies. Yet a possible role of a somatostatin signal deficit in the maintenance of noradrenergic projections remains unknown. Here, we deployed tissue microarrays, immunohistochemistry, quantitative morphometry and mRNA profiling in a cohort of Alzheimer's and age-matched control brains in combination with genetic models of somatostatin receptor deficiency to establish causality between defunct somatostatin signalling and noradrenergic neurodegeneration. In Alzheimer's disease, we found significantly reduced somatostatin protein expression in the temporal cortex, with aberrant clustering and bulging of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive afferents. As such, somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2) mRNA was highly expressed in the human LC, with its levels significantly decreasing from Braak stages III/IV and onwards, i.e., a process preceding advanced Alzheimer's pathology. The loss of SSTR2 transcripts in the LC neurons appeared selective, since tyrosine hydroxylase, dopamine beta-hydroxylase, galanin or galanin receptor 3 mRNAs remained unchanged. We modeled these pathogenic changes in Sstr2 (-/-) mice and, unlike in Sstr1 (-/-) or Sstr4 (-/-) genotypes, they showed selective, global and progressive degeneration of their central noradrenergic projections. However, neuronal perikarya in the LC were found intact until late adulthood (< 8 months) in Sstr2 (-/-) mice. In contrast, the noradrenergic neurons in the superior cervical ganglion lacked SSTR2 and, as expected, the sympathetic innervation of the head region did not show any signs of degeneration. Our results indicate that SSTR2-mediated signaling is integral to the maintenance of central noradrenergic projections at the system level, and that early loss of somatostatin receptor 2 function may be associated with the selective vulnerability of the noradrenergic system in Alzheimer's disease.
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| 2. |
- Adori, Csaba, et al.
(author)
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Disorganization and degeneration of liver sympathetic innervations in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease revealed by 3D imaging
- 2021
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In: Science Advances. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 2375-2548. ; 7:30
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Hepatic nerves have a complex role in synchronizing liver metabolism. Here, we used three-dimensional (3D) immunoimaging to explore the integrity of the hepatic nervous system in experimental and human nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We demonstrate parallel signs of mild degeneration and axonal sprouting of sympathetic innervations in early stages of experimental NAFLD and a collapse of sympathetic arborization in steatohepatitis. Human fatty livers display a similar pattern of sympathetic nerve degeneration, correlating with the severity of NAFLD pathology. We show that chronic sympathetic hyperexcitation is a key factor in the axonal degeneration, here genetically phenocopied in mice deficient of the Rac-1 activator Vav3. In experimental steatohepatitis, 3D imaging reveals a severe portal vein contraction, spatially correlated with the extension of the remaining nerves around the portal vein, enlightening a potential intrahepatic neuronal mechanism of portal hypertension. These fundamental alterations in liver innervation and vasculature uncover previously unidentified neuronal components in NAFLD pathomechanisms.
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| 3. |
- Bensing, Sophie, et al.
(author)
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Pituitary autoantibodies in autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1
- 2007
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In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 104:3, s. 949-954
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS1) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene. High titer autoantibodies (Aabs) toward intracellular enzymes are a hallmark for APS1 and serve as diagnostic markers and predictors for disease manifestations. In this study, we aimed to identify pituitary autoantigens in patients with APS1. A pituitary cDNA expression library was screened with APS1 sera and a tudor domain containing protein 6 (TDRD6) cDNA clone was isolated. Positive immunoreactivity against in vitro translated TDRD6 fragments was shown in 42/86 (49%) APS1 patients but not in patients with other autoimmune diseases or in healthy controls. By using immunohistochemistry, sera from 3/6 APS1 patients with growth hormone (GH) deficiency showed immunostaining of a small number of guinea pig anterior pituitary cells, and 40-50% of these cells were GH-positive. No such immunostaining was seen with sera from healthy controls. The APS1 Aab-positive, GH-negative cells may represent a novel subpopulation of anterior pituitary cells. In addition, 4/6 patient sera showed staining of a fiber-plexus in the pituitary intermediate lobe recognizing enzymes of monoamine and GABA synthesis. Thus, we have identified TDRD6 as a major autoantigen in APS1 patients and shown that several sera from GH-deficient patients stain specific cell populations and nerves in the pituitary gland.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Kessler, Jan H., et al.
(author)
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Antigen processing by nardilysin and thimet oligopeptidase generates cytotoxic T cell epitopes
- 2010
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In: Nature Immunology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1529-2908 .- 1529-2916. ; 12:1, s. 45-53
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) recognize peptides presented by HLA class I molecules on the cell surface. The C terminus of these CTL epitopes is considered to be produced by the proteasome. Here we demonstrate that the cytosolic endopeptidases nardilysin and thimet oligopeptidase (TOP) complemented proteasome activity. Nardilysin and TOP were required, either together or alone, for the generation of a tumor-specific CTL epitope from PRAME, an immunodominant CTL epitope from Epstein-Barr virus protein EBNA3C, and a clinically important epitope from the melanoma protein MART-1. TOP functioned as C-terminal trimming peptidase in antigen processing, and nardilysin contributed to both the C-terminal and N-terminal generation of CTL epitopes. By broadening the antigenic peptide repertoire, nardilysin and TOP strengthen the immune defense against intracellular pathogens and cancer.
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| 6. |
- Mulder, Skander, et al.
(author)
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A metabolomics-based molecular pathway analysis of how the sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor dapagliflozin may slow kidney function decline in patients with diabetes
- 2020
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In: Diabetes, obesity and metabolism. - : WILEY. - 1462-8902 .- 1463-1326. ; 22:7, s. 1157-1166
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aim To investigate which metabolic pathways are targeted by the sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor dapagliflozin to explore the molecular processes involved in its renal protective effects. Methods An unbiased mass spectrometry plasma metabolomics assay was performed on baseline and follow-up (week 12) samples from the EFFECT II trial in patients with type 2 diabetes with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease receiving dapagliflozin 10 mg/day (n = 19) or placebo (n = 6). Transcriptomic signatures from tubular compartments were identified from kidney biopsies collected from patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) (n = 17) and healthy controls (n = 30) from the European Renal cDNA Biobank. Serum metabolites that significantly changed after 12 weeks of dapagliflozin were mapped to a metabolite-protein interaction network. These proteins were then linked with intra-renal transcripts that were associated with DKD or estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The impacted metabolites and their protein-coding transcripts were analysed for enriched pathways. Results Of all measured (n = 812) metabolites, 108 changed (P < 0.05) during dapagliflozin treatment and 74 could be linked to 367 unique proteins/genes. Intra-renal mRNA expression analysis of the genes encoding the metabolite-associated proteins using kidney biopsies resulted in 105 genes that were significantly associated with eGFR in patients with DKD, and 135 genes that were differentially expressed between patients with DKD and controls. The combination of metabolites and transcripts identified four enriched pathways that were affected by dapagliflozin and associated with eGFR: glycine degradation (mitochondrial function), TCA cycle II (energy metabolism), L-carnitine biosynthesis (energy metabolism) and superpathway of citrulline metabolism (nitric oxide synthase and endothelial function). Conclusion The observed molecular pathways targeted by dapagliflozin and associated with DKD suggest that modifying molecular processes related to energy metabolism, mitochondrial function and endothelial function may contribute to its renal protective effect.
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| 7. |
- Alling, Vanja, et al.
(author)
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The role of biochar in retaining nutrients in amended tropical soils
- 2014
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In: Journal of Plant Nutrition And Soil Science/Zeitschrift für Pflanzenernahrung und Bodenkunde. - : Wiley. - 1436-8730 .- 1522-2624. ; 177:5, s. 671-680
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study investigated the effect of biochar amendments on the retention and availability of plant nutrients and Al in seven acidic tropical soils from Zambia and Indonesia. The experiments carried out investigated whether the adsorption capacity of NH4+ in the soils increased upon the addition of biochar and which effect biochar had on available concentrations of NO3-, K+, Mn2+, Mg2+, PO43-, and Al3+. These nutrients were selected as they represent those important to plant growth and soil quality. No significant increases or decreases in aqueous NH4+-N concentration with additions of biochar were detected. The Gaines-Thomas model was used in order to calculate selectivity coefficients for NH4+ exchange (K-gt values). Following the addition of biochar to soil, K-gt values decreased showing a reduction in the selective binding of NH4+ in the biochar amended soil compared to the control. The concentration of NO3- increased following the addition of biochar to the soils. The addition of 5 and 10% biochar to the Indonesian soil did not significantly alter (t-test confidence level 0.05) the sorption of PO43- to the soil-biochar mixtures as compared to the soil alone. However, the addition of biochar to the soil from Zambia increased the sorption of PO43- compared to the soil alone. The concentrations of K+ and Mg2+ were significantly increased for almost all soils (t-test at the 0.05 confidence level) following the addition of biochar. Addition of biochar to all but two soils significantly decreased (t-test confidence level 0.05) Mn2+ concentrations. The concentration of Al3+ in the soils decreased exponentially significantly (t-test confidence level 0.05) following the amendment of biochar in accordance with the increase in pH observed when biochar was added to the soil. These results show that biochar has the ability to release essential plant growth nutrients as well as alleviate Al toxicity in these soils.
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| 8. |
- Ayoglu, Burcu, et al.
(author)
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Anoctamin 2 identified as an autoimmune target in multiple sclerosis
- 2016
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In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : National Academy of Sciences of the USA. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 113:8, s. 2188-2193
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system and also is regarded as an autoimmune condition. However, the antigenic targets of the autoimmune response in MS have not yet been deciphered. In an effort to mine the autoantibody repertoire within MS, we profiled 2,169 plasma samples from MS cases and population-based controls using bead arrays built with 384 human protein fragments selected from an initial screening with 11,520 antigens. Our data revealed prominently increased autoantibody reactivity against the chloride-channel protein anoctamin 2 (ANO2) in MS cases compared with controls. This finding was corroborated in independent assays with alternative protein constructs and by epitope mapping with peptides covering the identified region of ANO2. Additionally, we found a strong interaction between the presence of ANO2 autoantibodies and the HLA complex MS-associated DRB1*15 allele, reinforcing a potential role for ANO2 autoreactivity in MS etiopathogenesis. Furthermore, immunofluorescence analysis in human MS brain tissue showed ANO2 expression as small cellular aggregates near and inside MS lesions. Thus this study represents one of the largest efforts to characterize the autoantibody repertoire within MS. The findings presented here demonstrate that an ANO2 autoimmune subphenotype may exist in MS and lay the groundwork for further studies focusing on the pathogenic role of ANO2 autoantibodies in MS.
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| 9. |
- Barde, Swapnali, et al.
(author)
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Substance P, NPY, CCK and their receptors in five brain regions in major depressive disorder with transcriptomic analysis of locus coeruleus neurons
- 2024
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In: European Neuropsychopharmacology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0924-977X .- 1873-7862. ; 78, s. 54-63
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious disease and a burden to patients, families and society. Rodent experiments and human studies suggest that several neuropeptide systems are involved in mood regulation. The aim of this study is two-fold: (i) to monitor, with qPCR, transcript levels of the substance P/tachykinin (TAC), NPY and CCK systems in bulk samples from control and suicide subjects, targeting five postmortem brain regions including locus coeruleus (LC); and (ii) to analyse expression of neuropeptide family transcripts in LC neurons of 'normal' postmortem brains by using laser capture microdissection with Smart-Seq2 RNA sequencing. qPCR revealed distinct regional expression patterns in male and female controls with higher levels for the TAC system in the dorsal raphe nucleus and LC, versus higher transcripts levels of the NPY and CCK systems in prefrontal cortex. In suicide patients, TAC, TAC receptors and a few NPY family transcript levels were increased mainly in prefrontal cortex and LC. The second study on 'normal' noradrenergic LC neurons revealed expression of transcripts for GAL, NPY, TAC1, CCK, and TACR1 and many other peptides (e.g. Cerebellin4 and CARTPT) and receptors (e.g. Adcyap1R1 and GPR173). These data and our previous results on suicide brains indicates that the tachykinin and galanin systems may be valid targets for developing antidepressant medicines. Moreover, the perturbation of neuropeptide systems in MDD patients, and the detection of further neuropeptide and receptor transcripts in LC, shed new light on signalling in noradrenergic LC neurons and on mechanisms possibly associated with mood disorders.
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| 10. |
- Bazov, Igor, 1973-, et al.
(author)
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Neuronal Expression of Opioid Gene is Controlled by Dual Epigenetic and Transcriptional Mechanism in Human Brain
- 2018
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In: Cerebral Cortex. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1047-3211 .- 1460-2199. ; 28:9, s. 3129-3142
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Molecular mechanisms that define patterns of neuropeptide expression are essential for the formation and rewiring of neural circuits. The prodynorphin gene (PDYN) gives rise to dynorphin opioid peptides mediating depression and substance dependence. We here demonstrated that PDYN is expressed in neurons in human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), and identified neuronal differentially methylated region in PDYN locus framed by CCCTC-binding factor binding sites. A short, nucleosome size human-specific promoter CpG island (CGI), a core of this region may serve as a regulatory module, which is hypomethylated in neurons, enriched in 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, and targeted by USF2, a methylation-sensitive E-box transcription factor (TF). USF2 activates PDYN transcription in model systems, and binds to nonmethylated CGI in dlPFC. USF2 and PDYN expression is correlated, and USF2 and PDYN proteins are co-localized in dlPFC. Segregation of activatory TF and repressive CGI methylation may ensure contrasting PDYN expression in neurons and glia in human brain.
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