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- Johansson, Ann-Sofi, et al.
(author)
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Attenuated amyloid-β aggregation and neurotoxicity owing to methionine oxidation
- 2007
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In: NeuroReport. - 0959-4965 .- 1473-558X. ; 18:6, s. 559-563
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aggregation of the amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptide into amyloid plaques is a characteristic feature of Alzheimer's disease neuropathogenesis. We and others have previously demonstrated delayed Abeta aggregation as a consequence of oxidizing a single methionine residue at position 35 (Met-35). Here, we examined the consequences of Met-35 oxidation on the extremely aggregation-prone peptides Abeta1-42 and Abeta1-40Arctic with respect to protofibril and oligomer formation as well as neurotoxicity. Size exclusion chromatography and mass spectrometry demonstrated that monomer/dimers prevailed over larger oligomers after oxidizing Met-35, and consequently protofibril formation and aggregation of both Abeta1-42 and Abeta1-40Arctic were delayed. The oxidized peptides completely lacked neurotoxic effects in cortical neuronal cultures under these conditions, in contrast to the neurotoxic properties of the unoxidized peptides. We conclude that oxidation of Met-35 significantly attenuates aggregation of Abeta1-42 and Abeta1-40Arctic, and thereby reduces neurotoxicity.
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| 2. |
- Reimer, Lasse, et al.
(author)
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PKR kinase directly regulates tau expression and Alzheimer's disease-related tau phosphorylation
- 2021
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In: Brain Pathology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1015-6305 .- 1750-3639. ; 31:1, s. 103-119
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Deposition of extensively hyperphosphorylated tau in specific brain cells is a clear pathological hallmark in Alzheimer's disease and a number of other neurodegenerative disorders, collectively termed the tauopathies. Furthermore, hyperphosphorylation of tau prevents it from fulfilling its physiological role as a microtubule-stabilizing protein and leaves it increasingly vulnerable to self-assembly, suggestive of a central underlying role of hyperphosphorylation as a contributing factor in the etiology of these diseases. Viain vitrophosphorylation and regulation of kinase activity within cells and acute brain tissue, we reveal that the inflammation associated kinase, protein kinase R (PKR), directly phosphorylates numerous abnormal and disease-modifying residues within tau including Thr181, Ser199/202, Thr231, Ser262, Ser396, Ser404 and Ser409. Similar to disease processes, these PKR-mediated phosphorylations actively displace tau from microtubules in cells. In addition, PKR overexpression and knockdown, respectively, increase and decrease tau protein and mRNA levels in cells. This regulation occurs independent of noncoding transcriptional elements, suggesting an underlying mechanism involving intra-exonic regulation of the tau-encoding microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) gene. Finally, acute encephalopathy in wild type mice, induced by intracranial Langat virus infection, results in robust inflammation and PKR upregulation accompanied by abnormally phosphorylated full-length- and truncated tau. These findings indicate that PKR, independent of other kinases and upon acute brain inflammation, is capable of triggering pathological modulation of tau, which, in turn, might form the initial pathologic seed in several tauopathies such as Alzheimer's disease and Chronic traumatic encephalopathy where inflammation is severe.
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