| 1. |
- Civitelli, Livia, et al.
(författare)
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Herpes simplex virus type 1 infection in neurons leads to production and nuclear localization of APP intracellular domain (AICD): implications for Alzheimers disease pathogenesis
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Neurovirology. - : SPRINGER. - 1355-0284 .- 1538-2443. ; 21:5, s. 480-490
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Several data indicate that neuronal infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) causes biochemical alterations reminiscent of Alzheimers disease (AD) phenotype. They include accumulation of amyloid-beta (A beta), which originates from the cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP), and hyperphosphorylation of tau protein, which leads to neurofibrillary tangle deposition. HSV-1 infection triggers APP processing and drives the production of several fragments including APP intracellular domain (AICD) that exerts transactivating properties. Herein, we analyzed the production and intracellular localization of AICD following HSV-1 infection in neurons. We also checked whether AICD induced the transcription of two target genes, neprilysin (nep) and glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (gsk3 beta), whose products play a role in A beta clearance and tau phosphorylation, respectively. Our data indicate that HSV-1 led to the accumulation and nuclear translocation of AICD in neurons. Moreover, results from chromatin immunoprecipitation assay showed that AICD binds the promoter region of both nep and gsk3 beta. Time course analysis of NEP and GSK3 beta expression at both mRNA and protein levels demonstrated that they are differently modulated during infection. NEP expression and enzymatic activity were initially stimulated but, with the progression of infection, they were down-regulated. In contrast, GSK3 beta expression remained nearly unchanged, but the analysis of its phosphorylation suggests that it was inactivated only at later stages of HSV-1 infection. Thus, our data demonstrate that HSV-1 infection induces early upstream events in the cell that may eventually lead to A beta deposition and tau hyperphosphorylation and further suggest HSV-1 as a possible risk factor for AD.
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| 2. |
- Civitelli, Livia, et al.
(författare)
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The Luminescent Oligothiophene p-FTAA Converts Toxic A beta(1-42) Species into Nontoxic Amyloid Fibers with Altered Properties
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Biological Chemistry. - : AMER SOC BIOCHEMISTRY MOLECULAR BIOLOGY INC. - 0021-9258 .- 1083-351X. ; 291:17, s. 9233-9243
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aggregation of the amyloid-(beta) peptide (A beta) in the brain leads to the formation of extracellular amyloid plaques, which is one of the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer disease (AD). It is a general hypothesis that soluble prefibrillar assemblies of the A beta peptide, rather than mature amyloid fibrils, cause neuronal dysfunction and memory impairment in AD. Thus, reducing the level of these prefibrillar species by using molecules that can interfere with the A beta fibrillation pathway may be a valid approach to reduce A beta cytotoxicity. Luminescent-conjugated oligothiophenes (LCOs) have amyloid binding properties and spectral properties that differ when they bind to protein aggregates with different morphologies and can therefore be used to visualize protein aggregates. In this study, cell toxicity experiments and biophysical studies demonstrated that the LCO p-FTAA was able to reduce the pool of soluble toxic A beta species in favor of the formation of larger insoluble nontoxic amyloid fibrils, there by counteracting A beta-mediated cytotoxicity. Moreover, p-FTAA bound to early formed A beta species and induced a rapid formation of beta-sheet structures. These p-FTAA generated amyloid fibrils were less hydrophobic and more resistant to proteolysis by proteinase K. In summary, our data show that p-FTAA promoted the formation of insoluble and stable A beta species that were nontoxic which indicates that p-FTAA might have therapeutic potential.
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| 3. |
- Helmfors, Linda, et al.
(författare)
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A protective role of lysozyme in Alzheimer disease
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Alzheimer disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder where extracellular plaques composed of amyloid β (Aβ) peptides and neuroinflammation are some of the main hallmarks of the disease. Activated microglial cells, which are the resident macrophages in the central nervous system, are suggested to trigger the inflammation response in AD. To discover neuroinflammation biomarkers would be important to reveal the pathological mechanisms of AD and develop therapies that target inflammation mediators. Lysozyme is part of the innate immune system and is secreted from macrophages during various inflammation conditions. However, the involvement of lysozyme in AD pathology has not been explored previously. We have discovered that lysozyme is up-regulated in cerebrospinal fluid from AD patients. Cells exposed to Aβ increased the expression of lysozyme indicating that Aβ might be responsible for the upregulation of lysozyme detected in cerebrospinal fluid. In vitro studies revealed that lysozyme binds to monomeric Aβ1-42 and alters the aggregation pathway counteracting formation of toxic Aβ species. In a newly developed Drosophila model, co-expression of lysozyme with Aβ in brain neurons reduced the formation of insoluble Aβ species, prolonged the survival and improved the activity of the double transgenic flies compared to flies only expressing Aβ. Our findings identify lysozyme as a modulator of Aβ aggregation and toxicity and our discoveries has the potential to be used for development of new treatment strategies and to use lysozyme as a biomarker for AD.
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| 4. |
- Helmfors, Linda, et al.
(författare)
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Protective properties of lysozyme on β-amyloid pathology : implications for Alzheimer disease
- 2015
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Ingår i: Neurobiology of Disease. - : Elsevier. - 0969-9961 .- 1095-953X. ; 83, s. 122-133
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The hallmarks of Alzheimer disease are amyloid-β plaques and neurofibrillary tangles accompanied by signs of neuroinflammation. Lysozyme is a major player in the innate immune system and has recently been shown to prevent the aggregation of amyloid-β1-40 in vitro. In this study we found that patients with Alzheimer disease have increased lysozyme levels in the cerebrospinal fluid and lysozyme co-localized with amyloid-β in plaques. In Drosophila neuronal co-expression of lysozyme and amyloid-β1-42 reduced the formation of soluble and insoluble amyloid-β species, prolonged survival and improved the activity of amyloid-β1-42 transgenic flies. This suggests that lysozyme levels rise in Alzheimer disease as a compensatory response to amyloid-β increases and aggregation. In support of this, in vitro aggregation assays revealed that lysozyme associates with amyloid-β1-42 and alters its aggregation pathway to counteract the formation of toxic amyloid-β species. Overall, these studies establish a protective role for lysozyme against amyloid-β associated toxicities and identify increased lysozyme in patients with Alzheimer disease. Therefore, lysozyme has potential as a new biomarker as well as a therapeutic target for Alzheimer disease.
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| 5. |
- Jury, Michael, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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Bioorthogonally Cross‐Linked Hyaluronan–Laminin Hydrogels for 3D Neuronal Cell Culture and Biofabrication
- 2022
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Ingår i: Advanced Healthcare Materials. - : Wiley. - 2192-2640 .- 2192-2659. ; 11:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Laminins (LNs) are key components in the extracellular matrix of neuronal tissues in the developing brain and neural stem cell niches. LN-presenting hydrogels can provide a biologically relevant matrix for the 3D culture of neurons toward development of advanced tissue models and cell-based therapies for the treatment of neurological disorders. Biologically derived hydrogels are rich in fragmented LN and are poorly defined concerning composition, which hampers clinical translation. Engineered hydrogels require elaborate and often cytotoxic chemistries for cross-linking and LN conjugation and provide limited possibilities to tailor the properties of the materials. Here a modular hydrogel system for neural 3D cell cultures, based on hyaluronan and poly(ethylene glycol), that is cross-linked and functionalized with human recombinant LN-521 using bioorthogonal copper-free click chemistry, is shown. Encapsulated human neuroblastoma cells demonstrate high viability and grow into spheroids. Long-term neuroepithelial stem cells (lt-NES) cultured in the hydrogels can undergo spontaneous differentiation to neural fate and demonstrate significantly higher viability than cells cultured without LN. The hydrogels further support the structural integrity of 3D bioprinted structures and maintain high viability of bioprinted and syringe extruded lt-NES, which can facilitate biofabrication and development of cell-based therapies.
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| 6. |
- Sackmann, Valerie, et al.
(författare)
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Inhibition of nSMase2 Reduces the Transfer of Oligomeric alpha-Synuclein Irrespective of Hypoxia
- 2019
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience. - : FRONTIERS MEDIA SA. - 1662-5099. ; 12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recently, extracellular vesicles (EVs), such as exosomes, have been proposed to play an influential role in the cell-to-cell spread of neurodegenerative diseases, including the intercellular transmission of alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn). However, the regulation of EV biogenesis and its relation to Parkinson's disease (PD) is only partially understood. The generation of EVs through the ESCRT-independent pathway depends on the hydrolysis of sphingomyelin by neutral sphingomyelinase 2 (nSMase2) to produce ceramide, which causes the membrane of endosomal multivesicular bodies to bud inward. nSMase2 is sensitive to oxidative stress, a common process in PD brains; however, little is known about the role of sphingomyelin metabolism in the pathogenesis of PD. This is the first study to show that inhibiting nSMase2 decreases the transfer of oligomeric aggregates of alpha-syn between neuron-like cells. Furthermore, it reduced the accumulation and aggregation of high-molecular-weight alpha-syn. Hypoxia, as a model of oxidative stress, reduced the levels of nSMase2, but not its enzymatic activity, and significantly altered the lipid composition of cells without affecting EV abundance or the transfer of alpha-syn. These data show that altering sphingolipids can mitigate the spread of alpha-syn, even under hypoxic conditions, potentially suppressing PD progression.
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| 7. |
- Saint-Leger, A., et al.
(författare)
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The basic N-terminal domain of TRF2 limits recombination endonuclease action at human telomeres
- 2014
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Ingår i: Cell Cycle. - : Taylor andamp; Francis: STM, Behavioural Science and Public Health Titles. - 1538-4101 .- 1551-4005. ; 13:15, s. 2469-2479
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The stability of mammalian telomeres depends upon TRF2, which prevents inappropriate repair and checkpoint activation. By using a plasmid integration assay in yeasts carrying humanized telomeres, we demonstrated that TRF2 possesses the intrinsic property to both stimulate initial homologous recombination events and to prevent their resolution via its basic N-terminal domain. In human cells, we further showed that this TRF2 domain prevents telomere shortening mediated by the resolvase-associated protein SLX4 as well as GEN1 and MUS81, 2 different types of endonucleases with resolvase activities. We propose that various types of resolvase activities are kept in check by the basic N-terminal domain of TRF2 in order to favor an accurate repair of the stalled forks that occur during telomere replication. © 2014 Landes Bioscience.
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| 8. |
- Sandin, Linnea, et al.
(författare)
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The Luminescent Conjugated Oligothiophene h-FTAA Attenuates the Toxicity of Different A beta Species
- 2021
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Ingår i: Biochemistry. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0006-2960 .- 1520-4995. ; 60:37, s. 2773-2780
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The prevailing opinion is that prefibrillar beta-amyloid (A beta) species, rather than end-stage amyloid fibrils, cause neuronal dysfunction in Alzheimers disease, although the mechanisms behind A beta neurotoxicity remain to be elucidated. Luminescent conjugated oligothiophenes (LCOs) exhibit spectral properties upon binding to amyloid proteins and have previously been reported to change the toxicity of A beta(1- 42) and prion protein. In a previous study, we showed that an LCO, pentamer formyl thiophene acetic acid (p-FTAA), changed the toxicity of A beta(1-42). Here we investigated whether an LCO, heptamer formyl thiophene acetic acid (h-FTAA), could change the toxicity of A beta(1-42) by comparing its behavior with that of p-FTAA. Moreover, we investigated the effects on toxicity when A ss with the Arctic mutation (A beta Arc) was aggregated with both LCOs. Cell viability assays on SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells demonstrated that h-FTAA has a stronger impact on A beta(1-42) toxicity than does p-FTAA. Interestingly, h-FTAA, but not p-FTAA, rescued the A beta(Arc)-mediated toxicity. Aggregation kinetics and binding assay experiments with A beta(1-42) and A beta(Arc) when aggregated with both LCOs showed that h-FTAA and p-FTAA either interact with different species or affect the aggregation in different ways. In conclusion, h-FTAA protects against A beta(1-42) and A beta(Arc) toxicity, thus showing h-FTAA to be a useful tool for improving our understanding of the process of A beta aggregation linked to cytotoxicity.
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| 9. |
- Sardar Sinha, Maitrayee, et al.
(författare)
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Alzheimer's disease pathology propagation by exosomes containing toxic amyloid-beta oligomers
- 2018
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Ingår i: Acta Neuropathologica. - : SPRINGER. - 0001-6322 .- 1432-0533. ; 136:1, s. 41-56
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The gradual deterioration of cognitive functions in Alzheimer's disease is paralleled by a hierarchical progression of amyloid-beta and tau brain pathology. Recent findings indicate that toxic oligomers of amyloid-beta may cause propagation of pathology in a prion-like manner, although the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. Here we show that small extracellular vesicles, exosomes, from Alzheimer patients' brains contain increased levels of amyloid-beta oligomers and can act as vehicles for the neuron-to-neuron transfer of such toxic species in recipient neurons in culture. Moreover, blocking the formation, secretion or uptake of exosomes was found to reduce both the spread of oligomers and the related toxicity. Taken together, our results imply that exosomes are centrally involved in Alzheimer's disease and that they could serve as targets for development of new diagnostic and therapeutic principles.
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| 10. |
- Sardar Sinha, Maitrayee, et al.
(författare)
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Lipid vesicles affect the aggregation of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-modified alpha-synuclein oligomers
- 2018
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Ingår i: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular Basis of Disease. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV. - 0925-4439 .- 1879-260X. ; 1864:9, s. 3060-3068
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Parkinsons disease (PD) and other synucleinopathies are characterized by accumulation of misfolded aggregates of alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn). The normal function of alpha-syn is still under investigation, but it has been generally linked to synaptic plasticity, neurotransmitter release and the maintenance of the synaptic pool. alpha-Syn localizes at synaptic terminals where it can bind to synaptic vesicles as well as to other cellular membranes. It has become clear that these interactions have an impact on both alpha-syn functional role and its propensity to aggregate. In this study, we investigated the aggregation process of alpha-syn covalently modified with 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE). HNE is a product of lipid peroxidation and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of different neurodegenerative diseases by modifying the kinetics of soluble toxic oligomers. Although HNE-modified alpha-syn has been reported to assemble into stable oligomers, we found that slightly acidic conditions promoted further protein aggregation. Lipid vesicles delayed the aggregation process in a concentration-dependent manner, an effect that was observed only when they were added at the beginning of the aggregation process. Co-aggregation of lipid vesicles with HNE-modified alpha-syn also induced cytotoxic effects on differentiated SHSY-SY cells. Under conditions in which the aggregation process was delayed cell viability was reduced. By exploring the behavior and potential cytotoxic effects of HNE-alpha-syn under acidic conditions in relation to protein-lipid interactions our study gives a framework to examine a possible pathway leading from a physiological setting to the pathological outcome of PD.
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