A high-content neuron imaging assay demonstrates inhibition of prion disease-associated neurotoxicity by an anti-prion protein antibody

There is an urgent need to develop disease-modifying therapies to treat neurodegenerative diseases which pose increasing challenges to global healthcare systems. Prion diseases, although rare, provide a paradigm to study neurodegenerative dementias as similar disease mechanisms involving propagation and spread of multichain assemblies of misfolded protein ("prion-like" mechanisms) are increasingly recognised in the commoner conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. However, studies of prion disease pathogenesis in mouse models showed that prion propagation and neurotoxicity can be mechanistically uncoupled and in vitro assays confirmed that highly purified prions are indeed not directly neurotoxic. To aid development of prion disease therapeutics we have therefore developed a cell-based assay for the specific neurotoxicity seen in prion diseases rather than to simply assess inhibition of prion propagation. We applied this assay to examine an anti-prion protein mouse monoclonal antibody (ICSM18) known to potently cure prion-infected cells and to delay onset of prion disease in prion-infected mice. We demonstrate that whilst ICSM18 itself lacks inherent neurotoxicity in this assay, it potently blocks prion disease-associated neurotoxicity

Amyloid β oligomers disrupt blood-CSF barrier integrity by activating matrix metalloproteinases

The blood-CSF barrier (BCSFB) consists of a monolayer of choroid plexus epithelial (CPE) cells that maintain CNS homeostasis by producing CSF and restricting the passage of undesirable molecules and pathogens into the brain. Alzheimer's disease is the most common progressive neurodegenerative disorder and is characterized by the presence of amyloid beta (A beta) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. Recent research shows that Alzheimer's disease is associated with morphological changes in CPE cells and compromised production of CSF. Here, we studied the direct effects of A beta on the functionality of the BCSFB. Intracerebroventricular injection of A beta 1-42 oligomers into the cerebral ventricles of mice, a validated Alzheimer's disease model, caused induction of a cascade of detrimental events, including increased inflammatory gene expression in CPE cells and increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the CSF. It also rapidly affected CPE cell morphology and tight junction protein levels. These changes were associated with loss of BCSFB integrity, as shown by an increase in BCSFB leakage. A beta 1-42 oligomers also increased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) gene expression in the CPE and its activity in CSF. Interestingly, BCSFB disruption induced by A beta 1-42 oligomers did not occur in the presence of a broad-spectrum MMP inhibitor or in MMP3-deficient mice. These data provide evidence that MMPs are essential for the BCSFB leakage induced by A beta 1-42 oligomers. Our results reveal that Alzheimer's disease-associated soluble A beta 1-42 oligomers induce BCSFB dysfunction and suggest MMPs as a possible therapeutic target

Biosensor approach to probe bioaffinity and biocatalytic interactions of small xenobiotice

De nos jours, la bioélectronique devient une discipline à haut potential biomédical et pharmacologique. Les résultats de recherches présentés dans ce manuscrit sont ciblés sur l'application de biocapteurs électrochimiques et optiques sans marquage pour suivi des interactions bioafines et biocatalytiques de certains petits xénobiotiques (odorants et glycoalcaoïdes) avec des biomacromolécules immobilisées telles que le récepteur olfactif humain RO 17-40 couplé à la protéine G et les cholinestérases de sérum humain et équin. Les butyryl cholinestérases immobilisées sur la surface de transistors à l'effet de champ sensibles au pH suivent une cinétique de Michaelis pour l'hydrolyse de leurs substrats. Les glycoalcaloïdes l'a-solanine, l'a-chaconine et la tomatine inhibent l'enzyme équine de manière réversible et compétitive tandis que pour cholinestérase humaine, l'inhibition réversible mixte a été démontrée. L'a-chaconine est l'inhibiteur le plus fort de deux enzymes. Les interactions affines des glycoalcaloïdes avec la butyryl cholinestérase équine ont été étudiées en utilisant la spectroscopie d'impédance électrochimique. La détection directe des inhibiteurs faibles et compétitifs (l'a-solanine) peut être beaucoup plus sensible en absence des substrats enzymatiques. Le récepteur olfactif RO 17-40 a été employé avec succès dans deux plateformes de biocapteurs : impédimétrique et à base de résonance plasmonique de surface en tant qu'unité complexe capable de la bioreconnaissance des odorants. La possibilité du suivi direct des évènements moléculaires déclenchés par un récepteur stimulé par son agoniste est un premier pas vers le "nez bioélectronique".Nowadays, bioelectronics becomes a discipline with prominent biomedical and pharmacological potential. Investigations reported in this manuscript are focused on the use of label-free electrochemical and optical biosensors for the study of bioaffinity and biocatalytic interactions of some small xenobiotics (odorants and steroid glycoalkaloids) with immobilized macromolecules, namely, G protein-coupled human olfactory receptor OR 17-40 and cholinesterases from human and equine serum. The butyryl cholinesterases immobilized on pH-sensitive field-effect transistors follow Michaelis kinetics of hydrolysis of their substrates. Glycoalkaloids a-solanine, a-chaconine and tomatine inhibit the equine enzyme reversibly and competitively while for the human cholinesterase a mixed mode of reversible inhibition is suggested. a-Chaconine is the most potent inhibitor of both enzymes. The affinity interactions of glycoalkaloids and equine butyryl cholinesterase have been probed with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The absence of enzymatic substrate can significantly improve label-free detection of weak and competitive inhibitors (a-solanine). Olfactory receptor OR 17-40 has been successfully employed as odorant-recognition part of impedimetric and surface plasmon resonance-based platforms. Possibility of direct monitoring molecular events trigeered by agonist-stimulated receptor is the first step towards the "biolectronic nose".LYON-Ecole Centrale (690812301) / SudocSudocFranceF

Prion protein in Alzheimer's pathogenesis: a hot and controversial issue

The role for cellular prion protein PrP(c) in beta-amyloid (Abeta) oligomer-induced synaptic impairment is a topic of great interest and some controversy. In this issue of EMBO Molecular Medicine Aguzzi and co-workers explore the contribution of PrP(c) to deficient long term potentiation (LTP) and soluble Abeta levels in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model and show that the role of prions in Abeta related toxicity is far from 'black and white' suggesting complex interpretations of the data available thus far.status: publishe

An overlooked neurotoxic species in Alzheimer's disease

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Neuroscience. Promiscuous Alzheimer's amyloid: yet another partner

A neuroimmune receptor has high affinity for Alzheimer's β-amyloid aggregates and mediates a synaptotoxic cascade in neurons.status: publishe

Amyloid beta oligomers induce neuronal elasticity changes in age-dependent manner: A force spectroscopy study on living hippocampal neurons

Small soluble species of amyloid-beta (Aβ) formed during early peptide aggregation stages are responsible for several neurotoxic mechanisms relevant to the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), although their interaction with the neuronal membrane is not completely understood. This study quantifies the changes in the neuronal membrane elasticity induced by treatment with the two most common Aβ isoforms found in AD brains: Aβ40 and Aβ42. Using quantitative atomic force microscopy (AFM), we measured for the first time the static elastic modulus of living primary hippocampal neurons treated with pre-aggregated Aβ40 and Aβ42 soluble species. Our AFM results demonstrate changes in the elasticity of young, mature and aged neurons treated for a short time with the two Aβ species pre-aggregated for 2 hours. Neurons aging under stress conditions, showing aging hallmarks, are the most susceptible to amyloid binding and show the largest decrease in membrane stiffness upon Aβ treatment. Membrane stiffness defines the way in which cells respond to mechanical forces in their environment and has been shown to be important for processes such as gene expression, ion-channel gating and neurotransmitter vesicle transport. Thus, one can expect that changes in neuronal membrane elasticity might directly induce functional changes related to neurodegeneration.Hercules Foundation (Project HER/09/021)Peer Reviewe

AFM Investigation of the Aggregation Behavior of Alzheimer's Disease A beta Peptides

Amyoid peptides A beta 40 and A beta 42 are directly related to the Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. More specifically small alterations in the ratio A beta 42:A beta 40 have been shown to influence dramatically the synaptic function in vitro and in vivo. In this study we use Atomic Force Microscopy to investigate the morphology of the species formed during aggregation at different moments in time. In agreement with literature data, we found that a small increase of this ratio appears to delay the fibrilization process. Moreover, in the case of the A beta 42, known to be more pathogenic than A beta 40, small oligomers seem to coexist with higher molecular weight species from very early to very late moments in time. This suggests the continuous presence of intermediates that might have a synapto-toxic effect.status: publishe