Negative Regulation of Vps34 by Cdk Mediated Phosphorylation

Vacuolar protein sorting 34 (Vps34) complexes, the class III PtdIns3 kinase, specifically phosphorylate the D3 position of PtdIns to produce PtdIns3P. Vps34 is involved in the control of multiple key intracellular membrane trafficking pathways including endocytic sorting and autophagy. In mammalian cells, Vps34 interacts with Beclin 1, an ortholog of Atg6 in yeast, to regulate the production of PtdIns3P and autophagy. We show that Vps34 is phosphorylated on Thr159 by Cdk1, which negatively regulates its interaction with Beclin 1 during mitosis. Cdk5/p25, a neuronal Cdk shown to play a role in Alzheimer's disease, can also phosphorylate Thr159 of Vps34. Phosphorylation of Vps34 on Thr159 inhibits its interaction with Beclin 1. We propose that phosphorylation of Thr159 in Vps34 is a key regulatory mechanism that controls the class III PtdIns3 kinase activity in cell-cycle progression, development, and human diseases including neurodegeneration and cancers.National Institute on Aging (PO1 AG027916)National Institute on Aging (R37 AG 012859)Samsung (Firm) (Scholarship from South Korea

Evolution of the Aging Brain Transcriptome and Synaptic Regulation

Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders of aging are characterized by clinical and pathological features that are relatively specific to humans. To obtain greater insight into how brain aging has evolved, we compared age-related gene expression changes in the cortex of humans, rhesus macaques, and mice on a genome-wide scale. A small subset of gene expression changes are conserved in all three species, including robust age-dependent upregulation of the neuroprotective gene apolipoprotein D (APOD) and downregulation of the synaptic cAMP signaling gene calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV (CAMK4). However, analysis of gene ontology and cell type localization shows that humans and rhesus macaques have diverged from mice due to a dramatic increase in age-dependent repression of neuronal genes. Many of these age-regulated neuronal genes are associated with synaptic function. Notably, genes associated with GABA-ergic inhibitory function are robustly age-downregulated in humans but not in mice at the level of both mRNA and protein. Gene downregulation was not associated with overall neuronal or synaptic loss. Thus, repression of neuronal gene expression is a prominent and recently evolved feature of brain aging in humans and rhesus macaques that may alter neural networks and contribute to age-related cognitive changes

Loss of presenilin function causes impairments of memory and synaptic plasticity followed by age-dependent neurodegeneration

Mutations in presenilins are the major cause of familial Alzheimer's disease, but the pathogenic mechanism by which presenilin mutations cause memory loss and neurodegeneration remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that conditional double knockout mice lacking both presenilins in the postnatal forebrain exhibit impairments in hippocampal memory and synaptic plasticity. These deficits are associated with specific reductions in NMDA receptor-mediated responses and synaptic levels of NMDA receptors and alphaCaMKII. Furthermore, loss of presenilins causes reduced expression of CBP and CREB/CBP target genes, such as c-fos and BDNF. With increasing age, mutant mice develop striking neurodegeneration of the cerebral cortex and worsening impairments of memory and synaptic function. Neurodegeneration is accompanied by increased levels of the Cdk5 activator p25 and hyperphosphorylated tau. These results define essential roles and molecular targets of presenilins in synaptic plasticity, learning and memory, and neuronal survival in the adult cerebral cortex

Aβ-40 Y10F Increases βfibrils Formation but Attenuates the Neurotoxicity of Amyloid-β Peptide

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by the abnormal aggregation of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) in extracellular deposits known as senile plaques. The tyrosine residue (Tyr-10) is believed to be important in Aβ-induced neurotoxicity due to the formation of tyrosyl radicals. To reduce the likelihood of cross-linking, here we designed an Aβ-40 analogue (Aβ-40 Y10F) in which the tyrosine residue was substituted by a structurally similar residue, phenylalanine. The aggregation rate was determined by the Thioflavin T (ThT) assay, in which Aβ-40 Y10F populated an ensemble of folded conformations much quicker and stronger than the wild type Aβ. Biophysical tests subsequently confirmed the results of the ThT assay, suggesting the measured increase of β-aggregation may arise predominantly from enhancement of hydrophobicity upon substitution and thus the propensity of intrinsic β-sheet formation. Nevertheless, Aβ-40 Y10F exhibited remarkably decreased neurotoxicity compared to Aβ-40 which could be partly due to the reduced generation of hydrogen peroxide. These findings may lead to further understanding of the structural perturbation of Aβ to its fibrillation

Chronic Apocynin Treatment Attenuates Beta Amyloid Plaque Size and Microglial Number in hAPP(751)SL Mice

Background: NADPH oxidase is implicated in neurotoxic microglial activation and the progressive nature of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Here, we test the ability of two NADPH oxidase inhibitors, apocynin and dextromethorphan (DM), to reduce learning deficits and neuropathology in transgenic mice overexpressing human amyloid precursor protein with the Swedish and London mutations (hAPP(751)SL). Methods: Four month old hAPP(751)SL mice were treated daily with saline, 15 mg/kg DM, 7.5 mg/kg DM, or 10 mg/kg apocynin by gavage for four months. Results: Only hAPP(751)SL mice treated with apocynin showed reduced plaque size and a reduction in the number of cortical microglia, when compared to the saline treated group. Analysis of whole brain homogenates from all treatments tested (saline, DM, and apocynin) demonstrated low levels of TNFa, protein nitration, lipid peroxidation, and NADPH oxidase activation, indicating a low level of neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in hAPP(751)SL mice at 8 months of age that was not significantly affected by any drug treatment. Despite in vitro analyses demonstrating that apocynin and DM ameliorate Ab-induced extracellular superoxide production and neurotoxicity, both DM and apocynin failed to significantly affect learning and memory tasks or synaptic density in hAPP(751)SL mice. To discern how apocynin was affecting plaque levels (plaque load) and microglial number in vivo, in vitro analysis of microglia was performed, revealing no apocynin effects on beta-amyloid (Ab) phagocytosis, microglial proliferation, or microglial survival. Conclusions: Together, this study suggests that while hAPP(751)SL mice show increases in microglial number and plaque load, they fail to exhibit elevated markers of neuroinflammation consistent with AD at 8 months of age, which may be a limitation of this animal model. Despite absence of clear neuroinflammation, apocynin was still able to reduce both plaque size and microglial number, suggesting that apocynin may have additional therapeutic effects independent of anti-inflammatory characteristics

Sustained axon regeneration induced by co-deletion of PTEN and SOCS3

A formidable challenge in neural repair in the adult central nervous system (CNS) is the long distances that regenerating axons often need to travel in order to reconnect with their targets. Thus, a sustained capacity for axon regeneration is critical for achieving functional restoration. Although deletion of either phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN), a negative regulator of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), or suppressor of cytokine signalling 3 (SOCS3), a negative regulator of Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway, in adult retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) individually promoted significant optic nerve regeneration, such regrowth tapered off around 2 weeks after the crush injury. Here we show that, remarkably, simultaneous deletion of both PTEN and SOCS3 enables robust and sustained axon regeneration. We further show that PTEN and SOCS3 regulate two independent pathways that act synergistically to promote enhanced axon regeneration. Gene expression analyses suggest that double deletion not only results in the induction of many growth-related genes, but also allows RGCs to maintain the expression of a repertoire of genes at the physiological level after injury. Our results reveal concurrent activation of mTOR and STAT3 pathways as key for sustaining long-distance axon regeneration in adult CNS, a crucial step towards functional recovery

Neuroprotective Action of Cycloheximide Involves Induction of Bcl-2 and Antioxidant Pathways

The ability of the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CHX) to prevent neuronal death in different paradigms has been interpreted to indicate that the cell death process requires synthesis of “killer” proteins. On the other hand, data indicate that neurotrophic factors protect neurons in the same death paradigms by inducing expression of neuroprotective gene products. We now provide evidence that in embryonic rat hippocampal cell cultures, CHX protects neurons against oxidative insults by a mechanism involving induction of neuroprotective gene products including the antiapoptotic gene bcl-2 and antioxidant enzymes. Neuronal survival after exposure to glutamate, FeSO4, and amyloid β-peptide was increased in cultures pretreated with CHX at concentrations of 50–500 nM; higher and lower concentrations were ineffective. Neuroprotective concentrations of CHX caused only a moderate (20–40%) reduction in overall protein synthesis, and induced an increase in c-fos, c-jun, and bcl-2 mRNAs and protein levels as determined by reverse transcription–PCR analysis and immunocytochemistry, respectively. At neuroprotective CHX concentrations, levels of c-fos heteronuclear RNA increased in parallel with c-fos mRNA, indicating that CHX acts by inducing transcription. Neuroprotective concentrations of CHX suppressed accumulation of H2O2 induced by FeSO4, suggesting activation of antioxidant pathways. Treatment of cultures with an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide directed against bcl-2 mRNA decreased Bcl-2 protein levels and significantly reduced the neuroprotective action of CHX, suggesting that induction of Bcl-2 expression was mechanistically involved in the neuroprotective actions of CHX. In addition, activity levels of the antioxidant enzymes Cu/ Zn-superoxide dismutase, Mn-superoxide dismutase, and catalase were significantly increased in cultures exposed to neuroprotective levels of CHX. Our data suggest that low concentrations of CHX can promote neuron survival by inducing increased levels of gene products that function in antioxidant pathways, a neuroprotective mechanism similar to that used by neurotrophic factors