Construction of SH-EP1-α4β2-hAPP695 Cell Line and Effects of Nicotinic Agonists on β-amyloid in the Cells

(1) Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in central nervous system are thought to be new targets for Alzheimer’s disease. However, the most involved nicotinic receptor subtype in Alzheimer’s disease is unclear. α4β2 receptor is the most widely spread subtype in brain, involving in several important aspects of cognitive and other functions. We constructed cell line by transfecting human amyloid precursor protein (695) gene into SH-EP1 cells which have been transfected with human nicotinic receptor α4 subunit and β2 subunit gene, to observe effects of α4β2 receptors activation on β-amyloid, expecting to provide a new cell line for drug screening and research purpose. (2) Liposome transfection was used to express human amyloid precursor protein (695) gene in SH-EP1-α4β2 cells. Function of the transfected α4β2 receptors was tested by patch clamp. Effects of nicotine and epibatidine (selective α4β2 nicotinic receptor agonist) on β-amyloid were detected by Western blot and ELISA. Effects of nicotine and epibatidine on amyloid precursor protein (695) mRNA level were measured using real-time PCR. (3) Human amyloid precursor protein (695) gene was stably expressed in SH-EP1-α4β2 cells; Nicotine (1 μM) and epibatidine (0.1 μM) decreased intracellular and secreted β-amyloid in the cells; and activation of α4β2 receptors did not affect amyloid precursor protein (695) mRNA level. (4) These results suggest that the constructed cell line, expressing both amyloid precursor protein (695) gene and human nicotinic receptor α4 subunit and β2 subunit gene, might be useful for screening specific nicotinic receptor agonists against Alzheimer’s disease. Alteration of Aβ level induced by activation of α4β2 nAChR in our study might occur at a post-translational level.     

Cytoplasmic tail adaptors of alzheimer’s amyloid-β protein precursor

Alzheimer’s disease is characterized pathologically by senile plaques in the brain. The major component of senile plaques is amyloid-β (Aβ), which is cleaved from Alzheimer’s Aβ protein precursor (AβPP). Recently, information regarding the cytoplasmic tail of AβPP has started to emerge, opening up various insights into the physiological roles of AβPP and its pathological role in Alzheimer’s disease. The cytoplasmic domain of AβPP shares the evolutionarily conserved GYENPTY motif, which binds to a number of adaptor proteins containing the phosphotyrosine interaction domain (PID). Among the PID-containing proteins, this article focuses on four groups of adaptor proteins of AβPP: Fe65, X11, mDab1, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase-interacting protein 1b/islet-brain 1. These two authors contributed equally to this study.     

Microglial cell death induced by glycated bovine serum albumin: nitric oxide involvement

Nonenzymatic glycation results in the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) through a nonenzymatic multistep reaction of reducing sugars with proteins. AGEs have been suspected to be involved in the pathogenesis of several chronic clinical neurodegenerative complications including Alzheimer's disease, which is characterized with the activation of microglial cells in neuritic plaques. To find out the consequence of this activation on microglial cells, we treated the cultured microglial cells with different glycation levels of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) which were prepared in vitro. Extent of glycation of protein has been characterized during 16 weeks of incubation with glucose. Treatment of microglial cells with various levels of glycated albumin induced nitric oxide (NO) production and consequently cell death. We also tried to find out the mode of death in AGE-activated microglial cells. Altogether, our results suggest that AGE treatment causes microglia to undergo NO-mediated apoptotic and necrotic cell death in short term and long term, respectively. NO production is a consequence of iNOS expression in a JNK dependent RAGE signalling after activation of RAGE by AGE-BSA.     

Fructose-mediated damage to lens alpha-crystallin: prevention by pyruvate

Post-translational modifications in lens crystallins due to glycation and oxidation have been suggested to play a significant role in the development of cataracts associated with aging and diabetes. We have previously shown that alpha-keto acids, like pyruvate, can protect the lens against oxidation. We hypothesize that they can also prevent the glycation of proteins competitively by forming a Schiff base between their free keto groups and the free -NH(2) groups of protein as well as subsequently inhibit the oxidative conversion of the initial glycation product to advanced glycation end products (AGE). The purpose of this study was to investigate these possibilities using purified crystallins. The crystallins isolated from bovine lenses were incubated with fructose in the absence and presence of pyruvate. The post-incubation mixtures were analyzed for fructose binding to the crystallins, AGE formation, and the generation of high molecular weight (HMW) proteins. In parallel experiments, the keto acid was replaced by catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), or diethylene triaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA). This was done to ascertain oxidative mode of pyruvate effects. Interestingly, the glycation and consequent formation of AGE from alpha-crystallin was more pronounced than from beta-, and gamma-crystallins. The changes in the crystallins brought about by incubation with fructose were prevented by pyruvate. Catalase, SOD, and DTPA were also effective. The results suggest that pyruvate prevents against fructose-mediated changes by inhibiting the initial glycation reaction as well as the conversion of the initial glycated product to AGE. Hence it is effective in early as well as late phases of the reactions associated with the formation of HMW crystallin aggregates.     

Analysis of protein glycation using phenylboronate acrylamide gel electrophoresis

The incorporation of the specialized carbohydrate affinity ligand methacrylamido phenylboronic acid in polyacrylamide gels for SDS‐PAGE analysis has been successful for the separation of carbohydrates and has here been adapted for the analysis of post‐translationally modified proteins. While conventional SDS‐PAGE analysis cannot distinguish between glycated and unglycated proteins, methacrylamido phenylboronate acrylamide gel electrophoresis (mP‐AGE) in low loading shows dramatic retention of δ‐gluconolactone modified proteins, while the mobility of the unmodified proteins remains unchanged. With gels containing 1% methacrylamido phenylboronate, mP‐AGE analysis of gluconoylated recombinant protein Sbi results in the retention of the modified protein at a position expected for a protein that has quadrupled its expected molecular size. Subsequently, mP‐AGE was tested on HSA, a protein that is known to undergo glycation under physiological conditions. mP‐AGE could distinguish between various carbohydrate‐protein adducts, using in vitro glycated HSA, and discriminate early from late glycation states of the protein. Enzymatically glycosylated proteins show no altered retention in the phenylboronate‐incorporated gels, rendering this method highly selective for glycated proteins. We reveal that a trident interaction between phenylboronate and the Amadori cis 1,2 diol and amine group provides the molecular basis of this specificity. These results epitomize mP‐AGE as an important new proteomics tool for the detection, separation, visualization and identification of protein glycation. This method will aid the design of inhibitors of unwanted carbohydrate modifications in recombinant protein production, ageing, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and Alzheimer's disease.     

Amyloid-β and aluminum ions enhance neuronal damage mediated by NMDA-activated glutamate receptors

Effects of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), aluminum and amyloid-β (Aβ) on mouse cerebellar granule cells were studied. In the presence of all three compounds, reactive oxygen species levels and cell necrosis were increased dramatically. Mg²⁺ ions and D-AP5, which are known to prevent ligand binding to NMDA-activated glutamate receptors, were effective in attenuating the neurotoxic effect induced by the presence of all three compounds. All substances tested induced activation of p42/44 MAPK (mitogen activated protein kinase) with no cumulative effects between them. We conclude that neurotoxicity induced by aluminum and Aβ appears at outer cell membranes and NMDA receptors take part in this process. Increase in excitotoxic effect of glutamate in the presence of aluminum and Aβ is suggested to be a factor which provokes Alzheimer’s disease in brain neurons.     

RAGE and glyoxalase in kidney disease

Glycation is an important reaction in the regulation of physiological state. When poorly controlled, however, glycation can also result in the accumulation of glycated proteins (advanced glycation endproducts; AGEs) in the body. This AGE accumulation is termed glycative stress, and is an established pathological factor: to date, glycative stress has been closely associated with not only kidney diseases, but also kidney aging. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that the progression of renal tubular damage and tubular aging are often correlated with activation of the receptor for the AGE (RAGE)-AGE pathway or decreased activity of glyoxalase 1, which is an anti-glycation enzyme to lower glycative stress. Further, glycative stress exacerbates the derangement of protein homeostasis: the posttranslationally modified proteins by glycation often lose or gain their functions. Such deranged protein homeostasis leads to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, a state of ER dysfunction in which the quality control of proteins is defective, as well as to induction of its stress signal, the unfolded protein response (UPR), in the kidney. The lowering of glycative stress via modulation of RAGE-AGE axis or glyoxalase 1 activity is beneficial for tubular homeostasis and the subsequent prevention and treatment of kidney disease, suggesting the possibility of novel therapeutic approaches which target glycative stress. In this review, we focused on the impact of glycative stress in the kidney, especially the role of RAGE and glyoxalase 1. Further we also discuss the crosstalk between glycative stress and ER stress in their effect on protein homeostasis.     

The Interaction of Amyloid β and the Receptor for Advanced Glycation Endproducts Induces Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 Expression in Brain Endothelial Cells

The pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) include formation of extracellular amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) and inflammatory responses. Numerous studies have reported that cerebral microvascular Aβ deposition promotes neuroinflammation in AD. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are involved in the cleavage of extracellular matrix proteins and regulation of growth factors, receptors, and adhesion molecules. Relatively little is known about the involvement of MMPs as inflammatory mediators in the pathological processes of AD. In this study, we explored the signaling pathway of MMP-2 up-regulation by Aβ in brain endothelial cells (BECs) of mice. Using Western blots, we found that inhibitors of extracellular-signal-regulated kinases (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) significantly decreased Aβ-induced MMP-2 expression in BECs. Furthermore, antibody neutralization of the receptor for advanced glycation endproducts effectively blocked Aβ-induced activation of ERK and JNK and their contribution to elevated MMP-2 expression in BECs. Our results suggest that increased MMP-2 expression induced by the interaction of Aβ with RAGE in BECs may contribute to enhanced vascular inflammatory stress in Aβ-related vascular disorders, such as cerebral amyloid angiopathy and AD. This study offers new insights into neuroinflammation in the progression of AD.     

Delineating the Mechanism of Alzheimer’s Disease Aβ Peptide Neurotoxicity

The Alzheimer’s disease neurotoxic amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide is derived from the larger amyloid precursor protein (APP) and is the principal component of the senile plaques in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brains. This mechanism by which Aβ mediates neurotoxicity or neuronal dysfunction is not fully resolved. This review will outline some of the key determinants that modulate Aβ’s activity and the cellular pathways and mechanisms involved.     

Basal Forebrain Cholinergic Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease – Interrelationship with β-amyloid, Inflammation and Neurotrophin Signaling

Alzheimer’s disease, the most common neurodegenerative disorder of senile dementia, is characterized by two major morpho-pathological hallmarks. Deposition of extracellular neuritic, β-amyloid peptide-containing plaques (senile plaques) in cerebral cortical regions of Alzheimer patients is accompanied by the presence of intracellular neurofibrillary tangles in cerebral pyramidal neurons. Basal forebrain cholinergic dysfunction is also a consistent feature of Alzheimer’s disease, which has been suggested to cause, at least partly, the cognitive deficits observed in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Impaired cortical cholinergic neurotransmission may also contribute to β-amyloid plaque pathology in Alzheimer’s disease by affecting expression and processing of the β-amyloid precursor protein (APP). Vice versa, low level of soluble β-amyloid has been observed to inhibit cholinergic synaptic function. Deposition of β-amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease is also accompanied by a significant plaque-associated glial up-regulation of interleukin-1, which has been attributed to affect expression and metabolism of APP and to interfere with cholinergic transmission. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the interrelationship between cortical cholinergic dysfunction, β-amyloid formation and deposition, as well as local inflammatory upregulation, would allow to derive potential treatment strategies to pharmacologically intervene in the disease-causing signaling cascade.     

Glycation induces formation of amyloid cross-beta structure in albumin

Amyloid fibrils are components of proteinaceous plaques that are associated with conformational diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, and familial amyloidosis. Amyloid polypeptides share a specific quarternary structure element known as cross-beta structure. Commonly, fibrillar aggregates are modified by advanced glycation end products (AGE). In addition, AGE formation itself induces protein aggregation. Both amyloid proteins and protein-AGE adducts bind multiligand receptors, such as receptor for AGE, CD36, and scavenger receptors A and B type I, and the serine protease tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA). Based on these observations, we hypothesized that glycation induces refolding of globular proteins, accompanied by formation of cross-beta structure. Using transmission electron microscopy, we demonstrate here that glycated albumin condensates into fibrous or amorphous aggregates. These aggregates bind to amyloid-specific dyes Congo red and thioflavin T and to tPA. In contrast to globular albumin, glycated albumin contains amino acid residues in beta-sheet conformation, as measured with circular dichroism spectropolarimetry. Moreover, it displays cross-beta structure, as determined with x-ray fiber diffraction. We conclude that glycation induces refolding of initially globular albumin into amyloid fibrils comprising cross-beta structure. This would explain how glycated ligands and amyloid ligands can bind to the same multiligand "cross-beta structure" receptors and to tPA.     

Increased expression of PAD2 after repeated intracerebroventricular infusions of soluble Aβ25–35 in the Alzheimer’s disease model rat brain: Effect of memantine

Peptidylarginine deiminases (PADs) convert the arginine residues in proteins into citrulline residues in a Ca²⁺-dependent manner. We previously showed that a bilateral injection of ibotenic acid into the rat nucleus basalis magnocellularis elevated the PAD2 activity in the hippocampus and striatum. In this study, we examined whether repeated intracerebroventricular infusions of soluble Aβ25–35 would affect the PAD2 expression in any regions of the rat brain. We also assessed the protective effect of memantine on Aβ-induced PAD2 alterations. The infusion of Aβ_25–35 increased the activity and protein level of PAD2 in the hippocampus, and co-treatment with memantine suppressed these changes. An immunohistochemical analysis showed that an increased level of PAD2 was coincident with GFAP-positive astrocytes and CD11b-positive microglia. In addition, immunofluoresecence staining revealed that citrullinepostive immunoreactivity coincided with the occurrence of GFAP-positive astrocytes. Co-treatment with memantine reversed the activation of the astrocytes and microglia, thus attenuating the PAD2 increment. These biochemical and immunohistochemical results suggest that PAD2 might play an important role in the pathology of early Alzheimer’s disease, and may correlate with the changes in glial cells that are recovered by memantine treatment.     

Deleterious effects of reactive aldehydes and glycated proteins on macrophage proteasomal function: Possible links between diabetes and atherosclerosis

People with diabetes experience chronic hyperglycemia and are at a high risk of developing atherosclerosis and microvascular disease. Reactions of glucose, or aldehydes derived from glucose (e.g. methylglyoxal, glyoxal, or glycolaldehyde), with proteins result in glycation that ultimately yield advanced glycation end products (AGE). AGE are present at elevated levels in plasma and atherosclerotic lesions from people with diabetes, and previous in vitro studies have postulated that the presence of these materials is deleterious to cell function. This accumulation of AGE and glycated proteins within cells may arise from either increased formation and/or ineffective removal by cellular proteolytic systems, such as the proteasomes, the major multi-enzyme complex that removes proteins within cells. In this study it is shown that whilst high glucose concentrations fail to modify proteasome enzyme activities in J774A.1 macrophage-like cell extracts, reactive aldehydes enhanced proteasomal enzyme activities. In contrast BSA, pre-treated with high glucose for 8 weeks, inhibited both the chymotrypsin-like and caspase-like activities. BSA glycated using methylglyoxal or glycolaldehyde, also inhibited proteasomal activity though to differing extents. This suppression of proteasome activity by glycated proteins may result in further intracellular accumulation of glycated proteins with subsequent deleterious effects on cellular function.     

Cerebral amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease but not in scrapie-affected mice are closely associated with a local inflammatory process

Complement proteins of the classical pathway can be immunohistochemically identified in cerebral amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease. Microglial cells in and around amyloid plaques express class II major histocompatibility (MHC) antigens and complement receptors CR3 and CR4. Negative immunostaining for immunoglobulins and for T-cell subsets in the brain parenchyma demonstrates a lack of evidence for the involvement of specific immune responses (such as an immune complex-mediated complement activation or a cell-mediated immune response) in cerebral amyloid deposits in Alzheimer’s disease. Cerebral amyloid plaques in scrapie-affected mice (slow-virus induced encephalopathy) do not contain complement factors C1q and C3c and are not clustered with microglial cells expressing MHC class II molecules or complement receptor CR3. The data presented suggest the induction of a reactive inflammatory process by β/A4 amyloid in the human brain, but not by scrapie-induced PrP amyloid in mice. Our findings do not support the hypothesis that the immune system is involved in the generation of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease. This study was partly supported by a grant from the Praeventiefonds, project 28–1945     

Compensatory mechanisms to heal neuroplasticity impairment under Alzheiemr’s disease neurodegeneration. I: The role of amyloid beta and its’ precursor protein

In-depth scholar literature analysis of Alzheimer’s disease neurodegenerative features of amyloid beta protein neurochemistry modification and excessive phosphorylation of tau protein (and associated neuronal cytoskeleton rearrangements) are secondary phenomena. At early disease stage these neurobiochemical mechanisms are reversible and serve to heal an impairment of biophysical properties of neuronal membranes, neurotransmission, basic neuronal function and neuroplasticity, while preserving anatomical and functional brain fields. Aβ and tau could well serve to biochemically restore physico-chemical properties of neual membranes due to a role these proteins play in lipid metabolism. Under such scenario therapeutic block of aggregation and plaque formation of Aβ and inhibition of tau phosphorylation, as well as pharmaceutical modification of other secondary neurodegenerative features (such as a cascade of oxidative stress reactions) are unable to provide an effective cure of Alzheimer’s disease and related pathologies of the Central and peripheral nervous systems, because they are not arraying primary pathagenetic cause. We review the role of Aβ in compensatory mechanisms of neuroplasticity restoration under normal physiological condition and Alzheimer’s disease.     

Determination of dideoxyosone precursors of AGEs in human lens proteins

Dideoxyosones (DDOs) are intermediates in the synthesis of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs), such as pentosidine and glucosepane. Although the formation of pentosidine and glucosepane in the human lens has been firmly established, the formation of DDOs has not been demonstrated. The aim of this study was to develop a reliable method to detect DDOs in lens proteins. A specific DDO trapping agent, biotinyl-diaminobenzene (3,4-diamino-N-(3-[5-(2-oxohexahydro-1H-thieno[3,4-d]imidazol-4-yl)pentanoyl]aminopropyl)benzamide) (BDAB) was added during in vitro protein glycation or during protein extraction from human lenses. In vitro glycated human lens protein showed strong reaction in monomeric and polymeric crosslinked proteins by Western blot and ELISA. Glycation of BSA in the presence of BDAB resulted in covalent binding of BDAB to the protein and inhibited pentosidine formation. Mass spectrometric analysis of lysozyme glycated in the presence of BDAB showed the presence of quinoxalines at lysine residues at positions K1, K33, K96, and K116. The ELISA results indicated that cataractous lens proteins contain significantly higher levels of DDO than non-cataractous lenses (101.9±67.8 vs. 31.7±19.5AU/mg protein, p<0.0001). This study provides first direct evidence of DDO presence in human tissue proteins and establishes that AGE crosslink synthesis in the human lens occurs via DDO intermediates.     

Below the radar: advanced glycation end products that detour "around the side". Is HbA1c not an accurate enough predictor of long term progression and glycaemic control in diabetes?

Advanced glycation is the irreversible attachment of reducing sugars onto the free amino groups of proteins. Its physiological roles are thought to include the identification of senescent proteins and hence there is a time dependent accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). AGE labelled proteins are catabolised by cells into low molecular weight peptides and amino acids and excreted primarily via the kidneys. This process appears to be tightly controlled by AGE clearance receptor complexes containing AGE-R1, AGE-R2 and AGE-R3 and scavenger receptors such as CD36, SR-AII and SR-BI. Conditions such as diabetes, however, which have a metabolic overload of reducing sugars, rapidly accelerate AGE formation. In addition, advanced glycation is facilitated by oxidative stress and renal disease even in the absence of increases in reducing sugar concentrations. As part of our western diet, we also ingest AGEs of which approximately 50-80% are absorbed, catabolised and excreted over a period of two days. As AGE levels rise during diabetes, interruption of normal function occurs via three distinct mechanisms, namely AGE induced cross-linking of extracellular matrices, stiffening elastic fibres, disturbing cellular adhesion and preventing turnover. The second is by intracellular formation of AGEs, which causes generalised cellular dysfunction. The third is via the chronic activation of specific receptors such as RAGE, the receptor for advanced glycation end products, which produces excesses in inflammatory molecule production. Due to the range of dysfunction produced by the accumulation of AGEs in diabetes, there is a growing need for early recognition and intervention in this process.     

Critical role of transglutaminase and other stress proteins during neurodegenerative processes

Proteolytic stress, resulting from the intracellular accumulation of misfolded or aggregated proteins, which exceed the capacity of the ubiquitin–proteasome system to degrade them, plays a relevant role in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s chorea. Most of toxic protein aggregates are characterised by the presence of isopeptide bonds (cross-links) catalysed by transglutaminase activity; further, several disease-specific proteins—tau, amyloid-beta, alpha-synuclein, huntingtin—are in vitro and/or in vivo substrates of transglutaminase 2. These findings suggest an important role for transglutaminase 2-mediated cross-linking reactions in neurodegeneration. Therefore, the use of transglutaminase activity inhibitors could ameliorate neuronal cell death. New therapeutic perspectives also arise from the possibility to prevent or reduce protein aggregation by enhancing the activation of heat shock proteins, which have been shown to be potent suppressors of neurodegeneration in cell cultures/animal models. Interestingly, some heat shock proteins have been shown to be in vitro or in vivo cross-linked by transglutaminase 2. These observations seem to suggest that transglutaminase activity could be involved in the stabilization of intracellular protein aggregates by interfering with proteasomal degradation of misfolded proteins. Further studies are needed to validate leading hypotheses and to open new prospects for developing therapeutic tools.     

Reconstitution and alignment by a magnetic field of a β-barrel membrane protein in bicelles

A protocol is described for the reconstitution of a transmembrane β-barrel protein domain, tOmpA, into lipid bicelles. tOmpA is the largest protein to be reconstituted in bicelles to date. Its insertion does not prevent bicelles from orienting with their plane either parallel or perpendicular to the magnetic field, depending on the absence or presence of paramagnetic ions. In the latter case, tOmpA is shown to align with the axis of the β-barrel parallel to the magnetic field, i.e. perpendicular to the plane of the bilayer, an orientation conforming to that in natural membranes and favourable to structural studies by solid-state NMR. Reconstitution into bicelles may offer an interesting approach for structural studies of membrane proteins in a medium resembling a biological membrane, using either NMR or other biophysical techniques. Our data suggest that alignment in the magnetic field of membrane proteins included into bicelles may be facilitated if the protein is folded as a β-barrel structure.