GPCR,a rider of Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia that affects thinking, learning, memory and behavior of older people. Based on the previous studies, three pathogenic pathways are now commonly accepted as the culprits of this disease namely, amyloid-β pathway, tauopathology and cholinergic dysfunction. This review focuses on the current findings on the regulatory roles of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in the pathological progression of AD and discusses the potential of the GPCRs as novel therapeutic targets for AD.     

与阿尔兹海默症相关的G 蛋白偶联受体研究进展

G蛋白偶联受体(GPCRs)在大脑信号传递中至关重要,而在阿尔兹海默症(AD)中,G蛋白偶联受体通过调控α-、β-及γ-分泌酶分泌、淀粉样前体蛋白(APP)生成及β-淀粉样蛋白(Aβ)降解,直接影响β-淀粉样蛋白在神经系统信号级联反应;另外,阿尔兹海默症中β-淀粉样蛋白的生成可以扰乱G蛋白偶联受体功能.因此,阐明G蛋白偶联受体与阿尔兹海默症发病之间的关联有助于开发以G蛋白偶联受体为靶点的阿尔兹海默症治疗药物.     

The role of G protein-coupled receptors in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are involved in numerous key neurotransmitter systems in the brain that are disrupted in Alzheimer's disease (AD). GPCRs also directly influence the amyloid cascade through modulation of the α-, β- and γ-secretases, proteolysis of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), and regulation of amyloid-β degradation. Additionally, amyloid-β has been shown to perturb GPCR function. Emerging insights into the mechanistic link between GPCRs and AD highlight the potential of this class of receptors as a therapeutic target for AD.     

G protein-coupled receptors as therapeutic targets for multiple sclerosis

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) mediate most of our physiological responses to hormones, neurotransmitters and environmental stimulants. They are considered as the most successful therapeutic targets for a broad spectrum of diseases. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease that is characterized by immune-mediated demyelination and degeneration of the central nervous system (CNS). It is the leading cause of non-traumatic disability in young adults. Great progress has been made over the past few decades in understanding the pathogenesis of MS. Numerous data from animal and clinical studies indicate that many GPCRs are critically involved in various aspects of MS pathogenesis, including antigen presentation, cytokine production, T-cell differentiation, T-cell proliferation, T-cell invasion, etc. In this review, we summarize the recent findings regarding the expression or functional changes of GPCRs in MS patients or animal models, and the influences of GPCRs on disease severity upon genetic or pharmacological manipulations. Hopefully some of these findings will lead to the development of novel therapies for MS in the near future.     

β-Arrestins as Potential Therapeutic Targets for Alzheimer’s Disease

β-arrestins represent a small family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) regulators, which provide modulating effects by facilitating desensitization and internalization of GPCRs as well as initiating their own signalings. Recent reports have demonstrated that β-arrestins levels were correlated with amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) pathology in brains of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients and animal models. β-arrestins could enhance the activity of γ-secretase via interacting with anterior pharynx defective 1 subunit, which increased Aβ production and contributed to the pathogenesis of AD. In addition, Aβ-induced internalization of β2-adrenergic receptor internalization and loss of dendritic spine in neurons were proven to be mediated by β-arrestins, further establishing their pathogenic role in AD. More importantly, deletion of β-arrestins markedly attenuated AD pathology, without causing any gross abnormality. Here, we review the evidence about the roles of β-arrestins in the progression of AD. In addition, the established and postulated mechanisms by which β-arrestins mediated in AD pathogenesis are also discussed. Based on the role of β-arrestins in AD pathogenesis, genetically or pharmacologically targeting β-arrestins might provide new opportunities for AD treatment.     

综述:中性内肽酶在阿尔茨海默病发病机制中的作用

β-淀粉样蛋白(β amyloid,Aβ)在海马区的沉积是阿尔茨海默病(Alzheimer′s disease,AD)发病的典型表现,清除或降低Aβ含量是治疗AD的目标之一．较之Aβ生成的增多,体内降解Aβ能力的下降在AD发病过程中显得更为重要．尽管Aβ在体内可以通过运输到血液和脑脊液途径来清除,但大部分Aβ被中性内肽酶(neprilysin,NEP)为代表的一类蛋白酶降解为小分子后从体内清除．老年人、轻度认知障碍期(MCI)和AD患者的NEP活性显著下降,且NEP活性下降与脑内Aβ升高及AD患者认知功能损伤相关．NEP有可能成为AD治疗的潜在药物靶点,针对轻度认知障碍前期(pre-MCI)和MCI,提高NEP的活性,促进Aβ的降解,有可能延缓AD的发生和发展．     

Insights into cerebrovascular complications and Alzheimer disease through the selective loss of GRK2 regulation

Alzheimer disease (AD) and stroke are two leading causes of age-associated dementia. Increasing evidence points to vascular damage as an early contributor to the development of AD and AD-like pathology. In this review, we discuss the role of G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) as it relates to individuals affected by AD and how the cardiovasculature plays a role in AD pathogenesis. The possible involvement of GRKs in AD pathogenesis is an interesting notion, which may help bridge the gap in our understanding of the heart–brain connection in relation to neurovisceral damage and vascular complications in AD, since kinases of this family are known to regulate numerous receptor functions both in the brain, myocardium, and elsewhere. The aim of this review is to discuss our findings of overexpression of GRK2 in the context of the early pathogenesis of AD, because increased levels of GRK2 immunoreactivity were found in vulnerable neurons of AD patients as well as in a two-vessel occlusion (2-VO) mammalian model of ischaemia. Also, we consider the consequences for this overexpression as a loss of G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) regulation, as well as suggest a potential role for GPCRs and GRKs in a unifying theory of AD pathogenesis, particularly in the context of cerebrovascular disease. We synthesize this newer information and attempt to put it into context with GRKs as regulators of diverse physiological cellular functions that could be appropriate targets for future pharmacological intervention.     

Monitoring G protein-coupled receptor activation using an adenovirus-based β-arrestin bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of cell-surface receptors and are involved in a variety of pathological conditions including cancer and cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological, and autoimmune diseases. GPCRs are being intensively investigated as targets for therapeutic intervention, and the β-arrestin recruitment assay has become a popular tool for analyzing GPCR activation. Here, we report a high-throughput method for cloning GPCR cDNAs into adenoviral bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) vectors and performing the β-arrestin BiFC assay in cells transduced with recombinant adenoviruses. An analysis of the activation of somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2) with the adenovirus-based β-arrestin BiFC assay showed that the assay is suitable for quantifying SSTR2 activation in response to specific agonists or antagonists. Furthermore, the adenovirus-based β-arrestin BiFC assay was able to detect the activation of a broad range of GPCRs. Collectively, our data indicate that the adenovirus-based β-arrestin BiFC assay can serve as a simple and universal platform for studying GPCR activation and thus will be useful for high-throughput screening of drugs that target GPCRs.     

Binding between Prion Protein and Aβ Oligomers Contributes to the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease

A plethora of evidence suggests that protein misfolding and aggregation are underlying mechanisms of various neurodegenerative diseases, such as prion diseases and Alzheimer's disease(AD). Like prion diseases, AD has been considered as an infectious disease in the past decades as it shows strain specificity and transmission potential. Although it remains elusive how protein aggregation leads to AD, it is becoming clear that cellular prion protein(PrP~C ) plays an important role in AD pathogenesis. Here, we briefly reviewed AD pathogenesis and focused on recent progresses how PrP~C contributed to AD development. In addition, we proposed a potential mechanism to explain why infectious agents, such as viruses, conduce AD pathogenesis. Microbe infections cause Aβ deposition and upregulation of PrP~C , which lead to high affinity binding between Aβ oligomers and PrP~C . The interaction between PrP~C and Aβ oligomers in turn activates the Fyn signaling cascade, resulting in neuron death in the central nervous system(CNS). Thus, silencing PrP~C expression may turn out be an effective treatment for PrP~C dependent AD.     

Reversible translocation of p115-RhoGEF by G(12/13)-coupled receptors

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are important targets for medicinal agents. Four different G protein families, G(s), G(i), G(q), and G(12), engage in their linkage to activation of receptor-specific signal transduction pathways. G(12) proteins were more recently studied, and upon activation by GPCRs they mediate activation of RhoGTPase guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RhoGEFs), which in turn activate the small GTPase RhoA. RhoA is involved in many cellular and physiological aspects, and a dysfunction of the G(12/13)-Rho pathway can lead to hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, impaired wound healing and immune cell functions, cancer progression and metastasis, or asthma. In this study, regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) domain-containing RhoGEFs were tagged with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) to detect their subcellular localization and translocation upon receptor activation. Constitutively active Galpha(12) and Galpha(13) mutants induced redistribution of these RhoGEFs from the cytosol to the plasma membrane. Furthermore, a pronounced and rapid translocation of p115-RhoGEF from the cytosol to the plasma membrane was observed upon activation of several G(12/13)-coupled GPCRs in a cell type-independent fashion. Plasma membrane translocation of p115-RhoGEF stimulated by a GPCR agonist could be completely and rapidly reversed by subsequent application of an antagonist for the respective GPCR, that is, p115-RhoGEF relocated back to the cytosol. The translocation of RhoGEF by G(12/13)-linked GPCRs can be quantified and therefore used for pharmacological studies of the pathway, and to discover active compounds in a G(12/13)-related disease context.     

Omega-3 fatty acids and dementia

More than a dozen epidemiological studies have reported that reduced levels or intake of omega-3 fatty acids or fish consumption is associated with increased risk for age-related cognitive decline or dementia such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Increased dietary consumption or blood levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) appear protective for AD and other dementia in multiple epidemiological studies; however, three studies suggest that the ApoE4 genotype limits protection. DHA is broadly neuroprotective via multiple mechanisms that include neuroprotective DHA metabolites, reduced arachidonic acid metabolites, and increased trophic factors or downstream trophic signal transduction. DHA is also protective against several risk factors for dementia including head trauma, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. DHA is specifically protective against AD via additional mechanisms: It limits the production and accumulation of the amyloid β peptide toxin that is widely believed to drive the disease; and it also suppresses several signal transduction pathways induced by Aβ, including two major kinases that phosphorylate the microtubule-associated protein tau and promote neurofibrillary tangle pathology. Based on the epidemiological and basic research data, expert panels have recommended the need for clinical trials with omega-3 fatty acids, notably DHA, for the prevention or treatment of age-related cognitive decline—with a focus on the most prevalent cause, AD. Clinical trials are underway to prevent and treat AD. Results to-date suggest that DHA may be more effective if it is begun early or used in conjunction with antioxidants.     

运动提高沉默信息调节因子2相关酶1改善阿尔兹海默症

阿尔兹海默症(Alzheimer's disease, AD)是一种神经退行性疾病,β-淀粉样蛋白(β-amyloid, Aβ)沉积和Tau蛋白过度磷酸化是其主要病理特征。沉默信息调节因子2相关酶1 (silent mating-type information regulation 2 homolog 1, SIRT1)具有去乙酰化作用,能够使多种类型组蛋白及非组蛋白脱乙酰化,在AD发病过程中占据重要地位。近年研究发现,运动能够激活SIRT1减缓AD进程,其机制可能是:抑制β-分泌酶活性、提高α-分泌酶活性,减少Aβ生成;减少过度磷酸化Tau蛋白集聚;与过氧化体增殖物激活型受体γ辅激活因子-1α(peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α,PGC-1α)相互作用以促进线粒体生物发生;上调同源性磷酸酶张力蛋白诱导激酶1(phosphatase and tensin homolog induced putative kinase1,PINK1)/Parkin信号通路改善线粒体自噬;去乙酰化核转录因子-κB(nuclear factor kappa B, NF-κB)以抑制神经炎症;提高海马中脑源性神经营养因子(brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF)、神经胶质源性营养因子(glial cellline-derived neurotrophic factor,GDNF)等营养因子的蛋白质水平,以及抑制ApoE4基因进而增强神经元突触可塑性。本文总结了运动通过调控SIRT1改善AD的作用和机制,为预防及治疗AD提供新的思路。     

综述:2型糖尿病与轻度认知障碍

阿尔茨海默病(Alzheimer's disease,AD)是一个连续的病理生理过程,包括轻度认知障碍前期(pre-MCI)、轻度认知障碍期(mild cognitive impairment,MCI)和痴呆期．AD临床期病程不可逆转,因此,pre-MCI和MCI的早期发现和干预就成为延缓和逆转AD发生的重要环节．大量研究表明,2型糖尿病(T2DM)胰岛素抵抗是导致MCI和AD的独立危险因素,T2DM与AD及AD前期认知功能障碍有密切关系．本文重点综述2型糖尿病与MCI及AD之间的相关性,探讨2型糖尿病治疗对AD的发生进行有效干预的可能性,为AD早期发现和临床治疗提供新线索．     

Identification of Receptor Binding-induced Conformational Changes in Non-visual Arrestins

The non-visual arrestins, arrestin-2 and arrestin-3, belong to a small family of multifunctional cytosolic proteins. Non-visual arrestins interact with hundreds of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and regulate GPCR desensitization by binding active phosphorylated GPCRs and uncoupling them from heterotrimeric G proteins. Recently, non-visual arrestins have been shown to mediate G protein-independent signaling by serving as adaptors and scaffolds that assemble multiprotein complexes. By recruiting various partners, including trafficking and signaling proteins, directly to GPCRs, non-visual arrestins connect activated receptors to diverse signaling pathways. To investigate arrestin-mediated signaling, a structural understanding of arrestin activation and interaction with GPCRs is essential. Here we identified global and local conformational changes in the non-visual arrestins upon binding to the model GPCR rhodopsin. To detect conformational changes, pairs of spin labels were introduced into arrestin-2 and arrestin-3, and the interspin distances in the absence and presence of the receptor were measured by double electron electron resonance spectroscopy. Our data indicate that both non-visual arrestins undergo several conformational changes similar to arrestin-1, including the finger loop moving toward the predicted location of the receptor in the complex as well as the C-tail release upon receptor binding. The arrestin-2 results also suggest that there is no clam shell-like closure of the N- and C-domains and that the loop containing residue 136 (homolog of 139 in arrestin-1) has high flexibility in both free and receptor-bound states.     

The GAPs,GEFs, GDIs and…now,GEMs: New kids on the heterotrimeric G protein signaling block

The canonical process of activation of heterotrimeric G proteins by G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) is well studied. Recently, a rapidly emerging paradigm has revealed the existence of a new, non-canonical set of cytosolic G protein modulators, guanine exchange modulators (GEMs). Among G proteins regulators, GEMs are uniquely capable of initiating pleiotropic signals: these bifunctional modulators can activate cAMP inhibitory (Gi) proteins and inhibit cAMP-stimulatory (Gs) proteins through a single short evolutionarily conserved module. A prototypical member of the GEM family, GIV/Girdin, integrates signals downstream of a myriad of cell surface receptors, e.g., growth factor RTKs, integrins, cytokine, GPCRs, etc., and translates these signals into G protein activation or inhibition. By their pleiotropic action, GIV and other GEMs modulate several key pathways within downstream signaling network. Unlike canonical G protein signaling that is finite and is triggered directly and exclusively by GPCRs, the temporal and spatial features of non-canonical activation of G protein via GIV-family of cytosolic GEMs are unusually relaxed. GIV uses this relaxed circuitry to integrate, reinforce and compartmentalize signals downstream of both growth factors and G proteins in a way that enables it to orchestrate cellular phenotypes in a sustained manner. Mounting evidence suggests the importance of GIV and other GEMs as disease modulators and their potential to serve as therapeutic targets; however, a lot remains unknown within the layers of the proverbial onion that must be systematically peeled. This perspective summarizes the key concepts of the GEM-dependent G protein signaling paradigm and discusses the multidisciplinary approaches that are likely to revolutionize our understanding of this paradigm from the atomic level to systems biology.     

综述:金属离子代谢平衡失调与阿尔茨海默病早期发病机制

研究表明,脑内金属离子代谢失衡与阿尔茨海默病(AD)有关,但其机理尚需深入探讨．结合本实验室研究结果,作者对金属离子代谢紊乱与氧化应激,金属离子代谢紊乱与β-淀粉样蛋白、转铁蛋白和转铁蛋白受体、铁调节蛋白、二价金属离子转运体以及天然抗氧化剂通过调节金属离子代谢平衡缓解β-淀粉样蛋白的毒性和保护细胞的作用进行探讨．提出：铁、铜等金属离子缺乏可能主要与AD早期关系密切,而铁、铜等金属离子过载可能主要与AD后期损伤关系密切的学术观点．     

Nrf2在阿尔茨海默病中的研究现状

阿尔茨海默病(Alzheimer's disease,AD)是最常见的神经系统变性疾病,主要病理特征为细胞外老年斑(senile plaques,SP)和细胞内神经原纤维缠结(neurofibrillary tangles,NFT)形成.但其发病机制不清,涉及多种病理学变化如炎症反应、氧化应激、线粒体功能障碍、细胞凋亡以及突触功能障碍等.核因子E2相关因子2(nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2,Nrf2)是经典的调控机体抗氧化应激反应的核转录因子.Nrf2激活后诱导抗氧化蛋白的表达,提高机体的抗氧化应激能力.随着Nrf2抗氧化应激作用研究的深入,发现Nrf2不仅能够通过抗氧化应激延缓AD的发生发展,且在AD的病理性沉积物的清除、抗炎、抗凋亡、神经营养等方面扮演着重要的角色.近年来,由于多种针对单一靶点的抗AD药物临床试验的失败,有学者提出Nrf2可能是实现AD多靶点疗法的重要因子.因此,本文对Nrf2在AD中的研究现状做一综述,为寻找治疗AD潜在的生物学靶点提供理论依据.     

1-(Benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-3-phenylureas as dual inhibitors of casein kinase 1 and ABAD enzymes for treatment of neurodegenerative disorders

Several neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have been connected with deregulation of casein kinase 1 (CK1) activity. Inhibition of CK1 therefore presents a potential therapeutic strategy against such pathologies. Recently, novel class of CK1-specific inhibitors with N-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-2-phenylacetamide structural scaffold has been discovered. 1-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-3-phenylureas, on the other hand, are known inhibitors amyloid-beta binding alcohol dehydrogenase (ABAD), an enzyme also involved in pathophysiology of AD. Based on their tight structural similarity, we decided to evaluate series of previously published benzothiazolylphenylureas, originally designed as ABAD inhibitors, for their inhibitory activity towards CK1. Several compounds were found to be submicromolar CK1 inhibitors. Moreover, two compounds were found to inhibit both, ABAD and CK1. Such dual-activity could be of advantage for AD treatment, as it would simultaneously target two distinct pathological processes involved in disease’s progression. Based on PAMPA testing both compounds were suggested to permeate the blood-brain barrier, which makes them, together with their unique dual activity, interesting lead compounds for further development.