Oxidative lipid modification of nicastrin enhances amyloidogenic γ-secretase activity in Alzheimer's disease

The cause of elevated level of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ42) in common late-onset sporadic [Alzheimer's disease (AD)] has not been established. Here, we show that the membrane lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) is associated with amyloid and neurodegenerative pathologies in AD and that it enhances γ-secretase activity and Aβ42 production in neurons. The γ-secretase substrate receptor, nicastrin, was found to be modified by HNE in cultured neurons and in brain specimens from patients with AD, in which HNE-nicastrin levels were found to be correlated with increased γ-secretase activity and Aβ plaque burden. Furthermore, HNE modification of nicastrin enhanced its binding to the γ-secretase substrate, amyloid precursor protein (APP) C99. In addition, the stimulation of γ-secretase activity and Aβ42 production by HNE were blocked by an HNE-scavenging histidine analog in a 3xTgAD mouse model of AD. These findings suggest a specific molecular mechanism by which oxidative stress increases Aβ42 production in AD and identify HNE as a novel therapeutic target upstream of the γ-secretase cleavage of APP.     

SAM68 regulates neuronal activity-dependent alternative splicing of neurexin-1

The assembly of synapses and neuronal circuits relies on an array of molecular recognition events and their modification by neuronal activity. Neurexins are a highly polymorphic family of synaptic receptors diversified by extensive alternative splicing. Neurexin variants exhibit distinct isoform-specific biochemical interactions and synapse assembly functions, but the mechanisms governing splice isoform choice are not understood. We demonstrate that Nrxn1 alternative splicing is temporally and spatially controlled in the mouse brain. Neuronal activity triggers a shift in Nrxn1 splice isoform choice via calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase IV signaling. Activity-dependent alternative splicing of Nrxn1 requires the KH-domain RNA-binding protein SAM68 that associates with RNA response elements in the Nrxn1 pre-mRNA. Our findings uncover SAM68 as a key regulator of dynamic control of Nrxn1 molecular diversity and activity-dependent alternative splicing in the central nervous system.     

Identification of two novel synaptic γ-secretase associated proteins that affect amyloid β-peptide levels without altering Notch processing

Synaptic degeneration is one of the earliest hallmarks of Alzheimer disease (AD) and results in loss of cognitive function. One of the causative agents for the synaptic degeneration is the amyloid β-peptide (Aβ), which is formed from its precursor protein by two sequential cleavages mediated by β- and γ-secretase. We have earlier shown that γ-secretase activity is enriched in synaptic compartments, suggesting that the synaptotoxic Aβ is produced locally. Proteins that interact with γ-secretase at the synapse and regulate the production of Aβ can therefore be potential therapeutic targets. We used a recently developed affinity purification approach to identify γ-secretase associated proteins (GSAPs) in synaptic membranes and synaptic vesicles prepared from rat brain. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis of the affinity purified samples revealed the known γ-secretase components presenilin-1, nicastrin and Aph-1b along with a number of novel potential GSAPs. To investigate the effect of these GSAPs on APP processing, we performed siRNA experiments to knock down the expression of the GSAPs and measured the Aβ levels. Silencing of NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] iron-sulfur protein 7 (NDUFS7) resulted in a decrease in Aβ levels whereas silencing of tubulin polymerization promoting protein (TPPP) resulted in an increase in Aβ levels. Treatment with γ-secretase inhibitors often results in Notch-related side effects and therefore we also studied the effect of the siRNAs on Notch processing. Interestingly, silencing of TPPP or NDUFS7 did not affect cleavage of Notch. We also studied the expression of TPPP and NDUFS7 in control and AD brain and found NDUFS7 to be highly expressed in vulnerable neurons such as pyramidal neurons in the hippocampus, whereas TPPP was found to accumulate in intraneuronal granules and fibrous structures in hippocampus from AD cases. In summary, we here report on two proteins, TPPP and NDUFS7, which interact with γ-secretase and alter the Aβ levels without affecting Notch cleavage.     

Function of conserved domains of hnRNP A1 and other hnRNP A/B proteins.

hnRNP A1 is a pre-mRNA binding protein that antagonizes the alternative splicing activity of splicing factors SF2/ASF or SC35, causing activation of distal 5' splice sites. The structural requirements for hnRNP A1 function were determined by mutagenesis of recombinant human hnRNP A1. Two conserved Phe residues in the RNP-1 submotif of each of two RNA recognition motifs appear to be involved in specific RNA-protein interactions and are essential for modulating alternative splicing. These residues are not required for general pre-mRNA binding or RNA annealing activity. The C-terminal Gly-rich domain is necessary for alternative splicing activity, for stable RNA binding and for optimal RNA annealing activity. hnRNP A1B, which is an alternatively spliced isoform of hnRNP A1 with a longer Gly-rich domain, binds more strongly to pre-mRNA but has only limited alternative splicing activity. In contrast, hnRNP A2 and B1, which have 68% amino acid identity with hnRNP A1, bind more weakly to pre-mRNA and have stronger splice site switching activities than hnRNP A1. We propose that specific combinations of antagonistic hnRNP A/B and SR proteins are involved in regulating alternative splicing of distinct subsets of cellular premRNAs.     

Novel γ-secretase enzyme modulators directly target presenilin protein

γ-Secretase is essential for the generation of the neurotoxic 42-amino acid amyloid β-peptide (Aβ(42)). The aggregation-prone hydrophobic peptide, which is deposited in Alzheimer disease (AD) patient brain, is generated from a C-terminal fragment of the β-amyloid precursor protein by an intramembrane cleavage of γ-secretase. Because Aβ(42) is widely believed to trigger AD pathogenesis, γ-secretase is a key AD drug target. Unlike inhibitors of the enzyme, γ-secretase modulators (GSMs) selectively lower Aβ(42) without interfering with the physiological function of γ-secretase. The molecular target(s) of GSMs and hence the mechanism of GSM action are not established. Here we demonstrate by using a biotinylated photocross-linkable derivative of highly potent novel second generation GSMs that γ-secretase is a direct target of GSMs. The GSM photoprobe specifically bound to the N-terminal fragment of presenilin, the catalytic subunit of γ-secretase, but not to other γ-secretase subunits. Binding was differentially competed by GSMs of diverse structural classes, indicating the existence of overlapping/multiple GSM binding sites or allosteric alteration of the photoprobe binding site. The β-amyloid precursor protein C-terminal fragment previously implicated as the GSM binding site was not targeted by the compound. The identification of presenilin as the molecular target of GSMs directly establishes allosteric modulation of enzyme activity as a mechanism of GSM action and may contribute to the development of therapeutically active GSMs for the treatment of AD.     

Increased expression of PS1 is sufficient to elevate the level and activity of γ-secretase in vivo

Increase in the generation and deposition of amyloid-β (Aβ) plays a central role in the development of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Elevation of the activity of γ-secretase, a key enzyme required for the generation for Aβ, can thus be a potential risk factor in AD. However, it is not known whether γ-secretase can be upregulated in vivo. While in vitro studies showed that expression of all four components of γ-secretase (Nicastrin, Presenilin, Pen-2 and Aph-1) are required for upregulation of γ-secretase, it remains to be established as to whether this is true in vivo. To investigate whether overexpressing a single component of the γ-secretase complex is sufficient to elevate its level and activity in the brain, we analyzed transgenic mice expressing either wild type or familial AD (fAD) associated mutant PS1. In contrast to cell culture studies, overexpression of either wild type or mutant PS1 is sufficient to increase levels of Nicastrin and Pen-2, and elevate the level of active γ-secretase complex, enzymatic activity of γ-secretase and the deposition of Aβ in brains of mice. Importantly, γ-secretase comprised of mutant PS1 is less active than that of wild type PS1-containing γ-secretase; however, γ-secretase comprised of mutant PS1 cleaves at the Aβ42 site of APP-CTFs more efficiently than at the Aβ40 site, resulting in greater accumulation of Aβ deposits in the brain. Our data suggest that whereas fAD-linked PS1 mutants cause early onset disease, upregulation of PS1/γ-secretase activity may be a risk factor for late onset sporadic AD.     

Analysis of the Fragile X mental retardation protein isoforms 1, 2 and 3 interactions with the G-quadruplex forming semaphorin 3F mRNA

Fragile X syndrome, the most prevalent inheritable mental retardation, is caused by the loss of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) expression. FMRP is an RNA-binding protein with nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttle activity, proposed to act as a translation regulator of specific mRNAs in the brain. It has been shown that FMRP uses its arginine-glycine-glycine (RGG) box domain to bind a subset of mRNA targets that form a G-quadruplex structure. FMRP has also been shown to undergo the post-translational modifications of arginine methylation and phosphorylation, as well as alternative splicing, resulting in multiple isoforms. The alternative splice isoforms investigated in this study, isoform 1 (ISO1), isoform 2 (ISO2), and isoform 3 (ISO3), are created by the alternative splicing acceptor site at exon 15. FMRP ISO2 and ISO3 are truncated by 12 and 13 residues, respectively, relative to the longest FMRP isoform ISO1. These truncations, which are in the close proximity of the RGG box domain, preserve the integrity of the RGG box in all three isoforms, but eliminate the in vivo phosphorylation sites, present only on FMRP ISO1. We have expressed and purified recombinant FMRP ISO1, ISO2 and ISO3 in Escherichia coli, free of post-translational modifications, and by using fluorescence spectroscopy, we show that each FMRP isoform binds G-quadruplex RNA, albeit with different binding affinities, suggesting that naturally occurring sequence modifications in the proximity of the RGG box modulate its G-quadruplex RNA binding ability.     

Synthesis of a potent photoreactive acidic γ-secretase modulator for target identification in cells

Supramolecular self-assembly of amyloidogenic peptides is closely associated with numerous pathological conditions. For instance, Alzheimer´s disease (AD) is characterized by abundant amyloid plaques originating from the proteolytic cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by β- and γ-secretases. Compounds named γ-secretase modulators (GSMs) can shift the substrate cleavage specificity of γ-secretase toward the production of non-amyloidogenic, shorter Aβ fragments. Herein, we describe the synthesis of highly potent acidic GSMs, equipped with a photoreactive diazirine moiety for photoaffinity labeling. The probes labeled the N-terminal fragment of presenilin (the catalytic subunit of γ-secretase), supporting a mode of action involving binding to γ-secretase. This fundamental step toward the elucidation of the molecular mechanism governing the GSM-induced shift in γ-secretase proteolytic specificity should pave the way for the development of improved drugs against AD.     

Rab21, a Novel PS1 Interactor,Regulates γ-Secretase Activity via PS1 Subcellular Distribution

γ-Secretase has been a therapeutical target for its key role in cleaving APP to generate β-amyloid (Aβ), the primary constituents of senile plaques and a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology. Recently, γ-secretase-associating proteins showed promising role in specifically modulating APP processing while sparing Notch signaling; however, the underlying mechanism is still unclear. A co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) coupled with mass spectrometry proteomic assay for Presenilin1 (PS1, the catalytic subunit of γ-secretase) was firstly conducted to find more γ-secretase-associating proteins. Gene ontology analysis of these results identified Rab21 as a potential PS1 interacting protein, and the interaction between them was validated by reciprocal Co-IP and immunofluorescence assay. Then, molecular and biochemical methods were used to investigate the effect of Rab21 on APP processing. Results showed that overexpression of Rab21 enhanced Aβ generation, while silencing of Rab21 reduced the accumulation of Aβ, which resulted due to change in γ-secretase activity rather than α- or β-secretase. Finally, we demonstrated that Rab21 had no effect on γ-secretase complex synthesis or metabolism but enhanced PS1 endocytosis and translocation to late endosome/lysosome. In conclusion, we identified a novel γ-secretase-associating protein Rab21 and illustrate that Rab21 promotes γ-secretase internalization and translocation to late endosome/lysosome. Moreover, silencing of Rab21 decreases the γ-secretase activity in APP processing thus production of Aβ. All these results open new gateways towards the understanding of γ-secretase-associating proteins in APP processing and make inhibition of Rab21 a promising strategy for AD therapy.     

An alternative spliced mouse presenilin-2 mRNA encodes a novel γ-secretase inhibitor

The γ-secretase, composed of presenilin-1 (PS1) or presenilin-2 (PS2), nicastrin (NCT), anterior pharynx-defective phenotype 1 (APH-1), and PEN-2, is critical for the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). PSs are autoproteolytically cleaved, producing an N-terminal fragment (NTF) and a hydrophilic loop domain-containing C-terminal fragment. However, the role of the loop domain in the γ-secretase complex assembly remains unknown. Here, we report a novel PS2 isoform generated by alternative splicing, named PS2β, which is composed of an NTF with a hydrophilic loop domain. PS2β disturbed the interaction between NCT and APH-1, resulting in the inhibition of amyloid-β production. We concluded that PS2β may inhibit γ-secretase activity by affecting the γ-secretase complex assembly.

Structured summary

MINT-7025654: APH1 (uniprotkb:Q96BI3) physically interacts (MI:0218) with PEN2 (uniprotkb:Q9NZ42), PS2 beta (uniprotkb:Q61144-2) and PS1 (uniprotkb:P49769) by anti tag coimmunoprecipitation (MI:0007)MINT-7025631: APH1 (uniprotkb:Q96BI3) physically interacts (MI:0218) with NCT (uniprotkb:Q92542), PEN2 (uniprotkb:Q9NZ42) and PS1 (uniprotkb:P49769) by anti tag coimmunoprecipitation (MI:0007)