Piericidin A Aggravates Tau Pathology in P301S Transgenic Mice

ObjectiveThe P301S mutation in exon 10 of the tau gene causes a hereditary tauopathy. While mitochondrial complex I inhibition has been linked to sporadic tauopathies. Piericidin A is a prototypical member of the group of the piericidins, a class of biologically active natural complex I inhibitors, isolated from streptomyces spp. with global distribution in marine and agricultural habitats. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a pathogenic interaction of the environmental toxin piericidin A and the P301S mutation.MethodsTransgenic mice expressing human tau with the P301S-mutation (P301S^+/+) and wild-type mice at 12 weeks of age were treated subcutaneously with vehicle (N = 10 P301S^+/+, N = 7 wild-type) or piericidin A (N = 9 P301S^+/+, N = 9 wild-type mice) at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg/d for a period of 28 days via osmotic minipumps. Tau pathology was measured by stereological counts of cells immunoreative with antibodies against phosphorylated tau (AD2, AT8, AT180, and AT100) and corresponding Western blot analysis.ResultsPiericidin A significantly increased the number of phospho-tau immunoreactive cells in the cerebral cortex in P301S^+/+ mice, but only to a variable and mild extent in wild-type mice. Furthermore, piericidin A led to increased levels of pathologically phosphorylated tau only in P301S^+/+ mice. While we observed no apparent cell loss in the frontal cortex, the synaptic density was reduced by piericidin A treatment in P301S^+/+ mice.DiscussionThis study shows that exposure to piericidin A aggravates the course of genetically determined tau pathology, providing experimental support for the concept of gene-environment interaction in the etiology of tauopathies.     

Passive Immunization with Phospho-Tau Antibodies Reduces Tau Pathology and Functional Deficits in Two Distinct Mouse Tauopathy Models

In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), an extensive accumulation of extracellular amyloid plaques and intraneuronal tau tangles, along with neuronal loss, is evident in distinct brain regions. Staging of tau pathology by postmortem analysis of AD subjects suggests a sequence of initiation and subsequent spread of neurofibrillary tau tangles along defined brain anatomical pathways. Further, the severity of cognitive deficits correlates with the degree and extent of tau pathology. In this study, we demonstrate that phospho-tau (p-tau) antibodies, PHF6 and PHF13, can prevent the induction of tau pathology in primary neuron cultures. The impact of passive immunotherapy on the formation and spread of tau pathology, as well as functional deficits, was subsequently evaluated with these antibodies in two distinct transgenic mouse tauopathy models. The rTg4510 transgenic mouse is characterized by inducible over-expression of P301L mutant tau, and exhibits robust age-dependent brain tau pathology. Systemic treatment with PHF6 and PHF13 from 3 to 6 months of age led to a significant decline in brain and CSF p-tau levels. In a second model, injection of preformed tau fibrils (PFFs) comprised of recombinant tau protein encompassing the microtubule-repeat domains into the cortex and hippocampus of young P301S mutant tau over-expressing mice (PS19) led to robust tau pathology on the ipsilateral side with evidence of spread to distant sites, including the contralateral hippocampus and bilateral entorhinal cortex 4 weeks post-injection. Systemic treatment with PHF13 led to a significant decline in the spread of tau pathology in this model. The reduction in tau species after p-tau antibody treatment was associated with an improvement in novel-object recognition memory test in both models. These studies provide evidence supporting the use of tau immunotherapy as a potential treatment option for AD and other tauopathies.     

Zileuton Improves Memory Deficits,Amyloid and Tau Pathology in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease with Plaques and Tangles

The 5-lipoxygenase (5LO) enzyme is widely distributed within the central nervous system. Previous works showed that this protein is up-regulated in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and plays an active role in the development of brain amyloidosis in the APP transgenic mice. In the present paper, we studied the effect of its pharmacological inhibition on the entire AD-like phenotype of a mouse model with plaques and tangles, the 3×Tg mice. Compared with mice receiving placebo, the group treated with zileuton, a specific 5LO inhibitor, manifested a significant improvement of their memory impairments. The same animals had a significant reduction in Aβ levels and deposition, which was secondary to a down-regulation of the γ-secretase pathway. Additionally, while total tau levels were unchanged for both groups, zileuton-treated mice had a significant reduction in its phosphorylation state and insoluble forms, secondary to a decreased activation of the cdk5 kinase. These data establish a functional role for 5LO in the pathogenesis of the full spectrum of the AD-like phenotype and represent the successful completion of the initial step for the preclinical development of 5LO inhibitors as viable therapeutic agents for AD.     

Efficacy and Safety of A Liposome-Based Vaccine against Protein Tau,Assessed in Tau.P301L Mice That Model Tauopathy

Progressive aggregation of protein Tau into oligomers and fibrils correlates with cognitive decline and synaptic dysfunction, leading to neurodegeneration in vulnerable brain regions in Alzheimer''s disease. The unmet need of effective therapy for Alzheimer''s disease, combined with problematic pharmacological approaches, led the field to explore immunotherapy, first against amyloid peptides and recently against protein Tau. Here we adapted the liposome-based amyloid vaccine that proved safe and efficacious, and incorporated a synthetic phosphorylated peptide to mimic the important phospho-epitope of protein Tau at residues pS396/pS404. We demonstrate that the liposome-based vaccine elicited, rapidly and robustly, specific antisera in wild-type mice and in Tau.P301L mice. Long-term vaccination proved to be safe, because it improved the clinical condition and reduced indices of tauopathy in the brain of the Tau.P301L mice, while no signs of neuro-inflammation or other adverse neurological effects were observed. The data corroborate the hypothesis that liposomes carrying phosphorylated peptides of protein Tau have considerable potential as safe and effective treatment against tauopathies, including Alzheimer''s disease.     

The Human Tau Interactome: Binding to the Ribonucleoproteome,and Impaired Binding of the Proline-to-Leucine Mutant at Position 301 (P301L) to Chaperones and the Proteasome

The tau protein is central to the etiology of several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer''s disease, a subset of frontotemporal dementias, progressive supranuclear palsy and dementia following traumatic brain injury, yet the proteins it interacts with have not been studied using a systematic discovery approach. Here we employed mild in vivo crosslinking, isobaric labeling, and tandem mass spectrometry to characterize molecular interactions of human tau in a neuroblastoma cell model. The study revealed a robust association of tau with the ribonucleoproteome, including major protein complexes involved in RNA processing and translation, and documented binding of tau to several heat shock proteins, the proteasome and microtubule-associated proteins. Follow-up experiments determined the relative contribution of cellular RNA to the tau interactome and mapped interactions to N- or C-terminal tau domains. We further document that expression of P301L mutant tau disrupts interactions of the C-terminal half of tau with heat shock proteins and the proteasome. The data are consistent with a model whereby a higher propensity of P301L mutant tau to aggregate may reflect a perturbation of its chaperone-assisted stabilization and proteasome-dependent degradation. Finally, using a global proteomics approach, we show that heterologous expression of a tau construct that lacks the C-terminal domain, including the microtubule binding domain, does not cause a discernible shift of the proteome except for a significant direct correlation of steady-state levels of tau and cystatin B.The tau protein is a member of the family of microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs)¹ that in humans is coded by the MAPT gene on chromosome 17q21.31 (1). Initially, described as a factor that binds to and stabilizes microtubules (MTs) (2), interest in the tau protein grew when it was shown to represent the main constituent of intracellular protein aggregates, termed neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), observed in Alzheimer''s disease (3, 4). Similar tau aggregates have since been described in other, less common dementias, including progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD), Pick''s disease and dementia pugilistica, a form of dementia observed in athletes who had been exposed to repeated traumatic brain injury (5).Despite its early recognition as a MT binding molecule, the physiological function of the tau protein is still being debated (6). At least, in part, this uncertainty is born from the observation that tau knockout mice are rather nonconspicuous in their phenotype (7, 8). Ongoing attempts to define additional roles for this protein have, over the years, generated several hypotheses, including that the tau protein modulates neurite outgrowth and axonogenesis (8, 9), bridges the microtubule and actin cytoskeletons (10), and acts as a scaffold for tethering the Src family tyrosine kinase Fyn to PSD-95/NMDA receptor complexes (11). The predominant expression of tau in neuronal axons suggests a role in brain function. Significantly, in all tauopathies, a group term used to describe dementias with pathological tau protein involvement, the tau protein is observed to detach from microtubules and to form aggregates. There also is compelling evidence from a body of work with transgenic models that the cellular toxicity observed in the aforementioned dementias relies on the presence of the tau protein (12). Consequently, it seems plausible that the cellular toxicity observed in AD and other dementias does not relate to a loss of function of the tau protein but represents a gain of toxic function the protein exhibits in its microtubule-detached form.The tau molecule can be crudely subdivided into an amino-terminal projection domain (PD), a microtubule-binding domain (MTB), and a carboxy-terminal domain (C'') (13). The protein has long been known to exhibit some remarkable biochemical characteristics, including an ability to withstand harsh acid and heat treatments that would cause a majority of other proteins to precipitate (2, 14). These characteristics have been attributed to tau being natively unfolded and possessing a highly dynamic character (15). The tau protein is also known to be a substrate for several post-translational modifications (PTMs), and the list of tau modifying enzymes that have been described is long. In particular, tau phosphorylation has been recognized to occur in vivo and in disease, and tau hyperphosphorylation at sites within the MTB domain and at nearby sites flanking the MTB has been shown to promote detachment of tau from microtubules (16). There further is broad agreement in the field that levels of several other tau PTMs are raised in tauopathies, including nitration (17), ubiquitination (18), sumoylation (19), and truncation (20, 21). Less agreement exists on the degree to which specific PTMs contribute to disease manifestation in individual tauopathies (22). Lacking also are insights into other physiological protein interactions the tau protein engages in and, surprisingly, to our knowledge, no systematic screen for tau binders has been reported. Thus, except for its well-established binding to microtubules (2), members of the Src family of protein kinases (23, 24), Hsp70 (25)/Hsp90 (26, 27), and reports on its interaction with F-actin (28), ApoE3 (29), a subset of peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerases (30, 31), α-synuclein (32), PACSIN1 (33), and negatively charged polymers, including nucleic acids (34, 35), relatively little is known about other nonenzymatic interactions the protein engages in.In an attempt to address this unmet need, we set out to define molecular interactors of the tau protein in the human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell model. The study made use of advanced instrumentation and workflows that included comparative mass spectrometry based on isobaric tags. We observed that the tau interactome is dramatically enriched in cellular components involved in the regulation and execution of RNA-processing and translation. We document that the previously known ability of the tau protein to bind to nucleic acids is partially responsible but not sufficient by itself to explain this binding propensity of the tau protein. We narrowed down the binding preference of individual binders to N- and C-terminal domains within tau and document that several interactors, including 14-3-3 proteins, heat shock proteins, and the proteasome, exhibit a strong binding preference for the C terminus of tau. When comparing the interactomes of wild-type and mutant tau (P301L) linked to frontotemporal dementia, we observed that interactions with the aforementioned C-terminal tau binding partners are diminished for mutant tau. Despite the strong binding of tau to the ribonucleoproteome, its overexpression does not seem to affect the global steady-state levels of cellular proteins, and only the levels of cystatin B, a natural inhibitor of cysteine proteases, were modified and correlated directly with the levels of heterologously expressed tau.     

Cognitive Deficits and Disruption of Neurogenesis in a Mouse Model of Apolipoprotein E4 Domain Interaction

Apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4) allele is the major genetic risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer disease (AD) due to the higher prevalence and earlier onset of AD in apoE4 carriers. Accumulating data suggest that the interaction between the N- and the C-terminal domains in the protein may be the main pathologic feature of apoE4. To test this hypothesis, we used Arg-61 mice, a model of apoE4 domain interaction, by introducing the domain interaction feature of human apoE4 into native mouse apoE. We carried out hippocampus-dependent learning and memory tests and related cellular and molecular assays on 12- and 3-month-old Arg-61 and age-matched background C57BL/6J mice. Learning and memory task performance were impaired in Arg-61 mice at both old and young ages compared with C57BL/6J mice. Surprisingly, young Arg-61 mice had more mitotic doublecortin-positive cells in the subgranular zone; mRNA levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and TrkB were also higher in 3-month-old Arg-61 hippocampus compared with C57BL/6J mice. These early-age neurotrophic and neurogenic (proliferative) effects in the Arg-61 mouse may be an inadequate compensatory but eventually detrimental attempt by the system to “repair” itself. This is supported by the higher cleaved caspase-3 levels in the young animals that not only persisted, but increased in old age, and the lower levels of doublecortin at old age in the hippocampus of Arg-61 mice. These results are consistent with human apoE4-dependent cognitive and neuro-pathologic changes, supporting the principal role of domain interaction in the pathologic effect of apoE4. Domain interaction is, therefore, a viable therapeutic/prophylactic target for cognitive impairment and AD in apoE4 subjects.     

Aluminum-Induced Cholinergic Deficits in Different Brain Parts and Its Implications on Sociability and Cognitive Functions in Mouse

Aluminum is associated with etiology of many neurodegenerative diseases specially Alzheimer’s disease. Chronic exposure to aluminum via drinking water results in aluminum deposition in the brain that leads to cognitive deficits. The study aimed to determine the effects of aluminum on cholinergic biomarkers, i.e., acetylcholine level, free choline level, and choline acetyltransferase gene expression, and how cholinergic deficit affects novel object recognition and sociability in mice. Mice were treated with AlCl₃ (250 mg/kg). Acetylcholine level, free choline level, and choline acetyltransferase gene expression were determined in cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala. The mice were subjected to behavior tests (novel object recognition and social novelty preference) to assess memory deficits. The acetylcholine level in cortex and hippocampus was significantly reduced in aluminum-treated animals, as compared to cortex and hippocampus of control animals. Acetylcholine level in amygdala of aluminum-treated animals remained unchanged. Free choline level in all the three brain parts was found unaltered in aluminum-treated mice. The novel object recognition memory was severely impaired in aluminum-treated mice, as compared to the control group. Similarly, animals treated with aluminum showed reduced sociability compared to the control mice group. Our study demonstrates that aluminum exposure via drinking water causes reduced acetylcholine synthesis in spite of normal free choline availability. This deficit is caused by reduced recycling of acetylcholine due to lower choline acetyltransferase level. This cholinergic hypofunction leads to cognitive and memory deficits. Moreover, hippocampus is the most affected brain part after aluminum intoxication.     

脑星形胶质瘤基因表达及其与临床病理的关系

采用原癌基因Ｂｃｌ－２、Ｐ２１及抑癌基因Ｐ５３、Ｒｂ蛋白４种抗体,用ＡＢＣ免疫组织化学方法对４０例脑星形胶质瘤组织作免疫组化染色．结果发现：Ｂｃｌ－２及Ｐ５３基因表达在Ⅰ～Ⅳ级胶质瘤中阳性率有显著性差异,而且染色强度也有明显差异．Ｐ２１、Ｒｂ基因表达在Ⅰ～Ⅳ级胶质瘤中呈上升趋势,但仅在Ⅰ～Ⅲ级、Ⅰ～Ⅳ级之间有明显差异．可以认为：Ｂｃｌ－２、Ｐ５３、Ｐ２１、Ｒｂ在胶质瘤的发生中发挥一定的作用,尤其是Ｂｃｌ－２、Ｐ５３基因,这些基因蛋白的表达与胶质瘤恶性程度有关．测定胶质瘤中的Ｂｃｌ－２、Ｐ５３、Ｐ２１、Ｒｂ蛋白对于胶质瘤的诊断、鉴别诊断以及判断肿瘤的恶性程度与预后均有一定意义．     

Direct Synthesis of Lamin A,Bypassing Prelamin A Processing,Causes Misshapen Nuclei in Fibroblasts but No Detectable Pathology in Mice

Lamin A, a key component of the nuclear lamina, is generated from prelamin A by four post-translational processing steps: farnesylation, endoproteolytic release of the last three amino acids of the protein, methylation of the C-terminal farnesylcysteine, and finally, endoproteolytic release of the last 15 amino acids of the protein (including the farnesylcysteine methyl ester). The last cleavage step, mediated by ZMPSTE24, releases mature lamin A. This processing scheme has been conserved through vertebrate evolution and is widely assumed to be crucial for targeting lamin A to the nuclear envelope. However, its physiologic importance has never been tested. To address this issue, we created mice with a “mature lamin A-only” allele (Lmna^LAO), which contains a stop codon immediately after the last codon of mature lamin A. Thus, Lmna^LAO/LAO mice synthesize mature lamin A directly, bypassing prelamin A synthesis and processing. The levels of mature lamin A in Lmna^LAO/LAO mice were indistinguishable from those in “prelamin A-only” mice (Lmna^PLAO/PLAO), where all of the lamin A is produced from prelamin A. Lmna^LAO/LAO exhibited normal body weights and had no detectable disease phenotypes. A higher frequency of nuclear blebs was observed in Lmna^LAO/LAO embryonic fibroblasts; however, the mature lamin A in the tissues of Lmna^LAO/LAO mice was positioned normally at the nuclear rim. We conclude that prelamin A processing is dispensable in mice and that direct synthesis of mature lamin A has little if any effect on the targeting of lamin A to the nuclear rim in mouse tissues.     

Caspase-3-Dependent Proteolytic Cleavage of Tau Causes Neurofibrillary Tangles and Results in Cognitive Impairment During Normal Aging

Mouse models of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are important for understanding how pathological signaling cascades change neural circuitry and with time interrupt cognitive function. Here, we introduce a non-genetic preclinical model for aging and show that it exhibits cleaved tau protein, active caspases and neurofibrillary tangles, hallmarks of AD, causing behavioral deficits measuring cognitive impairment. To our knowledge this is the first report of a non-transgenic, non-interventional mouse model displaying structural, functional and molecular aging deficits associated with AD and other tauopathies in humans with potentially high impact on both new basic research into pathogenic mechanisms and new translational research efforts. Tau aggregation is a hallmark of tauopathies, including AD. Recent studies have indicated that cleavage of tau plays an important role in both tau aggregation and disease. In this study we use wild type mice as a model for normal aging and resulting age-related cognitive impairment. We provide evidence that aged mice have increased levels of activated caspases, which significantly correlates with increased levels of truncated tau and formation of neurofibrillary tangles. In addition, cognitive decline was significantly correlated with increased levels of caspase activity and tau truncated by caspase-3. Experimentally induced inhibition of caspases prevented this proteolytic cleavage of tau and the associated formation of neurofibrillary tangles. Our study shows the strength of using a non-transgenic model to study structure, function and molecular mechanisms in aging and age related diseases of the brain.     

The Wobbler Mouse Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Displays Hippocampal Hyperexcitability,and Reduced Number of Interneurons,but No Presynaptic Vesicle Release Impairments

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common adult-onset motor neuron disease. It is a fatal degenerative disease, best recognized for its debilitating neuromuscular effects. ALS however also induces cognitive impairments in as many as 50% of affected individuals. Moreover, many ALS patients demonstrate cortical hyperexcitability, which has been shown to precede the onset of clinical symptoms. The wobbler mouse is a model of ALS, and like ALS patients the wobbler mouse displays cortical hyperexcitability. Here we investigated if the neocortical aberrations of the wobbler mouse also occur in the hippocampus. Consequently, we performed extracellular field excitatory postsynaptic potential recordings in the CA1 region of the hippocampus on acute brain slices from symptomatic (P45-P60) and presymptomatic (P17-P21) wobbler mice. Significant increased excitation of hippocampal synapses was revealed by leftward shifted input/output-curves in both symptomatic and presymptomatic wobbler mice, and substantiated by population spike occurrence analyses, demonstrating that the increased synaptic excitation precedes the onset of visible phenotypic symptoms in the mouse. Synaptic facilitation tested by paired-pulse facilitation and trains in wobbler and control mice showed no differences, suggesting the absence of presynaptic defects. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that symptomatic wobbler mice have a lower number of parvalbumin positive interneurons when compared to controls and presymptomatic mice. This study reveals that the wobbler mouse model of ALS exhibits hippocampal hyperexcitability. We suggest that the hyperexcitability could be caused by increased excitatory synaptic transmission and a concomitant reduced inhibition due to a decreased number of parvalbumin positive interneurons. Thus we substantiate that wobbler brain impairments are not confined to the motor cortex, but extend to the hippocampus. Importantly, we have revealed more details of the early pathophysiology in asymptomatic animals, and studies like the present may facilitate the development of novel treatment strategies for earlier intervention in ALS patients in the future.     

Cx43基因在人类及小鼠胎心发育中的时空表达规律

目的　检测Cx4 3在人类和小鼠的胚胎心脏的表达 ,了解该基因在心脏发育过程中的表达规律。方法　选取人类 6～ 18孕周正常胚胎或胎儿心脏 6 3例 ,小鼠孕龄 9 5～ 16 5d胚胎心脏 6 4例 ,采用免疫组化法显示Cx4 3基因在心脏的表达。结果　早期人类胚胎心脏中 ,Cx4 3在心室肌中没有表达 ,心房肌表达微弱 ,原始小梁网中表达很高 ,随着胚胎发育 ,在心房和心室的表达逐渐增强 ,小梁网的表达在胚胎 13～ 14周达到高峰。室间隔的肌部表达量较弱 ,膜部室间隔不表达。房室瓣和大动脉根部管壁Cx4 3没有明显表达。除了在大动脉管壁表达不同 ,小鼠胚胎心脏表达规律与人类基本相同。结论　Cx4 3对于胚胎心脏的发育至关重要。     

β淀粉样蛋白和tau蛋白磷酸化程度与颞叶癫痫患者认知缺陷相关性研究

摘要 目的：探究β淀粉样蛋白（Aβ）和tau蛋白磷酸化程度与颞叶癫痫患者认知缺陷相关性。方法：2019年至2020年于我院接受治疗的70例颞叶癫痫患者作为本研究的实验组,同时纳入同期健康体检者70例作为本研究的对照组。对比两组一般临床指标、外周血清中β淀粉样蛋白和tau蛋白磷酸化程度;评估两组的智力、记忆力和认知功能障碍;通过Person法分析β淀粉样蛋白和tau蛋白磷酸化程度与颞叶癫痫患者认知缺陷相关性。结果：（1）比较显示实验组的Aβ1-28蛋白、Aβ1-40蛋白、tau蛋白和p-tau蛋白均高于对照组,但Aβ1-42蛋白低于对照组（P<0.05）;（2）实验组语言智商（VIQ）、操作智商（PIQ）以及总智商（FIQ）评分均低于对照组（P<0.05）;（3）实验组评估低于对照组（P<0.05）;（4）实验组的MoCA评分显著低于对照组（P<0.05）;（5）Aβ1-28蛋白、Aβ1-40蛋白、Tau蛋白和p-tau蛋白与颞叶癫痫患者认知缺陷存在正相关关系;Aβ1-42蛋白与颞叶癫痫患者认知缺陷则存在负相关关系（P<0.05）。结论：颞叶癫痫患者认知缺陷与tau蛋白磷酸化程度、Aβ1-28蛋白、Aβ1-42蛋白和Aβ1-40蛋白水平具有相关性,可作为认知缺陷的判断指标,为体检或临床发现颞叶癫痫患者是否存在认知功能缺陷提供依据。     

Correlations of Behavioral Deficits with Brain Pathology Assessed through Longitudinal MRI and Histopathology in the R6/2 Mouse Model of HD

Huntington’s disease (HD) is caused by the expansion of a CAG repeat in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. The R6/2 mouse model of HD expresses a mutant version of exon 1 HTT and develops motor and cognitive impairments, a widespread huntingtin (HTT) aggregate pathology and brain atrophy. Despite the vast number of studies that have been performed on this model, the association between the molecular and cellular neuropathology with brain atrophy, and with the development of behavioral phenotypes remains poorly understood. In an attempt to link these factors, we have performed longitudinal assessments of behavior (rotarod, open field, passive avoidance) and of regional brain abnormalities determined through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (whole brain, striatum, cortex, hippocampus, corpus callosum), as well as an end-stage histological assessment. Detailed correlative analyses of these three measures were then performed. We found a gender-dependent emergence of motor impairments that was associated with an age-related loss of regional brain volumes. MRI measurements further indicated that there was no striatal atrophy, but rather a lack of striatal growth beyond 8 weeks of age. T2 relaxivity further indicated tissue-level changes within brain regions. Despite these dramatic motor and neuroanatomical abnormalities, R6/2 mice did not exhibit neuronal loss in the striatum or motor cortex, although there was a significant increase in neuronal density due to tissue atrophy. The deposition of the mutant HTT (mHTT) protein, the hallmark of HD molecular pathology, was widely distributed throughout the brain. End-stage histopathological assessments were not found to be as robustly correlated with the longitudinal measures of brain atrophy or motor impairments. In conclusion, modeling pre-manifest and early progression of the disease in more slowly progressing animal models will be key to establishing which changes are causally related.     

Selective Expression of Myosin IC Isoform A in Mouse and Human Cell Lines and Mouse Prostate Cancer Tissues

Myosin IC is a single headed member of the myosin superfamily. We recently identified a novel isoform and showed that the MYOIC gene in mammalian cells encodes three isoforms (isoforms A, B, and C). Furthermore, we demonstrated that myosin IC isoform A but not isoform B exhibits a tissue specific expression pattern. In this study, we extended our analysis of myosin IC isoform expression patterns by analyzing the protein and mRNA expression in various mammalian cell lines and in various prostate specimens and tumor tissues from the transgenic mouse prostate (TRAMP) model by immunoblotting, qRT-PCR, and by indirect immunohistochemical staining of paraffin embedded prostate specimen. Analysis of a panel of mammalian cell lines showed an increased mRNA and protein expression of specifically myosin IC isoform A in a panel of human and mouse prostate cancer cell lines but not in non-cancer prostate or other (non-prostate-) cancer cell lines. Furthermore, we demonstrate that myosin IC isoform A expression is significantly increased in TRAMP mouse prostate samples with prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) lesions and in distant site metastases in lung and liver when compared to matched normal tissues. Our observations demonstrate specific changes in the expression of myosin IC isoform A that are concurrent with the occurrence of prostate cancer in the TRAMP mouse prostate cancer model that closely mimics clinical prostate cancer. These data suggest that elevated levels of myosin IC isoform A may be a potential marker for the detection of prostate cancer.