Francesco Roselli

Neuroprotection through Excitability and mTOR Required in ALS Motoneurons to Delay Disease and Extend Survival

Delaying clinical disease onset would greatly reduce neurodegenerative disease burden, but the mechanisms influencing early preclinical progression are poorly understood. Here, we show that in mouse models of familial motoneuron (MN) disease, SOD1 mutants specifically render vulnerable MNs dependent on endogenous neuroprotection signaling involving excitability and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). The most vulnerable low-excitability FF MNs already exhibited evidence of pathology and endogenous neuroprotection recruitment early postnatally. Enhancing MN excitability promoted MN neuroprotection and reversed misfolded SOD1 (misfSOD1) accumulation and MN pathology, whereas reducing MN excitability augmented misfSOD1 accumulation and accelerated disease. Inhibiting metabotropic cholinergic signaling onto MNs reduced ER stress, but enhanced misfSOD1 accumulation and prevented mTOR activation in alpha-MNs. Modulating excitability and/or alpha-MN mTOR activity had comparable effects on the progression rates of motor dysfunction, denervation, and death. Therefore, excitability and mTOR are key endogenous neuroprotection mechanisms in motoneurons to counteract clinically important disease progression in ALS.

Disassembly of Shank and Homer Synaptic Clusters Is Driven by Soluble β-Amyloid1-40 through Divergent NMDAR-Dependent Signalling Pathways

Disruption of the postsynaptic density (PSD), a network of scaffold proteins located in dendritic spines, is thought to be responsible for synaptic dysfunction and loss in early-stage Alzheimers disease (AD). Extending our previous demonstration that derangement of the PSD by soluble amyloid-β (Aβ) involves proteasomal degradation of PSD-95, a protein important for ionotropic glutamate receptor trafficking, we now show that Aβ also disrupts two other scaffold proteins, Homer1b and Shank1, that couple PSD-95 with ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors. Treatment of fronto-cortical neurons with soluble Aβ results in rapid (within 1 h) and significant thinning of the PSD, decreased synaptic levels of Homer1b and Shank1, and reduced synaptic mGluR1 levels. We show that de novo protein synthesis is required for the declustering effects of Aβ on Homer1b (but not Shank1) and that, in contrast to PSD-95, Aβ-induced Homer1b and Shank1 cluster disassembly does not depend on proteasome activity. The regulation of Homer1b and Shank1 by Aβ diverges in two other respects: i) whereas the activity of both NMDAR and VDCC is required for Aβ-induced declustering of Homer1b, Aβ-induced declustering of Shank1 only requires NMDAR activity; and ii) whereas the effects of Aβ on Homer1b involve engagement of the PI-3K pathway and calcineurin phosphatase (PP2B) activity, those on Shank1 involve activation of the ERK pathway. In summary, soluble Aβ recruits discrete signalling pathways to rapidly reduce the synaptic localization of major components of the PSD and to regulate the availability of mGluR1 in the synapse.

Amyloid-β Induces Caspase-Dependent Loss of PSD-95 and Synaptophysin Through NMDA Receptors

Soluble oligomeric amyloid-β (Aβ) is thought to induce synaptic dysfunction during early stages of Alzheimers disease (AD). In this report, we show that soluble Aβ downregulates the levels of two synaptic proteins, PSD-95 and synaptophysin, and that this effect can be blocked by MK-801 (NMDAR antagonist) and ifenprodil (NR2B antagonist). Low (1 μM) and high (10 μM) doses of NMDA, respectively, prevented and potentiated the actions of Aβ. Blockade of NR2A or synaptic NMDAR eliminated the protective effect of 1 μM NMDA, while the effects of 10 μM NMDA were only abolished by ifenprodil. Caspase-8, acting upstream of caspase-3, was found to mediate the synaptotoxic actions of Aβ in an ifenprodil-reversible fashion. Thus, Aβ leads to a loss of synaptic proteins by suppression of NR2A function and activation of NR2B function and subsequent induction of caspase-8 and caspase-3 activities. The identified novel mechanism through which Aβ initiates synaptic dysfunction suggests that selective enhancement of NR2A activity and/or reduction of NR2B activity can halt the manifestation of a key early-stage event in AD.

Severity of neuropsychiatric symptoms and dopamine transporter levels in dementia with Lewy bodies: A 123I-FP-CIT SPECT study†

Neuropsychiatric symptoms are frequent in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging with 123I‐labeled ligand N‐δ‐(fluoropropyl)‐2β‐carbomethoxy‐3β‐(4‐iodophenyl)tropene (123I‐FP‐CIT), which reliably measures midbrain dopaminergic dysfunction, has provided important evidence on the neurobiological substrate of some of these symptoms including apathy and depression. However, little is known on DAT levels and other distressing symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations. Therefore, 123I‐FP‐CIT imaging was performed in 18 well‐characterized patients with DLB, and striatal DAT levels were correlated with the frequency/severity ratings of several neuropsychiatric symptoms. A wide range of neuropsychiatric symptoms could be observed in the sample. Significant correlations were observed between decreased striatal DAT levels and visual hallucinations. Although there were no correlations between striatal DAT levels and other neuropsychiatric symptoms, when considering the putamen and the caudate nucleus separately, delusions, depression, and apathy were inversely correlated to decreased caudate DAT levels. Theseresults provide intriguing evidence on the involvement of the mesocortical dopaminergic pathways in neuropsychiatric symptoms in DLB.

Midbrain SERT in degenerative parkinsonisms: a 123I-FP-CIT SPECT study.

SPECT imaging is widely used for the differential diagnosis of degenerative parkinsonisms by exploiting the high affinitiy of the radiotracer 123I‐FP‐CIT for the dopamine transporter. Reduced levels of DAT are found in Parkinson Disease (PD), Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB), and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) compared to in Essential Tremor (ET) and Healthy Controls (HC). However, the extent of the neurodegenerative process may extend beyond nigrostriatal system. We have exploited the affinity of the same radiotracer 123I‐FP‐CIT for the serotonin transporter to investigate SERT levels in the midbrain of patients with PD, DLB, PSP, and ET compared to HC. Using MRI images as anatomical templates for midbrain uptake quantification, we found a mild decrease in SERT levels in PD compared to ET and HC, with marked inter‐individual variability; on the other side, PSP and DLB patients displayed markedly reduced to undetectable levels of SERT, respectively. These findings show that the neurodegenerative process affects serotoninergic neurons in parkinsonisms, with much more severe involvement in DLB than in PD patients, despite the comparable loss of striatal DAT. SERT‐dependent 123I‐FP‐CIT uptake may allow a more comprehensive assessment of neurochemical disturbances in degenerative parkinsonisms and may have a value for differential diagnosis.

From intrinsic firing properties to selective neuronal vulnerability in neurodegenerative diseases.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) involve years of gradual preclinical progression. It is widely anticipated that in order to be effective, treatments should target early stages of disease, but we lack conceptual frameworks to identify and treat early manifestations relevant to disease progression. Here we discuss evidence that a focus on physiological features of neuronal subpopulations most vulnerable to NDDs, and how those features are affected in disease, points to signaling pathways controlling excitation in selectively vulnerable neurons, and to mechanisms regulating calcium and energy homeostasis. These hypotheses could be tested in neuronal stress tests involving animal models or patient-derived iPS cells.

CDK5 Is Essential for Soluble Amyloid β-Induced Degradation of GKAP and Remodeling of the Synaptic Actin Cytoskeleton

The early stages of Alzheimers disease are marked by synaptic dysfunction and loss. This process results from the disassembly and degradation of synaptic components, in particular of scaffolding proteins that compose the post-synaptic density (PSD), namely PSD95, Homer and Shank. Here we investigated in rat frontal cortex dissociated culture the mechanisms involved in the downregulation of GKAP (SAPAP1), which links the PSD95 complex to the Shank complex and cytoskeletal structures within the PSD. We show that Aβ causes the rapid loss of GKAP from synapses through a pathway that critically requires cdk5 activity, and is set in motion by NMDAR activity and Ca2+ influx. We show that GKAP is a direct substrate of cdk5 and that its phosphorylation results in polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of GKAP and remodeling (collapse) of the synaptic actin cytoskeleton; the latter effect is abolished in neurons expressing GKAP mutants that are resistant to phosphorylation by cdk5. Given that cdk5 also regulates degradation of PSD95, these results underscore the central position of cdk5 in mediating Aβ-induced PSD disassembly and synapse loss.

Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Blockers as Immunomodulators

Several Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels (VGSC) are widely expressed on lymphocytes and macrophages but their role in immune function is still debated. Nevertheless, Na(+) influx through VGSC is required for lymphocytes activation and proliferation, since these responses are blocked by Na(+)-free medium or by VGSC blockers. These effects may be mediated by the reduced intracellular Na(+) levels, which in turn may impair the activity of Na(+)/Ca(++) exchanger resulting in reduced intracellular Ca(++) levels during lymphocyte activation. Furthermore, in Jurkat cell line VGSC appear to be involved in cell volume regulation, migration in artificial matrix and cell death by apoptosis. VGSC play a role in macrophage function as well, and VGSC blockers impair both phagocytosis and inflammatory responses. Several VGSC blockers have shown immunomodulatory properties in mice models, skewing the immune response toward a Th2-mediated response, while suppressing Th1-mediated responses, and VGSC already used in clinical practice are known to modulate immunoglobulin (Ig) levels both in mice and in humans. These effects suggest that VGSC blockers may find clinical application in the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory disease. However, many of these drugs induce a number of severe side effects. The relevance of VGSC function in immune regulation suggest that the testing of newly patented VGSC blockers for their effect on immunity may be worthwhile.

Clinical and neurobiological correlates of soluble amyloid precursor proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid

According to a widely accepted hypothesis, the amyloid precursor protein (APP) is processed by two competing pathways: the amyloidogenic β‐secretase–mediated pathway or the nonamyloidogenic α‐secretase–mediated pathway. APP is cleaved preferentially through the nonamyloidogenic pathway in normal brain, whereas the balance shifts to the amyloidogenic pathway in Alzheimers disease (AD). The levels of the α‐secretase–cleaved soluble APP (sAPPα) and β‐secretase–cleaved soluble APP (sAPPβ) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are likely to reflect these competing mechanisms.

Neddylation inhibition impairs spine development, destabilizes synapses and deteriorates cognition.

Neddylation is a ubiquitylation-like pathway that controls cell cycle and proliferation by covalently conjugating Nedd8 to specific targets. However, its role in neurons, nonreplicating postmitotic cells, remains unexplored. Here we report that Nedd8 conjugation increased during postnatal brain development and is active in mature synapses, where many proteins are neddylated. We show that neddylation controls spine development during neuronal maturation and spine stability in mature neurons. We found that neddylated PSD-95 was present in spines and that neddylation on Lys202 of PSD-95 is required for the proactive role of the scaffolding protein in spine maturation and synaptic transmission. Finally, we developed Nae1CamKIIα-CreERT2 mice, in which neddylation is conditionally ablated in adult excitatory forebrain neurons. These mice showed synaptic loss, impaired neurotransmission and severe cognitive deficits. In summary, our results establish neddylation as an active post-translational modification in the synapse regulating the maturation, stability and function of dendritic spines.