Jiuxiang Wang

Activation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 induces Alzheimer-like tau hyperphosphorylation in rat hippocampus slices in culture

Summary.Formation of neurofibrillary tangle from hyperphosphorylated tau is one of the hallmark lesions seen in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain, and neuronal deregulation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) activity plays key role in tau hyperphosphorylation. In the present study, the role of GSK-3 on tau phosphorylation in hippocampus slice culture was examined by incubating the slice with wortmannin (WT), an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and GF-109203X (GFX), an inhibitor of protein kinase C (PKC). It was found that treatment of the slices with GFX or WT separately induced tau hyperphosphorylation both at Ser396/Ser404 (PHF-1) and Ser199/Ser202 (Tau-1) sites. The phosphorylation rate of tau at PHF-1 and Tau-1 epitopes was further increased when GFX and WT were used in combination, and at this condition, AD-like tau accumulation was observed. GSK-3 activity was significantly increased with a concurrently decreased level of inactivated form of GSK-3. Lithium chloride (LiCl), a GSK-3 inhibitor, prevented tau from WT- and GFX-induced hyperphosphorylation. It suggests that GSK-3 is regulated through PI3K and PKC pathway, and activation of GSK-3 not only induces hyperphosphorylation of tau but also leads to accumulation of tau in cultured rat brain slice.

Microtubule-associated protein tau is a substrate of ATP/Mg2+-dependent proteasome protease system

Summary.Deposition of hyperphosphorylated microtubule-associated protein tau is a recognized pathological process in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain, however, the mechanism leading to tau accumulation is still not understood. In the present study, we found that different forms of tau, including phosphorylated tau (PHF-1) and non-phosphorylated tau (Tau-1) as well as total tau (Tau-5) in rat brain cortex extract, were degraded when it was co-incubated with ATP and MgCl2 at 33°C in vitro, and non-phosphorylated tau at Tau-1 epitope was more accessible to the ATP/Mg2+-depended proteolysis. With the increase of ATP and MgCl2 concentration from 5 mM to 20 mM, increased degradation of tau was observed. ATP/Mg2+-induced degradation of tau was blocked by lactacystin, a specific proteasome inhibitor and was enhanced by sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), a commonly used in vitro proteasome activator, and polyubiquitinated tau with high molecular weight was detected in the presence of lactacystin. Hyperphosphorylated tau isolated from AD brain (AD p-tau) was also partially degraded when it was incubated with rat brain cortex extract in the present of ATP/Mg2+, and the degradation of AD p-tau was also enhanced by SDS and was inhibited by lactacystin. This study has demonstrated that tau, both phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated, is a substrate of ATP/Mg2+-depended proteasome. To our knowledge, this is the first report providing direct evidence that tau is degraded by 26S proteasome in an ubiquitin- and ATP-dependent manner.

A transitory activation of protein kinase-A induces a sustained tau hyperphosphorylation at multiple sites in N2a cells-imply a new mechanism in Alzheimer pathology

Summary.Overactivation of protein kinase in the end stage of Alzheimer’s disease brain has not been established. The purpose of the present study was to explore the possible mechanism for protein kinases in leading to Alzheimer-like tau hyperphosphorylation. We found that incubation of N2a/tau441 with forskolin, a specific activator of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), induced an increased phosphorylation level of tau at both PKA and non-PKA sites in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and the hyperphosphorylation of tau was positively correlated with the elevation of PKA activity. When the cells were transitorily incubated with forskolin, a temporary activation of PKA with a sustained and almost equally graded tau hyperphosphorylation at some non-PKA sites was observed. In either case, the activity of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) was not changed. It is suggested that only transitory activation of PKA in early stage of Alzheimer disease may result in a sustained tau hyperphosphorylation at multiple sites, implying a new mechanism to Alzheimer-like tau hyperphosphorylation.

CERKL interacts with mitochondrial TRX2 and protects retinal cells from oxidative stress-induced apoptosis

Mutations in the ceramide kinase-like gene (CERKL) are associated with severe retinal degeneration. However, the exact function of the encoded protein (CERKL) remains unknown. Here we show that CERKL interacts with mitochondrial thioredoxin 2 (TRX2) and maintains TRX2 in the reduced redox state. Overexpression of CERKL protects cells from apoptosis under oxidative stress, whereas suppressing CERKL renders cells more sensitive to oxidative stress. In zebrafish, CERKL protein prominently locates in the outer segment and inner segment of the photoreceptor of the retina. Knockdown of CERKL in the zebrafish leads to an increase of retinal cell death, including cone and rod photoreceptor degeneration. Signs of oxidative damage to macromolecules were also detected in CERKL deficient zebrafish retina. Our results show that CERKL interacts with TRX2 and plays a novel key role in the regulation of the TRX2 antioxidant pathway and, for the first time, provides an explanation of how mutations in CERKL may lead to retinal cell death.

Endogenous overproduction of β-amyloid induces tau hyperphosphorylation and decreases the solubility of tau in N2a cells

Summary.Although neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques have been identified as the hallmark pathological changes in the brain of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the relationship between them is still not fully understood. In the present study, we have studied the effect of endogenously overproduced amyloid β (Aβ) on tau by using wild type amyloid precursor protein (APP) transfected (N2a/APP695), or Swedish mutant APP plus Δ9 deleted presenilin-1 co-transfected (N2a/APPswe.Δ9) and APP vector transfected (N2a/vector) cell lines. We measured the secreted and intracellular Aβ, including Aβ1–40 and Aβ1–42, by Sandwich ELISA assay. It was shown that the levels of Aβ were increased time-dependently in N2a/APP695 and N2a/APPswe.Δ9 but not in N2a/vector upon butyric acid (BA) treatment. Compared with N2a/vector cells, tau in N2a/APP695 and N2a/APPswe.Δ9 cells was not extracted by RIPA buffer, and the SDS-extracted tau protein was hyperphosphorylated at Tau-1 and PHF-1 epitopes upon BA treatment. Obvious accumulation of the hyperphosphorylated tau in N2a/APP695 and N2a/APPswe.Δ9 cells was observed at 48 h after BA treatment. The total level of the extracted tau was reduced in N2a/APP695 and N2a/APPswe.Δ9 lines compared with N2a/vector cells by Western blot, and this reduction of total tau was also detected by immunofluorescence staining. No obvious alteration of tau mRNA was observed in both N2a/APP695 and N2a/APPswe.Δ9 cells compared with N2a/vector. This study provides direct evidence demonstrating that endogenously overproduced Aβ not only induces tau hyperphosphorylation but also decreases the level and solubility of tau in N2a cell lines.

Identification of three mutations in the MVK gene in six patients associated with disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis.

Porokeratosis is recognized as a heterogenously inherited epidermal keratinization disorder. Disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis (DSAP) is considered to be the most common form of porokeratosis and is characterized by multiple, small keratotic lesions on sun-exposed areas of body. MVK has been reported to be the main candidate gene associated with DSAP. In this study, six sporadic cases of DSAP were clinically characterized. Direct DNA sequencing analysis of the whole coding regions of MVK detected three MVK missense mutations, and two were novel for DSAP: c.31C>T (P11S) and c.1004G>A (G335D). The three mutant MVK proteins were less stable than the wild type protein in different degrees. Mutation G335D also resulted in the misfolding of the ATP binding domain. This study extends the mutation spectrum of MVK. MVK protein stability and correct folding might be the molecular mechanism causing DASP. A 50% probability of detecting a MVK mutation in six DSAP sporadic cases indicated that the MVK gene was useful for clinical characterization, genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis of DSAP.

pVHL interacts with Ceramide kinase like (CERKL) protein and ubiquitinates it for oxygen dependent proteasomal degradation.

Mutations of Ceramide kinase-like (CERKL) gene are associated with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), an inherited degenerative eye disease. CERKL encodes an antioxidant protein which is critical to photoreceptor survival, its deficiency causes retinal degeneration as a result of oxidative damage. However, the regulation of CERKL in response to oxidative stress, and its contribution to photoreceptor survival remain unclear. pVHL, the substrate receptor of RING finger-type SCF like ECV ubiquitin ligase, binds and ubiquitinates a number of hydroxylated proteins for proteasomal degradation. Due to hydroxylated proteins which are modified by PHD1-3, pVHL dependent ubiquitin-proteasomal degradation pathway is blocked by PHD1-3 inhibitors (e.g. hypoxia or oxidative stress). In this study, we identified pVHL as an important regulator of CERKL. Western blot and in vivo ubiquitination assays showed hypoxia up-regulates CERKL at protein level by down-regulating its poly-ubiquitination. By Co-IP and domain mapping studies, we found CERKL complexes with ECV ligase via pVHL. Through overexpression and small RNA interference analysis, we demonstrated pVHL ubiquitinates CERKL for proteasomal degradation. Additionally, our work showed that the oxygen sensors PHD1 and PHD3 are involved in CERKL degradation. Collectively, our results indicated that pVHL interacts with CERKL and ubiquitinates it for oxygen dependent proteasomal degradation.

HSF4 promotes G1/S arrest in human lens epithelial cells by stabilizing p53

The differentiation from constantly dividing epithelial cells into secondary fiber cells is a key step during lens development. Failure in this process, which requires cell proliferation inhibition and cell cycle exit, causes cataract formation. HSF4 (Heat Shock Transcription Factor 4) gene mutations may lead to both congenital and senile cataract. However, how HSF4 mutations induce cataract formation remains obscure. In this study, we demonstrate that HSF4 can suppress the proliferation of human lens epithelial cells (HLECs) by promoting G1/S arrest in a p53-dependent manner. In contrast, HSF4 with cataract causative mutations fail to cause cell cycle arrest and have no obvious effect on cell proliferation. We further identify that HSF4 recruits p53 in the nucleus and promotes its transcriptional activity, leading to the expression of its target gene p21 in HLECs. HSF4, but not its cataract-causing mutants, stabilizes p53 protein and inhibits its ubiquitin degradation. Our data reveal that HSF4 may work as a switch between lens epithelial cell proliferation and secondary fiber cell differentiation, a process which mainly depends on p53. Through demonstration of this novel downstream pathway of HSF4, our results help uncover the pathogenic mechanisms caused by HSF4 mutations.

Loss-of-function Mutation in PMVK Causes Autosomal Dominant Disseminated Superficial Porokeratosis

Disseminated superficial porokeratosis (DSP) is a rare keratinization disorder of the epidermis. It is characterized by keratotic lesions with an atrophic center encircled by a prominent peripheral ridge. We investigated the genetic basis of DSP in two five-generation Chinese families with members diagnosed with DSP. By whole-exome sequencing, we sequencing identified a nonsense variation c.412C > T (p.Arg138*) in the phosphomevalonate kinase gene (PMVK), which encodes a cytoplasmic enzyme catalyzing the conversion of mevalonate 5-phosphate to mevalonate 5-diphosphate in the mevalonate pathway. By co-segregation and haplotype analyses as well as exclusion testing of 500 normal control subjects, we demonstrated that this genetic variant was involved in the development of DSP in both families. We obtained further evidence from studies using HaCaT cells as models that this variant disturbed subcellular localization, expression and solubility of PMVK. We also observed apparent apoptosis in and under the cornoid lamella of PMVK-deficient lesional tissues, with incomplete differentiation of keratinocytes. Our findings suggest that PMVK is a potential novel gene involved in the pathogenesis of DSP and PMVK deficiency or abnormal keratinocyte apoptosis could lead to porokeratosis.

The mitochondrial thioredoxin is required for liver development in zebrafish.

Thioredoxins (Trxs) are a class of small molecular redox proteins that play an important role in scavenging abnormally accumulated reactive oxygen species (ROS). Thioredoxin 2 (Trx2) is one member of this family located in mitochondria. Trx2 protects cells from increased oxidative stress and has anti-apoptosis function. Knockout of Trx2 in mice led to early embryonic lethality. However, the essential role of Trx2 during embryogenesis remains unclear. To further investigate the role of Trx2 during embryonic development, we performed Trx2 knockdown in zebrafish and investigated the regulation role of Trx2 during embryonic development. Our results indicate that Trx2 had a high expression in early zebrafish embryos and its knockdown in zebrafish led to defective liver development mainly due to increased hepatic cell death. The increased ROS and the imbalance of members of the Bcl-2 family were involved in cell death induced by Trx2 suppression in zebrafish. The dysregulation of Bax, puma and Bcl-xl promoted the reduction of mitochondrial trans-membrane potential and the mitochondria membrane permeabilization (MMP), which initiated the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Additionally, we found that the increase of relocated GAPDH in mitochondria may be another factor responsible for the mitochondrial catastrophe.