Kwok Wang Hung

Blockade of EphA4 signaling ameliorates hippocampal synaptic dysfunctions in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease

Significance Synaptic loss and dysfunction is associated with cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying synaptic impairment are largely unknown. Here, we reveal a previously unidentified signaling pathway whereby activation of a receptor tyrosine kinase EphA4 is critical for synaptic dysfunctions in AD. Proof-of-concept studies undertaken in both in vitro and in vivo systems demonstrate its importance in mediating the deficit of synaptic transmission and hippocampal long-term potentiation in AD models. Specifically, blocking the EphA4-dependent pathway through knockdown studies or the use of small-molecule inhibitors effectively rescues the impaired synaptic transmission induced by Aβ and reverses impaired synaptic plasticity in AD mouse models. Thus, this study reveals a new disease-modifying therapeutic intervention for AD. Alzheimer’s disease (AD), characterized by cognitive decline, has emerged as a disease of synaptic failure. The present study reveals an unanticipated role of erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular A4 (EphA4) in mediating hippocampal synaptic dysfunctions in AD and demonstrates that blockade of the ligand-binding domain of EphA4 reverses synaptic impairment in AD mouse models. Enhanced EphA4 signaling was observed in the hippocampus of amyloid precursor protein (APP)/presenilin 1 (PS1) transgenic mouse model of AD, whereas soluble amyloid-β oligomers (Aβ), which contribute to synaptic loss in AD, induced EphA4 activation in rat hippocampal slices. EphA4 depletion in the CA1 region or interference with EphA4 function reversed the suppression of hippocampal long-term potentiation in APP/PS1 transgenic mice, suggesting that the postsynaptic EphA4 is responsible for mediating synaptic plasticity impairment in AD. Importantly, we identified a small-molecule rhynchophylline as a novel EphA4 inhibitor based on molecular docking studies. Rhynchophylline effectively blocked the EphA4-dependent signaling in hippocampal neurons, and oral administration of rhynchophylline reduced the EphA4 activity effectively in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 transgenic mice. More importantly, rhynchophylline administration restored the impaired long-term potentiation in transgenic mouse models of AD. These findings reveal a previously unidentified role of EphA4 in mediating AD-associated synaptic dysfunctions, suggesting that it is a new therapeutic target for this disease.