Ryozo Kuwano

A New Amyloid β Variant Favoring Oligomerization in Alzheimer's-Type Dementia

Soluble oligomers of amyloid β (Aβ), rather than amyloid fibrils, have been proposed to initiate synaptic and cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimers disease (AD). However, there is no direct evidence in humans that this mechanism can cause AD. Here, we report a novel amyloid precursor protein (APP) mutation that may provide evidence to address this question.

Association of HTRA1 mutations and familial ischemic cerebral small-vessel disease

BACKGROUND The genetic cause of cerebral autosomal recessive arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CARASIL), which is characterized by ischemic, nonhypertensive, cerebral small-vessel disease with associated alopecia and spondylosis, is unclear. METHODS In five families with CARASIL, we carried out linkage analysis, fine mapping of the region implicated in the disease, and sequence analysis of a candidate gene. We also conducted functional analysis of wild-type and mutant gene products and measured the signaling by members of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) family and gene and protein expression in the small arteries in the cerebrum of two patients with CARASIL. RESULTS We found linkage of the disease to the 2.4-Mb region on chromosome 10q, which contains the HtrA serine protease 1 (HTRA1) gene. HTRA1 is a serine protease that represses signaling by TGF-beta family members. Sequence analysis revealed two nonsense mutations and two missense mutations in HTRA1. The missense mutations and one of the nonsense mutations resulted in protein products that had comparatively low levels of protease activity and did not repress signaling by the TGF-beta family. The other nonsense mutation resulted in the loss of HTRA1 protein by nonsense-mediated decay of messenger RNA. Immunohistochemical analysis of the cerebral small arteries in affected persons showed increased expression of the extra domain-A region of fibronectin and versican in the thickened tunica intima and of TGF-beta1 in the tunica media. CONCLUSIONS CARASIL is associated with mutations in the HTRA1 gene. Our findings indicate a link between repressed inhibition of signaling by the TGF-beta family and ischemic cerebral small-vessel disease, alopecia, and spondylosis.

The coxsackievirus-adenovirus receptor protein as a cell adhesion molecule in the developing mouse brain

In an attempt to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying neuro-network formation in the developing brain, we analyzed 130 proteolytic cleavage peptides of membrane proteins purified from newborn mouse brains. We describe here the characterization of a membrane protein with an apparent molecular mass of 46 kDa, a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily of which the cDNA sequence was recently reported, encoding the mouse homologue of the human coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (mCAR). Western and Northern blot analyses demonstrated the abundant expression of mCAR in the mouse brain, the highest level being observed in the newborn mouse brain, and its expression was detected in embryos as early as at 10. 5 days post-coitus (dpc), but decreased rapidly after birth. On in situ hybridization, mCAR mRNA expression was observed throughout the newborn mouse brain. In primary neurons from the hippocampi of mouse embryos the expression of mCAR was observed throughout the cells including those in growth cones on immunohistochemistry. In order to determine whether or not mCAR is involved in cell adhesion, aggregation assays were carried out. C6 cells transfected with mCAR cDNA aggregated homophilically, which was inhibited by specific antibodies against the extracellular domain of mCAR. In addition to its action as a virus receptor, mCAR may function naturally as an adhesion molecule involved in neuro-network formation in the developing nervous system.

Mutations in COQ2 in familial and sporadic multiple-system atrophy the multiple-system atrophy research collaboration

BACKGROUND Multiple-system atrophy is an intractable neurodegenerative disease characterized by autonomic failure in addition to various combinations of parkinsonism, cerebellar ataxia, and pyramidal dysfunction. Although multiple-system atrophy is widely considered to be a nongenetic disorder, we previously identified multiplex families with this disease, which indicates the involvement of genetic components. METHODS In combination with linkage analysis, we performed whole-genome sequencing of a sample obtained from a member of a multiplex family in whom multiple-system atrophy had been diagnosed on autopsy. We also performed mutational analysis of samples from members of five other multiplex families and from a Japanese series (363 patients and two sets of controls, one of 520 persons and one of 2383 persons), a European series (223 patients and 315 controls), and a North American series (172 patients and 294 controls). On the basis of these analyses, we used a yeast complementation assay and measured enzyme activity of parahydroxybenzoate-polyprenyl transferase. This enzyme is encoded by the gene COQ2 and is essential for the biosynthesis of coenzyme Q10. Levels of coenzyme Q10 in lymphoblastoid cells and brain tissue were measured on high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS We identified a homozygous mutation (M78V-V343A/M78V-V343A) and compound heterozygous mutations (R337X/V343A) in COQ2 in two multiplex families. Furthermore, we found that a common variant (V343A) and multiple rare variants in COQ2, all of which are functionally impaired, are associated with sporadic multiple-system atrophy. The V343A variant was exclusively observed in the Japanese population. CONCLUSIONS Functionally impaired variants of COQ2 were associated with an increased risk of multiple-system atrophy in multiplex families and patients with sporadic disease, providing evidence of a role of impaired COQ2 activities in the pathogenesis of this disease. (Funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and others.).

Expression of Coxsackievirus and Adenovirus Receptor in Hearts of Rats With Experimental Autoimmune Myocarditis

The expression of coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) was dominant in the brains and hearts of mice until the newborn phase. There is no detailed information concerning the relation between the expression of CAR and development of hearts. It is also uncertain whether CAR is able to be induced in adult hearts after cardiac injury. We demonstrated that CAR was abundant in the hearts of newborn rats but was barely detectable in the hearts of adult rats. The expression of CAR in rat hearts with experimental autoimmune myocarditis, which was induced by immunization of purified cardiac myosin, was serially investigated. Active myocarditis was observed from day 15 after immunization. By immunohistochemistry, cardiomyocytes were strongly stained for CAR antibody from days 24 to 42. CAR mRNA was also detected from days 18 to 30 by using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. In the next experiment, the induction of CAR on isolated cardiomyocytes was investigated. CAR was barely detectable in cultured cardiomyocytes by Western blot analysis after isolation. This molecule gradually appeared along with the creation of clusters and beating of cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, the induction of CAR in cultured cardiomyocytes increased after supplement with conditioned medium of rat splenocytes activated by concanavalin A. In conclusion, rat CAR is expressed strongly in the hearts of newborn rats and is suppressed in those of adult rats. The expression of CAR is enhanced during the active phase of experimental autoimmune myocarditis and is induced by inflammatory mediators. CAR may play a role in cell-to-cell contact and adhesion of cardiomyocytes.

Distinct forms of the protein kinase-dependent activator of tyrosine and tryptophan hydroxylases.

Tyrosine and tryptophan hydroxylases are the key enzymes in the regulation of catecholamine and serotonin levels in neurons and other endocrine cells. Among the mechanisms proposed for the modulation of activity, phosphorylation of the enzyme is believed to be of functional significance with respect to the stimulus-response coupling, but the precise mechanism is unknown. Here, we show the existence of multiple, distinct forms of the 14-3-3 activator protein, a neuronal protein essential for activation of tyrosine and tryptophan hydroxylases by Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type II. Bovine brain 14-3-3 protein was resolved by reversed-phase chromatography into seven polypeptides (alpha to eta), all of which were active towards tryptophan hydroxylase when the renatured preparations were assayed in the presence of Ca2+, calmodulin and the protein kinase. Determination of the amino acid sequences of the beta and gamma chains and comparison of the sequences with the previously determined sequence of the eta chain revealed that these molecules are highly homologous, and share a common structural feature in containing an extremely acidic C-terminal region predicted as a domain for interaction with the phosphorylated hydroxylases. Northern blot analysis indicated that the beta, gamma and eta chain are expressed abundantly in the brain; however, these polypeptides appear to be expressed with different tissue specificities because gamma mRNA is found only in the brain, while lower levels of beta and eta mRNAs are detected in several other tissues. These findings suggest the involvement of a diverse family of the activator protein in the stimulus-coupled, Ca2(+)-dependent regulation of monoamine biosynthesis.

SORL1 Is Genetically Associated with Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease in Japanese, Koreans and Caucasians

To discover susceptibility genes of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD), we conducted a 3-stage genome-wide association study (GWAS) using three populations: Japanese from the Japanese Genetic Consortium for Alzheimer Disease (JGSCAD), Koreans, and Caucasians from the Alzheimer Disease Genetic Consortium (ADGC). In Stage 1, we evaluated data for 5,877,918 genotyped and imputed SNPs in Japanese cases (n = 1,008) and controls (n = 1,016). Genome-wide significance was observed with 12 SNPs in the APOE region. Seven SNPs from other distinct regions with p-values <2×10−5 were genotyped in a second Japanese sample (885 cases, 985 controls), and evidence of association was confirmed for one SORL1 SNP (rs3781834, P = 7.33×10−7 in the combined sample). Subsequent analysis combining results for several SORL1 SNPs in the Japanese, Korean (339 cases, 1,129 controls) and Caucasians (11,840 AD cases, 10,931 controls) revealed genome wide significance with rs11218343 (P = 1.77×10−9) and rs3781834 (P = 1.04×10−8). SNPs in previously established AD loci in Caucasians showed strong evidence of association in Japanese including rs3851179 near PICALM (P = 1.71×10−5) and rs744373 near BIN1 (P = 1.39×10−4). The associated allele for each of these SNPs was the same as in Caucasians. These data demonstrate for the first time genome-wide significance of LOAD with SORL1 and confirm the role of other known loci for LOAD in Japanese. Our study highlights the importance of examining associations in multiple ethnic populations.

Molecular cloning of rat cDNAs for β and γ subtypes of 14-3-3 protein and developmental changes in expression of their mRNAs in the nervous system

We isolated cDNAs to beta and gamma subtypes of 14-3-3 protein, a putative regulatory protein for protein kinase C, from the brain and clarified a high homology in sequences of nucleotides and deduced amino acids between the two rat subtypes and the bovine counterparts and even reciprocally between the two rat subtypes. In Northern blot analysis, the gene expression of the two subtypes was detected weakly at E13, increased progressively after birth and reached a maximum at P7-P14. Thereafter it decreased slightly. In situ hybridization analysis allowed detection of the beta but not the gamma subtype in the matrix cells of the ventricular germinal zone of the neural wall. In post-mitotic neurons in the mantle zone and maturing brain loci, genes of the two subtypes were expressed in patterns similar to each other, and three neuron types were identified: type I neurons with high levels of expression throughout development; type II neurons showing high expression during the early developmental stages with a subsequent decrease in the expression at maturing and adult stages; and type III neurons showing consistently low levels of expression throughout development. The wider and more highly-patterned expression of the 14-3-3 protein family than expected suggests that this protein may be involved in the elaborate regulation of some fundamental cellular activities and differentiation of neurons.

Expression of β-nerve growth factor mRNA in rat glioma cells and astrocytes from rat brain

A 50‐base synthetic oligodeoxynucleotide complementary to a portion of mouse nerve growth factor (NGF) mRNA was used as a probe for analysis of the expression of NGF gene. Northern blot analysis showed the presence of a major 1.3 kb transcript, which was identical in size to mouse NGF mRNA, in both C6Bu1 cells and rat astrocytes cultured from newborn rat brain. Further, the rearrangement of DNA sequence in and around the NGF gene locus of C6Bu1 cells was not detected by Southern blot analysis. These results indicate the expression of NGF mRNA in both C6Bu1 cells and astrocytes from rat brain, suggesting that astrocytes may produce NGF protein in the rat brain, especially in developing rat brain.

Molecular cloning of rat cDNAs for the ζ and θ subtypes of 14-3-3 protein and differential distributions of their mRNAs in the brain

We isolated from the rat brain two cDNA clones encoding the zeta and theta subtypes of the 14-3-3 protein. Both clones encoded 245 amino acid sequences, which share a high sequence homology with each other and also with other subtypes of the 14-3-3 protein. The distribution of their mRNAs was determined in the developing brain, by in situ hybridization with subtype-specific oligonucleotide probes. At embryonic day 18, the zeta and theta subtype mRNAs were expressed at high levels throughout the brain and the spinal cord. Distribution patterns of the two mRNAs were distinct in the brain at postnatal day 21. The zeta subtype mRNA was distributed widely in the brain gray matter, and high levels of the transcripts were detected in various brain regions, including the neocortex, hippocampus, caudate-putamen, thalamus, cerebellar cortex, and several brainstem nuclei. On the other hand, high signal levels of the theta subtype mRNA in the gray matter were restricted to the cerebellar cortex and the hippocampus. In addition, significant signals for the theta subtype mRNA were found over the white matter, where cell bodies of glial cells are populated. The wide gene expression of the zeta and theta subtypes suggests their fundamental and essential role in the brain function, but the degrees of functional involvement by the respective subtypes would be heterogeneous between neuron and glia, and also among neuron types.