Subhojit Roy

Axonal transport defects: a common theme in neurodegenerative diseases

A core pathology central to most neurodegenerative diseases is the misfolding, fibrillization and aggregation of disease proteins to form the hallmark lesions of specific disorders. The mechanisms underlying these brain-specific neurodegenerative amyloidoses are the focus of intense investigation and defective axonal transport has been hypothesized to play a mechanistic role in several neurodegenerative disorders; however, this hypothesis has not been extensively examined. Discoveries of mutations in human genes encoding motor proteins responsible for axonal transport do provide direct evidence for the involvement of axonal transport in neurodegenerative diseases, and this evidence is supported by studies of animal models of neurodegeneration. In this review, we summarize recent findings related to axonal transport and neurodegeneration. Focusing on specific neurodegenerative diseases from a neuropathologic perspective, we highlight discoveries of human motor protein mutations in some of these diseases, as well as illustrate new insights from animal models of neurodegenerative disorders. We also review the current understanding of the biology of axonal transport including major recent findings related to slow axonal transport.

D2-40, a novel monoclonal antibody against the M2A antigen as a marker to distinguish hemangioblastomas from renal cell carcinomas

Hemangioblastomas (HB) are characterized by the presence of vacuolated tumor cells resembling the tumor cells seen in clear cell renal cell carcinomas (CRCC). The distinction between HB and metastatic CRCC in the brain is critical as they have different therapeutic and prognostic ramifications. The issue is further complicated by the possibility of both HB and metastatic CRCC in brains of patients with Von Hippel Lindau (VHL) disease. We studied the expression of a novel monoclonal antibody D2-40, which recognizes an oncofetal antigen (M2A) in HB and CRCC, by immunohistochemistry. The vacuolated tumor cells in all HB were stained positively with D2-40. Nineteen of 23 (83%) HB showed strong, membranous staining in the vacuolated tumor cells, and 4 of 23 (17%) showed weaker staining. No expression was seen in CRCC, either primary in the kidney (0/20), or metastatic CRCC in the brain (0/8). Three of the patients with HB also had VHL disease, and no difference was seen in D2-40 staining of HB in patients with or without VHL disease. Two of these three VHL disease patients had both primary CRCC and HB resected at our institution. In these two patients, strong D2-40 expression was seen in the HB, but no expression was seen in the CRCC, underlying the utility of this marker in distinguishing HB from CRCC in patients with VHL disease in addition to sporadic cases. In summary, the monoclonal antibody D2-40 is a useful marker to distinguish HB from CRCC.

Cytoskeletal Requirements in Axonal Transport of Slow Component-b

Slow component-b (SCb) translocates ∼200 diverse proteins from the cell body to the axon and axon tip at average rates of ∼2–8 mm/d. Several studies suggest that SCb proteins are cotransported as one or more macromolecular complexes, but the basis for this cotransport is unknown. The identification of actin and myosin in SCb led to the proposal that actin filaments function as a scaffold for the binding of other SCb proteins and that transport of these complexes is powered by myosin: the “microfilament-complex” model. Later, several SCb proteins were also found to bind F-actin, supporting the idea, but despite this, the model has never been directly tested. Here, we test this model by disrupting the cytoskeleton in a live-cell model system wherein we directly visualize transport of SCb cargoes. We focused on three SCb proteins that we previously showed were cotransported in our system: α-synuclein, synapsin-I, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Disruption of actin filaments with latrunculin had no effect on the velocity or frequency of transport of these three proteins. Furthermore, cotransport of these three SCb proteins continued in actin-depleted axons. We conclude that actin filaments do not function as a scaffold to organize and transport these and possibly other SCb proteins. In contrast, depletion of microtubules led to a dramatic inhibition of vectorial transport of SCb cargoes. These findings do not support the microfilament-complex model, but instead indicate that the transport of protein complexes in SCb is powered by microtubule motors.

Transport of neurofilaments in growing axons requires microtubules but not actin filaments

Neurofilament (NF) polymers are conveyed from cell body to axon tip by slow axonal transport, and disruption of this process is implicated in several neuronal pathologies. This movement occurs in both anterograde and retrograde directions and is characterized by relatively rapid but brief movements of neurofilaments, interrupted by prolonged pauses. The present studies combine pharmacologic treatments that target actin filaments or microtubules with imaging of NF polymer transport in living axons to examine the dependence of neurofilament transport on these cytoskeletal systems. The heavy NF subunit tagged with green fluorescent protein was expressed in cultured sympathetic neurons to visualize NF transport. Depletion of axonal actin filaments by treatment with 5 μM latrunculin for 6 hr had no detectable effect on directionality or transport rate of NFs, but frequency of movement events was reduced from 1/3.1 min of imaging time to 1/4.9 min. Depolymerization of axonal microtubules using either 5 μM vinblastine for 3 hr or 5 μg/ml nocodazole for 4–6 hr profoundly suppressed neurofilament transport. In 92% of treated neurons, NF transport was undetected. These observations indicate that actin filaments are not required for neurofilament transport, although they may have subtle effects on neurofilament movements. In contrast, axonal transport of NFs requires microtubules, suggesting that anterograde and retrograde NF transport is powered by microtubule‐based motors.

A case study of an emerging visual artist with frontotemporal lobar degeneration and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Patients presenting with left-sided FTLD syndromes sometimes develop a new preoccupation with art, greater attention to visual stimuli, and increased visual creativity. We describe the case of a 53-year-old, right-handed man with a history of bipolar disorder who presented with language and behavior impairments characteristic of FTLD, then developed motor symptoms consistent with a second diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Though the patient had never created visual art before, he developed a compulsion for painting beginning at the earliest stages of his disease, and continued producing art daily until he could no longer lift a paintbrush because of his motor deficits. Upon autopsy, he was found to have ubiquitin and TDP43-positive inclusions with MND pathology. This case study details the patients longitudinal neuropsychological, emotional, behavioral, and motor symptoms, along with structural imaging, neurologic, and neuropathologic findings. Multiple examples of the patients art are depicted throughout all stages of his illness, and the possible cognitive, behavioral, and neurologic correlates of his new-onset visual artistry are discussed.

Axonal Transport and Neurodegenerative Diseases

A typical neuron consists of a cell body, multiple dendrites, and a single axon. Because the cell body is the primary site of protein synthesis, materials required for axonal growth and maintenance are synthesized in the perikarya and undergo axonal transport, often traversing enormous distances to reach their destination. This intricately regulated process of axonal transport is vulnerable to injury, and morphologic changes consistent with transport deficits are commonly seen in many neurodegenerative diseases. Disrupted axonal transport is also well-documented in many animal models of neurodegeneration, where it can be directly evaluated. In this article, we first review basic principles of axonal transport, highlighting recent advances in our understanding of fundamental transport mechanisms. We then discuss some specific molecular defects linking axonal transport and neurodegenerative diseases.