ORCID Profile
0000-0002-9341-3669
Current Organisations
Universität Basel
,
Universitäre Psychiatrische Kliniken Basel
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Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 29-07-2021
DOI: 10.1101/2021.07.28.454044
Abstract: A potential explanation for the spatiotemporal accumulation of pathological lesions in the brain of patients with neurodegenerative protein misfolding diseases (PMDs) is cell-to-cell transmission of aggregation-prone, misfolded proteins. Little is known about central to peripheral transmission and its contribution to pathology. We show that transmission of Huntington’s disease- (HD-) associated mutant HTT exon 1 (mHTTEx1) occurs across the neuromuscular junctions in human iPSC cultures and in vivo in wild-type mice. We found that transmission is an active and dynamic process, that happens prior to aggregate formation and is regulated by synaptic activity. Furthermore, we find that transmitted mHTTEx1 causes HD-relevant pathology at a molecular and functional level in human muscle cells, even in the presence of ubiquitous expression mHTTEx1. With this work we uncover a casual-link between mHTTEx1 synaptic transmission and pathology, highlighting the therapeutic potential in blocking toxic protein transmission in PMDs.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-05-2017
DOI: 10.1111/JNC.14037
Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert Inc
Date: 15-06-2012
Abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related progressive neurodegenerative disorder mainly affecting elderly in iduals. The pathology of AD is characterized by amyloid plaques (aggregates of amyloid-β [Aβ]) and neurofibrillary tangles (aggregates of tau), but the mechanisms underlying this dysfunction are still partially unclear. A growing body of evidence supports mitochondrial dysfunction as a prominent and early, chronic oxidative stress-associated event that contributes to synaptic abnormalities and, ultimately, selective neuronal degeneration in AD. In this review, we discuss on the one hand whether mitochondrial decline observed in brain aging is a determinant event in the onset of AD and on the other hand the close interrelationship of this organelle with Aβ and tau in the pathogenic process underlying AD. Moreover, we summarize evidence from aging and Alzheimer models showing that the harmful trio "aging, Aβ, and tau protein" triggers mitochondrial dysfunction through a number of pathways, such as impairment of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), elevation of reactive oxygen species production, and interaction with mitochondrial proteins, contributing to the development and progression of the disease. The aging process may weaken the mitochondrial OXPHOS system in a more general way over many years providing a basis for the specific and destructive effects of Aβ and tau. Establishing strategies involving efforts to protect cells at the mitochondrial level by stabilizing or restoring mitochondrial function and energy homeostasis appears to be challenging, but very promising route on the horizon.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-04-2015
DOI: 10.1038/CDD.2015.39
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 2012
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-06-2016
DOI: 10.1111/JNC.13600
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.BBADIS.2016.12.007
Abstract: Allopregnanolone (AP) is supposed to exert beneficial actions including anxiolysis, analgesia, neurogenesis and neuroprotection. However, although mitochondrial dysfunctions are evidenced in neurodegenerative diseases, AP actions against neurodegeneration-induced mitochondrial deficits have never been investigated. Also, the therapeutic exploitation of AP is limited by its difficulty to pass the liver and its rapid clearance after sulfation or glucuronidation of its 3-hydroxyl group. Therefore, the characterization of novel potent neuroprotective analogs of AP may be of great interest. Thus, we synthesized a set of AP analogs (ANS) and investigated their ability to counteract APP-overexpression-evoked bioenergetic deficits and to protect against oxidative stress-induced death of control and APP-transfected SH-SY5Y cells known as a reliable cellular model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Especially, we examined whether ANS were more efficient than AP to reduce mitochondrial dysfunctions or bioenergetic decrease leading to neuronal cell death. Our results showed that the ANS BR 297 exhibits notable advantages over AP with regards to both protection of mitochondrial functions and reduction of oxidative stress. Indeed, under physiological conditions, BR 297 does not promote cell proliferation but efficiently ameliorates the bioenergetics by increasing cellular ATP level and mitochondrial respiration. Under oxidative stress situations, BR 297 treatment, which decreases ROS levels, improves mitochondrial respiration and cell survival, appears more potent than AP to protect control and APP-transfected cells against H
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-10-2019
DOI: 10.1111/JNE.12796
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-07-2016
DOI: 10.1038/MP.2016.112
Abstract: The mammalian ShcA adaptor protein p66
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 25-06-2011
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.BBADIS.2012.04.007
Abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, and amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and tau-containing tangles are its histopathological hallmark lesions. These do not occur at random rather, the neurodegenerative process is stereotyped in that it is initiated in the entorhinal cortex and hippoc al formation. Interestingly, it is the latter brain area where the calcium-sensing enzyme hippocalcin is highly expressed. Because calcium deregulation is a well-established pathomechanism in AD, we aimed to address the putative role of hippocalcin in human AD brain and transgenic mouse models. We found that hippocalcin levels are increased in human AD brain and in Aβ plaque-forming APP23 transgenic mice compared to controls. To determine the role of hippocalcin in Aβ toxicity, we treated primary cultures derived from hippocalcin knockout (HC KO) mice with Aβ and found them to be more susceptible to Aβ toxicity than controls. Likewise, treatment with either thapsigargin or ionomycin, both known to deregulate intracellular calcium levels, caused an increased toxicity in hippoc al neurons from HC KO mice compared to wild-type. We found further that mitochondrial complex I activity increased from 3 to 6months in hippoc al mitochondria from wild-type and HC KO mice, but that the latter exhibited a significantly stronger aging phenotype than wild-type. Aβ treatment induced significant toxicity on hippoc al mitochondria from HC KO mice already at 3months of age, while wild-type mitochondria were spared. Our data suggest that hippocalcin has a neuroprotective role in AD, presenting it as a putative biomarker.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-07-2020
Publisher: Springer New York
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2627-5_9
Abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the presence of amyloid plaques (aggregates of amyloid-β [Aβ]) and neurofibrillary tangles (aggregates of tau) in the brain, but the underlying mechanisms of the disease are still partially unclear. A growing body of evidence supports mitochondrial dysfunction as a prominent and early, chronic oxidative stress-associated event that contributes to synaptic abnormalities, and, ultimately, selective neuronal degeneration in AD. Using a high-resolution respirometry system, we shed new light on the close interrelationship of this organelle with Aβ and tau in the pathogenic process underlying AD by showing a synergistic effect of these two hallmark proteins on the oxidative phosphorylation capacity of mitochondria isolated from the brain of transgenic AD mice. In the present chapter, we first introduce the principle of the Aβ and tau interaction on mitochondrial respiration, and secondly, we describe in detail the used respiratory protocol.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 13-05-2023
Abstract: Pathological abnormalities in the tau protein give rise to a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, conjointly termed tauopathies. Several tau mutations have been identified in the tau-encoding gene MAPT, affecting either the physical properties of tau or resulting in altered tau splicing. At early disease stages, mitochondrial dysfunction was highlighted with mutant tau compromising almost every aspect of mitochondrial function. Additionally, mitochondria have emerged as fundamental regulators of stem cell function. Here, we show that compared to the isogenic wild-type triple MAPT-mutant human-induced pluripotent stem cells, bearing the pathogenic N279K, P301L, and E10+16 mutations, exhibit deficits in mitochondrial bioenergetics and present altered parameters linked to the metabolic regulation of mitochondria. Moreover, we demonstrate that the triple tau mutations disturb the cellular redox homeostasis and modify the mitochondrial network morphology and distribution. This study provides the first characterization of disease-associated tau-mediated mitochondrial impairments in an advanced human cellular tau pathology model at early disease stages, ranging from mitochondrial bioenergetics to dynamics. Consequently, comprehending better the influence of dysfunctional mitochondria on the development and differentiation of stem cells and their contribution to disease progression may thus assist in the potential prevention and treatment of tau-related neurodegeneration.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-07-2015
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 04-03-2022
Abstract: The main source of error in gene expression is messenger RNA decoding by the ribosome. Translational accuracy has been suggested on a purely correlative basis to positively coincide with maximum possible life span among different rodent species, but causal evidence that translation errors accelerate aging in vivo and limit life span is lacking. We have now addressed this question experimentally by creating heterozygous knock-in mice that express the ribosomal ambiguity mutation RPS9 D95N, resulting in genome-wide error-prone translation. Here, we show that Rps9 D95N knock-in mice exhibit reduced life span and a premature onset of numerous aging-related phenotypes, such as reduced weight, chest deformation, hunchback posture, poor fur condition, and urinary syndrome, together with lymphopenia, increased levels of reactive oxygen species–inflicted damage, accelerated age-related changes in DNA methylation, and telomere attrition. Our results provide an experimental link between translational accuracy, life span, and aging-related phenotypes in mammals.
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 24-11-2009
Abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by amyloid-beta (Aβ)-containing plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuron and synapse loss. Tangle formation has been reproduced in P301L tau transgenic pR5 mice, whereas APP sw PS2 N141I double-transgenic APP152 mice develop Aβ plaques. Cross-breeding generates triple transgenic ( triple AD) mice that combine both pathologies in one model. To determine functional consequences of the combined Aβ and tau pathologies, we performed a proteomic analysis followed by functional validation. Specifically, we obtained vesicular preparations from triple AD mice, the parental strains, and nontransgenic mice, followed by the quantitative mass-tag labeling proteomic technique iTRAQ and mass spectrometry. Within 1,275 quantified proteins, we found a massive deregulation of 24 proteins, of which one-third were mitochondrial proteins mainly related to complexes I and IV of the oxidative phosphorylation system (OXPHOS). Notably, deregulation of complex I was tau dependent, whereas deregulation of complex IV was Aβ dependent, both at the protein and activity levels. Synergistic effects of Aβ and tau were evident in 8-month-old triple AD mice as only they showed a reduction of the mitochondrial membrane potential at this early age. At the age of 12 months, the strongest defects on OXPHOS, synthesis of ATP, and reactive oxygen species were exhibited in the triple AD mice, again emphasizing synergistic, age-associated effects of Aβ and tau in perishing mitochondria. Our study establishes a molecular link between Aβ and tau protein in AD pathology in vivo, illustrating the potential of quantitative proteomics.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-10-2015
DOI: 10.1007/S10522-015-9618-4
Abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that represents the most common form of dementia among the elderly. Despite the fact that AD was studied for decades, the underlying mechanisms that trigger this neuropathology remain unresolved. Since the onset of cognitive deficits occurs generally within the 6th decade of life, except in rare familial case, advancing age is the greatest known risk factor for AD. To unravel the pathogenesis of the disease, numerous studies use cellular and animal models based on genetic mutations found in rare early onset familial AD (FAD) cases that represent less than 1 % of AD patients. However, the underlying process that leads to FAD appears to be distinct from that which results in late-onset AD. As a genetic disorder, FAD clearly is a consequence of malfunctioning/mutated genes, while late-onset AD is more likely due to a gradual accumulation of age-related malfunction. Normal aging and AD are both marked by defects in brain metabolism and increased oxidative stress, albeit to varying degrees. Mitochondria are involved in these two phenomena by controlling cellular bioenergetics and redox homeostasis. In the present review, we compare the common features observed in both brain aging and AD, placing mitochondrial in the center of pathological events that separate normal and pathological aging. We emphasize a bioenergetic model for AD including the inverse Warburg hypothesis which postulates that AD is a consequence of mitochondrial deregulation leading to metabolic reprogramming as an initial attempt to maintain neuronal integrity. After the failure of this compensatory mechanism, bioenergetic deficits may lead to neuronal death and dementia. Thus, mitochondrial dysfunction may represent the missing link between aging and sporadic AD, and represent attractive targets against neurodegeneration.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 13-05-2022
DOI: 10.1155/2022/5647599
Abstract: Background. Sustained stress with the overproduction of corticosteroids has been shown to increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) leading to an oxidative stress state. Mitochondria are the main generators of ROS and are directly and detrimentally affected by their overproduction. Neurons depend almost solely on ATP produced by mitochondria in order to satisfy their energy needs and to form synapses, while stress has been proven to alter synaptic plasticity. Emerging evidence underpins that Rhodiola rosea, an adaptogenic plant rich in polyphenols, exerts antioxidant, antistress, and neuroprotective effects. Methods. In this study, the effect of Rhodiola rosea extract (RRE) WS®1375 on neuronal ROS regulation, bioenergetics, and neurite outgrowth, as well as its potential modulatory effect on the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) pathway, was evaluated in the human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y and the murine hippoc al HT22 cell lines. Stress was induced using the corticosteroid dexamethasone. Results. RRE increased bioenergetics as well as cell viability and scavenged ROS with a similar efficacy in both cells lines and counteracted the respective corticosteroid-induced dysregulation. The effect of RRE, both under dexamethasone-stress and under normal conditions, resulted in biphasic U-shape and inverted U-shape dose response curves, a characteristic feature of adaptogenic plant extracts. Additionally, RRE treatment promoted neurite outgrowth and induced an increase in BDNF levels. Conclusion. These findings indicate that RRE may constitute a candidate for the prevention of stress-induced pathophysiological processes as well as oxidative stress. Therefore, it could be employed against stress-associated mental disorders potentially leading to the development of a condition-specific supplementation.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 12-05-2019
DOI: 10.1155/2019/9695412
Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia affecting people mainly in their sixth decade of life and at a higher age. It is an extensively studied neurodegenerative disorder yet incurable to date. While its main postmortem brain hallmarks are the presence of amyloid- β plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau tangles, the onset of the disease seems to be largely correlated to mitochondrial dysfunction, an early event in the disease pathogenesis. AD is characterized by flawed energy metabolism in the brain and excessive oxidative stress, processes that involve less adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and more reactive oxygen species (ROS) production respectively. Mitochondria are at the center of both these processes as they are responsible for energy and ROS generation through mainly oxidative phosphorylation. Standardized Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE), resveratrol, and phytoestrogens as well as the neurosteroid allopregnanolone have shown not only some mitochondria-modulating properties but also significant antioxidant potential in in vitro and in vivo studies. According to our review of the literature, GBE, resveratrol, allopregnanolone, and phytoestrogens showed promising effects on mitochondria in a descending evidence order and, notably, this order pattern is in line with the existing clinical evidence level for each entity. In this review, the effects of these four entities are discussed with special focus on their mitochondria-modulating effects and their mitochondria-improving and antioxidant properties across the spectrum of cognitive decline-related disorders. Evidence from preclinical and clinical studies on their mechanisms of action are summarized and highlighted.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 12-12-2011
Publisher: S. Karger AG
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1159/000283475
Abstract: i Background: /i How β-amyloid (Aβ) and tau exert toxicity in Alzheimer’s disease is only partly understood. Major questions include (1) which aggregation state of Aβ confers toxicity, (2) do amyloidogenic proteins have similar mechanisms of toxicity, and (3) does soluble tau interfere with cellular functions? i Methods: /i To determine Aβ toxicity in P301L mutant tau transgenic mice, mitochondrial function was assessed after insult with monomeric, oligomeric and fibrillar Aβ. Amylin and Aβ toxicity were compared in cortical and hippoc al long-term cultures. To determine tau toxicity, K369I mutant tau mice were established as a model of frontotemporal dementia, analyzed biochemically and compared with human diseased brain. i Results: /i Oligomeric and fibrillar Aβ42 were both toxic, although to different degrees. Human amylin shared toxicity with Aβ42, an effect not observed for nonamyloidogenic rat amylin. Clinical features of K369I tau mice were caused by aberrant interaction of phosphorylated tau with JIP1, a component of the kinesin transport machinery. i Conclusion: /i Our data support the notion of a synergistic action of tau and Aβ pathology on mitochondria. A specific conformation of Aβ42 and human amylin determines toxicity. Finally, trapping of JIP1 by phosphorylated tau in the neuronal soma emerges as a fundamental pathomechanism in neurodegeneration.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.CELL.2010.06.036
Abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by amyloid-beta (Abeta) and tau deposition in brain. It has emerged that Abeta toxicity is tau dependent, although mechanistically this link remains unclear. Here, we show that tau, known as axonal protein, has a dendritic function in postsynaptic targeting of the Src kinase Fyn, a substrate of which is the NMDA receptor (NR). Missorting of tau in transgenic mice expressing truncated tau (Deltatau) and absence of tau in tau(-/-) mice both disrupt postsynaptic targeting of Fyn. This uncouples NR-mediated excitotoxicity and hence mitigates Abeta toxicity. Deltatau expression and tau deficiency prevent memory deficits and improve survival in Abeta-forming APP23 mice, a model of AD. These deficits are also fully rescued with a peptide that uncouples the Fyn-mediated interaction of NR and PSD-95 in vivo. Our findings suggest that this dendritic role of tau confers Abeta toxicity at the postsynapse with direct implications for pathogenesis and treatment of AD.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.BBADIS.2014.09.013
Abstract: The brain has high energy requirements to maintain neuronal activity. Consequently impaired mitochondrial function will lead to disease. Normal aging is associated with several alterations in neurosteroid production and secretion. Decreases in neurosteroid levels might contribute to brain aging and loss of important nervous functions, such as memory. Up to now, extensive studies only focused on estradiol as a promising neurosteroid compound that is able to ameliorate cellular bioenergetics, while the effects of other steroids on brain mitochondria are poorly understood or not investigated at all. Thus, we aimed to characterize the bioenergetic modulating profile of a panel of seven structurally erse neurosteroids (progesterone, estradiol, estrone, testosterone, 3α-androstanediol, DHEA and allopregnanolone), known to be involved in brain function regulation. Of note, most of the steroids tested were able to improve bioenergetic activity in neuronal cells by increasing ATP levels, mitochondrial membrane potential and basal mitochondrial respiration. In parallel, they modulated redox homeostasis by increasing antioxidant activity, probably as a compensatory mechanism to a slight enhancement of ROS which might result from the rise in oxygen consumption. Thereby, neurosteroids appeared to act via their corresponding receptors and exhibited specific bioenergetic profiles. Taken together, our results indicate that the ability to boost mitochondria is not unique to estradiol, but seems to be a rather common mechanism of different steroids in the brain. Thus, neurosteroids may act upon neuronal bioenergetics in a delicate balance and an age-related steroid disturbance might be involved in mitochondrial dysfunction underlying neurodegenerative disorders.
Publisher: Research Square Platform LLC
Date: 16-12-2021
DOI: 10.21203/RS.3.RS-1114693/V1
Abstract: A potential explanation for the spatiotemporal accumulation of pathological lesions in the brain of patients with neurodegenerative protein misfolding diseases (PMDs) is cell-to-cell transmission of aggregation-prone, misfolded proteins. Little is known about central to peripheral transmission and its contribution to pathology. We show that transmission of Huntington’s disease- (HD-) associated mutant HTT exon 1 (mHTTEx1) occurs across the neuromuscular junctions in human iPSC cultures and in vivo in wild-type mice. We found that transmission is an active and dynamic process, that happens prior to aggregate formation and is regulated by synaptic activity. Furthermore, we find that transmitted mHTTEx1 causes HD-relevant pathology at a molecular and functional level in human muscle cells, even in the presence of ubiquitous expression mHTTEx1. With this work we uncover a casual-link between mHTTEx1 synaptic transmission and pathology, highlighting the therapeutic potential in blocking toxic protein transmission in PMDs.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2005
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 02-12-2019
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-2010
Abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the elderly. Both diseases are characterized by amyloid deposition in target tissues: aggregation of amylin in T2DM is associated with loss of insulin-secreting beta-cells, while amyloid beta (A beta) aggregation in AD brain is associated with neuronal loss. Here, we used quantitative iTRAQ proteomics as a discovery tool to show that both A beta and human amylin (HA) deregulate identical proteins, a quarter of which are mitochondrial, supporting the notion that mitochondrial dysfunction is a common target in these two amyloidoses. A functional validation revealed that mitochondrial complex IV activity was significantly reduced after treatment with either HA or A beta, as was mitochondrial respiration. In comparison, complex I activity was reduced only after treatment with HA. A beta and HA, but not the non-amyloidogenic rat amylin, induced significant increases in the generation of ROS. Co-incubation of HA and A beta did not produce an augmented effect in ROS production, again suggesting common toxicity mechanisms. In conclusion, our data suggest that A beta and HA both exert toxicity, at least in part, via mitochondrial dysfunction, thus restoring their function may be beneficial for both AD and T2DM.
Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.
Date: 02-2007
DOI: 10.2174/156720507779939823
Abstract: The pineal and retinal melatonin regulates endogenous circadian rhythms, and has various physiological functions including neuromodulatory and vasoactive actions, antioxidative and neuroprotective properties. We have previously demonstrated that the melatonin 1a-receptor (MT(1)) is localized in human retinal cells and that the expression of MT(1) is increased in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. We now present the first immunohistochemical evidence for the cellular distribution of the second melatonin receptor, MT(2), in the human retina and in AD patients. In elderly controls, MT(2) was localized to ganglion and bipolar cells in the inner nuclear layer, and to the inner segments of the photoreceptor cells. In addition, cellular processes in inner and outer plexiform layers were strongly positive for MT(2). In AD patients the overall intensity of MT(2)-staining was distinctly decreased in all observed cellular localizations. Our results indicate that MT(2) in the humans, similar to MT(1), may indeed be involved in transmitting melatonin's effects in the retina, and AD pathology may impair MT(2) expression. Since our previous results showed an increase in MT(1) expression in AD retina, the two melatonin receptor subtypes appear to be differentially affected by the course of the neurodegenerative disorder.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.NEUBIOREV.2016.04.012
Abstract: Epidemiological studies revealed that two-thirds of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients are women and the drop of sex steroid hormones after the menopause has been proposed to be one risk factor in AD. Similarly, the decrease of circulating testosterone levels with aging may also increase the risk of AD in men. Studies attest the neuroprotective effects of sex hormones in animal models of AD, but clinical trial data remain controversial. Here, we discuss the implication of mitochondria in gender differences observed in AD patients and animal models of AD. We summarize the role of mitochondria in aging and AD, pointing to the potential correlation between the loss of sex hormones and changes in the brain redox status. We discuss the protective effects of the sex hormones, estradiol, progesterone and testosterone with a specific focus on mitochondrial dysfunction in AD. The understanding of pathological processes linking the loss of sex hormones with mitochondrial dysfunction and mechanisms that initiate the disease onset may open new avenues for the development of gender-specific therapeutic approaches.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-08-2004
Publisher: EMBO
Date: 04-07-2023
Abstract: Abnormal tau protein impairs mitochondrial function, including transport, dynamics, and bioenergetics. Mitochondria interact with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) via mitochondria‐associated ER membranes (MAMs), which coordinate and modulate many cellular functions, including mitochondrial cholesterol metabolism. Here, we show that abnormal tau loosens the association between the ER and mitochondria in vivo and in vitro . Especially, ER‐mitochondria interactions via vesicle‐associated membrane protein‐associated protein (VAPB)—protein tyrosine phosphatase‐interacting protein 51 (PTPIP51) are decreased in the presence of abnormal tau. Disruption of MAMs in cells with abnormal tau alters the levels of mitochondrial cholesterol and pregnenolone, indicating that conversion of cholesterol into pregnenolone is impaired. Opposite effects are observed in the absence of tau. Besides, targeted metabolomics reveals overall alterations in cholesterol‐related metabolites by tau. The inhibition of GSK3β decreases abnormal tau hyperphosphorylation and increases VAPB–PTPIP51 interactions, restoring mitochondrial cholesterol and pregnenolone levels. This study is the first to highlight a link between tau‐induced impairments in the ER‐mitochondria interaction and cholesterol metabolism.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2018
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-06-2012
Location: United States of America
Location: Germany
Location: Germany
No related grants have been discovered for Anne Eckert.