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The assembly of biomolecules into condensates is a fundamental process underlying the organisation of the intracellular space and the regulation of many cellular functions. Mapping and characterising phase behaviour of biomolecules is essential to understand the mechanisms of condensate assembly, and to develop therapeutic strategies targeting biomolecular condensate systems. A central concept for characterising phase-separating systems is the phase diagram. Phase diagrams are typically built from numerous individual measurements sampling different parts of the parameter space. However, even when performed in microwell plate format, this process is slow, low throughput and requires significant sample consumption. To address this challenge, we present here a combinatorial droplet microfluidic platform, termed PhaseScan, for rapid and high-resolution acquisition of multidimensional biomolecular phase diagrams. Using this platform, we characterise the phase behaviour of a wide range of systems under a variety of conditions and demonstrate that this approach allows the quantitative characterisation of the effect of small molecules on biomolecular phase transitions. A central concept for characterising phase-separating systems is the phase diagram but generation of such diagrams for biomolecular systems is typically slow and low-throughput. Here the authors describe PhaseScan, a combinatorial droplet microfluidic platform for high-resolution acquisition of multidimensional biomolecular phase diagrams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers induce the overproduction of phosphorylated tau and neurodegeneration. These cascades gradually cause cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD). While each pathological event in AD has been studied in detail separately, the spatial and temporal relationships between pathological events in AD remain unclear.Objective: We demonstrated that lipid rafts function as a common platform for the pathological cascades of AD.Methods: Cellular and synaptosomal lipid rafts were prepared from the brains of Aβ amyloid model mice (Tg2576 mice) and double transgenic mice (Tg2576 x TgTauP301L mice) and longitudinally analyzed.Results: Aβ dimers, the cellular prion protein (PrPc), and Aβ dimer/PrPc complexes were detected in the lipid rafts. The levels of Fyn, the phosphorylated NR2B subunit of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, glycogen synthase kinase 3β, total tau, phosphorylated tau, and tau oligomers increased with Aβ dimer accumulation in both the cellular and synaptosomal lipid rafts. Increases in the levels of these molecules were first seen at 6 months of age and corresponded with the early stages of Aβ accumulation in the amyloid model mice.Conclusion: Lipid rafts act as a common platform for the progression of AD pathology. The findings of this study suggest a novel therapeutic approach to AD, involving the modification of lipid raft components and the inhibition of their roles in the sequential pathological events of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The molecular link between amyloid-β plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, the two pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease, is still unclear. Increasing evidence suggests that amyloid-β peptide activates multiple regulators of cell cycle pathways, including transcription factors CDKs and E2F1, leading to hyperphosphorylation of tau protein. However, the exact pathways downstream of amyloid-β-induced cell cycle imbalance are unknown. Here, we show that PAX6, a transcription factor essential for eye and brain development which is quiescent in adults, is increased in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease and in APP transgenic mice, and plays a key role between amyloid-β and tau hyperphosphorylation. Downregulation of PAX6 protects against amyloid-β peptide-induced neuronal death, suggesting that PAX6 is a key executor of the amyloid-β toxicity pathway. Mechanistically, amyloid-β upregulates E2F1, followed by the induction of PAX6 and c-Myb, while Pax6 is a direct target for both E2F1 and its downstream target c-Myb. Furthermore, PAX6 directly regulates transcription of GSK-3β, a kinase involved in tau hyperphosphorylation and neurofibrillary tangles formation, and its phosphorylation of tau at Ser356, Ser396 and Ser404. In conclusion, we show that signalling pathways that include CDK/pRB/E2F1 modulate neuronal death signals by activating downstream transcription factors c-Myb and PAX6, leading to GSK-3β activation and tau pathology, providing novel potential targets for pharmaceutical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid–liquid phase separation of proteins underpins the formation of membraneless compartments in living cells. Elucidating the molecular driving forces underlying protein phase transitions is therefore a key objective for understanding biological function and malfunction. Here we show that cellular proteins, which form condensates at low salt concentrations, including FUS, TDP-43, Brd4, Sox2, and Annexin A11, can reenter a phase-separated regime at high salt concentrations. By bringing together experiments and simulations, we demonstrate that this reentrant phase transition in the high-salt regime is driven by hydrophobic and non-ionic interactions, and is mechanistically distinct from the low-salt regime, where condensates are additionally stabilized by electrostatic forces. Our work thus sheds light on the cooperation of hydrophobic and non-ionic interactions as general driving forces in the condensation process, with important implications for aberrant function, druggability, and material properties of biomolecular condensates. Elucidating the molecular driving forces underlying liquid–liquid phase separation is a key objective for understanding biological function and malfunction. Here the authors show that a wide range of cellular proteins, including FUS, TDP-43, Brd4, Sox2, and Annexin A11, which form condensates at low salt concentrations, can reenter a phase-separated regime at high salt concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The molecular events causing memory loss and neuronal cell death in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) over time are still unknown. Here we found that picomolar concentrations of soluble oligomers of synthetic beta amyloid (Aβ42) aggregates incubated with BV2 cells or rat astrocytes caused a sensitised response of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) with time, leading to increased production of TNF-α. Aβ aggregates caused long term potentiation (LTP) deficit in hippocampal slices and predominantly neuronal cell death in co-cultures of astrocytes and neurons, which was blocked by TLR4 antagonists. Soluble Aβ aggregates cause LTP deficit and neuronal death via an autocrine/paracrine mechanism due to TLR4 signalling. These findings suggest that the TLR4-mediated inflammatory response may be a key pathophysiological process in AD.Hughes et al. investigate the TLR4-mediated inflammatory response in Alzheimer’s disease and show that picomolar concentrations of soluble amyloid beta aggregates lead to a sensitised response of TLR4 with time, resulting in increased TNF-α production. They suggest the use of near physiological concentration of soluble aggregates can cause long-term potentiation deficit and neuronal death through an autocrine/paracrine mechanism due to TLR4 signalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age at onset of Alzheimer's disease is highly variable, and its modifiers (genetic or environmental) could act through epigenetic changes, such as DNA methylation at CpG sites. DNA methylation is also linked to ageing-the strongest Alzheimer's disease risk factor. DNA methylation age can be calculated using age-related CpGs and might reflect biological ageing. We conducted a clinical, genetic and epigenetic investigation of a unique Ashkenazi Jewish family with monozygotic triplets, two of whom developed Alzheimer's disease at ages 73 and 76, while the third at age 85 has no cognitive complaints or deficits in daily activities. One of their offspring developed Alzheimer's disease at age 50. Targeted sequencing of 80 genes associated with neurodegeneration revealed that the triplets and the affected offspring are heterozygous carriers of the risk APOE ε4 allele, as well as rare substitutions in APP (p.S198P), NOTCH3 (p.H1235L) and SORL1 (p.W1563C). In addition, we catalogued 52 possibly damaging rare variants detected by NeuroX array in affected individuals. Analysis of family members on a genome-wide DNA methylation chip revealed that the DNA methylation age of the triplets was 6-10 years younger than chronological age, while it was 9 years older in the offspring with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, suggesting accelerated ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alpha-synuclein is known to bind to small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) via its N terminus, which forms an amphipathic alpha-helix upon membrane interaction. Here we show that calcium binds to the C terminus of alpha-synuclein, therewith increasing its lipid-binding capacity. Using CEST-NMR, we reveal that alpha-synuclein interacts with isolated synaptic vesicles with two regions, the N terminus, already known from studies on SUVs, and additionally via its C terminus, which is regulated by the binding of calcium. Indeed, dSTORM on synaptosomes shows that calcium mediates the localization of alpha-synuclein at the pre-synaptic terminal, and an imbalance in calcium or alpha-synuclein can cause synaptic vesicle clustering, as seen ex vivo and in vitro. This study provides a new view on the binding of alpha-synuclein to synaptic vesicles, which might also affect our understanding of synucleinopathies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive decline is sexually dimorphic in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Men show higher incidences of amnestic mild cognitive impairment yet women disproportionally phenoconvert to AD. It is hypothesized that men maintain greater cognitive reserve than women under comparable amyloid-β (Aβ) challenge. One behavioral aspect of cognitive reserve in mice is the capacity to cope with Aβ-associated stereotypies by switching to increasingly effective navigational search strategies in the Morris water maze. To explore inherent sex differences in this paradigm, however, we require an AβPP mouse model wherein behavioral flexibility is impaired earlier in females than males despite equivalent Aβ load. Here, we show that when F1 C57Bl/6×C3H/HeJ TgCRND8 mice are placed on C57Bl/6 background, N5 Tg males and females exhibit equivalent Aβ pathologies at 2, 4, 6, and 8 months of age yet females display learning and memory deficits earlier than males. We further show that this N5 line does not carry the autosomal recessive pde6brd1 mutation that impairs visual acuity and that the estrous cycle is not disrupted on this genetic background. At 5.5 months of age, Tg males, but not females, compensate for Aβ-associated stereotypic behaviors (i.e., hyperactive tight circling) by alternating navigational search strategies and adopting increasingly productive spatial search strategies. Females fail to overcome Aβ-associated stereotypies and do not efficiently switch from systematic to spatial learning strategies. Together, these data identify a novel AβPP mouse model that can be used for preclinical testing of interventions targeting sexual dimorphisms in behavioral indices of cognitive reserve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides leading to deposition of senile plaques and a progressive decline of cognitive functions, which currently remains the main criterion for its diagnosis. Robust biomarkers for AD do not yet exist, although changes in the cerebrospinal fluid levels of tau and Aβ represent promising candidates in addition to brain imaging and genetic risk profiling. Although concentrations of soluble Aβ42 correlate with symptoms of AD, less is known about the biological activities of Aβ peptides which are generated from the amyloid-β protein precursor. An unbiased DNA microarray study showed that Aβ42, at sub-lethal concentrations, specifically increases expression of several genes in neuroblastoma cells, notably the insulin-like growth factor binding proteins 3 and 5 (IGFBP3/5), the transcription regulator inhibitor of DNA binding, and the transcription factor Lim only domain protein 4. Using qRT-PCR, we confirmed that mRNA levels of the identified candidate genes were exclusively increased by the potentially neurotoxic Aβ42 wild-type peptide, as both the less toxic Aβ40 and a non-toxic substitution peptide Aβ42 G33A did not affect mRNA levels. In vivo immunohistochemistry revealed a corresponding increase in both hippocampal and cortical IGFBP5 expression in an AD mouse model. Proteomic analyses of human AD cerebrospinal fluid displayed increased in vivo concentrations of IGFBPs. IGFBPs and transcription factors, as identified here, are modulated by soluble Aβ42 and may represent useful early biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides leading to deposition of senile plaques and a progressive decline of cognitive functions, which currently remains the main criterion for its diagnosis. Robust biomarkers for AD do not yet exist, although changes in the cerebrospinal fluid levels of tau and Aβ represent promising candidates in addition to brain imaging and genetic risk profiling. Although concentrations of soluble Aβ42 correlate with symptoms of AD, less is known about the biological activities of Aβ peptides which are generated from the amyloid-β protein precursor. An unbiased DNA microarray study showed that Aβ42, at sub-lethal concentrations, specifically increases expression of several genes in neuroblastoma cells, notably the insulin-like growth factor binding proteins 3 and 5 (IGFBP3/5), the transcription regulator inhibitor of DNA binding, and the transcription factor Lim only domain protein 4. Using qRT-PCR, we confirmed that mRNA levels of the identified candidate genes were exclusively increased by the potentially neurotoxic Aβ42 wild-type peptide, as both the less toxic Aβ40 and a non-toxic substitution peptide Aβ42 G33A did not affect mRNA levels. In vivo immunohistochemistry revealed a corresponding increase in both hippocampal and cortical IGFBP5 expression in an AD mouse model. Proteomic analyses of human AD cerebrospinal fluid displayed increased in vivo concentrations of IGFBPs. IGFBPs and transcription factors, as identified here, are modulated by soluble Aβ42 and may represent useful early biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: P73 belongs to the p53 family of cell survival regulators with the corresponding locus Trp73 producing the N-terminally distinct isoforms, TAp73 and DeltaNp73. Recently, two studies have implicated the murine Trp73 in the modulation in phospho-tau accumulation in aged wild type mice and in young mice modeling Alzheimer's disease (AD) suggesting that Trp73, particularly the DeltaNp73 isoform, links the accumulation of amyloid peptides to the creation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Here, we reevaluated tau pathologies in the same TgCRND8 mouse model as the previous studies. Results: Despite the use of the same animal models, our in vivo studies failed to demonstrate biochemical or histological evidence for misprocessing of tau in young compound Trp73+/- + TgCRND8 mice or in aged Trp73+/- mice analyzed at the ages reported previously, or older. Secondly, we analyzed an additional mouse model where the DeltaNp73 was specifically deleted and confirmed a lack of impact of the DeltaNp73 allele, either in heterozygous or homozygous form, upon tau pathology in aged mice. Lastly, we also examined human TP73 for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and/or copy number variants in a meta-analysis of 10 AD genome-wide association datasets. No SNPs reached significance after correction for multiple testing and no duplications/ deletions in TP73 were found in 549 cases of AD and 544 non-demented controls. Conclusion: Our results fail to support P73 as a contributor to AD pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibody-mediated imaging of amyloid β (Aβ) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) offers a promising strategy to detect and monitor specific Ab species, such as oligomers, that have important pathological and therapeutic relevance. The major current limitation of antibodies as a diagnostic and imaging device is poor blood-brain-barrier permeability. A classical anti-Ab antibody, 6E10, is modified with 10 kDa polyethylene glycol (PEG) and a positron emitting isotope, Copper-64 (tK= 12.7 h), and intravenously delivered to the TgCRND8 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Modification of 6E10 with PEG (6E10-PEG) increases accumulation of 6E10 in brain tissue in both TgCRND8 and wild type control animals. 6E10-PEG differentiates TgCRND8 animals from wild type controls using positron emission tomography (PET) and provides a framework for using antibodies to detect pathology using non-invasive medical imaging techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Members of the vacuolar protein sorting 10 (Vps10) family of receptors (including sortilin, SorL1, SorCS1, SorCS2, and SorCS3) play pleiotropic functions in protein trafficking and intracellular and intercellular signaling in neuronal and non-neuronal cells. Interactions have been documented between Vps10 family members and the retromer coat complex, a key component of the intracellular trafficking apparatus that sorts cargo from the early endosome to the trans-Golgi network. In recent years, genes encoding several members of the Vps10 family of proteins, as well as components of the retromer coat complex, have been implicated as genetic risk factors for sporadic and autosomal dominant forms of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, and Parkinson's disease, with risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis. In addition to their functions in protein trafficking, the Vps10 family proteins modulate neurotrophic signaling pathways. Sortilin can impact the intracellular response to brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) by regulating anterograde trafficking of Trk receptors to the synapse and direct control of BDNF levels, while both sortilin and SorCS2 function as cell surface receptors to mediate acute responses to proneurotrophins. This mini-review and symposium will highlight the emerging data from this rapidly growing area of research implicating the Vps10 family of receptors and the retromer in physiological intracellular trafficking signaling by neurotrophins and in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple lines of evidence suggest that specific subtypes of age-related cataract (ARC) and Alzheimer disease (AD) are related etiologically. To identify shared genetic factors for ARC and AD, we estimated co-heritability of quantitative measures of cataract subtypes with AD-related brain MRI traits among 1,249 members of the Framingham Eye Study who had a brain MRI scan approximately ten years after the eye exam. Cortical cataract (CC) was found to be co-heritable with future development of AD and with several MRI traits, especially temporal horn volume (THV, p = 0.24, P<10-4). A genome-wide association study using 187,657 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for the bivariate outcome of CC and THV identified genome-wide significant association with CTNND2 SNPs rs17183619, rs13155993 and rs13170756 (P<2.6x10-7). These SNPs were also significantly associated with bivariate outcomes of CC and scores on several highly heritable neuropsychological tests (5.7x10-9≤P<3.7x10-6). Statistical interaction was demonstrated between rs17183619 and APP SNP rs2096488 on CC (P = 0.0015) and CC-THV (P = 0.038). A rare CTNND2 missense mutation (G810R) 249 base pairs from rs17183619 altered δ-catenin localization and increased secreted amyloid-β1-42 in neuronal cell culture. Immunohistopathological analysis of lens tissue obtained from two autopsy-confirmed AD subjects and two non-AD controls revealed elevated expression of δ-catenin in epithelial and cortical regions of lenses from AD subjects compared to controls. Our findings suggest that genetic variation in delta catenin may underlie both cortical lens opacities in mid-life and subsequent MRI and cognitive changes that presage the development of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by neurodegeneration, most notably of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. To date, six causative genes have been identified including LRRK2, whose mutations are the most frequent in autosomal dominant PD (Ad-PD). We conducted a comprehensive mutational analysis of LRRK2 in 30 Ad-PD (11 Japanese and 19 Caucasian) families employing a DNA microarray-based resequencing system and direct nucleotide sequence analysis, and identified 23 variants including two known mutations, p.G2019S and p.I1371V, in three Caucasian families and one Caucasian family, respectively, a novel putative pathogenic mutation, p.N1221K, in one Japanese family, and a known nonsynonymous variant, p.G2385R, in two Japanese families. Detailed analysis of the frequency of p.G2385R among 100 Japanese Ad-PD, 73 sporadic PD (sPD) and 238 controls revealed that the frequency of the p.G2385R variant was significantly higher in Ad-PD than in controls (allele frequency, 9.0 vs 2.1%) (χ2=16.32, P=5.34 × 10−5). The p.G2385R variant, however, did not show complete cosegregation with PD. In addition, the frequency of p.G2385R was also higher in sPD than in controls, although not significant (allele frequency, 3.4 vs 2.1%) (χ2=0.76, P=0.38). These observations support the possibility that p.G2385R is associated with an increased risk of PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine whether genotypes at CLU, PICALM, and CR1 confer risk for Alzheimer disease (AD) and whether risk for AD associated with these genes is influenced by apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotypes. Design: Association study of AD and CLU, PICALM, CR1, and APOE genotypes. Setting: Academic research institutions in the United States, Canada, and Israel. Participants: Seven thousand seventy cases with AD, 3055 with autopsies, and 8169 elderly cognitively normal controls, 1092 with autopsies, from 12 different studies, including white, African American, Israeli-Arab, and Caribbean Hispanic individuals. Results: Unadjusted, CLU (odds ratio [OR], 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85-0.96 for single-nucleotide polymorphism [SNP] rs11136000), CR1 (OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.07-1.22; SNP rs3818361), and PICALM (OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.84-0.94, SNP rs3851179) were associated with AD in white individuals. None were significantly associated with AD in the other ethnic groups. APOE ε4 was significantly associated with AD (ORs, 1.80-9.05) in all but 1 small white cohort and in the Arab cohort. Adjusting for age, sex, and the presence of at least 1 APOE ε4 allele greatly reduced evidence for association with PICALM but not CR1 or CLU. Models with the main SNP effect, presence or absence of APOE ε4, and an interaction term showed significant interaction between presence or absence of APOE ε4 and PICALM. Conclusions: We confirm in a completely independent data set that CR1, CLU, and PICALM are AD susceptibility loci in European ancestry populations. Genotypes at PICALM confer risk predominantly in APOE ε4-positive subjects. Thus, APOE and PICALM synergistically interact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presenilin-1 (PSEN1) is a primary component of the γ-secretase complex, and total levels of its holoprotein and endoproteolytic fragments are tightly regulated. We examined the effects of several types of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress on quantitative changes in the levels of PSEN1 mRNA, holoprotein, and fragments. The ER stress-inducing chemical compounds tunicamycin, brefeldin-A, thapsigargin, and staurosporine were added to the culture media of various human cell lines. Tunicamycin treatment caused a doubling of PSEN1 holoprotein production in HEK293 cells and an increase in holoprotein production to approximately 180% in GOTO human neuroblastoma and KNS-42 human glioma cell lines, without changing the amounts of PSEN1 N- or C-terminal fragments. The elevated holoprotein level in HEK293 cells was accompanied by an increase in PSEN1 mRNA expression. HEK293 cells that stably overexpressed PSEN1 holoprotein showed increased resistance to ER stress induced by tunicamycin, but they did not show resistance to ER stress caused by thapsigargin, a specific inhibitor of sarco ER calcium-ATPase (SERCA). In wild-type HEK293 cells under ER stress induced by tunicamycin, an increased amount of SERCA interacted with PSEN1 holoprotein. PSEN1 production varied among cell types and circumstances. The results suggested that the holoprotein forms a complex with the SERCA channel and participates in the regulation of intracellular calcium homeostasis. These findings provide support for the calcium hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: It is not yet established whether statins (lipophilic or hydrophilic) reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and, if so, by differentially modifying brain lipid levels. Our aim was to assess changes in brain cholesterol metabolism as reflected in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) before and after treatment with either atorvastatin or simvastatin. Methods: We carried out a longitudinal analysis of CSF cholesterol, lathosterol and 24(S)-hydroxycholesterol before and after treatment with maximum doses of statins in 10 asymptomatic subjects, 8 of whom were heterozygous for apolipoprotein E ε4, and in 6 presymptomatic PS1 subjects. Results: Statins initially reduced CSF lathosterol cholesterol and 24(S)-hydroxycholesterol in both PS1 and non-PS1 subjects reaching a nadir at 6–7 months, followed by a return to baseline at 15 months with an overshoot at 2 years, tending to return to baseline thereafter. Conclusions: Possible long-term protective effects of statins are not likely largely related to the temporally-dependent biphasic effects of statin therapy upon the magnitude and direction of changes in CSF lipid levels and their subsequent return to baseline levels. Copyright © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presenilin-dependent γ-secretase processing of the β-amyloid precursor protein (βAPP) conditions the length of the amyloid β peptides (Aβ) that accumulate in the senile plaques of Alzheimer's disease-affected brains. This, together with an additional presenilinmediated β-secretase cleavage, generates intracellular βAPP-derived fragments named amyloid intracellular domains (AICDs) that regulate the transcription of several genes. We establish that presenilins control the transcription of cellular prion protein (PrPc) by a γ-secretase inhibitor-sensitive and AICD-mediated process. We demonstrate that AICD-dependent control of PrPc involves the tumor suppressor p53. Thus, p53-deficiency abolishes the AICD-mediated control of PrPc transcription. Furthermore, we show that p53 directly binds to the PrPc promoter and increases its transactivation. Overall, our study unravels a transcriptional regulation of PrPc by the oncogene p53 that is directly driven by presenilin-dependent formation of AICD. Furthermore, it adds support to previous reports linking secretase activities involved inβAPP metabolism to the physiology of PrPc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Microbleeds are hemosiderin deposits around small vessels and are well visualized with T2*-weighted gradient-recalled echo (GRE) imaging. Objectives: To determine frequency and topography of microbleeds in Alzheimer disease (AD) and to assess their association with leukoaraiosis and cognition. Design: Case-control cross-sectional analysis. Microbleeds were counted using GRE imaging. Leukoaraiosis was rated on T2-weighted and proton density-weighted scans using the Age-Related White Matter Changes Rating Scale (ARWMC). Neuropsychological tests indexed cognition. Setting: The Cognitive Neurology Clinic, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Patients: Individuals with probable AD (n=80) and healthy controls (n=25) from a longitudinal cohort with GRE sequences as part of standard imaging protocol (2002-2006). Results: Microbleeds occurred in 29% of patients with AD and 12% of controls and were multiple (1) in 48% of patients with AD and 33% of controls. There was lobar (vs centrencephalic) predominance in 92% of AD patients, with occipital lobes accounting for 57% of these microbleeds. The ARWMC scores (P.005) were significantly higher in AD patients with microbleeds than in those without, and microbleeds correlated with total (r=0.39, P=.01) and parietooccipital (r=0.28, P.01) ARWMC scores. We were unable to demonstrate an association between microbleeds (or leukoaraiosis) and cognitive performance. Results: Microbleeds occurred in 29% of patients with AD and 12% of controls and were multiple (>1) in 48% of patients with AD and 33% of controls. There was lobar (vs centrencephalic) predominance in 92% of AD patients, with occipital lobes accounting for 57% of these microbleeds. The ARWMC scores (P<.005) were significantly higher in AD patients with microbleeds than in those without, and microbleeds correlated with total (r=0.39, P=.01) and parietooccipital (r=0.28, P<.01) ARWMC scores. We were unable to demonstrate an association between microbleeds (or leukoaraiosis) and cognitive performance. Conclusions: Occipital predominance of microbleeds with corresponding parietooccipital leukoaraiosis has not been well described in prior imaging studies of AD. Microbleeds were frequent, often multiple, and predicted greater leukoaraiosis. These findings illustrate the complexity of AD vasculopathy and the need for additional studies in dementia and stroke populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the association between Alzheimer disease (AD) and variant alleles in SORL1 using a series of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in an urban, multiethnic, community-based population. Design: We used a nested case-control analysis in a population-based, prospective study of aging and dementia in Medicare recipients, 65 years and older. Setting: Northern Manhattan, NY. Participants: There were 296 patients with probable AD and 428 healthy, elderly controls. The participants were African American (34%), Caribbean Hispanic (51%), or non-Hispanic white (15%). Main Outcome Measures: We genotyped all 29 SNPs in SORL1 that were examined in the earlier report. We assessed allelic association with AD using standard casecontrol methods, which included apolipoprotein E genotype as a covariate. Results: Several individual SNPs and SNP haplotypes were significantly associated with AD in this prospectively collected community-based cohort, confirming the previously reported positive association of SORL1 with AD. Single nucleotide polymorphism 12, near the 5' region, was associated with AD in African American and Hispanic individuals. Two SNPs in the 3 ' region were also associated with AD in African American (SNP 26) and non-Hispanic white (SNP 20) individuals. A single haplotype in the 3' region was associated with AD in Hispanic individuals. However, several different haplotypes were associated with AD in African American and white individuals, including the TTC haplotypes at SNPs 23 through 25 (P=.035), which was significantly associated with AD in the North European white individuals in our previous report. Conclusions: This study confirms the association between genetic variants in SORL1 and AD. While the associations observed in these data sets overlap with those previously reported, the finding of novel SNP and haplotype associations suggests that there may be extensive allelic heterogeneity in SORL1. Broad regions of the SORL1 gene will therefore need to be scrutinized for functional pathogenic variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To identify novel candidate regions for lateonset Alzheimer disease (LOAD) and to confirm linkage in previously identified chromosomal regions. Design: Family-based linkage analysis. Setting: Probands with familial LOAD identified in clinics in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and the United States. Patients: We conducted a genome scan in 1161 members primarily clinically diagnosed as having LOAD; these members were from 209 families of Caribbean Hispanic ancestry. Main Outcome Measures: We analyzed 376 microsatellite markers with an average intermarker distance of 9.3 centimorgan. We conducted linkage analysis using possible and probable LOAD, and we performed affecteds-only 2-point linkage analyses assuming either an autosomal dominant or a recessive model. Subsequently, we conducted a multipoint affected sibling pair linkage analysis. Results: Two-point parametric linkage analysis identified a locus at 3q28 with a genomewide empirical P value of .03 (logarithm of odds [LOD],3.09) in a dominant model for probable and possible LOAD. Other regions suggestive of linkage included 2p25.3 (LOD, 1.77), 7p21.1 (LOD, 1.82), and 9q32 (LOD, 1.94). Under a recessive model, we also identified loci at 5p15.33 (LOD, 1.86), 12q24.21 (LOD, 2.43), 14q22.3 (LOD, 2.53), and 14q23.1 (LOD, 2.16) as suggestive for linkage. Restricted to probable LOAD, many of these loci continued to meet criteria suggestive for linkage, as did loci at2p25.3 (LOD, 2.72), 3q28 (LOD, 2.28), 6p21.31 (LOD, 2.19), and 7p21.1 (LOD, 2.05). APOE conditional analysis indicated that the observed linkage at 3q28 was independent of the APOE £4 allele. Multipoint nonparametric affected sibling pair linkage analysis provided confirmation of suggestive linkage for most, but not all, loci. Conclusions: Seven loci with LOD scores greater than 2.0 were identified among multiple affected Caribbean Hispanic families with LOAD. The highest LOD score was found at chromosome 3q28. At least 2 other independent studies have observed support for significant linkage at chromosome 3q28, highlighting this region as a locus for further genetic exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Up to 15% of cases of prion diseases are due to the autosomal dominant inheritance of coding PRNP mutations. Objective: To describe the unique clinical and genetic findings in a family of East Indian origin with autosomal dominant inheritance of a novel PRNP mutation. Design: Detailed neurological examination and sequencing analysis of the MAPT and PRNP genes. Setting: Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario. Patients: Five available members of a family of East Indian origin with a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by dementia, motor decline, and ataxia. Results: We identified a novel Pro105Thr mutation in the PRNP gene in all of the 3 clinically affected family members but not in their unaffected relatives or normal controls. Although 5 of 6 affected family members had a relatively homogeneous phenotype and age at onset (range, 33-41 years), 1 of the 6 patients developed the disease at age 13 years. Conclusions: A novel mutation in the PRNP gene was identified in all of the available, clinically affected members of this family with a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease. To our knowledge, the propositus represents the youngest individual with inherited prion disease described to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When given orally to a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer disease, cyclohexanehexol stereoisomers inhibit aggregation of amyloid β peptide (Aβ) into high-molecular-weight oligomers in the brain and ameliorate several Alzheimer disease–like phenotypes in these mice, including impaired cognition, altered synaptic physiology, cerebral Aβ pathology and accelerated mortality. These therapeutic effects, which occur regardless of whether the compounds are given before or well after the onset of the Alzheimer disease–like phenotype, support the idea that the accumulation of Aβ oligomers has a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About 1% of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) cases have an early-onset autosomal dominant familial form of the disease, genetic analyses of which have found three causal genes: amyloid β-protein precursor (AβPP), presenilin 1 (PS1) and presenilin 2 (PS2). The APOE gene is the only robustly replicated risk factor for the common form of AD with onset after 65 years of age. In at least half of the AD cases, there is no known cause of the disease. Here we provide an overview on known AD-linked genes and discuss the strategies of searching for novel AD genetic risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A new locus for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - frontotemporal dementia (ALS-FTD) has recently been ascribed to chromosome 9p. Methods: We identified chromosome 9p segregating haplotypes within two families with ALS-FTD (F476 and F2) and undertook mutational screening of candidate genes within this locus. Results: Candidate gene sequencing at this locus revealed the presence of a disease segregating stop mutation (Q342X) in the intraflagellar transport 74 (IFT74) gene in family 476 (F476), but no mutation was detected within IFT74 in family 2 (F2). While neither family was sufficiently informative to definitively implicate or exclude IFT74 mutations as a cause of chromosome 9-linked ALS-FTD, the nature of the mutation observed within F476 (predicted to truncate the protein by 258 amino acids) led us to sequence the open reading frame of this gene in a large number of ALS and FTD cases (n = 420). An additional sequence variant (G58D) was found in a case of sporadic semantic dementia. I55L sequence variants were found in three other unrelated affected individuals, but this was also found in a single individual among 800 Human Diversity Gene Panel samples. Conclusion: Confirmation of the pathogenicity of IFT74 sequence variants will require screening of other chromosome 9p-linked families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utility of vaccine strategies to treat neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) may still hold promise. Both active and passive immunization strategies reduced AD-like pathology and restored cognitive deficits in transgenic mice. These results were initially met with considerable optimism; however, phase IIa clinical trials were halted because of a small but significant occurrence of meningoencephalitis. Knowledge gained from studies on amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) immunotherapy will allow optimization of new-generation vaccines, targeting highly specific epitopes while reducing undesired side effects. In harnessing and steering the immune system, an effective response can be generated against Aβ. If this proves successful, Aβ vaccination could provide the first definitive treatment for AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To date, 5 well-confirmed genes for Parkinson disease (PD) have been identified, including 3 autosomal recessive genes: PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1), parkin, and DJ-1. Almost nothing is known about the genetics of PD in Saudi Arabia; however, consanguineous families, not infrequent in this population, could be important in the evaluation of known PD genes and the search for new PD factors in the future. Objective: To investigate known recessive PD genes in 5 consanguineous Saudi families with PD. Design: The entire open frame as well as the untranslated region and all 5' and 3' intron-exon boundaries of the PINK1, parkin, and DJ-1 genes were sequenced in 5 probands in Saudi families. Results: Four of 5 probands tested negative for PINK1, parkin, and DJ-1 mutations. However, in a large Saudi family with PD with at least 3 consanguineous marriages between first cousins, we detected a threonine to methionine substitution at codon 313 (T313M) PINK1 mutation that affected the kinase domain. Manifestations of the disease in this family included early onset (age, 28-38 years), tremulous movement, slow progression, diurnal fluctuations, bradykinesia, good response to levodopa therapy, and only mild dyskinesias. A neurologist blinded to genetic status clinically evaluated 15 family members, all older than 20 years, and diagnosed PD only in individuals who were later found to be homozygous for the T313M mutation. None of the 13 heterozygotes demonstrated any sign of PD. Conclusion: A homozygous T313M mutation is responsible for PD in this large Saudi family. However, the heterozygous T313M mutation does not act as a PD susceptibility factor, which is in contrast to several reports of mutations affecting only 1 PINK1 allele discovered in sporadic PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the role of Sortilin-related VPS10 domain containing receptor 1 (SORCS1) in Alzheimer's Disease (AD). The study explored the genetic associations of 16 SORCS1-single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to AD in independent data sets. Results reveal that the SORCS1 had influence the processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP). The study concludes that acquired or inherited changes in the expression of SORCs1 may have a role in AD pathogenesis.