bafilomycin-a and Disease-Models--Animal

Accumulation of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) in senile plaques, a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), has been implicated in neurodegeneration. Recent studies suggested sestrin2 as a crucial mediator for reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and autophagy regulation that both play a pivotal role in age-dependent neurodegenerative diseases. However, the potential link between sestrin2 and Aβ neurotoxicity has never been explored. The present study was therefore undertaken to test whether sestrin2 may be induced by Aβ and its possible role in modulating Aβ neurotoxicity. We showed that sestrin2 expression was elevated in primary rat cortical neurons upon Aβ exposure; a heightened extent of sestrin2 expression was also detected in the cortices of 12-month-old APPswe/PSEN1dE9 transgenic mice. Exposure of cortical neurons to Aβ led to formation of LC3B-II, an autophagic marker; an increased LC3B-II level was also observed in the cortices of 12-month-old AD transgenic mice. More importantly, downregulation of sestrin2 by siRNA abolished LC3B-II formation caused by Aβ that was accompanied by more severe neuronal death. Inhibition of autophagy by bafilomycin A1 also enhanced Aβ neurotoxicity. Together, these results indicate that sestrin2 induced by Aβ plays a protective role against Aβ neurotoxicity through, at least in part, regulation of autophagy.

Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; Animals; Brain Injuries; Cerebral Cortex; Disease Models, Animal; Embryo, Mammalian; Enzyme Inhibitors; Gene Expression Regulation; Humans; Macrolides; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Transgenic; Microtubule-Associated Proteins; Mutation; Nuclear Proteins; Organ Culture Techniques; Peptide Fragments; Presenilin-1; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Time Factors

To examine whether calpain inhibition following retinal detachment would prolong autophagy and result in reduced photoreceptor apoptosis.. Retinal detachments were created in Brown-Norway rats by subretinal injection of 1% hyaluronic acid and simulated in vitro by Fas-receptor activation of 661W cells, a cone cell line. Protein levels of LC3 and autophagy-related gene 5 (Atg5), both of which are involved in the creation of the autophagosome, were assayed by Western blot. Calpain 1, the protease responsible for Atg5 cleavage and transitioning photoreceptors from autophagy to apoptosis, activity was monitored by α-spectrin cleavage. Various calpain inhibitors were added either to the subretinal space or cell culture media. Apoptosis was assessed in vitro by caspase-8 activity assays and in vivo via TUNEL assays. Cell counts were assessed in vivo at 2 months following detachment.. Following retinal detachment or Fas-receptor activation of 661W cells, there was an increase in Atg5 and LC3-II that peaked at 3 days and decreased by 7-days postdetachment. Calpain 1 activity level peaked at 7 days and was associated with decreased autophagy. Calpain inhibition led to increased autophagy, a decrease in caspase-8 activation, reduced TUNEL-positive photoreceptors, and increased photoreceptor cell survival.. Our data suggest that calpain activation, which peaks at 7-days postdetachment, is a key step in triggering photoreceptors to shift from cell survival to death. Prolonging autophagy through calpain inhibition leads to significantly reduced photoreceptor apoptosis and increased cell survival.

Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Autophagy; Autophagy-Related Protein 5; Blotting, Western; Calpain; Caspase 8; Cell Line; Cell Survival; Disease Models, Animal; Enzyme Inhibitors; fas Receptor; In Situ Nick-End Labeling; Macrolides; Male; Microtubule-Associated Proteins; Proteins; Rats; Rats, Inbred BN; Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells; Retinal Detachment

Macroautophagy is an important process for removing misfolded and aggregated protein in cells, the dysfunction of which has been directly linked to an increasing number of neurodegenerative disorders. However, the details of macroautophagy in prion diseases remain obscure. Here we demonstrated that in the terminal stages of scrapie strain 263K-infected hamsters and human genetic prion diseases, the microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) was converted from the cytosolic form to the autophagosome-bound membrane form. Macroautophagy substrate sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1) and polyubiquitinated proteins were downregulated in the brains of sick individuals, indicating enhanced macroautophagic protein degradation. The levels of mechanistic target of rapamycin (MTOR) and phosphorylated MTOR (p-MTOR) were significantly decreased, which implies that this enhancement of the macroautophagic response is likely through the MTOR pathway which is a negative regulator for the initiation of macroautophagy. Dynamic assays of the autophagic system in the brains of scrapie experimental hamsters after inoculation showed that alterations of the autophagic system appeared along with the deposits of PrP(Sc) in the infected brains. Immunofluorescent assays revealed specific staining of autophagosomes in neurons that were not colocalized with deposits of PrP(Sc) in the brains of scrapie infected hamsters, however, autophagosome did colocalize with PrP(Sc) in a prion-infected cell line after treatment with bafilomycin A(1). These results suggest that activation of macroautophagy in brains is a disease-correlative phenomenon in prion diseases.

Topics: Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; Animals; Autophagy; Biomarkers; Brain; Cricetinae; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Humans; Macrolides; Membrane Proteins; Microtubule-Associated Proteins; Middle Aged; Models, Biological; Neurons; Phagosomes; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; PrPSc Proteins; Scrapie; Signal Transduction; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; Ubiquitinated Proteins