Synergistic Interactions between Abeta, tau, and alpha-synuclein: acceleration of neuropathology and cognitive decline

J Neurosci. 2010 May 26;30(21):7281-9. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0490-10.2010.

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most prevalent age-related neurodegenerative disorder, is characterized pathologically by the accumulation of beta-amyloid (Abeta) plaques and tau-laden neurofibrillary tangles. Interestingly, up to 50% of AD cases exhibit a third prevalent neuropathology: the aggregation of alpha-synuclein into Lewy bodies. Importantly, the presence of Lewy body pathology in AD is associated with a more aggressive disease course and accelerated cognitive dysfunction. Thus, Abeta, tau, and alpha-synuclein may interact synergistically to promote the accumulation of each other. In this study, we used a genetic approach to generate a model that exhibits the combined pathologies of AD and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). To achieve this goal, we introduced a mutant human alpha-synuclein transgene into 3xTg-AD mice. As occurs in human disease, transgenic mice that develop both DLB and AD pathologies (DLB-AD mice) exhibit accelerated cognitive decline associated with a dramatic enhancement of Abeta, tau, and alpha-synuclein pathologies. Our findings also provide additional evidence that the accumulation of alpha-synuclein alone can significantly disrupt cognition. Together, our data support the notion that Abeta, tau, and alpha-synuclein interact in vivo to promote the aggregation and accumulation of each other and accelerate cognitive dysfunction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Alzheimer Disease / complications*
  • Alzheimer Disease / genetics
  • Alzheimer Disease / pathology*
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / genetics
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / metabolism*
  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / genetics
  • Animals
  • Avoidance Learning / physiology
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Brain / pathology
  • Cognition Disorders / etiology*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / genetics
  • Humans
  • Inhibition, Psychological
  • Lewy Bodies / metabolism
  • Lewy Bodies / pathology
  • Maze Learning / physiology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Motor Activity / genetics
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Phosphorylation / genetics
  • Presenilin-1 / genetics
  • alpha-Synuclein / genetics
  • alpha-Synuclein / metabolism*
  • tau Proteins / genetics
  • tau Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Amyloid beta-Peptides
  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor
  • MAPT protein, human
  • PSEN1 protein, human
  • Presenilin-1
  • alpha-Synuclein
  • tau Proteins