Amyloid-β with isomerized Asp7 cytotoxicity is coupled to protein phosphorylation

Sci Rep. 2018 Feb 23;8(1):3518. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-21815-x.

Abstract

Neuronal dysfunction and loss associated with the accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) in the form of extracellular amyloid plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau in the form of intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles represent key features of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Amyloid plaques found in the brains of AD patients are predominantly composed of Aβ42 and its multiple chemically or structurally modified isoforms. Recently, we demonstrated that Aβ42 with isomerised Asp7 (isoAβ42) which is one of the most abundant Aβ isoform in plaques, exhibited high neurotoxicity in human neuronal cells. Here, we show that, in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, the administration of synthetic isoAβ42 rather than intact Aβ42 resulted in a significantly higher level of protein phosphorylation, especially the phosphorylation of tau, tubulins, and matrin 3. IsoAβ42 induced a drastic reduction of tau protein levels. Our data demonstrate, for the first time, that isoAβ42, being to date the only known synthetic Aβ species to cause AD-like amyloidogenesis in an animal AD model, induced cell death by disabling structural proteins in a manner characteristic of that observed in the neurons of AD patients. The data emphasize an important role of isoAβ42 in AD progression and provide possible neurotoxicity paths for this particular isoform.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / genetics
  • Alzheimer Disease / metabolism
  • Alzheimer Disease / pathology
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / toxicity*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Aspartic Acid / metabolism*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional
  • Humans
  • Models, Biological
  • Neurons / drug effects*
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Neurons / pathology
  • Nuclear Matrix-Associated Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Matrix-Associated Proteins / metabolism
  • Peptide Fragments / toxicity*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Phosphoserine / metabolism*
  • Protein Isoforms / toxicity
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational*
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Tubulin / genetics
  • Tubulin / metabolism
  • tau Proteins / genetics
  • tau Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Amyloid beta-Peptides
  • MAPT protein, human
  • MATR3 protein, human
  • Nuclear Matrix-Associated Proteins
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Protein Isoforms
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • Tubulin
  • amyloid beta-protein (1-42)
  • tau Proteins
  • Phosphoserine
  • Aspartic Acid