Alzheimer Disease: Sattelle DB

Buckingham SD, Jones AK, Brown LA, Sattelle DB. · Medical Research Council Functional Genomics Unit, Department of Physiology Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK, OX1 3QX. · Pharmacol Rev. · Pubmed #19293145 No free full text.

Abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD), the major contributor to dementia in the elderly, involves accumulation in the brain of extracellular plaques containing the beta-amyloid protein (Abeta) and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles of hyperphosphorylated tau protein. AD is also characterized by a loss of neurons, particularly those expressing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), thereby leading to a reduction in nAChR numbers. The Abeta(1-42) protein, which is toxic to neurons, is critical to the onset and progression of AD. The discovery of new drug therapies for AD is likely to be accelerated by an improved understanding of the mechanisms whereby Abeta causes neuronal death. We examine the evidence for a role in Abeta(1-42) toxicity of nAChRs; paradoxically, nAChRs can also protect neurons when activated by nicotinic ligands. Abeta peptides and nicotine differentially activate several intracellular signaling pathways, including the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog pathway, the extracellular signal-regulated kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase, and JAK-2/STAT-3 pathways. These pathways control cell death or survival and the secretion of Abeta peptides. We propose that understanding the differential activation of these pathways by nicotine and/or Abeta(1-42) may offer the prospect of new routes to therapy for AD.

Pym LJ, Buckingham SD, Tsetlin V, Boyd CA, Sattelle DB. · MRC Functional Genetics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Oxford University, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, United Kingdom. · Neurosci Lett. · Pubmed #17945421 No free full text.

Abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition involving accumulation of the beta-amyloid peptide, Abeta1-42. Previously we have shown that amyloid peptides (Abeta1-42, Abeta1-40) have different actions on the three major brain nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subtypes (alpha7, alpha4beta2 and alpha3beta4). The methionine in position 35 of Abeta (M35) has been shown to be important in the toxicity of Abeta and the 25-35 fragment can mimic some of the actions of the Abeta1-42 peptide. However, the extent to which this mutant and the fragment mimic subtype selectivity is unknown. Two-electrode voltage-clamp electrophysiology has been used to study the actions on alpha7, alpha4beta2 and alpha3beta4 recombinant nAChRs expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes of full length Abeta1-42, and Abeta peptide fragments, scrambled peptides, and the Abeta1-42 peptide containing mutations of the methionine in position 35. The Abeta25-35 fragment did not display subunit specificity. Abeta1-42 with an M35C mutation showed similar subtype-specificity to wild-type Abeta1-42. However, Abeta1-42 with an M35V substitution reduced the peak amplitude of ACh-induced currents recorded from alpha4beta2 nAChRs, but did not affect those recorded from alpha7 or alpha3beta4. These results indicate that the amino acid in position 35 of Abeta1-42 is an important determinant of the subtype-specificity of this peptide on human recombinant alpha7, alpha4beta2 and alpha3beta4 nAChRs and that the 25-35 fragment fails to mimic all of the actions of the full-length peptide.

Kidd JF, Brown LA, Sattelle DB. · Department of Human Anatomy and Genetics, MRC Functional Genetics Unit, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, United Kingdom. · J Neurobiol. · Pubmed #16470685 No free full text.

Abstract: Accumulation of amyloid (Abeta) peptides has been suggested to be the primary event in Alzheimer's disease. In neurons, K+ channels regulate a number of processes, including setting the resting potential, keeping action potentials short, timing interspike intervals, synaptic plasticity, and cell death. In particular, A-type K+ channels have been implicated in the onset of LTP in mammalian neurons, which is thought to underlie learning and memory. A number of studies have shown that Abeta peptides alter the properties of K+ currents in mammalian neurons. We set out to determine the effects of Abeta peptides on the neuronal A-type K+ channels of Drosophila. Treatment of cells for 18 h with 1 microM Abeta1-42 altered the kinetics of the A-type K+ current, shifting steady-state inactivation to more depolarized potentials and increasing the rate of recovery from inactivation. It also caused a decrease in neuronal viability. Thus it seems that alteration in the properties of the A-type K+ current is a prelude to the amyloid-induced death of neurons. This alteration in the properties of the A-type K+ current may provide a basis for the early memory impairment that was observed prior to neurodegeneration in a recent study of a transgenic Drosophila melanogaster line over-expressing the human Abeta1-42 peptide.