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Cross-reactive antibodies elicited by dengue virus (DENV) infection might affect Zika virus infection and confound serologic tests. Recent data demonstrate neutralization of Zika virus by monoclonal antibodies or human serum collected early after DENV infection. Whether this finding is true in late DENV convalescence (>6 months after infection) is unknown. We studied late convalescent serum samples from persons with prior DENV or Zika virus exposure. Despite extensive cross-reactivity in IgG binding, Zika virus neutralization was not observed among primary DENV infections. We observed low-frequency (23%) Zika virus cross-neutralization in repeat DENV infections. DENV-immune persons who had Zika virus as a secondary infection had distinct populations of antibodies that neutralized DENVs and Zika virus, as shown by DENV-reactive antibody depletion experiments. These data suggest that most DENV infections do not induce durable, high-level Zika virus cross-neutralizing antibodies. Zika virus-specific antibody populations develop after Zika virus infection irrespective of prior DENV immunity.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus responsible for thousands of cases of severe fetal malformations and neurological disease since its introduction to Brazil in 2013. Antibodies to flaviviruses can be protective, resulting in lifelong immunity to reinfection by homologous virus. However, cross-reactive antibodies can complicate flavivirus diagnostics and promote more severe disease, as noted after serial dengue virus (DENV) infections. The endemic circulation of DENV in South America and elsewhere raises concerns that preexisting flavivirus immunity may modulate ZIKV disease and transmission potential. Here, we report on the ability of human monoclonal antibodies and immune sera derived from dengue patients to neutralize contemporary epidemic ZIKV strains. We demonstrate that a class of human monoclonal antibodies isolated from DENV patients neutralizes ZIKV in cell culture and is protective in a lethal murine model. We also tested a large panel of convalescent-phase immune sera from humans exposed to primary and repeat DENV infection. Although ZIKV is most closely related to DENV compared to other human-pathogenic flaviviruses, most DENV immune sera (73%) failed to neutralize ZIKV, while others had low (50% effective concentration [EC 50 ], 50 , >1:100 serum dilution; 9%) levels of cross-neutralizing antibodies. Our results establish that ZIKV and DENV share epitopes that are targeted by neutralizing, protective human antibodies. The availability of potently neutralizing human monoclonal antibodies provides an immunotherapeutic approach to control life-threatening ZIKV infection and also points to the possibility of repurposing DENV vaccines to induce cross-protective immunity to ZIKV. IMPORTANCE ZIKV is an emerging arbovirus that has been associated with severe neurological birth defects and fetal loss in pregnant women and Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults. Currently, there is no vaccine or therapeutic for ZIKV. The identification of a class of antibodies (envelope dimer epitope 1 [EDE1]) that potently neutralizes ZIKV in addition to all four DENV serotypes points to a potential immunotherapeutic to combat ZIKV. This is especially salient given the precedent of antibody therapy to treat pregnant women infected with other viruses associated with microcephaly, such as cytomegalovirus and rubella virus. Furthermore, the identification of a functionally conserved epitope between ZIKV and DENV raises the possibility that a vaccine may be able to elicit neutralizing antibodies against both viruses.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system characterized by a progressive loss in memory and deterioration of cognitive functions. In this study the transgenic mouse TgCRND8, which encodes a mutant form of the amyloid precursor protein 695 with both the Swedish and Indiana mutations and develops extracellular amyloid beta-peptide deposits as early as 2-3 months, was investigated. Extract from eight brain regions (cortex, frontal cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, olfactory bulb, pons, midbrain and striatum) were studied using (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Analysis of the NMR spectra discriminated control from APP695 tissues in hippocampus, cortex, frontal cortex, midbrain and cerebellum, with hippocampal and cortical region being most affected. The analysis of the corresponding loading plots for these brain regions indicated a decrease in N-acetyl-L-aspartate, glutamate, glutamine, taurine (exception hippocampus), gamma-amino butyric acid, choline and phosphocholine (combined resonances), creatine, phosphocreatine and succinate in hippocampus, cortex, frontal cortex (exception gamma-amino butyric acid) and midbrain of affected animals. An increase in lactate, aspartate, glycine (except in midbrain) and other amino acids including alanine (exception frontal cortex), leucine, iso-leucine, valine and water soluble free fatty acids (0.8-0.9 and 1.2-1.3 ppm) were observed in the TgCRND8 mice. Our findings demonstrate that the perturbations in metabolism are more widespread and include the cerebellum and midbrain. Furthermore, metabolic perturbations are associated with a wide range of metabolites which could improve the diagnosis and monitoring of the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

Progranulin (PGRN) is involved in wound repair, inflammation, and tumor formation, but its function in the central nervous system is unknown. Roles in development, sexual differentiation, and long-term neuronal survival have been suggested. Mutations in the GRN gene resulting in partial loss of the encoded PGRN protein cause frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin immunoreactive inclusions. We sought to understand the neuropathological consequences of loss of PGRN function throughout the lifespan of GRN-deficient ((-/+) and (-/-)) mice. An aged series of GRN-deficient and wild-type mice were compared by histology, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy. Although GRN-deficient mice were viable, GRN(-/-) mice were produced at lower than predicted frequency. Neuropathologically, GRN(-/+) were indistinguishable from controls; however, GRN(-/-) mice developed age-associated, abnormal intraneuronal ubiquitin-positive autofluorescent lipofuscin. Lipofuscin was noted in aged GRN(+/+) mice at levels comparable with those of young GRN(-/-) mice. GRN(-/-) mice developed microgliosis, astrogliosis, and tissue vacuolation, with focal neuronal loss and severe gliosis apparent in the oldest GRN(-/-) mice. Although no overt frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin immunoreactive inclusions type- or TAR DNA binding protein-43-positive lesions were observed, robust lipofuscinosis and ubiquitination in GRN(-/-) mice is strikingly similar to changes associated with aging and cellular decline in humans and animal models. Our data suggests that PGRN plays a key role in maintaining neuronal function during aging and supports the notion that PGRN is a trophic factor essential for long-term neuronal survival.

Here, we describe the generation and characterization of a novel tau transgenic mouse model (mTau) that overexpresses wild-type murine tau protein by twofold compared with endogenous levels. Transgenic tau expression was driven by a BAC transgene containing the entire wild-type mouse tau locus, including the endogenous promoter and the regulatory elements associated with the tau gene. The mTau model therefore differs from other tau models in that regulation of the genomic mouse transgene mimics that of the endogenous gene, including normal exon splicing regulation. Biochemical data from the mTau mice demonstrated that modest elevation of mouse tau leads to tau hyperphosphorylation at multiple pathologically relevant epitopes and accumulation of sarkosyl-insoluble tau. The mTau mice show a progressive increase in hyperphosphorylated tau pathology with age up to 15 to 18 months, which is accompanied by gliosis and vacuolization. In contrast, older mice show a decrease in tau pathology levels, which may represent hippocampal neuronal loss occurring in this wild-type model. Collectively, these results describe a novel model of tauopathy that develops pathological changes reminiscent of early stage Alzheimer’s disease and other related neurodegenerative diseases, achieved without overexpression of a mutant human tau transgene. This model will provide an important tool for understanding the early events leading to the development of tau pathology and a model for analysis of potential therapeutic targets for sporadic tauopathies.

Amyloid-beta (Abeta) plaques are pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer disease (AD). In addition, innate inflammatory responses, such as those mediated by microglia, are integral to the pathogenesis of AD. Interestingly, only dense-core plaques and not diffuse plaques are associated with neuritic and inflammatory pathology in AD patients as well as in mouse AD models. However, the precise neuropathological changes that occur in the brain in response to amyloid deposition are largely unknown. To study the molecular mechanism(s) responsible for Abeta-mediated neuropathology, we performed a gene expression analysis on laser-microdissected brain tissue of Tg2576 and APPPS1 mice that are characterized by different types of amyloid plaques and genetic backgrounds. Data were validated by image and biochemical analyses on different ages of Tg2576, APPPS1, and Abeta42-depositing BRI-Abeta42 mice. Consistent with an important role of inflammatory responses in AD, we identified progranulin (mouse Grn; human GRN) as one of the top ten up-regulated molecules in Tg2576 ( approximately 8-fold increased) and APPPS1 ( approximately 2-fold increased) mice compared to littermate controls, and among the eight significantly up-regulated molecules common to both mouse models. In addition, Grn levels correlated significantly with amyloid load, especially the dense-core plaque pathology (p < 0.001). We further showed that Grn is up-regulated in microglia and neurons and neurites around dense-core plaques, but not in astrocytes or oligodendrocytes, as has been shown in AD patients. Our data therefore support the ongoing use of these mouse models in drug trials, especially those with anti-inflammatory compounds. Moreover, the correlation of Grn with increasing disease severity in AD mouse models prompts human studies exploring the viability of GRN as a disease biomarker. Because loss of GRN has recently been shown to cause frontotemporal dementia and serves as a risk factor for AD, the strong GRN reactivity around dense-core plaques is consistent with an important role of this factor in AD pathogenesis.

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the second most common cause of dementia in people under the age of 65 years(1). A large proportion of FTD patients ( 35 - 50%) have a family history of dementia, consistent with a strong genetic component to the disease(2). In 1998, mutations in the gene encoding the microtubule-associated protein tau ( MAPT) were shown to cause familial FTD with parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17q21 (FTDP- 17)(3). The neuropathology of patients with defined MAPT mutations is characterized by cytoplasmic neurofibrillary inclusions composed of hyperphosphorylated tau(3,4). However, in multiple FTD families with significant evidence for linkage to the same region on chromosome 17q21 (D17S1787 - D17S806), mutations in MAPT have not been found and the patients consistently lack tauimmunoreactive inclusion pathology(5-12). In contrast, these patients have ubiquitin (ub)-immunoreactive neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions and characteristic lentiform ub-immunoreactive neuronal intranuclear inclusions(11-13). Here we demonstrate that in these families, FTD is caused by mutations in progranulin (PGRN) that are likely to create null alleles. PGRN is located 1.7 Mb centromeric of MAPT on chromosome 17q21.31 and encodes a 68.5-kDa secreted growth factor involved in the regulation of multiple processes including development, wound repair and inflammation(14). PGRN has also been strongly linked to tumorigenesis(14). Moreover, PGRN expression is increased in activated microglia in many neurodegenerative diseases including Creutzfeldt - Jakob disease, motor neuron disease and Alzheimer's disease(15,16). Our results identify mutations in PGRN as a cause of neurodegenerative disease and indicate the importance of PGRN function for neuronal survival.

The chromosome 13 linked amyloidopathies familial British dementia (FBD) and familial Danish dementia (FDD) are caused by mutations in the C-terminus of the BRI2 gene. In both diseases, novel peptides are deposited in amyloid plaques in the brain. Several laboratories have attempted to model these diseases in BRI2 transgenic mice with limited success. While high expression levels of BRI protein were achieved in transgenic lines, no ABri-amyloidosis was observed in aged mice. This review discusses the strategies chosen and problems experienced with the development of FBD/FDD models and suggests novel approaches to model the diseases in murine models.

Transgenic mice overexpressing human tau with the P301L mutation develop neurofibrillary tangles, extensive gliosis, adult-onset motor abnormalities, and neuronal loss in affected brain regions. We investigated the mechanism of neuronal cell death in this model of tauopathy. There was no evidence of neuronal apoptosis at any age; however, a population of oligodendorocytes was immunopositive for TUNEL and activated caspase-3. EM confirmed that these oligodendrocytes were undergoing apoptosis. These data suggest that classical apoptosis is not a major mechanism of neuronal cell death associated with the tau dysfunction in this mouse model; however, prominent white matter pathology in the spinal cord suggests that axonal degeneration in dying neurons causes oligodendrocytes to undergo apoptosis. It is unknown if loss of oligodendrocytes either through apoptosis or through the formation of intracellular tau lesions further contributes to the neurodegeneration seen in these mice.

To determine the eiects of the recessive retinal degeneration (rd) gene on behavioral performance, three Alzheimer’s transgenic lines (APPsw, P30lL, APPsw + P301L) and non-transgenic littermates were evaluated in a comprehensive behavioral battery between 5 and 8.5 months of age. For all four genotypes collectively, rd homozygosity resulted in profound impairment in spatial cognitive tasks requiring visual acuity (Morris maze, platform recognition, and radial arm water maze). Non-transgenic and P301L mutant tau mice contributed most to this rd eiect since heterozygous and wild type mice performed well. By contrast, spatial cognitive performance of both APPsw-expressing lines was often impaired, irrespective of rd status. Sensorimotor performance was unaiected by rd homozygosity, while rd eiects on anxiety were genotype-dependent (less anxiety in NT, APPsw; more anxiety in P301L, APPsw + P301L). Our results strongly encourage rd screening of genetically manipulated mouse lines produced from rd-carrying strain backgrounds to avoid serious potential confounds in the interpretation of spatially based cognitive performance. NeuroReport 15:73^77 � c 2004 Lippincott Williams &W ilkins.

Transgenic mice (JNPL3), which develop neurofibrillary degeneration and express four-repeat human tau with P301L missense mutation, were characterized biochemically to determine whether the development of aggregated tau from soluble tau involves an intermediate stage. Homogenates from mice of different ages were separated into buffer-soluble (S1), sarkosyl- and salt-extractable (S2) and sarkosyl-insoluble pellet (P3) fractions, and analyzed for human tau distribution, phosphorylation and filament formation. S1 and S2 fractions contained 50-60-kDa tau whereas the S2 fraction also had 64-kDa tau. The level of tau in the P3 fraction increased in an age-dependent manner and correlated positively with the soluble tau concentration. The P3 fraction from 2.5-6.5-month-old mice contained 64- and 50-60-kDa tau, whereas that from 8.5-month and older transgenic animals contained mostly 64-kDa and higher molecular weight tau. The S2 and P3 fractions contained comparable amounts of 64-kDa tau. The 64-kDa tau was predominantly human, and phosphorylated at multiple sites: Thr181, Ser202/Thr205, Thr212, Thr231, Ser262, Ser396/Ser404, Ser409 and Ser422. Most of these sites were phosphorylated to a lesser extent in S2 than in P3 fractions. Tau polymers were detected in P3 fractions from 3-month and older female JNPL3 mice, but not in non-transgenic controls. The results suggest that tau in S2 represents an intermediate from which insoluble tau is derived, and that phosphorylation may play a role in filament formation and/or stabilization.

alpha-Synuclein has been identified as a major component of Lewy body inclusions, which are one of the pathologic hallmarks of idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Mutations in alpha-synuclein have been found to be responsible for rare familial cases of Parkinsonism. To test whether overexpression of human alpha-synuclein leads to inclusion formation and neuronal loss of dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra, we made transgenic mice in which the expression of wild-type or mutant (A30P and A53T) human alpha-synuclein protein was driven by the promoter from the tyrosine hydroxylase gene. Even though high levels of human alpha-synuclein accumulated in dopaminergic cell bodies, Lewy-type-positive inclusions did not develop in the nigrostriatal system. In addition, the number of nigral neurons and the levels of striatal dopamine were unchanged relative to non-transgenic littermates, in mice up to one year of age. These findings suggest that overexpression of alpha-synuclein within nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons is not in itself sufficient to cause aggregation into Lewy body-like inclusions, nor does it trigger overt neurodegenerative changes.

Neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) composed of the microtubule-associated protein tau are prominent in Alzheimer disease (AD), Pick disease, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD). Mutations in the gene (Mtapt) encoding tau protein cause frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17), thereby proving that tau dysfunction can directly result in neurodegeneration. Expression of human tau containing the most common FTDP-17 mutation (P301L) results in motor and behavioural deficits in transgenic mice, with age- and gene-dose-dependent development of NFT. This phenotype occurred as early as 6.5 months in hemizygous and 4.5 months in homozygous animals. NFT and Pick-body-like neuronal lesions occurred in the amygdala, septal nuclei, pre-optic nuclei, hypothalamus, midbrain, pons, medulla, deep cerebellar nuclei and spinal cord, with tau-immunoreactive pre-tangles in the cortex, hippocampus and basal ganglia. Areas with the most NFT had reactive gliosis. Spinal cord had axonal spheroids, anterior horn cell loss and axonal degeneration in anterior spinal roots. We also saw peripheral neuropathy and skeletal muscle with neurogenic atrophy. Brain and spinal cord contained insoluble tau that co-migrated with insoluble tau from AD and FTDP-17 brains. The phenotype of mice expressing P301L mutant tau mimics features of human tauopathies and provides a model for investigating the pathogenesis of diseases with NFT.

Doubly transgenic mice (PSAPP) overexpressing mutant APP and PS1 transgenes were examined using antibodies to Abeta subtypes and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Visible Abeta deposition began primarily in the cingulate cortex of PSAPP mice at approximately 10 weeks of age. By 6 months, the mice had extensive amyloid deposition throughout the hippocampus and cortex as well as other regions of the brain. Highly congophilic deposits consisting of N-terminal normal and modified forms of Abeta were identified, reminiscent of those found in human AD brain. Both immunohistochemistry and mass spectrometry showed that Abeta42 forms were underrepresented relative to Abeta40, and Abeta43 was undetectable. Deposits were associated with prominent gliosis which increased with age, but in 14-month-old PSAPP mice, GFAP immunoreactivity in the vicinity of amyloid deposits was substantially reduced compared to APP littermates. These mice have considerable utility in the study of the amyloid phenotype of AD.

The distribution of three calcium binding protein mRNAs in the rat cerebellar cortex was investigated using alkaline phosphatase labelled specific antisense oligodeoxynucleotide probes. Calbindin D28k mRNA was detected in the Purkinje cells, parvalbumin mRNA was located in the Purkinje cells and also in basket/stellate cells of the molecular layer. Calretinin in contrast was found only in the granule cell layer. Use of multiple alkaline phosphatase (AP)-labelled oligodeoxynucleotides resulted in an increase in signal strength and reduced detection time with no increase in background staining indicating the utility of these enzyme labelled probes for non-isotopic in situ.

We describe 3 new families affected by Alzheimer's disease with spastic paraparesis. In affected individuals, including the earliest known patient with this clinical syndrome, neuropathological examination revealed large "cotton wool" plaques similar to those we have previously described in a Finnish family. In the families in which DNA was available, presenilin-1 mutations were observed. Transfection of cells with these mutant genes caused exceptionally large increases in secreted Abeta42 levels. Furthermore, brain tissue from individuals with this syndrome had very high amyloid-beta concentrations. These findings define the molecular pathogenesis of an important subgroup of Alzheimer's disease and have implications for the pathogenesis of the disease in general.

Overexpression of amyloid precursor protein (APP), as well as mutations in the APP and presenilin genes, causes rare forms of Alzheimer's disease (AD). These genetic changes have been proposed to cause AD by elevating levels of amyloid-beta peptides (Abeta), which are thought to be neurotoxic. Since overexpression of APP also causes defects in axonal transport, we tested whether defects in axonal transport were the result of Abeta poisoning of the axonal transport machinery. Because directly varying APP levels also alters APP domains in addition to Abeta, we perturbed Abeta generation selectively by combining APP transgenes in Drosophila and mice with presenilin-1 (PS1) transgenes harboring mutations that cause familial AD (FAD). We found that combining FAD mutant PS1 with FAD mutant APP increased Abeta42/Abeta40 ratios and enhanced amyloid deposition as previously reported. Surprisingly, however, this combination suppressed rather than increased APP-induced axonal transport defects in both Drosophila and mice. In addition, neuronal apoptosis induced by expression of FAD mutant human APP in Drosophila was suppressed by co-expressing FAD mutant PS1. We also observed that directly elevating Abeta with fusions to the Familial British and Danish Dementia-related BRI protein did not enhance axonal transport phenotypes in APP transgenic mice. Finally, we observed that perturbing Abeta ratios in the mouse by combining FAD mutant PS1 with FAD mutant APP did not enhance APP-induced behavioral defects. A potential mechanism to explain these findings was suggested by direct analysis of axonal transport in the mouse, which revealed that axonal transport or entry of APP into axons is reduced by FAD mutant PS1. Thus, we suggest that APP-induced axonal defects are not caused by Abeta.

Transgenic mouse models that independently express mutations in amyloid precursor protein (APP) and tau have proven useful for the study of the neurological consequences of amyloid-beta (Abeta) plaque and neurofibrillary tangle pathologies. Studies using these mice have yielded essential discoveries with regard to specific aspects of neuronal dysfunction and degeneration that characterize the brain during Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other age-dependent tauopathies. Most recent transgenic studies have focused on the creation of regulatable models that allow the temporal control of transgene expression. To study a more complete model of AD pathology, we designed a new regulatable transgenic mouse that harbors both APP and tau transgenes. Here, we present a novel transgenic mouse model, rTg3696AB, which expresses human APP(NLI) and tau(P301L) driven by the CaMKII promoter system. Subsequent generation of Abeta and 4R0N tau in the brain resulted in the development of three neuropathological features of AD: Abeta plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and neurodegeneration. Importantly, transgene expression in these mice is regulatable, permitting temporal control of gene expression and the investigation of transgene suppression.

This study identifies the actin-binding protein, coronin-1a, as a novel and effective immunohistochemical marker for microglia in both cell cultures and in formaldehyde-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue. Antibodies to coronin-1a effectively immunostained microglia in human, monkey, horse, rat, and mouse tissues, even in tissues stored for long periods of time. The identity of coronin-1a-immunoreactive cells as microglia was confirmed using double immunolabeling with cell type-specific markers as well as by morphological features and the distribution of immunoreactive cells. These properties are shared by another actin-binding protein, IBA-1. Unlike IBA-1, coronin-1a immunoreactivity was also detected in lymphocytes and certain other hematopoietic cells. The results indicate that both coronin-1a and IBA-1 are robust markers for microglia that can be used in routinely processed tissue of humans and animals. Because both coronin-1a and IBA-1 are actin-binding proteins that play a role in rearrangement of the membrane cytoskeleton, it suggests that these proteins are critical to dynamic properties of microglia.

Numerous studies have established a pivotal role for Abeta42 in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. In contrast, although Abeta40 is the predominant form of amyloid beta (Abeta) produced and accumulates to a variable degree in the human AD brain, its role in AD pathogenesis has not been established. It has generally been assumed that an increase in Abeta40 would accelerate amyloid plaque formation in vivo. We have crossed BRI-Abeta40 mice that selectively express high levels of Abeta40 with both Tg2576 (APPswe, K670N+M671L) mice and BRI-Abeta42A mice expressing Abeta42 selectively and analyzed parenchymal and cerebrovascular Abeta deposition in the bitransgenic mice compared with their singly transgenic littermates. In the bitransgenic mice, the increased steady-state levels of Abeta40 decreased Abeta deposition by 60-90%. These results demonstrate that Abeta42 and Abeta40 have opposing effects on amyloid deposition: Abeta42 promotes amyloid deposition but Abeta40 inhibits it. In addition, increasing Abeta40 levels protected BRI-Abeta40/Tg2576 mice from the premature-death phenotype observed in Tg2576 mice. The protective properties of Abeta40 with respect to amyloid deposition suggest that strategies that preferentially target Abeta40 may actually worsen the disease course and that selective increases in Abeta40 levels may actually reduce the risk for development of AD.

A number of hypotheses regarding how anti-Abeta antibodies alter amyloid deposition have been postulated, yet there is no consensus as to how Abeta immunotherapy works. We have examined the in vivo binding properties, pharmacokinetics, brain penetrance, and alterations in Abeta levels after a single peripheral dose of anti-Abeta antibodies to both wild-type (WT) and young non-Abeta depositing APP and BRI-Abeta42 mice. The rapid rise in plasma Abeta observed after antibody (Ab) administration is attributable to prolongation of the half-life of Abeta bound to the Ab. Only a miniscule fraction of Ab enters the brain, and despite dramatic increases in plasma Abeta, we find no evidence that total brain Abeta levels are significantly altered. Surprisingly, cerebral spinal fluid Abeta levels transiently rise, and when Ab:Abeta complex is directly injected into the lateral ventricles of mice, it is rapidly cleared from the brain into the plasma where it remains stable. When viewed in context of daily turnover of Abeta, these data provide a framework to evaluate proposed mechanisms of Abeta attenuation mediated by peripheral administration of an anti-Abeta monoclonal antibody (mAb) effective in passive immunization paradigm. Such quantitative data suggest that the mAbs are either indirectly enhancing clearance of Abeta or targeting a low abundance aggregation intermediate.

MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that have an important function in post-translational gene regulation and have been shown to modulate the expression of developmentally important transcription factors. Dysregulation of specific microRNAs has been associated with several cancer types. The study of microRNAs and their potential role in breast cancer is an under- explored area of breast cancer research. This project was designed to explore the possible link between microRNAs and hormone receptors in a breast cancer cell model and how dysregulation of specific microRNAs may be important in the etiology of breast cancer development. In this study we have used microRNA arrays to identify differentially expressed microRNAs between PR positive and PR negative cell lines. We have started to develop novel techniques to validate differential regulation of microRNAs. In addition, we have identified unique microRNA sequences, potentially regulating PR expression. From this study we predict that specific microRNAs have an essential role in the development of hormone dependent breast cancers. Identification of these microRNAs could be used in prognosis of subsets of hormone dependent breast cancer and form therapeutic targets for directed cancer treatment.

An orally bioavailable and blood–brain barrier penetrating analog of the kinase inhibitor K252a was able to prevent the typical motor deficits in the tau (P301L) transgenic mouse model (JNPL3) and markedly reduce soluble aggregated hyperphosphorylated tau. However, neurofibrillary tangle counts were not reduced in the successfully treated cohort, suggesting that the main cytotoxic effects of tau are not exerted by neurofibrillary tangles but by lower molecular mass aggregates of tau. Our findings strongly suggest that abnormal tau hyperphosphorylation plays a critical role in the development of tauopathy and suggest a previously undescribed treatment strategy for neurodegenerative diseases involving tau pathology.

Accumulation and aggregation of amyloid beta peptide 1-42 (Abeta42) in the brain has been hypothesized as triggering a pathological cascade that causes Alzheimer disease (AD). To determine whether selective targeting of Abeta42 versus Abeta40 or total Abeta is an effective way to prevent or treat AD, we compared the effects of passive immunization with an anti-Abeta42 mAb, an anti-Abeta40 mAb, and multiple Abeta(1-16) mAbs. We established in vivo binding selectivity of the anti-Abeta42 and anti-Abeta40 mAbs using novel TgBRI-Abeta mice. We then conducted a prevention study in which the anti-Abeta mAbs were administered to young Tg2576 mice, which have no significant Abeta deposition, and therapeutic studies in which mAbs were administered to Tg2576 or CRND8 mice with modest levels of preexisting Abeta deposits. Anti-Abeta42, anti-Abeta40, and anti-Abeta(1-16) mAbs attenuated plaque deposition in the prevention study. In contrast, anti-Abeta42 and anti-Abeta40 mAbs were less effective in attenuating Abeta deposition in the therapeutic studies and were not effective in clearing diffuse plaques following direct injection into the cortex. These data suggest that selective targeting of Abeta42 or Abeta40 may be an effective strategy to prevent amyloid deposition, but may have limited benefit in a therapeutic setting.

It has been over a decade since the first Alzheimer's disease (AD) transgenic mouse models were reported. These models have enabled dramatic advances in our understanding of the pathogenic mechanism in AD and of potential therapeutic approaches to tackling the inexorable clinical progression of the disease. In this article, we discuss the current status of AD mouse models and focus on recent work that has examined the development of the neuropathological lesions observed in AD (plaques and tangles). The relationship between these lesions, neurodegeneration and development of the clinical syndrome will be explored.

Here, we describe the generation of a novel transgenic mouse model of human tauopathy. The rTg(tauP301L)4510 mouse expresses the P301L mutation in tau (4R0N) associated with frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17. Transgene expression was driven by a forebrain-specific Ca2+calmodulin kinase II promoter system resulting in high levels of expression in the hippocampus and neocortex. Importantly, transgene expression in this model is induced via the tetracycline-operon responsive element and is suppressed after treatment with doxycycline. Continued transgene expression in rTg(tauP301L)4510 mice results in age-dependent development of many salient characteristics of hereditary human dementia. From an early age, immunohistochemical studies demonstrated abnormal biochemical processing of tau and the presence of pathological conformation- and phosphorylation-dependent epitopes. Neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) pathology was first observed in the neocortex and progressed into the hippocampus and limbic structures with increasing age. Consistent with the formation of NFTs, immunoblots indicated an age-dependent transition of accumulating tau species from Sarkosyl soluble 55 kDa to insoluble hyperphosphorylated 64 kDa. Ultrastructural analysis revealed the presence of straight tau filaments. Furthermore, the effects of tauP301Lexpression on spatial reference memory were longitudinally tested using the Morris water maze. Compared with nontransgenic age-matched control littermates, rTg(tauP301L)4510 mice developed significant cognitive impairments from 4 months of age. Memory deficits were accompanied by gross forebrain atrophy and a prominent loss of neurons, most strikingly in hippocampal subdivision CA1. Collectively, these data describe a novel transgenic mouse that closely mimics human tauopathy and may represent an important model for the future study of tau-related neurodegenerative disease.

Occurrence of amyloid beta (Abeta) dense-core plaques in the brain is one of the chief hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It is not yet clear what factors are responsible for the aggregation of Abeta in the formation of these plaques. Using Tg2576 and PSAPP mouse models that exhibit age-related development of amyloid plaques similar to that observed in AD, we showed that approximately 95% of dense plaques in Tg2576 and approximately 85% in PSAPP mice are centered on vessel walls or in the immediate perivascular regions. Stereoscopy and simulation studies focusing on smaller plaques suggested that vascular associations for both Tg2576 and PSAPP mice were dramatically higher than those encountered by chance alone. We further identified ultrastructural microvascular abnormalities occurring in association with dense plaques. Although occurrence of gross cerebral hemorrhage was infrequent, we identified considerable infiltration of the serum proteins immunoglobulin and albumin in association with dense plaques. Together with earlier evidence of vascular clearance of Abeta, our data suggest that perturbed vascular transport and/or perivascular enrichment of Abeta leads to the formation of vasocentric dense plaques in Tg2576 and PSAPP mouse models of AD.

Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) are the most common intraneuronal inclusion in the brains of patients with neurodegenerative diseases and have been implicated in mediating neuronal death and cognitive deficits. Here, we found that mice expressing a repressible human tau variant developed progressive age-related NFTs, neuronal loss, and behavioral impairments. After the suppression of transgenic tau, memory function recovered, and neuron numbers stabilized, but to our surprise, NFTs continued to accumulate. Thus, NFTs are not sufficient to cause cognitive decline or neuronal death in this model of tauopathy.

Alzheimer disease (AD), the most common senile dementia, is characterized by amyloid plaques, vascular amyloid, neurofibrillary tangles, and progressive neurodegeneration. Amyloid is mainly composed by amyloid-beta (A(beta)) peptides, which are derive from processing of the beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP), better named amyloid-beta precursor protein (A(beta)PP), by secretases. The A(beta)PP intracellular domain (AID), which is released together with A(beta), has signaling function, since it modulates apoptosis and transcription. Despite its biological and pathological importance, the mechanisms regulating A(beta)PP processing are poorly understood. As cleavage of other gamma-secretase substrates is regulated by membrane bound proteins, we have postulated the existence of integral membrane proteins that bind A(beta)PP and regulate its processing. Here, we show that BRI2, a type II membrane protein, interacts with A(beta)PP. Interestingly, 17 amino acids corresponding to the NH2-terminal portion of A(beta) are necessary for this interaction. Moreover, BRI2 expression regulates A(beta)PP processing resulting in reduced A(beta) and AID levels. Altogether, these findings characterize the BRI2-A(beta)PP interaction as a regulatory mechanism of A(beta)PP processing that inhibits A(beta) production. Notably, BRI2 mutations cause familial British (FBD) and Danish dementias (FDD) that are clinically and pathologically similar to AD. Finding that BRI2 pathogenic mutations alter the regulatory function of BRI2 on A(beta)PP processing would define dysregulation of A(beta)PP cleavage as a pathogenic mechanism common to AD, FDD, and FBD.

Neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) accumulated in Alzheimer's diseases and related disorders contain hyperphosphorylated tau and display immunoreactivity for active forms of various kinases. To understand the role of p38MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) in NFT formation, we have studied a transgenic (Tg) mouse model of tauopathy, JNPL3, that expresses P301L mutant tau, and bigenic mice, TAPP, generated by cross-breeding of JNPL3 with Tg2576 mice. Age-matched non-Tg mice (NTg), wild-type human tau Tg mice (JN25), and Tg2576 mice were used as controls. Phosphorylated p38MAPK (active form) immunoreactivity was consistently located in NFT and granulovaculolar degeneration in JNPL3 and TAPP mice older than 5 months of age. Unphosphorylated/total-p38MAPK was not detectable in spinal cord and brain sections from 2- to 11-month-old mice, even though JNPL3 mice, but not controls had an age-dependent increase of total-p38MAPK by western blotting. Spinal cord/brain extracts from mice and human with tauopathy were demonstrated to have insignificant amount of active-p38MAPK. However, they contained antiactive-p38MAPK cross-reactive proteins insoluble in sarkosyl and similar to phosphorylated tau in size. Consistently, antiactive-p38MAPK immunoprecipitates displayed tau immunoreactivity, but not total-p38MAPK, and antitau immunoprecipitates displayed active-p38MAPK immunoreactivity. Together, the results indicate that the cross-reactivity of antiactive-p38MAPK antibody with phosphorylated tau is responsible for the immunolabeling of tau-positive inclusion.

APPsw transgenic mice bearing the “Swedish” amyloid precursor protein (APP) mutation and JNPL3 transgenic mice bearing the P301L (Tau) mutation were compared to control non-transgenic (NT) mice in an extensive behavioral test battery administered between 5 and 8.5 months of age. APP mice were impaired in a variety of cognitive-based tasks prior to overt Aβ plaque development, making involvement of mutant APP overexpression and/or oligomeric Aβ assemblies most likely. Although Tau mice, as a group, were not impaired in any single behavioral measure, a collective assessment of behavioral measures through discriminant function analysis showed that Tau mice were impaired in overall behavioral (cognitive) performance. Moreover, correlation analyses involving Tau mice alone revealed linkage between poorer cognitive performance in all three water maze tasks and the number of neurofibrillary tangle (NFT)-containing neurons in neocortex and hippocampus. These findings indicate that: (1) APP mice show early and extensive cognitive impairment before evident Aβ deposition, and (2) the process or product of NFT formation in Tau mice is sufficient to deleteriously impact cognitive performance.

Transgenic mice expressing human tau with P301L missense mutation (JNPL3) develop progressive amyotrophy, neurofibrillary degeneration, and neuronal loss. Mating of JNPL3 with transgenic mice expressing mutant amyloid precursor protein (Tg2576) leads to bigenic (TAPP) mice with enhanced neurofibrillary pathology. TAPP and JNPL3 mice were studied with immunocytochemistry and immunoblotting with antibodies to glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GKS3) to determine whether the development of tauopathy is associated with activation or increased expression of GSK3, and when the observed changes occur with respect to neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) formation. Accumulation of GSK3alpha/beta phosphorylated at Y279/216 was observed in neurons containing NFTs and granulovacuolar degeneration (GVD), but not in normal neurons or neurons with pretangles. More GSK3 immunoreactive NFTs were detected in TAPP than JNPL3 mice, especially in the amygdala. These differences were notable only in old animals. There was no significant difference between animals with and without NFTs in the level of total, inactive, or Y216-phosphorylated (pY216)GSK3beta. No apparent GSK3 accumulation was detected in neurons in Tg2576 mice. There was also no significant difference in the distribution of GSK3 in lysates fractionated based on their solubility in various reagents, including the sarkosyl-insoluble fraction. The results suggest that the pY216 GSK3beta accumulates in NFT and GVD due to redistribution rather than increased expression or activation, and that pre-existence of tau abnormalities is required for APP/Abeta to exert their effects on tau pathology in TAPP mice.

Mutations in the BRI 2 gene cause the autosomal dominant neurodegenerative diseases familial British dementia (FBD) and familial Danish dementia (FDD). BRI 2 is a member of a family of type 2 integral transmembrane spanning proteins, including mBRI 2 , its murine homologue. The function of BRI 2 is unknown. Northern and Western analyses and in situ hybridization were employed to determine the expression of mBRI 2 in the mouse. mBRI 2 mRNA was expressed in several tissues including the liver, heart, lung, and ubiquitously throughout the brain. mBRI 2 protein was detected at high levels in many brain regions. Murine BRI 2 expression is similar to that described in the human brain but does not fully explain the distribution of pathology seen in FBD and FDD.

Intraneuronal filamentous inclusions composed of the microtubule-associated protein tau are a feature of several neurodegenerative diseases (including Alzheimer's disease) known as tauopathies. A pivotal finding was the identification in 1998 of mutations in tau associated with frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17. This demonstrated that tau dysfunction is sufficient to cause neurodegeneration, and indicated that tau is likely to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of other tauopathies. However, the mechanism by which tau filamentous lesions form and their role in neurodegeneration remains uncertain. Recent progress in the development of transgenic mouse models of human tauopathy is allowing these questions to be addressed.

JNPL3 transgenic mice expressing a mutant tau protein, which develop neurofibrillary tangles and progressive motor disturbance, were crossed with Tg2576 transgenic mice expressing mutant beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP), thus modulating the APP-Abeta (beta-amyloid peptide) environment. The resulting double mutant (tau/APP) progeny and the Tg2576 parental strain developed Abeta deposits at the same age; however, relative to JNPL3 mice, the double mutants exhibited neurofibrillary tangle pathology that was substantially enhanced in the limbic system and olfactory cortex. These results indicate that either APP or Abeta influences the formation of neurofibrillary tangles. The interaction between Abeta and tau pathologies in these mice supports the hypothesis that a similar interaction occurs in Alzheimer's disease.

The basalo-cortical cholinergic system was characterized in mice expressing mutant human genes for presenilin-I (PSI), amyloid precursor protein (APP), and combined PS/APP. Dual immunocytochemistry for ChAT and Aβ revealed swollen cholinergic processes within cortical plaques in both APP and PS/APP brains by 12 months, suggesting aberrant sprouting or redistribution of cholinergic processes in response to amyloid deposition. At 8 months, cortical and subcortical ChAT activity was normal (PS/APP) or elevated (PS, APP frontal cortex), while cholinergic cell counts (nBM/SI) and receptor binding were unchanged. ChAT mRNA was up-regulated in the nBM/SI of all three transgenic lines at 8 months. The data indicate that the basal forebrain cholinergic system does not degenerate in mice expressing AD-related transgenes, even in mice with extreme amyloid load. The PSI or APP transgene appears to enhance the cholinergic phenotype in younger mice, but this involves aberrant sprouting and redistribution of cortical cholinergic processes.

The report by Oddo and colleagues in this issue of Neuron demonstrates for the first time that clearance of amyloid also results in the removal of early-stage tau pathology in mice that develop both amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), the two hallmark lesions of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This result supports a primary role for Aβ in AD etiology.

Transgenic mice expressing human tau containing the P301L tau mutation (JNPL3; tau mice) develop motor neuron loss, paralysis and death between 7 and 12 months. Surprisingly, at 5 and 7 months of age, tau transgenic mice were superior to other genotypes in the rotarod task, and had near perfect scores on the balance beam and coat hanger tests. One tau transgenic mouse was performing at a superior level in the rotarod one day prior to developing paralysis. Cognitive function was also normal in the tau mice evaluated in the radial arm water maze and the Y-maze tasks. We also crossed the tau transgenic mice with Tg2576 amyloid-beta protein precursor (AbetaPP) transgenic mice. Although AbetaPP mice were deficient in the radial arm maze task, AbetaPP + tau mice were not impaired, implying a benefit of the tau transgene. Some mice were homozygous for the retinal degeneration mutation (rd/rd) and excluded from the genotype analysis. Only the water maze task discriminated the rd/rd mice from nontransgenic mice. In conclusion, it seems that the modest tau overexpression or the presence of mutant tau in the JNPL3 tau mice may provide some benefit with respect to motor and cognitive performance before the onset of paralysis.