title: Site-specific phosphorylation of tau accompanied by activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in brains of Niemann-Pick type C mice.
abstract: Niemann-Pick type C (NPC) disease is characterized by an accumulation of cholesterol in most tissues and progressive neurodegeneration with the formation of neurofibrillary tangles. Neurofibrillary tangles are composed of paired helical filaments (PHF), a major component of which is the hyperphosphorylated tau. In this study we used NPC heterozygous and NPC homozygous mouse brains to investigate the molecular mechanism responsible for tauopathy in NPC. Immunoblot analysis using anti-tau antibodies (Tau-1, PHF-1, AT-180, and AT-100) revealed site-specific phosphorylation of tau at Ser-396 and Ser-404 in the brains of NPC homozygous mice. Mitogen-activated protein kinase, a potential serine kinase known to phosphorylate tau, was activated, whereas other serine kinases such as glycogen synthase kinase-3beta and cyclin-dependent kinase 5 were inactive. Morphological examination demonstrated that a number of neurons, the perikarya of which strongly immunostained with PHF-1, exhibited polymorphorous cytoplasmic inclusion bodies and multi-concentric lamellar-like bodies. Importantly, the accumulation of intracellular cholesterol in NPC mouse brains was determined to be a function of age. From these results we conclude that abnormal cholesterol metabolism due to the genetic mutation in NPC1 may be responsible for activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase-signaling pathway and site-specific phosphorylation of tau in vivo, leading to tauopathy in NPC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dementia Research, National Institute for Longevity Sciences, 36-3 Gengo, Morioka, Obu, Aichi 474-8522, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sawamura
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Garver
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Heidenreich
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ninomiya
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yanagisawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Michikawa
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000201:enzymology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D051360:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; D038341:Glycogen Synthase Kinases; D006579:Heterozygote; D006720:Homozygote; D006358:Hot Temperature; D015151:Immunoblotting; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D009542:Niemann-Pick Diseases / Q000235:genetics; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D012694:Serine / Q000737:chemistry; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013687:Telencephalon / Q000201:enzymology; D013997:Time Factors; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016875:tau Proteins; D012694:Serine; D002784:Cholesterol; D038341:Glycogen Synthase Kinases; D051360:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; C495906:Cdk5 protein, mouse; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase