Activated mTOR and PKR kinases in lymphocytes correlate with memory and cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease.
BACKGROUND
The control of translation, involving the kinases mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) and PKR (double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase), modulates cell survival and death and is altered in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). In AD increased susceptibility of lymphocytes to apoptosis has been reported.


METHODS
We investigated the level of the kinases mTOR and PKR and the eukaryotic initiation factor 2alpha (eIF2alpha) in lymphocytes of patients with AD in comparison with controls. In AD patients we also looked for a correlation between activated proteins and cognitive and memory tests.


RESULTS
We report significant alterations of the levels of these kinases and eIF2alpha in lymphocytes of AD patients that were also significantly correlated with cognitive and memory test scores.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the levels of mTOR, PKR and eIF2alpha in lymphocytes could follow the cognitive decline in AD.
Paccalin
Marc
M
Brain Aging Research Group EA 3808, University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France. m.paccalin@chu-poitiers.fr
Pain-Barc
Stéphanie
S
Pluchon
Claudette
C
Paul
Chloé
C
Besson
Marie-Noelle
MN
Carret-Rebillat
Anne-Sophie
AS
Rioux-Bilan
Agnès
A
Gil
Roger
R
Hugon
Jacques
J
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D015415:Biomarkers; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D015852:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2 / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D019892:eIF-2 Kinase / Q000378:metabolism*
D015415:Biomarkers; D015852:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2; D011494:Protein Kinases; C546842:MTOR protein, human; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D019892:eIF-2 Kinase