p73 regulates neurodegeneration and phospho-tau accumulation during aging and Alzheimer's disease.
The genetic mechanisms that regulate neurodegeneration are only poorly understood. We show that the loss of one allele of the p53 family member, p73, makes mice susceptible to neurodegeneration as a consequence of aging or Alzheimer's disease (AD). Behavioral analyses demonstrated that old, but not young, p73+/- mice displayed reduced motor and cognitive function, CNS atrophy, and neuronal degeneration. Unexpectedly, brains of aged p73+/- mice demonstrated dramatic accumulations of phospho-tau (P-tau)-positive filaments. Moreover, when crossed to a mouse model of AD expressing a mutant amyloid precursor protein, brains of these mice showed neuronal degeneration and early and robust formation of tangle-like structures containing P-tau. The increase in P-tau was likely mediated by JNK; in p73+/- neurons, the activity of the p73 target JNK was enhanced, and JNK regulated P-tau levels. Thus, p73 is essential for preventing neurodegeneration, and haploinsufficiency for p73 may be a susceptibility factor for AD and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Wetzel
Monica K
MK
Cell Biology, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A2B4, Canada.
Naska
Sibel
S
Laliberté
Christine L
CL
Rymar
Vladimir V
VV
Fujitani
Masashi
M
Biernaskie
Jeffrey A
JA
Cole
Christy J
CJ
Lerch
Jason P
JP
Spring
Shoshana
S
Wang
S-H
SH
Frankland
Paul W
PW
Henkelman
R Mark
RM
Josselyn
Sheena A
SA
Sadikot
Abbas F
AF
Miller
Freda D
FD
Kaplan
David R
DR
D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000235:genetics; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005697:Galactosides / Q000378:metabolism; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4 / Q000378:metabolism; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D017628:Microglia / Q000473:pathology; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000378:metabolism; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000494:pharmacology; D000072160:Tumor Protein p73; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005697:Galactosides; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C000606368:Trp73 protein, mouse; D000072160:Tumor Protein p73; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; C007816:beta-galactoside; D016875:tau Proteins; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase