title: Neuropathological role of PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis in Down syndrome brain.
abstract: Down syndrome (DS) is the most frequent genetic cause of intellectual disability characterized by the presence of three copies of chromosome 21 (Chr21). Individuals with DS have sufficient neuropathology for a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) after the age of 40years. The aim of our study is to gain new insights in the molecular mechanisms impaired in DS subjects that eventually lead to the development of dementia. We evaluate the PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis in the frontal cortex from DS cases (under the age of 40years) and DS with AD neuropathology compared with age-matched controls (Young and Old). The PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis may control several key pathways involved in AD that, if aberrantly regulated, affect amyloid beta (Aβ) deposition and tau phosphorylation. Our results show a hyperactivation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis in individuals with DS, with and without AD pathology, in comparison with respective controls. The PI3K/Akt/mTOR deregulation results in decreased autophagy, inhibition of IRS1 and GSK3β activity. Moreover, our data suggest that aberrant activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis acts in parallel to RCAN1 in phosphorylating tau, in DS and DS/AD. In conclusion, this study provides insights into the neuropathological mechanisms that may be engaged during the development of AD in DS. We suggest that deregulation of this signaling cascade is already evident in young DS cases and persist in the presence of AD pathology. The impairment of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis in DS population might represent a key-contributing factor to the neurodegenerative process that culminates in Alzheimer-like dementia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marzia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perluigi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Gilda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pupo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tramutola
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cini
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Coccia
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barone
authors.affiliation: Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0055, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Head
authors.affiliation: Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0055, USA; Department of Chemistry and Center of Membrane Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0055, USA.
authors.forename: D Allan
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Butterfield
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: fabio.didomenico@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Domenico
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D055504:Insulin Receptor Substrate Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism*; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D055504:Insulin Receptor Substrate Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D016875:tau Proteins; C526292:IRS1 protein, human; C108612:RCAN1 protein, human; C546842:MTOR protein, human
keywords: Akt; Autophagy; Insulin signaling; PI3K; Trisomy 21; mTOR
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