The potential of exosomes as biomarker resources for diagnostics, prognostics and even for therapeutics is an area of intense research. Despite the various approaches available, there is no consensus with respect to the best methodology for isolating exosomes and to provide substantial yields with reliable quality. Differential centrifugation is the most commonly used method but it is time-consuming and requires large sample volumes, thus alternative methods are urgently needed. In this study two precipitation-based methods and one column-based approach were compared for exosome isolation from distinct biofluids (serum, plasma and cerebrospinal fluid). Exosome characterization included morphological analyses, determination of particle concentration, stability and exosome preparations’ purity, using different complementary approaches such as Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis, Electrophoretic Light Scattering, Transmission Electron Microscopy, EXOCET colorimetric assay, protein quantification methods and western blotting. The three commercial kits tested successfully isolated exosomes from the biofluids under study, although ExoS showed the best performance in terms of exosome yield and purity. Data shows that methods other than differential centrifugation can be applied to quickly and efficiently isolate exosomes from reduced biofluid volumes. The possibility to use small volumes is fundamental in the context of translational and clinical research, thus the results here presented contribute significantly in this respect.

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by pathological aggregation of protein tau and amyloid-β peptides, both of which are considered to be toxic to neurons. Naturally occurring dietary flavonoids have received considerable attention as alternative candidates for Alzheimer's therapy taking into account their antiamyloidogenic, antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory properties. Experimental evidence supports the hypothesis that certain flavonoids may protect against Alzheimer's disease in part by interfering with the generation and assembly of amyloid-β peptides into neurotoxic oligomeric aggregates and also by reducing tau aggregation. Several mechanisms have been proposed for the ability of flavonoids to prevent the onset or to slow the progression of the disease. Some mechanisms include their interaction with important signaling pathways in the brain like the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways that regulate prosurvival transcription factors and gene expression. Other processes include the disruption of amyloid-β aggregation and alterations in amyloid precursor protein processing through the inhibition of β-secretase and/or activation of α-secretase, and inhibiting cyclin-dependent kinase-5 and glycogen synthase kinase-3β activation, preventing abnormal tau phosphorylation. The interaction of flavonoids with different signaling pathways put forward their therapeutic potential to prevent the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease and to promote cognitive performance. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to give additional insight into the specific mechanisms by which flavonoids exert their potential neuroprotective actions in the brain of Alzheimer's disease patients. KEYWORDS: Flavonoids, Alzheimer's disease, amyloid precursor protein, amyloid beta, BACE-1, tau, signaling A lzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder and the most common form of dementia worldwide. The major histopathological hallmarks of AD include proteinous aggregates in the form of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), consisting of hyperphosphorylated tau 1,2 and extracellular senile plaques, which are deposits of heterogeneously sized small peptides of amyloid-β (Aβ) that are formed via sequential proteolytic cleavages of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) 3 (Figure 1). Dominant mutations in APP, presenilin-1 (PS1) or PS2 are responsible for the early onset or familial form of AD. These mutations have been shown to profoundly alter APP metabolism, favoring the production of aggregation-prone Aβ species, these findings formed the basis for the "amyloid cascade hypothesis" of AD pathogenesis. This broadly accepted hypothesis states that the generation of neurotoxic Aβ peptides by β-secretase and γ-secretase are at the basis of AD pathophysiology. Other hallmarks of this disease, like neurotransmitter changes 4,5 and neuronal and synapse loss in the neocortex and the hippocampus 6,7 develop as a consequence of this event.■ AMYLOID PRECURSOR PROTEIN APP belongs to a protein f...

J. Neurochem. (2010) 113, 761–771. Abstract Aβ is proteolytically produced from the Alzheimer’s amyloid precursor protein (APP). Major properties attributed to Aβ include neurotoxic effects that contribute to Alzheimer’s disease neurodegeneration. However, Aβ can also affect APP processing and trafficking that, in neurons, is anterogradelly transported via microtubules in a kinesin‐associated manner. Herein we show that Aβ can induce accumulation of intracellular sAPP in primary neuronal cultures. Subcellular fractionation studies and immunofluorescence analysis revealed that upon Aβ exposure sAPP retention was localized to cytoskeleton associated vesicular structures along the neurite processes, positive for an APP N‐terminal antibody and negative for an APP C‐terminal antibody. These vesicular structures were also positive for kinesin light chain 1 (KLC). We confirm that Aβ alters both actin and microtubule networks. It increases F‐actin polymerization and we report for the first time that Aβ decreases α‐tubulin acetylation. The use of cytoskeleton associated drugs partially reversed the Aβ‐induced effects on sAPP secretion. The data here presented show that Aβ causes intracellular sAPP retention by inducing alterations in the cytoskeleton network, thus contributing to impaired APP/sAPP vesicular transport. Moreover, the data strengthens the hypothesis that Aβ‐induces neurodegeneration and provides a potential mechanism of action, as impaired vesicular and axonal transport have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease pathology.

Altered protein phosphorylation states of several proteins are closely associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Among these are the amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP) and the tau protein. In fact, altered protein phosphorylation states already provide strong biomarkers for AD diagnosis, as is the case with hyperphosphorylated tau. It follows that modulating signaling cascades provides an attractive avenue for exploring novel therapeutic strategies. This review focuses on some of the major protein kinases and protein phosphatases relevant to AD. Of particular relevance, posttranslational modifications dynamically regulate protein activity, subcellular localization, and stability. Protein phosphorylation states can mediate complex formation as well as regulate protein function, and this is important for cellular physiology but can likewise contribute to the development of neuropathological conditions. Furthermore, applying a system approach provides a more comprehensive understanding of the signaling events associated with AD and highlights possible convergence points that may contribute to the different AD pathological hallmarks.