White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are frequently seen on brain magnetic resonance imaging scans of older people. Usually interpreted clinically as a surrogate for cerebral small vessel disease, WMHs are associated with increased likelihood of cognitive impairment and dementia (including Alzheimer's disease [AD]). WMHs are also seen in cognitively healthy people. In this collaboration of academic, clinical, and pharmaceutical industry perspectives, we identify outstanding questions about WMHs and their relation to cognition, dementia, and AD. What molecular and cellular changes underlie WMHs? What are the neuropathological correlates of WMHs? To what extent are demyelination and inflammation present? Is it helpful to subdivide into periventricular and subcortical WMHs? What do WMHs signify in people diagnosed with AD? What are the risk factors for developing WMHs? What preventive and therapeutic strategies target WMHs? Answering these questions will improve prevention and treatment of WMHs and dementia.

The function of the nuclear receptor Rev-erbα (Nr1d1) in the brain is, apart from its role in the circadian clock mechanism, unknown. Therefore, we compared gene expression profiles in the brain between wild-type and Rev-erbα knock-out (KO) animals. We identified fatty acid binding protein 7 (Fabp7, Blbp) as a direct target of repression by REV-ERBα. Loss of Rev-erbα manifested in memory and mood related behavioral phenotypes and led to overexpression of Fabp7 in various brain areas including the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the hippocampus, where neuronal progenitor cells (NPCs) can initiate adult neurogenesis. We found increased proliferation of hippocampal neurons and loss of its diurnal pattern in Rev-erbα KO mice. In vitro, proliferation and migration of glioblastoma cells were affected by manipulating either Fabp7 expression or REV-ERBα activity. These results suggest an important role of Rev-erbα and Fabp7 in adult neurogenesis, which may open new avenues for treatment of gliomas as well as neurological diseases such as depression and Alzheimer.

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Notch signaling plays a crucial role in adult brain function such as synaptic plasticity, memory and olfaction. Several reports suggest an involvement of this pathway in neurodegenerative dementia. Yet, to date, the mechanism underlying Notch activity in mature neurons remains unresolved. In this work, we investigate how Notch regulates synaptic potentiation and contributes to the establishment of memory in mice. We observe that Notch1 is a postsynaptic receptor with functional interactions with the Reelin receptor, apolipoprotein E receptor 2 (ApoER2) and the ionotropic receptor, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR). Targeted loss of Notch1 in the hippocampal CA fields affects Reelin signaling by influencing Dab1 expression and impairs the synaptic potentiation achieved through Reelin stimulation. Further analysis indicates that loss of Notch1 affects the expression and composition of the NMDAR but not AMPAR. Glutamatergic signaling is further compromised through downregulation of CamKII and its secondary and tertiary messengers resulting in reduced cAMP response element-binding (CREB) signaling. Our results identify Notch1 as an important regulator of mechanisms involved in synaptic plasticity and memory formation. These findings emphasize the possible involvement of this signaling receptor in dementia.HighlightsIn this paper, we propose a mechanism for Notch1-dependent plasticity that likely underlies the function of Notch1 in memory formation:Notch1 interacts with another important developmental pathway, the Reelin cascade.Notch1 regulates both NMDAR expression and composition.Notch1 influences a cascade of cellular events culminating in CREB activation.

BackgroundNotch1 signaling is a cellular cascade with a fundamental role from brain development to adult brain function. Reduction in Notch1 affects synaptic plasticity, memory and olfaction. On the other hand, Notch1 overactivation after brain injury is detrimental for neuronal survival. Some familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD) mutations in Presenilins can affect Notch1 processing/activation. Others report that Notch1 is overexpressed in sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD). These works indicate that imbalances in Notch1 may be implicated in AD pathophysiology. In this study, we addressed whether Notch1 alteration can be considered a hallmark of AD.ResultsImmunohistochemical analysis of Notch1 on cortical and hippocampal tissue from post-mortem patients indicates an accumulation of Notch1 in plaque-like structures in the brain parenchyma of subjects with sporadic AD. Further analysis shows that displaced Notch1 is associated with fibrillary tangles/plaques. Biochemical validation confirms an accumulation of Notch1 in cytosolic brain fractions. This increase in protein is not accompanied with a raise in the Notch1 targets Hes1 and Hey1. Examination of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) indicates that the full length and truncations of the Notch1 protein are reduced in AD patients hinting at an accumulation in the brain parenchyma.ConclusionsOur research indicates that Notch1 is significantly displaced and accumulated in fibrillary structures in the susceptible hippocampal and cortical regions of sporadic AD patients. The dominant deposition of Notch1 in the brain parenchyma and its general signal reduction in neurons is consistent in all the AD patients analyzed and suggests that Notch1 may potentially be considered a novel hallmark of AD.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40478-016-0327-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke and epilepsy are currently marred by the lack of effective treatments to prevent neuronal death. Erroneous cell cycle reentry (CCR) is hypothesized to have a causative role in neurodegeneration. We show that forcing S-phase reentry in cultured hippocampal neurons is sufficient to induce neurodegeneration. We found that kainic-acid treatment in vivo induces erroneous CCR and neuronal death through a Notch-dependent mechanism. Ablating Notch signaling in neurons provides neuroprotection against kainic acid-induced neuronal death. We further show that kainic-acid treatment activates Notch signaling, which increases the bioavailability of CyclinD1 through Akt/GSK3β pathway, leading to aberrant CCR via activation of CyclinD1-Rb-E2F1 axis. In addition, pharmacological blockade of this pathway at critical steps is sufficient to confer resistance to kainic acid-induced neurotoxicity in mice. Taken together, our results demonstrate that excitotoxicity leads to neuronal death in a Notch-dependent manner through erroneous CCR.

A B S T R A C TSensory capacities like smell, taste, hearing, vision decline with aging, but increasing evidence show that sensory dysfunctions are one of the early signs diagnosing the conversion from physiological to pathological brain state. Smell loss represents the best characterized sense in clinical practice and is considered as one of the first preclinical signs of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, occurring a decade or more before the onset of cognitive and motor symptoms. Despite the numerous scientific reports and the adoption in clinical practice, the etiology of sensory damage as prodromal of dementia remains largely unexplored and more studies are needed to resolve the mechanisms underlying sensory network dysfunction. Although both cognitive and sensory domains are progressively affected, loss of sensory experience in early stages plays a major role in reducing the autonomy of demented people in their daily tasks or even possibly contributing to their cognitive decline. Interestingly, the chemosensory circuitry is devoid of a blood brain barrier, representing a vulnerable port of entry for neurotoxic species that can spread to the brain. Furthermore, the exposure of the olfactory system to the external environment make it more susceptible to mechanical injury and trauma, which can cause degenerative neuroinflammation. In this review, we will summarize several findings about chemosensory impairment signing the conversion from healthy to pathological brain aging and we will try to connect those observations to the promising research linking environmental influences to sporadic dementia. The scientific body of knowledge will support the use of chemosensory diagnostics in the presymptomatic stages of AD and other biomarkers with the scope of finding treatment strategies before the onset of the disease. ⁎

Genomic studies suggest an association of circadian clock genes with bipolar disorder (BD) and lithium response in humans. Therefore, we tested mice mutant in various clock genes before and after lithium treatment in the forced swim test (FST), a rodent behavioral test used for evaluation of depressive-like states. We find that expression of circadian clock components, including Per2, Cry1 and Rev-erbα, is affected by lithium treatment, and thus, these clock components may contribute to the beneficial effects of lithium therapy. In particular, we observed that Cry1 is important at specific times of the day to transmit lithium-mediated effects. Interestingly, the pathways involving Per2 and Cry1, which regulate the behavior in the FST and the response to lithium, are distinct as evidenced by the phosphorylation of GSK3β after lithium treatment and the modulation of dopamine levels in the striatum. Furthermore, we observed the co-existence of depressive and mania-like symptoms in Cry1 knock-out mice, which resembles the so-called mixed state seen in BD patients. Taken together our results strengthen the concept that a defective circadian timing system may impact directly or indirectly on mood-related behaviors.