Tau and Aβ assemblies of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can be visualized in living subjects using positron emission tomography (PET). Tau assemblies comprise paired helical and straight filaments (PHFs and SFs). APN-1607 (PM-PBB3) is a recently described PET ligand for AD and other tau proteinopathies. Since it is not known where in the tau folds PET ligands bind, we used electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) to determine the binding sites of APN-1607 in the Alzheimer fold. We identified two major sites in the β-helix of PHFs and SFs and a third major site in the C-shaped cavity of SFs. In addition, we report that tau filaments from posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) and primary age-related tauopathy (PART) are identical to those from AD. In support, fluorescence labelling showed binding of APN-1607 to intraneuronal inclusions in AD, PART and PCA. Knowledge of the binding modes of APN-1607 to tau filaments may lead to the development of new ligands with increased specificity and binding activity. We show that cryo-EM can be used to identify the binding sites of small molecules in amyloid filaments.

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor function is modulated by several endogenous molecules, including zinc, polyamines, protons, and sulfated neurosteroids. Zinc, polyamines, and phenylethanolamines exert their respective modulatory effects by exacerbating or relieving tonic proton inhibition. Here, we report that pregnenolone sulfate (PS) uses a unique mechanism for enhancement of NMDA receptor function that is independent of the proton sensor. We identify a steroid modulatory domain, SMD1, on the NMDA receptor NR2B subunit that is critical for both PS enhancement and proton sensitivity. This domain includes the J͞K helices in the S2 region of the glutamate recognition site and the fourth membrane transmembrane region (M4). A molecular model based on ␣-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor structure suggests that steroid modulatory domain 1 contributes residues to a hydrophobic pocket that is capable of accommodating PS. The results demonstrate that the J͞K helices and the fourth membrane transmembrane region participate in transducing allosteric interactions induced by steroid and proton binding to their respective sites. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors mediate fast glutamatergic synaptic transmission, a core element of nervous system function, and are key loci for control of synaptic plasticity, learning and memory, and neuronal development. In particular, memory consolidation involves NMDA receptor-dependent synaptic reinforcement (1) and augmentation of N-methyl-Daspartate receptor subtype 2B (NR2B) subunit expression leads to enhancement of learning and memory in mice (2). Abnormal activation of NMDA receptors may, however, be associated with certain acute and chronic neurological disorders, including neuropathic pain, stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases.NMDA receptor function is known to be regulated pharmacologically, and in some cases physiologically, by endogenous molecules such as zinc, polyamines, protons, arachidonic acid, and sulfated neurosteroids, but the mechanism(s) by which modulators function to control transmitter-induced gating of ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) is unresolved. Moreover, the development of small molecule modulators provides a basis for the use of the NMDA receptor as a key target for future drug discovery (3, 4).Pregnenolone sulfate (PS) is one of the most abundant neurosteroids synthesized de novo in the nervous system (5-7). In vivo administration of PS promotes the release of acetylcholine in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus (8, 9), and dopamine in the nucleus accumbens (10), whereas exogenous and endogenous alterations of PS correlates with changes in spatial recognition and cognitive functions (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16). At the molecular level, PS enhances NMDA receptor function while inhibiting several other ligand gated ion channels, including ␥-aminobutyric acid type A and ␣-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors (17)(18)(19)(20).The proton sensor of the NMDA receptor has been demonstrated to...

BackgroundAxonal transport is vital for neurons and deficits in this process have been previously reported in a few mouse models of Alzheimer's disease prior to the appearance of plaques and tangles. However, it remains to be determined whether axonal transport is defective prior to the onset of neurodegeneration. The rTg4510 mouse, a fronto-temporal dementia and parkinsonism-17 (FTDP-17) tauopathy model, over-express tau-P301L mutation found in familial forms of FTDP-17, in the forebrain driven by the calcium–calmodulin kinase II promoter. This mouse model exhibits tau pathology, neurodegeneration in the forebrain, and associated behavioral deficits beginning at 4–5 months of age.Animal modelrTg4510 transgenic mice were used in these studies. Mice were given 2 μL of MnCl2 in each nostril 1 h prior to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Following MnCl2 nasal lavage, mice were imaged using Manganese enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MEMRI) Protocol with TE = 8.5 ms, TR = 504 ms, FOV = 3.0 cm, matrix size = 128 × 128 × 128, number of cycles = 15 with each cycle taking approximately 2 min, 9 s, and 24 ms using Paravision software (BrukerBioSpin, Billerica, MA). During imaging, body temperature was maintained at 37.0 °C using an animal heating system (SA Instruments, Stony Brook, NY).Data analysisResulting images were analyzed using Paravision software. Regions of interest (ROI) within the olfactory neuronal layer (ONL) and the water phantom consisting of one pixel (ONL) and 9 pixels (water) were selected and copied across each of the 15 cycles. Signal intensities (SI) of ONL and water phantom ROIs were measured. SI values obtained for ONL were then normalized the water phantom SI values. The correlation between normalized signal intensity in the ONL and time were assessed using Prism (GraphPad Software, San Diego, CA).ResultsUsing the MEMRI technique on 1.5, 3, 5, and 10-month old rTg4510 mice and littermate controls, we found significant axonal transport deficits present in the rTg4510 mice beginning at 3 months of age in an age-dependent manner. Using linear regression analysis, we measured rates of axonal transport at 1.5, 3, 5, and 10 months of age in rTg4510 and WT mice. Axonal transport rates were observed in rTg4510 mice at 48% of WT levels at 3 months, 40% of WT levels at 5 months, and 30% of WT levels at 10 months of age. In order to determine the point at which tau appears in the cortex, we probed for phosphorylated tau levels, and found that pSer262 is present at 3 months of age, not earlier at 1.5 months of age, but observed no pathological tau species until 6 months of age, months after the onset of the transport deficits. In addition, we saw localization of tau in the ONL at 6 months of age.DiscussionIn our study, we identified the presence of age-dependent axonal transport deficits beginning at 3 months of age in rTg4510 mice. We correlated these deficits at 3 months to the presence of hyperphosphorylated tau in the brain and the presence within the olfactory epithelium. We observed tau pathology not...

N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (NMDARs) mediate fast excitatory synaptic transmission and play a critical role in synaptic plasticity associated with learning and memory. NMDAR hypoactivity has been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, and clinical studies have revealed reduced negative symptoms of schizophrenia with a dose of pregnenolone that elevates serum levels of the neuroactive steroid pregnenolone sulfate (PregS). This report describes a novel process of delayed-onset potentiation whereby PregS approximately doubles the cell's response to NMDA via a mechanism that is pharmacologically and kinetically distinct from rapid positive allosteric modulation by PregS. The number of functional cellsurface NMDARs in cortical neurons increases 60-100% within 10 minutes of exposure to PregS, as shown by surface biotinylation and affinity purification. Delayed-onset potentiation is reversible and selective for expressed receptors containing the NMDAR subunit subtype 2A (NR2A) or NR2B, but not the NR2C or NR2D, subunits. Moreover, substitution of NR2B J/K helices and M4 domain with the corresponding region of NR2D ablates rapid allosteric potentiation of the NMDA response by PregS but not delayed-onset potentiation. This demonstrates that the initial phase of rapid positive allosteric modulation is not a first step in NMDAR upregulation. Delayed-onset potentiation by PregS occurs via a noncanonical, pertussis toxin-sensitive, G protein-coupled, and Ca 21 -dependent mechanism that is independent of NMDAR ion channel activation. Further investigation into the sequelae for PregS-stimulated trafficking of NMDARs to the neuronal cell surface may uncover a new target for the pharmacological treatment of disorders in which NMDAR hypofunction has been implicated.

A BS TRACT: Background: 18 F-APN-1607 is a novel tau PET tracer characterized by high binding affinity for 3-and 4-repeat tau deposits. Whether 18 F-APN-1607 PET imaging is clinically useful in PSP remains unclear. Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical utility of 18 F-APN-1607 PET in the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and assessment of disease severity in patients with PSP. Methods: We enrolled 3 groups consisting of patients with PSP (n = 20), patients with α-synucleinopathies (MSA with predominant parkinsonism, n = 7; PD, n = 10), and ageand sex-matched healthy controls (n = 13). The binding patterns of 18 F-APN-1607 in PET/CT imaging were investigated. Regional standardized uptake ratios were compared across groups and examined in relation to their utility in the differential diagnosis of PSP versus α-synucleinopathies. Finally, the relationships between clinical severity scores and 18 F-APN-1607 uptake were investigated after adjustment for age, sex, and disease duration.Results: Compared with healthy controls, patients with PSP showed increased 18 F-APN-1607 binding in several subcortical regions, including the striatum, putamen, globus pallidus, thalamus, subthalamic nucleus, midbrain, tegmentum, substantia nigra, pontine base, red nucleus, raphe nuclei, and locus coeruleus. We identified specific regions that were capable of distinguishing PSP from α-synucleinopathies. The severity of PSP was positively correlated with the amount of 18 F-APN-1607 uptake in the subthalamic nucleus, midbrain, substantia nigra, red nucleus, pontine base, and raphe nuclei. Conclusions: 18 F-APN-1607 PET imaging holds promise for the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and assessment of disease severity in patients with PSP.

Purpose of the Report In vivo tau PET imaging could help clarify the spatial distribution of tau deposition in Alzheimer disease (AD) and aid in the differential diagnosis of tauopathies. To date, there have been no in vivo 18F-APN1607 tau PET studies in patients with AD. Methods We applied tau tracer in 12 normal controls (NCs) and 10 patients in the mild to moderate stage of probable AD. Detailed clinical information, cognitive measurements, and disease severity were documented. Regional SUV ratios (SUVRs) from 18F-AV-45 (florbetapir), 18F-APN1607 PET images, and regional gray matter (GM) atrophic ratios were calculated for further analysis. Results Quantitative analyses showed significantly elevated SUVRs in the frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital lobes, anterior and posterior cingulate gyri, precuneus, and parahippocampal region (all P’s < 0.01) with medium to large effect sizes (0.44–0.75). The SUVRs from 18F-APN1607 PET imaging showed significant correlations with the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog) scores (all P’s < 0.01) and strong correlation coefficients (R 2 ranged from 0.54 to 0.68), even adjusted for age and sex effects. Finally, the SUVRs from 18F-APN1607 PET imaging of the parahippocampal region showed rapid saturation as the ADAS-cog scores increased, and the SUVRs of the posterior cingulate gyrus and the temporal, frontal, parietal, and occipital regions slowly increased. The combined SUVRs from amyloid, tau PET, and regional GM atrophic ratio showed regional specific patterns as the ADAS-cog scores increased. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the 18F-APN1607 tau tracer correlated well with cognitive changes and demonstrated the spatial pattern of amyloid, tau deposition, and GM atrophy in the progression of AD.

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) mediated excitatory synaptic transmission plays a critical role in synaptic plasticity and memory formation, whereas its dysfunction may underlie neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. The neuroactive steroid pregnenolone sulfate (PS) acts as a cognitive enhancer in impaired animals, augments LTP in hippocampal slices by enhancing NMDAR activity, and may participate in the reduction of schizophrenia’s negative symptoms by systemic pregnenolone. We report that the effects of PS on NMDAR function are diverse, varying with subunit composition and NR1splice variant. While PS potentiates NR1-1a/NR2B receptors through a critical steroid modulatory domain in NR2B that also modulates tonic proton inhibition, potentiation of the NMDA response is not dependent upon relief of such inhibition, a finding that distinguishes it from spermine. In contrast, the presence of an NR2A subunit confers enhanced PS-potentiation at reduced pH, suggesting that it may indeed act like spermine does at NR2B-containing receptors. Additional tuning of the NMDAR response by PS comes via the N-terminal exon-5 splicing insert of NR1-1b, which regulates the magnitude of proton-dependent PS potentiation. For NR2C- and NR2D-containing receptors, negative modulation at NR2C receptors is pH-independent (like NR2B) while negative modulation at NR2D receptors is pH-dependent (like NR2A). Taken together, PS displays a rich modulatory repertoire that takes advantage of the structural diversity of NMDARs in the CNS. The differential pH sensitivity of NMDAR isoforms to PS modulation may be especially important given the emerging role of proton sensors to both learning and memory, as well as brain injury.

Misfolding, aggregation, and cerebral accumulation of tau deposits are hallmark features of Alzheimer’s disease. Positron emission tomography study of tau can facilitate the development of anti-tau treatment. Here, we investigated a novel tau tracer 18F-PM-PBB3 (18F-APN-1607) in a mouse model of tauopathy. Dynamic PET scans were collected in groups of rTg4510 transgenic mice at 2–11 months of age. Associations between distribution volume ratios (DVR) and standardized uptake value ratios (SUVR) with cerebellum reference were used to determine the optimal scanning time and uptake pattern for each age. Immunohistochemistry staining of neurofibrillary tangles and autoradiography study was performed for ex vivo validation. An SUVR 40–70 min was most consistently correlated with DVR and was used in further analyses. Significant increased 18F-PM-PBB3 uptake in the brain cortex was found in six-month-old mice (+28.9%, p < 0.05), and increased further in the nine-month-old group (+38.8%, p < 0.01). The trend of increased SUVR value remained evident in the hippocampus and striatum regions except for cortex where uptake becomes slightly reduced in 11-month-old animals (+37.3%, p < 0.05). Radioactivity distributions from autoradiography correlate well to the presence of human tau (HT7 antibody) and hyperphosphorylated tau (antibody AT8) from the immunohistochemistry study of the adjacent brain sections. These findings supported that the 40–70 min 18F-PM-PBB3 PET scan with SUVR measurement can detect significantly increased tau deposits in a living rTg4510 transgenic mouse models as early as six-months-old. The result exhibited promising dynamic imaging capability of this novel tau tracer, and the above image characteristics should be considered in the design of longitudinal preclinical tau image studies.