Oligomerization of tau is a key process contributing to the progressive death of neurons in Alzheimer's disease. Tau is modified by O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc), and O-GlcNAc can influence tau phosphorylation in certain cases. We therefore speculated that increasing tau O-GlcNAc could be a strategy to hinder pathological tau-induced neurodegeneration. Here we found that treatment of hemizygous JNPL3 tau transgenic mice with an O-GlcNAcase inhibitor increased tau O-GlcNAc, hindered formation of tau aggregates and decreased neuronal cell loss. Notably, increases in tau O-GlcNAc did not alter tau phosphorylation in vivo. Using in vitro biochemical aggregation studies, we found that O-GlcNAc modification, on its own, hinders tau oligomerization. O-GlcNAc also inhibits thermally induced aggregation of an unrelated protein, TAK-1 binding protein, suggesting that a basic biochemical function of O-GlcNAc may be to prevent protein aggregation. These results also suggest O-GlcNAcase as a potential therapeutic target that could hinder progression of Alzheimer's disease.

The noncanonical IKK family member TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) is activated by pro-inflammatory cytokines, but its role in controlling metabolism remains unclear. Here, we report that the kinase uniquely controls energy metabolism. Tbk1 expression is increased in adipocytes of HFD-fed mice. Adipocyte-specific TBK1 knockout (ATKO) attenuates HFD-induced obesity by increasing energy expenditure; further studies show that TBK1 directly inhibits AMPK to repress respiration and increase energy storage. Conversely, activation of AMPK under catabolic conditions can increase TBK1 activity through phosphorylation, mediated by AMPK's downstream target ULK1. Surprisingly, ATKO also exaggerates adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance. TBK1 suppresses inflammation by phosphorylating and inducing the degradation of the IKK kinase NIK, thus attenuating NF-κB activity. Moreover, TBK1 mediates the negative impact of AMPK activity on NF-κB activation. These data implicate a unique role for TBK1 in mediating bidirectional crosstalk between energy sensing and inflammatory signaling pathways in both over- and undernutrition.

The microtubule-associated protein tau is known to be post-translationally modified by the addition of N-acetyl-D: -glucosamine monosaccharides to certain serine and threonine residues. These O-GlcNAc modification sites on tau have been challenging to identify due to the inherent complexity of tau from mammalian brains and the fact that the O-GlcNAc modification typically has substoichiometric occupancy. Here, we describe a method for the production of recombinant O-GlcNAc modified tau and, using this tau, we have mapped sites of O-GlcNAc on tau at Thr-123 and Ser-400 using mass spectrometry. We have also detected the presence of a third O-GlcNAc site on either Ser-409, Ser-412, or Ser-413. Using this information we have raised a rabbit polyclonal IgG antibody (3925) that detects tau O-GlcNAc modified at Ser-400. Further, using this antibody we have detected the Ser-400 tau O-GlcNAc modification in rat brain, which confirms the validity of this in vitro mapping approach. The identification of these O-GlcNAc sites on tau and this antibody will enable both in vivo and in vitro experiments designed to understand the possible functional roles of O-GlcNAc on tau.

O-Linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc

Purpose: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are characterized by expressing a gainof-function mutation in KIT, and to a lesser extent, PDGFR. Imatinib mesylate, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has activity against GISTs that contain oncogenic mutations of KIT. In this study, KIT and PDGFRa mutation status was analyzed and protein modeling approaches were used to assess the potential effect of KIT mutations in response to imatinib therapy. Experimental Design: Genomic DNA was isolated from GIST tumors. Exons 9, 11, 13, and 17 of c-KIT and exons 12, 14, and 18 of PDGFRa were evaluated for oncogenic mutations. Protein modeling was used to assess mutations within the juxtamembrane region and the kinase domain of KIT. Results: Mutations in KITexons 9,11, and 13 were identified in GISTs with the majority of changes involving the juxtamembrane region of KIT. Molecular modeling indicates that mutations in this region result in disruption of the KITautoinhibited conformation, and lead to gain-of-function activation of the kinase. Furthermore, a novel germ-line mutation in KIT was identified that is associated with an autosomal dominant predisposition to the development of GIST. Conclusions: We have used protein modeling and structural analyses to elucidate why patients with GIST tumors containing exon11mutations are the most responsive to imatinib mesylate treatment. Importantly, mutations detected in this exon and others displayed constitutive activation of KIT. Furthermore, we have found tumors that are both KITand PDGFRa mutation negative, suggesting that additional, yet unidentified, abnormalities may contribute to GIST tumorigenesis.

Despite initial efficacy of imatinib mesylate in most gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) patients, many experience primary/secondary drug resistance. Therefore, clinical management of GIST may benefit from further molecular characterization of tumors before and after imatinib mesylate treatment. As part of a recent phase II trial of neoadjuvant/adjuvant imatinib mesylate treatment for advanced primary and recurrent operable GISTs (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group S0132), gene expression profiling using oligonucleotide microarrays was done on tumor samples obtained before and after imatinib mesylate therapy. Patients were classified according to changes in tumor size after treatment based on computed tomography scan measurements. Gene profiling data were evaluated with Sta-

Most gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) possess a gainof-function mutation in c-KIT. Imatinib mesylate, a smallmolecule inhibitor against several receptor tyrosine kinases, including KIT, platelet-derived growth factor receptor-A, and BCR-ABL, has therapeutic benefit for GISTs both via KIT and via unknown mechanisms. Clinical evidence suggests that a potential therapeutic benefit of imatinib might result from decreased glucose uptake as measured by positron emission tomography using 18-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose. We sought to determine the mechanism of and correlation to altered metabolism and cell survival in response to imatinib. Glucose uptake, cell viability, and apoptosis in GIST cells were measured following imatinib treatment. Lentivirus constructs were used to stably express constitutively active AKT1 or AKT2 in GIST cells to study the role of AKT signaling in metabolism and cell survival. Immunoblots and immunofluorescent staining were used to determine the levels of plasma membrane-bound glucose transporter Glut4. We show that oncogenic activation of KIT maximizes glucose uptake in an AKT-dependent manner. Imatinib treatment markedly reduces glucose uptake via decreased levels of plasma membranebound Glut4 and induces apoptosis or growth arrest by inhibiting KIT activity. Importantly, expression of constitutively active AKT1 or AKT2 does not rescue cells from the imatinibmediated apoptosis although glucose uptake was not blocked, suggesting that the potential therapeutic effect of imatinib is independent of AKT activity and glucose deprivation. Overall, these findings contribute to a clearer understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the therapeutic benefit of imatinib in GIST and suggest that a drug-mediated decrease in tumor metabolism observed clinically may not entirely reflect therapeutic efficacy of treatment. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(10): 5477-86)

Neuronal synaptic functional deficits are linked to impaired learning and memory in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We recently demonstrated that O-GlcNAc, a novel cytosolic and nuclear carbohydrate post-translational modification, is enriched at neuronal synapses and positively regulates synaptic plasticity linked to learning and memory in mice. Reduced levels of O-GlcNAc have been observed in AD, suggesting a possible link to deficits in synaptic plasticity. Using lectin enrichment and mass spectrometry, we mapped several human cortical synaptic O-GlcNAc modification sites. Overlap in patterns of O-GlcNAcation between mouse and human appears to be high, as previously mapped mouse synaptic O-GlcNAc sites in Bassoon, Piccolo, and tubulin polymerization promoting protein p25 were identified in human. Novel O-GlcNAc modification sites were identified on Mek2 and RPN13/ADRM1. Mek2 is a signaling component of the Erk 1/2 pathway involved in synaptic plasticity. RPN13 is a component of the proteasomal degradation pathway. The potential interplay of phosphorylation with mapped O-GlcNAc sites, and possible implication of those sites in synaptic plasticity in normal versus AD states is discussed. iTRAQ is a powerful differential isotopic quantitative approach in proteomics. Pulsed Q dissociation (PQD) is a recently introduced fragmentation strategy that enables detection of low mass iTRAQ reporter ions in ion trap mass spectrometry. We optimized LTQ ion trap settings for PQD-based iTRAQ quantitation and demonstrated its utility in O-GlcNAc site mapping. Using iTRAQ, abnormal synaptic expression levels of several proteins previously implicated in AD pathology were observed in addition to novel changes in synaptic specific protein expression including Synapsin II.