Deletion of Gadd45a Expression in Mice Leads to Cognitive and Synaptic Impairment Associated with Alzheimer’s Disease Hallmarks

Abstract

Gadd45 genes have been implicated in survival mechanisms, including apoptosis, autophagy, cell cycle arrest, and DNA repair, which are processes related to aging and life span. Here, we analyzed if the deletion of Gadd45a activates pathways involved in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). This study used wild-type (WT) and Gadd45a knockout (Gadd45a−/−) mice to evaluate AD progression. Behavioral tests showed that Gadd45a−/− mice presented lower working and spatial memory, pointing out an apparent cognitive impairment compared with WT animals, accompanied by an increase in Tau hyperphosphorylation and the levels of kinases involved in its phosphorylation in the hippocampus. Moreover, Gadd45a−/− animals significantly increased the brain’s pro-inflammatory cytokines and modified autophagy markers. Notably, neurotrophins and the dendritic spine length of the neurons were reduced in Gadd45a−/− mice, which could contribute to the cognitive alterations observed in these animals. Overall, these findings demonstrate that the lack of the Gadd45a gene activates several pathways that exacerbate AD pathology, suggesting that promoting this protein’s expression or function might be a promising therapeutic strategy to slow down AD progression.