23 INTRODUCTION: Defective immune cell-mediated clearance of amyloid-beta (Aβ) and 24 Aβ-associated inflammatory activation of immune cells are key contributors of Aβ 25 accumulation and neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD), however, the underlying 26 mechanisms remain elusive. 27 METHODS: Differentiated THP-1 cells treated with Aβ and AD patient-derived 28 macrophages were used as in-vitro model. The role of SHARPIN was analysed in 29 differentiated THP-1 cells using siRNA-mediated knockdown followed by immunoblotting, 30 ELISA, real-time PCR, immunoprecipitation and flow cytometry. Differentiated SHSY5Y 31cells were used to study inflammation-mediated apoptosis.
32RESULTS: SHARPIN was found to regulate Aβphagocytosis and NLRP3 expression in 33 THP-1 derived macrophages. Further, it was found to promote macrophage polarization to an 34 M1 (pro-inflammatory) phenotype resulting in enhanced inflammation and associated 35 neuronal death, demonstrated using in-vitro culture systems. SHARPIN expression by blood-36 derived macrophages was further found to be higher in the early stages of AD, which 37 correlates with Aβ 40/42 concentration in the plasma and age of the study subjects.
38DISCUSSION: The novel protein, SHARPIN has been shown to play critical roles in 39 regulation of Aβ-phagocytosis and inflammation in AD and the mechanism by which 40 SHARPIN is activated by Aβ in macrophages has been elucidated. 41 42 Keywords: SHARPIN, amyloid-beta, Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, 43 macrophage, NLRP3, inflammation, phagocytosis, oxidative stress. 44 3 Abbreviations: AD, Alzheimer's disease; Aβ, amyloid-beta; MCI, Mild Cognitive 45 Impairment; SHARPIN, Shank-associated RH domain-interacting protein; NLRP3, 46 nucleotide-binding domain (NOD)-like receptor protein 3; ASC, Apoptosis-associated Speck-47 like protein containing a caspase-recruitment domain (CARD); LUBAC, linear 48 ubiquitination assembly complex; iNOS, induced Nitric Oxide Synthase; IL-1β, Interleukin-49 1beta; TGF-β, Transforming Growth Factor-1beta; TNF-α, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; 50 PBMC, Peripheral Blood Mononuclear cells; NF-κB, Nuclear Factor kappa-light chain-51 enhancer of activated B cells; ROS, reactive oxygen species; CRP, C-Reactive Protein; PBS, 52 Phosphate-buffered saline; RPMI, Roswell Park Memorial Institute; FBS, fetal bovine 53 serum; THP-1, Tohoku Hospital Pediatrics-1; NH 4 OH, Ammonium hydroxide; FITC, 54 Fluorescein isothiocyanate. 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 4 polarization to M1 (pro-inflammatory) phenotype in differentiated THP-1 cell line as an in-89 vitro model and SHARPIN silencing protects neurons from Aβ-induced inflammatory 90 damage using differentiated SHSY5Y cell line. Further, utilizing control, mild cognitively 91 impaired (MCI) and AD patient-derived macrophages, we show that SHARPIN plays a 92 significant role the progression of AD. 93 2. Materials and methods 94 2.1. Inclusion of study subjects 95 AD and MCI patients were recruited from the Memory & Neurobehavioral Clinic (MNC) at 96 the S...