bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory),
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: April 3, 2024
Down
syndrome
(DS)
is
a
common
genetic
condition
caused
by
trisomy
of
chromosome
21.
Among
the
complex
clinical
features
including
musculoskeletal,
neurological
and
cardiovascular
disabilities,
individuals
with
DS
have
an
increased
risk
developing
progressive
dementia
early
onset
Alzheimer's
Disease
(AD).
This
attributed
to
gene
dosage
amyloid-β
(Aβ)
precursor
protein
gene,
formation
self-propagating
Aβ
tau
prion
conformers,
deposition
neurotoxic
plaques
neurofibrillary
tangles.
Tau
amyloid
fibrils
previously
been
established
adopt
many
distinct
conformations
across
different
neurodegenerative
conditions.
Here
we
report
characterization
brain
samples
from
four
cases
spanning
36
63
years
age
spectral
confocal
imaging
conformation-specific
dyes
cryo-electron
microscopy
(cryo-EM)
determine
structures
isolated
fibrils.
High-resolution
reveal
paired
helical
filament
(PHF)
straight
(SF)
that
are
identical
those
determined
AD.
The
PHFs
SFs
made
two
C-shaped
protofilaments
cross-β/β-helix
motif.
Similar
filaments
AD
cases,
most
adopted
PHF
form,
while
minority
(~20%)
formed
SFs.
Samples
youngest
individual
no
documented
had
sparse
deposits.
To
isolate
for
cryo-EM
this
challenging
sample
used
novel
affinity-grid
method
involving
graphene-oxide
surface
derivatized
anti-tau
antibodies.
improved
isolation
revealed
primarily
minor
population
chronic
traumatic
encephalopathy
type
II-like
were
present
in
case.
These
findings
expand
similarities
between
molecular
level,
providing
insight
into
their
related
pathologies
potential
targeting
folds
small-molecule
therapeutics
diagnostics.
Nature Communications,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
15(1)
Published: Feb. 3, 2024
Tauopathies
encompass
a
group
of
neurodegenerative
disorders
characterised
by
diverse
tau
amyloid
fibril
structures.
The
persistence
polymorphism
across
tauopathies
suggests
that
distinct
pathological
conditions
dictate
the
adopted
polymorph
for
each
disease.
However,
extent
to
which
intrinsic
structural
tendencies
cores
contribute
remains
uncertain.
Using
combination
experimental
approaches,
we
here
identify
new
amyloidogenic
motif,
PAM4
(Polymorphic
Amyloid
Motif
Repeat
4),
as
significant
contributor
polymorphism.
Calculation
per-residue
contributions
stability
different
pathologic
structures
plays
central
role
in
preserving
integrity
polymorphs.
Consistent
with
this,
cryo-EM
analysis
fibrils
formed
from
synthetic
peptide
shows
sequence
adopts
alternative
closely
correspond
disease-associated
strains.
Furthermore,
in-cell
experiments
revealed
deletion
hampers
cellular
seeding
efficiency
aggregates
extracted
Alzheimer's
disease,
corticobasal
degeneration,
and
progressive
supranuclear
palsy
patients,
underscoring
PAM4's
pivotal
these
tauopathies.
Together,
our
results
highlight
importance
propensity
core
segments
determine
structure
cells,
propagating
Acta Neuropathologica Communications,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
12(1)
Published: June 12, 2024
Down
syndrome
(DS)
is
a
common
genetic
condition
caused
by
trisomy
of
chromosome
21.
Among
their
complex
clinical
features,
including
musculoskeletal,
neurological,
and
cardiovascular
disabilities,
individuals
with
DS
have
an
increased
risk
developing
progressive
dementia
early-onset
Alzheimer's
disease
(AD).
This
attributed
to
the
gene
dosage
amyloid-β
(Aβ)
precursor
protein
gene,
formation
self-propagating
Aβ
tau
prion
conformers,
deposition
neurotoxic
plaques
neurofibrillary
tangles.
Tau
amyloid
fibrils
previously
been
established
adopt
many
distinct
conformations
across
different
neurodegenerative
conditions.
Here,
we
report
characterization
brain
samples
from
four
cases
spanning
36-63
years
age
spectral
confocal
imaging
conformation-specific
dyes
cryo-electron
microscopy
(cryo-EM)
determine
structures
isolated
fibrils.
High-resolution
revealed
paired
helical
filament
(PHF)
straight
(SF)
that
were
identical
those
determined
AD
cases.
The
PHFs
SFs
are
made
two
C-shaped
protofilaments,
each
containing
cross-β/β-helix
motif.
Similar
filaments
cases,
most
adopted
PHF
form,
while
minority
(approximately
20%)
formed
SFs.
Samples
youngest
individual
no
documented
had
sparse
deposits.
To
isolate
for
cryo-EM
this
challenging
sample
used
novel
affinity-grid
method
involving
graphene
oxide
surface
derivatized
anti-tau
antibodies.
improved
isolation
primarily
minor
population
chronic
traumatic
encephalopathy
type
II-like
present
in
case.
These
findings
expand
similarities
between
molecular
level,
providing
insight
into
related
pathologies
potential
targeting
folds
small-molecule
therapeutics
diagnostics.
Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
64(2), P. 425 - 434
Published: Jan. 8, 2024
Discovering
ligands
for
amyloid
fibrils,
such
as
those
formed
by
the
tau
protein,
is
an
area
of
great
current
interest.
In
recent
structures,
bind
in
stacks
fibrils
to
reflect
rotational
and
translational
symmetry
fibril
itself;
these
make
few
interactions
with
protein
but
interact
extensively
each
other.
To
exploit
this
stacking,
we
developed
SymDOCK,
a
method
dock
molecules
that
follow
protein's
symmetry.
For
prospective
ligand
pose,
apply
operation
generate
self-interacting
fibril-interacting
stack,
checking
doing
so
will
not
cause
clash
between
original
molecule
its
image.
Absent
clash,
retain
pose
add
ligand-ligand
van
der
Waals
energy
ligand's
docking
score
(here
using
DOCK3.8).
We
can
check
geometries
energies
implementation
ANI,
neural-network-based
quantum-mechanical
evaluation
stacking
energies.
retrospective
calculations,
reproduce
poses
three
PET
tracers
whose
structures
have
been
determined.
More
convincingly,
Acta Neuropathologica,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
149(1)
Published: Jan. 8, 2025
Neurodegenerative
tauopathies
are
characterized
by
the
deposition
of
distinct
fibrillar
tau
assemblies,
whose
rigid
core
structures
correlate
with
defined
neuropathological
phenotypes.
Essential
tremor
(ET)
is
a
progressive
neurological
disorder
that,
in
some
cases,
associated
cognitive
impairment
and
accumulation.
In
this
study,
we
explored
assembly
conformation
ET
patients
pathology
using
cytometry-based
biosensor
assays.
These
assays
quantify
seeding
activity
present
brain
homogenates
detecting
conversion
intracellular
tau-fluorescent
protein
fusions
from
soluble
to
an
aggregated
state.
Pathogenic
assemblies
exhibit
barriers,
where
specific
structure
cannot
serve
as
template
for
native
monomer
if
amino
acid
sequences
incompatible.
We
recently
leveraged
species
barrier
define
systematically
substituting
alanine
(Ala)
into
measuring
its
incorporation
seeded
aggregates
within
cells.
This
Ala
scan
precisely
classified
seeds
various
tauopathies.
analyzed
18
patient
brains
pathology,
robust
9
(50%)
predominantly
localized
temporal
pole
cortex.
further
examined
8
these
cases
found
that
requirements
were
identical
those
Alzheimer's
disease
(AD)
primary
age-related
tauopathy
(PART),
other
tauopathies,
such
corticobasal
degeneration
(CBD),
chronic
traumatic
encephalopathy
(CTE),
supranuclear
palsy
(PSP).
findings
indicate
pathologically
confined
subset
significant
cores
seen
AD
PART.
could
facilitate
more
precise
diagnosis
targeted
therapies
presenting
impairment.
European Journal of Neurology,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
32(2)
Published: Feb. 1, 2025
ABSTRACT
Introduction
Second‐generation
tau‐PET
tracers
like
[
18
F]MK‐6240
are
increasingly
used
both
for
diagnosing
and
quantifying
Alzheimer's
Disease
(AD)
tauopathy.
However,
while
has
demonstrated
excellent
sensitivity
AD
tauopathy,
data
assessing
its
specificity
binding
in
non‐AD
tauopathies
still
scarce.
Methods
Participants
were
assigned
to
exclusive
categorical
diagnoses
based
on
their
amyloid
(Aβ)
cognitive
status.
We
quantified
mesiotemporal
(MTL)
neocortical
signal
28
Aβ−
cognitively
impaired
(CI)
patients
presenting
various
neurodegenerative
disorders.
Tau‐PET
quantifications
compared
with
unimpaired
(CU)
subjects
(
n
=
51)
Aβ+
CI
77).
Results
Among
the
subjects,
only
five
presented
significant
isolated
signal,
most
of
them
being
suspected
primary
age‐related
tauopathy
(PART).
Only
two
(7%)
positive
diagnosed
fronto‐temporal
degeneration
(FTD).
The
results
all
remaining
comparable
CU
population,
including
eight
other
FTD
patients.
Importantly,
4R‐only
(CBD
PSP)
sv‐PPA
negative.
Conclusion
a
special
affinity
involving
3R/4R
paired
helical
filaments:
AD,
PART
(Aβ−
MTL‐restricted
signal)
some
forms
do
not
exhibit
cortical
signal.
Positive
scans
therefore
highly
specific
Based
those
previous
results,
we
propose
diagnostic
flowchart
MCI
or
another
which
may
significantly
reduce
need
PET
CSF
measurement.