Inhibition of tau aggregation in a novel Caenorhabditis elegans model of tauopathy mitigates proteotoxicity

Hum Mol Genet. 2012 Aug 15;21(16):3587-603. doi: 10.1093/hmg/dds190. Epub 2012 May 18.

Abstract

Increased Tau protein amyloidogenicity has been causatively implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases, collectively called tauopathies. In pathological conditions, Tau becomes hyperphosphorylated and forms intracellular aggregates. The deletion of K280, which is a mutation that commonly appears in patients with frontotemporal dementia with Parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17, enhances Tau aggregation propensity (pro-aggregation). In contrast, introduction of the I277P and I308P mutations prevents β-sheet formation and subsequent aggregation (anti-aggregation). In this study, we created a tauopathy model by expressing pro- or anti-aggregant Tau species in the nervous system of Caenorhabditis elegans. Animals expressing the highly amyloidogenic Tau species showed accelerated Tau aggregation and pathology manifested by severely impaired motility and evident neuronal dysfunction. In addition, we observed that the axonal transport of mitochondria was perturbed in these animals. Control animals expressing the anti-aggregant combination had rather mild phenotype. We subsequently tested several Tau aggregation inhibitor compounds and observed a mitigation of Tau proteotoxicity. In particular, a novel compound that crosses the blood-brain barrier of mammals proved effective in ameliorating the motility as well as delaying the accumulation of neuronal defects. Our study establishes a new C. elegans model of Tau aggregation-mediated toxicity and supports the emerging notion that inhibiting the nucleation of Tau aggregation can be neuroprotective.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Axonal Transport
  • Blood-Brain Barrier / drug effects
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / drug effects
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / metabolism*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Humans
  • Hydrazines / pharmacology
  • Methylene Blue / pharmacology
  • Mitochondria / metabolism
  • Motor Neurons / metabolism
  • Motor Neurons / pathology
  • Mutation
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Neurons / pathology*
  • Neuroprotective Agents / pharmacology
  • Phenotype
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Sensory Receptor Cells / metabolism
  • Tauopathies / etiology*
  • Tauopathies / pathology
  • Thiazoles / pharmacology
  • Vesicle-Associated Membrane Protein 1 / metabolism
  • tau Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • tau Proteins / genetics
  • tau Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • BSc 3094
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • Hydrazines
  • Neuroprotective Agents
  • Thiazoles
  • Vesicle-Associated Membrane Protein 1
  • tau Proteins
  • Methylene Blue