Project description:C5aR1, a receptor for the complement activation proinflammatory fragment, C5a, is primarily expressed on cells of the myeloid lineage, and to a lesser extent on endothelial cells and neurons in brain. Previous work demonstrated C5aR1 antagonist, PMX205, decreased amyloid pathology and suppressed cognitive deficits in Alzheimer Disease (AD) mouse models. In the Arctic AD mouse model, genetic deletion of C5aR1 prevented behavior deficits at 10 months. However, the molecular mechanisms of this protection has not been definitively demonstrated. To understand the role of microglial C5aR1 in the Arctic AD mouse model, we have taken advantage of the CX3CR1GFP and CCR2RFP reporter mice to distinguish microglia as GFP-positive and infiltrating monocytes as GFP and RFP positive, for subsequent transcriptome analysis on specifically sorted myeloid populations from wild type and AD mouse models. Immunohistochemical analysis of mice aged to 2, 5, 7 and 10 months showed no change in amyloid beta (Ab) deposition in the Arctic C5aR1 knockout (KO) mice relative to that seen in the Arctic mice. Of importance, no CCR2+ monocytes/macrophages were found near the plaques in the Arctic brain with or without C5aR1. RNA-seq analysis on microglia from these mice identified inflammation related genes as differentially expressed, with increased expression in the Arctic mice relative to wildtype and decreased expression in the Arctic/C5aR1KO relative to Arctic. In addition, phagosomal-lysosomal proteins and protein degradation pathways that were increased in the Arctic mice were further increased in the Arctic/C5aR1KO mice. These data are consistent with a microglial polarization state with restricted induction of inflammatory genes and enhancement of clearance pathways.
Project description:Despite the discovery of PMX205 more than 20 years ago and its reported beneficial effects in Alzheimer’s disease, the specific mechanism that might be driving the improvement in cognition are still not know. Here, we used the Tg2576 mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease and treated them with PMX205 at the onset of the amyloid pathology to further determine the effects of this C5aR1 antagonist on microglial cells. The results presented in this study demonstrated a neuroprotective effect of PMX205, which rescues the excessive synaptic pruning and synapse loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease. This finding seems to be linked to the reduction of a unique microglial subpopulation associated to synaptic pruning in the PMX205 treated mice. Interestingly, we also show here that blocking C5a-C5aR1 signaling in the Tg2576 mouse model of AD results in the increase of the DAM2 microglial subpopulation, suggesting that PMX205 might be inducing a disease mitigating phenotype on microglial cells. Our data further supports the use of C5aR1 antagonists as potential therapeutic targets to treat or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Project description:The complement system is part of the innate immune system that works to clear pathogens and cellular debris. In the central nervous system (CNS) complement activation can promote synaptic pruning clearance of neuronal blebs recruitment of phagocytes and protection from pathogens. However in a neuropathologic environment complement activation may contribute to inflammatory pathways neuronal dysfunction and in the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain cognitive decline. If complement activation proceeds to the cleavage of C5 and thus generation of C5a engagement of C5a with the receptor C5aR1 can instigate a feed-forward loop of inflammation injury and neuronal death thus making this molecule a potential target for modulation in AD therapeutics. The Arctic (Arc) AD mouse model known to rapidly accumulate fibrillar amyloid plaques was crossed to a model that lacks the receptor for C5a (ArcC5aR1KO) or to a transgenic mouse that generates C5a under the GFAP promoter (ArcC5a+). ArcticC5a+ mice showed accelerated loss of spatial memory compared to Arc mice. While eliminating C5aR1 did not alter amyloid plaque accumulation in this AD model C5aR1KO delayed or prevented the expression of important AD-associated genes in the hippocampus indicating a separation between those genes induced by amyloid plaques and those influenced by C5a-C5aR1 signaling. C5ar1 deletion also reduced/delayed the expression of select pan-reactive and A1 reactive astrocyte genes. ArcC5aR1KO showed delayed expression of genes enriched for biological processes that are significant in the AD context such as regulation of inflammatory signaling microglial cell activation astrocyte migration and lysosome pathway. Interestingly overexpression of C5a also delayed the increase of some AD- complement and astrocyte-associated genes perhaps mediated by C5aR2 and emphasizing the importance of selectively suppressing C5aR1. Immunohistochemical investigation further confirmed that modulation of C5a-C5aR1 either delayed or reduced some reactive microglial markers in the Arc hippocampus including CD11b and CD11c. These results suggest that C5a-C5aR1 signaling in the context of AD largely exerts its effects by suppressing those microglial activation pathways that accelerate disease enhancing pathways. Given the highly focused modulation of a common driver of neurotoxicity pharmacological inhibition of this C5aR1 signaling pathway is a promising therapeutic strategy to treat AD.
Project description:Microglial endolysosomal dysfunction is strongly implicated in neurodegeneration. Transcriptomic studies show that a microglial state characterised by a set of genes involved in endolysosomal function is induced in both mouse Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) models and in human AD brain, and that the onset of this state is emphasised in females. Cst7 (Cystatin F) is among the most highly unregulated genes in these microglia. However, the sex-specific function of Cst7 in neurodegenerative disease is not understood. Here, we crossed Cst7 -/- mice with the App NL-G-F mouse to test the role of Cst7 in a model of amyloid-driven AD.
Project description:Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains one of the grand challenges facing human society. Much controversy exists around the complex and multifaceted pathogenesis of this prevalent disease. Given strong human genetic evidence, there is little doubt, however, that microglia play an important role in preventing degeneration of neurons. E.g., loss-of-function of the microglial gene Trem2 render microglia dysfunctional and causes an early-onset neurodegenerative syndrome and Trem2 variants are among the strongest genetic risk factors for AD. Thus, restoring microglial function represents a rational therapeutic approach. Here we show that systemic hematopoietic cell transplantation followed by enhancement of microglia replacement restores microglial function in a Trem2 mutant model of Alzheimer’s disease.
Project description:The aim of the study was to investigate whether the trefoil peptide genes, in concerted action with a miRNA regulatory network, were contributing to nutritional maintrenance. Using a Tff2 knock-out mouse model, 48 specific miRNAs were noted to be significantly deregulated when compared to the wild type strain.