Project description:Mice were bred such that they are homozygous for human MAPT (tau), and one of two versions of the APP gene (NL and NLF) referring to the Swedish familial Alazheimer's Disease (AD) variants, and one of human APOE allele E3 or APOE allele E4. APP-NLF+APOE(E3) mice develop amyloid plaques and attention and memory deficits at 16-24 months, whereas APP-NLF+APOE(E4) mice develop this phenotype earlier at 9 months. Three mice of each of the four possible genotypes were sacrificed at 9 months of age, and the prefrontal cortex was dissected and subject to single nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNAseq) with the 10X Chromium platform.
Project description:Late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD) is the most common form of AD. However, modeling sporadic LOAD, without clear genetic predispositions, to capture hallmark neuronal pathologies such as extracellular amyloid-β (Aβ) plaque deposition, intracellular tau tangles, and neuronal loss, remains an unmet need. Here, we demonstrate that neurons generated by microRNA-based direct reprogramming of fibroblasts from patients affected by autosomal dominant AD (ADAD) and LOAD in a three-dimensional (3D) environment, effectively recapitulate key neuropathological features of AD without additional cellular or genetic insults. These LOAD neurons exhibit Aβ-dependent neurodegeneration, as treatment with β- or γ-secretase inhibitors before (but not subsequent to) Aβ deposit formation mitigated neuronal death. Moreover, inhibiting age-associated retrotransposable elements (RTEs) in LOAD neurons reduced both Ab deposition and neurodegeneration. Our study underscores the efficacy of modeling late-onset neuropathology of LOAD through high-efficiency microRNA-based neuronal reprogramming.
Project description:Late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD) is the most common form of AD. However, modeling sporadic LOAD, without clear genetic predispositions, to capture hallmark neuronal pathologies such as extracellular amyloid-β (Aβ) plaque deposition, intracellular tau tangles, and neuronal loss, remains an unmet need. Here, we demonstrate that neurons generated by microRNA-based direct reprogramming of fibroblasts from patients affected by autosomal dominant AD (ADAD) and LOAD in a three-dimensional (3D) environment, effectively recapitulate key neuropathological features of AD without additional cellular or genetic insults. These LOAD neurons exhibit Aβ-dependent neurodegeneration, as treatment with β- or γ-secretase inhibitors before (but not subsequent to) Aβ deposit formation mitigated neuronal death. Moreover, inhibiting age-associated retrotransposable elements (RTEs) in LOAD neurons reduced both Ab deposition and neurodegeneration. Our study underscores the efficacy of modeling late-onset neuropathology of LOAD through high-efficiency microRNA-based neuronal reprogramming.
Project description:Late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD) is the most common form of AD. However, modeling sporadic LOAD, without clear genetic predispositions, to capture hallmark neuronal pathologies such as extracellular amyloid-β (Aβ) plaque deposition, intracellular tau tangles, and neuronal loss, remains an unmet need. Here, we demonstrate that neurons generated by microRNA-based direct reprogramming of fibroblasts from patients affected by autosomal dominant AD (ADAD) and LOAD in a three-dimensional (3D) environment, effectively recapitulate key neuropathological features of AD without additional cellular or genetic insults. These LOAD neurons exhibit Aβ-dependent neurodegeneration, as treatment with β- or γ-secretase inhibitors before (but not subsequent to) Aβ deposit formation mitigated neuronal death. Moreover, inhibiting age-associated retrotransposable elements (RTEs) in LOAD neurons reduced both Ab deposition and neurodegeneration. Our study underscores the efficacy of modeling late-onset neuropathology of LOAD through high-efficiency microRNA-based neuronal reprogramming.