Gąssowska Magdalena, Baranowska-Bosiacka Irena, Moczydłowska Joanna, Tarnowski Maciej, Pilutin Anna, Gutowska Izabela, Strużyńska Lidia, Chlubek Dariusz, Adamczyk Agata
Department of Cellular Signalling, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego 5, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University, Powstańców Wlkp. 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland.
Toxicology. 2016 Mar 10;347-349:17-28. doi: 10.1016/j.tox.2016.03.002. Epub 2016 Mar 21.
Hyperphosphorylation of Tau is involved in the pathomechanism of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's diseases as well as Autism. Epidemiological data suggest the significance of early life exposure to lead (Pb) in etiology of disorders affecting brain function. However, the precise mechanisms by which Pb exerts neurotoxic effects are not fully elucidated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of perinatal exposure to low dose of Pb on the Tau pathology in the developing rat brain. Furthermore, the involvement of two major Tau-kinases: glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3β) and cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) in Pb-induced Tau modification was evaluated. Pregnant female rats were divided into control and Pb-treated group. The control animals were maintained on drinking water while females from the Pb-treated group received 0.1% lead acetate (PbAc) in drinking water, starting from the first day of gestation until weaning of the offspring. During the feeding of pups, mothers from the Pb-treated group were still receiving PbAc. Pups of both groups were weaned at postnatal day 21 and then until postnatal day 28 received only drinking water. 28-day old pups were sacrificed and Tau mRNA and protein level as well as Tau phosphorylation were analyzed in forebrain cortex (FC), cerebellum (C) and hippocampus (H). Concomitantly, we examined the effect of Pb exposure on GSK-3β and CDK5 activation. Our data revealed that pre- and neonatal exposure to Pb (concentration of Pb in whole blood below 10μg/dL, considered safe for humans) caused significant increase in the phosphorylation of Tau at Ser396 and Ser199/202 with parallel rise in the level of total Tau protein in FC and C. Tau hyperphosphorylation in Pb-treated animals was accompanied by elevated activity of GSK-3β and CDK5. Western blot analysis revealed activation of GSK-3β in FC and C as well as CDK5 in C, via increased phosphorylation of Tyr-216 and calpain-dependent p25 formation, respectively. In conclusion, perinatal exposure to Pb up-regulates Tau protein level and induces Tau hyperphosphorylation in the rat brain cortex and cerebellum. We suggest that neurotoxic effect of Pb might be mediated, at least in part, by GSK-3β and CDK5-dependent Tau hyperphosphorylation, which may lead to the impairment of cytoskeleton stability and neuronal dysfunction.
Tau蛋白的过度磷酸化参与了诸如阿尔茨海默病、帕金森病以及自闭症等神经疾病的发病机制。流行病学数据表明,生命早期接触铅(Pb)在影响脑功能的疾病病因中具有重要意义。然而,铅发挥神经毒性作用的确切机制尚未完全阐明。本研究的目的是评估围产期低剂量铅暴露对发育中大鼠脑内Tau病理的影响。此外,还评估了两种主要的Tau激酶:糖原合酶激酶-3β(GSK-3β)和细胞周期蛋白依赖性激酶5(CDK5)在铅诱导的Tau修饰中的作用。将怀孕的雌性大鼠分为对照组和铅处理组。对照组动物饮用普通水,而铅处理组的雌性大鼠从妊娠第一天开始直至后代断奶,饮用含0.1%醋酸铅(PbAc)的水。在幼崽喂养期间,铅处理组的母鼠仍继续饮用含PbAc的水。两组幼崽均在出生后第21天断奶,然后直至出生后第28天仅饮用普通水。处死28日龄的幼崽,分析前脑皮质(FC)、小脑(C)和海马体(H)中Tau mRNA和蛋白水平以及Tau磷酸化情况。同时,我们检测了铅暴露对GSK-3β和CDK5激活的影响。我们的数据显示,产前和新生儿期接触铅(全血中铅浓度低于10μg/dL,对人类而言被认为是安全的)导致FC和C中Ser396和Ser199/202位点的Tau磷酸化显著增加,同时总Tau蛋白水平平行升高。铅处理动物中的Tau过度磷酸化伴随着GSK-3β和CDK5活性升高。蛋白质印迹分析显示,FC和C中的GSK-3β以及C中的CDK5分别通过Tyr-216磷酸化增加和钙蛋白酶依赖性p25形成而被激活。总之,围产期铅暴露上调了大鼠脑皮质和小脑中Tau蛋白水平并诱导Tau过度磷酸化。我们认为,铅的神经毒性作用可能至少部分是由GSK-3β和CDK5依赖性Tau过度磷酸化介导的,这可能导致细胞骨架稳定性受损和神经元功能障碍。