Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Tauopathy-Associated Tau Fragment Ending at Amino Acid 224 Is Generated by Calpain-2 Cleavage

Cicognola, Claudia LU orcid ; Satir, Tugce Munise ; Brinkmalm, Gunnar ; Matečko-Burmann, Irena ; Agholme, Lotta ; Bergström, Petra ; Becker, Bruno ; Zetterberg, Henrik LU ; Blennow, Kaj LU and Höglund, Kina (2020) In Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD 74(4). p.1143-1156
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Tau aggregation in neurons and glial cells characterizes tauopathies as Alzheimer's disease (AD), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and corticobasal degeneration (CBD). Tau proteolysis has been proposed as a trigger for tau aggregation and tau fragments have been observed in brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Our group identified a major tau cleavage at amino acid (aa) 224 in CSF; N-terminal tau fragments ending at aa 224 (N-224) were significantly increased in AD and lacked correlation to total tau (t-tau) and phosphorylated tau (p-tau) in PSP and CBD.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have shown cleavage from calpain proteases at sites adjacent to aa 224. Our aim was to investigate if calpain-1 or -2 could be... (More)

BACKGROUND: Tau aggregation in neurons and glial cells characterizes tauopathies as Alzheimer's disease (AD), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and corticobasal degeneration (CBD). Tau proteolysis has been proposed as a trigger for tau aggregation and tau fragments have been observed in brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Our group identified a major tau cleavage at amino acid (aa) 224 in CSF; N-terminal tau fragments ending at aa 224 (N-224) were significantly increased in AD and lacked correlation to total tau (t-tau) and phosphorylated tau (p-tau) in PSP and CBD.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have shown cleavage from calpain proteases at sites adjacent to aa 224. Our aim was to investigate if calpain-1 or -2 could be responsible for cleavage at aa 224.

METHODS: Proteolytic activity of calpain-1, calpain-2, and brain protein extract was assessed on a custom tau peptide (aa 220-228), engineered with fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) technology. Findings were confirmed with in-gel trypsination and mass spectrometry (MS) analysis of brain-derived bands with proteolytic activity on the FRET substrate. Finally, knock-down of the calpain-2 catalytic subunit gene (CAPN2) was performed in a neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y).

RESULTS: Calpain-2 and brain protein extract, but not calpain-1, showed proteolytic activity on the FRET substrate. MS analysis of active gel bands revealed presence of calpain-2 subunits, but not calpain-1. Calpain-2 depletion and chemical inhibition suppressed proteolysis of the FRET substrate. CAPN2 knock-down caused a 76.4% reduction of N-224 tau in the cell-conditioned media.

CONCLUSIONS: Further investigation of the calpain-2 pathway in the pathogenesis of tauopathies is encouraged.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD
volume
74
issue
4
pages
1143 - 1156
publisher
IOS Press
external identifiers
  • pmid:32144989
  • scopus:85083895735
ISSN
1387-2877
DOI
10.3233/JAD-191130
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
73a98769-3aff-494e-bb44-9e0957f0810a
date added to LUP
2020-03-24 10:31:13
date last changed
2024-03-20 06:36:39
@article{73a98769-3aff-494e-bb44-9e0957f0810a,
  abstract     = {{<p>BACKGROUND: Tau aggregation in neurons and glial cells characterizes tauopathies as Alzheimer's disease (AD), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and corticobasal degeneration (CBD). Tau proteolysis has been proposed as a trigger for tau aggregation and tau fragments have been observed in brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Our group identified a major tau cleavage at amino acid (aa) 224 in CSF; N-terminal tau fragments ending at aa 224 (N-224) were significantly increased in AD and lacked correlation to total tau (t-tau) and phosphorylated tau (p-tau) in PSP and CBD.</p><p>OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have shown cleavage from calpain proteases at sites adjacent to aa 224. Our aim was to investigate if calpain-1 or -2 could be responsible for cleavage at aa 224.</p><p>METHODS: Proteolytic activity of calpain-1, calpain-2, and brain protein extract was assessed on a custom tau peptide (aa 220-228), engineered with fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) technology. Findings were confirmed with in-gel trypsination and mass spectrometry (MS) analysis of brain-derived bands with proteolytic activity on the FRET substrate. Finally, knock-down of the calpain-2 catalytic subunit gene (CAPN2) was performed in a neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y).</p><p>RESULTS: Calpain-2 and brain protein extract, but not calpain-1, showed proteolytic activity on the FRET substrate. MS analysis of active gel bands revealed presence of calpain-2 subunits, but not calpain-1. Calpain-2 depletion and chemical inhibition suppressed proteolysis of the FRET substrate. CAPN2 knock-down caused a 76.4% reduction of N-224 tau in the cell-conditioned media.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: Further investigation of the calpain-2 pathway in the pathogenesis of tauopathies is encouraged.</p>}},
  author       = {{Cicognola, Claudia and Satir, Tugce Munise and Brinkmalm, Gunnar and Matečko-Burmann, Irena and Agholme, Lotta and Bergström, Petra and Becker, Bruno and Zetterberg, Henrik and Blennow, Kaj and Höglund, Kina}},
  issn         = {{1387-2877}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{03}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{1143--1156}},
  publisher    = {{IOS Press}},
  series       = {{Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD}},
  title        = {{Tauopathy-Associated Tau Fragment Ending at Amino Acid 224 Is Generated by Calpain-2 Cleavage}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/JAD-191130}},
  doi          = {{10.3233/JAD-191130}},
  volume       = {{74}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}