Neurodegenerative Diseases - Alzheimer

13 important questions on Neurodegenerative Diseases - Alzheimer

What are main symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease?

o Confusion with time and location
o Difficulty completing familiar task.
o Memory loss
o Poor judgement
o Difficulty with words

Which brain regions are involved in Alzheimer’s disease?

- Hippocampus: confusion and memory loss
- Entorhinal Cortex: confusion and memory loss
- Cerebral cortex: Language, reasoning & social behavior
- Amygdala: emotions

What is the function of the tau protein?

The function of the tau protein is the assembly and maintenance of microtubules that transport nutrients along axons.
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What is wrong with tau protein in Alzheimer’s and what is the consequence?

In AD there is an accumulation into neurofibrillary tangles inside the neurons which destroys the synapses.

How do the tangles develop?

The aging neurons loss the ability to clear waste material and accumulates lipofuscin. Tau protein binds this lipofuscin and then misfolds. These misfolds can capture normal tau which also misfolds and then the misfolded tau accumulates, and paired helical filaments which then tangles. When neurons fill up with these tangles it can’t function properly and destroys synapses.

What is the consequence of the forming of amyloid plaques?

They block the normal synaptic functioning, and they trigger death of the surrounding neurons.

Which mouse model is used to study Alzheimer?

Transgenic mouse model that overproduces aB protein.

How does plaques form in Alzheimer disease?

In a Alzheimer brain the beta-secretase secretes the sAPP-beta and CTF99. Then the gamma secretase complex is created and cuts the CTF99 in AICD and abeta40/42 peptide.
The Abeta 40/42 peptide interacts with APOE with aggregation of A beta oligomers and that’s results in amyloid plaque.

What is the consequence of the Abeta 40/42 interaction with the mGluR5, NMDAR, Alpha-7-nAChR and Ros generation oxidative damage?

o Blocked ion channels
o Disrupted Ca2+ ion homeostasis.
o Dysregulated energy and glucose metabolism
o Mitochondria oxidative stress
o Neuronal apoptosis  dementia or memory loss.

What is a amyloid-beta precursor protein?

This is an integral membrane protein that has a function as cell surface receptor and as a regulator of synapse formation, antimicrobial activity, and iron export.

What is the function of AICD that is generated after the formation of secretase complex?

This is important in transcriptional regulation and in neuroprotection pathways.

How do the tangles develop?

The aging neurons loss the ability to clear waste material and accumulates lipofuscin. Tau protein binds this lipofuscin and then misfolds. These misfolds can capture normal tau which also misfolds and then the misfolded tau accumulates, and paired helical filaments which then tangles. When neurons fill up with these tangles it can’t function properly and destroys synapses.

Which mouse model is used to study Alzheimer’s?

The transgenic mouse model that overproduces Ab.

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