Areas of investigation
We study processes that result in memory loss and other major neurological deficits, with an emphasis on Alzheimer’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders. Our long-term goal is to advance the understanding of the healthy and the diseased central nervous system to a point where rational strategies can be developed for the prevention and cure of these conditions.
Significance
Molecules similar to those involved in neurodegenerative diseases are highly expressed in the nervous system of diverse species and appear to function in learning, synaptic plasticity, and regeneration. We are particularly curious about the roles of amyloid precursor proteins and apolipoprotein E in Alzheimer’s disease, and -synuclein in Parkinson’s disease. Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease are the most frequent neurodegenerative disorders. They erode people’s ability to think and control their movements, two of the most critical and intriguing functions of the central nervous system. Both conditions are on the rise and neither can be prevented or cured. These facts underline the significance and urgency of our research efforts.
Approaches
We use transgenic mouse models and neural cultures to study potential pathogenic factors and pathways at the molecular, cellular, network, and behavioral level. Mouse models are also used to develop and evaluate novel treatment strategies. Their relevance is assessed through comparative studies of human postmortem tissues and collaborations with clinical programs.
Contributions
In Alzheimer-related transgenic models, we discovered that amyloid peptides (A ) can damage synapses and disrupt neural memory circuits independent of their deposition into the visible amyloid plaques that form in Alzheimer brains. The plaque-independent toxicity of A was inhibited by apolipoprotein E3, but not E4, which may relate to the differential effects of these molecules on Alzheimer risk and age of onset. Pathogenic interactions between A and -synuclein worsened cognitive and motor deficits in doubly transgenic mice, a finding of potential relevance to the frequent overlap between Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
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Palop J, Jones B, Kekonius L, Chin J, Yu G-Q, Raber J, Masliah E, and Mucke L (2003) Neuronal depletion of calcium-dependent proteins in the dentate gyrus is tightly linked to Alzheimer's disease-related cognitive deficits. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 100:9572–9577.
Chin J, Palop JJ, Puoliväli J, Massaro C, Bien-Ly N, Gerstein H, Scearce-Levie K, Masliah E, and Mucke L (2005) Fyn kinase induces synaptic and cognitive impairments in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. J. Neurosci. 25:9694–9703.
Palop JJ, Chin J, Bien-Ly N, Massaro C, Yeung BZ, Yu G-Q, and Mucke L (2005) Vulnerability of dentate granule cells to disruption of Arc expression in human amyloid precursor protein transgenic mice. J. Neurosci. 25:9686–9693.
Palop JJ, Chin J, and Mucke L (2006) A network dysfunction perspective on neurodegenerative diseases. Nature 443:768–773.
Roberson ED and Mucke L (2006) 100 years and counting: Prospects for defeating Alzheimer’s disease. Science 314:781–784.
Cheng IH, Scearce-Levie K, Legleiter J, Palop JJ, Gerstein H, Bien-Ly N, Puoliväli J, Lesné S, Ashe KH, Muchowski PJ, Mucke L (2007) Accelerating amyloid- fibrillization reduces oligomer levels and functional deficits in Alzheimer disease mouse models. J. Biol. Chem. In press
Roberson ED, Scearce-Levie K, Palop JJ, Yan F, Cheng I, Wu T, Gerstein H, Yu G.-Q, Mucke L (2007) Reducing endogenous tau ameliorates A -induced deficits in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model. Science 316:750–754.
information last updated October 2007 |
Biomedical Sciences (BMS) Graduate Program
