Cited by 155Alzheimer's disease research and treatmentsDown syndrome and intellectual disability researchPI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in cancer

Neuropathological role of PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis in Down syndrome brain

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Perluigi, Marzia, Pupo, Gilda, Tramutola, Antonella, Cini, Chiara, Coccia, Raffaella, Barone, Eugenio, Head, Elizabeth, Butterfield, D. Allan +1 more·2014·Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Disease

Abstract

Down syndrome (DS) is the most frequent genetic cause of intellectual disability characterized by the presence of three copies of chromosome 21 (Chr21). Individuals with DS have sufficient neuropathology for a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) after the age of 40years. The aim of our study is to gain new insights in the molecular mechanisms impaired in DS subjects that eventually lead to the development of dementia. We evaluate the PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis in the frontal cortex from DS cases (under the age of 40years) and DS with AD neuropathology compared with age-matched controls (Young and Old). The PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis may control several key pathways involved in AD that, if aberrantly regulated, affect amyloid beta (Aβ) deposition and tau phosphorylation. Our results show a hyperactivation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis in individuals with DS, with and without AD pathology, in comparison with respective controls. The PI3K/Akt/mTOR deregulation results in decreased autophagy, inhibition of IRS1 and GSK3β activity. Moreover, our data suggest that aberrant activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis acts in parallel to RCAN1 in phosphorylating tau, in DS and DS/AD. In conclusion, this study provides insights into the neuropathological mechanisms that may be engaged during the development of AD in DS. We suggest that deregulation of this signaling cascade is already evident in young DS cases and persist in the presence of AD pathology. The impairment of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis in DS population might represent a key-contributing factor to the neurodegenerative process that culminates in Alzheimer-like dementia.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.bbadis.2014.04.007

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  • The oxidatively modified proteins in Down syndrome include proteins linked to altered glucose metabolism, mTOR signaling with inhibited autophagy and increased insulin resistance, and the proteostasis network.

    “These oxidatively modified, and likely dysfunctional, proteins include ones associated with altered glucose metabolism, mTOR signaling (including inhibited autophagy and increased insulin resistance), and the proteostasis network42,61,62,65,66.”

    From Oxidative stress, dysfunctional glucose metabolism and Alzheimer disease (2019) · cites this paper as [61]

    The Discussion (page unavailable) reports oxidative modification of proteins in the proteostasis network, including components of protein-degradation pathways. The Conclusion (page unavailable) links mTOR hyperactivation to reduced autophagy and decreased IRS1 activity, which can lead to insulin resistance. It does not identify oxidatively modified proteins associated with altered glucose metabolism or establish that the mTOR–insulin-resistance findings concern oxidatively modified proteins. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • mTOR activation is abnormally high in the brains of DS mouse models and in DS fibroblasts.

    “the abnormally high level of mTOR activation seen in the brains of DS mouse models (Iyer et al., 2014;Perluigi et al., 2014) and in DS fibroblasts (Bordi et al., manuscript submitted)”

    From Lysosomal Dysfunction in Down Syndrome Is APP-Dependent and Mediated by APP-βCTF (C99) (2019) · cites this paper as Perluigi et al., 2014

    The Results section (mTOR activation and inhibition of autophagosome formation; page unavailable) reports increased mTOR phosphorylation in Down syndrome brain tissue compared with age-matched controls. The Methods identify the tissue as frontal cortex from people with Down syndrome, not mouse models. The Discussion mentions altered Akt phosphorylation in DS mouse models, but does not establish increased mTOR activation in their brains. The fibroblast claim is attached to a different citation. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Our findings support a hyperactivated AKT/mTOR/p70S6K axis with IRS1 inhibition in humans with DS-AD.

    “Our findings support a hyperactivated AKT/mTOR/p70S6K axis with IRS1 inhibition in humans with DS‐AD. 7 , 9 , 59”

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. [53]White MF Regulating insulin signaling and beta-cell function through IRS proteins Can J Physiol Pharm 2006 84 725 737 16998536
  2. [68]Lovestone S Reynolds CH The phosphorylation of tau: a critical stage in neurodevelopment and neurodegenerative processes Neuroscience 1997 78 309 324 9145789

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Authors
Perluigi, M., Pupo, G., Tramutola, A., Cini, C., Coccia, R., Barone, E., Head, E., Butterfield, D. A., & Di Domenico, F.
Affiliations
  • Sapienza University of Rome (IT)
  • University of Kentucky (US)
Venue
Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Disease
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2014-07
Volume
1842
Issue
7
Pages
1144-1153
ISSN
0925-4439 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2158742765
Cited by
155
References
77
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 5 · 2012: 1
FWCI
10.76
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Disease (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
  • IRIS Research product catalog (Sapienza University of Rome) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • PRIN2009
  • NIH (A6-05119)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institute on Aging (1RO1HD064993-01)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Down syndrome and intellectual disability research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in cancer
Keywords
Down syndrome, PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, Alzheimer's disease, frontal cortex, autophagy, IRS-1, GSK3β, RCAN1, tau phosphorylation, amyloid-beta, intellectual disability, dementia
MeSH terms
Adult, Alzheimer Disease, Autophagy, DNA-Binding Proteins, Down Syndrome, Female, Frontal Lobe, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Muscle Proteins, Phosphorylation, Case-Control Studies, Amyloid beta-Peptides, tau Proteins, Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases, MAP Kinase Signaling System, Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins, Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt, Insulin Receptor Substrate Proteins, Young Adult, TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases

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