Cited by 166Alzheimer's disease research and treatmentsAutophagy in Disease and TherapyDown syndrome and intellectual disability research

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 110 of the 110 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 28 of the 67 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

Lysosomal Dysfunction in Down Syndrome Is APP-Dependent and Mediated by APP-βCTF (C99)

Open access
Jiang, Ying, Sato, Yutaka, Im, Eunju, Berg, Martin, Bordi, Matteo, Darji, Sandipkumar, Kumar, Asok, Mohan, Panaiyur S., Bandyopadhyay, Urmi, Diaz, Antonio, Cuervo, Ana Maria, Nixon, Ralph A.·2019·The Journal of Neuroscience

Abstract

Lysosomal failure underlies pathogenesis of numerous congenital neurodegenerative disorders and is an early and progressive feature of Alzheimer9s disease (AD) pathogenesis. Here, we report that lysosomal dysfunction in Down ayndrome (trisomy 21), a neurodevelopmental disorder and form of early onset AD, requires the extra gene copy of amyloid precursor protein (APP) and is specifically mediated by the β cleaved carboxy terminal fragment of APP (APP-βCTF, C99). In primary fibroblasts from individuals with DS, lysosomal degradation of autophagic and endocytic substrates is selectively impaired, causing them to accumulate in enlarged autolysosomes/lysosomes. Direct measurements of lysosomal pH uncovered a significant elevation (0.6 units) as a basis for slowed LC3 turnover and the inactivation of cathepsin D and other lysosomal hydrolases known to be unstable or less active when lysosomal pH is persistently elevated. Normalizing lysosome pH by delivering acidic nanoparticles to lysosomes ameliorated lysosomal deficits, whereas RNA sequencing analysis excluded a transcriptional contribution to hydrolase declines. Cortical neurons cultured from the Ts2 mouse model of DS exhibited lysosomal deficits similar to those in DS cells. Lowering APP expression with siRNA or BACE1 inhibition reversed cathepsin deficits in both fibroblasts and neurons. Deleting one Bace1 allele from adult Ts2 mice had similar rescue effects in vivo. The modest elevation of endogenous APP-βCTF needed to disrupt lysosomal function in DS is relevant to sporadic AD where APP-βCTF, but not APP, is also elevated. Our results extend evidence that impaired lysosomal acidification drives progressive lysosomal failure in multiple forms of AD. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Down syndrome (trisomy 21) (DS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder invariably leading to early-onset Alzheimer9s disease (AD). We showed in cells from DS individuals and neurons of DS models that one extra copy of a normal amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene impairs lysosomal acidification, thereby depressing lysosomal hydrolytic activities and turnover of autophagic and endocytic substrates, processes vital to neuronal survival. These deficits, which were reversible by correcting lysosomal pH, are mediated by elevated levels of endogenous β-cleaved carboxy-terminal fragment of APP (APP-βCTF). Notably, similar endosomal-lysosomal pathobiology emerges early in sporadic AD, where neuronal APP-βCTF is also elevated, underscoring its importance as a therapeutic target and underscoring the functional and pathogenic interrelationships between the endosomal-lysosomal pathway and genes causing AD.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

Lysosomal dysfunction in Down syndrome (DS) fibroblasts and Ts2 mouse neurons requires an extra APP gene copy and is mediated by APP-βCTF (C99). The defect is driven by impaired lysosomal acidification, which inactivates acid hydrolases such as cathepsin D and slows autophagic/endocytic substrate degradation.

Key findings

  • DS fibroblasts showed elevated lysosomal pH (5.03 ± 0.08 vs 4.66 ± 0.06 in 2N; ~0.6 units higher) and more than eightfold more poorly acidified autolysosomes (9.24 ± 1.23% vs 1.13 ± 0.41% of total autolysosomes).
  • Lysosomal cathepsin D (CTSD) activity was reduced by 45% in situ in DS fibroblasts, and CTSD specific activity was less than half that in 2N cells, despite 2.5-fold more mature 32 kDa CTSD protein.
  • Lowering APP with siRNA or inhibiting BACE1 rescued lysosomal pH and CTSD deficits in DS fibroblasts and Ts2 neurons; deleting one Bace1 allele in Ts2 mice restored brain CTSD activity.
  • Raising APP-βCTF in 2N fibroblasts with γ-secretase inhibition or mCherry-C99 transfection reproduced lysosomal pH elevation and reduced CTSD activity, while BACE1 inhibition ameliorated the DS phenotype.

Methods

  • Primary human foreskin fibroblasts from individuals with DS and age-matched diploid controls, plus primary cortical neurons from Ts2 DS model mice and adult Ts2 mouse brain homogenates.
  • Lysosomal function was assessed by [³H]-leucine long-lived protein degradation, LysoSensor Yellow/Blue dextran pH measurement, mRFP-eGFP-LC3 autophagic flux imaging, BODIPY FL-Pepstatin A and Magic Red CatB activity assays, in vitro enzyme activity assays, EM, immunoblotting, immunocytochemistry, and RNA-Seq.
  • Interventions included APP siRNA, BACE1 inhibitor IV, γ-secretase inhibitor L-685,458, acidic nanoparticles (NP3), and BACE1 heterozygous crossing; statistics used two-tailed unpaired t tests or one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc analysis.

Limitations

  • The paper states that its conclusion does not exclude possible additional influences of other triplicated chromosome 21 genes or metabolic factors such as oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, and protein nitration.
  • Several mechanistic claims about APP-βCTF interaction with the vATPase V0a1 subunit and impaired vATPase assembly are described as unpublished observations, not fully reported in this paper.
  • Evident from the text: the main human evidence comes from primary fibroblasts rather than human brain tissue, and much of the neuronal evidence comes from cultured Ts2 mouse neurons or mouse brain homogenates, so direct human neuronal in vivo validation is not provided.

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Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1523/jneurosci.0578-19.2019

Cites

110 of 110 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

72 Own result · 30 Own interpretation · 13 Partly supported · 7 Sources not found · 5 Not checked yet · 5 No basis given · 4 Supported · 4 No full text of the sources · 2 Supported so far · 2 Own method · 1 Mixed support · accuracy not yet measured

  • It may state two separate claims as one. 16
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 23
32 of 32
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The extra copy of APP is the only trisomic gene necessary for the lysosomal dysfunction in Down syndrome.

    “Here, we report that lysosomal dysfunction in Down ayndrome (trisomy 21), a neurodevelopmental disorder and form of early onset AD, requires the extra gene copy of amyloid precursor protein (APP)”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    BACE1 inhibition reduces cathepsin deficits specifically by lowering APP-βCTF, not through other BACE1 substrates.

    “Lowering APP expression with siRNA or BACE1 inhibition reversed cathepsin deficits in both fibroblasts and neurons.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The Ts2 mouse model's lysosomal deficits are representative of human Down syndrome.

    “Cortical neurons cultured from the Ts2 mouse model of DS exhibited lysosomal deficits similar to those in DS cells.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The 2N and DS fibroblasts are comparable except for trisomy 21.

    “Human foreskin fibroblasts from DS patients and diploid age-matched controls (2N) were purchased from the Coriell Cell Repositories (AG07096, AG04823, GM04617, GM08680, AG07095, AG06922, GM08429, GM5381) and maintained according to the distributor's protocols”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Lysosomal abnormalities in DS fibroblasts are representative of the toxic effects of APP triplication on lysosomes in DS.

    “The toxic effects of APP triplication on lysosomes in DS are due mainly to APP-␤CTF”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    BACE1 inhibitor IV at 10 µM for 24 h specifically blocks APP-βCTF production without affecting lysosomal pH through off-target mechanisms.

    “blocking APP-␤CTF production using BACE1 inhibitor IV (10 M) for 24 h had no effect on the lysosomal pH of 2N fibroblasts (Fig. 5E), but as expected, the lysosomal pH deficit in DS fibroblasts was ameliorated (Fig. 5E; F (3,34) ϭ 15, p Ͻ 0.0001; one-way ANOVA).”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Transient transfection of mCherry-C99 raises APP-βCTF levels without itself causing lysosomal defects independent of βCTF.

    “transient transfection of a fluorescence-tagged ␤CTF (mCherry-C99) significantly reduced in situ CTSD activity in 2N cells and further lowered CSTD activity in DS fibroblasts”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Ts2 mice are a valid model of Down syndrome.

    “neurons from Ts2 mice modeling DS”
    “primary cortical neurons from Ts2 mice”
8 of 8

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Metadata

Authors
Jiang, Y., Sato, Y., Im, E., Berg, M., Bordi, M., Darji, S., Kumar, A., Mohan, P. S., Bandyopadhyay, U., Diaz, A., Cuervo, A. M., & Nixon, R. A.
Affiliations
  • Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research (US)
  • University of Rome Tor Vergata (IT)
  • Albert Einstein College of Medicine (US)
Venue
The Journal of Neuroscience
Published
2019-05-01
Volume
39
Issue
27
Pages
5255-5268
ISSN
  • 0270-6474 (ISSN-L)
  • 1529-2401
OpenAlex
W2943621977
Cited by
166
References
110
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 36 · 2020: 33 · 2019: 8
FWCI
13.96
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (submittedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (submittedVersion)
Funders
National Institute on Aging (P01AG017617)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Autophagy in Disease and Therapy
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Down syndrome and intellectual disability research
Keywords
Down syndrome, lysosomal dysfunction, lysosomal acidification, amyloid precursor protein, C99, BACE1, cathepsin D, autophagy, lysosomal enzymes, sporadic Alzheimer's disease, neurodegeneration
MeSH terms
Alzheimer Disease, Cells, Cultured, Down Syndrome, Fibroblasts, Humans, Lysosomes, Peptide Fragments, Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor, Proteolysis

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