Cited by 139Proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans researchNeurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanismsNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research

Brain ageing changes proteoglycan sulfation, rendering perineuronal nets more inhibitory

Open access
Foscarin, Simona, Raha-Chowdhury, Ruma, Fawcett, James W., Kwok, Jessica C.F.·2017·Aging

Abstract

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) proteoglycans in perineuronal nets (PNNs) from the central nervous system (CNS) are involved in the control of plasticity and memory. Removing PNNs reactivates plasticity and restores memory in models of Alzheimer's disease and ageing. Their actions depend on the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains of CS proteoglycans, which are mainly sulfated in the 4 (C4S) or 6 (C6S) positions. While C4S is inhibitory, C6S is more permissive to axon growth, regeneration and plasticity. C6S decreases during critical period closure. We asked whether there is a late change in CS-GAG sulfation associated with memory loss in aged rats. Immunohistochemistry revealed a progressive increase in C4S and decrease in C6S from 3 to 18 months. GAGs extracted from brain PNNs showed a large reduction in C6S at 12 and 18 months, increasing the C4S/C6S ratio. There was no significant change in mRNA levels of the chondroitin sulfotransferases. PNN GAGs were more inhibitory to axon growth than those from the diffuse extracellular matrix. The 18-month PNN GAGs were more inhibitory than 3-month PNN GAGs. We suggest that the change in PNN GAG sulfation in aged brains renders the PNNs more inhibitory, which lead to a decrease in plasticity and adversely affect memory.

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Crossref · 10.18632/aging.101256

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  • In aged rat and mouse brain, C6S almost disappears after 20 months while the level of C4S remains stable.

    “Analysis of the PNN CSPGs in the aged rat and mouse brain showed that C6S almost disappears after 20 months while the level of C4S remains stable [45, 175] (Fig. 3C).”

    From The extracellular matrix and perineuronal nets in memory (2022) · cites this paper as [175]

    The Results section (‘The reduction of C6S is specific to the PNNs from older animals’; page unavailable) reports a 60% reduction in PNN C6S at 12 and 18 months in rats, while PNN C4S showed a nonsignificant tendency to increase. It does not show that C6S almost disappears after 20 months or establish the same finding in mice; 18 months was the latest age tested. (LLM, conf=0.90)

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [13]Kwok JC Carulli D Fawcett JW In vitro modeling of perineuronal nets: hyaluronan synthase and link protein are necessary for their formation and integrity J Neurochem 2010 114 1447 59 20584105

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Authors
Foscarin, S., Raha-Chowdhury, R., Fawcett, J. W., & Kwok, J. C. F.
Affiliations
  • University of Cambridge (GB)
  • John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, United Kingdom
  • University of Leeds (GB)
Corresponding author
Kwok, Jessica C.F.
Venue
Aging
Published
2017-06-28
Volume
9
Issue
6
Pages
1607-1622
ISSN
1945-4589 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2655218353
Cited by
139
References
53
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 4
FWCI
7.30
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Aging (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (acceptedVersion)
  • Apollo (University of Cambridge) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Apollo (cc-by)
Funders
  • Wings for Life (WFL-GB-009/12)
  • Medical Research Council (MR/R004544/1)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Developmental Neuroscience › Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
Keywords
brain aging, perineuronal nets, chondroitin sulfate, proteoglycan sulfation, glycosaminoglycans, axon growth inhibition, neuroplasticity, memory loss, Alzheimer's disease, extracellular matrix
MeSH terms
Aging, Animals, Brain, Cell Extracts, Gene Expression Regulation, Memory Disorders, Nerve Net, Proteoglycans, RNA, Messenger, Sulfotransferases, Neurites, Rats

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