Cited by 33Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration MechanismsAlzheimer's disease research and treatmentsNeurological Disease Mechanisms and Treatments

Phosphoinositides: Roles in the Development of Microglial-Mediated Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration

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Ernest James Phillips, Thomas, Maguire, Emily·2021·Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience

Abstract

Microglia are increasingly recognized as vital players in the pathology of a variety of neurodegenerative conditions including Alzheimer’s (AD) and Parkinson’s (PD) disease. While microglia have a protective role in the brain, their dysfunction can lead to neuroinflammation and contributes to disease progression. Also, a growing body of literature highlights the seven phosphoinositides, or PIPs, as key players in the regulation of microglial-mediated neuroinflammation. These small signaling lipids are phosphorylated derivates of phosphatidylinositol, are enriched in the brain, and have well-established roles in both homeostasis and disease.Disrupted PIP levels and signaling has been detected in a variety of dementias. Moreover, many known AD disease modifiers identified via genetic studies are expressed in microglia and are involved in phospholipid metabolism. One of these, the enzyme PLCγ2 that hydrolyzes the PIP species PI(4,5)P 2 , displays altered expression in AD and PD and is currently being investigated as a potential therapeutic target.Perhaps unsurprisingly, neurodegenerative conditions exhibiting PIP dyshomeostasis also tend to show alterations in aspects of microglial function regulated by these lipids. In particular, phosphoinositides regulate the activities of proteins and enzymes required for endocytosis, toll-like receptor signaling, purinergic signaling, chemotaxis, and migration, all of which are affected in a variety of neurodegenerative conditions. These functions are crucial to allow microglia to adequately survey the brain and respond appropriately to invading pathogens and other abnormalities, including misfolded proteins. AD and PD therapies are being developed to target many of the above pathways, and although not yet investigated, simultaneous PIP manipulation might enhance the beneficial effects observed. Currently, only limited therapeutics are available for dementia, and although these show some benefits for symptom severity and progression, they are far from curative. Given the importance of microglia and PIPs in dementia development, this review summarizes current research and asks whether we can exploit this information to design more targeted, or perhaps combined, dementia therapeutics. More work is needed to fully characterize the pathways discussed in this review, but given the strength of the current literature, insights in this area could be invaluable for the future of neurodegenerative disease research.

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  • PI(3,4,5)P3 can be converted back to PI(4,5)P2 by PTEN or converted into PI(3,4)P2 by SHIP1, which negatively regulates PI3K/Akt signaling.

    “PI(3,4,5)P3 can be converted back to PI(4,5)P2 by the protein phosphatase and tensin homology (PTEN) or converted into PI(3,4)P2 by SHIP1, which negatively regulates PI3K/Akt signaling (Fig. 2) [89–92].”

    From Microglial function, INPP5D/SHIP1 signaling, and NLRP3 inflammasome activation: implications for Alzheimer’s disease (2023) · cites this paper as [90]

    The Chemotaxis and Migration section (page not available) says PTEN converts PI(3,4,5)P3 back to PI(4,5)P2. The Endocytosis section (page not available) says SHIP promotes conversion of PI(3,4,5)P3 to PI(3,4)P2, but does not identify it as SHIP1 or state that this conversion negatively regulates PI3K/Akt signaling. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • SHIP1 is a phosphatase involved in phosphoinositide signaling.

    “SHIP1 is a phosphatase involved in phosphoinositide signaling.”

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Authors
Ernest James Phillips, T., & Maguire, E.
Affiliations
Cardiff University (GB)
Corresponding author
Maguire, Emily
Venue
Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience
Published
2021-03-26
Volume
15
Pages
652593-652593
ISSN
1662-5102 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3140288526
Cited by
33
References
376
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3
FWCI
0.56
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (acceptedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Alzheimer's Society
  • Cardiff University
  • UK Dementia Research Institute
  • Medical Research Council
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neurological Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
Keywords
phosphoinositides, microglia, neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, PLCγ2, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate, phospholipid metabolism, endocytosis, Toll-like receptor signaling, purinergic signaling, chemotaxis, microglial migration, microglial dysfunction

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