In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), different types of neurons and different brain areas show differential patterns of vulnerability towards neurofibrillary degeneration, which provides the basis for a highly predictive profile of disease progression throughout the brain that now is widely accepted for neuropathological staging. In previous studies we could demonstrate that in AD cortical and subcortical neurons are constantly less frequently affected by neurofibrillary degeneration if they are enwrapped by a specialized form of the hyaluronan-based extracellular matrix (ECM), the so called ‘perineuronal net’ (PN). PNs are basically composed of large aggregating chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans connected to a hyaluronan backbone, stabilized by link proteins and cross-linked via tenascin-R (TN-R). Under experimental conditions in mice, PN-ensheathed neurons are better protected against iron-induced neurodegeneration than neurons without PN. Still, it remains unclear whether these neuroprotective effects are directly mediated by the PNs or are associated with some other mechanism in these neurons unrelated to PNs. To identify molecular components that essentially mediate the neuroprotective aspect on PN-ensheathed neurons, we comparatively analysed neuronal degeneration induced by a single injection of FeCl3 on four different mice knockout strains, each being deficient for a different component of PNs. Aggrecan, link protein and TN-R were identified to be essential for the neuroprotective properties of PN, whereas the contribution of brevican was negligible. Our findings indicate that the protection of PN-ensheathed neurons is directly mediated by the net structure and that both the high negative charge and the correct interaction of net components are essential for their neuroprotective function.

In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), different types of neurons and different brain areas show differential patterns of vulnerability towards neurofibrillary degeneration, which provides the basis for a highly predictive profile of disease progression throughout the brain that now is widely accepted for neuropathological staging. In previous studies we could demonstrate that in AD cortical and subcortical neurons are constantly less frequently affected by neurofibrillary degeneration if they are enwrapped by a specialized form of the hyaluronan-based extracellular matrix (ECM), the so called ‘perineuronal net’ (PN). PNs are basically composed of large aggregating chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans connected to a hyaluronan backbone, stabilized by link proteins and cross-linked via tenascin-R (TN-R). Under experimental conditions in mice, PN-ensheathed neurons are better protected against iron-induced neurodegeneration than neurons without PN. Still, it remains unclear whether these neuroprotective effects are directly mediated by the PNs or are associated with some other mechanism in these neurons unrelated to PNs. To identify molecular components that essentially mediate the neuroprotective aspect on PN-ensheathed neurons, we comparatively analysed neuronal degeneration induced by a single injection of FeCl3 on four different mice knockout strains, each being deficient for a different component of PNs. Aggrecan, link protein and TN-R were identified to be essential for the neuroprotective properties of PN, whereas the contribution of brevican was negligible. Our findings indicate that the protection of PN-ensheathed neurons is directly mediated by the net structure and that both the high negative charge and the correct interaction of net components are essential for their neuroprotective function.

Bakgrund: Deposition av fibrillär amyloid beta 1-42 (Aβ) i hjärnan är ett välkänt kännetecken för den neurodegenerativa sjukdomen Alzheimer’s (AD). Dessa ansamlingar påverkar pericyter, en celltyp involverad i blodkärlsfunktion och upprätthållande av blodhjärnbarriären (BBB). Pericyter uttrycker både receptorn low density lipoprotein receptor related protein 1 (LRP-1) till vilken Aβ1-42 binder, och proteoglykanet NG2. NG2 har stor betydelse för pericyters samspel med endotelceller och i sin lösliga form (sNG2) främjar den angiogenes. Tidigare studier har visat att mängden NG2 som klyvs från pericyter förändras när de stimuleras med Aβ1-42. Syfte: Att undersöka om Aβ1-42 påverkar NG2 klyvning via LRP-1 Metod: Human brain vascular pericytes (HBVP) stimulerades med monomera, oligomera och fibrillära Aβ1-42 preparationer. Uttrycket av LRP-1 tystades med small interfering (si) LRP-1 och knockdown efficiency analyserades med Western Blot (WB). Även Aβ1-42 preparationer undersöktes med WB. Cellviabilitet mättes med laktatdehydrogenas (LDH) test och proteininnehåll med Bradford analys. Slutligen mättes mängden sNG2 i pericytmedium med hjälp av enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) baserad på electrochemiluminescence (Mesoscale). Resultat: Preparationerna med monomer och oligomer Aβ1-42 ökade NG2 klyvning. Denna Aβ1-42 inducerade ökning försvann när cellernas LRP-1 tystats. Aβ1-42 fibrillpreparationerna inhiberade däremot NG2 klyvningen oavsett närvaro av LRP-1. Aβ1-42 monomerpreparationer inducerade celldöd hos HBVP med LRP-1 men inte hos de HBVP där LRP-1 tystats, och cellviabiliteten hos HBVP ökade hos celler som stimulerats med Aβ1-42 fibrillpreparation och där LRP-1 tystats. Konklusion: Resultaten visar att Aβ1-42 monomer och oligomer påverkar NG2 klyvning via LRP-1. Däremot verkar Aβ1-42 fibrill istället påverka NG2 klyvning via en annan signalväg. Studien belyser hur Aβ1-42 kan påverka pericyter, vilket kan föreligga vaskulära förändringar kopplade till AD patologi. / Background: The deposition of fibrillar amyloid beta 1-42 (Aβ) in the brain is a well-known characteristic for the neurodegenerative Alzheimer’s disease (AD). These accumulations affect pericytes, a cell type implicated in vessel function and maintenance of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Pericytes express both the receptor low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein 1 (LRP-1), to which Aβ1-42 binds, and the proteoglycan NG2. NG2 is important for the interaction between pericytes and endothelial cells and in its soluble form (sNG2) it promotes angiogenesis. Earlier studies have shown that the amount of NG2 shed from pericytes is altered when stimulated with Aβ1-42. Purpose: To investigate whether the Aβ1-42 influence on NG2 shedding is mediated via LRP-1. Method: Human brain vascular pericytes (HBVP) were stimulated with monomeric, oligomeric and fibrillar preparations of Aβ1-42. Expression of LRP-1 was knocked down by small interfering (si) LRP-1 silencing and knockdown efficiency was analysed with Western blot (WB). Aβ1-42 preparations were also analysed with WB. Cell viability was measured with lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) test and protein concentrations were determined with Bradford assay. Finally the amount of sNG2 in pericytemedium was measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) baserad på electrochemiluminescence (Mesoscale) Results: Monomer and oligomer Aβ1-42 increased NG2 shedding, this Aβ1-42 induced increase was not found in HBVP with a silenced LRP-1. In contrast, fibrillar Aβ1-42 inhibited NG2 shedding regardless of LRP-1 presence. Monomer Aβ1-42 preparations induced cell death of HBVP with LRP-1 but not of HBVP without LRP-1, and cell viability of HBVP lacking LRP-1 was increased after fibrillar Aβ1-42 exposure. Conclusion: The results indicate a monomeric and oligomeric Aβ1-42 induced impact on NG2 shedding via LRP-1. However it appears as if fibrillar Aβ1-42 doesn’t affect NG2 shedding via LRP-1 but rather inhibits the process via another unknown receptor. The study highlights how Aβ1-42 can affect pericytes, which may underlie the vascular changes linked to AD pathology.