CpG and non-CpG Presenilin1 methylation pattern in course of neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration is associated with gene expression in human and murine brain
EPIGENETICS
Authors: Monti, Noemi; Cavallaro, Rosaria A.; Stoccoro, Andrea; Nicolia, Vincenzina; Scarpa, Sigfrido; Kovacs, Gabor G.; Fiorenza, Maria Teresa; Lucarelli, Marco; Aronica, Eleonora; Ferrer, Isidre; Coppede, Fabio; Troen, Aron M.; Fuso, Andrea
Abstract
The Presenilin1 (PSEN1) gene encodes the catalytic peptide of the gamma-secretase complex, a key enzyme that cleaves the amyloid-beta protein precursor (A beta PP), to generate the amyloid-beta (A beta) peptides, involved in Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Other substrates of the gamma-secretase, such as E-cadherin and Notch1, are involved in neurodevelopment and haematopoiesis. Gene-specific DNA methylation influences PSEN1 expression in AD animal models. Here we evaluated canonical and non-canonical cytosine methylation patterns of the PSEN1 5MODIFIER LETTER PRIME-flanking during brain development and AD progression, in DNA extracted from the frontal cortex of AD transgenic mice (TgCRND8) and post-mortem human brain. Mapping CpG and non-CpG methylation revealed different methylation profiles in mice and humans. PSEN1 expression only correlated with DNA methylation in adult female mice. However, in post-mortem human brain, lower methylation, both at CpG and non-CpG sites, correlated closely with higher PSEN1 expression during brain development and in disease progression. PSEN1 methylation in blood DNA was significantly lower in AD patients than in controls. The present study is the first to demonstrate a temporal correlation between dynamic changes in PSEN1 CpG and non-CpG methylation patterns and mRNA expression during neurodevelopment and AD neurodegeneration. These observations were made possible by the use of an improved bisulphite methylation assay employing primers that are not biased towards non-CpG methylation. Our findings deepen the understanding of gamma-secretase regulation and support the hypothesis that epigenetic changes can promote the pathophysiology of AD. Moreover, they suggest that PSEN1 DNA methylation in peripheral blood may provide a biomarker for AD.
The novel PSEN1 M84V mutation associated to frontal dysexecutive syndrome, spastic paraparesis, and cerebellar atrophy in a dominant Alzheimer's disease family
NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING
Authors: Gallo, Maura; Frangipane, Francesca; Cupidi, Chiara; De Bartolo, Matteo; Turone, Sabina; Ferrari, Camilla; Nacmias, Benedetta; Grimaldi, Giuliana; Lagana, Valentina; Colao, Rosanna; Bernardi, Livia; Anfossi, Maria; Conidi, Maria Elena; Vasso, Franca; Curcio, Sabrina Anna Maria; Mirabelli, Maria; Smirne, Nicoletta; Torchia, Giusi; Muraca, Maria Gabriella; Puccio, Gianfranco; Di Lorenzo, Raffaele; Piccininni, Maristella; Tedde, Andrea; Maletta, Raffaele Giovanni; Sorbi, Sandro; Bruni, Amalia Cecilia
Abstract
We identified the novel PSEN1 pathogenic mutation M84V in 3 patients belonging to a large kindred affected by autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease (AD). The clinical phenotype was characterized by early onset dementia in 14 affected subjects over 3 generations. Detailed clinical, imaging and genetic assessment was performed. We highlighted the presence of unusual symptoms such as frontal executive syndrome, psychosis and spastic paraparesis in these patients. Spastic paraparesis has been reported in other PSEN1 mutations in adjacent codons, suggesting that the position of the genetic defect may affect the clinical expression, although this phenotype can occur in mutations throughout the whole PSEN1 gene. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed diffuse cortical atrophy, but also atrophy of cerebellar lobules, mainly involving Crus I, in 2 patients without cerebellar motor deficits. These neuroimaging results were consistent with recent findings about the association between sporadic AD and distinct and circumscribed cerebellar atrophy. The present work acknowledged the novel PSEN1 pathogenic mutation M84V and might contribute to the ongoing debate about the involvement of cerebellum in AD. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.