PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

B Anderton

Publications and source records attributed to B Anderton.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

Cytoskeletal abnormalities in Alzheimer's disease.

A fundamental process in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the breakdown of the cytoskeleton. The microscopic manifestation of this--neurofibrillary tangles--is described. Tangles are formed from paired helical filaments (PHF), in turn constructed from abnormally phosphorylated Tau proteins. Recent investigations on the process of Tau phosphorylation and possible links between amyloid deposition and tangle formation are reviewed.

Alzheimer Disease

Synaptophysin and chromogranin A immunoreactivities in senile plaques of Alzheimer's disease.

Immunolabelling for synaptophysin and chromogranin A, two polypeptides associated with small clear and large dense core synaptic vesicles respectively, has been performed on tissue sections of the temporal cortex in Alzheimer's disease in combination with anti-A4 amyloid labelling. The dystrophic neurites in many senile plaques were observed to be labelled by the anti-synaptophysin or anti-chromogranin A antibodies. Some diffuse amyloid deposits, demonstrated by antibodies against synthetic amyloid A4 peptides, were associated with a punctuate increase in synaptophysin or chromogranin A immunoreactivity. The labelling of dystrophic plaque neurites may reflect the accumulation in these processes of synaptic vesicles or material derived from them. We suggest also that the punctuate increase in synaptophysin and chromogranin A immunoreactivities associated with some A4 amyloid deposits may be an early event reflecting neuronal dysfunction.

Alzheimer Disease

Intraventricular infusions of antibodies to amyloid-beta-protein precursor impair the acquisition of a passive avoidance response in the rat.

Intraventricular infusions of an antiserum raised against a 14 amino acid residue in the extracellular domain of amyloid-beta-protein precursor significantly decreased stepdown latency, at both 24 h and 48 h recall times, in rats trained to avoid an electroshock by remaining on a platform. The antiserum was effective when infused up to 2.5 h following training and no retention deficit was noted when it was administered at 4h or 6h after training. An antiserum generated against a 17 amino acid residue of the A4 amyloid peptide had no effect on learning. Thus the amyloid precursor protein, which is aberrantly processed in Alzheimer's disease, appears to be directly involved in memory formation.

Adult

Aluminium-induced tangles in cultured rat neurones. Enhanced effect of aluminium by addition of maltol.

Neurofilamentous tangles have been induced in cultured neurones from rat brain hemispheres by application of both aluminium and maltol. Quantitative evaluation revealed a significantly higher percentage of tangle containing neurones when using the aluminium-maltol mixture than after application of aluminium alone. Tangles were found to be consistently stained with monoclonal antibodies to neurofilament proteins but failed to react with polyclonal antibodies against microtubule-associated proteins 1, 2 and tau.

Aluminum

Microtubule-associated proteins MAP5 and MAP1x: closely related components of the neuronal cytoskeleton with different cytoplasmic distributions in the developing brain.

Monoclonal antibodies were used to explore the relationship between two similarly sized microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs), MAP1x and MAP5. Although the proteins detected by anti-MAP1x and anti-MAP5 co-migrate in SDS-polyacrylamide gels, the patterns of antigenic proteolytic fragments (epitope maps) derived from them were completely different. The results suggest either that MAP1x is more stable than MAP5 or that the MAP1x epitope is situated close to one end of the molecule and gives rise to a very short proteolytic fragment. Immunoprecipitation from brain supernatants with either antibody brought down protein that cross-reacted with the other antibody, indicating that individual molecules bearing both epitopes exist in brain. Peptide maps of the proteins immunoprecipitated with the two antibodies showed that they are closely similar. Despite these similarities, the two antibodies gave different staining patterns on sections of developing rat brain, anti-MAP5 staining both axons and dendrites whereas anti-MAP1x stained only axons. We conclude that the MAP5 and MAP1x molecules are very similar, and possibly identical. The difference in staining patterns with the two antibodies could be because there are two proteins present in brain, one in immature axons bearing both the MAP5 and MAP1x epitopes and another with a wider distribution bearing only the MAP5 epitope. Alternatively, there may be a single protein bearing both epitopes, with the MAP1x epitope being masked in neuronal dendrites and mature axons by covalent modification or inter-molecular binding.

Aging

Cytoskeletal changes during oogenesis and early development of Xenopus laevis.

The frog oocyte is well known for studies on the control of gene expression, but has been used much less in studies on the cytoskeleton. However, frog oocytes are very large single cells, whose cytoplasmic movements and asymmetries are fundamental to the correct development of the subsequent embryo. One particular example of asymmetrically distributed cytoplasm is germ plasm, thought to be important in the formation of the germ line. Data are presented that show that germ plasm is highly concentrated mass of cytoskeletal elements, which include tubulin, and an intermediate filament protein of molecular weight 55 X 10(3). The distribution of these molecules has been studied during oogenesis and during early post-fertilization development. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Animals

Specific lysis of GABAergic synaptosomes by an antiserum to glutamate decarboxylase.

An antiserum to pure glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) when incubated with rat cortical synaptosomes in the presence of complement caused release of 33-53% of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and 22-41% of total GAD. In addition most of the gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA) present was released. Anti-GAD antiserum alone, or complement alone, were without action. The antiserum plus complement had no effect on noradrenaline or choline uptake, and did not release choline acetylase (ChAT). Anti-ChAT serum plus complement released 30-37% of ChAT and 10-13% of LDH. It prevented choline uptake. This serum did not produce GAD release or prevent GABA, choline or noradrenaline uptake. When cortical synaptosomes were exposed to both antisera plus complement, their actions were strictly additive. The data indicate specific lysis of GABAergic and cholinergic synaptosomal sub-populations.

Animals

Molecular pathology of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease is the fourth major cause of death in the developed world and is a major social and health care issue. Recent molecular genetic research has shed new light on the pathogenesis of this debilitating condition.

Alzheimer Disease