scholarly journals Label-free imaging of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease with stimulated Raman scattering microscopy

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (11) ◽  
pp. eaat7715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minbiao Ji ◽  
Michal Arbel ◽  
Lili Zhang ◽  
Christian W. Freudiger ◽  
Steven S. Hou ◽  
...  

One of the key pathological features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the existence of extracellular deposition of amyloid plaques formed with misfolded amyloid-β (Aβ). The conformational change of proteins leads to enriched contents of β sheets, resulting in remarkable changes of vibrational spectra, especially the spectral shifts of the amide I mode. Here, we applied stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy to image amyloid plaques in the brain tissue of an AD mouse model. We have demonstrated the capability of SRS microscopy as a rapid, label-free imaging modality to differentiate misfolded from normal proteins based on the blue shift (~10 cm−1) of amide I SRS spectra. Furthermore, SRS imaging of Aβ plaques was verified by antibody staining of frozen thin sections and fluorescence imaging of fresh tissues. Our method may provide a new approach for studies of AD pathology, as well as other neurodegenerative diseases associated with protein misfolding.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Volker Schweikhard ◽  
Andrea Baral ◽  
Vishnu Krishnamachari ◽  
William C. Hay ◽  
Martin Fuhrmann

ABSTRACTThe brains of patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) often exhibit pathological alterations that involve abnormal aggregations of proteins and lipids. Here, we demonstrate that high-resolution, label-free, chemically-specific imaging using Stimulated Raman Scattering Microscopy (SRS) provides novel insights into the biophysical properties and biochemical composition of such pathological structures. In brain slices of a mouse model of AD, SRS reveals large numbers of Amyloid-β plaques that commonly form a characteristic, three-dimensional core-shell structure, with a fibrillar proteinaceous core surrounded by a halo-like shell of lipid-rich deposits. SRS spectroscopic imaging allows for a clean, label-free visualization of the misfolded (β-sheet) Amyloid-β content in the plaque core. Surrounding lipid-rich deposits are found to contain comparatively high concentrations of membrane lipids (sphingomyelin, phosphatidylcholine), but lower levels of cholesterol than healthy white matter structures. Overall, the SRS spectra of plaque-associated lipids closely resemble those of nearby neurites, with the notable difference of a higher degree of lipid unsaturation compared to healthy brain structures. We hypothesize that plaque-associated lipid deposits may result from neuritic dystrophy associated with AD, and that the observed increased levels of unsaturation could help identify the kinds of pathological alterations taking place. Taken together, our results highlight the potential of Stimulated Raman Scattering microscopy to contribute to a deeper understanding of neurodegenerative diseases.


2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 2028-2034 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristel Sepp ◽  
Martin Lee ◽  
Marie T. J. Bluntzer ◽  
G. Vignir Helgason ◽  
Alison N. Hulme ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Alvaro Miranda ◽  
Enrique Montiel ◽  
Henning Ulrich ◽  
Cristian Paz

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with marked atrophy of the cerebral cortex and accumulation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Amyloid plaques are formed by oligomers of amyloid-β (Aβ) in the brain, with a length of 42 and 40 amino acids. α-secretase cleaves amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP) producing the membrane-bound fragment CTFα and the soluble fragment sAβPPα with neuroprotective activity; β-secretase produces membrane-bound fragment CTFβ and a soluble fragment sAβPPβ. After α-secretase cleavage of AβPP, γ-secretase cleaves CTFα to produce the cytoplasmic fragment AICD and P3 in the non-amyloidogenic pathway. CTFβ is cleaved by γ-secretase producing AICD as well as Aβ in amyloidogenic pathways. In the last years, the study of natural products and synthetic compounds, such as α-secretase activity enhancers, β-secretase inhibitors (BACE-1), and γ-secretase activity modulators, have been the focus of pharmaceuticals and researchers. Drugs were improved regarding solubility, blood-brain barrier penetration, selectivity, and potency decreasing Aβ42. In this regard, BACE-1 inhibitors, such as Atabecestat, NB-360, Umibecestat, PF-06751979, Verubecestat, LY2886721, Lanabecestat, LY2811376, and Elenbecestat, were submitted to phase I-III clinical trials. However, inhibition of Aβ production did not recover cognitive functions or reverse the disease. Novel strategies are being developed, aiming at a partial reduction of Aβ production, such as the development of γ-secretase modulators or α-secretase enhancers. Such therapeutic tools shall focus on slowing down or minimizing the progression of neuronal damage. Here, we summarize structures and the activities of the latest compounds designed for AD treatment, with remarkable in vitro, in vivo, and clinical phase activities.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rolando Oyola ◽  
Deguo Du ◽  
Idalia Ramos ◽  
Kyabeth Torres ◽  
Ambar S Delgado ◽  
...  

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been consistently related to the formation of senile amyloid plaques mainly composed of amyloid β (Aβ) peptides. The toxicity of Aβ aggregates has been indicated to...


2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (32) ◽  
pp. 15842-15848 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuta Suzuki ◽  
Koya Kobayashi ◽  
Yoshifumi Wakisaka ◽  
Dinghuan Deng ◽  
Shunji Tanaka ◽  
...  

Combining the strength of flow cytometry with fluorescence imaging and digital image analysis, imaging flow cytometry is a powerful tool in diverse fields including cancer biology, immunology, drug discovery, microbiology, and metabolic engineering. It enables measurements and statistical analyses of chemical, structural, and morphological phenotypes of numerous living cells to provide systematic insights into biological processes. However, its utility is constrained by its requirement of fluorescent labeling for phenotyping. Here we present label-free chemical imaging flow cytometry to overcome the issue. It builds on a pulse pair-resolved wavelength-switchable Stokes laser for the fastest-to-date multicolor stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy of fast-flowing cells on a 3D acoustic focusing microfluidic chip, enabling an unprecedented throughput of up to ∼140 cells/s. To show its broad utility, we use the SRS imaging flow cytometry with the aid of deep learning to study the metabolic heterogeneity of microalgal cells and perform marker-free cancer detection in blood.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (332) ◽  
pp. 332ra44-332ra44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chia-Chen Liu ◽  
Na Zhao ◽  
Yu Yamaguchi ◽  
John R. Cirrito ◽  
Takahisa Kanekiyo ◽  
...  

Accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide in the brain is the first critical step in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Studies in humans suggest that Aβ clearance from the brain is frequently impaired in late-onset AD. Aβ accumulation leads to the formation of Aβ aggregates, which injure synapses and contribute to eventual neurodegeneration. Cell surface heparan sulfates (HSs), expressed on all cell types including neurons, have been implicated in several features in the pathogenesis of AD including its colocalization with amyloid plaques and modulatory role in Aβ aggregation. We show that removal of neuronal HS by conditional deletion of the Ext1 gene, which encodes an essential glycosyltransferase for HS biosynthesis, in postnatal neurons of amyloid model APP/PS1 mice led to a reduction in both Aβ oligomerization and the deposition of amyloid plaques. In vivo microdialysis experiments also detected an accelerated rate of Aβ clearance in the brain interstitial fluid, suggesting that neuronal HS either inhibited or represented an inefficient pathway for Aβ clearance. We found that the amounts of various HS proteoglycans (HSPGs) were increased in postmortem human brain tissues from AD patients, suggesting that this pathway may contribute directly to amyloid pathogenesis. Our findings have implications for AD pathogenesis and provide insight into therapeutic interventions targeting Aβ-HSPG interactions.


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