Deficiency of a sulfotransferase for sialic acid-modified glycans mitigates Alzheimer's pathology.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 28320965.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1073/pnas.1615036114 and PMC identifier 5389269.
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Abstract
We previously showed that microglial keratan sulfate (KS) was induced in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However, the functional roles of the glycan and its synthetic enzyme in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), a progressive disorder, are unclear. In our study, KS modified with sialic acids having a molecular mass of 125-220 kDa and the carbohydrate sulfotransferase GlcNAc6ST1 were up-regulated in the brains of two transgenic mouse models (J20 and Tg2576) and the brains of patients with AD. GlcNAc6ST1-deficient J20 (J20/GlcNAc6ST1<sup>-/-</sup>) mice demonstrated a complete absence of the microglial sialylated KS. J20/GlcNAc6ST1<sup>-/-</sup> primary microglia showed an increased level of amyloid-β phagocytosis and were hyperresponsive to interleukin 4, a potent antiinflammatory cytokine. Moreover, J20/GlcNAc6ST1<sup>-/-</sup> mice manifested reduced cerebral amyloid-β deposition. GlcNAc6ST1-synthesizing sialylated KS thus modulates AD pathology. Inhibition of KS synthesis by targeting GlcNAc6ST1 may therefore be beneficial for controlling AD pathogenesis.
Medical subject headings
- Alzheimer Disease
- N-Acetylneuraminic Acid
- Sulfotransferases