Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P06889 (Mol)
 630,302 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Niemann-Pick C (NPC) disease is an autosomal recessive lipid storage disorder characterized by a disruption of sphingolipid and cholesterol trafficking that produces cognitive impairment, ataxia and death, often in childhood. Most cases are caused by loss of function mutations in the Npc1 gene, which encodes a protein that localizes to late endosomes and functions in lipid sorting and vesicle trafficking. Here, we demonstrate that NPC1-deficient primary human fibroblasts, like npc1(-/-) mice fibroblasts, showed increased autophagy as evidenced by elevated LC3-II levels, numerous autophagic vacuoles and enhanced degradation of long-lived proteins. Autophagy because of NPC1 deficiency was associated with increased expression of Beclin-1 rather than activation of the Akt-mTOR-p70 S6K signaling pathway, and siRNA knockdown of Beclin-1 decreased long-lived protein degradation. Induction of cholesterol trafficking defects in wild-type fibroblasts by treatment with U18666A increased Beclin-1 and LC3-II expression, whereas treatment of NPC1-deficient fibroblasts with sphingolipid-lowering compound NB-DGJ failed to alter the expression of either Beclin-1 or LC3-II. Primary fibroblasts from patients with two other sphingolipid storage diseases, NPC2 deficiency and Sandhoff disease, characterized by sphingolipid trafficking defects also showed elevation in Beclin-1 and LC3-II levels. In contrast, Gaucher disease fibroblasts, which traffic sphingolipids normally, showed wild-type levels of Beclin-1 and LC3-II. Our data define a critical role for Beclin-1 in the activation of autophagy because of NPC1 deficiency, and reveal an unexpected role for lipid trafficking in the regulation of this pathway in patients with several sphingolipid storage diseases.
Hum Mol Genet 2007 Jun 15
PMID:Autophagy in Niemann-Pick C disease is dependent upon Beclin-1 and responsive to lipid trafficking defects. 1746 77

New dentate granule cells are continuously generated from neural progenitor cells and integrated into the existing hippocampal circuitry in the adult mammalian brain through an orchestrated process termed adult neurogenesis. While the exact function remains elusive, adult neurogenesis has been suggested to play important roles in specific cognitive functions. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is regulated by a variety of physiological and pathological stimulations. Here we review emerging evidence showing that HIV infection and several drugs of abuse result in molecular changes that may affect different aspects of adult hippocampal neurogenesis. These new findings raise the possibility that cognitive dysfunction in the setting of HIV infection or drug abuse may, in part, be related to alterations in hippocampal neurogenesis. A better understanding of how HIV and drugs of abuse affect both molecular and cellular aspects of adult neurogenesis may lead to development of more effective therapeutic interventions for these interlinked epidemics.
Cell Mol Life Sci 2007 Aug
PMID:Adult hippocampal neurogenesis: regulation by HIV and drugs of abuse. 1753 Jan 69

Kinesin is a microtubule-associated motor protein that transports Alzheimer-associated amyloid precursor protein (APP) in neurons. In animal models, impaired kinesin-mediated APP transport seems to enhance formation of the neurotoxic 42 amino acid fragment of beta-amyloid (A beta 42). In man, one study suggests that a polymorphism (rs8702, 56,836G>C) in the kinesin light chain 1 gene (KNS2) may affect the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). To further assess KNS2 as a susceptibility gene for AD we analyzed 802 patients with sporadic AD and 286 controls, 134 longitudinally followed patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 39 cognitively stable controls for the rs8702 polymorphism. The rs8702 polymorphism did not influence risk of AD (p=0.46). However, rs8702 interacted with APOE epsilon 4 carrier status in AD (p=0.006) and influenced cerebrospinal fluid levels of hyperphosphorylated tau in MCI patients who converted to AD during follow-up (p=0.018). These findings support earlier indications that genetic variability in the KNS2 gene may play a role during early stages of AD pathogenesis.
Int J Mol Med 2007 Aug
PMID:Kinesin gene variability may affect tau phosphorylation in early Alzheimer's disease. 1761 42

A homozygous mutation of the CNTNAP2 gene has been associated with a syndrome of focal epilepsy, mental retardation, language regression and other neuropsychiatric problems in children of the Old Order Amish community. Here we report genomic rearrangements resulting in haploinsufficiency of the CNTNAP2 gene in association with epilepsy and schizophrenia. Genomic deletions of varying sizes affecting the CNTNAP2 gene were identified in three non-related Caucasian patients. In contrast, we did not observe any dosage variation for this gene in 512 healthy controls. Moreover, this genomic region has not been identified as showing large-scale copy number variation. Our data thus confirm an association of CNTNAP2 to epilepsy outside the Old Order Amish population and suggest that dosage alteration of this gene may lead to a complex phenotype of schizophrenia, epilepsy and cognitive impairment.
Mol Psychiatry 2008 Mar
PMID:CNTNAP2 gene dosage variation is associated with schizophrenia and epilepsy. 1764 49

Complexins are presynaptic proteins that modulate neurotransmitter release. Abnormal expression of complexin 1 (Cplx1) is seen in several neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders in which disturbed social behaviour is commonplace. These include Parkinsons's disease, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, major depressive illness and bipolar disorder. We wondered whether changes in Cplx1 expression contribute to the psychiatric components of the diseases in which Cplx1 is dysregulated. To investigate this, we examined the cognitive and social behaviours of complexin 1 knockout mice (Cplx1(-/-)) mice. Cplx1(-/-) mice have a profound ataxia that limits their ability to perform co-ordinated motor tasks. Nevertheless, when we taught juvenile Cplx1(-/-) mice to swim, they showed no evidence of cognitive impairment in the two-choice swim tank. In contrast, although olfactory discrimination in Cplx1(-/-) mice was normal, Cplx1(-/-) mice failed in the social transmission of food preference task, another cognitive paradigm. This was due to abnormal social interactions rather than cognitive impairments, increased anxiety or neophobia. When we tested social behaviour directly, Cplx1(-/-) mice failed to demonstrate a preference for social novelty. Further, in a resident-intruder paradigm, male Cplx1(-/-) mice failed to show the aggressive behaviour that is typical of wild-type males towards an intruder mouse. Together our results show that in addition to the severe motor and exploratory deficits already described, Cplx1(-/-) mice have pronounced deficits in social behaviours. Abnormalities in complexin 1 levels in the brain may therefore contribute to the psycho-social aspects of human diseases in which this protein is dysregulated.
Hum Mol Genet 2007 Oct 01
PMID:Complexin 1 knockout mice exhibit marked deficits in social behaviours but appear to be cognitively normal. 1765 2

While the current antipsychotic medications have profoundly impacted the treatment of schizophrenia over the past 50 years, the newer atypical antipsychotics have not fulfilled initial expectations, and enormous challenges remain in long-term treatment of this debilitating disease. In particular, improved treatment of the negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia which greatly impact overall morbidity is needed. In this review we will briefly discuss the current pipeline of drugs for schizophrenia, outlining many of the strategies and targets currently under investigation for the development of new schizophrenia drugs. Many of these compounds have great potential as augmenting agents in the treatment of negative symptoms and cognition. In addition, we will highlight the importance of developing new paradigms for drug discovery in schizophrenia and call for an increased role of academic scientists in discovering and validating novel drug targets. Indeed, recent breakthroughs in genetic studies of schizophrenia are allowing for the development of hypothesis-driven approaches for discovering possible disease-modifying drugs for schizophrenia. Thus, this is an exciting and pivotal time for the development of truly novel approaches to drug development and treatment of complex disorders like schizophrenia.
Mol Psychiatry 2007 Oct
PMID:The pipeline and future of drug development in schizophrenia. 1766 58

Phospholipase C-beta1 (PLC-beta1) is a rate-limiting enzyme implicated in postnatal-cortical development and neuronal plasticity. PLC-beta1 transduces intracellular signals from specific muscarinic, glutamate and serotonin receptors, all of which have been implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Here, we present data to show that PLC-beta1 knockout mice display locomotor hyperactivity, sensorimotor gating deficits as well as cognitive impairment. These changes in behavior are regarded as endophenotypes homologous to schizophrenia-like symptoms in rodents. Importantly, the locomotor hyperactivity and sensorimotor gating deficits in PLC-beta1 knockout mice are subject to beneficial modulation by environmental enrichment. Furthermore, clozapine but not haloperidol (atypical and typical antipsychotics, respectively) rescues the sensorimotor gating deficit in these animals, suggesting selective predictive validity. We also demonstrate a relationship between the beneficial effects of environmental enrichment and levels of M1/M4 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor binding in the neocortex and hippocampus. Thus we have demonstrated a novel mouse model, displaying disruption of multiple postsynaptic signals implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, a relevant behavioral phenotype and associated gene-environment interactions.
Mol Psychiatry 2008 Jul
PMID:Phospholipase C-beta1 knockout mice exhibit endophenotypes modeling schizophrenia which are rescued by environmental enrichment and clozapine administration. 1766 64

(1) HIV-1 and viral proteins-evoked chronic brain inflammation, which is characterized by microglial activation, is the pivotal neuropathogenesis of HIV-1-associated dementia (HAD). Platelet-activating factor (PAF), mainly released from activated microglia and acts as a high potent inflammatory mediator and a neurotoxin, is indicated to be a principle initiator of neuroinflammation, neuronal dysfunction, and apoptosis related to HAD. Thus, bis-interacting ligands of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition and PAF receptor antagonism would be of great interest in the therapeutic potential of HAD not only for improvement of cognitive performance, but also for disease-modifying. (2). We have previously reported that a novel tetrahydrofuran-derived bis-interacting ligand PMS777 had satisfying potencies for PAF receptor blockade and AChE inhibition, and markedly improved cholinergic dysfunction-induced cognitive impairment in mice. Continuing with our research, we further investigated the neuroprotective activities of PMS777 on PAF-triggered neuronal injury in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. (3) The bis-interacting ligand PMS777 (10 muM) obviously alleviated PAF-induced cell apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells. Pretreatment with PMS777 also markedly inhibited intracellular Ca(2+) overload, down-regulation of anti-apoptotic bcl-2 mRNA, stimulation of pro-apoptotic bax mRNA expression and activation of caspase-3 pathway. Also, PMS777 could fine-tune pro-inflammatory cyclooxygenase-2 (cox-2) mRNA expression in PAF-treated cells. (4) These results suggest that PMS777 possesses a neuroprotective profile via anti-apoptotic/inflammatory signaling and warrant further investigations in connection with the potential value of this compound in HAD treatment.
Cell Mol Neurobiol 2008 Jan
PMID:PMS777, a bis-interacting ligand for PAF receptor antagonism and AChE inhibition, attenuates PAF-induced neurocytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. 1771 22

Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the level of antioxidants and oxidants in a cell. Oxidative stress has been shown in brain of subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as well Alzheimer's disease (AD). MCI is considered as a transition phase between control and AD. The focus of the current study was to identify nitrated proteins in the hippocampus and inferior parietal lobule (IPL) brain regions of subjects with amnestic MCI using proteomics. The identified nitrated proteins in MCI brain were compared to those previously reported to be nitrated and oxidatively modified in AD brain, a comparison that might provide an invaluable insight into the progression of the disease.
J Cell Mol Med
PMID:Proteomic identification of nitrated brain proteins in amnestic mild cognitive impairment: a regional study. 1776 Aug 44

In the adult brain, cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) can be beneficial by contributing to memory formation or can be detrimental by causing neurodegeneration, and it is of great interest to understand this dichotomy. Currently, it remains largely unknown which mechanisms are regulated by Cdk5. Recent studies by Hawasli et al. and Qu et al., however, are significant advances towards mechanistic insights. Hawasli et al. demonstrate that Cdk5 regulates protease-directed degradation of an important synaptic receptor, which impacts memory formation. Qu et al. show that Cdk5 inhibits the activity of an enzyme that metabolizes reactive oxygen species, which then leads to neurodegeneration. These two studies hold promise for establishing treatments to prevent cognitive dysfunction and neurodegeneration.
Mol Interv 2007 Oct
PMID:Novel insights into the beneficial and detrimental actions of cdk5. 1793 12


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