Neurodegeneration Flashcards
What are common pathological features of neurodegenerative diseases?
Loss of neurones Late onset Protein aggregation Progression with age Genetic causes in at least some patients
What are the causes of HD,AD,PD,MND?
HD - HTT mutation
AD,PD, MND (some genetic causes but this only accounts for 10-15% of patients)
What are some common mechanisms of neurodegeneration that may exist?
- Defective protein degradation systems
- Mitochondrial energetics defect
Name the onset for Alzheimer’s Disease Parkinson’s Disease Huntington’s Disease Multiple Sclerosis
Motor Neuron Disease Creutzfeldt Jacob Disease
AD: 65+ PD: 55+ HD: 40+ MS: 30+ MND: 40+ CJD: 50+
What are the gender distribution of MS, MND, and PD?
PD: Men
MS: women
MND: men
What are some general common features about neurodegenerative diseases?
- Associated with increased age
- Family history is a risk factor
- Each disease is predominantly associated with the loss of specific neuronal population
- Pathology involves accumulation of specific protein aggregates
Which areas of the brain and what neurones are most affected in AD, PD, HD, and CJD?
AD: Hippocampus, entorhinal cortex (cholinergic)
PD: Substantia nigra (dopaminergic)
HD: Caudate nucleus (Gabanergic medium spiny neurons)
CJD: Cerebellum
What pathological features are in AD, PD, HD, and CJD respectively?
AD: Plaques/tangles
PD: Lewy bodies
HD: Intranuclear inclusions
CJD: plaques
TRUE or FALSE? In AD and HD, only the hippocampus/entorhinal and caudate nucleus are affected.
FALSE
Other areas are affected as well but not as much
What are the protein aggregates in AD, PD, HD, and Prion?
AD: beta- amyloid and tau
PD: alpha-synuclein
HD: Huntingtin
Prion: Prion protein
Where are the aggregates in AD, PD, HD, and Prion (in the cell)?
beta- amyloid extracellular
tau - intracellular
alpha-synuclein - intracellular
Huntingtin - intranuclear
Prion protein - extracellular
What are the gene mutations associated with AD?
APP gene mutations
PSEN1/2 gene mutations (2-5%)
APOE E4 allele (30%)`
what do APP and PSEN1/2 genes control?
beta- amyloid formation
What gene mutations are associated with PD?
8-10% GBA1 heterozygous mutations
2% LRRK2, PINK1, Parkin, SNCA
<1% SNCA alpha synuclein gene mutation
What gene mutations are associated with prion disease?
10-15% caused by mutations to PRPN (Prion) gene
small portion due to transmission by exposure to contaminated material
What is the amyloid cascade theory of AD?
proposes that plaque-related changes precede tangle-related changes and positions amyloid as central to the degeneration of AD.
What is APP’s role in alzheimer’s?
- APP is thought to help the neurone grow and repair after injury
- Usually when being broken down alpha and gamma secretase break it
- If beta secretase cuts it instead of alpha it makes a monomer called amyloid beta (sticky and insolube) –> form plaques
What are the genetic mutations that are related to APP’s role in AD and how do they do it?
PSEN1 and PSEN2 code for gamma secretase which might cleave in the wrong place and make the protein stickier
APP mutations
Increased APP due to Down’s
Sporadic load can be worsened by other factors that lead to beta amyloid generation (e.g. by increasing their half lives)
How common are APP mutations in AD?
Very rare
How common are Tau mutations in AD?
Non-existant
Where do we see tau mutations?
frontotemporal lobular dementia
How common are SNCA (synuclein) mutations in PD?
Very rare
How common are PRPN mutations in CJD?
Rare