Pharmacological Inhibition of O-GIcNAcase Enhances Autophagy in Brain through an mTOR-Independent Pathway
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| Authors: | Zhu, YP; Shan, XY; Safarpour, F; Go, NE; Li, N; Shan, A; Huang, MNC; Deen, M; Holicek, V; Ashmus, R; Madden, Z; Gorski, S; Silverman, MA; Vocadlo, DJ |
| Year: | 2018 |
| Journal: | ACS Chem. Neurosci. 9 Article Link (DOI) PubMed |
| Title: | Pharmacological Inhibition of O-GIcNAcase Enhances Autophagy in Brain through an mTOR-Independent Pathway |
| Abstract: | The glycosylation of nucleocytoplasmic proteins with O-linked N-acetylglucosamine residues (O-GlcNAc) is conserved among metazoans and is particularly abundant within brain. O-GlcNAc is involved in diverse cellular processes ranging from the regulation of gene expression to stress response. Moreover, O-GlcNAc is implicated in various diseases including cancers, diabetes, cardiac dysfunction, and neurodegenerative diseases. Pharmacological inhibition of O-GlcNAcase (OGA), the sole enzyme that removes O-GlcNAc, reproducibly slows neurodegeneration in various Alzheimer's disease (AD) mouse models manifesting either tau or amyloid pathology. These data have stimulated interest in the possibility of using OGA-selective inhibitors as pharmaceuticals progression of AD. The mechanisms mediating the neuroprotective effects of OGA inhibitors, however, remain poorly understood. Here we show, using a range of methods in neuroblastoma N2a cells, in primary rat neurons, and in mouse brain, that selective OGA inhibitors stimulate autophagy through an mTOR-independent pathway without obvious toxicity. Additionally, OGA inhibition significantly decreased the levels of toxic protein species associated with AD pathogenesis in the JNPL3 tauopathy mouse model as well as the 3XTg-AD mouse model. These results strongly suggest that OGA inhibitors act within brain through a mechanism involving enhancement of autophagy, which aids the brain in combatting the accumulation of toxic protein species. Our study supports OGA inhibition being a feasible. therapeutic strategy for hindering the progression of AD and other neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, these data suggest more targeted strategies to stimulate autophagy in an mTOR-independent manner may be found within the O-GIcNAc pathway. These findings should aid the advancement of OGA inhibitors within the clinic. |
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