Human DYRK1A Research Articles

Dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A promotes the inclusion of amyloid precursor protein exon 7

Extracellular amyloid plaques made of Amyloid-β (Aβ) derived from amyloid precursor protein (APP) is one of the major neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). There are three major isoforms of APP, APP770, APP751, and APP695 generated by alternative splicing of exons 7 and 8. Exon 7 encodes the Kunitz protease inhibitor (KPI) domain. Its inclusion generates APP isoforms containing KPI, APPKPI+, which is elevated in AD and Down syndrome (DS) brains and associated with increased Aβ deposition. Dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A (Dyrk1A) phosphorylates many splicing factors and regulates the alternative splicing of pre-mRNA. It is upregulated in DS and AD brain. However, it is not yet clear whether Dyrk1A could regulate APP alternative splicing. In the present study, we overexpressed or knocked down Dyrk1A in cultured cells and observed that Dyrk1A promoted the inclusion of both APP exons 7 and 8. Moreover, a significant increase in APP exon7 inclusion was also detected in the forebrain and hippocampus of human Dyrk1A transgenic mice – Tg/Dyrk1A. Screening for splicing factors regulated by Dyrk1A revealed that serine/arginine-rich protein 9G8 inhibited APP exon7 inclusion and interacted with APP pre-mRNA. In vitro, expression of exon 7 facilitated APP cleavage. In human Dyrk1A transgenic mice, we also found an increase in Aβ production. These findings suggest that Dyrk1A inhibits the splicing factor 9G8 and promotes APP exon 7 inclusion, leading to more APPKPI+ expression and APP cleavage and potentially contributing to Aβ production in vivo.

Embryonic organizer formation disorder leads to multiorgan dysplasia in Down syndrome

Despite the high prevalence of Down syndrome (DS) and early identification of the cause (trisomy 21), its molecular pathogenesis has been poorly understood and specific treatments have consequently been practically unavailable. A number of medical conditions throughout the body associated with DS have prompted us to investigate its molecular etiology from the viewpoint of the embryonic organizer, which can steer the development of surrounding cells into specific organs and tissues. We established a DS zebrafish model by overexpressing the human DYRK1A gene, a highly haploinsufficient gene located at the “critical region” within 21q22. We found that both embryonic organizer and body axis were significantly impaired during early embryogenesis, producing abnormalities of the nervous, heart, visceral, and blood systems, similar to those observed with DS. Quantitative phosphoproteome analysis and related assays demonstrated that the DYRK1A-overexpressed zebrafish embryos had anomalous phosphorylation of β-catenin and Hsp90ab1, resulting in Wnt signaling enhancement and TGF-β inhibition. We found an uncovered ectopic molecular mechanism present in amniocytes from fetuses diagnosed with DS and isolated hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) of DS patients. Importantly, the abnormal proliferation of DS HSCs could be recovered by switching the balance between Wnt and TGF-β signaling in vitro. Our findings provide a novel molecular pathogenic mechanism in which ectopic Wnt and TGF-β lead to DS physical dysplasia, suggesting potential targeted therapies for DS.

Screening of a Halogen-Enriched Fragment Library Leads to Unconventional Binding Modes.

We conceived the Halogen-Enriched Fragment Library (HEFLib) to investigate the potential of halogen bonds in the early stages of drug discovery. As the number of competitive interactions increases with ligand size, we reasoned that a binding mode relying on halogen bonding is more likely for fragments than highly decorated molecules. Thus, fragments could feature unexplored binding modes. We screened the HEFLib against the human kinase DYRK1a and verified micromolar binding fragments via isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). The crystal structure of one fragment revealed a noncanonical binding mode, despite the fragment's classical hinge binding motif. In addition, the fragment occupies a secondary binding site. Both binding modes feature a halogen bond, which we evaluated by ab initio calculations. Structure-affinity relationship (SAR) from a set of analogues improves the affinity, provides a promising fragment-growth vector, and highlights the benefits and applicability of halogen bonds in early lead development.

A novel inhibitor rescues cerebellar defects in a zebrafish model of Down syndrome–associated kinase Dyrk1A overexpression

The highly conserved dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation–regulated kinase 1A (Dyrk1A) plays crucial roles during central nervous system development and homeostasis. Furthermore, its hyperactivity is considered responsible for some neurological defects in individuals with Down syndrome. We set out to establish a zebrafish model expressing human Dyrk1A that could be further used to characterize the interaction between Dyrk1A and neurological phenotypes. First, we revealed the prominent expression of dyrk1a homologs in cerebellar neurons in the zebrafish larval and adult brains. Overexpression of human dyrk1a in postmitotic cerebellar Purkinje neurons resulted in a structural misorganization of the Purkinje cells in cerebellar hemispheres and a compaction of this cell population. This impaired Purkinje cell organization was progressive, leading to an age-dependent dispersal of Purkinje neurons throughout the cerebellar molecular layer with larval swim deficits resulting in miscoordination of swimming and reduced exploratory behavior in aged adults. We also found that the structural misorganization of the larval Purkinje cell layer could be rescued by pharmacological treatment with Dyrk1A inhibitors. We further reveal the in vivo efficiency of a novel selective Dyrk1A inhibitor, KuFal194. These findings demonstrate that the zebrafish is a well-suited vertebrate organism to genetically model severe neurological diseases with single cell type specificity. Such models can be used to relate molecular malfunction to cellular deficits, impaired tissue formation, and organismal behavior and can also be used for pharmacological compound testing and validation.

Protein phosphatase PPM1B inhibits DYRK1A kinase through dephosphorylation of pS258 and reduces toxic tau aggregation

Down syndrome (DS) is mainly caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21 (trisomy 21), and patients display a variety of developmental symptoms, including characteristic facial features, physical growth delay, intellectual disability, and neurodegeneration (i.e., Alzheimer’s disease; AD). One of the pathological hallmarks of AD is insoluble deposits of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) that consist of hyperphosphorylated tau. The human DYRK1A gene is mapped to chromosome 21, and the protein is associated with the formation of inclusion bodies in AD. For example, DYRK1A directly phosphorylates multiple serine and threonine residues of tau, including Thr212. However, the mechanism underpinning DYRK1A involvement in Trisomy 21-related pathological tau aggregation remains unknown. Here, we explored a novel regulatory mechanism of DYRK1A and subsequent tau pathology through a phosphatase. Using LC-MS/MS technology, we analyzed multiple DYRK1A-binding proteins, including PPM1B, a member of the PP2C family of Ser/Thr protein phosphatases, in HEK293 cells. We found that PPM1B dephosphorylates DYRK1A at Ser258, contributing to the inhibition of DYRK1A activity. Moreover, PPM1B-mediated dephosphorylation of DYRK1A reduced tau phosphorylation at Thr212, leading to inhibition of toxic tau oligomerization and aggregation. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that DYRK1A autophosphorylates Ser258, the dephosphorylation target of PPM1B, and PPM1B negatively regulates DYRK1A activity. This finding also suggests that PPM1B reduces the toxic formation of phospho-tau protein via DYRK1A modulation, possibly providing a novel cellular protective mechanism to regulate toxic tau-mediated neuropathology in AD of DS.

DYRK1A-related intellectual disability: a syndrome associated with congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract

PurposeHaploinsufficiency of DYRK1A causes a recognizable clinical syndrome. The goal of this paper is to investigate congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) and genital defects (GD) in patients with DYRK1A variants. MethodsA large database of clinical exome sequencing (ES) was queried for de novo DYRK1A variants and CAKUT/GD phenotypes were characterized. Xenopus laevis (frog) was chosen as a model organism to assess Dyrk1a’s role in renal development. ResultsPhenotypic details and variants of 19 patients were compiled after an initial observation that one patient with a de novo pathogenic variant inDYRK1A had GD. CAKUT/GD data were available from 15 patients, 11 of whom presented with CAKUT/GD. Studies inXenopus embryos demonstrated that knockdown of Dyrk1a, which is expressed in forming nephrons, disrupts the development of segments of embryonic nephrons, which ultimately give rise to the entire genitourinary (GU) tract. These defects could be rescued by coinjecting wild-type human DYRK1A RNA, but not withDYRK1AR205* or DYRK1AL245R RNA. ConclusionEvidence supports routine GU screening of all individuals with de novo DYRK1A pathogenic variants to ensure optimized clinical management. Collectively, the reported clinical data and loss-of-function studies in Xenopus substantiate a novel role for DYRK1A in GU development.

Overexpression of DYRK1A, a Down Syndrome Candidate gene, Impairs Primordial Germ Cells Maintenance and Migration in zebrafish

DYRK1A, located on chromosome 21, is a major candidate gene of Down syndrome (DS, trisomy21), and its overexpression is associated with abnormal phenotype of Down syndrome patients. The defects of gonads and germ cells in Down Syndrome suggest that overexpression of DYRK1A has potential effect on primordial germ cells (PGCs) development. Human and zebrafish DYRK1A protein sequence possess 75.6% similarity and same function domains, suggesting the evolutional conservation. Here, we used zebrafish model to detect the definite role of excessive expression of DYRK1A in PGCs development during embryogenesis. We injected DYRK1A mRNA into embryos and detected the PGCs marker gene vasa and nanos1. Results showed depletion in numbers and disordering migration of PGCs in human or zebrafish DYRK1A overexpressed zebrafish embryos. Quantitative proteome analysis indicated that embryonic proteins were significantly altered in DYRK1A overexpressed embryos. Of note, ca15b and piwil1, two identified critical factors for PGCs development, showed ectopic expression induced by overexpressed DYRK1A. In brief, we demonstrate that overexpression of DYRK1A, a candidate gene of Down’s syndrome, impairs PGCs development during early embryogenesis by altering key factors in embryos. Importantly, our work may provide a conceivable mechanism for the gonads and germ cells defects of Down syndrome patients.

The protein kinase MBK-1 contributes to lifespan extension in daf-2 mutant and germline-deficient Caenorhabditis elegans.

In Caenorhabditis elegans, reduction of insulin/IGF-1 like signaling and loss of germline stem cells both increase lifespan by activating the conserved transcription factor DAF-16 (FOXO). While the mechanisms that regulate DAF-16 nuclear localization in response to insulin/IGF-1 like signaling are well characterized, the molecular pathways that act in parallel to regulate DAF-16 transcriptional activity, and the pathways that couple DAF-16 activity to germline status, are not fully understood at present. Here, we report that inactivation of MBK-1, the C. elegans ortholog of the human FOXO1-kinase DYRK1A substantially shortens the prolonged lifespan of daf-2 and glp-1 mutant animals while decreasing wild-type lifespan to a lesser extent. On the other hand, lifespan-reduction by mutation of the MBK-1-related kinase HPK-1 was not preferential for long-lived mutants. Interestingly, mbk-1 loss still allowed for DAF-16 nuclear accumulation but reduced expression of certain DAF-16 target genes in germline-less, but not in daf-2 mutant animals. These findings indicate that mbk-1 and daf-16 functionally interact in the germline- but not in the daf-2 pathway. Together, our data suggest mbk-1 as a novel regulator of C. elegans longevity upon both, germline ablation and DAF-2 inhibition, and provide evidence for mbk-1 regulating DAF-16 activity in germline-deficient animals.

Understanding the Multifaceted Role of Human Down Syndrome Kinase DYRK1A.

The dual-specificity tyrosine (Y) phosphorylation-regulated kinase DYRK1A, also known as Down syndrome (DS) kinase, is a dosage-dependent signaling kinase that was originally shown to be highly expressed in DS patients as a consequence of trisomy 21. Although this was evident some time ago, it is only in recent investigations that the molecular roles of DYRK1A in a wide range of cellular processes are becoming increasingly apparent. Since initial knowledge on DYRK1A became evident through minibrain mnb, the Drosophila homolog of DYRK1A, this review will first summarize the scientific reports on minibrain and further expand on the well-established neuronal functions of mammalian and human DYRK1A. Recent investigations across the current decade have provided rather interesting and compelling evidence in establishing nonneuronal functions for DYRK1A, including its role in infection, immunity, cardiomyocyte biology, cancer, and cell cycle control. The latter part of this review will therefore focus in detail on the emerging nonneuronal functions of DYRK1A and summarize the regulatory role of DYRK1A in controlling Tau and α-synuclein. Finally, the emerging role of DYRK1A in Parkinson's disease will be outlined.

A chemical with proven clinical safety rescues Down-syndrome-related phenotypes in through DYRK1A inhibition.

ABSTRACTDYRK1A is important in neuronal development and function, and its excessive activity is considered a significant pathogenic factor in Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease. Thus, inhibition of DYRK1A has been suggested to be a new strategy to modify the disease. Very few compounds, however, have been reported to act as inhibitors, and their potential clinical uses require further evaluation. Here, we newly identify CX-4945, the safety of which has been already proven in the clinical setting, as a potent inhibitor of DYRK1A that acts in an ATP-competitive manner. The inhibitory potency of CX-4945 on DYRK1A (IC50=6.8 nM) in vitro was higher than that of harmine, INDY or proINDY, which are well-known potent inhibitors of DYRK1A. CX-4945 effectively reverses the aberrant phosphorylation of Tau, amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin 1 (PS1) in mammalian cells. To our surprise, feeding with CX-4945 significantly restored the neurological and phenotypic defects induced by the overexpression of minibrain, an ortholog of human DYRK1A, in the Drosophila model. Moreover, oral administration of CX-4945 acutely suppressed Tau hyperphosphorylation in the hippocampus of DYRK1A-overexpressing mice. Our research results demonstrate that CX-4945 is a potent DYRK1A inhibitor and also suggest that it has therapeutic potential for DYRK1A-associated diseases.

DYRK1A-mediated Cyclin D1 Degradation in Neural Stem Cells Contributes to the Neurogenic Cortical Defects in Down Syndrome

Alterations in cerebral cortex connectivity lead to intellectual disability and in Down syndrome, this is associated with a deficit in cortical neurons that arises during prenatal development. However, the pathogenic mechanisms that cause this deficit have not yet been defined. Here we show that the human DYRK1A kinase on chromosome 21 tightly regulates the nuclear levels of Cyclin D1 in embryonic cortical stem (radial glia) cells, and that a modest increase in DYRK1A protein in transgenic embryos lengthens the G1 phase in these progenitors. These alterations promote asymmetric proliferative divisions at the expense of neurogenic divisions, producing a deficit in cortical projection neurons that persists in postnatal stages. Moreover, radial glial progenitors in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome have less Cyclin D1, and Dyrk1a is the triplicated gene that causes both early cortical neurogenic defects and decreased nuclear Cyclin D1 levels in this model. These data provide insights into the mechanisms that couple cell cycle regulation and neuron production in cortical neural stem cells, emphasizing that the deleterious effect of DYRK1A triplication in the formation of the cerebral cortex begins at the onset of neurogenesis, which is relevant to the search for early therapeutic interventions in Down syndrome.

Identification of Plant Homologues of Dual Specificity Yak1-Related Kinases

Currently, Dual Specificity YAK1-Related Kinases (MNB/DYRK) were found in slime molds, protista, fungi, and animals, but the existence of plant homologues is still unclear. In the present study, we have identified 14 potential plant homologues with the previously unknown functions, based on the strong sequence similarity. The results of bioinformatics analysis revealed their correspondence to DYRK1A, DYRK1B, DYRK3, and DYRK4. For two plant homologues of animal DYRK1A from Physcomitrella patens and Arabidopsis thaliana spatial structures of catalytic domains were predicted, as well as their complexes with ADP and selective inhibitor d15. Comparative analysis of 3D-structures of the human DYRK1A and plant homologues, their complexes with the specific inhibitors, and results of molecular dynamics confirm their structural and functional similarity with high probability. Preliminary data indicate the presence of potential MNB/DYRK specific phosphorylation sites in such proteins associated with plant cytoskeleton as plant microtubule-associated proteins WVD2 and WDL1, and FH5 and SCAR2 involved in the organization and polarity of the actin cytoskeleton and some kinesin-like microtubule motor proteins.

DYRK1A promotes dopaminergic neuron survival in the developing brain and in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

In the brain, programmed cell death (PCD) serves to adjust the numbers of the different types of neurons during development, and its pathological reactivation in the adult leads to neurodegeneration. Dual-specificity tyrosine-(Y)-phosphorylation regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A) is a pleiotropic kinase involved in neural proliferation and cell death, and its role during brain growth is evolutionarily conserved. Human DYRK1A lies in the Down syndrome critical region on chromosome 21, and heterozygous mutations in the gene cause microcephaly and neurological dysfunction. The mouse model for DYRK1A haploinsufficiency (the Dyrk1a+/− mouse) presents neuronal deficits in specific regions of the adult brain, including the substantia nigra (SN), although the mechanisms underlying these pathogenic effects remain unclear. Here we study the effect of DYRK1A copy number variation on dopaminergic cell homeostasis. We show that mesencephalic DA (mDA) neurons are generated in the embryo at normal rates in the Dyrk1a haploinsufficient model and in a model (the mBACtgDyrk1a mouse) that carries three copies of Dyrk1a. We also show that the number of mDA cells diminishes in postnatal Dyrk1a+/− mice and increases in mBACtgDyrk1a mice due to an abnormal activity of the mitochondrial caspase9 (Casp9)-dependent apoptotic pathway during the main wave of PCD that affects these neurons. In addition, we show that the cell death induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6 tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), a toxin that activates Casp9-dependent apoptosis in mDA neurons, is attenuated in adult mBACtgDyrk1a mice, leading to an increased survival of SN DA neurons 21 days after MPTP intoxication. Finally, we present data indicating that Dyrk1a phosphorylation of Casp9 at the Thr125 residue is the mechanism by which this kinase hinders both physiological and pathological PCD in mDA neurons. These data provide new insight into the mechanisms that control cell death in brain DA neurons and they show that deregulation of developmental apoptosis may contribute to the phenotype of patients with imbalanced DYRK1A gene dosage.

Minibrain/Dyrk1a Regulates Food Intake through the Sir2-FOXO-sNPF/NPY Pathway in Drosophila and Mammals

Feeding behavior is one of the most essential activities in animals, which is tightly regulated by neuroendocrine factors. Drosophila melanogaster short neuropeptide F (sNPF) and the mammalian functional homolog neuropeptide Y (NPY) regulate food intake. Understanding the molecular mechanism of sNPF and NPY signaling is critical to elucidate feeding regulation. Here, we found that minibrain (mnb) and the mammalian ortholog Dyrk1a target genes of sNPF and NPY signaling and regulate food intake in Drosophila melanogaster and mice. In Drosophila melanogaster neuronal cells and mouse hypothalamic cells, sNPF and NPY modulated the mnb and Dyrk1a expression through the PKA-CREB pathway. Increased Dyrk1a activated Sirt1 to regulate the deacetylation of FOXO, which potentiated FOXO-induced sNPF/NPY expression and in turn promoted food intake. Conversely, AKT-mediated insulin signaling suppressed FOXO-mediated sNPF/NPY expression, which resulted in decreasing food intake. Furthermore, human Dyrk1a transgenic mice exhibited decreased FOXO acetylation and increased NPY expression in the hypothalamus, as well as increased food intake. Our findings demonstrate that Mnb/Dyrk1a regulates food intake through the evolutionary conserved Sir2-FOXO-sNPF/NPY pathway in Drosophila melanogaster and mammals.

DYRK1A: A master regulatory protein controlling brain growth

Copy number variation in a small region of chromosome 21 containing DYRK1A produces morphological and cognitive alterations in human. In mouse models, haploinsufficiency results in microcephaly, and a human DYRK1A gain-of-function model (three alleles) exhibits increased brain volume. To investigate these developmental aspects, we used a murine BAC clone containing the entire gene to construct an overexpression model driven by endogenous regulatory sequences. We compared this new model to two other mouse models with three copies of Dyrk1a, YACtgDyrk1a and Ts65Dn, as well as the loss-of-function model with one copy (Dyrk1a+/−). Growth, viability, brain weight, and brain volume depended strongly upon gene copy number. Brain region-specific variations observed in gain-of-function models mirror their counterparts in the loss-of-function model. Some variations, such as increased volume of the superior colliculus and ventricles, were observed in both the BAC transgenic and Ts65Dn mice. Using unbiased stereology we found that, in the cortex, neuron density is inversely related to Dyrk1a copy number but, in thalamic nuclei, neuron density is directly related to copy number. In addition, six genes involved either in cell division (Ccnd1 and pAkt) or in neuronal machinery (Gap43, Map2, Syp, Snap25) were regulated by Dyrk1a throughout development, from birth to adult. These results imply that Dyrk1a expression alters different cellular processes during brain development. Dyrk1a, then, has two roles in the development process: shaping the brain and controlling the structure of neuronal components.

Recent insights into the function of DYRK1A

The minibrain (mnb) gene of Drosophila encodes an evolutionarily conserved protein kinase that plays a significant role during postembryonic neurogenesis through the regulation of neural proliferation and neurogenesis. The orthologous kinase in mammals, DYRK1A, is the prototypic member of a subfamily of protein kinases [dual-specificity tyrosine (Y) phosphorylation-regulated kinase, DYRK] that autophosphorylate an essential tyrosine in the activation loop and phosphorylate their substrates on serine or threonine residues. Multiple studies in chicken, mice and humans provide evidence that DYRK1A also has an important function in vertebrate brain development. Given the localization of the human DYRK1A gene within the so-called Down syndrome critical region on chromosome 21, overexpression of DYRK1A due to the extra gene copy in trisomy 21 has been proposed to contribute to the neurodevelopmental alterations associated with Down syndrome. In addition, the discovery that microtubule-associated protein tau is phosphorylated by DYRK1A has implicated DYRK1A in the early onset neurofibrillary degeneration in Down syndrome. The hypothesis of a pathogenetic role of enhanced activity of DYRK1A in both neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration makes it a potentially intriguing target for therapeutic intervention. This minireview series summarizes recent advances in analysing the role of DYRK1A in neurogenesis and neurodegeneration and current knowledge about the regulation and the pharmacological inhibition of DYRK1A by small molecule drugs. Bringing together these diverse aspects of the function of DYRK1A in neuronal development and pathologies with the molecular mechanisms that control its activity should be helpful in appraising the potential of this important protein as a possible drug target. The minireview by Tejedor and Hämmerle deals with the roles of MNB and DYRK1A in neuronal development. Combined evidence obtained in Drosophila, chicken and mouse has revealed that this highly conserved kinase has several key roles in the transition from progenitor proliferation to neuronal differentiation and in the formation of neurites. The possible implication for the neurodevelopmental phenotype associated with Down syndrome is discussed. Although multiple proteins have already been proposed as substrates or interacting proteins related to neuronal functions of MNB/DYRK1A, it is of key importance to further dissect the molecular mechanisms of MNB/DYRK1A function in neurodevelopment. Wegiel, Gong and Hwang review the rapidly accumulating evidence from in vitro studies, animal models and postmortem biochemical and immunocytochemical studies of human brain for a role of DYRK1A in neurodegenerative diseases. Results from their own laboratories as well as from other groups show that DYRK1A overexpression in Down syndrome brains may contribute to Alzheimer’s-like neurodegeneration directly through hyperphosphorylation of tau as well as by affecting alternative splicing of tau pre-mRNA. In addition to tauopathy, DYRK1A may also play a role in amyloidosis and neurodegenerative diseases involving synucleinopathy. The proposed role of DYRK1A in Down syndrome and Down syndrome-associated neurodegeneration implies that rather small changes in expression level, and thus activity, severely affect the biological function of this protein kinase. The minireview by Becker and Sippl discusses the unusual autoactivation mechanisms of DYRK1A in relation to other kinases with a tyrosine in the activation loop and also deals with the other mechanisms by which the activity of DYRK1A may be controlled. In addition, they survey the small molecule inhibitors currently available to target DYRK1A and evaluate their potential application and limitations.

Dyrk1A‐mediated phosphorylation of Presenilin 1: a functional link between Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease

The dual-specificity tyrosine(Y)-phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A (Dyrk1A) gene is located on human chromosome 21 and encodes a proline-directed protein kinase that might be responsible for mental retardation and early onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in Down syndrome (DS) patients. Presenilin 1 (PS1) is a key component of the γ-secretase complex in the generation of β-amyloid (Aβ), an important trigger protein in the pathogenesis of AD. Increased Dyrk1A expression has been reported in human AD and DS brains. We previously showed that Dyrk1A increased Aβ production in mammalian cells and transgenic mice that over-express Dyrk1A. In this study, we describe a potential mechanism by which Aβ is increased in Dyrk1A-over-expressing DS and AD brains. First, we show that PS1 is phosphorylated by the Dyrk1A at Thr(354) and that this phosphorylation increases γ-secretase activity. Then, using transgenic mice that over-express human Dyrk1A, we demonstrate that phospho-Thr354-PS1 (pT354-PS1) expression is enhanced when Dyrk1A level is increased. We also show that pT354-PS1 is more stable than the unphosphorylated form of PS1. These results reveal a potential regulatory link between Dyrk1A and PS1 in the Aβ pathway of DS and AD brains, suggesting that up-regulated Dyrk1A may accelerate AD pathogenesis through PS1 phosphorylation.

다운증후군의 Dyrk1A 의존적 뇌기능저하의 치료: 인간 Dyrk1A 특이적 shRNA 발굴

Down syndrome (DS) results from overexpressed genes on an extra copy of human chromosome 21. Among various phenotypes seen in DS patients, mental retardation, such as learning and memory deficits, is a major factor that prevents DS individuals from leading fully independent lives. The Dyrk1A gene that plays a critical role in neurodevelopment has been isolated from chromosome 21, and transgenic mice with over-expression of Dyrk1A show severe hippocampal dependent learning and memory defects. In the present study, as an initial step to test the treatment of Dyrk1A dependent mental retardation phenotypes in model animals, we isolated human Dyrk1A specific lentiviral short hairpin RNA (shRNA) that inhibits the exogenous human Dyrk1A expression, but not the endogenous mouse expression in transgenic mice with human Dyrk1A overexpression. This limited and specific repression of exogenous human Dyrk1A will prove to be valuable information, if Dyrk1A dependent learning and memory defects in DS patients could be treated or at least ameliorated in vivo.

The Protein Kinase DYRK1A Regulates Caspase-9-Mediated Apoptosis during Retina Development

The precise regulation of programmed cell death is critical for the normal development of the nervous system. We show here that DYRK1A (minibrain), a protein kinase essential for normal growth, is a negative regulator of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway in the developing retina. We provide evidence that changes in Dyrk1A gene dosage in the mouse strongly alter the cellularity of inner retina layers and result in severe functional alterations. We show that DYRK1A does not affect the proliferation or specification of retina progenitor cells, but rather regulates the number of cells that die by apoptosis. We demonstrate that DYRK1A phosphorylates caspase-9 on threonine residue 125, and that this phosphorylation event is crucial to protect retina cells from apoptotic cell death. Our data suggest a model in which dysregulation of the apoptotic response in differentiating neurons participates in the neuropathology of diseases that display DYRK1A gene-dosage imbalance effects, such as Down's syndrome.

Characterization of the human DYRK1A promoter and its regulation by the transcription factor E2F1

BackgroundOverexpression of the human DYRK1A gene due to the presence of a third gene copy in trisomy 21 is thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of Down syndrome. The observation of gene dosage effects in transgenic mouse models implies that subtle changes in expression levels can affect the correct function of the DYRK1A gene product. We have therefore characterized the promoter of the human DYRK1A gene in order to study its transcriptional regulation.ResultsTranscription start sites of the human DYRK1A gene are distributed over 800 bp within a region previously identified as an unmethylated CpG island. We have identified a new alternative noncoding 5'-exon of the DYRK1A gene which is located 772 bp upstream of the previously described transcription start site. Transcription of the two splicing variants is controlled by non-overlapping promoter regions that can independently drive reporter gene expression. We found no evidence of cell- or tissue-specific promoter usage, but the two promoter regions differed in their activity and their regulation. The sequence upstream of exon 1A (promoter region A) induced about 10-fold higher reporter gene activity than the sequence upstream of exon 1B (promoter region B). Overexpression of the transcription factor E2F1 increased DYRK1A mRNA levels in Saos2 and Phoenix cells and enhanced the activity of promoter region B three- to fourfold.ConclusionThe identification of two alternatively spliced transcripts whose transcription is initiated from differentially regulated promoters regions indicates that the expression of the DYRK1A gene is subject to complex control mechanisms. The regulatory effect of E2F1 suggests that DYRK1A may play a role in cell cycle regulation or apoptosis.