Hyperphosphorylated tau mediates neuronal death by inducing necroptosis and inflammation in Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract

Background

Progressive neuronal death is the key pathological feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the neuronal death in AD patients have not been fully elucidated. Necroptosis reportedly activates and induces neuronal death in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD); however, the main mediators and mechanisms underlying necroptosis induction in AD remain elusive.

Methods

The function of hyperphosphorylated tau (pTau) in inducing necroptosis in neuronal cell was examined using Western blotting, RT-PCR and flow cytometry. Tau-induced inflammation was identified via RNA sequencing and transwell assay. Pharmacological methods and CRISPR–Cas9 technology were used to verify the role of necrosome proteins in pTau-stimulated neuronal death and inflammation. TauP301S model mice were treated with Nec-1 s to evaluate the role of necroptosis in tau pathology.

Results

Hyperphosphorylated tau could induce necroptosis in neuronal cells by promoting the formation of the RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL necrosome. In addition, pTau significantly stimulated cell-autonomous overexpression of cytokines and chemokines via the intracellular nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Importantly, the RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL axis was essential for the pTau-mediated NF-κB activation and cytokine storm. Furthermore, necroptosis stimulation, NF-κB activation, and cytokine induction have been detected in TauP301S mice and blocking necroptosis markedly ameliorated behavioral defects and excessive neuroinflammation in AD mice.

Conclusions

Our study, for the first time, revealed that pTau contributes to neuronal death by inducing necroptosis and inflammation, mediated by activating the RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL and NF-κB pathways, thereby delineating the hierarchical molecular network of neuronal necroptosis induction in AD.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12974-022-02567-y.