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Physiologic brain activity causes DNA double-strand breaks in neurons, with exacerbation by amyloid-β

Nature Neuroscience volume 16, pages 613–621 (2013)Cite this article

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Abstract

We show that a natural behavior, exploration of a novel environment, causes DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in neurons of young adult wild-type mice. DSBs occurred in multiple brain regions, were most abundant in the dentate gyrus, which is involved in learning and memory, and were repaired within 24 h. Increasing neuronal activity by sensory or optogenetic stimulation increased neuronal DSBs in relevant but not irrelevant networks. Mice transgenic for human amyloid precursor protein (hAPP), which simulate key aspects of Alzheimer's disease, had increased neuronal DSBs at baseline and more severe and prolonged DSBs after exploration. Interventions that suppress aberrant neuronal activity and improve learning and memory in hAPP mice normalized their levels of DSBs. Blocking extrasynaptic NMDA-type glutamate receptors prevented amyloid-β (Aβ)-induced DSBs in neuronal cultures. Thus, transient increases in neuronal DSBs occur as a result of physiological brain activity, and Aβ exacerbates DNA damage, most likely by eliciting synaptic dysfunction.

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Figure 1: Aβ increases neuronal γH2A.X formation in vivo and in vitro.
Figure 2: Modulation of DSBs by exploration of a novel environment, overexpression of hAPP/Aβ, and reduction of endogenous tau.
Figure 3: Exploration- and hAPP/Aβ-induced increases in DNA damage detected by the comet assay.
Figure 4: Network-specific modulation of DSBs by stimulation of primary visual cortex or striatal indirect-pathway neurons.
Figure 5: Tau reduction prevents the Aβ-induced increase in neuronal γH2A.X foci.
Figure 6: Levetiracetam normalizes the number of γH2A.X foci in the hippocampus of hAPP mice.
Figure 7: Aβ-induced increases in γH2A.X in neuronal cultures depend on neuronal activity.
Figure 8: Aβ-induced increases in γH2A.X-positive foci in primary neuronal cultures require activation of extrasynaptic NR2B-containing NMDARs.

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Acknowledgements

We thank D.J. Selkoe (Harvard Medical School) and D.M. Walsh (Conway Institute and University College Dublin) for CHO-7PA2 cells; N. Sakane, E. Verdin and L. Verret for comments on the manuscript; H. Kassler for advice on γ-irradiation; D. Davalos for advice on confocal imaging; D. Pathak for advice on live cell imaging; H. Solanoy, M. Thwin, C. Wang and G.-Q. Yu for technical support; A.L. Lucido for editorial review; J. Carroll, T. Roberts, G. Maki and C. Goodfellow for preparation of graphics; and M. Dela Cruz for administrative assistance. The study was supported by US National Institutes of Health grants AG011385, AG022074 and NS065780 to L.M. and a gift from the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, California, USA

    Elsa Suberbielle, Pascal E Sanchez, Alexxai V Kravitz, Xin Wang, Kaitlyn Ho, Nino Devidze, Anatol C Kreitzer & Lennart Mucke

  2. Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA

    Elsa Suberbielle, Pascal E Sanchez, Alexxai V Kravitz, Anatol C Kreitzer & Lennart Mucke

  3. Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, San Francisco, California, USA

    Kirsten Eilertson

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Contributions

E.S. designed and conducted behavioral, immunohistochemical and biochemical analyses. P.E.S. designed and carried out levetiracetam treatments and stress-related studies. A.V.K. designed and conducted optogenetic experiments. X.W. and K.H. provided technical assistance for biochemical analyses. K.E. contributed to statistical analyses. N.D. helped design behavioral experiments. A.C.K. supervised the optogenetic experiments. E.S. and L.M. analyzed and interpreted data and wrote the manuscript. L.M. conceived, supervised and provided funding for the study.

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Correspondence to Lennart Mucke.

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Competing interests

L.M. serves on scientific advisory boards of iPierian and Neuropore Therapies and has received funding for other research projects from Bristol-Myers Squibb and Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

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Suberbielle, E., Sanchez, P., Kravitz, A. et al. Physiologic brain activity causes DNA double-strand breaks in neurons, with exacerbation by amyloid-β. Nat Neurosci 16, 613–621 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.3356

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