Skip to content
naulon

No retraction, correction or concern found when last checked on Oct 19, 2026.

Deficiency in BDNF/TrkB Neurotrophic Activity Stimulates δ-Secretase by Upregulating C/EBPβ in Alzheimer’s Disease

Zhi-Hao Wang, Jie Xiang, Xia Liu and 6 more

Cell Reports · 2019 · CC BY

doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2019.06.054

Abstract

BDNF/TrkB neurotrophic signaling regulates neuronal development, differentiation, and survival, and deficient BDNF/TrkB activity underlies neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, exactly how BDNF/TrkB participates in AD pathology remains unclear. Here, we show that deprivation of BDNF/TrkB increases inflammatory cytokines and activates the JAK2/STAT3 pathway, resulting in the upregulation of transcription factor C/EBPβ. This, in turn, results in increased expression of δ-secretase, leading to both APP and Tau fragmentation by δ-secretase and neuronal loss, which can be blocked by expression of STAT3 Y705F, knockdown of C/EBPβ, or the δ-secretase enzymatic-dead C189S mutant. Inhibition of this pathological cascade can also rescue impaired synaptic plasticity and cognitive dysfunctions. Importantly, reduction in BDNF/TrkB neurotrophic signaling is inversely coupled with an increase in JAK2/STAT3, C/EBPβ, and δ-secretase escalation in human AD brains. Therefore, our findings provide a mechanistic link between BDNF/TrkB reduction, C/EBPβ upregulation, δ-secretase activity, and Aβ and Tau alterations in murine brains.

References 55

  1. 1.

    Agrawal S, Gollapudi S, Su H, and Gupta S (2011 ). Leptin activates human B cells to secrete TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 via JAK2/STAT3 and p38MAPK/ERK1/2 signaling pathway. J. Clin. Immunol. 31, 472–478.

    Not in our library10.1007/s10875-010-9507-1

  2. 2.

    Akiyama H, Barger S, Barnum S, Bradt B, Bauer J, Cole GM, Cooper NR, Eikelenboom P, Emmerling M, Fiebich BL, (2000 ). Inflammation and Alzheimer’s disease. Neurobiol. Aging 21, 383–421.

    Not in our library10.1016/s0197-4580(00)00124-x

  3. 3.

    Ando S, Kobayashi S, Waki H, Kon K, Fukui F, Tadenuma T, Iwamoto M, Takeda Y, Izumiyama N, Watanabe K, and Nakamura H (2002 ). Animal model of dementia induced by entorhinal synaptic damage and partial restoration of cognitive deficits by BDNF and carnitine. J. Neurosci. Res. 70, 519–527.

    Not in our library10.1002/jnr.10443

  4. 4.

    Arancibia S, Silhol M, Moulière F, Meffre J, Höllinger I, Maurice T, and Tapia-Arancibia L (2008 ). Protective effect of BDNF against beta-amyloid induced neurotoxicity in vitro and in vivo in rats. Neurobiol. Dis. 31, 316–326.

    Not in our library10.1016/j.nbd.2008.05.012

  5. 5.

    Arnaud L, Chen S, Liu F, Li B, Khatoon S, Grundke-Iqbal I, and Iqbal K (2011 ). Mechanism of inhibition of PP2A activity and abnormal hyperphosphorylation of tau by I2(PP2A)/SET. FEBS Lett. 585, 2653–2659.

    Not in our library10.1016/j.febslet.2011.07.020

  6. 6.

    Ballatore C, Lee VM, and Trojanowski JQ (2007 ). Tau-mediated neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 8, 663–672.

    Not in our library10.1038/nrn2194

  7. 7.

    Bambah-Mukku D, Travaglia A, Chen DY, Pollonini G, and Alberini CM (2014 ). A positive autoregulatory BDNF feedback loop via C/EBPβ mediates hippocampal memory consolidation. J. Neurosci. 34, 12547–12559.

    Not in our library10.1523/jneurosci.0324-14.2014

  8. 8.
  9. 9.

    Bliss TV, and Collingridge GL (1993 ). A synaptic model of memory: longterm potentiation in the hippocampus. Nature 361, 31–39.

    Not in our library10.1038/361031a0

  10. 10.

    Calella AM, Nerlov C, Lopez RG, Sciarretta C, von Bohlen und Halbach O, Bereshchenko O, and Minichiello L (2007 ). Neurotrophin/Trk receptor signaling mediates C/EBPalpha, -beta and NeuroD recruitment to immediate-early gene promoters in neuronal cells and requires C/EBPs to induce immediate-early gene transcription. Neural Dev. 2, 4.

    Not in our library10.1186/1749-8104-2-4

  11. 11.
  12. 12.

    Chiba T, Yamada M, Sasabe J, Terashita K, Shimoda M, Matsuoka M, and Aiso S (2009 ). Amyloid-beta causes memory impairment by disturbing the JAK2/STAT3 axis in hippocampal neurons. Mol. Psychiatry 14, 206–222.

    Not in our library10.1038/mp.2008.105

  13. 13.

    Connor B, Young D, Yan Q, Faull RL, Synek B, and Dragunow M (1997 ). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor is reduced in Alzheimer’s disease. Brain Res. Mol. Brain Res. 49, 71–81.

    Not in our library10.1016/s0169-328x(97)00125-3

  14. 14.

    Devi L, and Ohno M (2015 ). TrkB reduction exacerbates Alzheimer’s disease-like signaling aberrations and memory deficits without affecting β-amyloidosis in 5XFAD mice. Transl. Psychiatry 5, e562.

    Not in our library10.1038/tp.2015.55

  15. 15.

    Dutta S, and Sengupta P (2016 ). Men and mice: relating their ages. Life Sci. 152, 244–248.

    Not in our library10.1016/j.lfs.2015.10.025

  16. 16.

    Ejarque-Ortiz A, Medina MG, Tusell JM, Pérez-González AP, Serratosa J, and Saura J (2007 ). Upregulation of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta in activated astrocytes and microglia. Glia 55, 178–188.

    Not in our library10.1002/glia.20446

  17. 17.

    Fan Z, Beresford PJ, Oh DY, Zhang D, and Lieberman J (2003 ). Tumor suppressor NM23-H1 is a granzyme A-activated DNase during CTL-mediated apoptosis, and the nucleosome assembly protein SET is its inhibitor. Cell 112, 659–672.

    Not in our library10.1016/s0092-8674(03)00150-8

  18. 18.

    Ferrer I, Marín C, Rey MJ, Ribalta T, Goutan E, Blanco R, Tolosa E, and Marti E (1999 ). BDNF and full-length and truncated TrkB expression in Alzheimer disease. Implications in therapeutic strategies. J. Neuropathol. Exp. Neurol. 58, 729–739.

    Not in our library10.1097/00005072-199907000-00007

  19. 19.

    Golde TE (2003 ). Alzheimer disease therapy: can the amyloid cascade be halted? J. Clin. Invest. 111, 11–18.

    Not in our library10.1172/jci17527

  20. 20.

    Hu X, Das B, Hou H, He W, and Yan R (2018 ). BACE1 deletion in the adult mouse reverses preformed amyloid deposition and improves cognitive functions. J. Exp. Med. 215, 927–940.

    Not in our library10.1084/jem.20171831

  21. 21.

    Huang EJ, and Reichardt LF (2003 ). Trk receptors: roles in neuronal signal transduction. Annu. Rev. Biochem. 72, 609–642.

    Not in our library10.1146/annurev.biochem.72.121801.161629

  22. 22.

    Isshiki H, Akira S, Tanabe O, Nakajima T, Shimamoto T, Hirano T, and Kishimoto T (1990 ). Constitutive and interleukin-1 (IL-1)-inducible factors interact with the IL-1-responsive element in the IL-6 gene. Mol. Cell. Biol. 10, 2757–2764.

    Not in our library10.1128/mcb.10.6.2757-2764.1990

  23. 23.

    Kaptein A, Paillard V, and Saunders M (1996 ). Dominant negative stat3 mutant inhibits interleukin-6-induced Jak-STAT signal transduction. J. Biol. Chem. 271, 5961–5964.

    Not in our library10.1074/jbc.271.11.5961

  24. 24.

    Kitiyanant N, Kitiyanant Y, Svendsen CN, and Thangnipon W (2012 ). BDNF-, IGF-1- and GDNF-secreting human neural progenitor cells rescue amyloid β-induced toxicity in cultured rat septal neurons. Neurochem. Res. 37, 143–152.

    Not in our library10.1007/s11064-011-0592-1

  25. 25.

    Künzi MS, and Pitha PM (1996 ). Role of interferon-stimulated gene ISG-15 in the interferon-omega-mediated inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus replication. J. Interferon Cytokine Res. 16, 919–927.

    Not in our library10.1089/jir.1996.16.919

  26. 26.

    Lambert WS, Carlson BJ, Formichella CR, Sappington RM, Ahlem C, and Calkins DJ (2017 ). Oral Delivery of a Synthetic Sterol Reduces Axonopathy and Inflammation in a Rodent Model of Glaucoma. Front. Neurosci. 11, 45.

    Not in our library10.3389/fnins.2017.00045

  27. 27.

    Li M, Makkinje A, and Damuni Z (1996 ). The myeloid leukemia-associated protein SET is a potent inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A. J. Biol. Chem. 271, 11059–11062.

    Not in our library10.1074/jbc.271.19.11059

  28. 28.

    Liu Z, Jang SW, Liu X, Cheng D, Peng J, Yepes M, Li XJ, Matthews S, Watts C, Asano M, (2008 ). Neuroprotective actions of PIKE-L by inhibition of SET proteolytic degradation by asparagine endopeptidase. Mol. Cell 29, 665–678.

    Not in our library10.1016/j.molcel.2008.02.017

  29. 29.

    Liu Y, Liu A, Li H, Li C, and Lin J (2011 ). Celecoxib inhibits interleukin-6/interleukin-6 receptor-induced JAK2/STAT3 phosphorylation in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Cancer Prev. Res. (Phila.) 4, 1296–1305.

    Not in our library10.1158/1940-6207.capr-10-0317

  30. 30.

    Lommatzsch M, Zingler D, Schuhbaeck K, Schloetcke K, Zingler C, Schuff-Werner P, and Virchow JC (2005 ). The impact of age, weight and gender on BDNF levels in human platelets and plasma. Neurobiol. Aging 26, 115–123.

    Not in our library10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2004.03.002

  31. 31.

    Magalini A, Savoldi G, Ferrari F, Garnier M, Ghezzi P, Albertini A, and Di Lorenzo D (1995 ). Role of IL-1 beta and corticosteroids in the regulation of the C/EBP-alpha, beta and delta genes in vivo. Cytokine 7, 753–758.

    Not in our library10.1006/cyto.1995.0090

  32. 32.

    Matrone C, Ciotti MT, Mercanti D, Marolda R, and Calissano P (2008 ). NGF and BDNF signaling control amyloidogenic route and Abeta production in hippocampal neurons. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 105, 13139–13144.

    Not in our library10.1073/pnas.0806133105

  33. 33.

    Minichiello L (2009 ). TrkB signalling pathways in LTP and learning. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 10, 850–860.

    Not in our library10.1038/nrn2738

  34. 34.

    Murer MG, Boissiere F, Yan Q, Hunot S, Villares J, Faucheux B, Agid Y, Hirsch E, and Raisman-Vozari R (1999 ). An immunohistochemical study of the distribution of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the adult human brain, with particular reference to Alzheimer’s disease. Neuroscience 88, 1015–1032.

    Not in our library10.1016/s0306-4522(98)00219-x

  35. 35.

    Ni CW, Hsieh HJ, Chao YJ, and Wang DL (2004 ). Interleukin-6-induced JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in endothelial cells is suppressed by hemodynamic flow. Am. J. Physiol. Cell Physiol. 287, C771–C780.

    Not in our library10.1152/ajpcell.00532.2003

  36. 36.

    O’Sullivan LA, Liongue C, Lewis RS, Stephenson SE, and Ward AC (2007 ). Cytokine receptor signaling through the Jak-Stat-Socs pathway in disease. Mol. Immunol. 44, 2497–2506.

    Not in our library10.1016/j.molimm.2006.11.025

  37. 37.

    Peng S, Garzon DJ, Marchese M, Klein W, Ginsberg SD, Francis BM, Mount HT, Mufson EJ, Salehi A, and Fahnestock M (2009 ). Decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor depends on amyloid aggregation state in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease. J. Neurosci. 29,9321–9329.

    Not in our library10.1523/jneurosci.4736-08.2009

  38. 38.

    Phillips HS, Hains JM, Armanini M, Laramee GR, Johnson SA, and Winslow JW (1991 ). BDNF mRNA is decreased in the hippocampus of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. Neuron 7, 695–702.

    Not in our library10.1016/0896-6273(91)90273-3

  39. 39.

    Poli V (1998 ). The role of C/EBP isoforms in the control of inflammatory and native immunity functions. J. Biol. Chem. 273, 29279–29282.

    Not in our library10.1074/jbc.273.45.29279

  40. 40.

    Rios M, Fan G, Fekete C, Kelly J, Bates B, Kuehn R, Lechan RM, and Jaenisch R (2001 ). Conditional deletion of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the postnatal brain leads to obesity and hyperactivity. Mol. Endocrinol. 15, 1748–1757.

    Not in our library10.1210/mend.15.10.0706

All 55 references

Cited by papers we hold 6

Reads

Read by people on this page

None yet.

Checked or read by AI through naulon

None yet.

A person counts once a day per paper. We keep no cookie and no address: a reader is a hash that changes every day. Any month under five reads shows no number.

Are you an author?

Is this your paper?

Claim it to add your note and be paid when agents cite it. Free.