Mitochondrial Cholesterol in Alzheimer's Disease and Niemann–Pick Type C Disease

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been recognized as a key player in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Niemann–Pick type C (NPC) disease. While the pathogenesis of both diseases is different, disruption of intracellular cholesterol trafficking has emerged as a commo...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sandra Torres, Carmen M. García-Ruiz, Jose C. Fernandez-Checa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2019-11-01
Series:Frontiers in Neurology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fneur.2019.01168/full
_version_ 1811207941678694400
author Sandra Torres
Sandra Torres
Carmen M. García-Ruiz
Carmen M. García-Ruiz
Carmen M. García-Ruiz
Jose C. Fernandez-Checa
Jose C. Fernandez-Checa
Jose C. Fernandez-Checa
author_facet Sandra Torres
Sandra Torres
Carmen M. García-Ruiz
Carmen M. García-Ruiz
Carmen M. García-Ruiz
Jose C. Fernandez-Checa
Jose C. Fernandez-Checa
Jose C. Fernandez-Checa
author_sort Sandra Torres
collection DOAJ
description Mitochondrial dysfunction has been recognized as a key player in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Niemann–Pick type C (NPC) disease. While the pathogenesis of both diseases is different, disruption of intracellular cholesterol trafficking has emerged as a common feature of both AD and NPC disease. Nutritional or genetic mitochondrial cholesterol accumulation sensitizes neurons to Aβ-mediated neurotoxicity in vitro and promotes cognitive decline in AD models. In addition to the primary accumulation of cholesterol and sphingolipids in lysosomes, NPC disease is also characterized by an increase in mitochondrial cholesterol levels in affected organs, predominantly in brain and liver. In both diseases, mitochondrial cholesterol accumulation disrupts membrane physical properties and restricts the transport of glutathione into mitochondrial matrix, thus impairing the mitochondrial antioxidant defense strategy. The underlying mechanisms leading to mitochondrial cholesterol accumulation in AD and NPC diseases are not fully understood. In the present manuscript, we discuss evidence for the potential role of StARD1 in promoting the trafficking of cholesterol to mitochondria in AD and NPC, whose upregulation involves an endoplasmic reticulum stress and a decrease in acid ceramidase expression, respectively. These findings imply that targeting StARD1 or boosting the mitochondrial antioxidant defense may emerge as a promising approach for both AD and NPC disease.
first_indexed 2024-04-12T04:13:39Z
format Article
id doaj.art-c30cdca3d4254b0e955a460a9af101ed
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1664-2295
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-12T04:13:39Z
publishDate 2019-11-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Neurology
spelling doaj.art-c30cdca3d4254b0e955a460a9af101ed2022-12-22T03:48:27ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neurology1664-22952019-11-011010.3389/fneur.2019.01168488373Mitochondrial Cholesterol in Alzheimer's Disease and Niemann–Pick Type C DiseaseSandra Torres0Sandra Torres1Carmen M. García-Ruiz2Carmen M. García-Ruiz3Carmen M. García-Ruiz4Jose C. Fernandez-Checa5Jose C. Fernandez-Checa6Jose C. Fernandez-Checa7Department of Cell Death and Proliferation, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Barcelona, SpainLiver Unit and Hospital Clinc I Provincial, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBEREHD), Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, SpainDepartment of Cell Death and Proliferation, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Barcelona, SpainLiver Unit and Hospital Clinc I Provincial, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBEREHD), Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, SpainSouthern California Research Center for ALDP and Cirrhosis, Los Angeles, CA, United StatesDepartment of Cell Death and Proliferation, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Barcelona, SpainLiver Unit and Hospital Clinc I Provincial, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBEREHD), Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, SpainSouthern California Research Center for ALDP and Cirrhosis, Los Angeles, CA, United StatesMitochondrial dysfunction has been recognized as a key player in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Niemann–Pick type C (NPC) disease. While the pathogenesis of both diseases is different, disruption of intracellular cholesterol trafficking has emerged as a common feature of both AD and NPC disease. Nutritional or genetic mitochondrial cholesterol accumulation sensitizes neurons to Aβ-mediated neurotoxicity in vitro and promotes cognitive decline in AD models. In addition to the primary accumulation of cholesterol and sphingolipids in lysosomes, NPC disease is also characterized by an increase in mitochondrial cholesterol levels in affected organs, predominantly in brain and liver. In both diseases, mitochondrial cholesterol accumulation disrupts membrane physical properties and restricts the transport of glutathione into mitochondrial matrix, thus impairing the mitochondrial antioxidant defense strategy. The underlying mechanisms leading to mitochondrial cholesterol accumulation in AD and NPC diseases are not fully understood. In the present manuscript, we discuss evidence for the potential role of StARD1 in promoting the trafficking of cholesterol to mitochondria in AD and NPC, whose upregulation involves an endoplasmic reticulum stress and a decrease in acid ceramidase expression, respectively. These findings imply that targeting StARD1 or boosting the mitochondrial antioxidant defense may emerge as a promising approach for both AD and NPC disease.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fneur.2019.01168/fullcholesterolmitochondrialysosomal disorderssphingolipidsacid ceramidase
spellingShingle Sandra Torres
Sandra Torres
Carmen M. García-Ruiz
Carmen M. García-Ruiz
Carmen M. García-Ruiz
Jose C. Fernandez-Checa
Jose C. Fernandez-Checa
Jose C. Fernandez-Checa
Mitochondrial Cholesterol in Alzheimer's Disease and Niemann–Pick Type C Disease
Frontiers in Neurology
cholesterol
mitochondria
lysosomal disorders
sphingolipids
acid ceramidase
title Mitochondrial Cholesterol in Alzheimer's Disease and Niemann–Pick Type C Disease
title_full Mitochondrial Cholesterol in Alzheimer's Disease and Niemann–Pick Type C Disease
title_fullStr Mitochondrial Cholesterol in Alzheimer's Disease and Niemann–Pick Type C Disease
title_full_unstemmed Mitochondrial Cholesterol in Alzheimer's Disease and Niemann–Pick Type C Disease
title_short Mitochondrial Cholesterol in Alzheimer's Disease and Niemann–Pick Type C Disease
title_sort mitochondrial cholesterol in alzheimer s disease and niemann pick type c disease
topic cholesterol
mitochondria
lysosomal disorders
sphingolipids
acid ceramidase
url https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fneur.2019.01168/full
work_keys_str_mv AT sandratorres mitochondrialcholesterolinalzheimersdiseaseandniemannpicktypecdisease
AT sandratorres mitochondrialcholesterolinalzheimersdiseaseandniemannpicktypecdisease
AT carmenmgarciaruiz mitochondrialcholesterolinalzheimersdiseaseandniemannpicktypecdisease
AT carmenmgarciaruiz mitochondrialcholesterolinalzheimersdiseaseandniemannpicktypecdisease
AT carmenmgarciaruiz mitochondrialcholesterolinalzheimersdiseaseandniemannpicktypecdisease
AT josecfernandezcheca mitochondrialcholesterolinalzheimersdiseaseandniemannpicktypecdisease
AT josecfernandezcheca mitochondrialcholesterolinalzheimersdiseaseandniemannpicktypecdisease
AT josecfernandezcheca mitochondrialcholesterolinalzheimersdiseaseandniemannpicktypecdisease