Neuroinflammation links the neurogenic and neurodegenerative phenotypes of Nrmt1-/- mice

Abstract

It is widely thought that age-related damage is the single biggest contributing factor to neurodegenerative diseases. However, recent studies are beginning to indicate that many of these diseases may have developmental origins that become unmasked overtime. It has been difficult to prove these developmental origins, as there are still few known links between defective embryonic neurogenesis and progressive neurodegeneration. We have created a constitutive knockout mouse for the N-terminal methyltransferase NRMT1 (Nrmt1-/- mice). Nrmt1-/- mice display phenotypes associated with premature aging. Specifically in the brain, they exhibit age-related striatal and hippocampal degeneration, which is accompanied by impaired short and long-term memory. These phenotypes are preceded by depletion of the postnatal neural stem cell (NSC) pools, which appears to be driven by their premature differentiation and migration. However, this differentiation is often incomplete, as many resulting neurons cannot permanently exit the cell cycle and ultimately undergo apoptosis. Here, we show that the onset of apoptosis corresponds to increased cleavage of p35 into the CDK5 activator p25, which can promote neuroinflammation. Accordingly, Nrmt1-/- brains exhibit an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokine signaling, astrogliosis, complement activation, microgliosis, and markers of a compromised blood brain barrier, all of which indicate an activated neuroimmune response. We also find Nrmt1-/- mice do not activate a corresponding anti-inflammatory response. These data indicate that abnormal neurogenesis can trigger neuroinflammation, which in the absence of compensatory anti-inflammatory signaling, could lead to neuronal apoptosis and progressive neurodegeneration.