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Microarray analysis of hippocampal CA1 neurons implicates early endosomal dysfunction during Alzheimer's disease progression
Ginsberg SD, Alldred MJ, Counts SE, Cataldo AM, Neve RL, Jiang Y, Wuu J, Chao MV et al.. Biological psychiatry, 2010-07-23
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Background Endocytic dysfunction and neurotrophin signaling deficits may underlie the selective vulnerability of hippocampal neurons during the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD), although there is little direct in vivo and biochemical evidence to support this hypothesis. Methods Microarray analysis of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons acquired via laser capture microdissection was performed using postmortem brain tissue. Validation was achieved using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunoblot analysis. Mechanistic studies were performed using human fibroblasts subjected to overexpression with viral vectors or knockdown via small interference RNA. Results Expression levels of genes regulating early endosomes (rab5) and late endosomes (rab7) are selectively upregulated in homogeneous populations of CA1 neurons from individuals with mild cognitive impairment and AD. The levels of these genes are selectively increased as antemortem measures of cognition decline during AD progression. Hippocampal quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunoblot analyses confirmed increased levels of these transcripts and their respective protein products. Elevation of select rab GTPases regulating endocytosis paralleled the downregulation of genes encoding the neurotrophin receptors TrkB and TrkC. Overexpression of rab5 in cells suppressed TrkB expression, whereas knockdown of TrkB expression did not alter rab5 levels, suggesting that TrkB downregulation is a consequence of endosomal dysfunction associated with elevated rab5 levels in early AD. Conclusions These data support the hypothesis that neuronal endosomal dysfunction is associated with preclinical AD. Increased endocytic pathway activity, driven by elevated rab GTPase expression, may result in long-term deficits in hippocampal neurotrophic signaling and represent a key pathogenic mechanism underlying AD progression.
Key findings
- Results Expression levels of genes regulating early endosomes (rab5) and late endosomes (rab7) are selectively upregulated in homogeneous populations of CA1 neurons from individuals with mild cognitive impairment and AD.
- Overexpression of rab5 in cells suppressed TrkB expression, whereas knockdown of TrkB expression did not alter rab5 levels, suggesting that TrkB downregulation is a consequence of endosomal dysfunction associated with elevated rab5 levels in early AD.
- Conclusions These data support the hypothesis that neuronal endosomal dysfunction is associated with preclinical AD.
- Increased endocytic pathway activity, driven by elevated rab GTPase expression, may result in long-term deficits in hippocampal neurotrophic signaling and represent a key pathogenic mechanism underlying AD progression.
Why it matters
In brain tissue from people with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease, genes controlling early endosomes (rab5) and late endosomes (rab7) were increased in CA1 neurons, and this increase tracked with worse cognition before death. Cell experiments suggested that higher rab5 lowers the neurotrophin receptor TrkB, pointing to endosomal dysfunction as a possible early process in the disease.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 48/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Biological psychiatry) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Biological Psychiatry: journal h-index 428 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2010 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 261 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 14.5 citations a year over 18 year(s) since 2010 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 9.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 12 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 28 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Shaoli Che: h-index 28 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Harvard University: institution h-index 3,235 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 8 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 20655510) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 48 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.05.030
- PubMed: 20655510
- Original source →
- Free full text: PubMed Central →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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APA 7th
Ginsberg, S. D., Alldred, M. J., Counts, S. E., Cataldo, A. M., Neve, R. L., Jiang, Y., et al. (2010). Microarray analysis of hippocampal CA1 neurons implicates early endosomal dysfunction during Alzheimer's disease progression. Biological psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.05.030
Vancouver
Ginsberg SD, Alldred MJ, Counts SE, Cataldo AM, Neve RL, Jiang Y, et al. Microarray analysis of hippocampal CA1 neurons implicates early endosomal dysfunction during Alzheimer's disease progression. Biological psychiatry. 2010. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.05.030. PMID: 20655510.
BibTeX
@article{ginsberg2010-20655510,
author = {Ginsberg, S. D. and Alldred, M. J. and Counts, S. E. and Cataldo, A. M. and Neve, R. L. and Jiang, Y. and Wuu, J. and Chao, M. V. and others},
title = {{Microarray analysis of hippocampal CA1 neurons implicates early endosomal dysfunction during Alzheimer's disease progression}},
journal = {Biological psychiatry},
year = {2010},
doi = {10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.05.030},
pmid = {20655510},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.05.030}
}
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