Home › Research › Mild cognitive impairment
Nuclear but not mitochondrial-encoded oxidative phosphorylation genes are altered in aging, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's disease
Mastroeni D, Khdour OM, Delvaux E, Nolz J, Olsen G, Berchtold N, Cotman C, Hecht SM et al.. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 2016-10-25
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Introduction We have comprehensively described the expression profiles of mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA genes that encode subunits of the respiratory oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complexes (I-V) in the hippocampus from young controls, age matched, mild cognitively impaired (MCI), and Alzheimer's disease (AD) subjects. Methods Hippocampal tissues from 44 non-AD controls (NC), 10 amnestic MCI, and 18 AD cases were analyzed on Affymetrix Hg-U133 plus 2.0 arrays. Results The microarray data revealed significant down regulation in OXPHOS genes in AD, particularly those encoded in the nucleus. In contrast, there was up regulation of the same gene(s) in MCI subjects compared to AD and ND cases. No significant differences were observed in mtDNA genes identified in the array between AD, ND, and MCI subjects except one mt-ND6. Discussion Our findings suggest that restoration of the expression of nuclear-encoded OXPHOS genes in aging could be a viable strategy for blunting AD progression.
Key findings
- Results The microarray data revealed significant down regulation in OXPHOS genes in AD, particularly those encoded in the nucleus.
- In contrast, there was up regulation of the same gene(s) in MCI subjects compared to AD and ND cases.
- No significant differences were observed in mtDNA genes identified in the array between AD, ND, and MCI subjects except one mt-ND6.
- Discussion Our findings suggest that restoration of the expression of nuclear-encoded OXPHOS genes in aging could be a viable strategy for blunting AD progression.
Why it matters
In hippocampal tissue from 44 non-AD controls, 10 people with amnestic mild cognitive impairment and 18 with Alzheimer's disease, nuclear-encoded oxidative phosphorylation genes were significantly downregulated in Alzheimer's disease but upregulated in mild cognitive impairment, with no significant differences in most mitochondrial DNA genes. The authors suggest restoring nuclear-encoded oxidative phosphorylation gene expression in aging could be a strategy to blunt Alzheimer's progression, but this is a tissue study and no treatment was tested.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
Limitations
This is a small postmortem tissue study (44 controls, 10 MCI, 18 AD cases) looking at gene expression, which shows an association with disease status but not whether this change is a cause or a consequence of the disease process.
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a leading specialty 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 | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Alzheimer s & Dementia: journal h-index 228 (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 | 2 / 5 | 2017 — within 10 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 133 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 12.1 citations a year over 11 year(s) since 2017 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 5.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 33 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Paul D. Coleman: h-index 45 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of California, Irvine: institution h-index 1,195 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 27793643) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Mastroeni, D., Khdour, O. M., Delvaux, E., Nolz, J., Olsen, G., Berchtold, N., et al. (2017). Nuclear but not mitochondrial-encoded oxidative phosphorylation genes are altered in aging, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2016.09.003
Vancouver
Mastroeni D, Khdour OM, Delvaux E, Nolz J, Olsen G, Berchtold N, et al. Nuclear but not mitochondrial-encoded oxidative phosphorylation genes are altered in aging, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. 2017. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2016.09.003. PMID: 27793643.
BibTeX
@article{mastroeni2017-27793643,
author = {Mastroeni, D. and Khdour, O. M. and Delvaux, E. and Nolz, J. and Olsen, G. and Berchtold, N. and Cotman, C. and Hecht, S. M. and others},
title = {{Nuclear but not mitochondrial-encoded oxidative phosphorylation genes are altered in aging, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's disease}},
journal = {Alzheimer's \& dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association},
year = {2017},
doi = {10.1016/j.jalz.2016.09.003},
pmid = {27793643},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2016.09.003}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.