The chemokine-like receptor 1 deficiency improves cognitive deficits of AD mice and attenuates tau hyperphosphorylation via regulating tau seeding

Abstract

Pathologic features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) include accumulation of amyloid b (Ab) and hyperphosphorylated tau protein. We have shown previously that the chemokine-like receptor 1 (CMKLR1) is a functional receptor for Ab, and CMKLR1 contributes to the uptake of Ab. However, it is unclear whether CMKLR1 ameliorates or aggravates the process of AD. Here, we show that deletion of the gene coding for CMKLR1 significantly increased Ab deposits in brains of both male and female amyloid b precursor protein/presenilin-1 mice. However, it markedly decreased the mortality of these mice. Behavioral studies found that CMKLR1 deficiency improved cognitive impairment of male and female amyloid b precursor protein/presenilin-1 mice and intracerebroventricular-streptozotocin injection AD mice. We further explored the effect of CMKLR1 on tau pathology. We found that CMKLR1 deficiency or inhibition attenuated the hyperphosphorylation of tau in brains of AD mice in vivo and in the neuronal cells in vitro. The expression of CMKLR1 on the neurons affected tau phosphorylation by participating in tau seeding. Together, these results uncover a novel mechanism of CMKLR1 in the pathologic process of AD and suggest that inhibiting the promotion effect of CMKLR1 on tau seeding may provide a new strategy for the treatment of AD.