Torres-Sánchez ED, Ortiz GG, Reyes-Uribe E, Torres-Jasso JH, Salazar-Flores J. Effect of pesticides on phosphorylation of tau protein, and its influence on Alzheimer’s disease. World J Clin Cases 2023; 11(24): 5628-5642 [PMID: 37727721 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i24.5628]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Joel Salazar-Flores, PhD, Department of Medical and Life Sciences, University Center of la Cienega, University of Guadalajara, Linda Vista 1115, Ocotlan 47820, Jalisco, Mexico. joel.salazar@academicos.udg.mx
Research Domain of This Article
Toxicology
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Clin Cases. Aug 26, 2023; 11(24): 5628-5642 Published online Aug 26, 2023. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i24.5628
Effect of pesticides on phosphorylation of tau protein, and its influence on Alzheimer’s disease
Erandis D Torres-Sánchez, Genaro G Ortiz, Emmanuel Reyes-Uribe, Juan H Torres-Jasso, Joel Salazar-Flores
Erandis D Torres-Sánchez, Emmanuel Reyes-Uribe, Joel Salazar-Flores, Department of Medical and Life Sciences, University Center of la Cienega, University of Guadalajara, Ocotlan 47820, Jalisco, Mexico
Genaro G Ortiz, Department of Philosophical and Methodological Disciplines and Service of Molecular Biology in Medicine Hospital Civil, University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara 44340, Jalisco, Mexico
Juan H Torres-Jasso, Department of Biological Sciences, CUCOSTA, University of Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta 48280, Jalisco, Mexico
Author contributions: Torres-Sánchez ED and Salazar-Flores J contributed to the conceptualization of this study; Torres-Sánchez ED, Ortiz GG, Reyes-Uribe E, Torres-Jasso JH, and Salazar-Flores J involved in the investigation of this manuscript; Reyes-Uribe E, Torres-Jasso JH, and Salazar-Flores J contributed to the writing-original draft preparation; Torres-Sánchez ED and Ortiz GG involved in the writing-review and editing; Torres-Sánchez ED, Ortiz GG and Reyes-Uribe E contributed to the figures; Salazar-Flores J contributed to the supervision of this article.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Joel Salazar-Flores, PhD, Department of Medical and Life Sciences, University Center of la Cienega, University of Guadalajara, Linda Vista 1115, Ocotlan 47820, Jalisco, Mexico. joel.salazar@academicos.udg.mx
Received: May 22, 2023 Peer-review started: May 22, 2023 First decision: July 3, 2023 Revised: July 17, 2023 Accepted: August 8, 2023 Article in press: August 8, 2023 Published online: August 26, 2023
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive and neurodegenerative illness which results in alterations in cognitive development. It is characterized by loss/dysfunction of cholinergic neurons, and formation of amyloid plaques, and formation of neurofibrillary tangles, among other changes, due to hyperphosphorylation of tau-protein. Exposure to pesticides in humans occurs frequently due to contact with contaminated food, water, or particles. Organochlorines, organophosphates, carbamates, pyrethroids and neonicotinoids are associated with the most diagnosed incidents of severe cognitive impairment. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of these pesticides on the phosphorylation of tau protein, and its cognitive implications in the development of AD. It was found that exposure to pesticides increased the phosphorylation of tau protein at sites Ser198, Ser199, Ser202, Thr205, Ser396 and Ser404. Contact with these chemicals altered the enzymatic activities of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 and glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta, and protein phosphatase-2A. Moreover, it altered the expression of the microtubule associated protein tau gene, and changed levels of intracellular calcium. These changes affected tau protein phosphorylation and neuroinflammation, and also increased oxidative stress. In addition, the exposed subjects had poor level of performance in tests that involved evaluation of novelty, as test on verbal, non-verbal, spatial memory, attention, and problem-solving skills.
Core Tip: Exposure to pesticides occurs frequently through contact with contaminated particles, food, or water. In 2022, the Alzheimer’s Association emphasized that contact with these pollutants is a risk factor for Alzheimer diseases. This study showed that contact with organochlorines, organophosphates, carbamates, pyrethroids and neonicotinoids modified mechanisms related to tau hyperphosphorylation and neuroinflammation. In cognitive findings, these chemicals altered memory, attention, and problem-solving processes. Few published studies have evaluated the effect of these pesticides on tau protein. Therefore, this review is novel in the sense that it presents an analysis for each pesticide class.
