TrkB reduction exacerbates Alzheimer's disease-like signaling aberrations and memory deficits without affecting β-amyloidosis in 5XFAD mice

Accumulating evidence shows that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) significantly decrease early in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, it remains unclear whether BDNF/TrkB reductions may be mechanistically involved in the pathogenesis of AD. To address this question, we generated 5XFAD transgenic mice with heterozygous TrkB knockout (TrkB(+/–)·5XFAD), and tested the effects of TrkB reduction on AD-like features in this mouse model during an incipient stage that shows only modest amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology and retains normal mnemonic function. TrkB(+/–) reduction exacerbated memory declines in 5XFAD mice at 4–5 months of age as assessed by the hippocampus-dependent spontaneous alternation Y-maze task, while the memory performance was not affected in TrkB(+/–) mice. Meanwhile, TrkB(+/–)·5XFAD mice were normal in nest building, a widely used measure for social behavior, suggesting the memory-specific aggravation of AD-associated behavioral impairments. We found no difference between TrkB(+/–)·5XFAD and 5XFAD control mice in cerebral plaque loads, Aβ concentrations including total Aβ42 and soluble oligomers and β-amyloidogenic processing of amyloid precursor protein. Interestingly, reductions in hippocampal expression of AMPA/NMDA glutamate receptor subunits as well as impaired signaling pathways downstream to TrkB such as CREB (cAMP response element-binding protein) and Akt/GSK-3β (glycogen synthase kinase-3β) were observed in TrkB(+/–)·5XFAD mice but not in 5XFAD mice. Among these signaling aberrations, only Akt/GSK-3β dysfunction occurred in TrkB(+/–) mice, while others were synergistic consequences between TrkB reduction and subthreshold levels of Aβ in TrkB(+/–)·5XFAD mice. Collectively, our results indicate that reduced TrkB does not affect β-amyloidosis but exacerbates the manifestation of hippocampal mnemonic and signaling dysfunctions in early AD.