Epigenetic Control of CDK5 Promoter Regulates Diabetes-Associated Development of Alzheimer's Disease

Cyclin-dependent kinase-5 (CDK5) is activated by p35 and then binds to both p35 and its truncated form p25 to promote hyperphosphorylation of tau protein, thereby facilitating the pathological progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, it is unknown whether a patient's diabetic status promotes the later onset of AD in a CDK5-dependent manner. Here, we induced pro-diabetic insulin resistance and glucose intolerance in rats using a combined high fat and high glucose diet. Compared to normal diet-fed rats, these pro-diabetic rats exhibited poorer behavioral performance in the Morris water maze test and the novel object recognition test. Increased phosphorylation of tau protein was detected in the hippocampal CAl region of the rat brain, suggesting neurodegeneration. Moreover, CDK5 transcriptional activity was significantly increased in the HFGD-rat brain, likely resulting from an increase in acetylation and a decrease in methylation of the CDK5 promoter. Together, these data suggest that epigenetic control of the CDK5 promoter by acetylation and methylation may regulate the diabetes-associated development of AD.