Key result
APP/PS1 Alzheimer's mice show ~31% loss of neuronal RyR2 channels compared to wildtype controls.
Why the study?
While RyR2 channel clusters and calcium release units control channel activity in the heart, whether analogous structures form and undergo remodeling in neurons remained unexplored.
Reduced RyR2 clustering in AD mouse neurons may impair calcium release; extends cardiac cluster concepts to CNS and leaves open therapeutic relevance.
Aim The ryanodine receptor (RyR2) is an intracellular Ca 2+ release channel which mediates numerous cellular functions across different tissues. Dysregulation of RyR2 channel activity leads to pathological Ca 2+ release, which often underlies disrupted cellular signaling in disease states. In the heart, RyR2 channels forms discrete clusters and calcium release units (CRUs) which control channel activity. These structures demonstrate nanoscale remodeling in disease states associated with pathological Ca 2+ release activity in the heart. Hence, these nanoscale structures are critical in regulating Ca 2+ release in health and disease. RyR2 is also expressed in brain; however, whether analogous clusters and CRUs form in neurons remains unexplored. Methods Using super‐resolution imaging, we assessed RyR2 organization in CA1 pyramidal neurons of wild‐type mice. Furthermore, we used the APP/PS1 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) to assess whether there is nanoscale remodeling of RyR2 in a setting associated with pathological Ca 2+ release in neurons. Results Here, we provide the first identification and detailed characterization of RyR2 clusters in central nervous system neurons, which are comparable to those reported in the heart. Moreover, we observed a decrease in RyR2 cluster size and reduced CRU organization in AD mice at an age associated with high plaque burden and cognitive deficits. This remodeling is analogous to that reported in pathological states in the heart. Conclusion Together, these findings implicate the nanoscale remodeling of RyR2 clusters and CRUs as a novel mechanism underlying Ca 2+ channel dysregulation and neuronal dysfunction in AD.
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Munro et al. (2026) studied Alzheimer's Disease (n=10). APP/PS1 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease vs. Wildtype mice was evaluated on RyR2 cluster size in CA1 neurons (nm2) (p=0.01). The APP/PS1 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease exhibited a significant reduction in neuronal RyR2 cluster size (10,600 vs 13,420 nm2) and a 31% loss of RyR2 channels from calcium release units compared to wildtype controls.
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