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Atarod D, Mamashli F, Ghasemi A, Moosavi-Movahedi F, Pirhaghi M, Nedaei H, Muronetz V, Haertlé T, Tatzelt J, Riazi G, Saboury AA. Bivalent metal ions induce formation of α-synuclein fibril polymorphs with different cytotoxicities. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11898. [PMID: 35831343 PMCID: PMC9279330 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15472-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
α-Synuclein (α-Syn) aggregates are key components of intracellular inclusion bodies characteristic of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other synucleinopathies. Metal ions have been considered as the important etiological factors in PD since their interactions with α-Syn alter the kinetics of fibrillation. In the present study, we have systematically explored the effects of Zn2+, Cu2+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ cations on α-Syn fibril formation. Specifically, we determined fibrillation kinetics, size, morphology, and secondary structure of the fibrils and their cytotoxic activity. While all cations accelerate fibrillation, we observed distinct effects of the different ions. For example, Zn2+ induced fibrillation by lower tlag and higher kapp and formation of shorter fibrils, while Ca2+ ions lead to formation of longer fibrils, as evidenced by dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopy studies. Additionally, the morphology of formed fibrils was different. Circular dichroism and attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies revealed higher contents of β-sheets in fibrils. Interestingly, cell viability studies indicated nontoxicity of α-Syn fibrils formed in the presence of Zn2+ ions, while the fibrils formed in the presence of Cu2+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ were cytotoxic. Our results revealed that α-Syn fibrils formed in the presence of different divalent cations have distinct structural and cytotoxic features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deyhim Atarod
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Mamashli
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Atiyeh Ghasemi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Mitra Pirhaghi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hadi Nedaei
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vladimir Muronetz
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia, 119991
| | - Thomas Haertlé
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.,National Institute of Agronomic and Environmental Research, 44316, Nantes, France
| | - Jörg Tatzelt
- Department Biochemistry of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence RESOLV, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Gholamhossein Riazi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Ali Akbar Saboury
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
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52
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Drobny A, Prieto Huarcaya S, Dobert J, Kluge A, Bunk J, Schlothauer T, Zunke F. The role of lysosomal cathepsins in neurodegeneration: Mechanistic insights, diagnostic potential and therapeutic approaches. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2022; 1869:119243. [PMID: 35217144 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2022.119243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Lysosomes are ubiquitous organelles with a fundamental role in maintaining cellular homeostasis by mediating degradation and recycling processes. Cathepsins are the most abundant lysosomal hydrolyses and are responsible for the bulk degradation of various substrates. A correct autophagic function is essential for neuronal survival, as most neurons are post-mitotic and thus susceptible to accumulate cellular components. Increasing evidence suggests a crucial role of the lysosome in neurodegeneration as a key regulator of aggregation-prone and disease-associated proteins, such as α-synuclein, β-amyloid and huntingtin. Particularly, alterations in lysosomal cathepsins CTSD, CTSB and CTSL can contribute to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases as seen for neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, synucleinopathies (Parkinson's disease, Dementia with Lewy Body and Multiple System Atrophy) as well as Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease. In this review, we provide an overview of recent evidence implicating CTSD, CTSB and CTSL in neurodegeneration, with a special focus on the role of these enzymes in α-synuclein metabolism. In addition, we summarize the potential role of lysosomal cathepsins as clinical biomarkers in neurodegenerative diseases and discuss potential therapeutic approaches by targeting lysosomal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Drobny
- Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | | | - Jan Dobert
- Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Annika Kluge
- Department of Neurology, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Josina Bunk
- Institute of Biochemistry, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Friederike Zunke
- Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
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53
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Thrush RJ, Vadukul DM, Aprile FA. A Facile Method to Produce N-Terminally Truncated α-Synuclein. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:881480. [PMID: 35692420 PMCID: PMC9184721 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.881480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
α-Synuclein is a key protein of the nervous system, which regulates the release and recycling of neurotransmitters in the synapses. It is also involved in several neurodegenerative conditions, including Parkinson's disease and Multiple System Atrophy, where it forms toxic aggregates. The N-terminus of α-synuclein is of particular interest as it has been linked to both the physiological and pathological functions of the protein and undergoes post-translational modification. One such modification, N-terminal truncation, affects the aggregation propensity of the protein in vitro and is also found in aggregates from patients' brains. To date, our understanding of the role of this modification has been limited by the many challenges of introducing biologically relevant N-terminal truncations with no overhanging starting methionine. Here, we present a method to produce N-terminally truncated variants of α-synuclein that do not carry extra terminal residues. We show that our method can generate highly pure protein to facilitate the study of this modification and its role in physiology and disease. Thanks to this method, we have determined that the first six residues of α-synuclein play an important role in the formation of the amyloids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J. Thrush
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom,Institute of Chemical Biology, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Devkee M. Vadukul
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Francesco A. Aprile
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom,Institute of Chemical Biology, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom,*Correspondence: Francesco A. Aprile,
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54
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Jana AK, Lander CW, Chesney AD, Hansmann UHE. Effect of an Amyloidogenic SARS-COV-2 Protein Fragment on α-Synuclein Monomers and Fibrils. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:3648-3658. [PMID: 35580331 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c01254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Aggregates of α-synuclein are thought to be the disease-causing agent in Parkinson's disease. Various case studies have hinted at a correlation between COVID-19 and the onset of Parkinson's disease. For this reason, we use molecular dynamics simulations to study whether amyloidogenic regions in SARS-COV-2 proteins can initiate and modulate aggregation of α-synuclein. As an example, we choose the nine-residue fragment SFYVYSRVK (SK9), located on the C-terminal of the envelope protein of SARS-COV-2. We probe how the presence of SK9 affects the conformational ensemble of α-synuclein monomers and the stability of two resolved fibril polymorphs. We find that the viral protein fragment SK9 may alter α-synuclein amyloid formation by shifting the ensemble toward aggregation-prone and preferentially rod-like fibril seeding conformations. However, SK9 has only a small effect on the stability of pre-existing or newly formed fibrils. A potential mechanism and key residues for potential virus-induced amyloid formation are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asis K Jana
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
| | - Chance W Lander
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
| | - Andrew D Chesney
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
| | - Ulrich H E Hansmann
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
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Kumar ST, Mahul-Mellier AL, Hegde RN, Rivière G, Moons R, Ibáñez de Opakua A, Magalhães P, Rostami I, Donzelli S, Sobott F, Zweckstetter M, Lashuel HA. A NAC domain mutation (E83Q) unlocks the pathogenicity of human alpha-synuclein and recapitulates its pathological diversity. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn0044. [PMID: 35486726 PMCID: PMC9054026 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn0044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The alpha-synuclein mutation E83Q, the first in the NAC domain of the protein, was recently identified in a patient with dementia with Lewy bodies. We investigated the effects of this mutation on the aggregation of aSyn monomers and the structure, morphology, dynamic, and seeding activity of the aSyn fibrils in neurons. We found that it markedly accelerates aSyn fibrillization and results in the formation of fibrils with distinct structural and dynamic properties. In cells, this mutation is associated with higher levels of aSyn, accumulation of pS129, and increased toxicity. In a neuronal seeding model of Lewy body (LB) formation, the E83Q mutation significantly enhances the internalization of fibrils into neurons, induces higher seeding activity, and results in the formation of diverse aSyn pathologies, including the formation of LB-like inclusions that recapitulate the immunohistochemical and morphological features of brainstem LBs observed in brains of patients with Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Senthil T. Kumar
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anne-Laure Mahul-Mellier
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ramanath Narayana Hegde
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gwladys Rivière
- Research Group Translational Structural Biology, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rani Moons
- Department of Chemistry, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Alain Ibáñez de Opakua
- Research Group Translational Structural Biology, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Pedro Magalhães
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Iman Rostami
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sonia Donzelli
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Frank Sobott
- Department of Chemistry, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology and The Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, UK
| | - Markus Zweckstetter
- Research Group Translational Structural Biology, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Department for NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Am Faßberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Hilal A. Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, School of Life Sciences, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Corresponding author.
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56
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Mechanisms of enhanced aggregation and fibril formation of Parkinson's disease-related variants of α-synuclein. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6770. [PMID: 35474118 PMCID: PMC9043213 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10789-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn) into amyloid fibrils is closely associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Familial mutations or posttranslational truncations in α-syn are known as risk factor for PD. Here, we examined the effects of the PD-related A30P or A53T point mutation and C-terminal 123–140 or 104–140 truncation on the aggregating property of α-syn based on the kinetic and thermodynamic analyses. Thioflavin T fluorescence measurements indicated that A53T, Δ123‒140, and Δ104–140 variants aggregated faster than WT α-syn, in which the A53T mutation markedly increases nucleation rate whereas the Δ123‒140 or Δ104‒140 truncation significantly increases both nucleation and fibril elongation rates. Ultracentrifugation and western blotting analyses demonstrated that these mutations or truncations promote the conversion of monomer to aggregated forms of α-syn. Analysis of the dependence of aggregation reaction of α-syn variants on the monomer concentration suggested that the A53T mutation enhances conversion of monomers to amyloid nuclei whereas the C-terminal truncations, especially the Δ104–140, enhance autocatalytic aggregation on existing fibrils. In addition, thermodynamic analysis of the kinetics of nucleation and fibril elongation of α-syn variants indicated that both nucleation and fibril elongation of WT α-syn are enthalpically and entropically unfavorable. Interestingly, the unfavorable activation enthalpy of nucleation greatly decreases for the A53T and becomes reversed in sign for the C-terminally truncated variants. Taken together, our results indicate that the A53T mutation and the C-terminal truncation enhance α-syn aggregation by reducing unfavorable activation enthalpy of nucleation, and the C-terminal truncation further triggers the autocatalytic fibril elongation on the fibril surfaces.
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Beatino MF, De Luca C, Campese N, Belli E, Piccarducci R, Giampietri L, Martini C, Perugi G, Siciliano G, Ceravolo R, Vergallo A, Hampel H, Baldacci F. α-synuclein as an emerging pathophysiological biomarker of Alzheimer's disease. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2022; 22:411-425. [PMID: 35443850 DOI: 10.1080/14737159.2022.2068952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION α-syn aggregates represent the pathological hallmark of synucleinopathies as well as a frequent copathology (almost 1/3 of cases) in AD. Recent research indicates a potential role of α-syn species, measured in CSF with conventional analytical techniques, in the differential diagnosis between AD and synucleinopathies (such as DLB). Pioneering studies report the detection of α-syn in blood, however, conclusive investigations are controversial. Ultrasensitive seed amplification techniques, enabling the selective quantification of α-syn seeds, may represent an effective solution to identify the α-syn component in AD and facilitate a biomarker-guided stratification. AREAS COVERED We performed a PubMed-based review of the latest findings on α-syn-related biomarkers for AD, focusing on bodily fluids. A dissertation on the role of ultrasensitive seed amplification assays, detecting α-syn seeds from different biological samples, was conducted. EXPERT OPINION α-syn may contribute to progressive AD neurodegeneration through cross-seeding especially with tau protein. Ultrasensitive seed amplification techniques may support a biomarker-drug co-development pathway and may be a pathophysiological candidate biomarker for the evolving ATX(N) system to classify AD and the spectrum of primary NDDs. This would contribute to a precise approach to AD, aimed at implementing disease-modifying treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ciro De Luca
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Nicole Campese
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Belli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Linda Giampietri
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Giulio Perugi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Gabriele Siciliano
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Roberto Ceravolo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Vergallo
- GRC N° 21, Alzheimer Precision Medicine (APM), AP-HP, Sorbonne University, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Boulevard De l'Hôpital, Paris, France
| | - Harald Hampel
- GRC N° 21, Alzheimer Precision Medicine (APM), AP-HP, Sorbonne University, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Boulevard De l'Hôpital, Paris, France
| | - Filippo Baldacci
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.,GRC N° 21, Alzheimer Precision Medicine (APM), AP-HP, Sorbonne University, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Boulevard De l'Hôpital, Paris, France
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58
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Takamuku M, Sugishita T, Tamaki H, Dong L, So M, Fujiwara T, Matsuki Y. Evolution of α-synuclein conformation ensemble toward amyloid fibril via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) as investigated by dynamic nuclear polarization-enhanced solid-state MAS NMR. Neurochem Int 2022; 157:105345. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2022.105345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- Shibananda Das
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Murugappan Muthukumar
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
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60
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Initiation and progression of α-synuclein pathology in Parkinson’s disease. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:210. [PMID: 35347432 PMCID: PMC8960654 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04240-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
α-Synuclein aggregation is a critical molecular process that underpins the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease. Aggregates may originate at synaptic terminals as a consequence of aberrant interactions between α-synuclein and lipids or evasion of proteostatic defences. The nature of these interactions is likely to influence the emergence of conformers or strains that in turn could explain the clinical heterogeneity of Parkinson’s disease and related α-synucleinopathies. For neurodegeneration to occur, α-synuclein assemblies need to exhibit seeding competency, i.e. ability to template further aggregation, and toxicity which is at least partly mediated by interference with synaptic vesicle or organelle homeostasis. Given the dynamic and reversible conformational plasticity of α-synuclein, it is possible that seeding competency and cellular toxicity are mediated by assemblies of different structure or size along this continuum. It is currently unknown which α-synuclein assemblies are the most relevant to the human condition but recent advances in the cryo-electron microscopic characterisation of brain-derived fibrils and their assessment in stem cell derived and animal models are likely to facilitate the development of precision therapies or biomarkers. This review summarises the main principles of α-synuclein aggregate initiation and propagation in model systems, and their relevance to clinical translation.
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Seetaloo N, Kish M, Phillips JJ. HDfleX: Software for Flexible High Structural Resolution of Hydrogen/Deuterium-Exchange Mass Spectrometry Data. Anal Chem 2022; 94:4557-4564. [PMID: 35263087 PMCID: PMC9204700 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c05339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Hydrogen/deuterium-exchange
mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) experiments
on protein structures can be performed at three levels: (1) by enzymatically
digesting labeled proteins and analyzing the peptides (bottom-up),
(2) by further fragmenting peptides following digestion (middle-down),
and (3) by fragmenting the intact labeled protein (top-down) using
soft gas-phase fragmentation methods, such as electron transfer dissociation
(ETD). However, to the best of our knowledge, the software packages
currently available for the analysis of HDX-MS data do not enable
the peptide- and ETD-levels to be combined; they can only be analyzed
separately. Thus, we developed HDfleX, a standalone
application for the analysis of flexible high structural resolution
of HDX-MS data, which allows data at any level of structural resolution
(intact protein, peptide, fragment) to be merged. HDfleX features rapid experimental data fitting, robust statistical significance
analyses, and optional methods for theoretical intrinsic calculations
and a novel empirical correction for comparison between solution conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neeleema Seetaloo
- Living Systems Institute, Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, U.K
| | - Monika Kish
- Living Systems Institute, Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, U.K
| | - Jonathan J Phillips
- Living Systems Institute, Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, U.K.,Alan Turing Institute, British Library, London NW1 2DB, U.K
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Production of Recombinant Alpha-Synuclein: Still No Standardized Protocol in Sight. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12020324. [PMID: 35204823 PMCID: PMC8869614 DOI: 10.3390/biom12020324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Synucleinopathies are a group of neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by the abnormal accumulation of the protein alpha-synuclein (aSyn). aSyn is an intrinsically disordered protein that can adopt different aggregation states, some of which may be associated with disease. Therefore, understanding the transitions between such aggregation states may be essential for deciphering the molecular underpinnings underlying synucleinopathies. Recombinant aSyn is routinely produced and purified from E. coli in many laboratories, and in vitro preparations of aSyn aggregated species became central for modeling neurodegeneration in cell and animal models. Thus, reproducibility and reliability of such studies largely depends on the purity and homogeneity of aSyn preparations across batches and between laboratories. A variety of different methods are in use to produce and purify aSyn, which we review in this commentary. We also show how extraction buffer composition can affect aSyn aggregation, emphasizing the importance of standardizing protocols to ensure reproducibility between different laboratories and studies, which are essential for advancing the field.
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Liu W, Zhang Q, Xing H, Gao G, Liu J, Huang Y, Yang H. Characterization of a Novel Monoclonal Antibody for Serine-129 Phosphorylated α-Synuclein: A Potential Application for Clinical and Basic Research. Front Neurol 2022; 13:821792. [PMID: 35250825 PMCID: PMC8893957 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.821792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Lewy bodies (LBs) are the pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD). More than 90% of α-synuclein (α-syn) within LBs is phosphorylated at the serine-129 residue [pSer129 α-syn (p-α-syn)]. Although various studies have revealed that this abnormally elevated p-α-syn acts as a pathological biomarker and is involved in the pathogenic process of PD, the exact pathophysiological mechanisms of p-α-syn are still not fully understood. Therefore, the development of specific and reliable tools for p-α-syn detection is important. In this study, we generated a novel p-α-syn mouse monoclonal antibody (C140S) using hybridoma technology. To further identify the characteristics of C140S, we performed several in vitro assays using recombinant proteins, along with ex vivo assays utilizing the brains of Thy1-SNCA transgenic (Tg) mice, the preformed fibril (PFF)-treated neurons, and the brain sections of patients with PD. Our C140S specifically recognized human and mouse p-α-syn proteins both in vitro and ex vivo, and similar to commercial p-α-syn antibodies, the C140S detected higher levels of p-α-syn in the midbrain of the Tg mice. Using immunogold electron microscopy, these p-α-syn particles were partly deposited in the cytoplasm and colocalized with the outer mitochondrial membrane. In addition, the C140S recognized p-α-syn pathologies in the PFF-treated neurons and the amygdala of patients with PD. Overall, the C140S antibody was a specific and potential research tool in the detection and mechanistic studies of pathogenic p-α-syn in PD and related synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijin Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Beijing Key Laboratory on Parkinson's Disease, Key Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Disease of the Ministry of Education, Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Qidi Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Beijing Key Laboratory on Parkinson's Disease, Key Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Disease of the Ministry of Education, Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Xing
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Beijing Key Laboratory on Parkinson's Disease, Key Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Disease of the Ministry of Education, Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Ge Gao
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Beijing Key Laboratory on Parkinson's Disease, Key Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Disease of the Ministry of Education, Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
| | - Jia Liu
- Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Ministry of Science and Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yue Huang
- China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Yang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Beijing Key Laboratory on Parkinson's Disease, Key Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Disease of the Ministry of Education, Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Hui Yang
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Farzadfard A, Pedersen JN, Meisl G, Somavarapu AK, Alam P, Goksøyr L, Nielsen MA, Sander AF, Knowles TPJ, Pedersen JS, Otzen DE. The C-terminal tail of α-synuclein protects against aggregate replication but is critical for oligomerization. Commun Biol 2022; 5:123. [PMID: 35145226 PMCID: PMC8831632 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03059-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggregation of the 140-residue protein α-synuclein (αSN) is a key factor in the etiology of Parkinson’s disease. Although the intensely anionic C-terminal domain (CTD) of αSN does not form part of the amyloid core region or affect membrane binding ability, truncation or reduction of charges in the CTD promotes fibrillation through as yet unknown mechanisms. Here, we study stepwise truncated CTDs and identify a threshold region around residue 121; constructs shorter than this dramatically increase their fibrillation tendency. Remarkably, these effects persist even when as little as 10% of the truncated variant is mixed with the full-length protein. Increased fibrillation can be explained by a substantial increase in self-replication, most likely via fragmentation. Paradoxically, truncation also suppresses toxic oligomer formation, and oligomers that can be formed by chemical modification show reduced membrane affinity and cytotoxicity. These remarkable changes correlate to the loss of negative electrostatic potential in the CTD and highlight a double-edged electrostatic safety guard. Farzadfard et al. present a comprehensive analysis of a range of C-terminal truncations of aSN, linking the importance of high C-terminus charge for decreased fibrillation rates. The ability to formation oligomers, to disrupt synthetic vesicles and cell toxicity was reduced with truncated aSN, aiding in understanding of the intramolecular interactions of aSN which promote/inhibit aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azad Farzadfard
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.,School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jannik Nedergaard Pedersen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Georg Meisl
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Arun Kumar Somavarapu
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Parvez Alam
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.,Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Louise Goksøyr
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at the Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Morten Agertoug Nielsen
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at the Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Adam Frederik Sander
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at the Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK.,Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK
| | - Jan Skov Pedersen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.,Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Daniel Erik Otzen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark. .,Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
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65
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Lan-Mark S, Miller Y. Insights into the Interactions that Trigger the Primary Nucleation of Polymorphic α-Synuclein Dimers. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022; 13:370-378. [PMID: 35044156 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease is associated with the accumulation of α-synuclein (AS) aggregates that include polymorphic AS oligomers and polymorphic fibrils. There have been advances in solving the polymorphic state of AS fibrils, both by experimental techniques and molecular modeling tools. Yet, the polymorphic AS oligomers are now considered as the neurotoxic species, thus current and future studies making efforts to solve their structures at the molecular level. Importantly, it is crucial to explore the specific interactions between AS monomers within the dimer that stabilize the dimer and yield nucleation. Herein, we present a first work that probes at the molecular level the specific interactions between monomers in polymorphic AS dimers are derived from AS fibrils by applying molecular modeling tools. Our work reveals that both N-terminal and the non-amyloidogenic component domains play a role in the dimerization of all polymorphic AS dimers. In addition, helices along the N-terminal of AS monomers impede the contacts between AS monomers, thus preventing the nucleation or the dimerization of AS. This work provides insights into several mechanisms of the production of polymorphic AS dimers. Thus, the findings obtained in this work may assist in developing new therapeutic strategies for inhibiting the formation of the early-stage neurotoxic AS dimers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sapir Lan-Mark
- Department of Chemistry Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva 84105, Israel
- The Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Yifat Miller
- Department of Chemistry Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva 84105, Israel
- The Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva 84105, Israel
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66
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Spathopoulou A, Edenhofer F, Fellner L. Targeting α-Synuclein in Parkinson's Disease by Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Models. Front Neurol 2022; 12:786835. [PMID: 35145469 PMCID: PMC8821105 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.786835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms. To date, no specific treatment to halt disease progression is available, only medication to alleviate symptoms can be prescribed. The main pathological hallmark of PD is the development of neuronal inclusions, positive for α-synuclein (α-syn), which are termed Lewy bodies (LBs) or Lewy neurites. However, the cause of the inclusion formation and the loss of neurons remain largely elusive. Various genetic determinants were reported to be involved in PD etiology, including SNCA, DJ-1, PRKN, PINK1, LRRK2, and GBA. Comprehensive insights into pathophysiology of PD critically depend on appropriate models. However, conventional model organisms fall short to faithfully recapitulate some features of this complex disease and as a matter-of-fact access to physiological tissue is limiting. The development of disease models replicating PD that are close to human physiology and dynamic enough to analyze the underlying molecular mechanisms of disease initiation and progression, as well as the generation of new treatment options, is an important and overdue step. Recently, the establishment of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neural models, particularly from genetic PD-variants, developed into a promising strategy to investigate the molecular mechanisms regarding formation of inclusions and neurodegeneration. As these iPSC-derived neurons can be generated from accessible biopsied samples of PD patients, they carry pathological alterations and enable the possibility to analyze the differences compared to healthy neurons. This review focuses on iPSC models carrying genetic PD-variants of α-syn that will be especially helpful in elucidating the pathophysiological mechanisms of PD. Furthermore, we discuss how iPSC models can be instrumental in identifying cellular targets, potentially leading to the development of new therapeutic treatments. We will outline the enormous potential, but also discuss the limitations of iPSC-based α-syn models.
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67
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Chau E, Kim JR. Engineering of a protein probe with multiple inputs and multiple outputs for evaluation of alpha synuclein aggregation states. Biochem Eng J 2022; 178:108292. [PMID: 35002469 PMCID: PMC8740893 DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2021.108292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The aggregation of α-synuclein (αS) into oligomers and fibrils is implicated in the pathology of Parkinson's Disease (PD). While a molecular probe for rapid and comprehensive evaluation of αS aggregation states is critical for a better understanding of PD pathology, identification of therapeutic candidates, and the development of early diagnostic strategies, no such probe has yet to be developed. A structurally flexible αS variant, PG65, was previously developed as a target binding-driven, conformation-switching molecular probe for rapid αS oligomer detection. Though informative, detection using PG65 provides no comprehensive assessment of the αS aggregation states. In the present study, we report engineering of a molecular probe, PG65-MIMO (a PG65 variant with Multiple-Inputs and Multiple-Outputs), that rapidly (within 2 hr) produces comprehensive information on αS aggregation states. PG65-MIMO generates distinct fluorescence responses to the three major αS conformers (monomers, oligomers, and fibrils). PG65-MIMO also displays unique fluorescent signals for αS oligomers, depending on the tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP) concentration. Our results suggest that the TCEP dependent signaling of PG65-MIMO may be associated with its conformational states. Overall, our study illustrates engineering of an αS variant to create a molecular probe for handling multiple inputs and multiple outputs, addressing the technological gap in αS detection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jin Ryoun Kim
- Corresponding author: Prof. Jin Ryoun Kim, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University, 6 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA. Tel: 1-646-997-3719.
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68
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Guzzo A, Delarue P, Rojas A, Nicolaï A, Maisuradze GG, Senet P. Missense Mutations Modify the Conformational Ensemble of the α-Synuclein Monomer Which Exhibits a Two-Phase Characteristic. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:786123. [PMID: 34912851 PMCID: PMC8667727 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.786123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
α-Synuclein is an intrinsically disordered protein occurring in different conformations and prone to aggregate in β-sheet structures, which are the hallmark of the Parkinson disease. Missense mutations are associated with familial forms of this neuropathy. How these single amino-acid substitutions modify the conformations of wild-type α-synuclein is unclear. Here, using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, we sampled the conformational space of the wild type and mutants (A30P, A53P, and E46K) of α-synuclein monomers for an effective time scale of 29.7 ms. To characterize the structures, we developed an algorithm, CUTABI (CUrvature and Torsion based of Alpha-helix and Beta-sheet Identification), to identify residues in the α-helix and β-sheet from Cα-coordinates. CUTABI was built from the results of the analysis of 14,652 selected protein structures using the Dictionary of Secondary Structure of Proteins (DSSP) algorithm. DSSP results are reproduced with 93% of success for 10 times lower computational cost. A two-dimensional probability density map of α-synuclein as a function of the number of residues in the α-helix and β-sheet is computed for wild-type and mutated proteins from molecular dynamics trajectories. The density of conformational states reveals a two-phase characteristic with a homogeneous phase (state B, β-sheets) and a heterogeneous phase (state HB, mixture of α-helices and β-sheets). The B state represents 40% of the conformations for the wild-type, A30P, and E46K and only 25% for A53T. The density of conformational states of the B state for A53T and A30P mutants differs from the wild-type one. In addition, the mutant A53T has a larger propensity to form helices than the others. These findings indicate that the equilibrium between the different conformations of the α-synuclein monomer is modified by the missense mutations in a subtle way. The α-helix and β-sheet contents are promising order parameters for intrinsically disordered proteins, whereas other structural properties such as average gyration radius, Rg, or probability distribution of Rg cannot discriminate significantly the conformational ensembles of the wild type and mutants. When separated in states B and HB, the distributions of Rg are more significantly different, indicating that global structural parameters alone are insufficient to characterize the conformational ensembles of the α-synuclein monomer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Guzzo
- Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne, UMR 6303 CNRS-Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Patrice Delarue
- Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne, UMR 6303 CNRS-Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Ana Rojas
- Schrödinger, Inc., New York, NY, United States
| | - Adrien Nicolaï
- Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne, UMR 6303 CNRS-Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Gia G Maisuradze
- Baker Laboratory of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Patrick Senet
- Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne, UMR 6303 CNRS-Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France.,Baker Laboratory of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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69
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Shillcock JC, Hastings J, Riguet N, Lashuel HA. Non-monotonic fibril surface occlusion by GFP tags from coarse-grained molecular simulations. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 20:309-321. [PMID: 35070162 PMCID: PMC8753129 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The pathological growth of amyloid fibrils in neurons underlies the progression of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Fibrils form when soluble monomers oligomerise in the cytoplasm. Their subsequent growth occurs via nucleated polymerization mechanisms involving the free ends of the fibrils augmented by secondary nucleation of new oligomers at their surface. Amyloid fibrils possess a complex interactome with diffusing cytoplasmic proteins that regulates many aspects of their growth, seeding capacity, biochemical activity and transition to pathological inclusions in diseased brains. Changes to their surface are also expected to modify their interactome, pathogenicity and spreading in the brain. Many assays visualise fibril formation, growth and inclusion formation by decorating monomeric proteins with fluorescent tags such as GFP. Recent studies from our group suggest that tags with sizes comparable to the fibril radius may modify the fibril surface accessibility and thus their PTM pattern, interactome and ability to form inclusions. Using coarse-grained molecular simulations of a single alpha synuclein fibril tagged with GFP we find that thermal fluctuations of the tags create a non-monotonic, size-dependent sieve around the fibril that perturbs its interactome with diffusing species. Our results indicate that experiments using tagged and untagged monomers to study the growth and interactome of fibrils should be compared with caution, and the confounding effects of the tags are more complex than a reduction in surface accessibility. The prevalence of fluorescent tags in amyloid fibril growth experiments suggests this has implications beyond the specific alpha synuclein fibrils we model here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian C. Shillcock
- Blue Brain Project, Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1202 Geneva, Switzerland
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Janna Hastings
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Bioinformatics Competence Center, Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nathan Riguet
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hilal A. Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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70
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Simon C, Soga T, Okano HJ, Parhar I. α-Synuclein-mediated neurodegeneration in Dementia with Lewy bodies: the pathobiology of a paradox. Cell Biosci 2021; 11:196. [PMID: 34798911 PMCID: PMC8605528 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-021-00709-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is epitomized by the pathognomonic manifestation of α-synuclein-laden Lewy bodies within selectively vulnerable neurons in the brain. By virtue of prion-like inheritance, the α-synuclein protein inexorably undergoes extensive conformational metamorphoses and culminate in the form of fibrillar polymorphs, instigating calamitous damage to the brain's neuropsychological networks. This epiphenomenon is nebulous, however, by lingering uncertainty over the quasi "pathogenic" behavior of α-synuclein conformers in DLB pathobiology. Despite numerous attempts, a monolithic "α-synuclein" paradigm that is able to untangle the enigma enshrouding the clinicopathological spectrum of DLB has failed to emanate. In this article, we review conceptual frameworks of α-synuclein dependent cell-autonomous and non-autonomous mechanisms that are likely to facilitate the transneuronal spread of degeneration through the neuraxis. In particular, we describe how the progressive demise of susceptible neurons may evolve from cellular derangements perpetrated by α-synuclein misfolding and aggregation. Where pertinent, we show how these bona fide mechanisms may mutually accentuate α-synuclein-mediated neurodegeneration in the DLB brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Simon
- Brain Research Institute, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Tomoko Soga
- Brain Research Institute, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Hirotaka James Okano
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Research Center for Medical Sciences, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ishwar Parhar
- Brain Research Institute, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
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71
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Srinivasan E, Chandrasekhar G, Chandrasekar P, Anbarasu K, Vickram AS, Karunakaran R, Rajasekaran R, Srikumar PS. Alpha-Synuclein Aggregation in Parkinson's Disease. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:736978. [PMID: 34733860 PMCID: PMC8558257 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.736978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by distinct aging-independent loss of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) region urging toward neuronal loss. Over the decade, various key findings from clinical perspective to molecular pathogenesis have aided in understanding the genetics with assorted genes related with PD. Subsequently, several pathways have been incriminated in the pathogenesis of PD, involving mitochondrial dysfunction, protein aggregation, and misfolding. On the other hand, the sporadic form of PD cases is found with no genetic linkage, which still remain an unanswered question? The exertion in ascertaining vulnerability factors in PD considering the genetic factors are to be further dissevered in the forthcoming decades with advancement in research studies. One of the major proponents behind the prognosis of PD is the pathogenic transmutation of aberrant alpha-synuclein protein into amyloid fibrillar structures, which actuates neurodegeneration. Alpha-synuclein, transcribed by SNCA gene is a neuroprotein found predominantly in brain. It is implicated in the modulation of synaptic vesicle transport and eventual release of neurotransmitters. Due to genetic mutations and other elusive factors, the alpha-synuclein misfolds into its amyloid form. Therefore, this review aims in briefing the molecular understanding of the alpha-synuclein associated with PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Srinivasan
- Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (Deemed to be University), Vellore, India.,Department of Bioinformatics, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Chennai, India
| | - G Chandrasekhar
- Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (Deemed to be University), Vellore, India
| | - P Chandrasekar
- Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (Deemed to be University), Vellore, India
| | - K Anbarasu
- Department of Bioinformatics, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Chennai, India
| | - A S Vickram
- Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Chennai, India
| | - Rohini Karunakaran
- Unit of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, AIMST University, Bedong, Malaysia
| | - R Rajasekaran
- Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (Deemed to be University), Vellore, India
| | - P S Srikumar
- Unit of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, AIMST University, Bedong, Malaysia
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72
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Fan Q, Gao Y, Mazur F, Chandrawati R. Nanoparticle-based colorimetric sensors to detect neurodegenerative disease biomarkers. Biomater Sci 2021; 9:6983-7007. [PMID: 34528639 DOI: 10.1039/d1bm01226f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs) are progressive, incurable health conditions that primarily affect brain cells, and result in loss of brain mass and impaired function. Current sensing technologies for NDD detection are limited by high cost, long sample preparation, and/or require skilled personnel. To overcome these limitations, optical sensors, specifically colorimetric sensors, have garnered increasing attention towards the development of a cost-effective, simple, and rapid alternative approach. In this review, we evaluate colorimetric sensing strategies of NDD biomarkers (e.g. proteins, neurotransmitters, bio-thiols, and sulfide), address the limitations and challenges of optical sensor technologies, and provide our outlook on the future of this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingqing Fan
- School of Chemical Engineering and Australian Centre for Nanomedicine (ACN), The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - Yuan Gao
- School of Chemical Engineering and Australian Centre for Nanomedicine (ACN), The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - Federico Mazur
- School of Chemical Engineering and Australian Centre for Nanomedicine (ACN), The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - Rona Chandrawati
- School of Chemical Engineering and Australian Centre for Nanomedicine (ACN), The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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73
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Robbins M, Clayton E, Kaminski Schierle GS. Synaptic tau: A pathological or physiological phenomenon? Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:149. [PMID: 34503576 PMCID: PMC8428049 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01246-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In this review, we discuss the synaptic aspects of Tau pathology occurring during Alzheimer's disease (AD) and how this may relate to memory impairment, a major hallmark of AD. Whilst the clinical diagnosis of AD patients is a loss of working memory and long-term declarative memory, the histological diagnosis is the presence of neurofibrillary tangles of hyperphosphorylated Tau and Amyloid-beta plaques. Tau pathology spreads through synaptically connected neurons to impair synaptic function preceding the formation of neurofibrillary tangles, synaptic loss, axonal retraction and cell death. Alongside synaptic pathology, recent data suggest that Tau has physiological roles in the pre- or post- synaptic compartments. Thus, we have seen a shift in the research focus from Tau as a microtubule-stabilising protein in axons, to Tau as a synaptic protein with roles in accelerating spine formation, dendritic elongation, and in synaptic plasticity coordinating memory pathways. We collate here the myriad of emerging interactions and physiological roles of synaptic Tau, and discuss the current evidence that synaptic Tau contributes to pathology in AD.
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74
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Chen J, Zaer S, Drori P, Zamel J, Joron K, Kalisman N, Lerner E, Dokholyan NV. The structural heterogeneity of α-synuclein is governed by several distinct subpopulations with interconversion times slower than milliseconds. Structure 2021; 29:1048-1064.e6. [PMID: 34015255 PMCID: PMC8419013 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2021.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
α-Synuclein plays an important role in synaptic functions by interacting with synaptic vesicle membrane, while its oligomers and fibrils are associated with several neurodegenerative diseases. The specific monomer structures that promote its membrane binding and self-association remain elusive due to its transient nature as an intrinsically disordered protein. Here, we use inter-dye distance distributions from bulk time-resolved Förster resonance energy transfer as restraints in discrete molecular dynamics simulations to map the conformational space of the α-synuclein monomer. We further confirm the generated conformational ensemble in orthogonal experiments utilizing far-UV circular dichroism and cross-linking mass spectrometry. Single-molecule protein-induced fluorescence enhancement measurements show that within this conformational ensemble, some of the conformations of α-synuclein are surprisingly stable, exhibiting conformational transitions slower than milliseconds. Our comprehensive analysis of the conformational ensemble reveals essential structural properties and potential conformations that promote its various functions in membrane interaction or oligomer and fibril formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxing Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Sofia Zaer
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics & Science, The Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Paz Drori
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics & Science, The Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Joanna Zamel
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics & Science, The Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Khalil Joron
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics & Science, The Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Nir Kalisman
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics & Science, The Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Eitan Lerner
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics & Science, The Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel; The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel.
| | - Nikolay V Dokholyan
- Department of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA; Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA; Departments of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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75
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Oliveira LMA, Gasser T, Edwards R, Zweckstetter M, Melki R, Stefanis L, Lashuel HA, Sulzer D, Vekrellis K, Halliday GM, Tomlinson JJ, Schlossmacher M, Jensen PH, Schulze-Hentrich J, Riess O, Hirst WD, El-Agnaf O, Mollenhauer B, Lansbury P, Outeiro TF. Alpha-synuclein research: defining strategic moves in the battle against Parkinson's disease. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2021; 7:65. [PMID: 34312398 PMCID: PMC8313662 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-021-00203-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
With the advent of the genetic era in Parkinson's disease (PD) research in 1997, α-synuclein was identified as an important player in a complex neurodegenerative disease that affects >10 million people worldwide. PD has been estimated to have an economic impact of $51.9 billion in the US alone. Since the initial association with PD, hundreds of researchers have contributed to elucidating the functions of α-synuclein in normal and pathological states, and these remain critical areas for continued research. With this position paper the authors strive to achieve two goals: first, to succinctly summarize the critical features that define α-synuclein's varied roles, as they are known today; and second, to identify the most pressing knowledge gaps and delineate a multipronged strategy for future research with the goal of enabling therapies to stop or slow disease progression in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis M A Oliveira
- The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Thomas Gasser
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Robert Edwards
- Departments of Neurology and Physiology, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Markus Zweckstetter
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany
- Department for NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ronald Melki
- Institut François Jacob, MIRCen, CEA and Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, CNRS, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Leonidas Stefanis
- Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
- First Department of Neurology, Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Hilal A Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - David Sulzer
- Department of Psychiatry, Neurology, Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kostas Vekrellis
- Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Glenda M Halliday
- University of Sydney, Brain and Mind Centre and Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Julianna J Tomlinson
- Neuroscience Program, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Michael Schlossmacher
- Neuroscience Program, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Division of Neurology, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Poul Henning Jensen
- Aarhus University, Department of Biomedicine & DANDRITE, Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Julia Schulze-Hentrich
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Olaf Riess
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Warren D Hirst
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Unit, Biogen, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Omar El-Agnaf
- Neurological Disorder Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Brit Mollenhauer
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Paracelsus-Elena-Klinik, Kassel, Germany
| | | | - Tiago F Outeiro
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany.
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
- Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany.
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK.
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76
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Bell R, Vendruscolo M. Modulation of the Interactions Between α-Synuclein and Lipid Membranes by Post-translational Modifications. Front Neurol 2021; 12:661117. [PMID: 34335440 PMCID: PMC8319954 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.661117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease is characterised by the presence in brain tissue of aberrant inclusions known as Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites, which are deposits composed by α-synuclein and a variety of other cellular components, including in particular lipid membranes. The dysregulation of the balance between lipid homeostasis and α-synuclein homeostasis is therefore likely to be closely involved in the onset and progression of Parkinson's disease and related synucleinopathies. As our understanding of this balance is increasing, we describe recent advances in the characterisation of the role of post-translational modifications in modulating the interactions of α-synuclein with lipid membranes. We then discuss the impact of these advances on the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic tools for synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Centre for Misfolding Disease, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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77
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Brunori M. From Kuru to Alzheimer: A personal outlook. Protein Sci 2021; 30:1776-1792. [PMID: 34118168 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Seventy years ago, we learned from Chris Anfinsen that the stereochemical code necessary to fold a protein is embedded into its amino acid sequence. In water, protein morphogenesis is a spontaneous reversible process leading from an ensemble of disordered structures to the ordered functionally competent protein; conforming to Aristotle's definition of substance, the synolon of matter and form. The overall process of folding is generally consistent with a two state transition between the native and the denatured protein: not only the denatured state is an ensemble of several structures, but also the native protein populates distinct functionally relevant conformational (sub)states. This two-state view should be revised, given that any globular protein can populate a peculiar third state called amyloid, characterized by an overall architecture that at variance with the native state, is by-and-large independent of the primary structure. In a nut shell, we should accept that beside the folded and unfolded states, any protein can populate a third state called amyloid which gained center stage being the hallmark of incurable neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases as well as others. These fatal diseases are characterized by clear-cut clinical differences, yet display some commonalities such as the presence in the brain of amyloid deposits constituted by one misfolded protein specific for each disease. Some aspects of this complex problem are summarized here as an excursus from the prion's fibrils observed in the brain of aborigines who died of Kuru to the amyloid detectable in the cortex of Alzheimer's patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurizio Brunori
- Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei and Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche "A. Rossi Fanelli,", Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
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78
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Sirangelo I, Iannuzzi C. Understanding the Role of Protein Glycation in the Amyloid Aggregation Process. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22126609. [PMID: 34205510 PMCID: PMC8235188 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22126609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein function and flexibility is directly related to the native distribution of its structural elements and any alteration in protein architecture leads to several abnormalities and accumulation of misfolded proteins. This phenomenon is associated with a range of increasingly common human disorders, including Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases, type II diabetes, and a number of systemic amyloidosis characterized by the accumulation of amyloid aggregates both in the extracellular space of tissues and as intracellular deposits. Post-translational modifications are known to have an active role in the in vivo amyloid aggregation as able to affect protein structure and dynamics. Among them, a key role seems to be played by non-enzymatic glycation, the most unwanted irreversible modification of the protein structure, which strongly affects long-living proteins throughout the body. This study provided an overview of the molecular effects induced by glycation on the amyloid aggregation process of several protein models associated with misfolding diseases. In particular, we analyzed the role of glycation on protein folding, kinetics of amyloid formation, and amyloid cytotoxicity in order to shed light on the role of this post-translational modification in the in vivo amyloid aggregation process.
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79
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Nahass GR, Sun Y, Xu Y, Batchelor M, Reilly M, Benilova I, Kedia N, Spehar K, Sobott F, Sessions RB, Caughey B, Radford SE, Jat PS, Collinge J, Bieschke J. Brazilin Removes Toxic Alpha-Synuclein and Seeding Competent Assemblies from Parkinson Brain by Altering Conformational Equilibrium. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:166878. [PMID: 33610557 PMCID: PMC7610480 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.166878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Alpha-synuclein (α-syn) fibrils, a major constituent of the neurotoxic Lewy Bodies in Parkinson's disease, form via nucleation dependent polymerization and can replicate by a seeding mechanism. Brazilin, a small molecule derived from red cedarwood trees in Brazil, has been shown to inhibit the fibrillogenesis of amyloid-beta (Aβ) and α-syn as well as remodel mature fibrils and reduce cytotoxicity. Here we test the effects of Brazilin on both seeded and unseeded α-syn fibril formation and show that the natural polyphenol inhibits fibrillogenesis of α-syn by a unique mechanism that alters conformational equilibria in two separate points of the assembly mechanism: Brazilin preserves the natively unfolded state of α-syn by specifically binding to the compact conformation of the α-syn monomer. Brazilin also eliminates seeding competence of α-syn assemblies from Parkinson's disease patient brain tissue, and reduces toxicity of pre-formed assemblies in primary neurons by inducing the formation of large fibril clusters. Molecular docking of Brazilin shows the molecule to interact both with unfolded α-syn monomers and with the cross-β sheet structure of α-syn fibrils. Our findings suggest that Brazilin has substantial potential as a neuroprotective and therapeutic agent for Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- George R Nahass
- Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO, USA; Medical Research Council Prion Unit / UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK; Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA; Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Yuanzi Sun
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit / UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Yong Xu
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Mark Batchelor
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit / UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Madeleine Reilly
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit / UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Iryna Benilova
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit / UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Niraja Kedia
- Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kevin Spehar
- Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Frank Sobott
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | | | - Byron Caughey
- Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Sheena E Radford
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Parmjit S Jat
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit / UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - John Collinge
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit / UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jan Bieschke
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit / UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, UK; Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.
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80
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Beveridge R, Calabrese AN. Structural Proteomics Methods to Interrogate the Conformations and Dynamics of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins. Front Chem 2021; 9:603639. [PMID: 33791275 PMCID: PMC8006314 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.603639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and regions of intrinsic disorder (IDRs) are abundant in proteomes and are essential for many biological processes. Thus, they are often implicated in disease mechanisms, including neurodegeneration and cancer. The flexible nature of IDPs and IDRs provides many advantages, including (but not limited to) overcoming steric restrictions in binding, facilitating posttranslational modifications, and achieving high binding specificity with low affinity. IDPs adopt a heterogeneous structural ensemble, in contrast to typical folded proteins, making it challenging to interrogate their structure using conventional tools. Structural mass spectrometry (MS) methods are playing an increasingly important role in characterizing the structure and function of IDPs and IDRs, enabled by advances in the design of instrumentation and the development of new workflows, including in native MS, ion mobility MS, top-down MS, hydrogen-deuterium exchange MS, crosslinking MS, and covalent labeling. Here, we describe the advantages of these methods that make them ideal to study IDPs and highlight recent applications where these tools have underpinned new insights into IDP structure and function that would be difficult to elucidate using other methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Beveridge
- Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Antonio N. Calabrese
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
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81
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Nguyen PH, Ramamoorthy A, Sahoo BR, Zheng J, Faller P, Straub JE, Dominguez L, Shea JE, Dokholyan NV, De Simone A, Ma B, Nussinov R, Najafi S, Ngo ST, Loquet A, Chiricotto M, Ganguly P, McCarty J, Li MS, Hall C, Wang Y, Miller Y, Melchionna S, Habenstein B, Timr S, Chen J, Hnath B, Strodel B, Kayed R, Lesné S, Wei G, Sterpone F, Doig AJ, Derreumaux P. Amyloid Oligomers: A Joint Experimental/Computational Perspective on Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Type II Diabetes, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Chem Rev 2021; 121:2545-2647. [PMID: 33543942 PMCID: PMC8836097 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c01122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 368] [Impact Index Per Article: 122.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Protein misfolding and aggregation is observed in many amyloidogenic diseases affecting either the central nervous system or a variety of peripheral tissues. Structural and dynamic characterization of all species along the pathways from monomers to fibrils is challenging by experimental and computational means because they involve intrinsically disordered proteins in most diseases. Yet understanding how amyloid species become toxic is the challenge in developing a treatment for these diseases. Here we review what computer, in vitro, in vivo, and pharmacological experiments tell us about the accumulation and deposition of the oligomers of the (Aβ, tau), α-synuclein, IAPP, and superoxide dismutase 1 proteins, which have been the mainstream concept underlying Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), type II diabetes (T2D), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research, respectively, for many years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phuong H Nguyen
- CNRS, UPR9080, Université de Paris, Laboratory of Theoretical Biochemistry, IBPC, Fondation Edmond de Rothschild, PSL Research University, Paris 75005, France
| | - Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy
- Biophysics and Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1055, United States
| | - Bikash R Sahoo
- Biophysics and Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1055, United States
| | - Jie Zheng
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Peter Faller
- Institut de Chimie, UMR 7177, CNRS-Université de Strasbourg, 4 rue Blaise Pascal, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - John E Straub
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Laura Dominguez
- Facultad de Química, Departamento de Fisicoquímica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Joan-Emma Shea
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Nikolay V Dokholyan
- Department of Pharmacology and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, United States
- Department of Chemistry, and Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Alfonso De Simone
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
- Molecular Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80138, Italy
| | - Buyong Ma
- Basic Science Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruth Nussinov
- Basic Science Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
- Sackler Institute of Molecular Medicine, Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Saeed Najafi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Son Tung Ngo
- Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Biophysics & Faculty of Applied Sciences, Ton Duc Thang University, 33000 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Antoine Loquet
- Institute of Chemistry & Biology of Membranes & Nanoobjects, (UMR5248 CBMN), CNRS, Université Bordeaux, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Mara Chiricotto
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Pritam Ganguly
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - James McCarty
- Chemistry Department, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington 98225, United States
| | - Mai Suan Li
- Institute for Computational Science and Technology, SBI Building, Quang Trung Software City, Tan Chanh Hiep Ward, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Carol Hall
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7905, United States
| | - Yiming Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7905, United States
| | - Yifat Miller
- Department of Chemistry and The Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva 84105, Israel
| | | | - Birgit Habenstein
- Institute of Chemistry & Biology of Membranes & Nanoobjects, (UMR5248 CBMN), CNRS, Université Bordeaux, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Stepan Timr
- CNRS, UPR9080, Université de Paris, Laboratory of Theoretical Biochemistry, IBPC, Fondation Edmond de Rothschild, PSL Research University, Paris 75005, France
| | - Jiaxing Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, United States
| | - Brianna Hnath
- Department of Pharmacology and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, United States
| | - Birgit Strodel
- Institute of Complex Systems: Structural Biochemistry (ICS-6), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Rakez Kayed
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
| | - Sylvain Lesné
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Guanghong Wei
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Science, Multiscale Research Institute of Complex Systems, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Fabio Sterpone
- CNRS, UPR9080, Université de Paris, Laboratory of Theoretical Biochemistry, IBPC, Fondation Edmond de Rothschild, PSL Research University, Paris 75005, France
| | - Andrew J Doig
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K
| | - Philippe Derreumaux
- CNRS, UPR9080, Université de Paris, Laboratory of Theoretical Biochemistry, IBPC, Fondation Edmond de Rothschild, PSL Research University, Paris 75005, France
- Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry, Ton Duc Thang University, 33000 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Ton Duc Thang University, 33000 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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The docking of synaptic vesicles on the presynaptic membrane induced by α-synuclein is modulated by lipid composition. Nat Commun 2021; 12:927. [PMID: 33568632 PMCID: PMC7876145 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21027-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
α-Synuclein (αS) is a presynaptic disordered protein whose aberrant aggregation is associated with Parkinson’s disease. The functional role of αS is still debated, although it has been involved in the regulation of neurotransmitter release via the interaction with synaptic vesicles (SVs). We report here a detailed characterisation of the conformational properties of αS bound to the inner and outer leaflets of the presynaptic plasma membrane (PM), using small unilamellar vesicles. Our results suggest that αS preferentially binds the inner PM leaflet. On the basis of these studies we characterise in vitro a mechanism by which αS stabilises, in a concentration-dependent manner, the docking of SVs on the PM by establishing a dynamic link between the two membranes. The study then provides evidence that changes in the lipid composition of the PM, typically associated with neurodegenerative diseases, alter the modes of binding of αS, specifically in a segment of the sequence overlapping with the non-amyloid component region. Taken together, these results reveal how lipid composition modulates the interaction of αS with the PM and underlie its functional and pathological behaviours in vitro. α-Synuclein is a presynaptic protein whose aberrant aggregation is associated with Parkinson’s disease. Here, the authors show how αSynuclein-induced docking of synaptic vesicles is modulated by the lipid composition changes typically observed in neurodegeneration using an in vitro system.
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83
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Stephens AD, Matak-Vinkovic D, Fernandez-Villegas A, Kaminski Schierle GS. Purification of Recombinant α-synuclein: A Comparison of Commonly Used Protocols. Biochemistry 2020; 59:4563-4572. [PMID: 33237763 PMCID: PMC7818547 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The initial state of the intrinsically disordered protein α-synuclein (aSyn), e.g., the presence of oligomers and degradation products, or the presence of contaminants and adducts can greatly influence the aggregation kinetics and toxicity of the protein. Here, we compare four commonly used protocols for the isolation of recombinant aSyn from Escherichia coli: boiling, acid precipitation, ammonium sulfate precipitation, and periplasmic lysis followed by ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. We identified, using nondenaturing electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, that aSyn isolated by acid precipitation and periplasmic lysis was the purest and yielded the highest percentage of monomeric protein, 100% and 96.5%, respectively. We then show that aSyn purified by the different protocols exerts different metabolic stresses in cells, with the more multimeric/degraded and least pure samples leading to a larger increase in cell vitality. However, the percentage of monomeric protein and the purity of the samples did not correlate with aSyn aggregation propensity. This study highlights the importance of characterizing monomeric aSyn after purification, as the choice of purification method can significantly influence the outcome of a subsequent study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amberley D. Stephens
- Chemical
Engineering and Biotechnology, University
of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, U.K.,
| | - Dijana Matak-Vinkovic
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K.
| | - Ana Fernandez-Villegas
- Chemical
Engineering and Biotechnology, University
of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, U.K.
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84
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Aspholm EE, Matečko-Burmann I, Burmann BM. Keeping α-Synuclein at Bay: A More Active Role of Molecular Chaperones in Preventing Mitochondrial Interactions and Transition to Pathological States? Life (Basel) 2020; 10:E289. [PMID: 33227899 PMCID: PMC7699229 DOI: 10.3390/life10110289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The property of molecular chaperones to dissolve protein aggregates of Parkinson-related α-synuclein has been known for some time. Recent findings point to an even more active role of molecular chaperones preventing the transformation of α-synuclein into pathological states subsequently leading to the formation of Lewy bodies, intracellular inclusions containing protein aggregates as well as broken organelles found in the brains of Parkinson's patients. In parallel, a short motif around Tyr39 was identified as being crucial for the aggregation of α-synuclein. Interestingly, this region is also one of the main segments in contact with a diverse pool of molecular chaperones. Further, it could be shown that the inhibition of the chaperone:α-synuclein interaction leads to a binding of α-synuclein to mitochondria, which could also be shown to lead to mitochondrial membrane disruption as well as the possible proteolytic processing of α-synuclein by mitochondrial proteases. Here, we will review the current knowledge on the role of molecular chaperones in the regulation of physiological functions as well as the direct consequences of impairing these interactions-i.e., leading to enhanced mitochondrial interaction and consequential mitochondrial breakage, which might mark the initial stages of the structural transition of α-synuclein towards its pathological states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emelie E. Aspholm
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Göteborg, Sweden;
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Göteborg, Sweden;
| | - Irena Matečko-Burmann
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Göteborg, Sweden;
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Björn M. Burmann
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Göteborg, Sweden;
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Göteborg, Sweden;
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Effects of Detergent on α-Synuclein Structure. A Native MS-Ion Mobility Study. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21217884. [PMID: 33114222 PMCID: PMC7660655 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21217884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The intrinsically disordered protein α-synuclein plays a major role in Parkinson’s disease. The protein can oligomerize resulting in the formation of various aggregated species in neuronal cells, leading to neurodegeneration. The interaction of α-synuclein with biological cell membranes plays an important role for specific functions of α-synuclein monomers, e.g., in neurotransmitter release. Using different types of detergents to mimic lipid molecules present in biological membranes, including the presence of Ca2+ ions as an important structural factor, we aimed to gain an understanding of how α-synuclein interacts with membrane models and how this affects the protein conformation and potential oligomerization. We investigated detergent binding stoichiometry, affinity and conformational changes of α-synuclein taking detergent concentration, different detergent structures and charges into account. With native nano-electrospray ionization ion mobility-mass spectrometry, we were able to detect unique conformational patterns resulting from binding of specific detergents to α-synuclein. Our data demonstrate that α-synuclein monomers can interact with detergent molecules irrespective of their charge, that protein-micelle interactions occur and that micelle properties are an important factor.
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Moons R, Konijnenberg A, Mensch C, Van Elzen R, Johannessen C, Maudsley S, Lambeir AM, Sobott F. Metal ions shape α-synuclein. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16293. [PMID: 33004902 PMCID: PMC7529799 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73207-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
α-Synuclein is an intrinsically disordered protein that can self-aggregate and plays a major role in Parkinson's disease (PD). Elevated levels of certain metal ions are found in protein aggregates in neurons of people suffering from PD, and environmental exposure has also been linked with neurodegeneration. Importantly, cellular interactions with metal ions, particularly Ca2+, have recently been reported as key for α-synuclein's physiological function at the pre-synapse. Here we study effects of metal ion interaction with α-synuclein at the molecular level, observing changes in the conformational behaviour of monomers, with a possible link to aggregation pathways and toxicity. Using native nano-electrospray ionisation ion mobility-mass spectrometry (nESI-IM-MS), we characterize the heterogeneous interactions of alkali, alkaline earth, transition and other metal ions and their global structural effects on α-synuclein. Different binding stoichiometries found upon titration with metal ions correlate with their specific binding affinity and capacity. Subtle conformational effects seen for singly charged metals differ profoundly from binding of multiply charged ions, often leading to overall compaction of the protein depending on the preferred binding sites. This study illustrates specific effects of metal coordination, and the associated electrostatic charge patterns, on the complex structural space of the intrinsically disordered protein α-synuclein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rani Moons
- Biomolecular and Analytical Mass Spectrometry Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.,Receptor Biology Laboratory, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Albert Konijnenberg
- Biomolecular and Analytical Mass Spectrometry Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Carl Mensch
- Molecular Spectroscopy Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.,Flemish Supercomputer Centre, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Roos Van Elzen
- Laboratory of Medical Biochemistry, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Stuart Maudsley
- Receptor Biology Laboratory, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Anne-Marie Lambeir
- Laboratory of Medical Biochemistry, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Frank Sobott
- Biomolecular and Analytical Mass Spectrometry Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. .,Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK. .,School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
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A series of helical α-synuclein fibril polymorphs are populated in the presence of lipid vesicles. NPJ PARKINSONS DISEASE 2020; 6:17. [PMID: 32864427 PMCID: PMC7438318 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-020-00122-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
α-Synuclein (αS) deposition is a defining characteristic of Parkinson’s disease (PD) pathology, and other synucleinopathies. αS aggregates in disease, leading to the generation of neuronal inclusions known as Lewy bodies. These accumulate in the cytoplasmic space of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta region of the brain, causing cell death, resulting in decreased dopamine levels, and ultimately PD symptoms. To date, a significant proportion of structural information has arisen from in vitro studies using recombinantly purified forms of the protein, often failing to acknowledge that αS is natively located in the presence of phospholipids, where it likely plays a direct role in regulating synaptic vesicle function and neurotransmission. Here we present a series of macromolecular αS assemblies not previously described that form in the presence of lipid vesicles. These fibrillar structures are striking in both their large size relative to those previously reported and by their varying helical content, from ribbons to wave-like helices of long pitch shortening to those more compact and bulkier. These studies provide the foundation for more detailed structural analysis, and may offer new possibilities to further define disease-relevant versions of the protein that are accessible to pharmacological intervention.
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