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Rosetti B, Kralj S, Scarel E, Adorinni S, Rossi B, Vargiu AV, Garcia AM, Marchesan S. Insulin amyloid fibril formation reduction by tripeptide stereoisomers. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:11081-11089. [PMID: 38742431 DOI: 10.1039/d4nr00693c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Insulin fibrillation is a problem for diabetic patients that can occur during storage and transport, as well as at the subcutaneous injection site, with loss of bioactivity, inflammation, and various adverse effects. Tripeptides are ideal additives to stabilise insulin formulations, thanks to their low cost of production and inherent cytocompatibility. In this work, we analysed the ability of eight tripeptide stereoisomers to inhibit the fibrillation of human insulin in vitro. The sequences contain proline as β-breaker and Phe-Phe as binding motif for the amyloid-prone aromatic triplet found in insulin. Experimental data based on spectroscopy, fluorescence, microscopy, and calorimetric techniques reveal that one stereoisomer is a more effective inhibitor than the others, and cell live/dead assays confirmed its high cytocompatibility. Importantly, in silico data revealed the key regions of insulin engaged in the interaction with this tripeptide, rationalising the molecular mechanism behind insulin fibril formation reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Rosetti
- Chemical Pharmaceutical Science Department, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy.
| | - Slavko Kralj
- Materials Synthesis Department, Jožef Stefan, Institute, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Erica Scarel
- Chemical Pharmaceutical Science Department, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy.
| | - Simone Adorinni
- Chemical Pharmaceutical Science Department, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy.
| | - Barbara Rossi
- Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, Strada Statale 14 - km 163,5 Basovizza, 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Attilio V Vargiu
- Physics Department, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Ana M Garcia
- Facultad de Ciencias y Tecnologías Químicas, Instituto Regional de Investigación Científica Aplicada (IRICA), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain.
| | - Silvia Marchesan
- Chemical Pharmaceutical Science Department, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy.
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2
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Meng QY, Lu ZX, Liu LX, Lu XZ, Yu WG. Endotoxin accelerates insulin amyloid formation and inactivates insulin signal transduction. Life Sci 2023; 334:122258. [PMID: 37949209 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.122258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The aim of this study is to discuss the influence of endotoxin on insulin amyloid formation, to provide guidance for therapeutic insulin preparation and storage. MATERIALS AND METHODS The ThT and ANS binding assays were applied to characterize the dynamics curve of insulin amyloid formation with the presence or absence of endotoxin. The morphological structures of intermediate and mature insulin fibrils were observed with SEM and TEM. Secondary structural changes of insulin during fibriliation were examined with CD, FTIR and Raman spectral analysis. The cytotoxic effects of oligomeric and amyloidogenic insulin aggregates were detected using a cck-8 cell viability assay kit. The influence of endotoxin on insulin efficacy was analyzed by monitoring the activation of insulin signal transduction. KEY FINDINGS ThT analysis showed that endotoxin, regardless of species, accelerated insulin fibrils formation in a dose-dependent manner, as observed with a shorter lag phase. ANS binding assay demonstrated endotoxin provoked the exposure of insulin hydrophobic patches. The results of SEM and TEM data displayed that endotoxin drove insulin to cluster into dense and viscous form, with thicker and stronger filaments. Based on CD, FTIR and Raman spectra, endotoxin promoted the transition of α-helix to random coil and β-strand secondary structures during insulin aggregation. Insulins in both oligomeric and amyloidogenic forms were cytotoxic to HepG2 cells, with the former being more severe. Finally, the efficacy of endotoxin treated insulin obviously decreased. SIGNIFICANCE Our studies revealed that endotoxin disrupts the structural integrity of insulin and promotes its amyloidosis. These findings offered theoretical guidance for insulin storage and safe utilization, as well as pointing up a new direction for insulin resistance research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin-Yu Meng
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Zhong-Xia Lu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Lu-Xin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Xin-Zhi Lu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China.
| | - Wen-Gong Yu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China; Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts of Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266200, China; Key Laboratory of Glycoscience & Glycotechnology of Shandong Province, Qingdao 266003, China.
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Sen S, Ali R, Singh H, Onkar A, Bhadauriya P, Ganesh S, Verma S. An unnatural amino acid modified human insulin derivative for visual monitoring of insulin aggregation. Org Biomol Chem 2023; 21:7561-7566. [PMID: 37671483 DOI: 10.1039/d3ob01038d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
Insulin often forms toxic fibrils during production and transportation, which are deposited as amyloids at repeated injection sites in diabetic patients. Distinguishing early fibrils from non-fibrillated insulin is difficult. Herein, we introduce a chemically modified human insulin derivative with a distinct visual colour transition upon aggregation, facilitating insulin quality assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shantanu Sen
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institution of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur-208016, UP, India.
| | - Rafat Ali
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institution of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur-208016, UP, India.
| | - Harminder Singh
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institution of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur-208016, UP, India.
| | - Akanksha Onkar
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institution of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur-208016, UP, India
| | - Pratibha Bhadauriya
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institution of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur-208016, UP, India
| | - Subramaniam Ganesh
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institution of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur-208016, UP, India
| | - Sandeep Verma
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institution of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur-208016, UP, India.
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Khan JM, Malik A, Sharma P, Fatima S. Anionic surfactant causes dual conformational changes in insulin. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 247:125790. [PMID: 37451378 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid fibrillation is a process by which proteins aggregate and form insoluble fibrils that are implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases. In n this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of the negatively charged detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on insulin amyloid fibrillation at pH 7.4 and 2.0, as SDS has been linked to the acceleration of amyloid fibrillation in vitro, but the underlying molecular mechanism is not fully understood. Our findings show that insulin forms amyloid-like aggregates in the presence of SDS at concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 1.8 mM at pH 2.0, while no aggregates were observed at SDS concentrations greater than 1.8 mM, and insulin remained soluble. However, at pH 7.4, insulin remained soluble regardless of the concentration of SDS. Interestingly, the aggregated insulin had a cross-β sheet secondary structure, and when incubated with higher SDS concentrations, it gained more alpha-helix. The electrostatics and hydrophobic interaction of SDS and insulin may contribute to amyloid induction. Moreover, the SDS-induced aggregation was not affected by the presence of salts. Furthermore, as the concentration of SDS increased, the preformed insulin amyloid induced by SDS began to disintegrate. Overall, our study sheds light on the mechanism of surfactant-induced amyloid fibrillation in insulin protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javed Masood Khan
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ajamaluddin Malik
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Prerna Sharma
- Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Scranton, PA 18509, USA
| | - Sadaf Fatima
- Department of Biotechnology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India.
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5
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Fagihi MA, Premathilaka C, O’Neill T, Garré M, Bhattacharjee S. An Investigation into the Acidity-Induced Insulin Agglomeration: Implications for Drug Delivery and Translation. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:25279-25287. [PMID: 37483254 PMCID: PMC10357556 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c02482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Insulin undergoes agglomeration with (subtle) changes in its biochemical environment, including acidity, application of heat, ionic imbalance, and exposure to hydrophobic surfaces. The therapeutic impact of such unwarranted insulin agglomeration is unclear and needs further evaluation. A systematic investigation was conducted on recombinant human insulin-with or without labeling with fluorescein isothiocyanate-while preparing insulin suspensions (0.125, 0.25, and 0.5 mg/mL) at pH 3. The suspensions were incubated (37 °C) and analyzed at different time points (t = 2, 4, 24, 48, and 72 h). Transmission electron microscopy and nanoparticle tracking analysis identified colloidally stable (zeta potential 15 ± 5 mV) spherical agglomerates of unlabeled insulin (100-500 nm). Circular dichroism established the preservation of insulin's secondary structure rich in α-helices despite exposure to an acidic environment (pH 3) for 72 h. Furthermore, fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy illustrated an acidic core inside these spherical agglomerates, while the acidity gradually lessened toward the periphery. Some of these smaller agglomerates fused to form larger chunks with discrete zones of acidity. The data indicated a primary nucleation-driven mechanism of acid-induced insulin agglomeration under physiologically relevant conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megren
H. A. Fagihi
- School
of Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
- Clinical
Laboratory Sciences Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Najran University, Najran 55461, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Chanaka Premathilaka
- Institute
of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu 51006, Estonia
| | - Tiina O’Neill
- Conway
Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Massimiliano Garré
- Super-Resolution
Imaging Consortium, Royal College of Surgeons
in Ireland University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin D02 YN77, Ireland
| | - Sourav Bhattacharjee
- School of
Veterinary Medicine, University College
Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
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Galzitskaya OV, Grishin SY, Glyakina AV, Dovidchenko NV, Konstantinova AV, Kravchenko SV, Surin AK. The Strategies of Development of New Non-Toxic Inhibitors of Amyloid Formation. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043781. [PMID: 36835194 PMCID: PMC9964835 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, due to the aging of the population and the development of diagnostic medicine, the number of identified diseases associated with the accumulation of amyloid proteins has increased. Some of these proteins are known to cause a number of degenerative diseases in humans, such as amyloid-beta (Aβ) in Alzheimer's disease (AD), α-synuclein in Parkinson's disease (PD), and insulin and its analogues in insulin-derived amyloidosis. In this regard, it is important to develop strategies for the search and development of effective inhibitors of amyloid formation. Many studies have been carried out aimed at elucidating the mechanisms of amyloid aggregation of proteins and peptides. This review focuses on three amyloidogenic peptides and proteins-Aβ, α-synuclein, and insulin-for which we will consider amyloid fibril formation mechanisms and analyze existing and prospective strategies for the development of effective and non-toxic inhibitors of amyloid formation. The development of non-toxic inhibitors of amyloid will allow them to be used more effectively for the treatment of diseases associated with amyloid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oxana V. Galzitskaya
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
- Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
- Correspondence:
| | - Sergei Y. Grishin
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
- Institute of Environmental and Agricultural Biology (X-BIO), Tyumen State University, 625003 Tyumen, Russia
| | - Anna V. Glyakina
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
- Institute of Mathematical Problems of Biology RAS, The Branch of Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
| | - Nikita V. Dovidchenko
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
| | - Anastasiia V. Konstantinova
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergey V. Kravchenko
- Institute of Environmental and Agricultural Biology (X-BIO), Tyumen State University, 625003 Tyumen, Russia
| | - Alexey K. Surin
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
- The Branch of the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
- State Research Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 142279 Obolensk, Russia
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Peptide Inhibitors of Insulin Fibrillation: Current and Future Challenges. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021306. [PMID: 36674821 PMCID: PMC9863703 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloidoses include a large variety of local and systemic diseases that share the common feature of protein unfolding or refolding into amyloid fibrils. The most studied amyloids are those directly involved in neurodegenerative diseases, while others, such as those formed by insulin, are surprisingly far less studied. Insulin is a very important polypeptide that plays a variety of biological roles and, first and foremost, is at the basis of the therapy of diabetic patients. It is well-known that it can form fibrils at the site of injection, leading to inflammation and immune response, in addition to other side effects. In this concise review, we analyze the current knowledge on insulin fibrillation, with a focus on the development of peptide-based inhibitors, which are promising candidates for their biocompatibility but still pose challenges to their effective use in therapy.
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8
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Fagihi MA, Bhattacharjee S. Amyloid Fibrillation of Insulin: Amelioration Strategies and Implications for Translation. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2022; 5:1050-1061. [PMID: 36407954 PMCID: PMC9667547 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.2c00174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Insulin is a therapeutically relevant molecule with use in treating diabetes patients. Unfortunately, it undergoes a range of untoward and often unpredictable physical transformations due to alterations in its biochemical environment, including pH, ionic strength, temperature, agitation, and exposure to hydrophobic surfaces. The transformations are prevalent in its physiologically active monomeric form, while the zinc cation-coordinated hexamer, although physiologically inactive, is stable and less susceptible to fibrillation. The resultant molecular reconfiguration, including unfolding, misfolding, and hydrophobic interactions, often results in agglomeration, amyloid fibrillogenesis, and precipitation. As a result, a part of the dose is lost, causing a compromised therapeutic efficacy. Besides, the amyloid fibrils form insoluble deposits, trigger immunologic reactions, and harbor cytotoxic potential. The physical transformations also hold back a successful translation of non-parenteral insulin formulations, in addition to challenges related to encapsulation, chemical modification, purification, storage, and dosing. This review revisits the mechanisms and challenges that drive such physical transformations in insulin, with an emphasis on the observed amyloid fibrillation, and presents a critique of the current amelioration strategies before prioritizing some future research objectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megren
H. A. Fagihi
- School
of Medicine, University College Dublin (UCD), Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
- Clinical
Laboratory Sciences Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Najran University, Najran 55461, Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia
| | - Sourav Bhattacharjee
- School
of Veterinary Medicine, University College
Dublin (UCD), Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
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Zhang J, Yao P, You S, Qi W, Su R, He Z. Study on the Kinetics and Mechanism of Ferrocene-Tripeptide Inhibiting Insulin Aggregation. J Mater Chem B 2022; 10:7780-7788. [DOI: 10.1039/d2tb01085b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Peptides are gaining popularity as neurodegenerative disease-targeted drugs due to their medicinal value and the simplicity in the biomedicine and pharmaceutical industry field. In this study, based on previously studied...
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