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Abioye A, Akintade D, Mitchell J, Olorode S, Adejare A. Nonintuitive Immunogenicity and Plasticity of Alpha-Synuclein Conformers: A Paradigm for Smart Delivery of Neuro-Immunotherapeutics. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:609. [PMID: 38794271 PMCID: PMC11124533 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16050609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the extensive research successes and continuous developments in modern medicine in terms of diagnosis, prevention, and treatment, the lack of clinically useful disease-modifying drugs or immunotherapeutic agents that can successfully treat or prevent neurodegenerative diseases is an ongoing challenge. To date, only one of the 244 drugs in clinical trials for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases has been approved in the past decade, indicating a failure rate of 99.6%. In corollary, the approved monoclonal antibody did not demonstrate significant cognitive benefits. Thus, the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases is increasing rapidly. Therefore, there is an urgent need for creative approaches to identifying and testing biomarkers for better diagnosis, prevention, and disease-modifying strategies for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Overexpression of the endogenous α-synuclein has been identified as the driving force for the formation of the pathogenic α-synuclein (α-Syn) conformers, resulting in neuroinflammation, hypersensitivity, endogenous homeostatic responses, oxidative dysfunction, and degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the conformational plasticity of α-Syn proffers that a certain level of α-Syn is essential for the survival of neurons. Thus, it exerts both neuroprotective and neurotoxic (regulatory) functions on neighboring neuronal cells. Furthermore, the aberrant metastable α-Syn conformers may be subtle and difficult to detect but may trigger cellular and molecular events including immune responses. It is well documented in literature that the misfolded α-Syn and its conformers that are released into the extracellular space from damaged or dead neurons trigger the innate and adaptive immune responses in PD. Thus, in this review, we discuss the nonintuitive plasticity and immunogenicity of the α-Syn conformers in the brain immune cells and their physiological and pathological consequences on the neuroimmune responses including neuroinflammation, homeostatic remodeling, and cell-specific interactions that promote neuroprotection in PD. We also critically reviewed the novel strategies for immunotherapeutic delivery interventions in PD pathogenesis including immunotherapeutic targets and potential nanoparticle-based smart drug delivery systems. It is envisioned that a greater understanding of the nonintuitive immunogenicity of aberrant α-Syn conformers in the brain's microenvironment would provide a platform for identifying valid therapeutic targets and developing smart brain delivery systems for clinically effective disease-modifying immunotherapeutics that can aid in the prevention and treatment of PD in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amos Abioye
- College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Belmont University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
| | - Damilare Akintade
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds LS1 3HE, UK; (D.A.); (J.M.); (S.O.)
| | - James Mitchell
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds LS1 3HE, UK; (D.A.); (J.M.); (S.O.)
| | - Simisade Olorode
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds LS1 3HE, UK; (D.A.); (J.M.); (S.O.)
| | - Adeboye Adejare
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA;
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So RWL, Watts JC. α-Synuclein Conformational Strains as Drivers of Phenotypic Heterogeneity in Neurodegenerative Diseases. J Mol Biol 2023:168011. [PMID: 36792008 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
The synucleinopathies, which include Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy, are a class of human neurodegenerative disorders unified by the presence of α-synuclein aggregates in the brain. Considerable clinical and pathological heterogeneity exists within and among the individual synucleinopathies. A potential explanation for this variability is the existence of distinct conformational strains of α-synuclein aggregates that cause different disease manifestations. Like prion strains, α-synuclein strains can be delineated based on their structural architecture, with structural differences among α-synuclein aggregates leading to unique biochemical attributes and neuropathological properties in humans and animal models. Bolstered by recent high-resolution structural data from patient brain-derived material, it has now been firmly established that there are conformational differences among α-synuclein aggregates from different human synucleinopathies. Moreover, recombinant α-synuclein can be polymerized into several structurally distinct aggregates that exhibit unique pathological properties. In this review, we outline the evidence supporting the existence of α-synuclein strains and highlight how they can act as drivers of phenotypic heterogeneity in the human synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaella W L So
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. https://twitter.com/xsakuraphie
| | - Joel C Watts
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. https://twitter.com/JoelWattsLab
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3
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Wang LQ, Ma Y, Yuan HY, Zhao K, Zhang MY, Wang Q, Huang X, Xu WC, Dai B, Chen J, Li D, Zhang D, Wang Z, Zou L, Yin P, Liu C, Liang Y. Cryo-EM structure of an amyloid fibril formed by full-length human SOD1 reveals its conformational conversion. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3491. [PMID: 35715417 PMCID: PMC9205981 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31240-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease. Misfolded Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1) has been linked to both familial and sporadic ALS. SOD1 fibrils formed in vitro share toxic properties with ALS inclusions. Here we produced cytotoxic amyloid fibrils from full-length apo human SOD1 under reducing conditions and determined the atomic structure using cryo-EM. The SOD1 fibril consists of a single protofilament with a left-handed helix. The fibril core exhibits a serpentine fold comprising N-terminal segment (residues 3–55) and C-terminal segment (residues 86–153) with an intrinsic disordered segment. The two segments are zipped up by three salt bridge pairs. By comparison with the structure of apo SOD1 dimer, we propose that eight β-strands (to form a β-barrel) and one α-helix in the subunit of apo SOD1 convert into thirteen β-strands stabilized by five hydrophobic cavities in the SOD1 fibril. Our data provide insights into how SOD1 converts between structurally and functionally distinct states. Misfolded SOD1 has been linked to both familial and sporadic ALS. Here the authors have determined the cryo-EM structure of SOD1 fibrils, providing insights into the conversion of SOD1 from its immature form into an aggregated form during pathogenesis of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Qiang Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, China.,Wuhan University Shenzhen Research Institute, 518057, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yeyang Ma
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201210, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Han-Ye Yuan
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, China.,Wuhan University Shenzhen Research Institute, 518057, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kun Zhao
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201210, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Mu-Ya Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, China.,Wuhan University Shenzhen Research Institute, 518057, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Centre of Plant Gene Research, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China
| | - Xi Huang
- Department of Neurology, the Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University (Shenzhen People's Hospital), 518020, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wen-Chang Xu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, China
| | - Bin Dai
- Institute of Nano Biomedicine and Engineering, Department of Instrument Science and Engineering, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, China.,Wuhan University Shenzhen Research Institute, 518057, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dan Li
- Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Bio-X Institutes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200030, Shanghai, China.,Zhangjiang Institute for Advanced Study, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, China
| | - Delin Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Centre of Plant Gene Research, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhengzhi Wang
- School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, China
| | - Liangyu Zou
- Department of Neurology, the Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University (Shenzhen People's Hospital), 518020, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ping Yin
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Centre of Plant Gene Research, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China
| | - Cong Liu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201210, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yi Liang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, 430072, Wuhan, China. .,Wuhan University Shenzhen Research Institute, 518057, Shenzhen, China.
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Li S, Zhu Y, Wei C, Li C, Chen W, Jiang S, Yuan D, Xu R. Identification of Molecular Correlations Between DHRS4 and Progressive Neurodegeneration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis By Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis. Front Immunol 2022; 13:874978. [PMID: 35479082 PMCID: PMC9035787 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.874978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease, and its candidate biomarkers have not yet been fully elucidated in previous studies. Therefore, with the present study, we aim to define and verify effective biomarkers of ALS by bioinformatics. Here, we employed differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), enrichment analysis, immune infiltration analysis, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) to identify biomarkers of ALS. To validate the biomarkers, we isolated the lumbar spinal cord from mice and characterized them using Western blotting and immunofluorescence. The results showed that Dhrs4 expression in the spinal cord was upregulated with the progression of SOD1G93A mice, and the upregulation of DHRS4 and its synergistic DHRS3 might be primarily associated with the activation of the complement cascade in the immune system (C1QA, C1QB, C1QC, C3, and ITGB2), which might be a novel mechanism that induces spinal neurodegeneration in ALS. We propose that DHRS4 and its synergistic DHRS3 are promising molecular markers for detecting ALS progression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Renshi Xu
- Department of Neurology, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital, Affiliated People’s Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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Woerman AL, Tamgüney G. Body-first Parkinson's disease and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease - similar or different? Neurobiol Dis 2022; 164:105625. [PMID: 35026401 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In several neurodegenerative disorders, proteins that typically exhibit an α-helical structure misfold into an amyloid conformation rich in β-sheet content. Through a self-templating mechanism, these amyloids are able to induce additional protein misfolding, facilitating their propagation throughout the central nervous system. This disease mechanism was originally identified for the prion protein (PrP), which misfolds into PrPSc in a number of disorders, including variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). More recently, the prion mechanism of disease was expanded to include other proteins that rely on this self-templating mechanism to cause progressive degeneration, including α-synuclein misfolding in Parkinson's disease (PD). Several studies now suggest that PD patients can be subcategorized based on where in the body misfolded α-synuclein originates, either the brain or the gut, similar to patients developing sporadic CJD or vCJD. In this review, we discuss the human and animal model data indicating that α-synuclein and PrPSc misfolding originates in the gut in body-first PD and vCJD, and summarize the data identifying the role of the autonomic nervous system in the gut-brain axis of both diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Woerman
- Institute for Applied Life Sciences and Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA.
| | - Gültekin Tamgüney
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
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Keskin I, Ekhtiari Bidhendi E, Marklund M, Andersen PM, Brännström T, Marklund SL, Nordström U. Peripheral administration of SOD1 aggregates does not transmit pathogenic aggregation to the CNS of SOD1 transgenic mice. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:111. [PMID: 34158126 PMCID: PMC8220797 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01211-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The deposition of aggregated proteins is a common neuropathological denominator for neurodegenerative disorders. Experimental evidence suggests that disease propagation involves prion-like mechanisms that cause the spreading of template-directed aggregation of specific disease-associated proteins. In transgenic (Tg) mouse models of superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1)-linked amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), inoculation of minute amounts of human SOD1 (hSOD1) aggregates into the spinal cord or peripheral nerves induces premature ALS-like disease and template-directed hSOD1 aggregation that spreads along the neuroaxis. This infectious nature of spreading pathogenic aggregates might have implications for the safety of laboratory and medical staff, recipients of donated blood or tissue, or possibly close relatives and caregivers. Here we investigate whether transmission of ALS-like disease is unique to the spinal cord and peripheral nerve inoculations or if hSOD1 aggregation might spread from the periphery into the central nervous system (CNS). We inoculated hSOD1 aggregate seeds into the peritoneal cavity, hindlimb skeletal muscle or spinal cord of adult Tg mice expressing mutant hSOD1. Although we used up to 8000 times higher dose—compared to the lowest dose transmitting disease in spinal cord inoculations—the peripheral inoculations did not transmit seeded aggregation to the CNS or premature ALS-like disease in hSOD1 Tg mice. Nor was any hSOD1 aggregation detected in the liver, kidney, skeletal muscle or sciatic nerve. To explore potential reasons for the lack of disease transmission, we examined the stability of hSOD1 aggregates and found them to be highly vulnerable to both proteases and detergent. Our findings suggest that exposed individuals and personnel handling samples from ALS patients are at low risk of any potential transmission of seeded hSOD1 aggregation.
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7
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Candelise N, Scaricamazza S, Salvatori I, Ferri A, Valle C, Manganelli V, Garofalo T, Sorice M, Misasi R. Protein Aggregation Landscape in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Clinical Relevance and Future Applications. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22116016. [PMID: 34199513 PMCID: PMC8199687 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22116016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Intrinsic disorder is a natural feature of polypeptide chains, resulting in the lack of a defined three-dimensional structure. Conformational changes in intrinsically disordered regions of a protein lead to unstable β-sheet enriched intermediates, which are stabilized by intermolecular interactions with other β-sheet enriched molecules, producing stable proteinaceous aggregates. Upon misfolding, several pathways may be undertaken depending on the composition of the amino acidic string and the surrounding environment, leading to different structures. Accumulating evidence is suggesting that the conformational state of a protein may initiate signalling pathways involved both in pathology and physiology. In this review, we will summarize the heterogeneity of structures that are produced from intrinsically disordered protein domains and highlight the routes that lead to the formation of physiological liquid droplets as well as pathogenic aggregates. The most common proteins found in aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases and their structural variability will be addressed. We will further evaluate the clinical relevance and future applications of the study of the structural heterogeneity of protein aggregates, which may aid the understanding of the phenotypic diversity observed in neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niccolò Candelise
- Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, c/o CERC, 00143 Rome, Italy; (S.S.); (I.S.); (A.F.); (C.V.)
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, National Research Council, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-338-891-2668
| | - Silvia Scaricamazza
- Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, c/o CERC, 00143 Rome, Italy; (S.S.); (I.S.); (A.F.); (C.V.)
| | - Illari Salvatori
- Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, c/o CERC, 00143 Rome, Italy; (S.S.); (I.S.); (A.F.); (C.V.)
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, 00161 Rome, Italy; (V.M.); (T.G.); (M.S.); (R.M.)
| | - Alberto Ferri
- Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, c/o CERC, 00143 Rome, Italy; (S.S.); (I.S.); (A.F.); (C.V.)
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, National Research Council, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Cristiana Valle
- Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, c/o CERC, 00143 Rome, Italy; (S.S.); (I.S.); (A.F.); (C.V.)
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, National Research Council, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Manganelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, 00161 Rome, Italy; (V.M.); (T.G.); (M.S.); (R.M.)
| | - Tina Garofalo
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, 00161 Rome, Italy; (V.M.); (T.G.); (M.S.); (R.M.)
| | - Maurizio Sorice
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, 00161 Rome, Italy; (V.M.); (T.G.); (M.S.); (R.M.)
| | - Roberta Misasi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, 00161 Rome, Italy; (V.M.); (T.G.); (M.S.); (R.M.)
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