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Bashir S, Aiman A, Chaudhary AA, Khan N, Ahanger IA, Sami N, Almugri EA, Ali MA, Khan SUD, Shahid M, Basir SF, Hassan MI, Islam A. Probing protein aggregation through spectroscopic insights and multimodal approaches: A comprehensive review for counteracting neurodegenerative disorders. Heliyon 2024; 10:e27949. [PMID: 38689955 PMCID: PMC11059433 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27949] [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: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Aberrant accumulation of protein misfolding can cause aggregation and fibrillation and is one of the primary characteristic features of neurodegenerative diseases. Because they are disordered, misfolded, and aggregated proteins pose a significant setback in drug designing. The structural study of intermediate steps in these kinds of aggregated proteins will allow us to determine the conformational changes as well as the probable pathways encompassing various neurodegenerative disorders. The analysis of protein aggregates involved in neurodegenerative diseases relies on a diverse toolkit of biophysical techniques, encompassing both morphological and non-morphological methods. Additionally, Thioflavin T (ThT) assays and Circular Dichroism (CD) spectroscopy facilitate investigations into aggregation kinetics and secondary structure alterations. The collective application of these biophysical techniques empowers researchers to comprehensively unravel the intricate nature of protein aggregates associated with neurodegeneration. Furthermore, the topics covered in this review have summed up a handful of well-established techniques used for the structural analysis of protein aggregation. This multifaceted approach advances our fundamental understanding of the underlying mechanisms driving neurodegenerative diseases and informs potential therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sania Bashir
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi, 110025, India
| | - Ayesha Aiman
- Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi, 110025, India
| | - Anis Ahmad Chaudhary
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nashrah Khan
- Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi, 110025, India
| | - Ishfaq Ahmad Ahanger
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi, 110025, India
| | - Neha Sami
- Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi, 110025, India
| | - Eman Abdullah Almugri
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed A.M. Ali
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, 11566, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Salah-Ud-Din Khan
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic Universi-ty (IMSIU), Riyadh, 11623, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad Shahid
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, AlKharj, 11942, Saudi Arabia
| | - Seemi Farhat Basir
- Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi, 110025, India
| | - Md Imtaiyaz Hassan
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi, 110025, India
| | - Asimul Islam
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi, 110025, India
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Stepanchuk AA, Stys PK. Spectral Fluorescence Pathology of Protein Misfolding Disorders. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:898-908. [PMID: 38407017 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00798] [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] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein misfolding has been extensively studied in the context of neurodegenerative disorders and systemic amyloidoses. Due to misfolding and aggregation of proteins being highly heterogeneous and generating a variety of structures, a growing body of evidence illustrates numerous ways how the aggregates contribute to progression of diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and prion disorders. Different misfolded species of the same protein, commonly referred to as strains, appear to play a significant role in shaping the disease clinical phenotype and clinical progression. The distinct toxicity profiles of various misfolded proteins underscore their importance. Current diagnostics struggle to differentiate among these strains early in the disease course. This review explores the potential of spectral fluorescence approaches to illuminate the complexities of protein misfolding pathology and discusses the applications of advanced spectral methods in the detection and characterization of protein misfolding disorders. By examining spectrally variable probes, current data analysis approaches, and important considerations for the use of these techniques, this review aims to provide an overview of the progress made in this field and highlights directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiia A Stepanchuk
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Peter K Stys
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
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Needham LM, Weber J, Pearson CM, Do DT, Gorka F, Lyu G, Bohndiek SE, Snaddon TN, Lee SF. A Comparative Photophysical Study of Structural Modifications of Thioflavin T-Inspired Fluorophores. J Phys Chem Lett 2020; 11:8406-8416. [PMID: 32924494 PMCID: PMC8741274 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c01549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The benzothiazolium salt, Thioflavin T (ThT), has been widely adopted as the "gold-standard" fluorescent reporter of amyloid in vitro. Its properties as a molecular rotor result in a large-scale (∼1000-fold) fluorescence turn-on upon binding to β-sheets in amyloidogenic proteins. However, the complex photophysics of ThT combined with the intricate and varied nature of the amyloid binding motif means these interactions are poorly understood. To study this important class of fluorophores, we present a detailed photophysical characterization and comparison of a novel library of 12 ThT-inspired fluorescent probes for amyloid protein (PAPs), where both the charge and donor capacity of the heterocyclic and aminobenzene components have been interrogated, respectively. This enables direct photophysical juxtaposition of two structural groups: the neutral "PAP" (class 1) and the charged "mPAP" fluorophores (class 2). We quantify binding and optical properties at both the bulk and single-aggregate levels with some derivatives showing higher aggregate affinity and brightness than ThT. Finally, we demonstrate their abilities to perform super-resolution imaging of α-synuclein fibrils with localization precisions of ∼16 nm. The properties of the derivatives provide new insights into the relationship between chemical structure and function of benzothiazole probes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa-Maria Needham
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Judith Weber
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, U.K
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0RE, U.K
| | - Colin M Pearson
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Dung T Do
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Felix Gorka
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Guanpeng Lyu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Sarah E Bohndiek
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, U.K
| | - Thomas N Snaddon
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Steven F Lee
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
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Gogoleva SD, Kalganova EV, Maskevich AA, Lugovski AA, Kuzmitsky VA, Goswami M, Buganov OV, Tikhomirov SA, Stsiapura VI. Neutral derivatives of Thioflavin T do not exhibit viscosity-dependent fluorescence. J Photochem Photobiol A Chem 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochem.2018.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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D'Amico M, Schirò G, Cupane A, D'Alfonso L, Leone M, Militello V, Vetri V. High fluorescence of thioflavin T confined in mesoporous silica xerogels. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2013; 29:10238-10246. [PMID: 23844566 DOI: 10.1021/la402406g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Trapping of organic molecules and dyes within nanoporous matrices is of great interest for the potential creation of new materials with tailored features and, thus, different possible applications ranging from nanomedicine to material science. The understanding of the physical basis of entrapment and the spectral properties of the guest molecules within the host matrix is an essential prerequisite for the design and control of the properties of these materials. In this work, we show that a mesoporous silica xerogel can efficiently trap the dye thioflavin T (ThT, a molecule used as a marker of amyloid fibrils and with potential drug benefits), sequestering it from an aqueous solution and producing a highly fluorescent material with a ThT quantum yield 1500 times greater than that of the free molecule. The study of spectroscopical properties of this system and the comparison with fluorescence of an uncharged analogue of ThT give indications about the mechanism responsible for the fluorescence switching-on of ThT molecules during their uptaking into the glass. Diffusion and nanocapillarity are responsible for ThT absorption, whereas electrostatic interaction between positive ThT molecules and negative dangling ≡SiO groups covering the pore surfaces causes the immobilization of ThT molecules inside the pores and the enhancement of its fluorescence, in line with the molecular rotor model proposed for this dye. We also show that entrapment efficiency and kinetics can be tuned by varying the electrostatic properties of the dye and/or the matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele D'Amico
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Chimica, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi 36, I-90123 Palermo, Italy.
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