1
|
Wenzhi Y, Xiangyi L, Dongsheng F. The prion-like effect and prion-like protein targeting strategy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Heliyon 2024; 10:e34963. [PMID: 39170125 PMCID: PMC11336370 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34963] [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: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Pathological proteins in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), such as superoxide dismutase 1, TAR DNA-binding protein 43, and fused in sarcoma, exhibit a prion-like pattern. All these proteins have a low-complexity domain and seeding activity in cells. In this review, we summarize the studies on the prion-like effect of these proteins and list six prion-like protein targeting strategies that we believe have potential for ALS therapy, including antisense oligonucleotides, antibody-based technology, peptide, protein chaperone, autophagy enhancement, and heteromultivalent compounds. Considering the pathological complexity and heterogeneity of ALS, we believe that the final solution to ALS therapy is most likely to be an individualized cocktail therapy, including clearance of toxicity, blockage of pathological progress, and protection of neurons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Wenzhi
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Biomarker and Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Liu Xiangyi
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Biomarker and Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Fan Dongsheng
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Biomarker and Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Cascella R, Banchelli M, Abolghasem Ghadami S, Ami D, Gagliani MC, Bigi A, Staderini T, Tampellini D, Cortese K, Cecchi C, Natalello A, Adibi H, Matteini P, Chiti F. An in situ and in vitro investigation of cytoplasmic TDP-43 inclusions reveals the absence of a clear amyloid signature. Ann Med 2023; 55:72-88. [PMID: 36495262 PMCID: PMC9746631 DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2022.2148734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Several neurodegenerative conditions are associated with a common histopathology within neurons of the central nervous system, consisting of the deposition of cytoplasmic inclusions of TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43). Such inclusions have variably been described as morphologically and molecularly ordered aggregates having amyloid properties, as filaments without the cross-β-structure and dye binding specific for amyloid, or as amorphous aggregates with no defined structure and fibrillar morphology.Aims and Methods: Here we have expressed human full-length TDP-43 in neuroblastoma x spinal cord 34 (NSC-34) cells to investigate the morphological, structural, and tinctorial properties of TDP-43 inclusions in situ. We have used last-generation amyloid diagnostic probes able to cross the cell membrane and detect amyloid in the cytoplasm and have adopted Raman and Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopies to study in situ the secondary structure of the TDP-43 protein in the inclusions. We have then used transmission electron microscopy to study the morphology of the TDP-43 inclusions.Results: The results show the absence of amyloid dye binding, the lack of an enrichment of cross-β structure in the inclusions, and of a fibrillar texture in the round inclusions. The aggregates formed in vitro from the purified protein under conditions in which it is initially native also lack all these characteristics, ruling out a clear amyloid-like signature.Conclusions: These findings indicate a low propensity of TDP-43 to form amyloid fibrils and even non-amyloid filaments, under conditions in which the protein is initially native and undergoes its typical nucleus-to-cell mislocalization. It cannot be excluded that filaments emerge on the long time scale from such inclusions, but the high propensity of the protein to form initially other types of inclusions appear to be an essential characteristic of TDP-43 proteinopathies.KEY MESSAGESCytoplasmic inclusions of TDP-43 formed in NSC-34 cells do not stain with amyloid-diagnostic dyes, are not enriched with cross-β structure, and do not show a fibrillar morphology.TDP-43 assemblies formed in vitro from pure TDP-43 do not have any hallmarks of amyloid.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Cascella
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Martina Banchelli
- Institute of Applied Physics "Nello Carrara", National Research Council, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | | | - Diletta Ami
- Department of Biotechnologies and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,Milan Center of Neuroscience (NeuroMI), Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Gagliani
- Cellular Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy
| | - Alessandra Bigi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Tommaso Staderini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Davide Tampellini
- U 1195 INSERM-Université Paris-Saclay, Paris, France.,Institut Professeur Baulieu, Paris, France
| | - Katia Cortese
- Cellular Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy
| | - Cristina Cecchi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Antonino Natalello
- Department of Biotechnologies and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,Milan Center of Neuroscience (NeuroMI), Milan, Italy
| | - Hadi Adibi
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Paolo Matteini
- Institute of Applied Physics "Nello Carrara", National Research Council, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Chiti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zaidi N, Ajmal MR, Zaidi SA, Khan RH. Mechanistic In Vitro Dissection of the Inhibition of Amyloid Fibrillation by n-Acetylneuraminic Acid: Plausible Implication in Therapeutics for Neurodegenerative Disorders. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022; 13:69-80. [PMID: 34878262 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A variety of neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson's disease are due to fibrillation in amyloidogenic proteins. The development of therapeutics for these disorders is a topic of extensive research as effective treatments are still unavailable. The present study establishes that n-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5ac) inhibits the amyloid fibrillation of hen egg-white lysozyme (HEWL) and α-synuclein (SYN), as observed using various biophysical techniques and cellular assays. Neu5ac inhibits the amyloid formation in both proteins, as suggested from the reduction in the ThT fluorescence and remnant structures in transmission electron microscopy micrographs observed in its presence. In HEWL fibrillation, Neu5ac decreases the hydrophobicity and resists the transition of the α-helix to a β-sheet, as observed by an ANS binding assay, circular dichroism (CD) spectra, and Fourier transform infrared measurements, respectively. Neu5ac stabilizes the states that facilitate the amyloid formation in HEWL and SYN, as demonstrated by an enhanced intrinsic fluorescence in its presence, which is further confirmed by an increase in Tm obtained from differential scanning calorimetry thermograms and an increase in the near-UV CD signal for HEWL with Neu5ac. However, the increase in stability is not a manifestation of Neu5ac binding to amyloid facilitating (partially folded or native) states of both proteins, as verified by isothermal titration calorimetry and fluorescence binding measurements. Besides, Neu5ac also attenuates the cytotoxicity of amyloid fibrils, as evaluated by a cell toxicity assay. These findings provide mechanistic insights into the Neu5ac action against amyloid fibrillation and may establish it as a plausible inhibitor molecule against neurodegenerative disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nida Zaidi
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Mohammad Rehan Ajmal
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Syed Adeel Zaidi
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Rizwan Hasan Khan
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| |
Collapse
|